Opera on DVD

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

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mamascarlatti

Basically a huge monument to Rediedirectorial arroagance. And I don't even live in LA so I can boycott it (although I'd kill to see a live Ring, not going to happen in little New Zealand)

knight66

Well, you did get Lord of the Rings.  8)

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

Scarpia

Quote from: knight on May 24, 2010, 09:07:30 AM
Yes, I have read about that production. The director seems to deal out contempt to the singers.

I especially enjoyed the following remarks:

'L.A. Opera defended Freyer. "The psychological dimension is outsourced to other forms of expression, like the lighting."'

'Koelsch also said that the safety of the stage is a "huge priority" and that injuries are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.'

'The bulky costumes co-designed by Freyer and his daughter make even walking awkward, and the masks required for some performers partially impede their vision and hearing.'

Mike

This production has the same problem:



Absurd, intrusive sets and effects that prevent the singers from portraying the emotions of their characters.


knight66

I know you saw the first part of it and that was enough. From the snatches I have seen it is not as alienating as the LA concept. But it does liik pointlessly busy.

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

Scarpia

Quote from: knight on May 24, 2010, 11:13:17 AM
I know you saw the first part of it and that was enough. From the snatches I have seen it is not as alienating as the LA concept. But it does liik pointlessly busy.

Mike

Saw the first part, then did some skipping around.  Can singers act while wheeling around the stage in modified construction vehicles?




mamascarlatti

Quote from: knight on May 24, 2010, 11:13:17 AM
I know you saw the first part of it and that was enough. From the snatches I have seen it is not as alienating as the LA concept. But it does liik pointlessly busy.

Mike

Hehe this is in the post. Can't actually resist another Ring, whatever I may say about boycotts...

yashin

So far i have bought 2 Blue-ray discs- the Gotterdammerung from Valencia with Mehta and the Manon with Villazon and Netrebko.  I must admit they look great on a large screen but the productions have been a little lacklustre.

I found the Valencia Gotterdammerung slightly underwhelming. Anyone else feel this?  Not sure if it is the characters moving on cranes and riding Segways.  For some reason i just did not feel moved.  Listen/watch varnay on youtube sing the immolation seen and you will know what i mean. Or am i being unfair?

The Manon with Netrebko and Villazon also looks gorgeous to watch but Villazon i find an acquired taste to watch.  He seems to over-act seriously and it drives me nuts.  He also sings too loud and does not vary his tone enough.  Is hardly believeable.  Again i am forced to watch youtube for Beverly Sills and Henry Price to see the sparks really fly OR even better hear Ramon Vargas or Stephen Costello sing the role .


Not such good luck then so far with blue-ray.  Any good productions to recommend??

DarkAngel

#587
Quote from: yashin on May 29, 2010, 02:52:18 AM
So far i have bought 2 Blue-ray discs- the Gotterdammerung from Valencia with Mehta and the Manon with Villazon and Netrebko.  I must admit they look great on a large screen but the productions have been a little lacklustre.

I found the Valencia Gotterdammerung slightly underwhelming. Anyone else feel this?  Not sure if it is the characters moving on cranes and riding Segways.  For some reason i just did not feel moved.  Listen/watch varnay on youtube sing the immolation seen and you will know what i mean. Or am i being unfair?

The Manon with Netrebko and Villazon also looks gorgeous to watch but Villazon i find an acquired taste to watch.  He seems to over-act seriously and it drives me nuts.  He also sings too loud and does not vary his tone enough.  Is hardly believeable.  Again i am forced to watch youtube for Beverly Sills and Henry Price to see the sparks really fly OR even better hear Ramon Vargas or Stephen Costello sing the role .


Not such good luck then so far with blue-ray.  Any good productions to recommend??

If you live in USA please join Netflix and take advantage of large opera catalog to view......

Very Best Blu rays I own so far are:






The La Traviata is a modern "euro trash" production with stripped down almost bare stage production, but here I think is works quite well.

Some brilliant updated touches and Netrebko has never sounded better, her best performance I have heard to date........Netrebko plays a much more powerful assertive Violetta, an updated modern women touch

yashin

Thanks for that.

But after the Mirelle Delunsch La Traviata DVD i am not sure i can ever need a different DVD of La Traviata.  I saw bits of the La Traviata you mentioned and it just seemed so fake and unreal.....Netrebko just did not look/act like a woman dying

DarkAngel

Quote from: yashin on May 29, 2010, 06:13:07 AM
Thanks for that.

But after the Mirelle Delunsch La Traviata DVD i am not sure i can ever need a different DVD of La Traviata.  I saw bits of the La Traviata you mentioned and it just seemed so fake and unreal.....Netrebko just did not look/act like a woman dying

Netrebko Blu Ray should not be your primary reference version, but very fun modern alternate take on things!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7tObmRv67g

I mentioned this in the Verdi thread, new Gheorghiu La Traviata for $6.50 at Amazon USA.....even though I prefer her early version with Solti


DarkAngel

Quote from: yashin on May 29, 2010, 06:13:07 AM
Thanks for that.

But after the Mirelle Delunsch La Traviata DVD i am not sure i can ever need a different DVD of La Traviata.  I saw bits of the La Traviata you mentioned and it just seemed so fake and unreal.....Netrebko just did not look/act like a woman dying

I have Rameau Platee DVD with Mirelle giving a daring performance.......but have not seen her La Traviata

Scarpia

Quote from: yashin on May 29, 2010, 02:52:18 AMI found the Valencia Gotterdammerung slightly underwhelming. Anyone else feel this?  Not sure if it is the characters moving on cranes and riding Segways.  For some reason i just did not feel moved.  Listen/watch varnay on youtube sing the immolation seen and you will know what i mean. Or am i being unfair?

The Manon with Netrebko and Villazon also looks gorgeous to watch but Villazon i find an acquired taste to watch.  He seems to over-act seriously and it drives me nuts.  He also sings too loud and does not vary his tone enough.  Is hardly believeable.  Again i am forced to watch youtube for Beverly Sills and Henry Price to see the sparks really fly OR even better hear Ramon Vargas or Stephen Costello sing the role .

Agree on both counts.  Got the Rheingold from the same series and only made it 10 minutes into the video before I had to turn it off.  After skipping around I concluded it only gets worse.

Villazon gives me the impression of being mentally deficient.  What I've seen in the press indicates that he has ruined his voice and his career is over.  I'm crossing my fingers.   >:D

MDL

Quote from: Scarpia on May 24, 2010, 11:23:35 AM
Saw the first part, then did some skipping around.  Can singers act while wheeling around the stage in modified construction vehicles?



I see the BBC budget cuts are starting to bite on Doctor Who.

Franco

I am awaiting delivery of the Bartoli/Harnoncourt Don Giovanni and Cosi



I am guessing these are good performances, but I was wondering what other DVDs of Mozart Da Ponte operas people like.

yashin

If that is the Gifry/Bartoli Don from many years ago i would not bother.  I love this opera but i did not like this production-i mean i found it boring.  My favourite Don dvd? umm i would still go for the Glyndebourne DVD with Gilles Cachemaille, Steven Page as a modern production. The newer DVD from the Netherlands opera with Pietro Spagnoli  as the Don is really strange and some might find boring but it does all hang together somehow. I used to really like the Drottninholm video but have not found it on DVD yet??

What about Le nozze?  I really love the Paris DVD with Peter Mattei, Christiane Oelze, Lorenzo Regazzo, and Christine Schafer.  Really quirky production but great singing and really makes quite a lot of sense. I have quite a few DVDs of this opera and apart from the newer Covent Garden one i really only can get into this one.

Cosi i am not a great fan off.  I have several versions and the only one i really enjoyed was from the Netherlands opera where it was set in a summer camp for teenagers. Its conducted (all 3 were) by ingo metzmacher.  It came as a triple Da Ponte set but you can buy it separate.

Scarpia

Watched this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CYnbLwQHL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

and was not impressed.

Inva Mula was ok as Mimi, but Aquiles Machado was absurd presence on the stage, like an overstuffed sausage that could talk.  His singing was competetent but not remarkable.  Laura Giordano looked the part of Musetta, but her voice was strangely unpleasant.  Capitanucci was a servicable Marcello.  The sets were quite traditional, Cobos was competent in the pit.  In the end, it was a very standard production which just didn't come alive for me.


Franco

The Bartoli/Harnoncourt twofer of the Don Giovanni/Cosi arrived yesterday and I put Cosi in the player only to discover that despite what seems to be an otherwise good production, the director uses a projector to display photographs of the characters onto a large screen during the scenes and it is extremely bothersome.  Not only is it anachronistic with the period staging, it is completely unnecessary since the stage business of looking at photographs is not a problem needing a "solution", especially one so stupid.

Once I get past this distraction, though, I'm sure to enjoy the production since the singing is wonderful.

Scarpia

Quote from: Franco on June 23, 2010, 06:49:57 AM
The Bartoli/Harnoncourt twofer of the Don Giovanni/Cosi arrived yesterday and I put Cosi in the player only to discover that despite what seems to be an otherwise good production, the director uses a projector to display photographs of the characters onto a large screen during the scenes and it is extremely bothersome.  Not only is it anachronistic with the period staging, it is completely unnecessary since the stage business of looking at photographs is not a problem needing a "solution", especially one so stupid.

Once I get past this distraction, though, I'm sure to enjoy the production since the singing is wonderful.

That Don Giovanni is my favorite by far.  The staging you describe of Cosi sounds insufferable.  What a shame.

Fëanor

I got this version of Die Walküre for my first opera on Blu-ray -- and I'm loving it.

... see Amazon.com

knight66

I am very tempted to buy Walkure and the Gotterdammerung. I was not going to go near them, mainly because I don't usually get much out of Mehta's performances, but the reviews I have read are pretty unanimous that his conducting is a distinct plus.

I have watched bits of it on Youtube. The cranes will take a bit of getting used to, but in fact they are almost the same technique that was used to manipulate the Rheinmaidens in the very first production in Bayreuth.

The cast seems to be unusually strong and it looks like a good contrast to my much loved Copenhagen Ring.

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