It is interesting to see the only DVD of Alzira available and to see it in concert form. While there are some things that were good, there wasn't very much I liked very much, I'm very sorry to say. The opera itself doesn't help in its favour, while I don't feel as negatively as Verdi himself did it is one of his weakest operas overall. Sure, the music is lovely and has great energy, though not all of it is very memorable, but the story is a bore and there's not much to work with from a dramatic front. The orchestral playing is hugely enthusiastic, dynamic and a treat to the ears, the chorus are vibrant and energetic and the conducting clear and musicianly. There is some good performance, and I'd actually call it great or even a miracle, and that was that of Ferdinand Von Bothmer, while the role doesn't allow him to do much he is still highly involved and passionate, and sings with a truly beautiful timbre and superb agility. Thomas Gazheli has a fine voice and musicianship, it is a big warm sound he makes and how he shapes and uses his voice is very intelligent, but looks so uncomfortable on stage that it was to be honest painful to watch him. He does a valiant enough job with the breath control, but there were too many times, like the times where he decided not to breathe for several bars, where I felt that it was too ambitious. And I didn't like Junko Saito at all, her voice is incredibly shrill with no shading, control or subtlety, her agility and style are sloppy, her diction is unintelligible and I don't think there was a single note that she sang in tune. Her stage presence is entirely characterless too, of the leads Bothmer was just right and Gusmano and Alzira are far more interesting roles, Gazheli tries too hard and looks uncomfortable and Saito doesn't even try. The other roles are reliably sung but little more than that. I also think it was better not to try and get the cast to act, I can see why they did it, but it looked under-rehearsed and static and further disadvantaged that with the sole exception of Bothmer there is very little signs of personality or acting ability. Balance can be an issue, and sound quality is the culprit I think. There are times where it sounds as though it's favouring the orchestra over the singers when really it should be equal, and sometimes it sounds distorted and the singers echoey. What was the need of mics too? The singers seemed capable of carrying over the orchestra without them, especially when they're standing in front of it, if it was the other way around I'd the issue go but this perplexed me. The video directing is professional enough, but perhaps too restrained, there isn't really anything here that interests. In conclusion, has about 4 or 5 good things but little else. 4/10 Bethany Cox