Johann Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Bonynge, Cox, Ashton, Royal Opera

Starring:Judith Howarth, Louis Otey, Bonaventura Bottone, Nancy Gustafson, Eric Garrett, Anthony Michaels-Moore, Jochen Kowalski, John Dobson, John Sessions, Glenys Groves, Peter Archer (II), Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Viviana Durante
Director: Humphrey Burton
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This is a capable, mildly eccentric, and thoroughly enjoyable production of Johann Strauss's witty, melodious, and charmingly frivolous comedy about elaborate practical jokes, faked identities, long-deliberated revenge, and the power of champagne. The singing is idiomatic, the spirit infectiously jovial, the acting polished and witty. Hard-core lovers of Die Fledermaus in its traditional form may have a few reservations. It is performed in a clever English translation by an English and American cast with a flavor more evocative of London than of Vienna. And the role of the decadent Prince Orlofsky, usually assigned to a female mezzo-soprano in trousers, is taken by a male countertenor, a meaningless gain in realism at the expense of a time-honored tradition that is one of the show's best perennial jokes.

These are small points, but for the treatment of the Fledermaus music, without other considerations, I would pick another Covent Garden video production, the 1984 gala, starring Kiri Te Kanawa, Hermann Prey, and Benjamin Luxon, with Placido Domingo conducting and, in the last act, singing a few notes.

Amazon.com

This is a capable, mildly eccentric, and thoroughly enjoyable production of Johann Strauss's witty, melodious, and charmingly frivolous comedy about elaborate practical jokes, faked identities, long-deliberated revenge, and the power of champagne. The singing is idiomatic, the spirit infectiously jovial, the acting polished and witty. Hard-core lovers of Die Fledermaus in its traditional form may have a few reservations. It is performed in a clever English translation by an English and American cast with a flavor more evocative of London than of Vienna. And the role of the decadent Prince Orlofsky, usually assigned to a female mezzo-soprano in trousers, is taken by a male countertenor, a meaningless gain in realism at the expense of a time-honored tradition that is one of the show's best perennial jokes.

These are small points, but for the treatment of the Fledermaus music, without other considerations, I would pick another Covent Garden video production, the 1984 gala, starring Kiri Te Kanawa, Hermann Prey, and Benjamin Luxon, with Placido Domingo conducting and, in the last act, singing a few notes.

Description

This most effervescent of all Johann Strauss's operettas is a perennial favorite, with its tide of bright, frothy Viennese dance music and charmingly nonsensical plot. In this glittering John Cox production, designed by Julia Trevelyan Oman, the opulence of the Viennese Belle Epoque and the elegant gaiety of the music combine to provide an evening of sparkling Entertainment musical champagne. Judith Howarth, Louis Otey, Jochen Kowalski, Nancy Gustafson; special guest stars Dame Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti and Marilyn Horne; conducted by Richard Bonynge. 196 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Uma bela opereta e uma comovente despedida.......2007-01-10

O "Morcego" é uma das operetas mais felizes de todos os tempos. Ainda mais com a tradição de dispor números diferentes, verdadeiros shows, na metade do segundo ato. Esta parte, alíás, vale pela peça toda: cintila de tal forma que, as vezes, empana o brilho do restante da opereta. Mas é uma obra que se deve ter em uma dvdteca, principalmente se você aprecia boa música, alegre e despretenciosa, embora não descartável.

Quanto ao dvd em questão: as vozes são excelentes, as interpretações convincente e, a melhor parte - a despedida dos palcos da maravilhosa "La Sutherland". Como deve ser maravilhoso encerrar uma carreira de Diva, bem sucedida, rodeada pelos amigos (que cantam junto nessa noite memorável) e sendo aplaudida pelo marido, com o qual é casada há vários anos! Esse evento é um brinde dentro de uma bela compra.

O único ponto destoante desta obra prima é que o som não é perfeito. Por essa causa, não leva 5 estrelas.

Mas é uma boa compra, fiquei muitissimo satisfeito e recomendo fortemente a aquisição.

A very English Fledermaus .......2006-05-29

This is a very special night at the opera. Die Fledermaus has always been a favorite with English audiences and in this Royal Opera House production, performed in the presence of the then Prime Minister, John Major, they make it their own. Having John Mortimer write an English libretto and casting the comedian John Sessions as the jailer were inspirational decisions. The result is quirky, eccentric, and endlessly enjoyable.

The superb singing of Nancy Gustafson and Judith Howarth are enough to make this production worthwhile, but there is much, much more in addition.

I suppose some of the more topical, local and downright obscure jokes may be lost on some audiences. I must admit it took me a while to get the joke about the Italian prisoner sending out for an avocado. I roared with laughter when I finally did get it. The production is full of nice little touches like that.

This was Joan Sutherland's farewell to Covent Garden and she, along with Marilyn Horne and Luciano Pavarotti, makes a guest appearance. They sing several arias to provide a magnificent and very moving centerpiece to the opera.

The dancing, during the ball in Act 2, is superb. This DVD really is worth watching just for the dancers. Whether ballet or opera fan, this is for you.

Extremely Good.......2005-11-02

Well, what can I say about this DVD performance. I have to say that this is one beautiful performance of Die Fledermaus by Strauss. What opera is good without the voices of Great tenors and sopranos of the world. In Act 2, Sutherland and Luciano Pavoritti make an appreance and sing some opera arias and duets. I wish Pavoritti and Sutherland would have sung the whole opera by strauss but I'm still very satisfied the way this production of Die Fledermaus turned out. I strongly recommend this DVD to everyone who loves opera and operetta. I hope one day to see Placido Domingo or Luciano Pavoritti sing this opera because indeed this is a jewel. I hope you enjoy this DVD as much as I did.

enjoyable fledermaus, if a bit bloated.......2005-10-03

This is the first full Fledermaus production I've seen. I got it because I'm doing a scene from Fledermaus in an opera workshop (Colonel Frank), and I thought it might be helpful. Unfortunately, the translation we're using (and some of the music) is totally different. I thought the Fledermaus was good, although I don't have much basis for comparison. Others have mentioned that the opera is almost simply a picture frame for 'Prince Orlovsky's guests', especially the farewell to Joan Sutherland. I don't know what I would have thought of her at her prime, but this performance didn't do much for me. When she was doing her duet with Pavarotti, I wondered why she looked at him so little. He seemed somewhat frustrated - he was singing to her, and she was singing to the audience. But, I really enjoyed Pavarotti's solo; he sounded wonderful, and his acting ability is superb. It's an interesting question as to whether he actually felt all the emotions that seem so evident in his singing. But, let's be realistic, part of singing is acting. What interests me, however, is that nobody mentioned the ballet in the 'guests'. The little ballet troupe (8 girls, 3 guys) was good, very enjoyable, but I was really enthralled with the couple, wearing vaguely Grecian outfits, that did a complicated routine to a big Strauss waltz. Their dancing was excellent, and they looked fantastic. The girl was stunning, and she looked like she was fully aware of it. The running time of the DVD is 3 hours and 16 minutes. If I had been at the performance, I think I might have gotten a little bit antsy, and wondering whether they couldn't have trimmed things back a bit here and there. Good thing there were three acts.

Great Fledermaus!.......2004-02-08

It's sung in English so that appeals to the non-german speakers as much of the humour will be grasped. If you know the operetta well enough, you also get the gist when Rosalinde sings the Czardas in Hungarian! The counter-tenor Orlofsky was also hilarious. Well-sung, too! Bonaventura Bottone was in superb voice and there were lots of cracks at italian tenors...this DVD also provides a good highlight selection of various operas including a fondness for La Traviata...hysterical! A must for opera lovers. The one thing that niggled me was listening to Dame Joan (who was a fantastic singer in days gone by) who was but a shadow of her former self. And the contrast between Horne (who sang ravishly - her 'mon coeur s'ouvre ta voix' was divine with Bonynge bringing out glorious sounds from the orchestra - and Pavarotti - who was, well, Pavarotti...resplendent with his signature white hanky - with Dame Joan was quite drastic. Yes, I know, it's her farewell performance. And it was a fitting tribute to a remarkable singer, but I found most of it to be based on sentimentality and not on how she actually performed that night. But, if you have to go, there's no better way then a huge send-off by your adoring fans. Maybe she should have retired earlier so her voice would have been in better condition to remind her hoards of fans as to how great a singer she still is. Instead, we are left with a shadow. Other than that...it is a good Fledermaus with everyone looking their parts and singing with much gusto and frivolity...effervescant as champagne!

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