2,859 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jun 15, 2019 13:40:39 GMT
Opera, theatre and film director Franco Zeffirelli has passed at the age of 96
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2019 16:22:05 GMT
Sad news but he'd lived to a grand old age,
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1,089 posts
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Post by tonyloco on Jun 15, 2019 17:53:10 GMT
Yes. Zeffirelli was a very talented director of films, stage plays and operas.
I saw his production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Old Vic in I think 1960 which starred John Stride and Judi Dench and was brilliant.
Around that time he also did some outstanding opera productions at Covent Garden, including a very atmospheric Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni) and Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) as well as Verdi's Falstaff. And he also did a powerful production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at Covent Garden in 1959 which propelled Joan Sutherland to international fame, and followed it up with a glorious production of Handel's Alcina for Sutherland in which she earned the title of La Stupenda.
I was then fortunate in 1964 to see his productions of Puccini's Tosca at Covent Garden and Bellini's Norma at the Paris Opéra, both with Maria Callas.
All his work that I saw was very traditional, but always on a grand scale that suited the works concerned.
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Post by scarpia on Jul 8, 2019 12:28:32 GMT
I was then fortunate in 1964 to see his productions of Puccini's Tosca at Covent Garden and Bellini's Norma at the Paris Opéra, both with Maria Callas.
So jealous! Two legendary performances that I would loved to have seen. I'm finally getting my chance to see a Zeffirelli production at the Met in October ( Turandot). Figured it might be last chance to see one of his iconic productions before it is eventually retired. |
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