Description

The legendary Bayreuth Centenary production of Wagner's Ring is distinguished by Patrice Chéreau's once-shocking production, which has acquired the status of the most trenchant modern interpretation of the cycle. Das Rheingold is the opening of the four Ring operas, setting the scene with the theft of the Rhine gold, first by Alberich and then by the giants on behalf of Wotan on a train of greed that will inexorably lead to the demise of the gods. Supported by Pierre Boulez's typically penetrating interpretation, the cast is magnificently led by Donald McIntyre as Wotan. Cast:

Hermann Becht: Alberich
Martin Engel: Donner
Ilse Gramatzki: Wellgunde
Fritz Hübner: Fafner
Siegfried Jerusalem: Froh
Donald McIntyre: Wotan
Helmut Pampuch: Mime
Carmen Reppel: Freia
Matti Salminen: Fasolt
Marga Schiml: Flosshilde
Hanna Schwarz: Fricka
Norma Sharp: Woglinde
Ortrun Wenkel: Erda
Heinz Zednik: Loge
The Bayreuth Festival Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fluent production that is quite brilliant
The staging is amusing. In fact, I was slightly shocked at the beginning where the depths of the Rhine is represented by a hydro-electric dam and those Rhine-maidens become "call-girls". Yet, in some strange way, the production works. And it grows on you with each successive viewing.

The direction of Patrice Chereau is fluent. Indeed, it's so fluent that one feels that the 2.5 hour work lasts only for slightly more than an hour. Maybe it's because Chereau's clever direction (and Brian Large's wonderful video direction) made viewers focus on the dramatic strengths of this opera. Or maybe the staging is so full of interesting (and dramatically valid) strokes that one is totally engrossed by the viewing experience. The performances of the singers are fine, too.

Despite initial reservations, I must say I like it a lot now.

Interesting production
This is an interesting production in many ways. Much of the sets will give the audience a surprise. The only disappointing part is the dragon, which is under-whelming. The Siegfried is performed by Mandred Jung, who is quite an active stage performer even though his voice is not of the first class. Heinz Zednik is an excellent Mime. The Brunnhilde is sung by Gwyneth Jones, who produces a few squally notes but the part is passionately sung nevertheless.

Well you know, you get used to it
This is the famous production of the ring cycle that was first produced in the 1970's and booed of stage. The reason was that instead of it being set in around 400AD as intended by Wager it is played in 19th Century gear with Industrial age sets. The production was performed again in 1980 and filmed without an audience. This is the production that we see on this DVD.

The first thing which must be said is that the sound quality is excellent. The film production is also good and does not have the problem that some opera DVD's have of being transferred from VHS to DVD.

The general critical response to this version of the ring cycle has been posative with most of the barbs going to the singing of the role of Siegfried, something of no relevance to this DVD.

The fist DVD of this production I saw was that of Gotterdammerung which was a bit of a shock. Brunnhilde was played by someone far to old (although it was the first woman Siegried saw, he probably wasn't that choosy) and the chorus dressed in French working men's costumes was a shock.

However by this DVD somehow you forget it and if the opening scene is a large hydro dam instead of the Rhine and the Rhinemadens are dressed as prostitutes you don't seem to notice as much. the Gotterdammerung is a reasonably static opera. Probably as the first hour drags into the fourth you have a lot of time to look at people dressed as bank clerks and you have problems suspending disbelief. With this production, its all happeing with Gods and Giants striding the stage and people descending into the underworld the action keeps up. For that reason one forgets that Wotan is wearing a smoking jacket and that the trick about the Rhinemaidens was that they were maidens.
Anyway this retailed where I come from cheaply and it was great value. The quality and timber of the orchestral playing is superb. The signing good and the, I suppose you call it acting okay. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Sets by David Hockney
If anyone has managed to find this listing, this is the Met production with the sets by David Hockney. Pamina is sung by Kathleen Battle and Sarastro by Kurt Moll. Other singers are Luciana Serra (the Queen of Night), Francisco Araiza(Pamino), Manfred Heim (Papageno), and Heinz Zednik (Monostratos); conducted by James Levine of course. The DVD has subtitles in German (hallelujah!), English, French, and Chinese, but no other extras. The singing sounds weak, but that may be because I'm used to other recordings in which the singers are over-miked. Otherwise, it's good performance of "The Magic Flute".

Simply Fantastic!
I have just watched this performance, and I have to say that this is simply fantastic. The characters that really stand out from the show are Manfred Hemm's Papageno and Luciana Serra's Queen of the Night.

Hemm delivers the best Papageno I have ever seen, with not only a great voice (solid baritone - lovely!) and also commendable comic acting. Serra blew me away the moment she sang her first aria "O zittre nicht mein lieber Sohn..." It is note-perfect and flawless. She sings those scales as if they are a piece of cake, and she hits the high F perfectly, even in "Der Holle Rache". She falters just a teeny weeny little bit in the latter, but perhaps I'm picky. I've been wanting to find the perfect recording of "Der Holle Rache", but I haven't been in luck yet. (the version sung in the movie "Amadeus" was pitch-perfect, but incomplete and not available in the soundtrack.) But understandably, the Queen of the Night is one of the most difficult opera parts to sing, and Serra already pulls it off remarkably well, delivering an overall brilliant and astounding performance. (I thought she looked beautiful as QOTN too.) Of course, besides these two, there's Kathleen Battle as Pamina, perfect as always, Francisco Araiza as Tamino and Kurt Moll as Sarastro to look out for.

I have to share 4 of my favourite scenes here. 2 belong to the Queen of the Night's 2 arias, 1 is the scene where Monostato's slaves and himself are under a spell from Papageno's Glockenspiel, and they really "totter" away harmlessly. That scene is absolutely hilarious, with them going "lalalala" and dancing away, exiting at stage right. The final one is the finale duet with Papageno and Papagena (Barbara Kilduff)in "Pa-pagena! Pa-Pageno!". Hemm's and Kilduff's voices blend very well together. I love that song.

Thumbs up to this beautifully recorded performance, conducted by James Levine. I highly recommend this recording. It is definitely worth the money, and worth rewatching again and again.

My favourite flute ever....
I am a long time magic flute lover, who has heard or owned most of the major recording out there. Recently I started buying Mozart opera DVD's as they were good to introduce friends to the operas. I first bought the recent Davis/Royal Opera version, but found it a very mixed bag, so I decided to go for this one since Kurt Moll was always my favorite Sarastro on record and he sings the part here (The Sarastro on Davis was very dissapointing).

The bad news is that Moll is not in quite as good voice as he was in either his Solti or Davis CD audio only performances. The good news is that he is still magnificent, and this is the best Zauberflote I have ever heard!

I never had much respect for James Levine as a conductor. Well that has changed. For reference, my favorite flute's ever were 1)Christie on Erato 2)Klemperer on EMI 3)Beecham on EMI. All had there problems, but Christie I found to be the overall best flute I knew including all cast, conducting, acting, and recording. And it has been replaced by a DVD flute!

What I loved about this performance:

First of all the conducting is very fine. It is very sharp and disciplined performance with precise singing (litte romantic sliding of notes) and there is, best of all, a wonderful sense of listening between all the singers and the orcherstra. It was obviously meticulously rehearsed for the 1991 Mozart celebrations. Mozart is the most difficult music to perform because you cannot get away with any emotional sloppiness, which means a luminous precision is always called for. This performance has this quality better than any other I know.

There are some weak bits in my opinion however. A few of the arias really drag their feet in a failed attempt for the conductor and singer to find the right inspiration. As much as I like Moll, I find his arias too slowly sung, as well as the Isis and Osiris chorale. Fortunately they still are very effective due to Moll's maginificent voice and the solemn nature of the music itself.

Also, occasionally things can be a bit brisk to let the music breathe properly. Overall however, I would give this flute the best marks for conducting.

The singing/acting also has no weak links and many outstanding aspects.

Ariaza's Tamino is merely good--at his best with the speaker, and worst in final union music with Pamina. After the first trial he slightly misses a key timing, which when sung perfectly (hear Blochwitz on Christie) is one of the most sublime moments in the score. Still, this is a good, solid Tamino--well acted, suitably noble if a bit too old. Overall:B-

The three ladies are some of the most delightful I've heard. The 2nd has a slightly grating tone, but their timing, harmoninzing, and accuracy puts them right at the top. A-

Papageno is solid if rather a bit overdone. Hemm has a lusty, solid bavarian baritone which suits the part in my opinion. It is not a radiantly beautiful voice (hear Keenlyside on Davis), but solid and powerful. Many papageno's have been more charming, but Hemm is still good, and very find in ensembles. B

Serra's Queen is up near my all time favorites: Popp on Klemperer, Dessay on Christie, Damrau on Davis. She rather lacks warmth however, which puts her slightly below these on the first aria. The 2nd is as good as anyone. A-

Battle's Pamina is my favorite ever. I feel it was this sort of voice Mozart had in mind for the part--a radiant soprano. Battle's interpretive insights have often left me cold before, but I find her Pamina just spot on. She plays it with a Tempest Miranda sort of innocence and wornder. I find this suits Pamina exactly. A+

Monostatos is also the best I have ever heard. Singers tend to make him rather bland for some reason, but this singer gives him oodles of dramatic force. A+

Boys are superb. Their trio with battle's Pamina is the finest I have known as well. One boy in particular has amazing power and accuracy. A

Sarastro is Moll not in his best voice, but it is still Moll. A

Choir. Big American heavy vibrato style. Not my cup of tea, but more importantly the choral pieces are sung with genuine Masonic fervor that makes them satisfying regardless. B

Speaker. Andreas Schmidt is as fine here as I have ever heard him. Wonderful warmth and force. A

This is getting too long! While there is much in this performance that I still can imagine better, in overall quality this is by some margin the best performance I have heard or seen of this opera. Certainly those who love particular parts more than others will find other performances superior (Tamino lovers for instance will always treasure Wunderlich/Bohm), but if you love every note of this opera as well as its Masonic themes, I would give this the top recommendation.

O, A+ english subtitles too. Video,sound and production are good, though not the best in my opinion. Overall the production has a sort of childish artistic style to it, which I thought was fine. But then Im mostly here for the music.

Musically the best flute ever....
I am a long time magic flute lover, who has heard or owned most of the major recording out there. Recently I started buying Mozart opera DVD's as they were good to introduce friends to the operas. I first bought the recent Davis/Royal Opera version, but found it a very mixed bag, so I decided to go for this one since Kurt Moll was always my favorite Sarastro on record and he sings the part here (The Sarastro on Davis was very dissapointing).

The bad news is that Moll is not in quite as good voice as he was in either his Solti or Davis CD audio only performances. The good news is that he is still magnificent, and this is the best Zauberflote I have ever heard!

I never had much respect for James Levine as a conductor. Well that has changed. For reference, my favorite flute's ever were 1)Christie on Erato 2)Klemperer on EMI 3)Beecham on EMI. All had there problems, but Christie I found to be the overall best flute I knew including all cast, conducting, acting, and recording. And it has been replaced by a DVD flute!

What I loved about this performance:

First of all the conducting is very fine. It is very sharp and disciplined performance with precise singing (litte romantic sliding of notes) and there is, best of all, a wonderful sense of listening between all the singers and the orcherstra. It was obviously meticulously rehearsed for the 1991 Mozart celebrations. Mozart is the most difficult music to perform because you cannot get away with any emotional sloppiness, which means a luminous precision is always called for. This performance has this quality better than any other I know.

There are some weak bits in my opinion however. A few of the arias really drag their feet in a failed attempt for the conductor and singer to find the right inspiration. As much as I like Moll, I find his arias too slowly sung, as well as the Isis and Osiris chorale. Fortunately they still are very effective due to Moll's maginificent voice and the solemn nature of the music itself.

Also, occasionally things can be a bit brisk to let the music breathe properly. Overall however, I would give this flute the best marks for conducting.

The singing/acting also has no weak links and many outstanding aspects.

Ariaza's Tamino is merely good--at his best with the speaker, and worst in final union music with Pamina. After the first trial he slightly misses a key timing, which when sung perfectly (hear Blochwitz on Christie) is one of the most sublime moments in the score. Still, this is a good, solid Tamino--well acted, suitably noble if a bit too old. Overall:B-

The three ladies are some of the most delightful I've heard. The 2nd has a slightly grating tone, but their timing, harmoninzing, and accuracy puts them right at the top. A-

Papageno is solid if rather a bit overdone. Hemm has a lusty, solid bavarian baritone which suits the part in my opinion. It is not a radiantly beautiful voice (hear Keenlyside on Davis), but solid and powerful. Many papageno's have been more charming, but Hemm is still good, and very find in ensembles. B

Serra's Queen is up near my all time favorites: Popp on Klemperer, Dessay on Christie, Damrau on Davis. She rather lacks warmth however, which puts her slightly below these on the first aria. The 2nd is as good as anyone. A-

Battle's Pamina is my favorite ever. I feel it was this sort of voice Mozart had in mind for the part--a radiant soprano. Battle's interpretive insights have often left me cold before, but I find her Pamina just spot on. She plays it with a Tempest Miranda sort of innocence and wornder. I find this suits Pamina exactly. A+

Monostatos is also the best I have ever heard. Singers tend to make him rather bland for some reason, but this singer gives him oodles of dramatic force. A+

Boys are superb. Their trio with battle's Pamina is the finest I have known as well. One boy in particular has amazing power and accuracy. A

Sarastro is Moll not in his best voice, but it is still Moll. A

Choir. Big American heavy vibrato style. Not my cup of tea, but more importantly the choral pieces are sung with genuine Masonic fervor that makes them satisfying regardless. B

Speaker. Andreas Schmidt is as fine here as I have ever heard him. Wonderful warmth and force. A

This is getting too long! While there is much in this performance that I still can imagine better, in overall quality this is by some margin the best performance I have heard or seen of this opera. Certainly those who love particular parts more than others will find other performances superior (Tamino lovers for instance will always treasure Wunderlich/Bohm), but if you love every note of this opera as well as its Masonic themes, I would give this the top recommendation.

O, A+ english subtitles too. Video,sound and production are good, though not the best in my opinion. Overall the production has a sort of childish artistic style to it, which I thought was fine. But then Im mostly here for the music.

This is getting absolutely Ridiculous!!!
Why are these people objecting to a black Pamina when numerous white sopranos sing Aida, Turandot, Butterfly etc. You racist bigots with warped morals!!! Utter shame on all of you! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mussorgsky died before finishing this epic treatment of the 17th-century clash between Russian conservatives (the boyars and the Orthodox "Old Believers") and the progressive, Westernizing reformers led by Peter the Great. Among the composers who have reworked and completed the material, Shostakovich and Stravinsky are the most convincing, and their work is used in Claudio Abbado's interpretation. His orchestra and singers rank with the world's best.

The plot is complex and rather disjointed, alternating between intimate, personal conflicts and crises (brilliantly portrayed by a stellar cast of solo singers) and broad, historical themes in which the focus is on the Russian people (represented by enormous, diverse, and highly skilled choral forces). To most Westerners, the historic situations and characters may be unfamiliar, but the libretto brings them vividly to life. Mussorgsky's score, borrowing idioms from Russian religious music and folksong, creates a convincing atmosphere and generates tremendous tension in one violent confrontation after another, leading up to one of the most spectacular final scenes in opera.

Khovanshchina is not the kind of opera usually associated with the ViennaState Opera, but this production uses Russian and Eastern European singers withWestern imaginative freedom and technical expertise--a combination thatsurpasses the competing versions by Russian companies. It is a model ofexcellence in video opera production. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Beware of the staging
I will make no comment on the music and singing (see one of the excellent books on that). I review this only to warn you of the absurd staging that does its best to ruin this beautiful opera. The dances especially are almost comical due to the attempt to modernize what is already a timely and timeless work of art.

A Fine Performance of a Most Extraordinary Work
If you love powerful music, political intrigue, epic historical drama, and rich characterization, do not miss Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina. It is what Mussorgsky called a "nationalist people's musical drama," one fit for our age; it is only opera I know of that can give you insight into the tensions of our times: the turmoil of Afghanistan and Iraq. These are lands struggling with modernism, autocracy, religious fanaticism, feudal fiefdoms, and fears of the West. All this was true of Russia when Peter the Great was coming of age and when Prince Ivan Khovansky, in league and in rivalries with false westernizers (like Prince Golitizan) and the Old Believers, sought to create their putsch against the imperial power of the Romanovs.

The music is wonderful, providing melodic depth to every nuance of this psychosocial epic. It is more subtle and mature "Boris Godunov," but no less moving. Yet Khovanshchina does have its problems: Peter the Great, the central figure of the drama, is absent. Russian law forbade Mussorgsky from depicting members of the Romanov family on stage (so, too, the palace intrigues between Peter and his sister, Sophia, could not be shown). So, dramatically it lacks the tightness of Boris. Neither could Mussorgsky depict Patriarch Nikon, whose reforms so inflamed that Old Believers that, by the end of the opera, they immolate themselves. Mussorgsky died with Khovanshchina barely sketched, so musicologists still debate his point of view (I think Kirchner and the Vienna State got it wrong, but no matter).

The production is a fine one: well conducted by Claudio Abbado, beautifully sung, and often brilliantly acted (most especially by Ghiaurov as Ivan Khovansky and Zednik as the scribe). The dance of the Persian slaves is marvelously sensual, and the staging, while variable in quality is generally excellent - superb in Khovansky's rally and in the immolation scene. Technically, it is very well recorded, though in standard frame and just in stereo. Enjoy it now; don't just wait for a DTS version. At 173 minutes on 1 DVD you're certainly getting your money's worth.

Abbado brings great insight to Mussorgsky's masterpiece.
Tolstoy once said: "I like neither talented drunks nor drunken talents" thereby wittily dismissing Mussorgsky. Mussorgsky however cannot be pushed aside so easily ( even if Tolstoy was right; it took no less than three composers to finish the work,
left in a sorry unfinished state.)
Abbado, who is undisputably today's greatest interpreter of
Mussorgsky, chose, very wisely, the Shostakovich orchestration
who created a dark hued, sombre score that he handles masterfully.
In fact we go from the aethereal strings (The Prelude) to the
dark bases representing the brutal strenghth of the Khovanskys
and the ensuing conflicts. Distant trumpets create magical effects. This DVD sound is superb( and if I may say so, you are far better off with this than the exorbiantly priced CD set)
And to see it! The design is incredible. Sets are surrealistic
in a way, full of disturbing images suiting the mood of the moment. Screens sometimes close creating claustrophobic effects,
sometimes opening to infinite vistas. Sometimes we see ruined cities or pyramid of skulls, the latters seems like a constant theme reminding us of the concluding tragedy.
The principals... Nicolai Ghiarov, the world famous basso, acts
and sings with tremendous power, a multifaceted tragic character.
Paata Burchuladze, another marvelous basso, shines as Dosifey the
high priest. We must also mention Anatoly Kocherga in the role of Shaklovity the evil Boyar, thoroughly
frightening, but believable - his great aria in third act is
one to watch for. Ludmila Semtchuk as Marfa is beautifully acted
and sung, she is a real feast for the eye as well as the ear.
Last but not least, Heinz Zednik, the scribbler, ( of Bayreuth's Mime fame) here
he sings in Russian as if the role was created for him.
Note of caution: The music is difficult and requires repeated listenings. Watch it one act at a time as the opera is very long.
But I assure you, you will love this work as I came to love it, being a sceptic at first.
Do I need to sum up? Great musical and theatrical experience.
Opera at its best. Can't recommend it enough.

Good but not the best
I found this performance bizarre; the whole production seemed strange. It was not an avant-garde one, but done with a pretense for historical accuracy. Yet the costumes of the chorus suggested something totally different from 17century Moscow. Were they Polish or Ukrainian? Someone did not seem to do their homework.
I actually liked Marusin as Prince Golitzyn. I think he had squillo and also he acted quite well. Paata Burchuladze seems to always play the same role, no matter whether he is in this opera or in Don Giovanni. The singing is good, though. I must admit that only main roles that are either Russians or Bulgarian Ghiaurov, sing intelligibly, although Ghiaurov happenned to have a heavier accent that I would have thought. But for me as a native Russian speaker, the singing of the chorus and other's smaller roles were a real disappointment as I could not understand a word and had to resort to subtitles and it was a real distraction. I wonder if Italians have the same feeling when they listen to their opera performed by foreign singers...In any case, it's a satisfactory performance but I think the complexity of the work was not resolved here, and the beauty of this opera was not fully conveyed. It looked rather Wagnerian to me but it is not and I believe it had to be done with more respect to its Russion origin, or be totally devoid of place and time to become an avant-garde production.

Not the definitive production
Well sung and adequately conducted, this Khovanshchina suffers terribly from Alfred Kirchner's unfocussed and ultimately unsatisfying production, totally lacking in spiritual core. Much of the production does nothing to assist the viewer in appreciating or even understanding the admittedly complicated plot. The standard cuts are made, thankfully (chiefly affecting Act 2). Abbado conducts the Shostakovich orchestration (preferable to Rimsky-Korsakov's, perhaps) with a decidedly un-Russian flair, making for an interesting but unconvincing interpretation. Kirchner's production comes into focus only in the finale to Act 5 by Igor Stravinsky, rarely used in relation to the more common Shostakovich finale, itself based on Rimsky-Korsakov's original finale. (Ravel also wrote one, performed once in Monte-Carlo and never heard again.) The singers acquit themselves with varying degrees of success; the Vienna State Opera Orchestra plays well, not sounding very Russian; the Bratislava Opera Chorus is mediocre much of the time (granted, the stage direction they are given is for the most part horrendous). The English subtitles are good; this is an in-house performance (although not from the Vienna Staatsoper) from 1989, with some very annoying camera work. Total length 174 minutes, not 113 minutes as printed on the box. A decent rendition, if not profound. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After the tonality-stretching dissonance of Salome and especiallyElektra, Richard Strauss moved onto a different musical path with hisnext opera. The epic grandeur of Der Rosenkavalier stems not just fromits immense length (over three hours) but from the all-too-human complexity ofits characters--each of whom is smitten with someone else--and the endlessstream of graceful melodies the composer conjures. The music's sheergorgeousness has given this most heartbreaking of 20th century operas its prideof place in the repertory.

For this 1994 performance at the Vienna Opera House, conductor Carlos Kleiberleads a committed reading of the buoyant score that savors every note. The threeleads are superb singer-actresses who get full marks for embodying Strauss'smost richly romantic creations: Felicity Lott (the Marschallin), Anne Sophie vonOtter (Octavian), and Barbara Bonney (Sophie) also offer a truly entrancingfinal trio, one of the great scenes in all opera. The stereo sound mix is solid,as is the video transfer. --Kevin Filipski ... Read more

Reviews (9)

"a Magical Moment to Cherish"
(sung in German, with subtitles in German, English, French, and Chinese)

Der Rosenkavalier (the Cavalier of the Rose) can entertain you on various levels.

First, there is the heavenly, ethereal music which is almost too beautiful.

Second, there is a delightful sense of humor--a bag of tricks with surprises for nearly all of the main characters.

Third, there is romance. Although several of the characters are "in love," on different levels, the musical capture of the exquisite moment of "love at first sight" between Sophie and Octavian is one of those magical moments to cherish.

Fourth, the camera-work is the best ever recorded. You can see & feel Sophie's and Octavian's moment of falliing in love.

Fifth, as if all the great entertainment were not enough, Richard Strauss has given us a moral lesson: While the Field Marshall's wife has contempt for her cousin, the lecherous Baron, she realizes that she has been little better, as she has used her imperial position to take advantage of more than one young officer. She sees herself in the mirror, and decides to start doing the right (truly loving) thing--she gives up her current lover so that he can be happy (an almost motherly love?). She has finally learned to love him enough to let go of him.

If you're an old friend of Der Rosenkavalier, you'll enjoy Carlos Kleiber's loving touch. Barbara Bonney is a perfect, naive, sweet Sophie. Kurt Moll is the quintessential Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau.

If you're new to Rosenkavalier, prepare yourself for a sumptuous feast of musical and theatrical delights!

wow!!!
This is a great recording.
Singers are terrific. The orchestra plays great under the direction of legendary Carlos Kleiber. He makes the orchestra play this very difficult music with ease and grace.
A must get DVD.

Un clásico del mundo de la ópera.
Esta representación recogida años atrás en formato VHS, llega ahora al dvd y no me queda más que reiterar nuevamente mis elogios hacia ella.
El reparto lo encabeza una espléndida ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER, que hace un delicioso Octavian, tanto en lo musical como en lo escénico. KURT MOLL es, sin duda alguna, el mejor Barón Ochs de los últimos años y así lo impone aquí, con su voz uniforme y bien timbrada en todo el registro y su soberbia caracterización del personaje.
FELICITTY LOTT interpreta a la Mariscala, con porte de gran señora de la escena, y una bellísima voz, como bellísima y delicadísima es la Sophie de BARBARA BONNEY.
Todo el amplio elenco de personajes secundarios cumple de manera sobresaliente, con especial mención al Faninal y a la pareja de intrigantes, aunque quizá el Cantante Italiano no esté a la altura de la función.
CARLOS KLEIBER dirige a la Filarmónica de Viena con absoluta perfección, extrayendo los toques más vieneses de la magnífica partitura de Strauss.
La producción, de 1984, sigue presentandose en Viena 19 años después, y esto indica que es la mejor producción de Rosenkavalier que hay en la actualidad: decorados, vestuario, iluminación, movimiento escénico, todo lujosísimo.
Definitivamente, este es un producto que deben tener todos los amantes de la buena música, para disfrutarlo una y otra vez.

The Best DVD of this Masterpiece
You'd probably have to call me a Rosenkavalier groupie. I've loved the opera since I first encountered it on a Met broadcast in high school back in the 1950s. My first recording was the hallowed Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Ludwig from 1956. I've owned possibly ten different versions on LP and CD, including the abridged 1933 version with Lehmann/Schumann/Olszewska. I've read the score repeatedly at the piano and even served as a sub-repetiteur for a local production. I've owned the VHS version of this performance since shortly after it came out, kindly sent me by a friend in Berlin. So, when I converted to DVD there was no problem deciding which version to get. It had to be this one. It has everything.

Consider this. The conductor is one of the giants of today, Carlos Kleiber. I already knew, from the earlier Munich CD, that he had this opera completely in his bloodstream, and here he's conducting the Vienna Opera Orchestra who do, too, of course. And I wasn't surprised when the VHS of this performance lived up to that standard. The three sopranos who are so important to the opera are, get this: Felicity Lott, Sophie von Otter, and Barbara Bonney. Now where could you get a better cast that that today? Not only do they sing like angels - the Marschallin's monolog and the ensuing duet with Octavian alone are precious beyond words - but they look the part, too. The 'Presentation of the Rose' scene is beyond praise. Add in the cavernous bass and sly acting of Kurt Moll as Baron Ochs and you get a sure-fire combination. Heck, I even liked Mohammed, a mute part!

But the clincher for my getting this version on DVD was that I would be able to have English subtitles. I'm modestly fluent in German (I've even been told I have a Viennese accent when I speak German; it must be all the time I've spent with 'Rosenkavalier') but one doesn't always catch the sung words in this most elegantly sly of libretti, so one can have subtitles in English, as well as German, French or Chinese.

In other words, this is the pick of the crop. I love other audio-only versions, but the combination of artists (not to speak of the sumptuous mise-en-scène in this production) makes this the best audiovisual representation of this masterpiece.

Review by Scott Morrison

Splendid, traditional, exceptionally well sung
I own four versions of Rosenkavalier, including the Paul Czinner film (1961) that I saw with thousands of other Chicago kids at Arie Crown Theatre (I still have the playbill). This is, without a doubt, the best sung of all of them. As a DVD, unlike the Italian version I also own, the subtitles are available in German, which makes this a spectacular tool for opera students. Barbara Bonney (Sophie) also appeared in another version in my collection, the 1985 Covent Garden production with Kiri Te Kanawa, available only on VHS. Even nine years later in this version, her Sophie is a hoot. I realize that von Otter is almost too beautiful to be Octavian, but suspend your disbelief. Vocally, she's the best Octavian I have on any kind of recording. Lott treats the Marchalin role with more tragedy than Te Kanawa or even Schwartzkopf, but she's splendid. Kurt Moll (Ochs) appeared on the PBS "Great Performances" version from the Metropolitan in the mid-1980s and seemed to me then the most menacing Ochs I'd ever seen, but in this DVD, he's quite mellow and has that trademark voice for which he's known. Even if this is not my favorite version (I prefer the directing and acting in the 1984 Covent Garden production), its subtitles, sound, and cast ability in general are the BEST. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent DVD at a bargain price
This is one of the best performances of Falstaff that I have seen. The singing, acting, and conducting are all first rate, and the the convential staging is very effective. And all that comes at a price much lower than other DVDs.

An excellent Falstaff performance
This is a live 1982 production of Verdi's last opera, at the Salzburg festival with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker. The singers are Giuseppe Tadei (Sir John Falstaff), Raina Kabaivanska (Alice Ford), Rolando Panerai (Ford), Francisco Araiza (Fenton) and Christa Ludwig (Quickly).
Musically, the performance is excellent and the stage is finely designed, specially the forest in the third act. Video quality is high and sound quality is good. I highly recommend this recording of Verdi's probably best opera. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A very impressive Rheingold
First and foremost...Jerusalem's Loge is the best out there. The part is perfect for him. He does very well in the Met's Siegfried as Siegfried, but it's a bit too heavy of a role for him at times (which is understandable of course...what a role!). Loge suits him pefectly in manner and signing.

As for the rest, Morris is an excellent Wotan has all the command usually exhibited by great Wotans. H does a wonderful job. I was also impressed by whoever sang Fasolt, he just gave an extremely sturdy peformance. Great tone and a very reasonable Riese (giant).

The first scene (Rhine Maiden's scene) was a bit awkward but to be honest, I've yet to see a production of that scene that I actually did like. Maybe it's just an awkward scene in general. Anyway, the next scene more than makes up for that as the stage becomes littered with talent and most of the characters of the opera show up.

The third scene down in Nibelheim is almost as good as the second scene except that I would've have liked to see more out of the other Nieblungs (besides Alberich and Mime) to give more of a sense of dread of Alberich's rule.

I'm not a huge fan of the fourth scene in general (I guess I find it kinda slow) but this is of course in keeping with the rest of the production an extremely admirable scene. Espescially in the staging of Froh's rainbow bridge. It is a fairly amaizing special effect for the opera stage.

To sum it all up, this production is certainly worth what you'll pay for it. Levine's direction and the cast are almost impeccable so the distraction are minimized about as far as they could be. You'll certaily enjoy the Ring at the Met.

"All you gods I'll grip...in my golden grasp!"
There is more to like...and less to be somewhat
dissatisfied with...in this Metropolitan Opera
Television Production of -Das Rheingold-. In the order
of my preferences, from best to lesser, are the
visual effects, the sets, the music and conducting,
the costumes, and some of the singing. But even
the singing which is less pleasing is only unequal
in certain parts, such as parts of the opening
Rhine scene and with the giants and the gods
in their first encounter. But this was a live

production, and the mircrophones were placed
as a distance, not right in front of the singers,
as they might be in a recorded version. So some
of the singing by Alberich in the first scene
seems not quite loud and forceful enough, but
then he is clamboring over the rocks. The
singing of the giants is also less than a bit
loud enough...and forceful. But then, things
change...and Alberich's singing in Nibelheim
is very good.
The visual effects are very captivating to me...
the mists...clouds...that rise from the blue
watery murkiness of the Rhine up to the god-
haven...as the camera pulls back, there is
a wondrous castle in the background...and Fricka
and Wotan are somewhat "dwarfed" by it as they
recline on a spiral, slanted set -- meant to represent
some sort of gigantic saucer-shaped rock or cliff
top...but which has wondrous similarity to a
textured, rough, rocky spiral galaxy. Then
there is the red mist...cloud...on the descent
into Nibelheim...and the passing shot in the
background of small dwarves at work in their
cave compartments with shining gleams cast off
here and there...the Nibelheim section is the
best part, as far as I am concerned...the
set is wondrous...a circular cave opening in
the back with the red background...it looks
like some eternal eye...or a gigantic worm-hole
into a fated eternity...
Also what should be mentioned is the English
translation of the libretto which can be added
by clicking on the opening bars...the translation
is very tough...elemental...pagan...not poetic
or lyrical. It gives a very real, ominous...compelling...
forceful...underpinning to the visuals and the
German singing going on in the visuals.
The style of the production is of the Wagnerian
Romantic late 1800s style...the costumes have
that "period" look, but the sets are timeless
and elemental, not weirdly modern and anachronistic.
I much prefer the look of this production over the
descriptions given by some of the posters of
the Bayreuth production conducted by Boulez where
the opening Rhine scene, apparently, is set
under the shadow of a hydro-electric dam! And
the Rhine Maidens appear to be "call girls."
The viewer should also consider several levels
of meaning and awareness as he or she watches
this production...and relates the meaning of what
is being said...thoughts about gold, and wealth,
and power, and greed, and revenge...and renouncing
love in order to gain power. There is definite
social...and psychological critique going on here.
Alberich's critique of the pleasure lives of the
gods sounds as if it might be from the lips of
a Platonist contemplating the fate of the Atlanteans...
or of a 19th century socialist...or of a transcendental
critic/rebuker like Thoreau. The giants' warnings
to Wotan about the sacredness of contracts and
the bond of one's word, sound like thoughts to think
about in relation to government and governing...
and law...their talk of how Wotan used the pledge-
power of his spear to wield their compliance, sounds
like something out of Thomas Hobbes, and the whole
idea of the social contract. The more one watches
and listens...and lets several levels of possible
meaning come together, the richer and more
powerful and gripping the genius of bringing
so much myth/psychology/and inspired alienation
and passion together in a work of art, and drama,
and music becomes...
If you think an opera can't be overwhelming
and stun you...watch the giant Fafner kill the
other giant Fasolt...and watch the stunned,
horrified looks on the gods' faces...and Wotan's
shocked, chastened, brooding look as he realizes
what is happening as a result of the ring's curse.
The scene is powerful...and gripping...
and moving in a profoundly deep and elemental
way... you are truly "within the spell" of
the cycle to come...and its relentless
unfolding possibilties...moving ever slowly
but enigmatically...and sadly... toward fatal
fated conclusion...

Too ugly to be laughed at....
Wagner's masterful score is well-executed by Levine, if you can ignore the audience, which coughs like it has TB. Visually, this production is atrocious. The Rhine-daughters are about as graceful as three-legged cows and are costumed like cheap mermaid prositutes or fishy spokesmodels for a seafood place. Loge looks like he's wearing Star Trek TNG latex. As he climbs the rock to get the gold, Alberich makes the whole thing wobble like something put together by middle-schoolers for their first production of The Ring. Bad stage direction all around. The only part I think lived up to Wagner's vision was the cool rainbow bridge at the very end, but you can see that by looking at the DVD case. Remind me not to attend the Met. Sounds good but best to watch when blind.

Disappointing production and performances
I'm disappointed by the production and the performances. While it's a good idea to stage this opera in a naturalistic manner, the stage direction is disappointing, as can be witnessed from the comical episodes involving the Rhinemaidens and the various transformations by Alberich.

The cast fails to do justice to Wagner's score. Morris is hampered by bad stage direction all the way and he is less than dramatically vivid. Ludwig is well past her prime, as is the Alberich. In fact, the other roles are not that well taken, too, with the single exception of Jerusalem's Loge. But a good Loge cannot rescue the entire opera. Levine's slow tempo is also a liability even though the orchestra performed well.

The art and the artist
It is gratifying and most helpful that a prominent Jewish conductor has presided over one of the best interpretations of the Ring I have ever seen.

Helpful, because on the heels of Jean Shinoda Bolen's Jungian interpretation of the Ring mythology, Levine has helped all Wagner fans move further away from the Nazi stereotype that has always dogged the operas. For too long, the Wagner fan has been seen as a caricature Lone Nutter, who listens to Wagner at full blast while easing back into his armchair with a copy of Mein Kampf and a stein of lager, with a huge swastika draped across the wall in front of him.

Levine and other Jewish Wagner fans have been able to, as Dimitri Drobatschewsky put it, separate art from the artist. It's not as if Wagner was alone in his anti-semitism, anyway. It was primarily Hitler's adoption of Wagner for his own ends that created the Evil Composer tag.

The Rheingold sets the standard for the rest of the Cycle, this being the prelude to the trilogy. Levine is both inspired and inspiring and delivers at every level throughout. Morris is an impressive, if at times, a little under powered Wotan, his passing resemblance to Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees notwithstanding. Behrens consistently proves why she has long been considered the ultimate Brunnhilde. The only visual blip being that, through no fault of her own, she is rather too close in age to Morris to be a credible daughter.

The sets are generally adequate, and at times, excellent, although other productions have slaughtered this version, especially in the Rheingold - the controversial, yet visionary 1983 Bayreuth production (The English Ring) above all. In the Bayreuth '83 Ring (which also featured the superb Behrens), the Rhinemaidens were sylph-like and naked against a stunningly original backdrop, which gave the production a pagan and elemental flavour that is somewhat lacking in the Levine version.

However, this remains a top notch production and one of the few versions to be currently available. At the prices Amazon are offering, you simply can't go wrong. Having just received my copy of Gotterdammerung, I now have the entire Ring and I certainly take my hat off to James Levine and his superb cast and crew. Get it while you can, people. These things have a way of becoming unavailable rather quickly. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Mediocre production
I must first admit that Siegfried is my least favourite opera in the entire Ring cycle. Maybe it's because of this reason that I'm disappointed by what I see and hear on this DVD recording, as there's nothing which can make me like this opera more.

I have nothing really against the staging and direction. However, these come across as being rather perfunctory. At times, the singers are left with nothing much to do for a long period of time. Things are sometimes too static for the music, which are often much more lively than the stage action.

The singing is mediocre. I like James Morris's Wanderer. Siegfried Jerusalem, though musical and mostly accurate, is a little too slender in tone for the hero. I'm not impressed by the Brunnhilde of Hildegard Behrens. The other performers are adequate but no more. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under Levine gives a good though not transcendant performance.

Maybe I'm being a little too harsh. But I think this opera has much potential that has been unexplored by the performers and the director here.

A truly great production!
This was a very grand production of Seigfried. Master Levine does an incredible job as conductor and his interpretation of Wagner is grand. I do not think the production is dull. The lighting is a bit dark at time, but I think that James Morris is superb as the Wanderer. As expected a very good Metropolitan Opera performance. This completes the Ring Cycle for me.

NOT a dull production
I disagree strongly with the reviewer who complained that this production is "dull". It is rescued from dullness by Heinz Zednik, the genius who plays Mime, and by fantastic sets. Also, James Morris is at his peak as the Wanderer, totally convincing visually and vocally, and he's the only one I've heard so far who can sing the line: "Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha, der witzigster bist du ..." with all the "ha"s correctly timed. Everyone else--especially Hans Hotter--consistantly screws up this line, even in studio recordings.

Ekkehard Wlaschiha hits a homer as Alberich. Superbly menacing as he threatens the Wanderer and a great bully when he fights with Mime over the treasure.

A dull production
This is a rather dull production. The singers are OK and whatever one thinks about Jerusalem, he's still a serviceable Siegfried. The other cast members are, however, mediocre and the direction is ordinary.

Great!
Although Jerusalem is not well-done, but none of the production from the MET is not GREAT,the scenery,well,was terrific and the last scene, I can only use the term "perfect" to describe that! ... Read more

Description

The legendary Bayreuth Centenary production of Wagner's Ring is distinguished by Patrice Chéreau's once-shocking production, which has acquired the status of the most trenchant modern interpretation of the cycle. Siegfried is the third of the four Ring operas, introducing the hero, Siegfried, son of the demi-gods Siegmund and Sieglinde. Though raised by the dwarf Mime, Siegfried discovers his true identity and forges the magic sword, Notung, with which he slays Mime and the dragon Fafner. He then defies the Wanderer (Wotan in disguise) and rescues the sleeping Brünnhilde from her circle of flames. The opera ends with their radiant love duet. Pierre Boulez's penetrating interpretation supports a cast led by the powerful Siegfried of Manfred Jung. Cast:

Hermann Becht: Alberich
Fritz Hübner: Fafner
Gwyneth Jones: Brünnhilde
Manfred Jung: Siegfried
Donald McIntyre: Der Wanderer
Norma Sharp: Waldvogel
Ortrun Wenkel: Erda
Heinz Zednik: Mime
The Bayreuth Festival Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez ... Read more

Amazon.com

Alban Berg's scalpel-like dissection of human baseness is compellinglycaptured in a 1987 Vienna State Opera production that emphasizes its often- overlooked lyricism. Based on George Buchner's play about a soldier's maddescent into murder, Berg fashioned a fast-moving exploration of both hisprotagonist's life and his own 12-tone music, utilized expressively throughout.As conducted by Claudio Abbado, the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus makeBerg's usually difficult music utterly accessible. Franz Grundheber vividlyconveys Wozzeck's descent into insanity, and Hildegard Behrens embodies hisgirlfriend Marie's mixture of innocence and sluttishness. Adolf Dresen'sstaging, thrillingly visualizing Berg's tense score, works its hair- raising magic best during the opera's climactic explosion of fatal violence. This performance of Wozzeck--sung in German with optional Englishsubtitles, and with the Dolby 5.1 sound capably conveying the sheer auralcreepiness permeating Berg's music--does justice to one of the true masterworksof 20th century opera. --Kevin Filipski

... Read more

Reviews (6)

First rate!
Great performance, vocally and orchestrally. The acting is good as well. Staging is appropriate throughout, and visually at times quite lovely, as in the drowing scene.

One minor caveat, already noted by another reviewer: the images on the box have nothing to do with what's inside! They look like they were taken from a Disney version!

Deceptive Packaging!
Let's not be fooled, folks: the VHS reviews, which appear under the DVD listing, refer to an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT version. This is SUPPOSED to be a different staging, as you can tell from the cover of the DVD. It looked like it was done by the same people who did Yellow Submarine, or maybe by Julie Taymor (who did Oedipus Rex for the Tokyo Met, and Titus with Anthony Hopkins).

But here's the kicker: it ISN'T! The video case for the DVD SHOWS a different staging, but the actual video is of exactly the same staging featured on the VHS version, and recorded (in a slightly better performance) on the double-CD set released by Deutche Grammophon.

This is REALLY irritating. I was expecting a different staging, since i've already heard this one, and seen it as well. The whole point was to see a DIFFERENT one, and that's what the packaging implies is recorded on the enclosed DVD.

I don't know why they took the poorly-taped 1987 performance, and put it on a DVD with all these photos from an entirely different production (with even different actors, it appears) but that would be called fraud in almost any context. Having just watched this DVD production, i'm going to contact the company and demand an explanation.

You've been warned.

+Perfect execution of a perfect opera
This is a must buy for the discriminating Berg fan. I particularly like the live audience which only added to the realism so obviously heard in the music but sometimes missed in staged videos. The doctor and the Captain's street walk is particularly effective.

an important opera an important performance
Spiritual descendant of Gustav Mahler, Berg's expressionist materpiece is a watershed work and prime example of the 2nd Viennese's school's 'more palatable' side. The drama, like the music, appeals to the subconscious and 'free-form' while remaining ferociously complex in structure and execution. Berg casts the music in various established late Romantic idioms, such as the Theme and Variations or Symphony form, such that the drama almost seems to be a 'second layer' growing on top of the music--even so, the two mate perfectly. Anyone with an interest in the documented dissolution of tonality (an experiment that did indeed culminate in 12-tone serialism, but not for a decade--and an experiment that would not last past 1970) should investigate this work, best experienced in a staged format. A couple of the singers' intonation and clarity of diction leave a bit to be desired, but on the whole Cluadio Abaddo does a masterly job of guiding orchestra and singers alike through a complex maze of notes. Recommended to die-hard Wozzeck fans, those who enjoy contemporary music, music scholars, fans of opera, and those wishing to extend their musical palate.

--Justin Laird Weaver

A must-see opera
WARNING! This is NOT composed in "12-tone atonality," as reviewed above. This is arguably the greatest opera of the twentieth century, and, consistent with Berg's other expressionistic works, embodies a wide range of styles, including some fairly standard late-romantic harmony. Franz Grundheber's Wozzeck is bone-chillingly gripping. ... Read more