Cheap Beethoven - Fidelio (DVD) (Otto Schenk) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Beethoven - Fidelio

BERNSTEIN LEADS A GREAT PERFORMANCE
This performance is far more than the sum of it's parts. Several reviews have found valid things to complain about. Janowitz has not got quite a big enough voice for Leonora, yet she brings a humanity to the role that evaded Flagstad and Nilsson. Benackova has the voice for Leonora, but is not visually credible. Benackova is wonderful as the Bartered Bride. If we accept the concept that Leonora is a real person who is an extension of the mythical Pamina in the Magic Flute, a smaller voiced Leonora becomes very credible. Read Zizek and Dolar- Opera's Second Death. Janowitz was my favorite Pamina until I heard Hartelius. <
> <
>Popp is possibly the greatest Marzelline ever, making this DVD a great tribute to her tragically short life. The men are very credible in their roles as well. Audiophiles will find the sound a bit colored with a small degree of dynamic compression, but no distortion. Most people I suspect will find nothing about the sound to complain about, as it is good sound even by more recent standards. Only the chorus is muddy sounding in places. <
> <
>Personally I feel that Bernstein and Furtwangler owned this opera. Both Conductors made studio recordings of Fidelio. Bernstein in the studio is more cautious, and of course all the minor flubbed notes have been replaced by retakes. As good as the studio recording is, This live DVD has an electric atmosphere that no studio recording can create, even if we ignore the picture. Picture quality is excellent, far better than my expectation. Video directing is also very good. There is no regietheater. Marzelline uses a old fashion iron, which does not have a line cord. Rocco does not take pictures with a "one use" flash camera. There are no communist era uniforms either. I for one enjoy some regietheater productions but have yet to find a regietheater version that holds a candle to this traditional production. <
> <
>As one who attended many Bernstein concerts at the then Philharmonic Hall in New York, I cannot think of a better way to grasp the excitment he brought to music. Highly recommended and long overdue DVD.

---

Fidelio
I am not the fan of an opera Fidelio, but for a long time wanted to buy this opera on DVD. I am very glad that I have bought this record! Fine scenery and suits,especially I was struck with a dry tree at a wall in 1 act, it as if speaks that in this prison there is no place to anything alive! And the bridge in the ending which opens towards to the sky, to the sun, freedom! Fine performance, not simple singing, and good works of actors. Leonore-Janowitz is the strong and resolute woman, little bit sad, but purposeful. Florestan-Kollo is humiliated,at him a sight of the torfured animal. For the greater expressiveness of an image of hero Rene Kollo even has offered of vocal, in the beginning 2 act he sings an aria hoarsely, it shakes! Don Pisarro-Sotin is the present vaniac, he is pleased blood and suffenings of prisoners. Lucia Popp is one of my favorite singers, at her is not present unsuccessful roles. Leonard Bernstein conducts ingeniously! It is fine performance, it can not leave indifferent anybody.

---

Big event, though singing/acting is uneven
Hopes are slightly dashed for this Fidelio. It has <
>a great Otto Schenk production. Bernstein idiosyncratic, <
>but vivid, unique. There's an Overture right after "O <
>Namenlose Freude." <
> <
>Janowitz as Leonore is <
>more involved than one might think. But she is not <
>overpowering the way Benackova and (especially) Mattila in <
>the scene where she saves her husband; in fact it is really <
>lukewarm here. Janowitz is not an actress. Vocally she is <
>stretched at both ends. Cool, classical sound, not the <
>ideal vibrancy for Leonore. Low notes are squawks, high <
>notes sometimes straighten out and sound yelly: the voice <
>cannot take much pressure at all. Neither can Rene Kollo's. <
>An over-vivid actor, he too sounds like his voice is <
>strangling him at times. Both his and Janowitz's voices <
> completely dash themselves to pieces in "O namenlose <
>Freude." <
> <
>I was disappointed to discover that Hans Sotin, so <
>wonderful as Sarastro in the FLUTE film, is here, a bass, <
>cast as PIZARRO, a baritone role. Sotin is ill at ease <
>vocally, forbidding physically. Manfred Jungwirth, the <
>Rocco: it sounds like he and Sotin should have switched <
>roles (voices only). <
> <
>The only one who comes through shining like the proverbial <
>beacon is the wonderful Lucia Popp. So strong is her vocal <
>security, musical integrity and appeal of personality, she <
>really makes the leads look gauche and inadequate. That she <
>can do so with a scrappy role like Marzelline is really <
>telling. <
> <
>It is for Popp alone that I will glance back at this. <
> <
>