Cyrano de Bergerac (2004)

"Edmond Rostand's play has been the source of many films. Now joining the list is Franco Alfano's operatic setting of Rostand's play. Thanks to the efforts of tenor superstars Placido Domingo and Robert Alagna, Alfano's rather obscure 1936 opera has been rediscovered. But before Domingo could unveil his Cyrano at the Metropolitan Opera in the spring of 2005, Alagna--with the help of his brothers, David and Frederico--had already mounted a production in Montpellier. It is this version, filmed in July 2003, which has just been released on DVD by Deutsche Grammophon.Alagna--sporting a particularly elaborate but astonishingly life-like prosthetic nose--has captured the nuance of Alfano's understated score to great effect. This, coupled with his sensitivity to the text and the clarity of his French diction, has resulted in some of his best work to date. The French-born tenor has called Cyrano the "role of a lifetime," and his enthusiasm and conviction are apparent." (Opera Canada, volg link voor complete tekst)