Opera on DVD

Started by uffeviking, April 08, 2007, 12:54:48 AM

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head-case


The fact that the singer is on the stage and in danger of being drowned out by a 100 piece orchestra lends a certain urgency to the undertaking, and explains the singing style.  When you are watching a film it is not obvious why the actor is screaming at the top of his or her lungs all the time.

These films at least have the advantage that the actors are the singers and can duplicate their authentic singing style.  I don't find the lip-syncing a problem. However, when actors are used instead of the original singers (such as that horrid Parisfal film) the result is generally trash.

To follow the tangent, I consider the Karajan Rheingold to be among the best opera on film I've ever seen.  The sound is much better than on the DG recording (it was done by EMI) and the staging is quite impressive.  Some of the acting is quite good (Fassbaender and Schrier, particularly).  A few of the special effects are a bit loopy, though (like the trapeze artist Rhinemaidens with their boobs hanging out) but generally it is impressive.  I woudl still prefer to see a film of a real Saltzberg festival performance. 

Quote from: marvinbrown on May 09, 2008, 02:42:48 AM
  Thanks Mike and head-case for your responses. head-case can you please elaborate more on this lack of electricity criticism.  I hope you didn't get bored watching this opera movie of La Boheme did you??

  marvin

yashin

I honestly can't recommend the Puccini DVD set with Boheme, Butterfly and Tosca.

They now look very dated and whilst there is nothing wrong with the singing i hate the bad lip synching- it really distracts. There are films rather than staged performances and i just want something less traditional and more thought inducing

If you want a decent Tosca then get the one from Opus Arte with Dessi, Raimondi and Armilato. Very good singing and terrific acting.

For La Boheme i still think the one from Australia with Hobson and Barker is really nice.  Young leads singing their hearts out.  Or what about the DVD with Marcello Alvarez?

For butterfly it is much more difficult to recommend a really good one.  I am still waiting for one!

marvinbrown

Quote from: yashin on May 11, 2008, 03:50:15 AM
I honestly can't recommend the Puccini DVD set with Boheme, Butterfly and Tosca.

They now look very dated and whilst there is nothing wrong with the singing i hate the bad lip synching- it really distracts. There are films rather than staged performances and i just want something less traditional and more thought inducing

If you want a decent Tosca then get the one from Opus Arte with Dessi, Raimondi and Armilato. Very good singing and terrific acting.

For La Boheme i still think the one from Australia with Hobson and Barker is really nice.  Young leads singing their hearts out.  Or what about the DVD with Marcello Alvarez?

For butterfly it is much more difficult to recommend a really good one.  I am still waiting for one!

  Thanks Yashin.

  marvin

Haffner

Anyone seen this one yet? I'm interested in a first Lohengrin.

yashin

How about the Euroarts DVD of Lohengrin with John Treleaven and Emily Magee set in a school classroom.  Am working my way through it and enjoying it so far....will let you know what i finally decide.

I really want a decent Parsifal and would like to get my hands on the Dynamic DVD from La Fenice with Decker and Soffel.  Anyone seen this one?

yashin

Great news for all Ring Cycle lovers that the Copehagen Ring Cycle will be released on DVD mid July 2008 on Decca.  Web sites have it at 70 UK Pounds,  for the complete cycle...does not say about selling separates.


uffeviking

Quote from: yashin on May 12, 2008, 03:13:04 AM
How about the Euroarts DVD of Lohengrin with John Treleaven

How is Treleaven's singing? Hitting the right notes after he stops looking for them all over? And his acting? I have yet to see him in any production where he was barely acceptable.

There must be better Lohengrin's available, like the one with Siegfried Jerusalem, or Peter Hoffmann and of course with Placido Domingo.

marvinbrown

Quote from: yashin on June 05, 2008, 02:45:03 AM
Great news for all Ring Cycle lovers that the Copehagen Ring Cycle will be released on DVD mid July 2008 on Decca.  Web sites have it at 70 UK Pounds,  for the complete cycle...does not say about selling separates.



  Yashin could you please if possible provide a link for that Copenhagen Ring Cycle? I did a quick search on amazon.co.uk and was not able to find it  :-\.

  marvin

Wendell_E

Quote from: marvinbrown on June 05, 2008, 07:33:26 AM
  Yashin could you please if possible provide a link for that Copenhagen Ring Cycle? I did a quick search on amazon.co.uk and was not able to find it  :-\.

  marvin

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Copenhagen-Opera-Wagner-Ring-Nibelungen/dp/B0019LZ19O

"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

marvinbrown

Quote from: Wendell_E on June 05, 2008, 07:56:32 AM
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Copenhagen-Opera-Wagner-Ring-Nibelungen/dp/B0019LZ19O



  Thanks Wendell_E  :).  I was hoping they would have an album cover on there to see what kind of production (modern, tranditional,) and what spin the opera director was going to have with this Ring production.  I guess I'll have to search the interenet for photos.

marvin

Wendell_E

#410
Quote from: marvinbrown on June 05, 2008, 08:01:22 AM
  Thanks Wendell_E  :).  I was hoping they would have an album cover on there to see what kind of production (modern, tranditional,) and what spin the opera director was going to have with this Ring production.  I guess I'll have to search the interenet for photos.

marvin

There's a cover picture at this site:  http://stridonolassu.googlepages.com/
But it doesn't have a picture of the production on the cover.
You can see some pictures here:  http://www.thecopenhagenring.dk/uk/fotos.html
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

marvinbrown

Quote from: Wendell_E on June 05, 2008, 08:18:35 AM
There's a cover picture at this site:  http://stridonolassu.googlepages.com/
But it doesn't have a picture of the production on the cover.
You can see some pictures here:  http://www.thecopenhagenring.dk/uk/fotos.html


Thanks for the link  :)!  I see this is a very modern adaptation!

  marvin

uffeviking

Great pictures, Wendell, and many thanks for posting the news. I went to the Danacord site, but not a word about that Ring yet. Looks very promising!

Now do me a favour, please, and give me your idea or guess on what the last picture in Götterdämmerung means, the one with the babe in arms of the blond. Can't be Brünnhilde, can't be Sieglinde, they didn't survive. Did Siegfried have a chance at impregnating Gutrune, kind of a quickie before going back to the rock in disguise??  ???

Wendell_E

#413
Quote from: uffeviking on June 05, 2008, 10:45:50 AM
Now do me a favour, please, and give me your idea or guess on what the last picture in Götterdämmerung means, the one with the babe in arms of the blond. Can't be Brünnhilde, can't be Sieglinde, they didn't survive. Did Siegfried have a chance at impregnating Gutrune, kind of a quickie before going back to the rock in disguise??  ???

I was wondering about that myself, Lis.  There's an article at that website by the director called "The difficulty of endings".  Unfortunately, it's a dead link, but I did some googling and found a cached version:

QuoteIn our rendition of Die Götterdämmerung, Brünnhilde is pregnant, which was a conscious choice that aims to show that despite everything, Siegfried and Brünnhilde, before everything turned sour, believed in the future. Thus the seeds of despair and calamity are not the only seeds to be planted. We believe that no matter the difficulties, life will eventually overcome catastrophe. This has allowed us to narrow in on an ending that is not merely steeped in despair but also overwhelmingly happy.

We cannot bear that Brünnhilde is to meet her death on her husband's pyre, as is traditionally the case. The purpose of a woman's life should be far greater than to simply perish with her husband. And we need to put an end to the disposition within libretto tradition to redeem masculine sexuality through sacrificing the heroines – from Puccini's Madame Butterfly and Verdi's Violetta Valery to Wagner's Senta and Brünnhilde. At the very last moment, our Brünnhilde decides to live. She incinerates the world of her family, thus liberating herself from her father and husband, and then insists on creating her own life on her own premises. In doing so she, in effect, also torches the patriarchal potency of 20th century ideologies.

We are not amused....

Here's the entire article:  link
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

knight66

All highly amusing. I am relieved that the decision to make Brunhilde pregnant was 'conscious'. Though I am at a loss as to how it could have been other than conscious. Are subconscious, semiconscious or unconscious real options?

What is the director yapping about in referring to 20th century patriarchal potency, or 20th century anything? It was written in the 19th and performed in the 21st, beyond bizarre.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

uffeviking

"We are not amused...."

We's not either!

That just about shoots down my interest in the production. As most of you know, I am a noisy advocate of concept performances - as long as all of Wagner's notes are there, his libretto and his content. This Danish director changed the content and meaning of the Ring. Too bad, Danacord lost a sale of the series. I might go for the Walküre, my favourite segment of the Ring, unless the director lets Mime live to marry the widow Sieglinde!  ::)

Wendell_E

Quote from: knight on June 05, 2008, 12:05:47 PM
Though I am at a loss as to how it could have been other than conscious. Are subconscious, semiconscious or unconscious real options?

I suspect that drugs may be involved, so it was really an altered states of consciousness.

Yeah, "beyond bizarre" pretty much sums up my reaction, as well.  Oh, well there are plenty of other Ring DVDs available.
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

knight66

Now Sieglinde was NOT consciously made pregnant. So perhaps it will be a phantom pregnancy and Siegfried is really all in Brunhilde's imagination, her father's alter ego. Of course that means Gotterdammerung is all a dream and she can awake from it liberated, having dropped all her emotional baggage, she can swim off and have her idealised Saphic romps with the Rheinmaidens. It all seems fine to me. What's yer problem?

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Wendell_E

At least the director's comments do answer my question as to why the female symbol () is on the DVD box cover.
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain