I looked with interest at the set when it first came out. I read a bunch of reviews on it both on Amazon and in the music press, and what I found was somewhat positive but reviews covering a range of opinions. From what I know the reviewers I began to get my own picture which was mostly positive. I decided to buy this set directly from Amazon because I've had good results in the past with their money back guarantee on those few occasions where I needed to use it, mostly electrical items. I wanted to be sure that all 27 disks were up to snuff and that I was happy with the whole thing and that's one of the things that they guarantee.
There are three formats that this set comes in (I'm assuming everyone buys blu-ray now).
The 27 pieces are available individually, which is the most expensive way, but good for buying in installments and the easiest for selling off individual operas, but takes up a lot of room.
They are available in three boxes of nine, but they are oversized cardboard cases, probably designed with a university library in mind. Also takes up a lot of room.
The slipcase edition shown here is likely designed for how libraries, and it takes up the least room. While everything is together in one package to get a discount you have to remove the whole case from the shelf and slide out the book inside, then pick out the disc from a "coin-saver" page and for further info you have to slide out a large perfect-bound book from a sling inside. To do much reading you'll want a lot of good light and a flat surface for the book to rest on.
It is clear that this set was designed to look good to a corporate manager rather than for ease of use. Small, low contrast printing, housing that will show wear over time, and the incessant logos of characters poppong out of verdi's top hat, while the intro to "Sempre Libera" plays twice on each opera and intro segment suggests that an unsupervised graphic designer was given way too much responsibility on the project.
Who do they think are buying these sets?
Each disc includes a ten minute introduction, but we would have been better off with an illustrated synopsis, stills from the production illuminated the characters, plot and cast, that would help increase understanding.
When the disc is loaded, the options shown are "Play opera", "Introduction" and "Trailers".
To select audio options and subtitle language, you must wait until the opera has actually started playing, which has to be done by calling up a menu and then category, or by going onto your remote control. All this while the opera has already started. Very poor design, and seen on their other discs also. They need a real, adult designer at c major.
The operas presented are mostly new productions, in good 5.1 sound. Most are from the Parma Opera, and are presented with minimal scenery, which is a plus in my opinion. There are only a few singers known internationally, most are from italian regional theaters, and this is a great chance to meet some great new singers who sing well and have not succumbed to the international circuit, so they are much more alive and in touch with their audience.
One of the great advantages here is that the singers are used to performing in a small opera house where the audience is much more present and there's no need to over saying in order to be heard. In many of the videos I've seen from larger opera houses the singers push their voices, they over-sing and lose resonance and tone.
In the one-month trial that Amazon gives with their guarantee I figured I would be able to get through all of the operas. I couldn't do it. Some of the early operas are so wonderful that I just would get stuck for a couple days needing to hear more, again. Needless to say I kept the set and I'm very happy with it.
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Maria
Wirklich sehr empfehlenswerte Edition !!!
Reviewed in Germany on April 14, 2022