Le Villi

Le Villi is not among Puccini's finest. The story is silly, but the music is really lovely which is what you'd expect from Puccini. This 2004 production is the only Le Villi available on DVD, and while it is a somewhat interesting curio it is one of those productions that makes you wish there was an alternative. The ballet is well-choreographed and the costumes and sets are beautiful. The orchestral playing and conducting are above decent with some pathos and lyricism and of the performances Andrea Rola's Guglielmo is the most consistent, coming across as a sympathetic father figure with a good voice. On the other hand, the staging while traditional is not involving so I was never drawn into the drama. I also didn't care for Guglielmo's wig, despite Rola's performance it looked silly. Albert Montserrat has a pleasant youthful ring to his voice but is a rather wooden actor. But the biggest let down was Halla Margaret. Like in Edgar, though not as much in Le Villi, she does overact with not much subtlety coming through. I really didn't care for her voice either, it is unsteady and shrill with her pitch all over the place. The only good thing about her performance is that she is attractive. All in all, has some curiosity value but really this was a missed opportunity. 5/10 Bethany Cox