Opera on DVD & Blu Ray

[fergus]

But is it good enough?
Sorry Ciaran, could not resist!!!

[Jared]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yevgeny-Onyegin ... 021&sr=1-4

I have to say that I enjoyed this more than I thought I would; although musically it didn't strike me as being that memorable, it is certainly very accessible, but then it IS Tchaikovsky! That said, I think the plot is quite a coherent and powerful one, which gets its message across with force. It is very Russian and is in some ways a damning endictment on the moral and social values of a Russian elite who unbeknown to them, were of course in the late autumn of their existance. I think the finale is very well handled in terms of leaving Onegin in the emotional wilderness; the very least he deserves, thereby evocing the 'Childe Harold' character, referred to on a couple of occasions in the script.

This late testament to Russian Romanticism is very watchable, the plot is simple yet holds your attention and whilst I'm no expert on any of these things, would be a recommendation from me if anyone was new to opera and thinking of trying one out for size!

[Jared]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Piq ... 941&sr=1-2

Personally, I don't find the plot as compelling as Eugene Onegin, primarily because I don't find either of the lead characters as likeable or indeed as easy to understand, which leads me to wonder whether the theme hasn't stood the test of time as well. That contrasts with Tchaikovsky's own view, as he hailed this as his masterpiece. Written 11 years after EO toward the end of his life, it nevertheless deals with an earlier period of the Russian Empire, from a novel by Pushkin (once more), again revolving around the moral frailties of the aristocracy. Only here, we border on the supernatural, as the Countess's spirit summons herself up from the dead in a manner reminiscent of Don Giovanni, to reveal a secret to the frankly undeserving Herman.

That said, musically once more it is very accessible (I'll probably find this with any of PIT's operas to be fair) and I have to say, the stage sets and direction for this particular version at Glyndebourne are superb. I'll put it to one side at present, however will certainly revisit it in the future, because of the more complex nature of the plot.

[Jared]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cunning-Little- ... 888&sr=1-1

Well, I've heard it mentioned frequently, however never seen or heard anything from it, up until now of course. I won't deny that musically I found this rather hard going, but that hasn't come as a surprise. Essentially a quintessentially Czech tale of the cycles of nature and man's involvement in it for better or for worse (frequently the latter) Janacek tells the story of a young Vixen, from her moment of capture by the Forester, through her escape, her raising a family of her own, her death and the potential capture of her 'daughter' along with lessons learnt by the humans in the story, along with the effect they have on the nature around them.

For me, this isn't something for repeated viewing, but the orchestral performance by well-known Janacek advocate Sir Charles MacKerras is excellent, while the stage set and costumes are visually stunning and highly imaginative.

[fergus]

I admire your stamina and determination Jared!!

[Jared]

I admire your stamina and determination Jared!!

yes, a pretty mixed bag so far, but I'm determined to persevere for the time being, to attempt a greater understanding and appreciation of the genre... Handel's Ariodante will be up next, possibly some time this week, although at a little shy of 4 hours long, I'll need to be in the right frame of mind!

[Jared]

But what about Boris?

Is this a favorite opera of yours, Ciaran?

[Ciaran]

But what about Boris?

Is this a favorite opera of yours, Ciaran?

One of my favourites. Lots of good music, and the rise and fall of the scheming eponymous character.

[Jared]

hmmm... this has been an interestingand a rather constrasting experience, which seems to bear out much of what Fergus says. Firstly to the positives.... my word, if ever there was a man who could write for the human voice, Handel is he. Considering the number of operas he knocked out during his lifetime, if they are all of this standard, then that would be a remarkable achievement, as both the music and the singing are at their best, positively delightful.

Furthermore, this production is tremendous; the stage set is imaginative and the cast uniformly strong; Lesley Garrett is a star. Cumulatively, this is quite a spectacle.

Where I struggle however is in holding my attention. Ironically, this has been the most difficult of all, partly because it was the longest opera I have watched thus far, but ironically also because it's in English. Astonishingly, the sub-titles here are only in German, French and Dutch, meaning that you are left for the entirely of it's duration, trying to decipher the plot through a beautifully sung but barely decipherable soprano (and why, pray tell, is the eponimous Warrior played by a soprano?), which really becomes hard work. The other problem is that the essentially very simple, formulaic and unchallenging plot really only has enough material in it to fill an hour, yet is dragged out for over three at an interminably slow pace... I've seen Tarkovsky films come to a swifter conclusion that this. Indeed Antonio Salvi should have had some of his wages deducted for failing to provide a libretto to live up to the quality of the music, and I now understand why very few operas by Handel have made their way onto Blu Ray thus far; they might be delightful to listen to, but rather painful to sit through if you're wanting a satisfactory storyline to follow.

[Jared]

I have to say, this has been my favourite opera watched thus far; really thoroughly enjoyable and I'm not sure why I have not been interested in watching it before, considering 'The Merry Wives Of Windsor' has always been one of my favourite Shakespearian comedies. I am always open minded about sets being set in a different period, and this 1930's setting works tremendously well, with the possible exception of the final scene which will always have a distinctly 15th Century feel about things, it's supernatural aspect being fuelled by the medieval mind.

Sets and performances roundly superb.... can't tell you how much I enjoyed this tbh, and it will no doubt have another run through before too long. This incidentally, was my first Blu Ray Opera experience, and it was a very fine one throughout...