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Mozart on CD, DVD and Blu-ray

60K views 283 replies 54 participants last post by  JosefinaHW 
#1 ·
I made the mistake of buying the Giovanni DVD w. Keenlyside. His singing, plus the other cast, was excellent but the production was unwatchable -- avante garde to the max, with goofy and unintelligible staging. Worst of all, the Stone Guest (always a fun event) was instead some hand-carried African-influenced carving about 15 inches high. The other parts of the production were so awful that I actually fastforwarded thru it, something one never should do with Mozart.

Can someone recommend a good full length Giovanni DVD? It doesn't have to be a totally traditional staging, but it would at least be somewhat faithful to the original. And of course, good cast and good music.

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
Maybe Joseph Losey's movie with Ruggero Raimondi, Kiri Te Kanawa, Teresa Berganza and Jose van Dam will be to your liking. Traditional setting and musically it's fine. But keep in mind that it's not a live performance but a movie.
 
#8 ·
There's no bad lipsync on my copy of the DVD as there is in these clips, and picture quality is a lot better too. The Terfel/Fleming DVD is definitely a good buy though.
 
#10 ·
Mozart on DVD and Blu-ray

I bought this on blu-ray recently



It's not Mozart's most "serious" opera, but very entertaining with outstanding music.

Dorothea Roschmann is wonderful as Pamina, but one performance that stuck out for me was Simon Keenlyside as the bird catcher Papageno. Could anybody point out some other good productions he has been in? I think he's amazing.
 
#18 ·
I bought this on blu-ray recently



It's not Mozart's most "serious" opera, but very entertaining with outstanding music.

Dorothea Roschmann is wonderful as Pamina, but one performance that stuck out for me was Simon Keenlyside as the bird catcher Papageno. Could anybody point out some other good productions he has been in? I think he's amazing.
I have 4 different versions of Don Giovanni. I prefer the Covent Garden version with Keenlyside. I also like the Glynderbourne production. I also have the Metropolitan production with Terfel and Flemming (but I have not listened to it more than two or three times ( as opposed to 10 or 12 times for the Covent Garden production). Anyways it's a question of taste. I prefer modern staging.

P.S. I just bought a new version of Massenet's THAIS (Teatro Regio Torino) Tremendous staging. I would recommend this version to anyone who likes modern staging.
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)


In a word - superb. It shows its age in terms of production values (compared with the Glyndebourne Cosi), but what fabulous performances. Cotrubas is a terrific Susannah - I found myself drawn to her enormously, full of vitality, and singing apparently as naturally as a bird. And the excellence multiplies. When Von Stade sings, it seems as if the world should stop and listen. And Kiri is completely in her element.

So there's brilliant singing; generally good acting, which is sometimes excellent; attractive, traditional sets, if not particularly remarkable. It all adds up to a package not to be missed. From a purely personal point of view, I'd say that if I had to choose between this and Cosi, I'd choose Cosi - partly because I prefer the opera itself, and partly because I do think the whole presentation is more beautiful, and the acting more fluid. But I hardly think one is really 'better' than the other. Both are necessary Mozart DVDs.
 
#12 · (Edited)


In a word - superb. It shows its age in terms of production values (compared with the Glyndebourne Cosi), but what fabulous performances. Cotrubas is a terrific Susannah - I found myself drawn to her enormously, full of vitality, and singing apparently as naturally as a bird. And the excellence multiplies. When Von Stade sings, it seems as if the world should stop and listen. And Kiri is completely in her element.

So there's brilliant singing; generally good acting, which is sometimes excellent; attractive, traditional sets, if not particularly remarkable. It all adds up to a package not to be missed. From a purely personal point of view, I'd say that if I had to choose between this and Cosi, I'd choose Cosi - partly because I prefer the opera itself, and partly because I do think the whole presentation is more beautiful, and the acting more fluid. But I hardly think one is really 'better' than the other. Both are necessary Mozart DVDs.

Thanks again for pointing me towards it, Gaston.
I don't want to brag, but I told you so, Alan! :D Seriously though, I'm happy you like it. It's an overall great performance, but I agree that those three gals really stand out here.
 
#16 ·
Actually I've just been poking around on Youtube, Gaston, and I must say I quite like what I've seen and heard of the Losey movie so far. I think I might try that for starters (the great news is that neither of these two breaks the bank). I had some reservations about the way Renee Fleming sings 'Or sai chi l'onore' (my favourite aria from this opera) - she somehow overcreams it, I think. So I might kick off with Giovanni - The Movie in the first instance, after all.
 
#17 ·
I have recently been in contact with The Metropolitan Opera. I have been showing them the popularity of this performance of Don Giovanni.

Most people believe they haven't released it because the Karajan performance. But I will continue to keep in contact with the Metropolitan Opera to release this.

They told me that they are slowly releasing their back catalogue. So we may see a future release.

As of now the only way to watch it is to pay a monthly fee and watch it in standard quality on their media player. But I have noticed that almost everything they are showing in their watch and listen section has gotten a dvd release.

I recommend this Don Giovanni as it is the best performance ever.
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)


Well, this arrived, and we watched the first 45 minutes last night. Gaston, I think it's fabulous. I can see what you mean about it trying to hard to prove it's a movie and not a stage show - but it's so visually delectable that I really don't mind. As you say, Raimondi is compelling, but also from what I've seen so far Kiri is pretty stupendous also. OK, there's a lip-synching problem, as always - but overall, I think this is going to prove a great favourite.

(The packaging is very weird, and seems designed to ensure that one or more discs will be damaged in pretty short order.)
 
#21 ·


Well, I am pretty well bowled over by this. OK, the end is somehow weak and unsatisfactory in a way I can't quite define: the Stone Guest seemed more comic than scary, and although the idea of visually understating the demise of DG seems potentially a good one, this seemed a bit of a damp squib nonetheless. But setting that aside, I've been utterly captivated by this and can't imagine any 'normal' staging having so much impact on me. Kiri is such a blisteringly convincing Elvira that I can't conceive of a better. Different, but not better. DG is such a compelling presence that I can't take my eyes off him. The whole cast seems pretty well perfect, in fact. Visually, the whole thing is a feast - lush Italian landscape, awe-inspiring architecture. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. Thanks Gaston. This must go into my all-time top five.
 
#22 ·
Just looking back through this thread, I'm astonished to discover that no one has yet done any serious public raving about this:



It's one of the most beautiful, most engaging, most brilliantly acted and sung operas I've ever seen on DVD. I really care about the characters. When it ends I just want to start again from the beginning - to re-engage with their musical world all over again. The emotions that flicker across their faces, the way they move, the deliciously, radiantly blue sky - I love all of it.

Here are a couple of youtubes: first, the heartbreakingly lovely 'Soave sia il vento'; and also 'Prenderò quel brunettino', which shows something of the electricity running between Fiordiligi and Dorabella.
 
#23 ·
Just looking back through this thread, I'm astonished to discover that no one has yet done any serious public raving about this:



It's one of the most beautiful, most engaging, most brilliantly acted and sung operas I've ever seen on DVD. I really care about the characters. When it ends I just want to start again from the beginning - to re-engage with their musical world all over again. The emotions that flicker across their faces, the way they move, the deliciously, radiantly blue sky - I love all of it.
Absolutely. It's totally brilliant - the first time I really "got" Cosi instead of thinking it was a lot of misogynistic propaganda with stunning music attached!! I love the way the characters really listen and react to each other (instead of watching the conductor, like the other version I borrowed from the library with Cecilia Bartoli and the totally uninvolved Oliver Widmer). And visually it's like a May afternoon on Lake Como, so fresh and clean. And that last scene, when they are all left looking at the wrong person and you know everything has turned to custard! EVERYONE SHOULD GET A COPY!!
 
#26 ·
Just finished watching my first opera-on-disc! (Blu-ray, in this case.)

Being the newbie that I am, I'd never seen Cosi Fan Tutte, and after seeing some good recommendations it seemed like this would be a good place to start my foray into filmed opera.

I certainly think it was! I actually got thrown for a bit of a loop: for some reason, going in I thought one of the girls stayed faithful. In a way, I'm glad everyone got the short end of the stick. I'm not sure if I agree with what seems to be the "theme" of the opera, but I think this production did about as good a job as could be done with it! I think the acting and staging were excellent throughout.

And the singing! I think the reason this work has endured must be the absolutely gorgeous duets/trios/quartets! For some reason, my experience in opera thus far largely has had either one person singing, or a chorus. Mozart was truly genius to realize there's something in between the two that's even more beautiful.
 
#27 ·
Just finished watching my first opera-on-disc! (Blu-ray, in this case.)

Being the newbie that I am, I'd never seen Cosi Fan Tutte, and after seeing some good recommendations it seemed like this would be a good place to start my foray into filmed opera.
Congratulations. You're right: you couldn't have started with anything better. And I predict you'll enjoy it even more the second time through. It's so visually beautiful; the performances are very fine; everyone is utterly convincing (as you say, the acting is excellent as well as the singing); and the opera itself gets better and richer and deeper and more insightful every time I listen to it or watch it. And although not quite a newbie to opera in general, I'm only a recent convert to Mozart opera, so I understand something of the pleasure you're having right now.

I certainly think it was! I actually got thrown for a bit of a loop: for some reason, going in I thought one of the girls stayed faithful. In a way, I'm glad everyone got the short end of the stick. I'm not sure if I agree with what seems to be the "theme" of the opera
In the live stage production I saw a few days ago, the action took place mostly in a 'room' constructed from an enormous open box set just inside the stage. At the beginning Don Alfonso enters the box from the front of the stage, so right from the start he's seen to be an external influence, rather than just another character. He comes from 'outside' this enclosed world of the lovers. Then right at the end of the opera, one by one, the two girls and the two men step tentatively out of the box onto the front of the stage, out of this box they've been living in, unsure whom to approach, unsure who they are, unsure whom (if anyone) they truly love. The feeling of growing confusion in the closing minutes was extraordinary, and highlighted the nature of the journey they'd all been on. And because all of this can be felt in the music, one felt nothing but sympathy for them, trying to unravel their feelings, trying to discover who they really are. So the end of the opera is really just the beginning, for them.
 
#32 ·
Rossini on DVD and Blu-Ray



Wow. I'm simply awestruck. I know it's cliche to spout the "I laughed, I cried, ..." line, but I really did.

Work has been damnably busy lately, but I watched this an act at a time as I got the chance, and just finished it. This was my first time seeing or otherwise experiencing Figaro. My thoughts:

  • First and foremost: Thank you, Natalie, for recommending it!
  • Mozart is a freaking genius.
  • No less praise goes to those who came up with the plot and libretto.
  • This was truly a romp of an opera, that ran the gamut of emotions. I would heartily recommend it even to people who don't think they like opera.
  • Of course, perhaps much of my aforementioned opinion is due to the wonderful production! I think the acting was absolutely, positively first rate, and the casting excellent. More on this in a moment. The staging was also superb. I think the singing was quite good, particularly by the leads--I wouldn't be surprised if there were productions that did better here, but it was still very fine.
  • Blu-ray, as always, was amazing, making me feel even more like I was there watching in the front row.
  • I have a raging crush on Miah Persson. Seriously, no idea if she's the best out there, but she's stunning and I could watch and listen to her all day long.

With all that said, I need to give particular praise to the casting and acting. Every cast member simply was their part. Erwin Schrott as Figaro was handsome, boisterous, dripping masculinity tempered by goofiness, clearly with a big heart. He actually reminds me of sort of an amalgamation of several such people I've known throughout my life. Miah was excellent as Susanna--cunning and teasing, but a genuine pure soul. The Count was amazing, very much looking the part and acting all the sundry emotions perfectly. Even Cherubino almost seemed male :) And where did they find a Bartolo who could bug his eyes out like that?! It was perfect!

Anyway, I think I've gone on far too long about something you all have probably seen already, but let me just say I'm very pleased.

Since I've enjoyed Mozart and these Opus Arte productions so much thus far, I thought I'd go to yet another very famous opera that I haven't experienced yet:



Though Gaston mentioned it earlier, it wasn't a first-hand recommendation. Still, lots of people seem to like it, including our own Il Seraglio, so I went for it. Also, it was available in blu-ray, which I'd like to collect first. Hopefully if it takes me long enough, more and more will be available that are only on DVDs at the moment...
 
#33 ·


This shipped faster than expected, and I was able to watch it over the weekend :)

Definitely in a bit of a different vein than the previous two I saw, but good nonetheless. I wouldn't call it "deep," but I think it was cute and overall had a couple good messages to share, even if it did so in a rather odd way.

Like the other two films I've seen from this outfit, the production was of the highest quality. Some truly remarkable sets and costumes! Casting was great too, with the minor quibble that I'm not a fan of Dorothea Roschmann. I think her playing the Countess in Figaro was a little more understandable than Pamina here... especially since she tended to spill out of her negligee in a couple unintended directions, if you get my drift.

I must, however, give a special shout-out to two cast members who stole the show for me. Obviously one is Diana Damrau, who gave such an amazing performance as the Queen that I'd have a hard time believing it could have been done better. Her voice and her emotive power dominated the stage, just like I imagine a misguided magical queen-witch should. The audience was freaking out after her famous aria.

Also, I think Franz-Josef Selig (Sarastro) rocked. Though there were bass roles in the previous two operas I watched, they didn't have the power of this. My new third wish from the genie in the lamp is to be an operatic bass!

Natalie, I had my eye out for grievous misogynistic offenses, but didn't find anything any more glaring than Cosi or Figaro. I actually agree with the sentiment that "a woman cannot fulfill her destiny without a man," but would add to it that I feel a man can't fulfill his destiny without a woman. I think there was a theme of union being a good thing amid the goofiness. The Queen of the Night was obviously a power-hungry, deceitful person, and I think it's definitely understandable why her late husband didn't commit the keys to the temple to her. Sarastro seemed like an okay dude. Was probably slightly easier to break it to her as "Sorry hun, it's a guy thing." :p Papageno was uncouth, but clearly made out to be a window-licker, especially in this production. Let's just say his Papagena seemed to be truly made for him :D

Edit: Almost forgot -- in this opera, there was almost no recitative, with plain dialog replacing it. Never thought I'd say this, but I actually prefer recitative :p Dialog makes it feel like a musical (a bad thing).
 
#34 ·


Natalie, I had my eye out for grievous misogynistic offenses, but didn't find anything any more glaring than Cosi or Figaro. I actually agree with the sentiment that "a woman cannot fulfill her destiny without a man," but would add to it that I feel a man can't fulfill his destiny without a woman. I think there was a theme of union being a good thing amid the goofiness. The Queen of the Night was obviously a power-hungry, deceitful person, and I think it's definitely understandable why her late husband didn't commit the keys to the temple to her. Sarastro seemed like an okay dude. Was probably slightly easier to break it to her as "Sorry hun, it's a guy thing." :p Papageno was uncouth, but clearly made out to be a window-licker, especially in this production. Let's just say his Papagena seemed to be truly made for him
The Magic Flute is full of anti-female sentiment - it's actually built into the whole structure of the opera: "good" patriarchal reasonable Freemasonry represented by Sarastro versus the deceitful irrational power-mad feminine principle of the Queen of the night and her ladies. It's the fundamental basis of the story: Tamino being set on the right path after his initial sympathy for the Queen.

I also refer you to this - he puts it better than me:

Mozart's the Magic Flute: Die Zauberflote By Burton D. Fisher in Google books (sorry, can't get the link to work)

Somehow the mocking of women seems different in Cosi because it is more intimate and less architectural, it's more about people not really knowing their own minds and bowing down to empty platitudes about love and faithfulness. And to me Figaro is largely about male weakness and hubris represented by the count, who ends up (briefly) humiliated and begging for forgiveness.

Almost forgot -- in this opera, there was almost no recitative, with plain dialog replacing it. Never thought I'd say this, but I actually prefer recitative :p Dialog makes it feel like a musical (a bad thing).
Magic Flute was written as a Singspiel - ie a song play. That's why it's in German, and has spoken dialogue instead of recitative. Singspiel eventually developed into operetta which is the ancestor of the musical. So you are right!
 
#40 ·
Mozart's Die Zauberflote

Currently watching the DVD version of Michael Lessky with the Jungfrau Bundeslander. Rather disappointed as it does not have punch. Looking for recommendations on a good Zauberflote. How is Colin Davis with the Covent Garden Royal Opera? Which conductor has given the greatest performance for the overture as I find the overture magnificent?
 
#41 ·
Currently watching the DVD version of Michael Lessky with the Jungfrau Bundeslander. Rather disappointed as it does not have punch. Looking for recommendations on a good Zauberflote. How is Colin Davis with the Covent Garden Royal Opera? Which conductor has given the greatest performance for the overture as I find the overture magnificent?
For Die Zauberflote, I think you'll find there is one consensus choice: the 2004 Covent Garden performance with Diana Damrau as der Konigin, Simon Keenlyside as Papageno, Dorothea Roschmann as Pamina. Damrau's performance is rightfully esteemed as *the* Konigin of her generation.

Poor quality video of the overture here:
 
#54 ·


This is very, VERY well sung. No weak links here in my view. If I have to single out certain people I'd mention Diana Damrau's Queen of the night, very convincing as the personification of evil and she sings the coloratura incredibly well, Dorothea Roschmann as Pamina who sings a "Ach, ich Fuhl's" to die for and Simon Keenlyside as Papageno. One's appreciation of the production will depend on if one thinks of this opera as a serious drama with some funny moments, or a fairy tale that needs to include lots of laughs. For my taste this production leans a bit too much towards the first of those two options. I prefer the magical world created on for example the English language version on Met player. But no matter how one feels about all this, this is a performance that demands to be seen and heard and I was a fan before it was over.
 
#55 · (Edited)
Jhar I am with you all the way for Zauberflote.....

I have seen 5-6 versions but only kept these two, The Colin Davis is a bit straight forward in its production for my taste overall, the MET English language with Levine is just magical in its imagination and creative colorful presentation.....more fun to watch!

 
#57 ·
This is so excellent in so many levels!
I could subtitle it "the Patricia Petibon show" - you have to see it to believe it, she does a spectacular job. Miah and Isabel are stunningly beautiful and gifted actresses and singers. Their male counterparts do a fine job as well, not to forget the Wienner Philharmoniker.
This is the new Così standard and puts all the other versions to shame.

 
#65 ·


Fantastic! This may just about be my favorite Figaro out there, if not for the several fabulous productions from the Glyndebourne (w/Kiri, Cotrubas, etc.) and the Met ('85 and '99). I couldn't choose between them all, but this one does stand out for several reasons. One, unlike the Glyndebourne production, the cast here is uniformly good, with Persson, Schrott, Finley, and Roschmann providing a very unique comic timing to their performance, that IMHO, works extremely well. The inclusion of the hallway and the "servants" going about their business adds an aspect to the work that I find fascinating, making the uproar all the more dramatic and distressing for the Count. Not sure if I'm a fan of the "half-modern" staging, but all in all, I'm already impressed with the intensity of this modern production, which is a refreshing change from the standard "playful" Figaro that you usually get. And at least, it doesn't risk too much by trying a completely modern stage, which even in the hands of Harnoncourt, doesn't ever seem to get it "spot on". Well, I'm only halfway through this excellent production, so I better get going... :)
 
#67 ·
This is the version I saw. I loved it. They put much focus on the dramatic aspect of the opera and it payed off well in the end. Rinat Shaham was, as you also put it, particularly good. The stage production was also of a high quality. All in all, a real treat in my opinion. And the DVD was not even that expensive.

Meanwhile, I listened almost halfway through Tristan und Isolde earlier today (conducted by Karl Böhm), and it sounds fantastic. I really have to watch this staged and with subtitles, as I have a difficult time following the plot just by listening to it. I think I'll wait till the end of the week before I subscribe with Met player, and then I can watch it there.
 
#66 · (Edited)
Couple minor let downs though. Schrott's singing isn't as spot on as one could wish, but his acting is superb. Gives a very different feel from Figaros in other productions. Also, Roschmann isn't a Kiri, after all who is? So it's easy to feel that the Countess in this production is a let down, while in reality, she's quite good for this role. Cherubino too, will forever be Frederica von Stade for me, though Shaham is quite compelling and almost as good here. The beautiful Miah Persson certainly exceeds expectations though, and is just as stunning as Susanna as she is Fiordiligi. No complaints there at all! Finlay too, is a convincing Almaviva on par with Allen, and IMHO, far better than the ones in the '99 Met and Glyndenbourne productions (the latter seems to struggle far too much with his Italian!)

However, I think that what overall attracts me to this production is the acting and the way it is staged.

Edit: I LOVE the drunk Cherubino at the end.
 
#69 ·
Mozart on DVD and Blu-ray



I recieved the M22 box yesterday, containing all of Mozart's operas. I had read lots of comments about it and found them very controversial. So, I finally decided to see them myself, and make my own judgements. I shall go through them as permitted by my other activities - like work - and post comments accordingly.

I started from the beginning. I had heard both Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots and Apollo and Hyacinthus on LP/CD, but never imagined to see them staged. They certainly haven't ceased to amaze me as compositions by an 11-year-old Mozart. He had, of course, started composing at an even earlier age, but the fact that a child would be able to express the different kind of moods and situations in an opera just beats me.

Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots. I am not sure if this was intended to be an opera at all, perhaps more like an oratorio. I watched "The making of" from the extras and learned that it was the first part of a composition, the latter two composed by other composers, only fragments of which have survived. That explains why the ending is like it is. The story is about the fight of good and evil forces over a common soul and as it ends, the good hasn't yet won. It's a very religious work, as the title let's us to understand. So, although I'm not so religious myself but still having grown up surrounded by Christian values etc., I was more than surprised that this was treated as a comedy. After a few deep swallows, I began to enjoy the performance very much, though. Justice, performed by a Japanese soprano, Michiko Watanabe, with a grey wig and beard resembling some kind of a far-eastern Santa Claus, was perhaps the most over-the-top element. All the singers are new names to me, but none the worse for that. The music is very beautiful throughout, and demanding, the arias for women resembling the more virtuosic concert arias of Mozart. I'm not sure if the recordings on CD are available anymore, if you cannot stand the idea of making fun with a religious subject, but this music is worth hearing on it's own.

Apollo et Hyacinthus. Wake up, all Latinists! There are not operas in Latin around every corner. Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex is the only other one that comes to mind. And I'm not sure if it can be considered a real opera, although it's included in The New Kobbe's Great Opera Book. But here we have a real opera. And a traditional staging (although very baroqueish), at that! The music may not be as memorable as in the Die Schuldigkeit, but very nice still, the duet between Oebalus and Melia near the end being very fine indeed. The story is very simple: Apollo has laid his eyes upon Melia. Zephyrus, in his jealousy, kills her brother, Hyacinthus, and accuses Apollo of his deed so that Melia would send Apollo packing, which she does, and Zephyrus could win back Melia's love. Hyacinthus, for his last words, reveals the true identity of his killer. Apollo arrives and makes a beautiful flower grow on Hyacinthus' grave, bearing his name. There aren't a name known to me among the singers here, either, but they are good, if they won't erase the recording conducted by Bernhard Klee from my mind, my first encounter with this opera.

All in all, a very satisfying experience. The DVD seems to be available separately. If you like Mozart, but are already familiar with his more commonly performed operas, I can recommend this!
 
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