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| Lohengrin From Amazon (US) for |
Abbado and Domingo Main Attractions In Vienna LOHENGRIN (Rating: 4.00) Review : This DVD of Lohengrin from Vienna in 1990 gives us a fine rendition of the opera, highlighted by several outstanding performances -- mainly that of the conductor and the tenor. Abbado's Vienna State Opera orchestra plays beautifully for him, showing off the string and brass sound that Solti's Ring made famous so many years ago. The tradition is still going strong. Though Abbado does not summon the seamless, silky sound of the Berlin Philharmonic under Von Karajan in his EMI recording, and occasionally a chorus voice sticks out, what you are hearing is a live performance and such flaws and lack of balance are to be expected. Mr. Domingo, on the other hand, gives a fully committed and vocally sumptuous performance in a role we are not used to hearing him sing. What a treat to hear almost no vocal strain, and no "Bayreuth Bark" -- a common pitfall, especially as the opera approaches the end of the evening. Cheryl Studer sings musically, if rather cooly -- which results in the beautiful ending of her duet with Vejzovic (as Ortrud) going for practically nothing. Emotionally the two women don't seem to "go for broke" as Marton and Rysanek would do. Vejzovic's best moments are at the end of the opera during her final ravings where many and Ortrud has come to grief. She is interesting to watch and her eyes in particular are riveting. Robert Lloyd is authoritative if somewhat woolly as King Henry. However, Hartmut Welker sings rather than snarls Telramund, earning him one of the largest ovations of the night. The sets by Rudolph and Reinhard Heinrich are traditional (for that we should be thankful) but not atmospheric or magical. The procession to the cathedral in Act II moves in stops and starts and Ortrud's interruption comes almost expectedly and not as a great suprise. Still, I highly recommend this video for your DVD collection. The MET LOHENGRIN, due for release within the next few months, has more to recommend it with regards to it's female leads: the previously mentioned Marton and Rysanek. However, Domingo is far superior to Peter Hofmann and his performance is a musthave for the great beauty of singing he brings to this role. The opera is spread over two discs: Acts I and II on the first and Act III on the third. Sound and video quality are superb, with 5.1 Surround or 2-channel stereo as your audio options. Thank you, Image Entertainment; keep releases like this coming!! What a great pleasure: !!Dunja Vejzovic is Ortrud!!!! (Rating: 5.00) Review : Never mind Placido Domingo and Cheryl Studer (who are both wonderful)listen to DUNJA VEJZOVIC. The main character in this opera (in my view) is Ortrud and Ms. Vejzovic is more than perfect; she is Ortrud. I saw Eva Marton (who is my favourite soprano) in the same role in Budapest last week but Ms. Vejzovic is second to none. Buy this DVD now and watch it over and over again as I do. A Visual Disappointment (Rating: 2.00) Review : Domingo is a fine Lohengrin and the rest of the cast sing beautifully. They are also well complemented by Abbado and and the Vienna Philharmonic. But an opera is more than its music: It is also a drama. Those of us who purchase a DVD also expect -- and deserve a convincing production. And, unfortunately, this Lohengrin is not worth seeing. The staging is stilted and confined. The camera work is boring. Even the poor king's costume lacks regality. But first, a minor caveat. This DVD does not feature subtitles, so you'll need to get your hands on a libretto to follow along (something rather easy for Wagner opera lovers). Now back to the review. I thoroughly enjoyed Placido Domingo as Lohengrin: His voice is superb, and as another reviewer noted, he can also act. Cheryl Studer is a fine Elsa, and sings with great warmth. Hartmut Welker is a surprising Frederick: He sings with power and a sense of nobility. Of all the characters, the weakest singing is provided by Robert Lloyd as the king. Nonetheless, for a live performance, this is actually an appealing DVD. The Vienna State Opera does a fine job. However, I am not necessarily an avid admirer of Claudio Abbado's conducting. Still, the music is so beautiful and the performance so captivating that this DVD deserves the highest rating. |
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