Great Tenor Performances

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General		Extras
Category	Music	Theatrical Trailer(s)	None
Rating		Other Trailer(s)	None
Year Released	1997	Commentary Tracks	None
Running Time	74:16 minutes	Other Extras	None
RSDL/Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Selection then Movie
Region	2,3,4,5,6	Director	-
Studio Distributor	- Warner Vision Australia	Starring	Jose Carreras Roberto Alagna Placido Domingo Giacomo Aragall John Mark Ainsley Vladimir Atlantov Max-Rene Cosotti Luciano Pavarotti Neil Shicoff Jon Vickers Franco Bonisolli Nicola Martinucci
Case	Super Jewel Case
RRP	$39.95	Music	Some hacks like Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and Rossini

    And this sort of compilation contains a wide cross section of both quality in performance and quality in music. The range here is from pretty ordinary to something quite superb. And the quite superb comes from a name that I am not familiar with - Giacomo Aragall doing a superb rendition of E lucevan le stelle from Puccini's Tosca. And I have to admit that even Luciano Pavarotti is quite reasonable, although this does come from the period before his decline towards The Three Tenors. Of those three tenors, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo demonstrate how much better they are than Luciano Pavarotti, even in these efforts well predating the three tenor "phenomenon". And we do get the obligatory Nessun Dorma albeit in a decent effort rather than the increasingly bastardized version that Luciano Pavarotti has probably made a squillion from.

Video

    The transfer is presented at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, apart from two arias which are in 1.78:1 widescreen. The transfer is not 16x9 enhanced.

    Naturally with a collection of video transfers ranging from 1981 to 1996, there is significant variability in the quality of the transfers on offer. They range from very average to pretty good. In general the transfers are lacking just a little in definition and sharpness. There are no real problems with the focus throughout, and in general shadow detail is not too special. Most of the transfers seem to be just a little on the dark side, some rather more than others. In one transfer in particular, that of Max-Rene Cosotti, there was evidence of serious low level noise, or MPEG artefacting; this transfer also demonstrated a quite noticeable jump in the video (probably an inherent fault not a DVD mastering fault).

    The transfers show significant variability in the colours, ranging from nicely saturated to quite washed out. Most of the earlier transfers exhibit a lack of really decent colour, indicating perhaps a problem with the original transfers as opposed to problems with the DVD transfer. This is definitely not what you would call a vibrant collection of transfers.

    Apart from some blockiness in a few of the transfers, which may be inherent problems in the transfers, there did not appear to be any MPEG artefacts in the transfer. One transfer, the sole transfer of Vladimir Atlantov, had some problem with wobble, but apart from that there did not appear to be any significant film-to-video artefacts. There were some noticeable film artefacts present in a few of the transfers, but these were not too distracting.

    Overall, the video transfer is quite good even allowing for the odd individual problems here and there with certain transfers.

Audio

    There is only the one audio track on the DVD, an English Linear PCM 48/16 soundtrack. Although it is nominally English, all the performances are in the original language, meaning anything but English just about!

    The music and vocals are generally clear and understandable in the soundtrack, although there were some variable moments here and there.

    Audio sync did not appear to be a problem with the soundtrack.

    The soundtrack does not make much use of the rear surround channels nor the bass channel, and this is a very front and centre sounding effort. The main problem was the sound varies between transfers and also within transfers, especially as the performers move around. At times the sound was a little too recessed for my liking, and it never really sparkled at all. The sole transfer of Vladimir Atlantov sounded as if it had some background hiss to it, but nothing too distracting. Overall, not the greatest soundscape I have heard, but given the variability in the transfers, nothing too much to really complain about.

Menu

Booklet

    A reasonable video transfer.

    A reasonable audio transfer.

    The extras need some work.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Ian Morris
11th December 1999