Slimmer ‘Orlando Furioso’

Even with more than half of its Gargantuan, five-hour score slashed away, Vivaldi’s “Orlando Furioso” still makes an impact, as stylishly conducted by Randall Behr, on two laser discs (Pioneer Artists PA-90-343). The cast includes Marilyn Horne, Susan Patterson, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Sandra Walker, Jeffrey Gall, William Matteuzzi and Kevin Langan, with the orchestra and chorus of San Francisco Opera.

The raison d’etre for this capably sung ’89 production is Horne--and while she doesn’t negotiate the rapid melismas as easily as she did on LP a dozen years earlier, she has more than enough stamina and power. Video director Brian Large gives us a decent idea of Pier Luigi Pizzi’s gaudy, slow-moving production. English supertitles (seen on the laser discs as subtitles) often provoke unintended mirth from the San Francisco audience.