Antonio Vivaldi wrote hundreds of largely famous instrumental works, and his glorious church music is well known; but it wasn’t until recent decades that his operas – of which he is said to have created more than fifty – were resurrected. Orlando furioso occupies a central and very significant place among Vivaldi’s works. Not only does the whole score of this opera demonstrate its composer’s full, creative maturity, but its outstanding features are also an extraordinary musical beauty, an attractive recitative line and a balance thus created between the various parts of the dramatic and musical whole. This exceptional musical achievement was no doubt partly due to the famous theme of the original story, as well as the literary and dramatic qualities of a first-rate libretto.

Pier Luigi Pizzi’s 1979 production of Orlando furioso in Verona marked the beginning of contemporary international interest in Antonio Vivaldi’s operas. Ten years later the same director once more produced this work at the San Francisco Opera, where it was a great success.


Cast:
- Orlando: Marilyn Horne
- Angelica: Susan Patterson
- Alcina: Kathleen Kuhlmann
- Bradamante: Sandra Walker
- Ruggiero: Jeffrey Gall

Stage director: Pier Luigi Pizzi

Live from the San Francisco Opera, 1989

Legendary Performances
From one of the world’s most extensive catalogues of audio-visual productions, Arthaus Musik again has chosen 10 exemplary recordings from the greatest opera houses. This third journey through the world of opera features classics
by Mozart, Gluck, Weber, Puccini and Rossini, as well as Janáček’s, Berg’s and Poulenc’s more recent operatic strokes of genius, performed by singers like Peter Schreier, Ileana Cotrubaș, Franz Grundheber, Edita Gruberová, Peter Seiffert, Inga Nielsen, Marilyn Horne or Malin Hartelius; and last but not least virtuously conducted by international stars like Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Fabio Biondi, Sir Charles Mackerras or Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Legendary Performances impressively demonstrate how diverse, imposing, and especially how alluring and delightful the world of opera is.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo
Picture Format: 4:3
Original Language: IT
Subtitles: IT, GB, DE, FR, ES
DVD 9 / NTSC
Running Time: 147 mins
FSK: 0
Region Code: 0