Leonard
Bernstein: Larger Than Life
(2015/C Major/Unitel Classica)/Herbert
von Karajan: Maestro For The Screen
(2008/C Major/Unitel Classica)/Rossini's
La Gazzetta
(2014/Dynamic)/Handel:
Saul/Glyndebourne
(2015/Opus Arte/all Blu-rays)/Pas
de Dieux: Gene Kelly/Soir de Fete: Leo Staats
(2014/Bel Air Classique DVD)/Tatiana:
Neumeier (2013/C
Major)/Puccini:
Turandot/Kaige/Mehta
(2008/C Major/Unitel Classica)/Verdi:
I Due Foscari/Domingo/Royal Opera House
(2014/Opus Arte/all Blu-rays/all Naxos)
Picture:
B-/C+/B-/B-/C+/B-/B-/B- Sound: B-/C+/B/B/C+/B/B/B- Extras:
C+/C+/C/C+/C/B-/C/C+ Main Programs: B-/C+/B/B-/C+/B-/B/B-
Our
line-ups of Naxos releases are always loaded with some of the most
amazing talent in the world, but the big works and big names in this
group are even more legendary than usual....
Georg
Wubbolt's Leonard
Bernstein: Larger Than Life
(2015) is a terrific new documentary look at one of the greatest
composers, conductors and all around artist/musicians ever, generous,
way ahead of his time in understanding the priceless importance of
the arts and one who did something about it. Using priceless, great,
fun archival footage (more than a bit of which I have been lucky to
see before, such as interviews and his remarkable personal recording
of West
Side Story
which was a big Classical event release in its time) re-reminds us of
his spirit, energy, huge talent and just how much we lost when he
left us.
That
his energy, enthusiasm and not even a split-second of entertaining a
world without the arts, where are the artists doing what he did then,
outside of his groundbreaking work? Have the 1980s compromised the
arts that badly? Have we allowed way too much compromise at a huge
price too few are ignoring? People like Bernstein built the arts
worldwide and showed how they bring the world together, something we
need to do a MUCH better job of maintaining. Needless to say the
title of this release is actually understatement and its only problem
is it could have gone on much longer or been a multi-episode
mini-series. For what we have here, it is a strong, must-see
portrait of an American Original. See it!
Herbert
von Karajan: Maestro For The Screen
(2008) is a solid new documentary release that is also a fine
companion to the conductor's release of one of his concert films
directed by no less than Henri-Georges Clouzot we reviewed here...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10551/Michael+Nyman+Collections+(DVD/CD+set)+++He
and
here...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/13447/Alceste/Ivor+Bolton/Teatro+Real+(2014/Gluck/Eur
The
connection to the big screen and the
emerging television screen had the legendary conductor going out of
his way to film many of his performances of the classics, ahead of
his time in seeing the value of such visual records. It also shows a
love of an exciting new medium with a love of filmmaking, so we get a
special behind the scenes look at priceless early visual work from a
period we do not or cannot ever see or hear enough about. The
attention to detail here is as good as the story itself, so here's
one to go out of your way for.
Rossini's
La Gazzetta
(2014) is an opera comedy set at a hotel that deals with class
division, those few lucky enough to become more financially
successful (even if they are seen as new vs. old money) and the
humorous, ironic, amusing clashes that result. I loved the hotel
stage that was built for this one, very effective, practical and make
the already well-written piece all the more involving. The cast, so
good here, capitalizes on the action in one of the best performance
entries on this list. Thus it manages to be involving for its 145
minutes more than most such productions we've seen of late.
Well
directed on stage by Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera (Frederic
Caillierez directed the video recording), conducted by Jan Schultsz
and produced with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Opera Royal de
Wallonia, this is the kind of opera I would show to introduce the art
form to a larger audience. I look forward to more work from all the
participants and highly recommend this one.
For
all the
Handel we've
covered, this is the first time we've looked at Saul.
This 2015 Glyndebourne performance directed by Barrie Kosky, is a
tale of the Old Testament, its title character and done with the
twist of using circus, clown and like-expressionistic (read make-up)
motifs to bring out nuance in a tale that is literally as old as the
ages. The cast, lead by Christopher Purves in the title role, can
get dark and even gruesome, so be prepared. Fortunately, it never
wallows in any of this, making its points while maintaining the
density of the past world portrayed.
Ivor
Bolton conducts, Katrin Lea Tag pulls off the look & feel
intended and Otto Pichler's choreography brings it all together. See
it if you can handle the ideas of death and carnage.
Pas
de Dieux: Gene Kelly/Soir de Fete: Leo Staats
(2014) is a ballet double feature that shares conductor David
Garforth at the Opera Nice Cote d'Azur with the Ballet Nice
Mediterranee directed by Eric Yu-an, one by dancing, acting, singing,
directing legend Kelly choreographed by Claude Bessy, the other all
choreographer/writer Staats' show set to music by Leo Delibes. Kelly
chose George Gershwin, both in modernist 20th
Century America mode, a tale of Zeus, Eros and Aphrodite. It works
well (why was this not some kind of feature film?) and is a pleasant,
if not totally unexpected surprise from Kelly, whose escapist/fantasy
sense in his big screen musicals become underrated as they are so
seamless. Soir
is also modernist, more abstract (i.e., less of an actual narrative)
and yet also has visual designs and wardrobe that has a sense of
throwback in all of it. Both have amazing dancing, belong together
and are the best such double feature we have seen musically in a
while. If you like ballet, it is worth going out of your way for.
As
for Kelly, most of his films are in print, et al, but we'll recommend
this 1958 documentary look at his work you may have more likely
missed that we reviewed here...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12503/Carmen+Jones+(1954/Fox+Blu-ray)/Gene+Kelly
Tatiana
(2013) is
John Neumeyer's clever, fine balletic adaptation of Pushkin's Eugene
Onegin
(which Ralph Fiennes' underrated 1999 Onegin
feature film also inspired) has Helene Bouchet as the title character
here and Edvin Revazov as Onegin delivering a really nice
interpretation of the great romance story that nearly justifies its
135 minutes length. A true labor of love that is pretty consistent,
it is another pleasant surprise and was well worth the time creating
it, adding another layer and angel to this legendary tale. The rest
of the cast is more than up to this and especially if you know and
love the story, you need to see this one at least once. Lera
Auerbach composed the music, this is a presentation of the Hamburg
Ballet and Simon Hewitt is the conductor.
This
is the first of two versions of Puccini's
Turandot
(2008) we've covered, but this version with the conductor Zubin Mehta
and feature film director Chen Kaige is a reissue of a Blu-ray we
first covered a few years ago.
Why
this ever went out of print is odd, but rights and printings go in
and out often. As I said at the time...
''[We
have] Kaige (Farewell
My Concubine)
pulling off one of the richer and more effective performances of the
classic we have seen on home video to date. The cast is top rate and
the addition of a Making
Of
featurette makes this one of the best titles here for extras. The
lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix is also nicely
recorded and offers a decent soundstage.'' It was a 1080i 1.78 X 1
digital High Definition recording with some motion blur and decent
color, but that's the only thing that could date it, though not too
bad.
We
later reviewed another excellent version of the classic in a Blu-ray
box set here...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/13223/Belcanto+D'Amore:+Madama+Butterfly,+Rigoletto
This
version has a slight edge and I'm surprised more have not seen it or
are talking about it, but it remains highly recommended.
Verdi:
I Due Foscari
(2014) is a recent production of the classic tragedy in Venice of the
title character, played by the international opera singling legend
Placido Domingo,
here from the Royal Opera House. Domingo is as great as ever, as
this recent Cyrano
de Bergerac
release proved once again...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10976/Alfano:+Cyrano+de+Bergerac/Placido+Domingo
Much
more melodrama and intrigue than any kind of soap opera, it becomes a
court case, a look at the secrets and corruption of a given society
that thinks it is advanced (what was true then remains too true now)
and conductor Antonio Pappano keeps things moving along briskly with
just the right energy and pacing. This runs a decent 122 minutes,
the supporting cast melds well, the stage production looks good and
Renato Balsadonna directs the chorus most effectively. If I had to
show someone the value of this classic work, save a few down moments,
I would recommend this performance immediately. Cheers!
The
Foscari
and Saul
Blu-rays are shot in 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition, while
Bernstein
is has a 1080i 1.33 X 1 digital High Definition image in a 1.78 X 1
frame, the rest of the Blu-rays are 1080i 1.85 X 1 digital High
Definition image and the Kelly
DVD is anamorphically
enhanced 1.78 X 1. All have their motion blur and image limits, with
the Bernstein
Blu-ray (so much older stock footage of varying quality) and Kelly
DVD (the only standard definition release of the bunch) the poorest
performers but still watchable enough. Turadot
just ekes out being a bit better than the rest saved by its advanced
use and presentation of color. Imagine if the picture was more
stable.
In
the sound department, every single release has PCM 2.0 sound, all
Stereo save Mono on Karajan,
all the Blu-rays except for Bernstein
and Karajan
as older and/or more basic productions, offer DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes that except for Foscari
(the soundfield is a bit off) tie for first place as the best sonic
presentations here. That is odd, but that's the way it worked out in
this case. The Kelly
DVD also adds a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that is not bad, but it
is able to only tie Karajan
for last place sonically here. Otherwise, that is pretty good and
that Bernstein
sounds as good as it does is a nice surprise.
Extras
in all releases include multi-lingual booklets on their respective
releases that are always welcome, Bernstein
adds 24 minutes of interviews, Karajan
adds a 32 minutes-long concert, Saul
adds a Cast Gallery and two featurettes: A
Descent Into Madness
+ Colour
& Texture - A Musical Insight,
Kelly
adds a Claude Bessy interview, Tatiana
adds the featurette Tatiana
- Back To Pushkin,
Turandot (as noted above) repeats its
Making
Of
featurette and Foscari
has a Cast Gallery, Intro and featurette Antonio
Pappano on the Music of I Due Foscari.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
