First video of Munich’s Tote Stadt superhit

First video of Munich’s Tote Stadt superhit

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norman lebrecht

November 23, 2019

Comments

  • Olassus says:

    What kind of English is that?

    Not Marlis’s. Time for better communications at Bavarian State Opera!

  • Mustafa Kandan says:

    In Munich they always put effort in to their productions (whether one likes them or not, at least they are interesting). The cast, including the conductors are generally first rate, and if one tries early, it is always possible to get good tickets. I wonder why Dresden, with even more beautiful opera house, at least as good an orchestra and chorus, have much inferior productions and lesser casts. Whenever there is Thielemann or Netrebko, by the time tickets go on sale to the general public, it is all sold out. The public in London were annoyed in not being able to get a decent ticket to next year’s Fidelio. This is common occurrence in Dresden.

  • this Munich super hit should make us wonder how many great Jewish artists were hindered by the Nazi policy toward Jew in the Arts

  • Rob says:

    Sounds like Domingo.

  • Patrick says:

    Brilliant production!

  • cym says:

    A magnificent opera, underperformed, sadly.
    From watching these short clips, it looks like the staging is on the ‘busy’ side … perhaps distracting from the psychological personal story of Paul, so well portrayed by the music score … Can’t wait for a DVD release !

  • John Kelly says:

    I sure wish they’d do this at the Met. Just had a Korngold “revival” at Bard. More people are interested in K. Beats yet another Boheme…

  • kundry says:

    It is not a ” magical” staging , regardless of how much the stage director is trying to explain it . The video is full of cliches ,seen time and time again in Germany and elsewhere. Marlis has no charisma and the voice is not sexy.
    I happen to like very much Jonas Kaufmann , the way I like Villazon . He is a very talented , real dedicated artist and supremely musical , but I cannot get over the “ingolato ” timbre of his voice, which gets in the way of all his good musical intentions. Korngold was a genius and Die tote Stadt is a masterpiece of magic and ambiguous nuances . They were missed , first of all , by the over excited and “precise” at all costs , direction of Petrenko ( I do feel sorry , long term , for the future of BPO , at his hands) and then, for the very eager objectiveness of the others involved – singers and especially , the stage director. I am still waiting for a production which will do justice to this opera.

  • sorin says:

    This opera is a poor immitation of Rosenkavalier & other Richard Strauss “Stücks”.Sorry.

    • cym says:

      Reading the libretto, it is impossible to find any imitation with Rosenkavalier. Listening to the music, they both display magic in orchestration, and Korngold different & personal voice. The connexion is not poor imitation, but respect.
      R. Strauss did admire the young Korngold’s talent.

    • John Borstlap says:

      Korngold worked within a tradition, which means composers make use of a comparable vocabulary and grammar, saying different things. The only complaint one could raise about Korngold, is that his musical gestures are much more expressive than their actual musical content, often it is pathos on the surface. Der Rosenkavalier has also such moments but very many episodes of real, effective substance.

  • barry guerrero says:

    Serious mommy issues.

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