A Night at the Opera

Starring:Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Walter Woolf King, Sig Ruman, Margaret Dumont, Edward Keane, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Zuke Welch, Jerry Mandy, King Baggot, Selmer Jackson, Jonathan Hale, Rolfe Sedan, Inez Palange, Luther Hoobyar, Billy Gilbert, Marion Bell
Director: Sam Wood, Edmund Goulding
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

When it comes to long-awaited treats like The Marx Brothers Collection, you can never get too much of a good thing. These seven comedies can't compare to the sheer lunacy of the five classics (The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, and Duck Soup) that the Marx Bros. made for Paramount between 1929 and 1933 (available in The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection), but when uber-producer Irving Thalberg signed Groucho, Harpo, and Chico to an MGM contract in 1935 (by which time sibling costar Zeppo had become the team's off-screen manager), he knew just how to cure their box-office blues. As a result, A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races were critical and commercial hits, lavishly produced according to the "Tiffany" studio's golden-age formula of glamorous set pieces and musical numbers combined with sensible plots that smoothly integrated snappy, well-written Marxian antics. Opera is the jewel of this set, with timeless scenes (the Stateroom, the Groucho-Chico contract negotiation, etc.) that rank among the greatest bits of silver-screen comedy... not to mention Groucho's flirtatious insults at Margaret Dumont's upper-crust expense.

A Day at the Races deserves near-equal acclaim ("Get-a your tootsie-fruitsie ice cream!"), but Thalberg's death in 1937 dealt a devastating blow, and the Marxes suffered from studio indifference, resulting in a succession of comedies that are timelessly enjoyable even as they fall prey to diminishing returns. By the time they made Go West and The Big Store, the Marxes were out of their element, and a few of the musical interludes indulge racial stereotypes that were common in the studio era. Despite this, these movies remain fresh and frantic, and Warner Bros. (holder of the RKO and MGM libraries) has done a marvelous job of packaging The Marx Brothers Collection to nostalgically approximate the filmgoing experience of the 1930s and '40s, with vintage shorts (Our Gang, Robert Benchley comedies, MGM cartoons, etc.) from the time of each feature's original release. Archival materials are slim but worthwhile (especially Groucho's 1961 interview with TV talk-show host Hy Gardner), and while Glenn Mitchell's commentary on Races is sparse and superficial, Leonard Maltin brings his usual superfan's enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge to bear on a full-length Opera commentary track. The new documentaries are somewhat redundant, but essential viewing for Marx Bros. neophytes. With all seven films presented in pristine condition, this is definitely a Marx Brothers Collection worth having. --Jeff Shannon

Description

This set includes seven of only thirteen Marx Brothers films ever made! Collection includes: "A Night at the Opera" (1935) - The Marx Brothers turn Mrs. Claypool's opera into chaos in their efforts to help two young hopefuls get a break. It contains the famous scene where Groucho, Chico and Harpo cram a ship's stateroom with wall-to-wall people, gags, one-liners, musical riffs and two hard-boiled eggs. "A Day at the Races" (1937) - Groucho stars as Hugo Z. Hackenbush, a horse veterinarian dispensing horse pills and quips with equal glee. Chico selling racing tips, Harpo destroying a piano to turn it into a harp and favorite foil actress Margaret Dumont make this thoroughbred comedy wall-to-wall hilarity. "A Night in Casablanca" (1946) - This parody of the Bogart/Bergman 1943 classic features the Nazis vs. the "nutsies" as the Marx Brothers foil Axis criminals when they find stolen jewels and paintings Nazis have hidden in a hotel. "Room Service"/"At the Circus" - These two films are combined on one disc to provide double doses of laughter. In "Room Service" (1938), Lucille Ball and Ann Miller provide comic co-star support while the Marx Brothers play producers trying to keep their show above water and a hotel room over their head. In "At the Circus" (1939) Groucho stars as professional shyster lawyer J. Cheever Loophole in the middle of big-top bedlam as the boys try to save the circus and look to Margaret Dumont for the money to do so. Groucho sings one of his famous songs, "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." "Go West"/"The Big Store" - Another Marx Brothers twin bill makes this a hilarious comedy "two-fer." In the first, the Marxmen "Go West" (1940) to the land of outlaws and Indians where the fun never stops and where they outwit a land grabber. In "The Big Store" (1941), Groucho plays Attorney Wolf J. Flywheel who with sidekick Wacky (Harpo) and bodyguard Ravelli (Chico) are investigating the shady dealings of a crooked department store owner. Bonus extras include commentary by Leonard Maltin.

Customer Reviews:

An honest to goodness classic comedy!!!!!!.......2007-06-14

If you want a good clean entertainment and a good laugh, and a classic fun, then the Marx Brothers are for you.

Classics.......2007-05-24

By today's standards, these films are fairly slow-paced in places. Even some of the jokes seem lame in contrast to today's vulgarity. But if you've never seen the Marx Bros at the top of their game, you've gotta see this collection. Fast forward through the occasional sappy romantic bits if you must. Savor the interaction between Harpo and Chico and Groucho. I promise you'll laugh.

still laughing.......2007-05-13

The best of the Marx Brothers comes alive into our living room . I laughed when I was a kid , and now when my Grandchildren come over , they want to watch the Marx Brothers, and I still laugh at their satire . It's as funny now as it was back in my younger years . I'm glad my Grandchildren love them , and I hope their Grandchildren love the Marx Brothers also . It's hard to find good clean entertainment now days , and these movies are classics . I recommend the Marx Brothers for anyone who needs a laugh , and an afternoon for good entertainment .
Dan F. Meacham

The Marvelous Marx Brothers Collection!.......2007-03-31

This collection showcases some of the Marx Brothers' biggest film hits. Kitty Carlisle (who was a guest on television's "What's My Line?" in the 1960s) does her own operatic singing in "A Night at the Opera." She is interviewed, with Dom DeLuise and others, in a DVD featurette included in this collection, and talks about that wild, wonderful association with the Brothers. An interview with Groucho Marx reveals the true story of what happened in producer Irving Thalberg's office when he made the mistake of keeping the brothers waiting too long for scheduled meetings! These movies are classics and give today's "movies" more than a run for their money! Well worth ordering, viewing, and treasuring forever.

Got what I wanted.......2007-03-21

I ordered a boxed DVD set and accidently wrote the wrong building number to my address. The process for getting my merchandise could have been better, but Amazon worked with me to insure that I would get my item and keep the discount that I was given for buy several other items. All in all, I am very happy with my purchase.

Average customer rating:

A Night at the Opera
FUNNY!
Woo hoo! Fun for the whole family!
Mediocre Marx Madness
The Marx Brothers In MGM Style

A Night at the Opera
Starring: Groucho Marx , Chico Marx , Harpo Marx , Kitty Carlisle , and Allan Jones
Director: Sam Wood , and Edmund Goulding
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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A Day at the Races
Duck Soup
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A Night in Casablanca
Bringing Up Baby (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B0001HAINQ
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Amazon.com essential video

Absolutely one of the most hilarious movies ever made, this classic farce featuring the outrageous genius of the Marx Brothers is a chance to see some of their best bits woven together seamlessly in a story of high society, matchmaking, and chaos. In order to bring two young lovers together, brothers Groucho, Chico, and Harpo must sabotage an opera performance even as they try to pass themselves off as stuffed shirts. Featuring the classic sequence where Groucho piles as many people as possible into a ship's stateroom, A Night at the Opera is a deliciously zany romp worth watching again and again. --Robert Lane

Description

A near riot on a ship, a New York scandal and an evening of insanity in a concert hall are just some of the fall out from Groucho's outrageous business schemes to bring Milan's finest opera stars to Manhattan. Year: 1935 Director: Sam Wood Starring: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones

Customer Reviews:

A Night at the Opera.......2007-06-20

This, the first and best of the team's MGM releases, features more focus on plot, musical numbers and romance than their earlier, wonderfully pure Paramount outings, but the results are still first-rate, with a splashy MGM production and a well-balanced romantic subplot (featuring a lovely young Carlisle) complementing some of the team's zaniest antics, including that immortal stateroom scene, and the impromptu baseball game during the opera.

FUNNY!.......2007-04-13

IF YOU LIKE THE MARX BROTHERS, THIS IS GREAT. SOME OF THIER BEST STUFF.

Woo hoo! Fun for the whole family!.......2007-02-20

We'll leave the "which-is-the-best-Marx-brothers-movie" argument to the philosophers. As a long-time Marx Brothers fans, my wife and I recently showed this to our 11- and 9-year old children. We all loved it. My son was laughing so hard after the stateroom scene that we had to pause the DVD ... so he could race off to the bathroom! ;-)

My daughter enjoyed the whole movie, finding the scene in the apartment particularly hilarious.

My wife and I laughed the entire time.

Forget Shrek ... and Monster's Inc ... and the kid's movie du jour. For the real classics in humor, show your children A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.

Mediocre Marx Madness.......2006-08-03

"A Night At The Opera" has some very funny bits - especially the stateroom scene but it is bogged down by numerous interminable musical scenes.
Not only is the viewer subjected to the musical bits from Chico and Harpo but there are operatic arias and dance numbers that stop the plot dead in its tracks.
The Brothers were at their peak in their early films at Paramount, esp. "Duck Soup".
The over-produced comedies they filmed at MGM lost the anarchic madness that was their trademark.

The Marx Brothers In MGM Style.......2006-05-06

The first two Marx Brothers films, THE COCOANUTS and ANIMAL CRACKERS, were essentially filmed versions of their great successes on the New York stage. MONKEY BUSINESS, HORSE FEATHERS and DUCK SOUP were specifically created for the screen on the soundstages of Paramount Studios--but when the latter proved a critical and box office fiasco the comedy team found their careers on very uneven ground.

Enter Irving Thalberg of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Thalberg was not known for his comedies and MGM, with its emphasis on prestige pictures and family fare, was an extremely unlikely venue for the brothers, but Thalberg was certain he could pinpoint the reason for their sudden and unexpected failure: DUCK SOUP, and to a certain extent all their previous films, lacked appeal for middle American audiences. The Marx Brothers (without Zeppo, who retired from the act when they left Paramount) signed on the dotted line, Thalberg put the machinery of MGM behind them, and the result was A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.

What Thalberg did, essentially, was to place the anarchy of the Marx Brothers at the disposal of romantic subplot. Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho) has promised to get Mrs. Claypool "into society"--for a fee, of course--and has arranged for her finance a season at The New York Opera. What Mrs. Claypool gets for her money is tenor Rodolfo Lassparri (Walter King), an unsavory man who is sweet on soprano Rosa Castaldi (Kitty Carlisle), who is in turn in love with tenor Ricardo Baroni (Allan Jones.) When Lassparri attempts to trump Baroni both on stage and in Rosa's affections, Baroni's friends Fiorella (Chico) and Tomasso (Harpo) enter the fray. Throw in an impressario (Sig Ruman), three famous aviators, a herd of New York police officers, and an opening night, and before you can sing a chorus of Figaro that special brand of Marx Brothers mania holds full sway.

Marx Brothers fans argue a great deal about which was better: the Paramount films or the MGM films? I tend to come down on the side of the Paramount films, in which the humor tends to have a sharper edge, but there's no denying the charm of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. A list of the film's famous moments would require a catalogue, with the legendary "stateroom scene" merely one in a hilarious sequence. The supporting cast is also quite fine; Margaret Dumont is, as always, excellent; Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones are charming indeed. It's all tremendous fun.

The DVD release, which is available on its own or in a package of the Marx Brother's MGM films, is more than respectable. The film was cut during World War II and the edited scenes seem lost forever; it is therefore occasionally abrupt, but even so it all hangs together extremely well, and while the print has not been restored per se it is quite good. The DVD bonus package includes a brief documentary and several vintage shorts, but the real prize is the audio commentary by Leonard Maltin, who is both amusing and informative in the way I wish all commentators would be. If you are in the mood for outrageous farce, you couldn't make a better choice.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Classic Albums - Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera

Average customer rating:

An Excellent, In-Depth Look at a Queen Masterpiece (4.5 stars)
A Great Companion for any Queen CD Collection
A Cool Masterpiece!...
very weak audio
Buy it

Classic Albums - Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera
Starring: Ian Hunter (IV) , Brian May (II) , Rosie Horide , Joe Smith (III) , and Freddie Mercury
Director: Matthew Longfellow
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EHSVP0
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Description

If ever there was an album worthy of inclusion in Eagle Vision's Classic Albums series it is Queen's breakout release A Night At The Opera. Released in 1975, this was not only the band's first platinum album, but also the one that catapulted them into the spotlight as one of the biggest rock acts in the world.

Now for the first time, fans are offered an in-depth look at one of rock music's seminal records with the Classic Albums DVD Queen — The Making Of A Night At The Opera.

• BRAND NEW INTERVIEWS with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.
• COMMENTARY by original producer Roy Thomas Baker.
• ARCHIVAL PERFORMANCE and INTERVIEW FOOTAGE with late lead singer Freddie Mercury.
• INTERVIEWS and GUEST COMMENTARY by guitarists Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and many more.
• NEW ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCES of '39 and Love Of My Life by Brian May.
• DRUM and ACOUSTIC DEMONSTRATIONS of I 'm In Love With My Car from Roger Taylor.
• ANALYSIS OF THE RECORDING PROCESS of all12 tracks on the album.

Customer Reviews:

An Excellent, In-Depth Look at a Queen Masterpiece (4.5 stars).......2006-11-08

In 1975, Queen were a band on the rise. They just had a hit single with "Killer Queen" off the "Sheer Heart Attack" and were set to release their 4th studio album. "A Night at the Opera" marked Queen's breakthrough, which spawned 2 hit singles, one of them being one of the most popular singles of all time. This song of course was "Bohemian Rhapsody", Freddie Mercury's epic, 6 minute long operatic force. John Deacon also contributed a delightful pop hit with "You're My Best Friend." It wasn't just these two singles that made this album so classic though.

Brian May and Roger Taylor give excellent, detailed descriptions of the work that went into recording and writing many of the songs off the album. "Death on Two Legs" was Freddie's heavy opener, and the DVD takes an excellent excerpt of a Mercury interview where he describes the idea behind the song. Brian May goes through his song structures and writing techniques for "The Prophet's Song", "'39", "Good Company" and "Sweet Lady." Roger Taylor explains the drum-work for "I'm in Love With My Car." However, John Deacon doesn't participate in any interviews, and Roger and Brian discuss how he wishes to live the "quiet life." If you are a Queen fan, this is great footage of the band members detailing the work done on these songs, and along with in-depth analysis and summaries of every song on the album, there are extras. Included is a live version of "Sweet Lady" at Hyde Park, Brian May's performance of "'39" and "Love of My Life", performed by Freddie and Brian.

This a worthwhile DVD if you are a Queen fan who loves this particular album, and are interested in how it was composed so brilliantly. Highly recommended to all fans of Queen.

A Great Companion for any Queen CD Collection.......2006-11-05

I'm a big fan of the 'Classic Albums' DVD series. As a fan, I'd rather see and hear about my favorite musicians' triumphs rather than their personal failures (ala' "Behind the Music"). If you're a fan of the group being profiled, you're going to enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at the making of their best-known album. I'm a Queen fan, and I thoroughly enjoyed this video.

There's a lot of archival footage of Queen's mid-70s stage act (though not of the footage shows the band in the studio actually recording their music). Brand-new interviews with both Brian May and Roger Taylor comprise the bulk of this DVD's running time. Brian and Roger are as soft-spoken and thoughtful as always and I've always appreciated their dry sense of humor. Roy Thomas Baker, the album's producer, also appears sporadically as do a handful of executves who were in power at Elektra Records when Queen were under contract there. (Elektra were Queen's American distributors at one time; I am surprised no one from EMI was interviewed as this was Queen's British label). There are some rock journalists and British DJs. A variety of minor rock celebrities (Nuno Bettencourt, Joe Perry) pop in but provide very little. Freddie Mercury, of course, only appears in grainy vintage TV interviews from the early 1980s. John Deacon apparently is letting his bass work speak for itself as he declined requests to be interviewed for this project.

There are many, many highlights to both Brian's and Roger's interviews. Brian, in particular, gently reminds us that although 'A Night at the Opera' was considered Queen's breakthrough album, it really exists in a continuity of musical styles and techniques going back to Queen's first album. Brian plays us excerpts of 'March of the Black Queen' and 'Procession' to bring the point home. It's always a delight to see Brian play his Red Special guitar (or an Ovation) to make a musical point, and Brian freely credits Freddie Mercury for authoring some of Queen's heaviest riffs. It's also a treat to hear Brian's solo acoustic takes on both '39' and 'Love of my Life.' Roger shares a wonderful story in which Groucho Marx gave his blessing to Queen's appropriation of the Marx Brothers' film title to their album, and its an anecdote that isn't often retold.

There are also a series of 'extras' which were apparently cut from the TV Special version of this DVD. For what it's worth, I would have prefered if these sequences were simply re-edited into the continuity of the video. Still, they are great to have and the DVD is stronger for their inclusion.

If you're a Queen fan (especially of the 1970s material), you'll definitely want to own this DVD. While Queen experts may already know most or all of the stories included here, it's a great tribute to one of rock music's most adventurous bands.

A Cool Masterpiece!..........2006-10-02

It was really a pleasure to see this DVD and realise the renewed personalities of drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May. If you remember after that Freddie passed away (RIP), they were really in a dark, gloomy mood. I don't remember their tranquility and peace of mind in an interview, since all happened, 6 years ago.
This DVD really is illustrative with an extensive analysis of the recording process song by song with Roy Thomas Baker and Brian May (I don't know if it had would been better to add the comments of Roy Thomas Baker about the making of "Bohemian Rhapsody" that appear in "THE MAGIC YEARS" vol. I), special Roger's drum demostration (almost a clinic!... If you aren't a drummer, with these tips you can understand better the Roger Taylor style), with good introspective interviews (and the reason of the John Deacon's disappearing of the musical scene), with people that lived the bankrup of the band in '74, and finally, the making of an extraordinary masterpiece: the A NIGHT AT THE OPERA album. It's interesting see the live footage and performances between one and another interview, and a good example of this is the live track "SWEET LADY" from the DVD LIVE AT THE HYDE PARK, '76... Good Luck!

very weak audio.......2006-09-07

I think their original intention was to give you an insight to the behind the scenes making of the album...what you end up with is a very light overview of what happened. Lacking the presence of Freddie and John Deacon...most of what you're hearing and seeing are assumptions and opinions of half a band. They really aren't sharing any secret studio tricks with you that hadn't been made available at earlier dates.

I agree with the other reviewer who commented....since when are Joe Perry...Nuno Bettencord and Ian Hunter considered Queen experts.....at least Ian was playing the same local London bar circuit back in the pre-fame days as Queen were..and was classified as "glam rock"..so they climbed up from the same streets.

I wasn't very pleased with the audio.....very weak output.

My bottom line opinion is: The remainer of Queen are just cashing in on anything they can use to generate more income. This video is just a trip down memory lane with some of the people involved in the making of a great album. Just as they are doing by touring with Paul Rodgers and billing themselves as Queen and Paul Rodgers....They need to come up with a new name to represent their project...Queen died when Freddie did....and John Deacon pretty much made his mind known when he refused to be a part of any further musical projects. Sometimes you need to let go and move on.

Buy it.......2006-05-13

This is a great DVD. For me, the original album gets only 4 stars. While brilliant, it has a couple of uninteresting tracks (Good Company, Sweet Lady and God Save The Queen). The rest though, Rocks!!!
The Making Of DVD is incredible. So interesting, I love hearing Brian and Roger talk. Watching them play is worth the price of the DVD alone.
I always thought '39 was about the Second World War. Silly me.
For me, I would love to hear the original 9 minute version of Bo Rhap and hoped it would be on here. It isn't which is a shame. Perhaps one day it will surface.
My version has the DVD of Night At The Opera (released on its own a couple of years ago) included, the 5.1 surround sounds amazing.
Hopefully they do A Day At The Races next as that is my favourite Queen and All Time album.

Average customer rating:

Gravitas.
great hilarious dvd
I love Jackie Mason ........
JACKIE MASON NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Nex To Last Harrah

Jackie Mason - A Night At The Opera
Starring: Jackie Mason
Manufacturer: Standing Room Only
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Jackie Mason - Freshly Squeezed
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ASIN: B0002VGSY4
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Description

Enjoy a front row seat at the comedy event of the year as Jackie Mason, the undisputed King of stand-up comedy, entertains a capacity audience in the stunning surroundings of The Royal Opera House, London.

Customer Reviews:

Gravitas........2007-04-23

Jackie Mason is one of the few entertainers with the type of gravitas that allows for his expropriating a movie title from the Marx Brothers and having it work about as well as the original. I got kind of a kick out of his appearance here due to his dress. He walks out in an all black suit looking like an older version of Joe Pesci. Overall, I don't think this performance is as good as the others on DVD. He seemed rather tired and lacked his usual intensity. Some of the material was exquisite, however. This was the first time I heard the segment about fat and metabolism and I found it hilarious. Furthermore, the Seigfried and Roy schtick was absolutely superb. Mason's perspective is always appreciated by those of us sickened by political correctness.

great hilarious dvd.......2007-03-19

God's Blessings: This is one of Jackie Mason"s funniest dvds. I laughed so much that I could have hardly breathe. Keep up the good work Jackie Mason. Thank You. Anthony Cerbo.

I love Jackie Mason ...............2007-02-03

Funny and witty. I have loved Jackie Mason since the first time I saw him on the Ed Sullivan show and then on HBO. He's hysterical and I loved it.

JACKIE MASON NIGHT AT THE OPERA.......2007-01-11

SHOW CONTENT GOOD BUT POOR RECORDING AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Nex To Last Harrah.......2004-12-27

If you are a long time fan, as am I, you will enjoy seeing Jackie performing in this historic site. Jackie even leads us on an abbreviated tour of the venue as part of the bonus material. The concert material is new but all the familiar patterns of delivery remain unchanged. "Hey mister! What do you think?...I mean for a man in your condition..." He does miss a beat or two... It is, nevertheless, satisfying to watch a familiar old "friend" who has entertained us for decades basking in the twilight of his career and clearly wowing the audience.....
Addenda: I recently saw Jackie in person in a limited engagement before taking his current act to Broadway.
He does a wonderful riff on free speech and condemns the government's attempt to censor Howard Stern and the other edgy radio personalities.
Finally, if you are from the "gressa" Jackie fans you won't want to miss an opportunity to add this album to your collection

Opera Night at Cologne - AIDS Benefit Gala / Thomas Quasthoff, Neil Shicoff, Carlos Alvarez, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Vivica Genaux, Michele Crider, Edda Moser, Tamar Iveri, et al

Average customer rating:

A Night of Operatic Bon-Bons from Cologne

Opera Night at Cologne - AIDS Benefit Gala / Thomas Quasthoff, Neil Shicoff, Carlos Alvarez, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Vivica Genaux, Michele Crider, Edda Moser, Tamar Iveri, et al
Starring: Koln Opera Markus Stenz , Regina Richter , Claudia Rohrbach Saimir Pirgu , and Janos Darvas
Manufacturer: Arthaus Musik
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000H4VZ3U
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Customer Reviews:

A Night of Operatic Bon-Bons from Cologne.......2006-09-26

On July 2, 2005 a starry opera gala was held at the Cologne Opera House to benefit the German AIDS Foundation, similar in concept and execution to a gala held a year earlier in Berlin and starring some of the same singers. This evening featured the orchestra and chorus of the Cologne Opera under the direction of their music director, Markus Stenz, a rising young German conductor. Probably the biggest star of the evening was the superb German baritone, Thomas Quasthoff, who sang the 'Song to the Evening Star' from Tannhäuser and the satirical aria 'O sancta justitia' sung by the burgomeister van Bett in Lortzing's delightful Zar und Zimmermann. Quasthoff was just a notch below his best form but that's still pretty darn good! Highlights for me included the Alaska-born mezzo Vivica Genaux who scored with both her arias, the vocally acrobatic 'Nacqui all'affano' from Rossini's La Cenerentola, and the tongue-twisting comic song, 'La tarántula é un bicho mù malo' from Giménez's zarzuela La Tempranica. The glorious Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian was also slightly off her best form and one wonders if that is why she was accorded only one aria, 'Bel raggio lusinghier' from Rossini's Semiramide, although she did participate in the finale in which most of the cast of singers did 'Tonight' from West Side Story.

The wonderful Spanish baritone Carlos Álvarez was heard in a sensational 'Leonore, viens' from the French-language La Favorite of Donizetti. Strangely, his second aria was from a movie, Gene de Paul's 'Bless Your Beautiful Hide' from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, not only an odd choice but also done in a very peculiar Western American accent -- think Howard Keel -- overlain by Álvarez's Spanish accent, but magnificently sung for all that. He shone in Bernstein's 'Tonight.' American soprano Michèle Crider sang a lovely 'Pace, pace mio dio' from La Forza del destino and returned in the second half with a dreamy 'Summertime' from Porgy and Bess. A soprano hitherto unknown to me, the Georgian Tamar Iveri, with a lovely lyric soprano, sang 'Dove sono' from Figaro and 'Doretta's Dream' from La Rondine. Saimir Pirgu, a very young Albanian tenor, one with great promise (and movie star good looks), sang 'Una furtiva lagrima' from L'elisir d'amore and the Neapolitan song 'Non ti scordar di me' by de Curtis. With some seasoning he is destined for big things, I suspect.

Neil Shicoff, no spring chicken but in fabulous voice -- the best I've heard from him in a while -- sang, gloriously, the two tenor arias from Tosca: 'Recondita armonia' and 'E lucevan le stelle.'

Best of all: Edda Moser, the veteran soprano with the fabled floating tones in alt, looking sensational, collaborated with two colleagues from the Cologne Opera (soprano Claudia Rohrbach and mezzo Regina Richter, both young, attractive and talented) to sing one of my favorite moments in all of opera, the Trio from Der Rosenkavalier. I was thrilled by it and only disappointed that they didn't go on to do the lovely Schubertian duet between Octavian and Sophie that concludes the opera.

Each selection is introduced, in German but with idiomatic English subtitles, by the humorous German cabaret artist Konrad Belkircher. The DVD is tracked so that his comments for the upcoming number are placed at the end of the preceding number so that at the end of an aria one can easily skip (on the second or dozenth time through the DVD) directly to the beginning of the next number. Clever planning by the makers of the DVD because you'll want to hear the singers again and again, but once is probably enough for Belkircher, although he's a pretty funny guy.

There are no options for sound; it's all in plain vanilla PCM stereo as far as I can determine. The only subtitles offered are those in English. Total running time is about two hours. There are some introductory remarks for the AIDS gala crowd by a dignitary, in German with no subtitles. By the way, the gala garnered contributions in excess of 600,000 euros ($765,000) for the German AIDS Foundation, and there is a short, separately accessed, documentary about their work in sub-Saharan Africa.

A worthwhile DVD with some excellent singing and the discovery, for me at least, of some young previously unknown artists (Vivica Genaux in particular, and the two young ladies from the Cologne Opera) as well as welcome contributions by the familiar Edda Moser, Thomas Quasthoff and Neil Shicoff.

Scott Morrison

Night At The Opera / A Day At The Races (Two-Pack)

Average customer rating:

An Affordable Introduction To The Marx Brothers
Two classic MGM era films

Night At The Opera / A Day At The Races (Two-Pack)
Starring: Warner 2pak
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection (The Cocoanuts / Animal Crackers / Monkey Business / Horse Feathers / Duck Soup)
Classic Double Feature Groucho-Chico-Harpo "Room Service" At The Circus
Laura (Fox Film Noir)
Duck Soup
Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)

ASIN: B0002QO3NC
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Customer Reviews:

An Affordable Introduction To The Marx Brothers.......2005-01-18

If case you didn't know, the rock group Queen named two of their albums after these films. Zeppo had quit performing with his brothers and the studio replaced him with Allan Jones to keep the same balance of music and comedy that their other successful films had. Typically, Jones will sing a corny, sentimental song to the female love interest while the Marx Brothers aren't on the screen. Fortunately, their comedic talent more than makes up for these boring parts. Groucho's one-liners are still undated and Chico's and Harpo's musical performances are quite impressive.

Two classic MGM era films.......2004-11-22

"Duck Soup" nearly did them in. The Marx Brothers' last film for Paramount bombed at the box office. Why? It was ahead of its time. Audiences were used to a structured and coherent story and "Duck Soup" featured the brothers at their most anarchic and insane. Thinking their career was over, Zeppo left the brothers (he wasn't happy playing straight man anyway), Groucho almost quit for radio and Chico & Harpo planned to try and carry on. Then Chico ended up playing cards with the wunderkind Irving Thalberg and, suddenly, they had a career again. Thalberg knew that the brothers' humor would reach audiences within the context of a more conventional formula and story. He helped craft "A Night at The Opera" with that in mind. His midas touch helped relaunch their career.

Both of these films receive sharp and clear transfers with numerous extras about the making of the films. "Remarks on Marx" provides a neat summary of their vaudeville career (including how they got their nicknames)and includes a discussion of why "Duck Soup" failed to reach an audience. There's also a discussion with Kitty Carlisle, irving Brecher one of the writers the Marx Brothers worked with, film historian Robert Osborne, Dom DeLuise and others about their comic style, the making of the film and working with Thalberg. There's also an excerpt from "The Hy Gardner Show" where Groucho discusses his then current book (this is 1961)and working with Thalberg. Leonard Maltin provides an enthusastic commentary track on the making of the film packed with trivia.

"A Day at The Races" continued the winning streak for the brothers. While viewed as inferior by many fans because it repeats the formula of "Opera", in some respects "Races" is superior because it hones the formula of the first film. The commentary by author Glenn Mitchell is exceptionally good filled with a number of witty and interesting stories. "On Your Marx, Get Set, Go" discusses some of the difficulties the Marx Brothers encountered while making the film including the death of savior Thalberg. There's also a discussion hot/cold relationship the trio experienced working with director Sam Wood. The audio only outtake of Allan Jones, MGM radio promos and trailer round out this terrific film. "Races" looks and sounds stellar here as well.

If you're only going to pick up a handful of Marx films, I'd recommend both these classics. While the boxed set from Universal featuring "Duck Soup" and all their early Paramount films is essential, the lack of extras and so-so transfers make them a bit more promblematic at best. I'd recommend waiting a bit and picking up "Duck Soup" and "Horse Feathers" when they're released individually. If you can't wait, you'd do far worse than picking up the "Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection" despite the indifference showed by Universal in their release (although the design of the set is nice).

A Night at the Opera (Transcriptions for Brass)

Average customer rating:

Could It Be Better, One Wonders?
No singing, but top brass performers!
Don't shoot the messenger!
Solo brass playing at its finest.
No Singing Here

A Night at the Opera (Transcriptions for Brass)
Starring: Hakan Hardenberger , and Christian Lindberg
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0000214F8
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Amazon.com

On the back of this package, Håkan Hardenberger is described as "the world's greatest trumpeter," a claim that his performance does a lot to justify. Christian Lindberg gets a slightly more modest description as a "sensational virtuoso trombonist," and has no trouble living up to it. The "Night at the Opera" in the title turns out to be a concert at the Royal Academy of Arts in London devoted to transcriptions for trumpet, trombone, and piano, mostly from opera but also including a bit of ballet (a suite from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet), a transcription from Orlando di Lasso, who lived before opera was invented, Rossini's hilarious "Duet for Two Cats," and (on piano) Liszt's tribute to a sonnet of Petrarch.

Operatic material includes the overtures to Verdi's La Forza del Destino and Rossini's The Barber of Seville, a suite from Carmen, a brilliant transcription of the "Papageno... Papagena" duet from The Magic Flute, and a set of variations on a theme from Bellini's Norma. The performances are phenomenal, the musical material instantly and deeply appealing. The music would be enjoyable (and cheaper) in a CD without the video element, but the visuals add significantly to the value of this production. Brass players will be interested in seeing how these experts handle their instruments; others will pick up a sense of atmosphere from the striking surroundings, with paintings in the background and a highly reactive audience. --Joe McLellan

Description

A dazzling and witty concert of music with the world's greatest trumpeter, Hakan Hardenberger, the sensational virtuoso trombonist Christian Lindberg and pianist Love Derwinger playing transcribed instrumental versions of opera favorites. The musicians have themselves made some of the transcriptions; the program also includes two pieces from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" and Liszt's "Sonetto 104 del Petrarca," originally written as a song for a tenor voice and played here as a piano solo. The musicians' brilliant playing and sense of fun make this a unique musical event. Set list: Overture from The Force of Destiny (Verdi), Variations on a Theme from Norma (Bellini/Arban), Suite from Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), Papageno...Papagena from The Magic Flute (Mozart), Suite from Carmen (Bizet), Sonnet 104: Petrarch (Liszt), Duet for Two Cats (Rossini), Song Without Words (Di Lasso), Overture from The Barber of Seville (Rossini). 54 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Could It Be Better, One Wonders?.......2006-01-09

No doubt we have two very good brass players here and the trombonist is no less impressing. Having said that one might as well point out that:

(i) this is a rather short ad hoc concert where the audience had nowhere to sit other than the floor, and the programme is short--less than an hour, and the accoustics of the venue leaves much to be desired;

(ii) the cameraman is not of top professional standard and the two cameramen just carried the camera on their shoulder and on one moment, the trumpeter was shot from the right, one split second from the left and then the next split second from the right again and it went on like this repeatedly for obviously no point at all;

(iii) the piano is or course the most convenient and ready accompiment, but sometimes a small brass ensemble or an organ or even an accordion could do a better job and of course that needs extra effort and special arrangement;

(iv) does a fugelhorn resemble human voice (a soprano) more than a trumpet? Why is a trumpet in C with a shorter length and higher pitch preferred to the usual Bb with a more mellow sound? It seems that the sound of a Bb would mixe with the trombone better to start with;

(v) singing is most difficult for an instrument like the trumpet. Furthermore, just like singing is more difficult with a piccolo flute (than the usual flute), it is even more difficult to sing with a C trumpet or fugelhorn.

So, naturally one would question whether they could change repertoire a bit, by holding the concert at a proper place and consider using better instrumentation and with their talents it would make a huge success since they are doing so well with the prelude of Carmen instead of the actual arias.

No singing, but top brass performers!.......2000-09-01

This is a must have for any brass enthusiasts, Hardenberger and Lindberg are among the world's finest trumpet and trombone players! The performance is absolutely first rate, nice tone and wonderful showcase of technique! The transcriptions of opera arias are quite successful too. Perhaps the title is a bit misleading so I think amazon should clearly label this DVD as a brass, not vocal, performance.

Don't shoot the messenger!.......2000-03-31

Read the program description BEFORE you purchase this product to avoid being disappointed with the content. OK, there is no singing on this program. But what you do have here are the best trumpet and trombone players before the public today. The performances are exceptional, and the program works well - it's enjoyable and tastefully done. It definitely deserves high marks. If you think you would be interested in a program of operatic transcriptions for brass, then this program is a joy.

Solo brass playing at its finest........2000-01-12

This DVD is a real gem. Hardenberger and Lindberg give an excellent performance which showcases their fine technique and ability to control their instruments. Perhaps most importantly, they are able to convey their fine musicianship without the aid of the human voice. This is not an easy task when one considers that they are borrowing literature from the world of opera. Also, the setting of the art gallery in which the performance takes place is quite stunning. Bravo!

No Singing Here.......1999-12-26

Beware ... there is no singing on this disk. It consists of three musicians -- Hakan Hardenberger, who modestly describes himself as the world's greatest trumpeter, and two young friends, a trombonist and a pianist, who play a number of transcribed opera and ballet tunes. Nice playing, but perhaps not what one would expect.

Classic Album: The Making of A Night at the Opera

Average customer rating:

Classic Album: The Making of A Night at the Opera
Starring: Queen
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Classic Albums - Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera

Accessories:

Sony PSP I.Sound Theatre With Wireless Remote
Sony Intec PSP 18-In-1 Pro Starter Kit
Sony PSP Media Manager
Sony PSP Headphones with Remote Control

ASIN: B000EHSVPA
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Description

Now for the first time, fans are offered an in-depth look at one of rock music's seminal records with the Classic Albums DVD Queen — The Making Of A Night At The Opera.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
• BRAND NEW INTERVIEWS with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.
• COMMENTARY by original producer Roy Thomas Baker.
• ARCHIVAL PERFORMANCE and INTERVIEW FOOTAGE with late lead singer Freddie Mercury.
• INTERVIEWS and GUEST COMMENTARY by guitarists Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and many more.
• NEW ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCES of '39 and Love Of My Life by Brian May.
• DRUM and ACOUSTIC DEMONSTRATIONS of I 'm In Love With My Car from Roger Taylor.
• ANALYSIS OF THE RECORDING PROCESS of all12 tracks on the album.

Tracklisting: Featuring excerpts from: Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...) • Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon • I'm In Love With My Car • You're My Best Friend • '39 • Sweet Lady • Seaside Rendezvous • The Prophet's Song • Love Of My Life • Good Company • Bohemian Rhapsody • God Save The Queen

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