I reviewed this March 2000 taping when it was released on public television in 2001 and found Little Women to be “neither a Currier & Ives lithograph nor a searing psychological portrait”. Mark Adamo’s opera about an American woman coming of age during the dawning of feminist struggles, I said, was more likely to tug on the heart-strings than to arouse the body politic. The story is told in flashbacks from the March family attic, which enables Adamo to create multiple perspectives on central moments in the story such as Beth’s death, where Jo and her memories seem to have the physical insubstantiality of ghosts.

Adamo’s deeply personal brand of music theatre envelops Alcott’s beloved sisters, family and friends in a simple but intense stream of appealing tunes and uncomplicated harmonies ranging from 20th century psychological anguish to Broadway melodies. The composer’s libretto captures much of the grace and fluency of Alcott’s writing, and generously keeps the large cast busy with a series of arias and ensemble pieces. Director Brian Large captures the bittersweet melodrama of the action without distracting from the flow of the music. What was an outstanding cast in 2000 is still astounding today, led by Stephanie Novacek, who patiently creates for Jo a spectrum of intimate depth and then explores it with a sure dramatic touch and a voice of power and beauty. She is equalled in emotional range and outdone in virtuosity by Joyce DiDonato’s explosive, radiant Meg. Silver-voiced Chad Shelton as Laurie is intoxicated in a refreshingly earnest kind of way, and golden-voiced Chen-Ye Yuan as Friedrich Bhaer is brilliant.

The DVD has demonstration-quality sound both on the stage and in the pit, where the orchestra play with precision and style. As a calling-card for Mark Adamo, who is currently working on a commission from San Francisco Opera for the 2013 season, this release is also a convincing demonstration that Little Women could be an audience-pleaser wherever it plays.