Search - J. Strauss - Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron) on DVD

Lovely Viennese Operetta

Brigitte Koenig | Springfield, MO USA | 02/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Loosely based on history, this Strauss operetta is set in Hungary under the reign of Empress Maria Theresia of Austria. It is here played in a lake setting with beautiful scenery and very good singers, excellent dancers and lavish costumes. The spoken dialogue (customary in operettas) is full of anachronistic allusions and very funny. A caveat: the whole thing is in German, and spoken and/or sung, especially by the "lower class" people, with such thick Austro-Hungarian accents that it is hard to understand even for a native German speaker."

Fun

Dr. J. J. Kregarman | Denver, Colorado United States | 03/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This operetta is fun. The production is excellent. The singing is good and the acting very good. The singers microphones are not too intrusive, and the subtitles work!"

Wonderful to see the range of operetta DVDs (with subtitles)

Margaret Furness | South Australia | 03/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Superb use of the lakeside setting. Unfortunately the forehead microphones, instead of being unobtrusive, look like deformities even after you recognise them for what they are. Lovely singing and music, but I've seen a production which made better use of the potential for humour. The plot is a bit too unbelievable (treasure AND a princess in disguise?), and overall less enjoyable than, say, Grafin Mariza. Nevertheless well worth seeing."