Costumes Movie Reviews

The information regarding the relational dynamics between Ms. Farrell and Mr. B was very interesting. Also the interviews were thoughtfully presented. Though, I wish there were more scenes of Ms. Farrell's dancing. The lack of dance scenes was very disappointing.

The quality of the DVD is good.

In 1990 Suzanne Farrell, the once-leading ballerina of the New York City Ballet, broke her silence in Elusive Muse, a documentary covering her career and legendary relationship with George Balanchine. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary, Elusive Muse tells the story through interviews with Farrell and male NYCB dancers who danced with her during her career.

If you know anything about NYCB, Suzanne Farrell, or George Balanchine, you probably know that Farrell was Balanchine's muse almost from the very beginning of her days with the company until his death in 1983 (with a 5-year break in the action during the 70s). What Elusive Muse gives us that we haven't seen or heard before is Suzanne's first person telling of her story. The video contains wonderful footage of her taking class, rehearsing, and performing Balanchine's ingenious choreography as well as intimate disclosure about the relationship she shared with "Mr. B."

Suzanne shares with us about the emotional threesome between Balanchine, herself, and her mother; the strain the relationship put on her; and the loneliness of her life as the much whispered-about woman at the center of NYCB. She talks about the almost telepathic nature of their relationship (at least through the eyes of a naïve young woman), how their feelings were interwoven throughout the ballets Mr. B created, their way of physically consummating their relationship, her eventual struggles and inability to continue, and how ballet became her "salvation" in the midst of that struggle for this good Catholic girl with very provincial beliefs. Even though Elusive Muse was made in 1990, Farrell is still visibly affected when recalling the events from her time at NYCB with Balanchine, even to the point of tears.

Farrell also talks about dancing for Maurice Bejart in Brussels. Bejart repeats what others say about her dancing-that Suzanne had wonderful technical ability and athleticism (she was an acrobat before she was a dancer), but it was her "musicality" and the soulfulness of her dancing that made her such an incredible standout. Indeed, Suzanne Farrell is easily short-listed for the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century.

We'll never hear Balanchine's side of the story, though his reticence on the topic may have been more of a determining factor than his death. Farrell has the last word on her relationship with the creative genius, and at the end she tells us "There are no 'if onlys' in my life." She shares a remarkable experience she had after Mr. Balanchine's death, an experience that reconfirmed her commitment to dancing.

Performance footage: Apollo (in B&W) and Davidsbundlertanze with Jacques d'Amboise; Chaconne and Diamonds with Peter Martins; Romeo and Juliet with Jorge Donn; Concerto Barocco; Scotch Symphony; her final performance in Vienna Waltzes; and an absolutely exquisite Don Quixote with Balanchine in the title role. Her dancing in this piece transcends this world and alone justifies the purchase price of the video. There are many interviews with past dancers of the NYCB including Jacques d'Amboise, Arthur Mitchell, Paul Mejia, and Eddie Villella, as well as Maurice Bejart. Rehearsal footage and stagings include Slaughter on 10th Avenue with Maria Caligari, Tzigane with Isabelle Guerim and the Paris Opera Ballet, and Susan Jaffe in Mozartiana. Lots of wonderful stills as well.

If you are a student of ballet history, a lover of NYCB, or a Suzanne Farrell fan, Elusive Muse is a required addition to your video collection, worth far more than its purchase price.

A thoughtful, well-prepared documentary. The right balance of talking heads and archival performance footage. Directors Anne Belle and Deborah Dickson clearly took the time to understand their subject. And Suzanne Farrell's full cooperation with the process is the single most important thing that kept this fascinating film from being one more cliche-ridden, outsider's view of the demented, masochistic world of ballet. Jacques D'Amboise and Arthur Mitchell, as well as Ms Farrell herself, go a long way to disprove the theory that dancers are inarticulate when not moving through space. Their recollections and insights serve as a nice counterbalance to Farrell's emotionally-charged self-assessments. Although much of the film focuses on explicating Farrell's relationship with choreographer George Balanchine (the film's creepiest moment of pathos is when Farrell goes into her bureau drawer and takes out a billet -doux from her mentor and reads it for the camera), ultimately it is Farrell's strength of character and survival instinct that leaves the strongest impression. The final words of the film are hers: "There have been no 'if onlys' for me."

Although the DVD has no dynamite extras, it serves as the perfect format for this kind of film. After watching the film all the way through, you're going to want to go back and watch some of the dance sequences over and over.

I am really happy when i got an Opera DVD and one can note the difference between it and a Vhs. If we compare this opera with Karajan's Don Giovanni or Levines's Aida, the colors and the definition is ten times better.
Levine great as always. Chernov is a great baritone, and has a perfect look for the role he is mading. Domingo and Kanawa do a very good job either. I am not very happy with Lloyd's Fiesco. I could assure that he isn't even a real bass, when he finishes his aria "Ill laccerato spirito" you can note that his low F (the last note of the aria) is almost mute. I dont mind when a bass baritone sings a Mozart or Rossini's bass part, but when we are talking about Verdi, you need a real bass. He is a really good actor, so that saves him a little. In overall the performance is great and the chorus is well sung too.

It is a tribute to my love of this production, which I already owned on video, that it was one of my first purchases on the DVD format. Like many people,I have long regarded Simon Boccanegra as a masterpiece on the same level as Otello and Falstaff, and indeed Verdi returned to revise much of the music and libretto after he had completed the former.
Here, each of the principals gives a marvellously involved performance, and the criticisms which can apply to some Met productions about a lack of dramatic credibility, fall by the wayside - del Monaco knows his job and, though traditional, presents a totally believable and visually sumptuous slice of late Renaissance Genoa.
Levine offers a lucid and fluent account of the score, tender and poetic in the scenes between Chernov and te Kanawa, majestic and implaccable with the entrance of Lloyd - without doubt the most moving and sonorous Fiesco I have ever seen.
Domingo defies age, and presents a totally credible Quattrocento figure. He sings with beautiful mezza voce tone in the first duet with te Kanawa and virile splendour in his aria and elsewhere, with only the slightest hint of strain towards the end.
Kiri is vocally pristine as Amelia and her physical beauty is as important an asset in this role as it was as Desdemona - the role of her Met debut.
The virtual disapperance of Chernov after these performances is, to me, incomprehensible. Perhaps his essentially lyric baritone was too slender for the House, but as recorded here he offers a Boccanegra of insight, depth and vulnerabilty. He is a subtler actor than either Milnes or the late, great Cappuccilli, even if he lacks their ringing tones in the Council Chamber scene.I defy anyone with a heart to remain unmoved in his final duet with Lloyd.
I cannot recommend the experience of this performance highly enough. May it convert many people to opera on DVD, Simon Boccanegra, and, above all, Verdi.

I love almost everything about this opera production. Chernov is a great Boccanegra, but I actually preferred Sherrill Milnes' more restrained dying in the last scenes, though in ALL other respects I prefer Chernov's performance (better singer, better actor). I was ready to hate Domingo as a young lover. But you know, once I listened, I forgot all about Domingo being older than Simone (Chernov). What he makes of the part is amazing, especially since it's not a very graceful character at all. Te Kanawa is very affecting and very good as Amelia. Their singing the parts of young lovers so well made me realize what great artists they both are. When Amelia and Simone find one another, the moment is magical and perfect.
Robert Lloyd was a very good Fiesco and when he and Simone were reconciled, it was a very powerful moment. Two fighting men reconciling --- in essence, a son and his father (in law). It is a great moment here; the singers show how important the moment is, without overplaying it either. Even Fiesco's embrace as Simone falls when he is dying, is exactly right because of course someone must catch Simone as he falls and it is right and necessary that it be Fiesco who has wanted him dead all this time. It made me think of how happy Romeo and Juliet could be if their families would stop warring.
Every scene was thoughtfully done and seemed right. If every production of this opera were this good, it would be among the most popular of Verdi's operas. It certainly is for me, and that's saying something given how crazy I am about Verdi!

Those who are familiar with the original productions will find this collection both exhilarating and frustrating. The more faithful the directors are to Beckett's vision, the more successful the adaptation to film. Come and Go is perhaps the purest of them, and also the most chilling. Other effective adaptations include Krapp's Last Tape, Rough for Theatre II, Act Without Words II, A Piece of Monologue, and Play (Minghella's truly -cinematic- adaptation probably deserves the highest marks). I'm ambivalent about many others, not least Ohio Impromptu and Catastrophe.

Unfortunately the longer plays (Godot, Happy Days, and Endgame) suffer from the directors' mistaken impression that Beckett's characters must be decrepit, disgusting, and/or humorless. Quite the contrary, there is levity and compassion to be found in Beckett's work, and without it his meditations become intolerable rather than incisive. Godot has its moments, but it's not nearly as effective (or funny) as any number of previous productions.

Pacing is also a significant issue here. Beckett's plays (excepting Not I and Play) demand a very slow reading, with an abundance of silence. Many of these adaptations simply plow through the texts with no apparent consideration of heft or nuance; Rockaby is probably the most egregious example. Other directorial liberties make Not I and What Where wholly unacceptable; these simply cannot be considered Beckett's work.

Happily, more Beckett productions are becoming available on DVD. You can purchase Happy Days with Irene Worth's excellent performance on this very site, three plays (Eh Joe, Footfalls, Rockaby) starring Beckett's favorite actress Billie Whitelaw, and a DVD of Beckett Directs Beckett (the three long plays) hopefully in the near future.

Directors working on stage-to-screen adaptations find themselves torn between dual obligations to both the original work and the new medium. In the case of creating a collection of films meant to highlight the playwright's vision, questions raised by these obligations become even more controversial: should they remain true to the text, even if elements of the play don't work well on film? Dare they change those elements to better fit their new mode of expression? And in the case of Beckett, what percentage of the collections' earnings should go towards manic-depressive treatment centers? Of course, total objectivity in stage-to-screen adaptation remains a pipe dream. But we have to remember that even a theatric production has a director, who-while possibly faced with less decisions than a film director-invariably must makes choices leading to his own personal interpretation of the play. Ultimately, every production of a play, be it for DVD or Broadway, interprets rather than mirrors the original work. Therefore, the Beckett on Film Project should not be regarded as an unbiased representation, but rather an ambitious interpretation of one of the greatest playwrights of the twentieth century. And in this regard, with few exceptions, the Beckett on Film Project shines with commendable effectiveness.

I wish to illustrate a few interpretive anomalies in the collection, to give you an idea of both the kinds of adaptive problems these directors had to face and some of their solutions. Consider "Act Without Words II," a short and dialogue-free play in which two characters mime their different daily routines against a narrow backdrop "violently lit in its entire length, [with] the rest of the stage in darkness." Director Edna Hughes chose to divide this backdrop into three film frames and to add a movie reel-like quality to the video. This constant reminder that we are watching a film is the same sort of self-referential metatextuality we find in many of Beckett's plays. Hughes' interpretive decision regarding the background also reinforces the repetitive theme of the play. That is to say, these characters' routines will go on and on, day after day, just as this very movie is being filmed-one frame after another. Hughes' use of a freeze-frame effect also highlights the technological superiority that film holds over its older cousin, theatre. The play calls for a "Frieze effect," but only on film can this be accomplished literally; in theatre it must be acted out. These changes by Hughes show intelligence in both his reading and adapting of the play to screen. Now, for something of a contrary example, consider one of Beckett's most famous short plays, "Play," in which three characters, trapped in urns, are forced to perpetually retell the story of the love triangle between them. The inquisitor: a lone spotlight that dictates which one of the three urns speaks, when, and for how long. But director Anthony Minghella's version gets rid of the light altogether, in favor of a loud and sometimes shaky camera, whose stronger presence is meant to take the light's place as these characters' inquisitor. Minghella's technique here ultimately falls somewhere between failure and success. The audible clicks and zooms of the camera do, for a time, give the viewer a feeling of submersion within the scene; since the camera now questions these characters, and we as viewers share the camera's gaze, the film achieves an interesting effect that draws us into the world of the story. But the camera cuts between the three urns so many times that the sense of a "unique inquisitor," as Beckett requests, soon dissipates. Not that the adaptation adds nothing to the play; once or twice, the camera pans around to give a broad scene of the background, a dark, foggy, and graveyard-like field littered with many more people in urns. While this background reduces the ambiguity of setting present in the original play, it does so perhaps necessarily, and in addition, clearly suggests that these characters' situations are in fact meant to be symbolic of some greater human condition. Ultimately, we recognize a tradeoff for every one of these questions of adaptation, but by and large, as these two examples illustrate, the gain outweighs the loss in the Beckett on Film Project. Or, put simply: the directors and actors earn their paychecks.

Now keep in mind that despite the interpretive decisions I just described, the main thrust of this collection remains Beckett's. What does that mean? It means that these plays glimmer and shine with a bleak despair. The most dramatic moments are often the most comedic, and the only happy characters-well, forget about happy characters (after all, "Nothing is funnier than unhappiness," as Nell from Endgame tells us). But, dismal as they can be, Beckett's plays always manage to match their gloom in originality, creativity, and importance. They pose critical questions about what it means to exist as a human being. Do we simply spend our days idly, waiting-for Godot or anything else? Do we bury ourselves in the desert when we say "I do"? Can our condition be reduced to the emblem of a solitary finch, living in a draped cage with a dead mate and only a cuttle-bone to eat, in a darkened room stalked by a black cat whose own life depends on a suicidal man standing at a window? Whether or not you agree, you cannot help but ask, once Beckett has shown you the shadowy corners of his imagination. And keep in mind his influence on theatre and even art in general. Often touted as odd and sometimes inaccessible, but always brilliant, Beckett's plays deserve our attention, whether or not we choose to buy the Beckett on Film collection. What these productions add to Beckett's vision is an important sense of a modern moment. How have the technological advances made since Beckett's death affected what it means to be Beckettian? And how do the questions his work poses affect you? It's worth your time to find out.

First let me say I've been waiting my whole adult life for this collection. I've spent 30 years trying to collect audio and video recordings of Beckett's work, and suddenly here are all the theatre peices in one beautiful package. The chance that you will ever find another film version of most of these works, or ever have a chance to see them on stage, is almost nil. If you love Waiting for Godot and Endgame, you will not regret the money spent on this. Unlike most plays and almost all movies, these are peices to be seen again and again, over a lifetime, letting the beauty and subtlety of Beckett's language slowly soak into your being.

That being said, I was disappointed with only one peice: Endgame. With Michael Gambon as one of the leads, I expected the most from this play. But I'm afraid he was badly misdirected in this. He simply enjoys his dispair too much. He enjoys being a selfish, cruel master and his "Perhaps I could go on..." speech (one of Beckett's greatest)loses all its power. Gambon delivers this with hardly a pause, rambling on with the same puckish tone as the rest of his performance. (I thought maybe I was just too used to an earlier film version directed by Beckett, so I went back to the script to check this. After almost every phrase in the speech, Beckett has written (Pause). Without these pauses to let the anguish of the words sink into our minds, the speech carries no more weight than the rest of the text. Well, probably much more than you wanted to know.)

Short Review: BUY THIS NOW! You'll be watching these films again and again as long as you own a DVD player.

In my opinion this is some of Carlin's best work. He does three classic monologues including "A Place For My Stuff", "Baseball and Football", and "Cars and Driving". I think a person who loves carlin should have this but one flaw is he throws in strange cartoons at odd moments.

My favorite part of this DVD is the bit on Cars and Driving. This one's also got his classic bits on Stuff and Baseball vs. Football, along with some inspired observations on flamethrowers and the Rain Dance. There's also some fun memories about his Grandpa and his famous dog, Tippy. He even offers tips on how to deal with your boss ("Hey, it's MY JOB, I'll do it MY WAY!"). After watching the whole show, I've decided that you can't possibly own just ONE George Carlin concert on Video/DVD. Also, I found that it's even better to actually WATCH the guy perform than to just listen to his act on CD. Carlin's so good with pantomime and facial tics.

I want to buy only the gig entitled "Stuff" Can I get this without purchasing an entire album??

Unlike previous Australian Opera adaptations of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, this production
does not suffer from lyric substitution (that made obscure references even more obscure to non
Australian audiences).

The sound is very good and the quality of singing is about the best I've heard recorded on DVD (so far).

Unfortunately, there is no closed captioning or sub titles, so following along, for those unfamiliar with this score, can be a challenge. But everyone, including the chorus, enunciates quite well, so there shouldn't
be too much distress.

I hope there is more coming from Sydney. It would be nice to have a complete set (as the BBC attempted about 15 years ago). (I wonder if they are forthcoming?).

The quality of production was reminiscent of the D'Oyly Carte one that I caught (and carried in my memory)
in the early 1960's (at the NY City Center).

This is a Must Buy for a true Savoyard!

It is fascinating to see an opera company turn their attention to Gilbert and Sullivan. Patience herself is clearly a first-rate singer, and the staging is done with particular care and zest. The choreograpy of the duets and ensembles is a delight to the eye as well as the ear. The one drawback to the performance (that keeps it from FIVE STARS) is the use in the recording of some kind of "sound suppression" filter. One of the "twenty lovesick maidens" plays a diminuitive pair of cymbals, and whenever she crashes them, the entire sound is suppressed for two or three seconds, until the sound system can recover. This is initially distracting, but is more apparent in the first act than in the second, and should not keep anyone from the superb staging and performance which is given. Bunthorne is played with superb skill by a wonderfully supple character-singer. The twenty minutes which close the second act are for this reviewer eye-and-ear-candy which I play again and again, to delight in the wonderful work of singers, director, and choreographer. Where can we get more of such productions?

I have to admit that I bought this DVD for two reasons: I love Gilbert & Sullivan, and I think that Anthony Warlow has one of the most remarkable voices today. I was more than pleasently surprised by the quality of both the cast and the recording of this production. The voices are all very good (yes, they are opera singers, but hey, get over it - they were in G&S's time, too) and very understandable. Lady Jane is particularly wonderful.

We did "Patience" about thirty years ago at UConn, set in a lovely monochromatic design concept, which resembled a Blue Willow china pattern. The production was chock full of references to Oscar Wilde, Coventry Patmore, et alia. It was very campy and very well done. This video seems somewhat ho-hum in that Judith DePaul HAD to video the COMPLEAT G+S for the project in the UK in the Eighties. I get the feeling that the producers just said, about "Patience", we "we have to do it." It is too bad. "Patience", in many ways, is Gilbert's most brilliant libretto. Sullivan is not as his best here, but the score is certainly very good. I do agree with another reviewer here in that the work is far more topical than "Mikado" or "Pirates". But for anyone who knows the Aesthetic movement of the 1880s in London will howl at this very funny opera.

(Stratford Canada...PLEASE do this show! Your other G+S shows on DVD are brilliant!!!)

A couple of weeks ago I was reading an annotated version "The Picture of Dorian Gray," in which the editor mentioned the rôle Wilde played in popularising this operetta in the States. Since I recognised from the start the comic possibilities inherent in the Aesthetic movement, I couldn't wait until I saw what that genius Gilbert had made of it. I was certainly not disappointed--first by the libretto and score, and then by the marvellous sets, costuming, and vocal casting. The best cast members were the ladies of the Ambrosian Opera Chorus. The languorous, disdainful grace of their movements during the first scene with Patience was perfect, and their singing tight and very together throughout the entire show. I agree with David Olivenbaum that Anne Collins made a great Lady Jane, but I must say that the three leads (Bunthorne, Grosvenor, and Patience) were well-cast even though they don't fit the parts physically--having two aging men play young heartthrobs and a pretty blonde play a "plain, homely, unattractive" girl actually added to the irony and humour of the situation.
A must-see for anyone with a languid love for lilies, a passion for the super-aesthetical, and a predilection for transcendental dialogue--and for those who like to make wicked fun of the mincing, lily-loving, poetic types.

It is very difficult to find good videos of Gilbert and Sullivan anywhere ... If you like G&S and you don't have this opera, buy it -- it's purely delightful. You may also look up some of the other wonderful operas in this series.

Very enjoyable staging of Kaufman and Hart play. Nathan Lane and Jean Smart, as you would expect, squeeze every possible laugh from their lines. They're wonderful.

One caveat: The play is filled with quick references to personalities of the period (the 1930s), and most of that might go right over some people's heads. But much of the comedy is timeless, so everyone is bound to enjoy it in the end.

There is more to this DVD than a previous reviewer would have you believe, but only a bit more. In the intermissions, there are some descriptions of the characters and whom they are based on. And there is an enjoyable segment with Kaufman's daughter and Hart's wife (the eternally graceful and charming Kitty Carlisle). The banter between Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson in these segments is weak, however. Essentially you're getting exactly the same thing you would have seen when this was broadcast.

We're fortunate to have had this performance captured on film, and I hope there will be more of the same.

This is my favorite play of all time and it's all because of this production/video. Nathan Lane is my absolute favorite actor ever and he is perfection in this show. The material is quick and comical but there are also great moments of heart. Every cast member embodies their part and one can tell that they are enjoying themselves in the act. Harriet Harris plays secretary, matching wits and glares with Lane's 'Sherry'. Jean Smart plays a Broadway actress who gives her best (and most frequent) performances in the bedroom; Byron Jennings is the arrogantly lovable Beverly Carlton; and Lewis Stadlen is Banjo- a wacky Hollywood director who at times during his performance channels Jimmy Durante-the movie counterpart. The narrations done by Natasha Richardson and Liam Niasson are ok to sit through once but during repeat watchings they can be skipped over. I have watched this many times over and I'm still laughing. Kauffman and Hart's words have found their true home with this ensemble!

I am so glad that The Man Who Came To Dinner was finally released on DVD. The entire cast was great especially Jean Smart as Lorraine Sheldon.

Nos encontramos ante una gran version de la gran ópera mozartiana. Jonh Eliot Gardiner dirige con pulso vivaz a unos English Barroque Solist maravillosos como siempre. En el reparto nos encontranmos voces frescas de cantantes jóvenes, que además de cantar bien se lo pasan bien en escena. Amanda Roocroft y Rosa Mannion realizan unas notables creaciones de Fiordiligi y Dorabella respectivamente, mientras que Rodney Gilfry está tambien notable como Guigliermo y Rainer Trost (lo mejor del reparto) sobresaliente como Ferrando. Claudio Niccolai (único veterano del reparto) hace un gran Don Alfonso, y Erian James una Despina más que correcta.
La producción escénica es bellísima, tanto en escenografía como vestuario e iluminación, y muy entretenida visualmente.
Francamente me parece que estamos ante la mejor opción visual disponible para "Cosí fan tutte", que además ofrece un nivel musical altamente notable.

So many opera performances on dvd end up being big disappointments -- singers can't act or sing or don't look the part, sound-picture quality is bad, out-of-synch, lousy sets, etc but this gem has it all.

I just can't get over how well the cast members fit their roles and yet are very good singers. Apparently, there is a god.

I was so touched by Roocroft in Act II that i melted into the ground.

I'm taking this one to the grave.

I've seen Cosi fan tutte thrice in live performance. It was the first opera I ever saw and is still my favorite. This version ranks with the best live productions, and humbles my CD version (by Barenboim and the Berlin Philharmonic).

First, the discs are technically very good with excellent sound quality - there are 3 audio tracks, one with PCM stereo, another with Dolby 5.1, and the third with DTS. The DTS is good but the recording level is significantly lower, requiring greater amplification to achieve the same volume. Overall the Dolby 5.1 track seems to be the best. Picture is excellent and sharp with bright colors. Recording equipment chain is all digital - this is not a rehash of an analog tape. Negatives: It would have been nice to have a printed libretto with English translation, but the Italian subtitles are available if you wish. A chapter select option is not available from the menu.

The performers are all quite talented and evenly matched - very important in Cosi because of the symmetric nature of the music, particularly in the first act. (Gardiner emphasizes this symmetry by having each sister sing a few lines in the other's aria in Act I.) Both female leads appear to be in their mid 20s at the time of recording and display great vocal facility with some of the more difficult passages in the score. The male leads are also well matched with Guglielmo able to handle the higher passages well (a weakness in the Barenboim version). Despina and Don Alfonso are also well cast with very believable singers. Production values are high with attractive sets and costumes. The orchestra is tight and focused - the pace is faster than most versions I've seen or heard.

Gardiner was both musical director and stage producer for this version, which makes it a particularly good version for those who want to focus on the music. There are a few noticeable brief pauses as the singers wait for the conductor and orchestra, but this does not detract from the overall performance. I've seen stage directors try to add visual jokes and props to Cosi for greater comedic effect, but Gardiner lets the comedy flow from the music and libretto which is quite pleasing. While there are stage noises, they never detract from the music and I believe that the audience adds to the ambience of the performance - singers in a studio or soundstage never seem to sound as good as a live performance. Something about the costumes, audience, and acting seems to add vivacity and veracity.

While following the libretto religiously (including part of the finale which was omitted from the Barenboim version), Gardiner has a slightly different take on the ending. (POSSIBLE SPOILER) Every other version of Cosi I've seen has the original couples reunited at the end, their relationships seemingly none the worse for the somewhat cynical experiment which has been played out. Gardiner gently suggests that Ferrando and Fiordiligi perhaps have become more attached to each other than their original betrotheds, leaving one to wonder at the eventual outcome. Perhaps a Cosi for the modern age... Overall, bravissimo! A must have for fans of Mozart and Cosi fan tutte.

I watched this opera side by side with "Don Giovani" conducted by Furtwangler, another Mozart opera produced by DG. The orchestra here is Bayeriscshen conducted by Karl Bohm, a favourite conductor of mine. With Bohm, we have perhaps a little more lyricism but we don't have the sort excellent support to the singers as we have from Furtwangler. Nor is here Furtwangler's full sense of drama or power. The orchestra was nearly as good as Vienna Philharmonic, but the singers are remarkably weaker. One supposes that got nothing to do with the language in which it was sung, for it intended by Mozart to be sung in German. So, despite the recording was made some twenty years later, technology doesn't help much, even though photography is much and settings are marginally better. Nonetheless, this one is all fun to watch. In my own list, this would have to come next to Furtwangler's Don Giovani if one has to choose just one.

This "Entfuhrung..." is one of the best TV opera productions I've ever seen... and I've seen too many.
The quality of the music is unmatchable. Herr Bohm conducts the orchestra very well.

The perfomers? From Selim (spoken character) to every singer do it awesome. Specially the Soprano arias of Constanze. Gruberova sings them quite well. Belmonte is played by Araiza.

This opera is a comical work. If you're a purist or are stuck with Wagner's work, do not watch it. It will take you out a laugh or two (specially the bad tempered Osmin and the easy going Pedrillo aria of "Baccus")

I really enjoyed it. Mozart really knew how to write operas. I highly recommend it. I own all his operas. Another piece to my opera collection. You won't be disappointed. Also,don't forget to buy his other operas. You can find them on Amazon,along with lists of other fine operas.

This production is tres epatant for all the bankers and industrialists and moribund widows of Zurich on a Saturday night but is overblown, silly and distracts from the music. E Schmarre as the Swiss would say. Like all the productions - yes I mean ALL - at the world's most expensive but most bland Opera House the combination of must-be-Swiss chorus, players and above all audience reduces even the music to occasional jolliness but no thrills and even less magic. The best thing to do with this is to turn it on for the music and don't look. Also don't listen too hard to the Francais Federal. Ugly! For real opera go to the cheapest seats in Vienna, New York, London, Berlin or Milan. Never be tempted into the horrid Zurich opera house. Not even to the front row.

It is so rare to see an Offenbach operetta performed today that, if nothing else, this is worth the price for the sake of curiosity. It happens to be a delightful work (much of it used in Rosenthal's ballet arrangement "Gaité Parisienne"). The text is insouciant and witty, and the music sparkles. The beautiful Zurich Opera cast from strength: Vasselina Kassarova as Hélène is a delight. She also happens to be one of the pre-eminent artists of our time, a mezzo of radiant voice, temperament, splendid technique, with rare coloratura skills. Mr. van der Walt whose name looks Dutch sounds like a French tenor of old, a light but carrying sound, full of color, with heady top notes and truly elegant musical artistry. The supporting cast is all superb, with exact singing and plenty of joie. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, so long associated with Zurich in Monteverdi and Mozart does wonders for Offenbach. It is my understanding that 19th century instruments were used. The clarity, color, inflections he gets from his orchestra are astonishing. His inner drive, rubato, his sheer joy of music making comes through in every bar of the score. It is indeed a pleasure to see this conductor whom I first encountered in ascerbic albeit moving, austere performances of Bach Cantatas and Passions, making such successful excursions into the romantic theatre repertoire. I hope he has more up his sleeve. Get this DVD..... you'll go back to it. By the way, the production is nothing special but the acting is invariably good, with excellent rapport within the ensemble. It looks well directed.

Harnoncourt really captures the spirit of this light opera, and the entire cast seem to enjoy themselves, which makes it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. This is Offenbach the way it should be done.