DVD.net : Pavarotti - The Event

Luciano Pavarotti is without any doubt the finest tenor of the last century. Over the past 40 years he has made such an impact on the national stage that he is more of a household name than any other operatic star. His latest DVD release is entitled Pavarotti â€“ The Event. This concert was performed in 1990 at Milanâ€™s Palatrussardi, and Pavarotti was in fine form on the day.

The performance was apparently a celebratory concert in honour of the 1990 Italian football team which came in third place at the 1990 soccer World Cup. Italy also hosted the tournament that year. In front of the ten thousand strong audience, he sang many of his most famous pieces, including the awe inspiring Nessun Dorma. He ended up performing six encores for the crowd, and in total he performed for over 80 minutes. A very good effort considering the gusto required for his singing. There are 20 pieces presented on this disc, 17 of them sung by Pavarotti, the remaining three being orchestral pieces. Here is the track list:

Don Pasquale (orchestra) Quanto E Bella, Quanto E Cara! Una Furtiva Lagrima Adanta In Do Magg Tombe Degli Avi Miei La Mia Letizia Infondere Pourquoi Me Reveiller Recondita Armonia E Lucevan Le Stelle Carmen Fantasy Paloma Guarumera Vesti La Guibba Semiramide La Serenata Girometta Occhi Di Fata Addio Fiorito Asil O Sle Mio! La Mia Canzone Al Vento Torna A Surrentio Nessun Dorma

The transfer is not bad, but not great. The video transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (full frame). The disc is NTSC formatted unfortunately, so make sure your system can support it before you buy this one. The video is sharp throughout the presentation for the most part. There are quite a few problems with edge enhancement and a few instances of colour bleed. There is also some low level noise present.

There are two audio tracks available: Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and Dolby Digital stereo. The 5.1 mix isnâ€™t bad, but isnâ€™t up to the standard that most fans would want. The sound seems strangely hollow, and the subwoofer, though it is in constant use, doesnâ€™t seem to add much to the performance. The surrounds are used to good effect in general, but at some times they seem to not be in use for periods of a few minutes. I noticed no audio synch problems.

There are no extras offered.

The disc is single sided and single layered. There are no subtitles available.

If you are a fan of Pavarotti or of operatic singing in general, this is a disc that you shouldnâ€™t miss - definitely the best Pavarotti DVD available currently.