The results are visually compelling, beautifully evocative, true to a composer’s vision and – most important – sincere and convincing in execution. How often can one say that today of what is presented on the operatic stage? Two Britons are responsible for its excellence – Elijah Moshinsky for this Kirov production, and the experienced Brian Large for transferring it to our screens. But the musical side is entirely Russian in content. Gergiev, as in his CD version of the same score (Philips, 4/97), conducts with complete conviction, keeping a reasonably tight rein on a work that can all too easily sprawl: Verdi’s 1867 revisions not only improve the dramaturgy but tighten the musical structure.
The main principals are the same as on the studio recording. Gorchakova is, as before, a full-throated, emotionally involved Leonora whose admirable acting and singing are marred only by the occasional stridency at the top of her range. Grigorian’s magnificently stentorian tones and reliable musicianship are up to every demand of Alvaro’s extended role. He may not quite look the part of a youthful lover, but his convincing portrayal of the character’s torments compensates for his tubby, un-romantic figure. Putilin, on the other hand, looks every inch the avenging, implacable Carlo – the most relentlessly unforgiving character in all Verdi – but ‘Urna fatale’ discloses some limitations in his Verdian technique. The three superb duets for tenor and baritone are very properly the highlights of the performance.
Tarasova looks and sings like a true Preziosilla, better still than Borodina on CD. Alexashkin is some improvement on Kit, the Padre Guardiano on CD, but never evinces quite the vocal or dramatic authority the part calls for. Zastavny repeats his straightforward reading of Melitone’s part: as the audio-only set suggested, he prefers to sing it rather than guy it, which makes the disputatious monk’s part in proceedings the more impressive, not forgetting the clarity with which he points the anti-clerical sentiments of his diatribes.
The sound is good, but after extended listening to DVDs I have come to the conclusion that the audio quality isn’t quite as wide in range as we heard on laserdisc or can still hear on conventional CD.'