Top marks given for one compelling reason: to see and hear the mesmerizing singing discipline that is Placido Domingo in his youthful prime: commitment, power, and intensity combine to showcase a quintessential Manrico; there's little wrong with the legendary Florenza Cossoto, either, though she is towards the end of her career--her fiendish gypsy always seems teetering on the edge of sanity; the other singers do not lack opera chops, nor does the muscular conducting of Herbert Von Karajan.
Viewers should take into account this version is over thirty years old, thus not measuring up to contemporary excellence in filming Verdi spectacle, i.e., far too many close-ups when a trio should be captured in a wide sweep, or sometimes lacking better sets--but these are minor cavils when it comes to the main event: the great Domingo and his amazing tenor
Viewers should take into account this version is over thirty years old, thus not measuring up to contemporary excellence in filming Verdi spectacle, i.e., far too many close-ups when a trio should be captured in a wide sweep, or sometimes lacking better sets--but these are minor cavils when it comes to the main event: the great Domingo and his amazing tenor