Search - Highlights From Glyndebourne / Maria Ewing, Janet Baker, Philip Langridge, John Rawnsley on DVD

Vintage Clips from the Glyndebourne Festival Opera Show How

Ed Uyeshima | San Francisco, CA USA | 03/17/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Running less than an hour, this bare-bones compilation of performances from the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, circa 1982-1985, showcases some fine, often masterful vocal work, but this 2007 DVD also highlights how unkind the camera can be when placed squarely in front of the inevitable bombast of opera, likely the least video-friendly of theatrical genres. Perfectly acceptable tactics onstage - women dressed as men in "trouser" roles, females substantially older than their supposedly same-age leading men, excessive stage make-up, silent screen-level acting - unfortunately look harsh and unflattering when we see these performances up close. These gaps are pervasive throughout the ten clips presented here, though if one can overlook such flaws - a big "if" - then the sheer beauty of the music can be captivating.

Six renowned operas are represented here, and many of the pieces are familiar even to the layman, for example, "Habanera" from Bizet's "Carmen" and "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia". Most worthwhile is legendary mezzo-soprano Janet Baker's valedictory performance as Orfeo on two melancholy arias, "Che puro ciel!" and "Che farò senza, Euridice" from Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice". On the other end of the spectrum, soprano Maria Ewing and baritone Dennis Bailey seem to be in different rooms in their sadly dysfunctional version of "Pur ti miro" from Monteverdi's "L'Incoronazione di Poppea". Ewing appears to have been a Glyndebourne regular during this era since she also plays Carmen and Rosina in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia". The other two operas, Mozart's "Idomeneo" and Rossini's "Le Cenerentola", are represented by relatively static ensemble performances. Opera buffs would be better served by the entire opera should any of these clips provide interest, and they are available individually in Kultur's DVD catalogue."