Customer Reviews
The best entertainment ever. - By: Mrs. L. Levine, 28 Jun 2008 
This has to be the most exuberant production of alll time. There is not a moment wasted & the direction & acting are sensational.
This is a lyrical tour de force. How does Natalie Dessay manage to control her voice whilst lying down or being thrown around? Juan Diego Flores is a delight & in fine voice & the supporting cast is wonderful.
A not-to-be-missed masterpiece by Donizetti.
Beautifully staged and sung and so funny - By: Malkyp, 19 May 2008 I'm afraid that there's not much to add to the previous review except to say that I agree with every word.
I am not qualified to judge anyone's singing but would just like to say that I enjoyed every moment & watch it over & over again.
All-star cast, 5-star entertainment - By: libriarsque, 16 May 2008 With the stellar cast of Dessay, Florez, Corbelli, & Palmer, one sits down to watch this DVD with high expectations. And one would not be disappointed.
Laurent Pelly's production is highly entertaining stuff. There is always something to occupy the eye, & though it may strike some people as 'overly busy', one can't help being amused at the sheer inventiveness of some of the stage business. He obviously demands a lot from his singers, especiallly the amazing Dessay, who has to be the most fearless artist performing today. As a comedienne she is her most physical, punctuating every vocal turn & flourish with a corresponding bodily movement. On first viewing, this kind of hyper-physical comedy is enchanting; however, I have to say it wears a bit thin on subsequent viewings, & I find myself longing for a comic portrayal that is more human & based more on character. Vocallly, her coloratura is as bravura as ever, but too much pressure & spreading just above the upper passaggio in louder moments makes one fear a bit for her technical health.
Florez, in this particular performance, shows a tendency toward sharpness; but the elegant line, sensitive phrasing, & unerring style are alll there.
Corbelli & Palmer are marvelous, as expected. It's gratifying to have on film a performance by Corbelli in a language other than his native Italian--he has excellent command of French, as well as German & English, which not many in the business are aware of. Dawn French, in the non-singing role of the Duchess of Krakenthorp (sp?) elicits guffaws of "Olympic" proportions (that's an inside joke; you have to watch the DVD to get it).
I'm sorry I can't compare this production with the other Florez "Fille" (the one with Ciofi), but I'll leave that to someone who has seen both. I can, however, heartily recommend this one.
