Offenbach - Orpheus in the Underworld / Davin, Badea, Vidal, Theatre de la Monnaie Brussels

Starring:Alexandru Badea, Elizabeth Vidal, Reinaldo Macias, Dale Duesing, Franck Cassard
Director: Dirk Gryspiert
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Orpheus in the Underworld (Orphée aux Enfers), Offenbach's riotous parody of the dissipations of French life in the Second Empire, fairly gallops past in this 1997 Herbert Wernicke production staged at the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels. Based on Offenbach's meatier second version (1874) of the Orpheus legend, it features nicely judged performances across the board, some stunning special effects, and plenty of satire.

The casting is excellent, with Jacqueline van Quaille's chain-smoking dowager Juno heading the field. Alexandru Badea's Orpheus subverts the legend in his purely pragmatic pursuit of Eurydice (the thrush-voiced soprano Elizabeth Vidal) that has nothing to do with love. Dale Duesing's Jupiter is sexy, particularly in the very funny fly scene in the second act. From first to last, Wernicke's production offers something to catch the eye and ear, culminating in the well-loved, frantic cancan finale. Overall this is not only well sung but very entertaining. --Piers Ford
Description
Bored with the cushioned confines of Mount Olympus, a dissolute band of gods decides to go slumming in Hell in "Orpheus in the Underworld." Offenbach's famous "can-can" is one high point in this stylish, witty, and elegant production, which also features a stupendous entry into Hell via a steam-belching locamotive which crashes directly through the ceiling. Recorded live at Brussel's Theatre de la Monnaie, this visual and musical delight was directed by Herbert Wernicke and conducted by Patrick Davin, providing a powerful sensory experience you won't soon forget.

Offenbach - Orpheus in the Underworld / Davin, Badea, Vidal, Theatre de la Monnaie Brussels
Average customer rating:

SSSSSSLLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWW

Extremely Entertaining

Offenbach's Train of Thought

Rollicking Good Fun

It's a Hell of a Story

Offenbach - Orpheus in the Underworld / Davin, Badea, Vidal, Theatre de la Monnaie Brussels
Starring: Alexandru Badea , Elizabeth Vidal , Reinaldo Macias , Dale Duesing , and Franck Cassard
Director: Dirk Gryspiert
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Offenbach - La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein / Felicity Lott, Sandrine Piau, Yann Beuron, Francois le Roux, Marc Minkowski, Paris Opera

Offenbach - La Belle Helene / Minkowski, Lott, Beuron, Senechal, Naouri, Le Roux, Torodovitch, Chatelet Opera

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Offenbach - Orphée aux Enfers / Dessay, Naouri, Fouchécourt, Beuron, Podles, Petibon, Smith, Gens, Cole, Minkowski

ASIN: B0000687DW
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Amazon.com

Orpheus in the Underworld (Orphée aux Enfers), Offenbach's riotous parody of the dissipations of French life in the Second Empire, fairly gallops past in this 1997 Herbert Wernicke production staged at the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels. Based on Offenbach's meatier second version (1874) of the Orpheus legend, it features nicely judged performances across the board, some stunning special effects, and plenty of satire.

Description

Bored with the cushioned confines of Mount Olympus, a dissolute band of gods decides to go slumming in Hell in "Orpheus in the Underworld." Offenbach's famous "can-can" is one high point in this stylish, witty, and elegant production, which also features a stupendous entry into Hell via a steam-belching locamotive which crashes directly through the ceiling. Recorded live at Brussel's Theatre de la Monnaie, this visual and musical delight was directed by Herbert Wernicke and conducted by Patrick Davin, providing a powerful sensory experience you won't soon forget.

Customer Reviews:

SSSSSSLLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWW.......2006-02-23

This production looks great! The concepts are clever and fun!

The tempi are.....slow......painfully slow.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

This can only be considered "rollicking" if one finds a chess game "rollicking".

It's a good game, though, played on a lovely board by very fine players. It's just, with this kind of work, a farcical satire by Offenbach, they should be running around the court playing hand ball, not sitting at the chess board. It needs to have life, it needs to jump, it needs to Can-Can! But instead, musically we get a lullaby....a dirge!

I suggest the CD version with Dessay, Naouri, Fouchécourt, Beuron, Podles, Petibon, Smith, Gens, Cole, Minkowski.....which you may purchase here, BTW. This version with no visuals is much more preferable than this sluggish DVD version.

Extremely Entertaining.......2005-08-05

This is a pleasant and entertaining production of the Offenbach classic. I would rank it somewhat behind the PBS production of some years ago, which sadly is not available on DVD. Nevertheless, if you enjoy classic musical comedy this is worth seeing.

Offenbach's Train of Thought.......2005-08-03

This is a good production of one of Offenbach's more popular operettas with good cast and orchestra. The setting is that of Nineteenth Century Paris, not Classical Greece. The setting, I suppose, makes a statement, but frankly I would have preferred the setting stay true to the story. That being said, if you like Offenbach, you should like this. There is some very familiar music, including the famous "Can-Can." One prominent stage device is the arrival of an old-fashioned locomotive in Hades. Very loud and very cute. I cannot help but note that in Offenbach's "La Belle Helene" (his take on the Judgment of Paris and the abduction of Helen by Paris), Paris solves a riddle which also involves "locomotive." Whatever can all this mean? On the whole, I like both the music and wit of "La Belle Helene" more than that of "Orpheus in the Underworld," but "Orpheus" is very entertaining.

Rollicking Good Fun.......2004-10-29

A reasonable reader, considering the low ratings given by the other reviewers, might conclude that is is a bad DVD, to be avoided, fundamentally flawed, not worth the money.

No, its jolly good fun, well acted, the sound is good, and the story is funny.

This production may or may not be a good parody of Gluck's opera (or of the myriad of other Orpheus and Eurydice stories that have been done in the last 2500 years).

The point is that this is the only DVD available for Orpheus in the Underworld; so it's this or nothing. And, certainly, if you otherwise want Orpheus in the Underworld, go ahead and buy this one. It's fine.

I've given it five stars to compensate for the low ratings others have given it. I hope that others also will plug it.

It's a Hell of a Story.......2003-09-21

Although I must admit I was somewhat baffled by the plot (most likely because I was trying not to read the subtitles and simply listen to the French), I thought the singing and acting superb. Our 14-year-old son understandably was not as enthusiastic nor was my husband, but there were times when we all laughed out loud. I personally like the opening scene - and wonder if the actor/singer were actually playing the violin (it looked convincing, anyway). Perhaps if we knew more about the 2nd Empire or a European lifestyle we would have "gotten it" more, too, but it was enjoyable.

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