Search - Mussorgsky: Khovanshchina on DVD

Dark, very dark

Mr. Daniel Zehnacker | 05/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"La Khovanchtchina est une oeuvre complexe qui met en avant des problèmes aussi bien politiques, sentimentaux que religieux. Le peuple y exprime ses doutes, ses pulsions, et son envie d'un dirigeant qui soit l'incarnation de ses attentes, d'où une suite d'espérances et de déceptions qui peuvent aller jusqu'au suicide collectif en dehors des tensions personnelles.
Il existe plusieurs versions de cet opéra. Celle-ci, choisie par Stein Winge, rejette la pompe et les beaux costumes. Elle refuse la splendeur des mises en scène du KIrov, et se veut plus moderne, pour nous faire sentir que, dans chaque pays, les luttes pour le pouvoir sont éternelles, et que certains nouveaux Messies arrivent encore à mystifier la population par des espoirs fallacieux dans une vie de l'au-delà plus jouissive que l'existence terrienne.
Dans un décor unique, les solistes, tous excellents, se plient à une discipline efficace pour nous faire entendre une musique riche en contrastes et en vibrations aussi bien charnelles que spirituelles."

Pluses and minuses of Liceu Khovanshchina

Paul Brians | Pullman, WA USA | 10/29/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Pluses:

1) The box claims the production was recorded in high-definition. Even though the DVD is not a high-def DVD, it is very detailed and sharp--one of the best pictures I've seen in an opera DVD, done in widescreen format.

2) The music is wonderful, including some folk song adaptations. Very colorful, produced in great stereo sound. At least on my player, it seemed to be two-channel only.

Minuses:

1) The story is chaotic and gloomy, very hard to follow. All the factions involved are either evil or deranged. It's really about the early career of Peter the Great; but he was kept offstage by imperial censorship, so his story is told through subordinates and enemies. Read a good plot summary from somewhere else before trying to experience this opera.

2) The English subtitles were obviously not written by a native speaker. They are in laughably poor English. It is often difficult to figure out what meaning is intended.

3) Most of the singers are fine, but Elena Zaremba (Marfa) has a severe wobble in this performance that makes it difficult to tell most of the time what notes she is trying to hit."

Great Production, Despite Changes to Time Period

A. McIntyre | Philadelphia, PA United States | 09/15/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Barcelona production is a gem, despite changing the time period from Peter the Great to Russia in the 1950s. The change is especially confusing because Peter the Great is still the tsar during the post-Stalinist period in Russian history in this production. The plot has always been the problem with "Khovanshchina," so I suggest concentrating on the staging and music, especially the choral music.

The music is enough on its own to buy the DVD. The staging is wonderful, especially as the climax approaches in the final two acts (acts four and five). "Khovanshchina" will never attain the poularity of "Boris," nor should it. But, no not pass this DVD by if you like Mussorsky."