Fly, Thought, on Golden Wings: Verdi’s Life Told by Thomas Hampson
July 2005 Reviewed by: Wes Marshall Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Thomas Hampson has put his money where his heart is, using whatever means he has to further both recital and operatic vocal music. His love of the art forms certainly supercedes a mere commercial interest. We should be thankful that there are artists in the world whose motivations run deeper than the bottom of their pockets.

This DVD is his attempt to use biography to get the general public interested in Italy’s most renowned composer, Giuseppe Verdi. Given the paucity of such programs on television channels like Biography, Discovery, or even A&E, we should be thankful. And I am mostly grateful. Director Felix Breisach has shot lushly gorgeous scenes of the burnished Italian countryside, accompanied by a closely recorded stereo (!) soundtrack playing lushly gorgeous Verdi music. Hampson tells the story of Verdi’s life with skill. If the whole thing moves rather slowly, perhaps it is because he wants the piece to maintain a sense of gravitas commensurate with Grand Opera.

I was enjoying it all until we got to the arias. The label says, "Including four Verdi arias sung by Thomas Hampson." While that is strictly true, what we have here is Milli Vanilli opera, or, closer to the point, Ashlee Simpson opera. Hampson lip syncs. He may have been belting out the tunes in those beautiful locations, but no one was recording them -- the soundtrack uses recordings. The DVD cover disingenuously shows a picture of Hampson that leads you to believe he will be in full costume, with orchestra. Had they simply played the arias while showing stage drawings or more lushly gorgeous pictures of burnished Italian countrysides, all would have been well. If these things don’t bother you, you can add a star back to my three-star rating for "overall enjoyment." Regarding my low score on the extras -- there are zero extras.

As it is, this is an excellent biography, thoughtfully done, beautifully photographed, and misleading packaging aside, likely to please any opera lover.

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