Greece Hotels Travel - Dvorak - Rusalka / Robert Carsen, James Conlon - Fleming, Urbanova, Diadkova, Larin, Opéra de Paris
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List Price: $29.99
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Manufacturer: Tdk DVD Video
Starring: Franz Hawalata, Renée Fleming, Sergei Larin, James Conlon, Eva Urbanova
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0824121000448
Format: Classical
Label: Tdk DVD Video
Manufacturer: Tdk DVD Video
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Tdk DVD Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2004-02-17
Running Time: 160
Studio: Tdk DVD Video
Theatrical Release Date: 2002
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: An unconventional take on a fairy tale
Comment: Thanks to movies and TV there are thousands of people who know the soprano's aris from the first act. I wonder how many people who have bought a CD of the complete opera were able to keep at the entire score. Certainly it pays off with repeated listenings but Dvorak's own assessment of this gifts for the stage were probably correct: he was not a natural born opera composer.
I had a CD of the opera but truth to tell I was rarely inspired to take it down and listen to it. With the death of Larin I thought perhaps I have unfairly ignored the work, afteall even the Met has seen fit to mount it--probably because of Fleming. The Carsen production doesn't do the work any favors, but is not offputting to me, and I find it more acceptable than his Paris Opera Hoffman. For those who demand a setting more appropriate be warned: this is about as far from a sylvan milleau as you can get. Fortunately the singing is of a very high order. Larin's death robbed the opera world of an attractive spinto tenor. There is no doubt that his voice is hardly as melifluous as Ben Heppner's on the CD but his physique du role more than makes up for sheer beauty of tone. Fleming has always been a puzzlement to me. Optimum beauty of tone and face seem to be rarely coupled with optimum intelligence and a gift for stage characterization. Her most egregious performance is Capriccio in which she is merely content to be Renee Fleming. The updating of the production should not have deterred her from characterizing the Countess but either she doesn't care or can't find any reason to find an "inner" life in her character. As Rusalka (a role she has claimed as her favorite) she gives far and away her best dramatic performance; that it is vocally superior is a given. As to her Czech pronunciation I am unable to comment. The two Russians, Didakova and Larin, obviously are more at one with the idiom and Hawlata has such a gorgeous voice that one would have to be churlish to make a complaint. The one native, Eva Urbanova, has some of the faults that characterize Slavic singers--in the past. But her performance is not a deal breaker (the production probably is for most) and the role is not that large.
I believe that the only competition of a film with Czech singers. I have not seen it, but I have such an antipathy to lip-synching that it would never make my "short list".
Customer Rating:
Summary: Water Spirit
Comment: la production est étonnante. Robert Carsen a du génie. Que d'eau et que de miroirs! Il y a de quoi s'y noyer!
Franchement, je ne connaissais de cet opéra que l'air de Rusalka, chanté par tous les sopranos du monde, en récital ou sur CD. Le rôle est long, pas toujours intéressant vocalement, et Miss Fleming a bien du courage de s'y atteler, les génies et les princes charmants lui en seront reconnaissants, quant aux autres...ils oublieront et se replongeront dans des livrets plus abordables.
Pour les curieux, cet enregistrement constituera une bonne approche de l'âme slave, tourmentée et pittoresque comme on aime se la représenter avec des oeuvres plus connues, de Tchaikovski par exemple, et ils apprécieront le soin porté à la mise en scène très fluide et très intelligente. Les chanteurs sont à la hauteur de la réputation de la star-Fleming. Mention spéciale au toujours sublime Michel Sénéchal.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Rusalka! Rusalka! where for art thou Rusalka!
Comment: Rusalka is one of my favourite Czech operas. Dvorak's scoring is magnificent; edging towards the Wagnerian side of the scale; combining light and lyrical with dramatic overtones. The cast is impeccable. Commencing with Renee Fleming in one of her greatest roles to date and her support cast members are strong enough to match her. Sergei Larin's helder-tenor voice ripe for the picking. Laisssa Diadkova has always been a favourite of mine and here she displays why, both vocally and artistically. Franz Hawlata's large basso voice gives the Water Sprite that little bit of menace. The three wood nymphs of Michelle Canniccioni; Svetlana Lifar & Nona Javakhide are extremely powerful and remind me of the three Rhine Maidens from Das Rhinegold of Wager's Ring Cycle. Eva Urbanova makes a chilling Foreign Princess, the remainder of the cast match these. The Act ll Ballet is stunning as is the orchestral playing of the National Paris Opera Orchestra under the direction of James Conlon. Now we come to the staging: I can see where Michael Levine is coming from, but I do NOT agree with his decision or vision. Come on, what has happened to traditional set design? Who do these so called modern designers think they are! The composer and lyricist have developed a story/theme, why not stick to it. After all it has survived since its inception. How would you feel if the conductor wanted to play around with the music and add bits of his own? Would that be acceptable? So why change the design so that no one, other, than the designer knows where the opera is set.
This is a beautiful opera destroyed by an over egotistical designer who thinks he knows best. If he insists on these weird designs, then he should write an opera to go with it.
I have a saying: if it ain't broke, don't fix it; and that applies to operatic staging.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Rusalka
Comment: Musically entirely acceptable, but visually a mess. A gross example of directorial indulgence. The modern dress presentation is ludicrously at odds with the fairytale story.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Dvorak, Carsen, Conlon, FLEMING, Urbanova, Diadkova, Larin, Opera de Paris FRANZ HAWALATA---ALL TO DIE FOR!
Comment: I have read all the reviews and accept 99.9% of what has already been said. This DVD recording of "Rusalka" is truly, "A work to die for!"
I, too, bought this film because of Renee Fleming; having heard her Hymn to the Moon on various CD recordings. As for Dvorak, familiarity with his symphonic works were always impressive. The great surprise was the powerful score of Dvorak' Rusalka---almost Wagnerian. Wagner's influence on Dvorak is very much evident; yet Dvorak retains his individuality. Opera and any music for that matter which makes one think, ponder, and emote is worthy to be called great music. Opera, of course, holds the trump card because it embodies all art forms. Dvorak's score powerfully holds the continuity of this work.
And WHAT ART in this production of Rusalka! Just to see and hear Renee Fleming sing Rusalka's Hymn to the Moon alone on stage in this magnificent setting is worth the price of the DVD.
5 Stars are not enough to honor all those involved in this production. I'm still pondering and emoting.
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