World Famous Comics: Richard Strauss - Die Frau Ohne Schatten
Richard Strauss - Die Frau Ohne Schatten
Starring: Cheryl Studer, Thomas Moser, Marjana Lipovsek, Bryn Terfel, Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz Directed By: Brian Large Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Classical, Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC Label: Decca Number of Discs: 2 Number of Items: 2 Release Date: September 24, 2002 Running Time: 203 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 1992
Production not very Good If you want a Frau for the singing alone then buy a CD -- if you want something to look at you will be disappointed. This is very typical Gunter Schneider-Siemsen. If you like his productions you may like this DVD -- personally I hate his productions as he always updates something or makes it too modern. The best production on Video is one from Paris in the 1980's - the video is very dark, but it is a great production, very magical and captivating. In short it has everything this staging does NOT. Someone read the libretto and the state directions for the Paris staging, something not done for this version. Very dull and prosaic visually. The singing is good, but then for the singing you can buy a CD and not have to look at this terrible staging.
Ah, those "terrible" chords! Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow) asks more of the opera viewer than many operas do. You have to be willing to look beyond the surface at deeper levels of meaning, and at the meaning of life and human interactions.
If you're still reading, after hearing about that tough "homework" assignment mentioned above, let me continue, by telling you that this performance is worth the investment on your part. Contrary to what a couple of reviews have said, the acting is very good. Perhaps some were critical because much of this work is rather supernatural, which is something actors do not usually have to convey.
If you like Wagner's Ring, or Strauss' Elektra, Salome, Ariadne, or even Arabella or Rosenkavalier, you'll feel at home with Frau ohne Schatten. Besides the powerful singing, and dark sets from the world of the supernatural, you'll hear Solti at his best, superbly handling those "terrible" (in the good sense of terrible) Straussian chords, as Jessye Norman once called them. It leads to a profoundly satisfying finale, featuring "those terrible chords."
Only Lipovsek is worth watching Before the DVD, I listened to Solti's CD. I liked it very much at first, and the more I listened to it, the more I loved it. I followed the libretto and I imagined a very fantastic kind of opera with lots of sets and coulours.
I thought that Studer made a very good Empress, better than Varady. I turn on the DVD instead of the CD when I want to listen to the Empress in particular. Her acting is not very good, however. Most of the time she has a confused open-mouthed expression, as if she had no idea why she was on stage. One thing to note is that she cut out most of the spoken text in the third act, not that it's important but it's strange to see a bad actor conveying internal conflict without words. When Empress gets her shadow, a very bright beam shines through her skirt and you can't help noticing what huge legs she has.
I'll agree with other reviewers on Lipovsek. I was surprised by her excellent acting, she exhibited a whole range of emotions. She would stoop at times, and even swagger too. The only problem is in Act III, when she's misdirecting Barak and Wife. She moves her head around a lot and it seems like the mic doesn't catch everything clearly. Although she isn't as constant and Runkel, I really did enjoy her interpretation.
I don't like Marton's voice. It seems devoid of any delicacy. Here too, she screams most of her lines. They're accompanied with a ton of facial contortions. To make matters worse, the high notes don't even come out right. You can barely tell them apart because her vibrato is so wobbly. It's most notable at the end of the quartet in Act III, where she and Studer don't even sing the same note. Her acting is fun to watch though. For example, her reaction to the screaming fish is hilarious. She even starts crying at Act III. At least Behrens had the prerequisite vocal range, though I never really know what to think of her interpretations because her voice and singing seem so unusual.
Hale looks frail, but his singing is satisfactory. He's thin so you can see the bulging veins on his neck... a bit distracting. His acting was fine too, except he doesn't look very menacing when he's treatening the Wife. During Act III, he's stuck on the right side of the stage, sulking adorably.
Moser has the best costume! His singing is really light compared to Domingo. During the quartets and duets, it's especially noticeable. The huge bags under his eyes and his facial contortions give him an ever-changing mask. It's awkward and distracting. I don't think the role of the Emperor requires a lot of acting anyway.
Terfel as one of the messengers is very good. He's floating in a corner at the begining, which is really not how I pictured the scene. His make up doesn't make sense to me either. Another weird one is the female messenger; she looks absurd. The falcon is just a mass of red flesh that doesn't move at all. The chorus is really excellent though.
The staging was the most disappointing part. The stage is vast yet the sets are painfully diminutive. The scene where Nurse first tempts Barak's Wife with the crown is the only one that's impressive. The last act was the worst. There's no scene change during the Empress and Emperor's descent; instead they just hang out on stage, smiling and moving about aimlessly. Then, when I saw Studer "pull out" Marton's shadow from a roll on the ground, I was simiply shocked. And then no golden bridge materialized, Barak and Barak's wife just walk on her "shadow". That was absolutely ridiculous, what self-respecting singer would agree to move the set, during a performance, and in front of the audience? What they did to create the golden spring was so pathetic: two plastic cylinder filled with water and air bubbles coming up. Also the spirit messenger here looks like a singing rectangle. Why??? Barak's sword turned out to be a cheap looking lightsabre wannabe. The lighting wasn't good either. You can barely see Marton's face during the end of Act II. Also when Barak and his Wife are looking for each other, there's an awkward "searchlight" effect going on. The last scene with the chorus of unborn children is also very weird. I don't know who they paid to the background, but it looks so dumb! There's raw wooden paneling on the extremities and it looks out of place when the performers are there. I didn't like how they handled the broom bit. The "handsome" fellow Wife met on a bridge is terrifying. He looks very bright and metallic. The special effects for the Nurse's magic tricks aren't spectacular. It's hard to see the fish flying and the bed breaking happens in the dark.
So in the end, this is a good DVD. The singing and conducting is worthwhile, even if the visual aspect doesn't contribute much.
Better than the audio CD I have both a laser disk version of this release and the audio CD Sir Georg made witrh Placido Domingo singing the role of the Emperor. In my view the cast is better in the video version, the orchestral playing about the same, but enjoyment is greatly enhanced by the video component. Generally, the cost favors the video version. The only negative for the video version is that one cannot follow the German and English versions of the libretto side by side. One the screen it's either one or the other. Solti considers this to be Strauss's masterpeice.
Thoroughly inspiring performance of magical,fairytale opera. The negative criticisms of some previous reviewers notwithstanding, this is a fantastic performance of a wondrous, magical opera, the last and perhaps best collaboration between Hugo von Hoffmannstahl and Richard Strauss. Here the composer, surprisingly, returns to his earlier style (e.g. Salome, Elektra) with a huge orchestra and vast volume of sound, but at the same time combines it with quiet, chamber music sections. The overall effect is a balance between the two and the work remains fascinating and enchanting in spite of its length. The score is, of course, not expected to be fully comprehended at first hearing, but repeated listening will bring discovery and lots of enjoyment. It is a great gift of technology today, the DVD, that such a production can be accessible to the public. To begin with: Solti the conductor. It is quite obvious to anyone by now that he was one of the two greatest conductors (Karajan the other) of the latter half of the 20th century. Here we witness his greatness by watching him conduct, his intense concentration, his precise and elegant baton handling, his finger and eye movements giving almost imperceptible clues to his orchestra. He creates incredible orchestral effects with an economy of movements thereby preserving his energy (after all, he was over 75 years old at the time). Just watch him conduct the Interlude, the Descent onto Earth, in Act. I., (reminiscent of similar passage in the Rheingold), so exciting it is that it will hold you breathless. The production itself is visually stunning with inspired set designs, strong images and beautiful colours - a feast to the eye. The principals are to varying degrees quite exceptional. Eva Marton, the Hungarian born soprano is thoroughly inspired in the monstrously difficult role of Barak's wife although her voice is no longer in its prime. Her acting is uninhibited and riveting. Cheryl Studer, a highly accomplished dramatic soprano is also inspired and very sympathetic as the Empress. But Marjana Lipovsek (who, contrary to a previous reviewer, is very much alive!) is the most outstanding female singer in the production, as the Nurse. Robert Hale, as Barak, creates a completely believable character and grows emotionally as the opera progresses. Even his voice gets stronger and stronger. Thomas Moser as the Emperor, unfortunately, is no match for Placido Domingo as his voice is comparatively under powered. Bryn Terfel has a stentorian voice, promising a great career for him in years to come. It has to be mentioned that the previously released CD set on Decca, also with Solti, has marginally better singers , but I would not for a moment hesitate to get the DVD if you want to see this opera. It is also more economical: 2 DVD's vs. 3 CD's. The set is neatly presented, booklet included. Interactive menus with a great many Decca DVD previews are available. A "must have" for all Strauss lovers.
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