I am grateful to Janos Gereben <[log in to unmask]> for submitting a review
of this PBS/TV broadcast containing some pretty scathing comments from a
Mr. Commanday.

Surely one of the excitements of watching opera, like downhill skiing or
motor racing, is the "risk" element? Here in Europe we had this broadcast
"real" and "live", elements that add a very considerable frisson that a
recorded broadcast cannot offer.  I believe that this means that one's
judgement and tolerance are best tempered by the "occasion" as, indeed, it
is in the opera house (or should be, at least by mature listeners rather
than by canary fanciers).

The two main points where I disagree with him concern Rolando Panerai and
Mehta.

Panerai sang most beautifully and with a deep and totally sympathetic
understanding of the role (as you'd expect from a musician whose career
goes back to Toscanini).  He is 76 years old and I have not witnessed
anything so marvellous from anyone of such an age.  I didn't think it
was possible, at that age, that the voice could be in such condition.
No European (English language) critic that I read agrees with Commanday's
cruel and (IMO) completely inaccurate assessment.  All those watching in
our household were amazed and moved and reports from other opera buff
friends were similar (including a not-quite-yet-retired, and *very* famous,
mezzo who lives locally and with whom I discussed the broadcast).

As for Mehta - the conducting (rather like his Philips recording of 8 years
ago - long since deleted, I'd guess!) was more suited to an Italian village
band and for me the brash vulgarity of much of it and the frequent lack of
sensitivity spoilt the evening more than anything else.

Mr. Commanday also mis-uses the language.  He wrote:

>Any reasonably opera-schooled viewer who was really attending with his
>ears had to recognize in short order the mediocrity of the effort.

Ears or eyes, one assumes what he meant here was the mediocrity of the
"result"!  The "effort" was truly stupendous in human, technical, musical
and financial terms? Spectacular it was and as an integrated entertainment
is there anything wrong with that especially for a world audience where
millions may be discovering Verdi for the first time?

Mr. Commanday concluded:

>Opera has always had to face its age-old dilemma-- which comes first,
>the music or the words? In our era, it's the opera or the spectacle.

Does Mr.Commanday know what sort of "kitchen-sink" / "chain-saw"
productions we have to put up with on the stages of Europe these days?
Does he understand what a relief it is to be allowed to see anything
half-civilized even if the producer on this occasion took a few small
liberties? We've just been watching this summer's Salzburg "Les Troyens"
on TV - musically excellent....  but oh, dear me, no!  At Glyndebourne
this summer Don Giovanni's final dinner consisted of the entrails which
he dragged out of a dead horse lying on the stage.

The Traviata camera-work was, like the Tosca 7 years ago, occasionally
wonderful but I am not sure that this Traviata will make as good a video
(or audio) as the Rome Tosca did before it.

Many of us at Philips Classics at the time watched that Rome Tosca,
bringing to it every possible degree of critical cynicism that we could
muster!  Without exception one was bowled over.  Not quite so with this
one but Mr. Commanday, I think, rather overstates his case.  Bravo to Mr.
Andrea Andermann, once again.

John G. Deacon
Home page: www.ctv.es/USERS/j.deacon