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132 of 140 found the following review helpful:
 10 starsMar 17, 2003
By Spinto
"thehighc"
Without all the glitz and sparkle, before the hype! This is the greatest classical concert ever! As a tenor myself I couldn't be more thrilled to hear this gem. The three voices were marvelous.
Domingo here is in top voice. Some of his singing in this concert is the finest you will ever hear from him. He is in a dark and excitingly dramatic voice! Her give perhaps the best Pue De Ser Ever! At 50 his voice is as glorious as ever. he is in a great mood all night giving all of his sound and heart unconditionally to each song, to me he lead this concert along with his emotion packed performances that never seemed to diminish.
i have mixed feelings about Carreras. He is my favorite tenor of all time, but this is not the time to see him. It almost makes you cry to see what has happened to his glorious voice in this concert. His singing is fine, but hardly under control. His vibrato can get warbly and his eyebrow doubly so. This doesn't keep his from being number one in my heart. he gives passionalte renditoins of songs pouring everything his diminsihed voice had in it into each aria. This is one of the last times you can hear him sing some of his classics like Improviso. E la Solita storia and Improviso are both the highlights of his night, he will bring you to tears with these long Aria's. He loses control of his voice at the end of Improviso but te fact that he even sang it is impressive, it is my favorite. Carreras will please the listeners ear here but promise if you hear this concert that you will also invest in some of his earlier material before his voice grew dark and overweight. I suggest The golden Years Cd which recently came out which shows him in his prime doing all of his classics.
Pavarotti is in good voice all night. Vocally he dominates concert with his amazing bush button high notes despite being, by far, the oldest. Recondita armonia is not my favorite aria in his voice, but it is okay, too lyric in my opinion. Torna sorriento is a highlight of thee dvd! Sure to please! As always, he brings a fabulous interpretation of Nessun Dorma to the table. To me he gives a less empassioned performance than domingo, but you cant argue with his voice and charm.
The medley was a real treat! The highlight for me was Amapola where the trio gives carreras the drivers seat for a change and he thrills with a dramatic B flat that you wont hear from the other two.
the encores were delightfully spontaneous with the famous trill from Pav in O sole mio.
This is the opera lovers version of the three tenors. For someone who is new to classical music i always suggest the 94 concert as it is more flashy and pop oriented. This concert, however,showcases the tenors in their best voices giving the most operatically driven and spontaneaous performance.
55 of 56 found the following review helpful:
THE best of The Three Tenor seriesDec 19, 2002
By R. Nicholson
I love this DVD!Performed in Los Angeles in 1994 and of course features Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. Zubin Metha conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The camera angles are well placed, the switching is done appropriately and the editing has resulted in a beautiful production. What I liked about the overall performance was the obvious magical chemistry that seemed to bind the performers, orchestra and audience from the very beginning. Early on, the singers must have gotten the unmistakable feeling of having the audience in the palm of their hands. On an individual basis the whole night featured one great performance after the other: each tenor got to show off his unique voice and talent. One got the distinct feeling that a competitive atmosphere started to develop as the tenors seemed to try to outdo one another with each successive piece of music. The result was nothing short of a spectacular evening of entertainment. Who won "the battle of the Tenors" is a purely subjective matter: but I have my own winner (which I'll keep to myself) It appeared that the best time was had by the conductor Zubin Mehta: how could you not be enjoying yourself conducting a world renown orchestra and three of the worlds greatest opera singers before an enthusiastic and receptive audience. What more would it take to make one happy? Precious little I think! All and all, a must have DVD for any opera fan. This concert will be remembered for a long time to come and deservedly so.
28 of 29 found the following review helpful:
In my humble opinion....Dec 23, 2003
Most people, opera lovers and opera discoverers alike, enjoy this concert immensely. However, it has also suffered some criticism, which I can't help but feel is somewhat unjustified and does not represent an accurate portrayal of this mesmerising performance. It is clear, from the selection of songs, that this concert is designed for popular consumption rather than a highbrow, purist audience. It is thought by some that Jose Carreras is perhaps not as powerful or captivating as Domingo or Pavarotti in performance, but his choice of songs and arias here show him 'sticking to what he is good at'. `With A Song In My Heart', for instance, is similar to songs he sung in his role in West Side Story - a lighter, more musical theatre choice. His final solo aria however, 'E Lucevan Le Stelle', is bold, technically demanding, and he sings it with skill and feeling. As for the other two tenors, their selections perfectly show off their range and skills as performers as well as singers. The first three solos are reflective and beautifully conducted by Mehta, but new fans to opera should not be put off by the fact that they may not have heard of these, because the second set of solos seem designed to capture and entertain the audience. Domingo's 'Granada' is fabulous - he really pours everything into it, he glows with passion and vigour. Pavarotti singing Ave Maria is an emotional highlight, demonstrating his talent for singing more gentle arias, as well as his more famous power and range in 'Nessun Dorma'. The final solo's are the three at their very best and most impressive. Domingo portrays a definite character and personality in 'Vesti la Giubba', breaking down the language barrier for viewers who are unfamiliar with the opera it is taken from. Pavarotti does not disappoint, concluding the solos with his famous rendition of Nessun Dorma, which can't fail to blow you away. The medleys and songs they sing together provide an extra level of enjoyment in that the three distinctly different personalities come across so effectively. They are playful and hugely entertaining, without an ego in sight.
And so, if the idea of sitting through 2 hours or so of opera is your idea of hell, or you have every three tenors album ever released, this will not disappoint you. For fans, this is a fabulous selection of old classics and more obscure arias, which showcase beautifully whoever your favourite might be. For those who are curious or have watched everything else in the video cupboard, you won't be able to help sensing the atmosphere in the venue. A few famous faces are there to be spotted in the crowd, and you might be surprised at how many songs you actually know and like, from classic musicals and around the world (e.g. All I ask of You, Brazil, America, Those Were the Days, Singing in the Rain).
The power and passion in the performances of all three will stir your memories and emotions, and the mind-blowing potential of the human voice is clear for experienced and amateur viewers alike.
32 of 34 found the following review helpful:
 very enjoyableAug 06, 2000
By Ray Barnes
This remains my favourite of the three big concerts done in conjunction with the World Cup. The participation of 2 full orchestras instead of one is appropriate for such a major event, and they were rehearsed until they sounded as one large orchestra instead of two, which apparently was quite a difficult task. This was a welcoming of Jose Carreras into the music community after his terrible ordeal with leukemia. My favourite parts are when the tenors sing together, and since Domingo's voice is quite baritonal - he has done The Barber of Seville recently - whereas Pavarotti's tenor is at the highest range, and Carrera's is in the middle, they can all be heard quite clearly without overpowering each other. The programming is interesting too, and the fioratura duel between them in 'o sole mio adds an original touch to the production. I believe Mehta conducted as well in this concert as he did in Los Angeles 4 years later. The audio quality is very fine too and better, based on my experience at a show in Vancouver BC a few years ago, than what one is likely to hear at a Three Tenors live concert. The picture does have some vertical oscillations, probably due to the use of hand-held cameras, which does detract from the concert's overall quality - hence 4 stars instead of 5. This can be warmly recommended in either VHS or DVD, although the latter format has slightly better sound and video quality.
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
The best of the 3 tenor concerts!May 15, 2004
By operamaryc
"operamarty"
Not only did they have Mehta, but the LA Phil and LA Opera chorus which makes this outshine the first performance in 1990. Of course, both performances are certainly worth collecting and you may get someone into an opera house with these top tenors. I was in the audience that night and must say they all sounded in top voice to me live and recorded. After repeated viewings I never tire of the arias. They changed the program right up to performance time and the printed programs didn't match what was sung that night. Who cares! This is just plain fun for everyone involved as well as the viewer! My only complaint is that the subtitles are "English" but just the librettos are subtitled, not the English translation so I hestiate to show it to a newbie. No translation is provided with the DVD but the Laser version did as did the VHS. Would be nice if the manufacturers would look at a DVD before releasing it with such glaring errors. This is a must have whether you are an opera fan or not! Bocelli could take a few lessons from watching this disc! Hopefully, people who think he is an opera singer will compare and see that there is a difference even with voices amplified. This is A MUST BUY! Watch it when you are depressed and it will surely change your mood for the better! Such singing! Such Fun!
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