Upscaled MEFISTOFELE Benackova, Ramey, O'Neill - Arena - San Francisco IX89

[@mickeymortimer4407]

as good as it gets, Ramey's face was amazing too, for it's expressive qualities - built for the stage, he was. He's a hero of mine, to be sure

[@thomasshanklin9655]

Sam gives me the chills and this music every time. I saw him THREE times in this role at NY City Opera. STUNNING.. and Joseph Colinari was the chorus conductor. Sang with him and the Overture at Berkshire chorale many years ago.

[@wotan10950]

Fantastic! I saw Ramey as Mefistofele in the old Capobianco production at NYCOpera w Johanna Meier in both soprano roles. One of my top-10 operatic experiences (of 300+ live performances). I saw Benackova in a Czech opera at the Met, an unforgettable artist.

[@giulianataramella1192]

Meraviglioso Ramey!

[@elsatranter2940]

what an amazing performance. Saw it live in SF and loved it then. Now even better seeing the close-ups right before me. Recovering from broken hip so can't go anywhere; grateful for pleasures like this.

[@ellenbacklin]

Also recovering from knee replacement surgery so nice to see this again.

[@petergraham8681]

Ramey’s instrument is his greatest asset & he is in superb form here. However in a comment I made earlier the greatest dramatic performance I have seen of this opera came courtesy of Norman Treigle who, all things considered, has not been equaled since in this role, IMO. The impact he made on me when I saw him in Seattle 50 years ago will stay with me forever & this was 5 months before he died. The timbre of Treigle’s instrument remains controversial for many & is although powerful & sonorous (his opening sound of the AVE SIGNOR is spine chillingly effective) not by any means a conventionally beautiful sound as Ramey’s is. One cannot deny, however, that Ramey, not always the most dramatically dynamic of operatic actors, IMO, gives one of his better operatic characterizations here. O’NeIll, IMO, is not first rate but despite that this DVD (I saw it first on video) is a fine tribute to Boito who although not really a great composer really came through memorably with this Opera, IMO. The prologue & epilogue in themselves are among the great moments in all opera. In most ways I find MEFISTOFELE more interesting than Gounod’s FAUST. A personal view for sure.

[@glendadafonseca8284]

Marvelous tenor. Thrilling sound. Hadn't heard of him before. And, yes, magnificent Ramey. After hearing him as Mephistopheles---in the operas of Gounod, Berlioz, and this one, every other singer seems disappointing.

[@develyntwocentshenderson5739]

many many years ago I went to lincoln center to see this work. the immortal norman triegle (he was famous for this role as well) was set to perform and of all the problems he came down with appendicitis and his understudy, Michael Devlin stepped in and 'on with the show'. Michael totally nailed the performance, so much so the New York Times wrote him up in an article the next day. It is rare that ones sees a breakout performance like this. Much like Leonard Bernstein filling in for the ailing conductor when he was introduced to the world. and being there for it.

[@peterdevita6308]

Surprised you have not heard of O.Neil; he has sung all the major tenor repertoire roles or years in his era!

[@ellenbacklin]

I saw Ramey at lyric opera chicago about 8 years ago. Same production.

[@michaelyesidmedinavillamiz7381]

i love ramey!!!!!!!

[@peterdevita6308]

All Principals are so incredible: Ramey was the Mefistofele of his age, no matter which Mefisto he sang in whatever major opera of the Faust legend.

[@fabriziomorea1287]

uno straordinario Ramey unico e raro.

[@BarbaraWilliams-mr6yp]

WONDERFUL. THE BEST.

[@JoeKundlak]

A great restoration of a masterpiece!

[@Icechipps]

I love this!

[@mirjamdevries9376]

Monumentale , immenso Ramey in questo ruolo, sia per la voce che per la presenza scenica! 👿🎵💎

[@anastasromansky8626]

Davvero qualcosa di soprannaturale. Come se il Diavolo in persona decidesse di entrare nel palcoscenico dell'opera! ❤‍🔥

[@mirjamdevries9376]

@@anastasromansky8626 Già, è vero!!

[@marcoperoni1920]

Assieme a Siepi i due piú grandi Mefistofele di sempre.

[@tww2002]

PERFECT.

[@XaiXaiJoaoBelo]

Le fabuleux metteur en scène Robert Carsen! Un génie de l'opéra!

[@mariangelacatto1460]

Ramey bravissimo e bellissimo!

[@jeffreyhunter7635]

1:50:38 the drama all around it and the tempo perfectly paced for her lungs! She commands the rubato with such mastery and the high C at 1:50:53 omg 😱 the lean on the breath! The surety of the spin and the release of air at the end with a great cresc. Phenomenal singing actress

[@GregJonson]

That's a B, not a C 🙃

[@mariangelacatto1460]

Grande regia!

[@jovi1715]

Carsen ❤

[@davidsanchez4056]

Ramey brutal! Extraterrestre!

[@joaovictorcerqueira894]

2:18:16 this scene 💥🗿🍷

[@perfectfourth9970]

1:24

[@giuserastelli4245]

ottimo allestimento, esecuzione e voci ! altro che quello di oggi a Roma 2023 di Stone che è venuto a Roma dall'Australia per fare schifo!

[@days8187]

Infatti concordo in pieno non ero mai riuscito a vedere il Mefistofele di Bonito, chiudi gli occhi e la musica una delle più grandiose di sempre, quasi ti fa entrare in una dimensione soprannaturale...ma certo l allestimento del Teatro dell Opera di Roma, in chiave moderna ormai a tutti i costi, patetico e penoso...

[@terez7375]

7:20 ave

[@terez7375]

17:13 sanctus

[@terez7375]

20:05 salve

[@terez7375]

27:35 delvago

[@terez7375]

29:28 guarda

[@terez7375]

32:34 juhe