# Zeffirelli



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Every time I watch the Pavarotti/Dessi/Muti video of Don Carlo I am astounded by the costumes and the sets. It seems that every costume is different and every one is perfect in its own way, almost as though the individuals playing the parts were themselves wealthy Spanish aristocracy with access to the best designers and dressmakers. And the set just seems so right for the opera - it supports the grand scale of the opera without dwarfing the performers and making them look small. I don't know how much of this is down to Zeffirelli and how much he owes to the costume and set designers, but I just kind of automatically give all the credit to Zeff.

Second, anyone who visits New York without seeing La Boheme in the Zeffirelli production is missing something very special. It doesn't matter who is singing. It could be Joe Blow from Kokomo as Rodolfo - ah, o overload - or Miss Priss from Mississippi as Mimi - now we're cooking - and it would be wonderful. Why? I don't know. I sat next to a lady from Vienna one night and we agreed that it didn't matter who was singing, that there should always be newlyweds in the audience.

On the other hand, his Turnadot that he did for the Met is just so overblown it's a joke. Or maybe it's just me that it doesn't work for? Again, I don't know. There's just glittery stuff everywhere and to me, it's too much by about a million. Give me a John Dexter Turandot, please, and let's get back to the characters and the story.

So the question is this: what are the best and the worst Zeffirelli productions, in your opinion? Can we make a ten best list, and a ten worst list?


----------



## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Not really a fan of Zeffirelli. His productions are so overblown, it's insane. I generally really dislike spectacle for spectacle's sake.


----------



## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

My reactions are mixed. Sometimes, his productions are quite impressive, and frankly, I find it refreshing to come across a staging that places the opera's action during the period in which things are actually supposed to take place. On the other hand, his productions can occasionally be too much of a good thing, and the principal singers are dwarfed by the sets and the hordes of people with which Zeffirelli is fond of populating scenes.


----------



## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

My favourite Zefirelli production is definitely this, with a group of young artists, in the tiny theatre at Busseto. It is beautiful, of course, but it's also very intimate and brings out the interaction between the protagonists very effectively.










But as a rule I'm more of a Robert Carsen "minimal sets" girl myself.


----------



## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

I like the operas he's filmed himself.


----------



## dionisio (Jul 30, 2012)

His La Boheme is my favourite. I have on dvd La Boheme with Pavarotti and Freni and it has always been my dear La Boheme. The tempi are a bit fast, but no one tops this duet.

I've said many times that i'm not very keen on abstract productions. The more faithful the scene is the better for me. About Zefirelli's Turandot and Aida (has well for other operas) were/are very important for me because these productions were what i considered as the standard ones. I (like other people, probably) started to see opera (on TV) with Zefirelli's productions. Then every other productions were always compared to these.


----------



## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

Overblown is about right. I do remember his Turandot well and i quite like it.
Would i not go and see something he directed? No, i would still go.

But i prefer a more thought provoking director. Give me Oliver Pye any day over Zefirelli.


----------



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Have to look for that - never been much of an Aida fan but you do make it sound interesting! (referring to Mamascarlatti's recommendation of his Aida)


----------



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

dionisio said:


> His La Boheme is my favourite. I have on dvd La Boheme with Pavarotti and Freni and it has always been my dear La Boheme. The tempi are a bit fast, but no one tops this duet.
> 
> I've said many times that i'm not very keen on abstract productions. The more faithful the scene is the better for me. About Zefirelli's Turandot and Aida (has well for other operas) were/are very important for me because these productions were what i considered as the standard ones. I (like other people, probably) started to see opera (on TV) with Zefirelli's productions. Then every other productions were always compared to these.


I should look for that Boheme - not a big fan of the opera really, but I think Zeffirelli really understands what it's about.


----------



## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

guythegreg said:


> Have to look for that - never been much of an Aida fan but you do make it sound interesting! (referring to Mamascarlatti's recommendation of his Aida)


No, I'm not keen on Aida, too much grand spectacle usually. But this is good.


----------



## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

There was a time when I appreciated Zeffirelli's efforts. Not any more. I prefer upstaging to recent decades. I don't think operatic psychopaths can be better dressed/portrayed than with business suit in office environment.


----------



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

A good deal of opera is 'over the top' by its fundamental nature, and I suppose there are two ways of approaching that, the one complained about of 'inflating the already inflated' is an approach, depending upon the piece and what is done, which can work or fail.

Turandot is certainly one of those 'over the top' works, I find it difficult enough to believe in the first place that a hyper-inflated set and costumes seems 'appropriate.'

Zefferilli did, imo, a highly successful filming of La Traviata, with Placido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, et alia which I think any fan of that opera would find more than believable.

I have not seen any stage productions.


----------



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Vaneyes said:


> There was a time when I appreciated Zeffirelli's efforts. Not any more. I prefer upstaging to recent decades. I don't think operatic psychopaths can be better dressed/portrayed than with business suit in office environment.


"Opera psychopaths" - there's a good thread topic! I think you're right though, there's something about a tux that just lends itself to conceptions of remoteness and evil ...


----------



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

PetrB said:


> Turandot is certainly one of those 'over the top' works, I find it difficult enough to believe in the first place that a hyper-inflated set and costumes seems 'appropriate.'


Well, Turandot certainly CAN be done over the top ... but I think it could be made to work very successfully in a much smaller scale too. One of the reasons opera is so successful is that the little dramas of our lives mean as much to us as the sweeping dramas we see on stage, don't you think?


----------



## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

One of the most beautiful Traviata I have on DVD is Zefirelli's staging and directing, with Stefania Bonfadelli and Scott Piper. The fact that both singers are young, and sing very well helps too, but the setting is genial, considering how small was the theatre where it was used.



PS. I tried to upload an imagine, but I couldn't...


----------



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

sabrina said:


> One of the most beautiful Traviata I have on DVD is Zefirelli's staging and directing, with Stefania Bonfadelli and Scott Piper. The fact that both singers are young, and sing very well helps too, but the setting is genial, considering how small was the theatre where it was used.


I am sure I can find it. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out!


----------



## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

What about:








My personal favorite Zeffirelli work.


----------



## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

I don't like the Aida at all with Piper in it as Radames. The voices just don't sound right and it all looks a bit silly to me. Have tried to like it several times but failed. Not sure what all the fuss is about.


----------



## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

When I find some opera where Zeffirelli is in it, that's a good reason for me to buy it on dvd.


----------



## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

Hesoos said:


> When I find some opera where Zeffirelli is in it, that's a good reason for me to buy it on dvd.


I do exactly the same, although sometimes I am disappointed. At this time, I have every one of the operas he has been involved with and it is a very mixed bag. Some are just outstanding. Others are only so-so.


----------

