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from New Orleans, LA
The performance by Marina P. was not in sync with the character of Marguerite until the final act.She lacked expression of passionate love for Faust , and both lacked chemistry, The seduction scene did not appear real to me.Her singing of the "Jewel" aria was flat,, certainly when compared to Renee Fleming. I also thought that the casting of Michele Losier as Siebel, instead of the strong voice of a male lead, was distracting. The use of a beautiful round face profile of Marguerite on the screen was inaccurate, after we saw the square jaw face of Marina P. The singing of Rene P. and Jonas K, as well as R. Braun were excellent and carried this production. I also liked the casting of Faust in the nuclear age and the final scene of redemption.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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from Rockville
Singing was superb - but that's to be expected from the Met. But Poplavskaya was emotionally flat as Marguerite, not what you want in a Marguerite given what that character goes through in the opera. Worse, the entire production was so physically dark and shadowy that it was difficult to see, making it impossible enjoy. I felt as if I were looking through a peephole into a shoe box. First really bad Met HD production I've attended.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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from North Providence, RI
The voices and acting of the three majors were able to overcome this stupid production. While Kaufmann"s acting was stiff the others played their parts convincingly. Now to the production. McAunuff could not match his concept to the libreto. It was most out of sinc when in act V Mephistopheles Tells Faust that the horses are waiting(using horses in 1946?). He could not keep his time periods straight-act II soldiers going off as French Infantry and act V jailers as American MPs. Was it really necessary to have Marguerite go off to redemption in army boots?
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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The singing, acting, sets, and orchestra were first class. I endured the change of century and the atomic bomb connection but in Act III it all fell apart. We know that Marg. is going to kill the newborn, but do we need to hear it cry and then watch her drown it in the holy water font? At the end the two gentlemen go thru a trap door and into hell....fine. But if being saved is such a good deal why does one have to climb 5 flights of steps to get there? This ending was the most depressing and unnecessary concepts I have ever witnessed. Oh well, one cannot hit a home run every time, but I expected better from the Met.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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The singing was superb, beautiful voices, believable characters. What surprised me most was the depth of interpretation of the story. There were the atom bomb, the laboratory, the devil's helpers, the absolute loneliness of Marguerite condemned by her "Christian" fellow men and women, including her brother. I do not remember seeing any opera before that had such a profound impact in terms of human short comings. And there was Marguerite who never changed in the inner core of her humanness. Bravo to the Met and its great artistry.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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from Dedham, MA
I thought the performance was wonderful--one of the best I've been to. Jonas Kaufmann has a terrific voice--I prefer him to Roberto Alagna. However, Kaufmann needs to learn how to act. The role requires wide-ranging emotions--however, these were not evident on his face. When he was supposedly ecstatic, he wasn't even smiling. Nor did he display guilt adequately on his face. We need to see the emotions in his eyes, too. Perhaps someday he can put his technique more in the background of his mind, and concentrate more on his acting. Perhaps Placido Domingo can give him some acting lessons. If Kaufmann can improve his acting, then he will be a truly great singer.
I found the scientific motif of the opera to be an unsatisfying distraction from the opera--it added nothing to my enjoyment of it. Furthermore, it seemed to equate unbridled science with going to hell, which is of course ridiculous. One should remember that J. Robert Oppenheimer helped to end World War II.
There were also some technical glitches to yesterday's performance which should be corrected. I had ordered my ticket with a computer through MovieTickets.com. When I tried to claim my ticket at a kiosk at the Showcase Cinema in Dedham, MA, only a receipt printed out--no ticket. (I had been unable to print a ticket from the computer.) Also, initially, the sound was too soft, and the theater was too cold throughout the performance--I had to wear my down coat during the entire performance. I expect a greater deal of professionalism for $26.
Notwithstanding the above, I had a wonderful time.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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from New York, NY
Generally speaking, I've always been unimpressed with this opera and this new production does nothing to change my opinion. Enough said on that subject.
The vocalists, chorus, musicians and conductor all performed at a very high level and produced many beautiful musical moments throughout the opera. Ms. Poplavskaya and Messrs. Kaufmann & Pape were in top form and the chorus and orchestra were outstanding. The Met has certainly been most fortunate and enriched by the addition of Maestro Yannick Nezet-Seguin to its roster of conductors and I look forward to having the opportunity of appreciating his artistry in many seasons to come.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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from San Diego, CA
Great singing by Rene Pape (basses don't get to star very often) and Jonas Kaufmann. Fine acting by Marina Poplavskaya (she even learned to sew to add to the realism), but her singing lapsed at times. The staging was a typical McAnuff production from La Jolla Playhouse - intriguing, intricate, and great to look at - but what does it have to do with the silly potboiler plot of Faust? Is Faust looking back at the joys of World War I? How can you have a sword duel if this is the twentieth century? If McAnuff is going to talk about Jacob Bronowski, he needs to get a consistent vision from him (which he certainly had in person).
Met still needs to work more on acting. Poplavskaya was outstanding, but Pape needs to do more (he has a great big body to work with, but he's quite stiff) and Kaufmann (personable in his interview) does nothing on stage except sing (he is a nonentity Faust with a great voice). Also Joyce DiDonato looks great and seems nice, but doesn't get much out of her interviews (except with Poplavskaya).
An obvious star in the making is conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin, who does a great job (as good as Levine could do). No wonder Philadelphia has signed him up - I hope he'll still have time for the Met.
I'm glad Poplavskaya (replacing the originally scheduled Georghiu) understands the need for realistic acting (even in the sewing scenes), but she needs to work on her endurance. Operas tend to be very long, and she is noticeably weaker vocally at the end.
The telling note about the production came in the interview with the very talented Des McAnuff. He says that opera is no different from musical comedy. Sorry, Des, but that's not true. Opera is much bigger, much longer, and has much greater and deeper themes. Neat special effects, multiple levels, and spiral staircases aren't enough. We need a big vision to go with a big opera - and we don't have it here. To see how to update an old story with a big theme to the 20th century, look at the Orson Welles' production of Julius Caesar.
A final note. Opera still needs to do something to enlarge its audience. The theater where I saw Faust had about 80 people with no one under 60 and an average age over 70. And this is a well-known opera with a local connection via Des McAnuff.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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