Opera on DVD

[marvinbrown]

  I am in the process of collecting all of Wagner's operas on DVD and have now turned my attention to Meistersinger von Nurnberg. I am looking for a very good recording of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg on DVD.  Can anybody comment on this recording:


 
  any advice would be appreciated

  marvin

[Haffner]

  I am in the process of collecting all of Wagner's operas on DVD and have now turned my attention to Meistersinger von Nurnberg. I am looking for a very good recording of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg on DVD.  Can anybody comment on this recording:


 
  any advice would be appreciated

  marvin

I've been considering that one as well, Marvin. Offhand, I must state that James Morris is potentially great, and I rarely have any problems with Levine's conducting. In fact, if I have any complaints with the other Levine/met dvds, it's almost solely with the sound or some of the singers, not Levine. This dvd looks like a traditional setting, and that along with the two names above pretty much sells it for me!

[Anne]

I have this DVD with its conventional staging.

The characters offer luxury casting with Morris, Heppner, Mattila, Pape.  Someone once said, "You can't have a good Meistersinger without a good Hans Sachs!"  Morris makes a fine Hans Sacha in my opinion.  When he and Heppner are together on stage, both are so good that one wonders who is the star performer.

Another thing I liked was the singing of Mattila.  For once we have an Eva who can hit the high notes.

You're right.  Levine's conducting is great.  Several years ago he conducted a performance of Meistersinger that was so exciting that it made one feel the music was going right through the roof and yourself along with it.  We needed all of Wagner's notes to come down to earth again - a feeling like I usually experience at the end of Gotterdammering.  Every time I silently thank him for that.  Of course with Gotterdammerung it also takes a while to include the 90+ motifs included in that summation.  What a trip!

My friend spontaneously called me to share those wonderful thrilling moments.  I don't think the DVD quite captures the excitement of the radio broadcast but it comes close.

[karlhenning]

Yes, he was big on supposing we need extra, extra, extra time 

[Anne]

Yes, he was big on supposing we need extra, extra, extra time 

You're right, Karl.     I changed it.  Is that better?

[uffeviking]

The choice of good Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg DVDs is a bit limited though. The Levine mentioned here is a good one with a surprisingly very good Hans Sachs and of course the outstanding René Pape as Veit Pogner.

For a different approach to the role of Sachs I like the EMI with José Van Dam, as very a pensive cobbler and poet. Matti Salminen is great, - when is he not? - as Pogner. It is Franz Welser-Möst whose outstanding conducting I give most of the credit for a very successful performance.

[marvinbrown]

I've been considering that one as well, Marvin. Offhand, I must state that James Morris is potentially great, and I rarely have any problems with Levine's conducting. In fact, if I have any complaints with the other Levine/met dvds, it's almost solely with the sound or some of the singers, not Levine. This dvd looks like a traditional setting, and that along with the two names above pretty much sells it for me!

  So how about it Haffner?  shall you and I go for it then? I have already placed this item in my shopping cart from amazon.co.uk and in light of what Anne, uffeviking and Karl have to say this seems like a good place to start (uffeviking's other recommendation has been noted as a possible future purchase!)

  marvin

[Haffner]

  So how about it Haffner?  shall you and I go for it then? I have already placed this item in my shopping cart from amazon.co.uk and in light of what Anne, uffeviking and Karl have to say this seems like a good place to start (uffeviking's other recommendation has been noted as a possible future purchase!)

  marvin

I'll be grabbing the Levine as well, when I save some mo' money!

[marvinbrown]

   I spent today watching the Levine DVD recording of Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg.  I will not talk about the production nor the cast (james morris et. al) of meistersingers (pun intended). All I will say is that for the past 292 minutes I felt like I had died and gone to heaven..........there were times when I got goosebumps watching this production (this is easily the most enjoyable opera I have seen in a very long time) For me it clicked on so many levels (stage production, costumes, clarity of sound, acting, conducting, tempo). This is what a great opera production is all about (so good that it becomes a religious experience)  Rating: 5 stars




marvin

[Haffner]

Thank you, Marvin!

[karlhenning]

This is what a great opera production is all about (so good that it becomes a religious experience)

Oh, dear.  Well, that was certainly what the goal of The Shrine Bayreuth was 

[Joan]

Well, at long last, we watched the DVD of L'Orfeo in its entirety.  Beautifully staged, many beautiful voices!!, antique winds playing in tune (blessed relief), sheer delight every way.

(Two or three moments of caprine singing, oh that old-fangled ornamentation, but nothing seriously jarring.)

Which DVD version of L'Orfeo did you watch? I've seen the Barcelona/Jordi Savall version, and just recently got the one from the 70's with Harnoncourt/Ponelle/Zurich opera (which I really loved! Bought the set with their productions of Ulisses and Poppea. I'm really in love with the Poppea.) There's also that new Monteverdi set (Audi?) which I don't know much about, apart from a tiny clip on the Naxos site. The singing sounded great in that tiny clip, but I didn't much care for the blasted-heath style set.

[marvinbrown]

I bought it because of Cheryl Studer. She has been maligned terribly in another forum to the extent that the moderator banned her name, just her name! How ridiculous. She is a great Elsa von Brabant. If you don't speak German, then Domingo butchering my mother tongue won't bother you; his singing is very good!

  Over a month and a half ago Haffner put in a request as to whether the Lohengrin DVD recording with Domingo was any good.  Uffeviking responded by saying that Domingo "butchered" the German Language but his singing is very good.  Well I am still missing 2 of Wagner's Operas on DVD: Lohengrin and Tannhauser.  I want to buy Lohengrin next but I did not like the butchering language critisism (I am fluent in a few languages myself (German is not one of them) and quite sensitive to them when it comes to opera)....should I go for the Domingo recording or this one:

 

  or should I look elsewhere? 

  thanks for your help.

  marvin

[Haffner]

  Over a month and a half ago Haffner put in a request as to whether the Lohengrin DVD recording with Domingo was any good.  Uffeviking responded by saying that Domingo "butchered" the German Language but his singing is very good.  Well I am still missing 2 of Wagner's Operas on DVD: Lohengrin and Tannhauser.  I want to buy Lohengrin next but I did not like the butchering language critisism (I am fluent in a few languages myself (German is not one of them) and quite sensitive to them when it comes to opera)....should I go for the Domingo recording or this one:

 

  or should I look elsewhere? 

  thanks for your help.

  marvin

I'm curious as well. I am still looking at the two of those mentioned.

[uffeviking]

Picking the 'best' Lohengrin is a tough decision to make!

I have both, the one with Peter Hofman on an old LVD and Domingo on DVD. My choice would be the Domingo because Claudio Abbado is conducting the Vienna State Opera. If you don't speak German, you won't notice Domingo's failings! 

[Anne]

I also have both and agree with Uffe's recommendation.  I don't
speak German either and it all sounded great to me.  (Sometimes ignorance is bliss.)

[springrite]

I also have both and agree with Uffe's recommendation.  I don't
speak German either and it all sounded great to me.  (Sometimes ignorance is bliss.)

Now you know why I never complain about a lack of Chinese operas. 

[Anne]

 

[uffeviking]

Now you know why I never complain about a lack of Chinese operas. 

   

[marvinbrown]

Picking the 'best' Lohengrin is a tough decision to make!

I have both, the one with Peter Hofman on an old LVD and Domingo on DVD. My choice would be the Domingo because Claudio Abbado is conducting the Vienna State Opera. If you don't speak German, you won't notice Domingo's failings! 

  Very well then uffeviking and Anne  ...would the two of you be kind enough to answer a few follow-up questions before I make my purchase:
 
  1) Can you please tell me a little bit about the costumes and stage settings (i.e. Is the Domingo DVD a modern adaptation or set in mythical times? Is the stage setting elaborate or simple?)

  2) Can you comment on the quality of the sound (I am guessing very good as you refer to the Vienna State Opera)?

  I much appreciate your help...by the way anybody please feel free to comment.

  marvin
  PS: I never thought collecting operas would take so much work  !!!!!!