I have been a big fan of opera for goodness knows how long. Fedora until recently was one I hadn't even heard of, and I found it a real treat to hear and watch. There is also a production from 1988 of this opera with Renata Scotto and Placido Domingo, which I would put on par with this beautiful Met production from 1997.
Fedora was one of those treasures for me, while I still consider Andrea Chenier Giordano's masterpiece Fedora does have a charming enough story and characters and wonderful music for me to care enough about it.
The costumes and sets are beautifully evoked and stick true to the period it's set in, and the video directing and sound are of very good quality. Staging is as assured as we would come to expect with nothing forced or stilted, and the orchestra playing and conducting are nigh on excellent. Mirella Freni is in alluring presence and beautiful voice and Placido Domingo is still outstanding at singing and acting, while the support cast are very solid with no major glitches.
In conclusion, beautiful to watch, and I mean it when I say Freni and Domingo are my favourite soprano and tenor, they are a perfect match here and both of them have always been consistent in a strong way to me. 10/10 Bethany Cox
