I love La Belle H%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne Vesselina Kasarova
This is a production from 1997 and in stereo only. It also has some of the most unflattering costume s that have ever been provided for Kasarova, and she has certainly been the victim of costume designers before! None of this matters and simply becomes irrelevant given the sheer sparkle and wit of the production and the performers throughout a most enjoyable evening's entertainment. As regards the sound, the stereo is so good that one soon forgets all about rear speakers and sub-woofers!
The story is, of course, a total spoof, or send-up of the lead up to the Trojan Wars. For his libretto, Offenbach was fortunate to have talented librettists so the plot never falters. This production continues with the caricature nature of the piece in its choice of costume s which are generally bizarre but nevertheless are acceptable in the circumstances. Stage props and scenery are rather minimalist but effective in the same sort of way.
The cast is fully engaged and part icipate at all points with boundless enthusiasm. This comment applies not just to the soloists but also to the entire chorus who are evidently enjoying this piece of French chaotic humour. Fortunately the humour is not over-worked so, as a result, it all works as it should and is really very funny for much of the time. In part icular, Kasarova as Helene, is an inspired choice as she not only has one of the finest mezzo-sopranos on the world stage today, but she also has a wonderful sense of stage humour and humorous timing. Those who know her performance in the Barber of Seville will know what to expect!
Kasarova is matched by an enthusiastic Paris (Deon van der Walt), as well as strong supporting roles supplied by Carlos Chausson as Calcas, Volker Vogel as Menelaus, Liliana Nichiteanu as Orestes and Oliver Widmer as Agamennon. The other supporting solo cast are all equally enjoyable to follow.
The orchestra is on fine form under Nicholaus Harnoncourt who is typically attentive to every passing detail and ensures very high standards are met throughout. He even joins the whole cast for a communal 'knees-up' for the curtain calls as the orchestra provide one more chorus.
The camera work is excellent and the imaging is totally clear as most of the coverage is close enough for it not to matter that this precedes HD recording. The stereo sound is more than adequate to give complete involvement for the viewer.
This is a part icularly enjoyable presentation of one of Offenbach's most enjoyable light operas. The audience were highly enthusiastic and appreciative and I would expect this to be the reaction of most purchasers of this disc. For that reason I would suggest that this is a good candidate for the full 5 stars despite its age and lack of current HD recording techniques.
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