- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080i/60
- Audio Codec: LPCM 2.0, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean
- Region: ABC (Region-Free)
- Running Time: 183 minutes
- Rating: Not Rated
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Studio: Arthaus Musik
- Blu-ray Release Date: January 29, 2013
- List Price: $39.99
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Performance
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Performance
[Rating:4/5]
Pergolesi had a brief but musically productive life that ended with his last comic opera, Il Flaminio. The sitcom plot involves a wealthy Neapolitan playboy, Polidoro (Juan Francisco Gatell) who, with his sister Agata (Sonia Yoncheva) is sharing a villa with Giustina,(Marina De Liso) a young widow. Flaminio (Laura Polverelli), Polidoro’s administrative assistant, Checca (Laura Cherici) Giustina’s au pair, and Vastiano (Vito Priante), Polidoro’s servant are also on the premises. There are a number of complex personal relationships: Flaminio AKA Giulio loves Giustina, Agata is in love with Giulio/Flaminio, Polidoro wants to marry Giustina. Agata sees the light and returns to her boyfriend Ferdinando (Serena Malfi), Flaminio reveals his true identity, Checca will marry Vastiano, and Polidoro goes home alone to pursue his life of carefree pleasure. During the unraveling and resolution of this sitcom, we get some wonderful solo and ensemble pieces and physical comedy.
In many ways, Il Flaminio presages Mozart’s domestic comedies such as Cosi Fan Tutte or Le Nozze di Figaro. This 2010 production comes from the Teatro Valeria Moriconi, Jesi. The costumes and sets receive an early 20th century update by designers, Benito Leonori and Klaudia Konieczny. The cast is refreshingly youthful for this frothy production and this youth element is played up by director Michal Znaniecki. Conductor Ottavio Damone, an early opera specialist, leads his period players, the Accademia Bizantia with good pacing and sensitivity to the singers. While the sets are rather minimal, the dramatic action is energetic and propels the humorous proceedings for its three hour running time.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Accomplished video director Tiziano Mancini lets the cameras do the talking and balance close and distance shots perfectly. The telegenic cast gets their due with many good face captures. Colors are gorgeous and details quite good as well.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Baroque opera is all about getting the sonic details right. The reduced orchestral forces help us hear the nice voices in this production. Both soundtracks are excellent but I preferred the surround sound version for its better presentation of house atmosphere.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0.5/5]
Arthaus Musik provides no video extras. I continue to plead that classical labels provide us something for works that will be so unfamiliar to most modern audiences. Further, the program booklet provides a nice essay on the period and design of this opera, but no synopsis or listing of vocal selections.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
We are living in privileged times indeed when we get to time travel back to the early 18th century and see operas resurrected from obscurity. Further, it is not likely that Pergolesi himself heard this work performed as well as in this present production. There is ensemble synergy among the cast that is essential to bringing out the light-hearted nature of this cast. The women, particularly those in trousers, dominate the proceedings and, I am happy to report, they are all vocally gems. While the two males in the cast are decent, they do come in second to their distaff counterparts. The real star of this show is in the maestro in the pit, Sr. Dantone. I have had the opportunity to see him with his forces on several occasions and have concluded that he not only knows this musical genre but really adores it. While Il Flaminio seems a bit long on running time, the production was so enjoyable that it seemed to be over quite quickly. Punch this ticket for a great musical blast from the past.
Additional Screen Captures
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Performance
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
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