Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39987 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-04-04
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Box set, Classical, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: Italian
• Subtitled in: German, English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 192 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Handel's 1724 opera Tamerlano followed the success of his previous year's Giulio Cesare with another colourful historical costume drama. This time the setting is the court of "Timur the Tartar", who has just defeated the Turkish Sultan Bajazet at the battle of Angora. There are, naturally enough, romantic complications when both Tamerlano and his ally, the Greek Prince Andronico, fall in love with Bajazet's daughter Asteria. She, however, has plans to revenge her father's defeat.

This production was directed by Jonathan Miller and staged in the intimate surroundings of the Goethe Theatre of Bad Lauchstadt as part of the 2001 Halle Handel Festival. Miller's sparse gold-draped sets, as well as the video direction, always lead the eye towards the singers and their splendidly decorative costumes. Mezzo Monica Bacelli looks a little too pretty beneath her moustache to be convincingly threatening as Tamerlano; soprano Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz is a full-blooded, perhaps overripe Asteria; and Thomas Randle tackles the very demanding tenor role of Bajazet. None of the voices are necessarily "authentic", but thanks to the musical direction of Trevor Pinnock--an experienced and sensitive Handelian--the performance always feels completely natural. In the pit Pinnock's English Concert are, as always, a delight. Anyone who has not yet discovered the sometimes arcane delights of Baroque opera will find much to encourage them here; seasoned opera seria buffs should not hesitate.

On the DVD: Tamerlano comes handsomely packaged in a two-disc set with a colourful and informative booklet. The extra features put most other ArtHaus releases to shame. To begin with the "Score Plus" facility, which superimposes the score over the picture, will provide hours of joy (all DVD operas should have this as standard). There are subtitles in English, German, French or Spanish. There's a lengthy (40-minute) "Making of" documentary, which takes us behind the scenes with Jonathan Miller, Trevor Pinnock and their team at Sadler's Wells then in Halle. More material about the Handel Festival can be found in the "Interviews" section, the selection of "Historical Film Footage" from previous Festivals, and the illustrated "Interactive Chronolgy". The 16:9 picture is perfectly adequate, and the sound options are good PCM Stereo and Dolby 5.1. --Mark Walker

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

The 192 minute long opera
Score plus--read the score as a subtitle
The Making of Tamerlano
Interviews
Historical film footage
Interactive chronology
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0, 5.1, PCM Stereo
Picture: 16:9 Menu languages: GD, D, F, SP
Subtitles: GB, D, F, SP
Region code: 0

Synopsis
Handel's timeless opera TAMERLANO, whose model is NIcholas Pradon's Tamerlan ou La Mort de Bajazet, is brought to life in this live recording from the 50th Handel-Festipiele 2001 at the world famous Halle on the Saale. Conducted by Trevor Pinnock and with exquisite direction by Jonathan Miller, Tamerlano stands as one of Handel's masterworks.

Customer Reviews

Tamerlano - a musical and visual treat.
The two DVDs contain over three hours of Handel's opera, and over two hours of interesting supplementary material. I find it difficult to fault this issue and as long as one approaches baroque opera with an open mind, there is so much to enjoy. If one didn't know better, the title Tamerlano would seem to promise action, bloodshed, and heathen orgies, but instead you get a number of soloists, no chorus, walking sedately onto the stage, interacting with each other in recitative, and then delivering their arias to the audience, and occasionally to each other. There is emotion and tension, but this is related only by the music and the words, by restrained expression and gesture, and not by physical activity.

The opera is recorded live on the night of the first performance during the fiftieth Handel Festival in Halle. The Goethe Theatre in Bad Lauchstädt is a little jewel, and its intimate atmosphere is splendidly caught in this DVD. The recording itself is just about perfect, the picture being clear and detailed, with enough variety in camera angles and not too much close up. The set is static, but warm and well lit. The sound, as far as I can judge on my non hi-fi equipment, is realistic, there being a fine and natural balance between singer and orchestra.

The orchestra, led by Trevor Pinnock on the harpsichord, sounds authentic enough to my ears, but better than this, the band sounds musical. The costuming is stunning, an imitation of eighteenth century orientalism. The singing is of a uniformly high standard. Tamerlano is played by a youthful, slim young thing, but she has a fine presence and voice. I am more than happy that this part is played by a female, one countertenor in an opera is probably enough for this listener, and this is not a criticism of Grahame Pushee. Whether the singing is authentic or not I have no idea, all I know is that incredibly difficult arias are carried off with aplomb by all the artists. The applause is not at all intrusive and the rest of the time the audience is hardly audible. I like the applause, it seems natural to me (though I speak as a singer myself!) You can even view the score and sing along with the principals if you wish, a wonderful bonus of this DVD production. I hope this extra catches on with all such musical productions.

Obviously if you don't like Handel, or you don't like baroque opera, then you aren't going to like this DVD. But if you do, or you are prepared to learn, then I fail to see how this production can do anything but please, and that most generously.

Great Music, Not so Great Performance
'Tamerlano' is one of Handel's greatest operas. It is also one of the few,
like 'Rodelinda', which is consistently serious and dramatically compelling
throughout. And unlike most Baroque operas, the music in 'Tamerlano' is
perfectly tailored to the dramatic situations of the plot.

This production unfortunately, is very disappointing. The singers are not
well-dressed and consequently they do not look the part. The singing is also
not on a very high standard and Pinnock's conducting leaves much to be
desired. A great pity.

If you want a riveting performance of this opera, please get the John Eliot
Gardener set on Erato instead, which ironically enough is also a live
performance. Gardner's cast features not only Michael Chance, at the height
of his powers, but also the acclaimed Derek Lee Ragin in the title role.
With Nigel Robson as Bajazet, you just can't go wrong with the Gardener set.
And the EBO under Gardner plays like a dream.

Disappointing Singing Aggravated by Annoying Applause
A fine, live recording with excellent pacing and orchestral playing conducted by Hogwood --- compromised by uneven singing. The Asteria is barely competent technically and extremely sour-voiced --- the Irene is certainly superior. The title role is positively-sung but not memorable --- all-in-all, the impression is less powerful and even than the Gardiner recording. Inclusion of the applause after each number was a poor decision -- virtually enough to disqualify this recording from my library.