Search - Gluck - Orfeo ed Euridice / Haenchen, Kowalski, Webster, Royal Opera Covent Garden on DVD

Distasteful modern mis-interpretation

Charlie Brown | Seattle, WA | 06/12/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"There are so many reasons, why we should NOT buy or not even watch this
DVD wasting our valuable time. For one, this version of opera is missing
many pieces. For example, you will find in many places a piece called,
"Melodie from Orfeo and Euridice", which is performed by various
instruments including violin and piano, solo piano, or flute.
This is a very beautiful piece, which is why it is so popular.
Just search on the web or YouTube. This piece is from the Ballet
in the 2nd act. This version of DVD has a very very short version
of the Ballet (and they don't even do the ballet, but so stupid act
of Orfeo Urggg!) and does not have this beautiful melodie performed
by a solo flute.
Also, some lyrics are different, for example, the beautiful
"Laissez-vous toucher".

I like modern/avant garde interpretation - when it is done right. Then there is an obvious
question of what do you mean by "done right". In this DVD, Orfeo is wearing
leather jacket and blue jean. Pretending to play rock'n roll electric guitar, singing
Baroque song, actually accompanied by Baroque orchestra (and Baroque harp).
At finale (L'Amour triomphe), three singers sit on the chair in front stage in a row.
When it's time for one singer, one stands up, one step front, sings,
finishes one's part, steps back, sit. Next one does the same sequence for one's part.
Ironically, the staff who handed over flowers to Euridice's role after the performance,
was in a complete outfit of Baroque period.
The muscial performance itself is not bad. But Orphee could have sung more beautifully.
Specifically, the beautiful tenor aria, "Laissez vous toucher" does not
sound beautiful at all. The tenor in this production covers high notes very well,
but he sounded more like a ghost throughout the performance. On the other hand,
in Marc Minkowsky' Archiv CD, that aria was sung so beatifully that it makes me
cry all the time (you can try it for 30 seconds with iTunes).
Overall, something is very very wrong with this production. I'd better stick to Minkowsky's CD."

Ouch!

George B. Laurent | florida | 03/25/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The music is beautiful, the singing is very good but the staging is an arrogant mess. Close your eyes and enjoy it but why not get a cd?"

Kowalski disappointed me

Robert Ross-Lewin | 03/28/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I neither was thrilled by nor disliked most of the staging. I did like the use of the small television Orfeo carries as he tries to lead Eurydice up from the underworld. I also enjoyed the voices and most of the performances. I thought Webster was excellent, and I was impressed with Kowalski until he wrecked "Che faro senza Eurydice?" with excessive ornamentation. This is the crucial aria of the opera and, when sung well, one of the most beautiful arias in all of opera. Kowalski's flourishes ruin the line of the melody and detract from its intensity and grace. Because the opera hinges on this aria, the poor performance of it severely weakens the whole production."