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Nathan61
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- Review count6
- Helpfulness votes0
- First reviewJune 16, 2012
- Last reviewMarch 4, 2013
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating5
Nathan61's Reviews
Overall rating
5
/
5
An HD Masterpiece
PostedMarch 4, 2013
Nathan61
from Milton, FL, USA
Age:45 to 54
Gender:Male
Goes to the movies:monthly
Dialogue
5
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5
Special Effects
5
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5
Art Direction
5
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5
Acting
5
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5
Story
5
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5
Camerawork
5
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5
Words cannot even begin to express the superlatives attendant on Francois Girard's new production of Parsifal. To see this production is to see the work wholly anew. Dalayman, Mattei, and Nikitin turn in three of the greatest performances of their respected careers, but it is Rene Pape and Jonas Kaufmann at the summit of Everest. Their performances make this the definitive Parsifal--for all time.
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, a definitive production
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Der Rosenkavalier
PostedAugust 15, 2012
Dialogue
5
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5
Special Effects
5
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5
Art Direction
5
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5
Acting
5
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5
Story
5
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5
Camerawork
5
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5
I have a confession to make. *Der Rosenkavalier*, Strauss and Hofmannsthal's comic masterpiece, would also rank among the top five or six greatest operas--IMHO--ever composed--in any time--in any place! For years, I've treasured my DVD of the Met's 1982 performance, with Kiri Te Kanawa as the "Marschallin" and Tatiana Troyanos in the role of "Octavian." (A copy which enjoys pride of place at the *top* of my own personal opera stash!) Against that standard, how does this new performance measure up? Well, I think my treasure has been surpassed! To begin with we have the great Nathaniel Merrill / Robert O'Hearn production, which is the very hallmark of the Met, and has never been bettered. No other house can equal these sets for Rosenkavalier. No other house should even try! :) The singing is splendid. Renee Fleming's "Marschallin" is perfection itself. And Susan Graham's "Octavian"--what a mezzo we have in her! What a gift! Kristinn Sigmundsson, the Icelandic bass, is a wonderful "Ochs," and reminds me much of Kurt Moll in his prime. And let's not forget "Sophie." I've seen Christine Schafer in roles as diverse as "Gretel" and "Lulu," but how could she ever top Sophie? Schafer brings such delicacy to the role, and her singing is sublime. Her great duet with Octavian in Act II, beginning at "Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren" is loveliness itself, and like "Dahin muss ich zuruck," the enchantment of this moment will last through eternity! Who could ever forget such a Rosenkavalier! :) N.
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, magnificent singing
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Les Contes D'Hoffmann
PostedJuly 13, 2012
Dialogue
5
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5
Special Effects
5
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5
Art Direction
5
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5
Acting
5
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5
Story
5
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5
Camerawork
5
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5
To begin with, let me be emphatic--this is not your grandfather's Les Contes D'Hoffmann! But Bart Sher's production, with Joseph Calleja in the starring role is an idiosyncratic masterpiece in its own right. Calleja is exceptional as the star-crossed poet whose doomed love for the singer, Stella is mirrored in the three feminine "avatars" of Olympia, Antonia, and Giulietta. Kathleen Kim is a splendid Olympia, and Ekaterina Gubanova sings a fine Giulietta, but it is the matchless Anna Netrebko who will break your heart as the dying Antonia. Another standout is the mezzo Kate Lindsey who more than holds her own in the role of Nicklausse, the poet's muse, companion, protector, and instigator. In recent years, the role of Nicklausse has been given greater psychological emphasis, and this is happily true of Sher's production. Lindsey and Calleja make the most of this important shading, and become the twin pillars around which the rest of the production is woven. Sher's strikingly vibrant, and imaginative Hoffmann is tailor-made for rattled times, and I for one cannot wait to own the DVD!
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, magnificent singing
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Don Giovanni
PostedJune 28, 2012
Dialogue
5
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5
Special Effects
4
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5
Art Direction
4
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5
Acting
5
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5
Story
5
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5
Camerawork
5
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5
The most striking aspect of this particular production of Don Giovanni was the dominance of the three male principals. For as well-sung as the roles of Donna Anna and Donna Elvira were sung--and each was sung splendidly by Marina Rebeka and Barbara Frittoli--respectively--the real chemistry in the production was to be found among the guys!
Mariusz Kwiecien as the "Don," and Luca Pisaroni as the hapless Leporello made for a great baritone-bass-baritone combination. What a match! Also, the incomparable Ramon Vargas sang the tenor role of Don Ottavio with great insight, intelligence, and shading. Each man is a master of his craft. Nothing else can be said! Much has also been made of Kwiecien's herniated disc, but there was no evidence of it here. The Polish baritone was in excellent voice for the occasion! Likewise Pisaroni, who is also foremost in the ranks of Mozart's interpreters.
If there was a problem, an argument could be made over Michael Grandage's production. Grandage's Seville was a little "dark" for my tastes. I much prefer a sunnier Spain--even when the action and retribution are "black." But that's a personal quibble. Mozart is a splash of gold in any case. Perhaps the master was candle enough! :)
Mariusz Kwiecien as the "Don," and Luca Pisaroni as the hapless Leporello made for a great baritone-bass-baritone combination. What a match! Also, the incomparable Ramon Vargas sang the tenor role of Don Ottavio with great insight, intelligence, and shading. Each man is a master of his craft. Nothing else can be said! Much has also been made of Kwiecien's herniated disc, but there was no evidence of it here. The Polish baritone was in excellent voice for the occasion! Likewise Pisaroni, who is also foremost in the ranks of Mozart's interpreters.
If there was a problem, an argument could be made over Michael Grandage's production. Grandage's Seville was a little "dark" for my tastes. I much prefer a sunnier Spain--even when the action and retribution are "black." But that's a personal quibble. Mozart is a splash of gold in any case. Perhaps the master was candle enough! :)
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, magnificent singing
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Le Comte Ory
PostedJune 22, 2012
Dialogue
5
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5
Special Effects
5
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5
Art Direction
5
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5
Acting
5
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5
Story
5
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5
Camerawork
5
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5
From the traditional knocking of a staff against the floor of a makeshift stage to set the French farce into motion, Bartlett Sher's production of Le Comte Ory gets off to a rolicking start! And Gioachino Rossini raises a glass in toast, from the world beyond! Once again, the Met soars with Sher, and truly we are blessed to be living in Bel Canto's new golden age! The Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez is a triumph in the title role as the debauched Count Ory. Diana Damrau is a comic revelation as the Countess Adele, and once again, Joyce DiDonato proves that she is one of the greatest mezzos of our time, in the role of the lovesick page, Isolier. The uproariously funny "bedroom scene" among the three principals is worth the price of admission alone, and must rank as a comic masterstroke in the annals of operatic staging! I must also mention the singing of Stephane Degout as "Raimbaud," and Susanne Resmark as "Ragonde." What a treat! Once again, I must thank the Met for bringing this operatic rarity forward. It's a Rossini gem that I'd never heard nor seen before. Two-and-a-half hours at the Met were never better spent! Bravo!
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, magnificent singing
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Anna Bolena
PostedJune 16, 2012
Dialogue
5
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5
Special Effects
5
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5
Art Direction
5
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5
Acting
5
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5
Story
5
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5
Camerawork
5
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5
The new David McVicar production of Anna Bolena is a marvel. Yet, there's one star brighter still--Anna Netrebko! Truly, she is the great Bel Canto successor to the late Joan Sutherland, and it is a privilege to hear and see her at the top of her form. The other Russians were also magnificent: Ildar Abdrazakov as Henry VIII, and Ekaterina Gubanova as Jane Seymour. Both were in splendid voice. I also must take this opportunity to single out the American tenor, Stephen Costello, who also sang a challenging role, and Keith Miller too. I feel certain Donizetti himself never heard his opera sung this well--ever. Kudos to the Met, for bringing this seldom-heard work forward. It made for a brilliant HD experience.
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, magnificent singing
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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