Rating: 
Summary: Musically fine, but disappointing visually
Review: Allegedly directed for television, this production is disappointing because of its terrible lighting and production values. To make it interesting and appealing to watch would require more than the pale blue lighting that pervades throughout. Even if there were some colour in the costumes, sets or faces, it wouldn't show up because of the poor lighting. The staging is overly stylized as well, setting a new low standard. The same forces issued a production of Alceste which was somewhat better. Musically and aurally the performance is very good indeed. The cast is great. But I wanted something that was also satisfying to watch. I already have a terrific CD of this opera. It might have looked fine on stage, but as a DVD on my widescreen HD set it is a big mistake. I will not purchase another opera on DVD from these producers unless they pay more attention to the visual qualities.
Rating: 
Summary: A daring and beautiful performance of Glück¿s opera
Review: Before the release of this DVD, those who wished to see Glück's Orfeo et Euridice on video were condamned to listen to unimaginative stagings with dubious musical interest. Now, those who like (and those who don't) Glück have the opportunity to watch and listen to this performance that recreates all the amazement the first audiences may have experienced on listening to it for the first time. Bob Wilson's staging is different from everything I have ever seen. He reduces the scenic elements to their minimum (which is faithful to the classic idea of "inutilia truncat") , with strong use of lighting and colour. The aesthetic results are simply irrestible and, instead of a frustrating realistic direction that would never work in such a stately and static piece, he offers a stylized conception where actors/singers work almost as graphic elements. More than that, the whole idea of acting and dancing are merged into one thing and the transition to ballet, instead of interrupting the action, only enhance it. And the singers/dancers accomplish all that wonderfully. Magdalena Kozena is the amazing Orphée (yes, we're on the French version), with clearest diction, an exquisite voice, the necessary agility and the only thing I would observe is that, although she claims to be a contralto, she definitely sounds as a mezzo soprano to my ears. She also has a beautiful stage persona and fulfills with dignity the highly difficult demands made on her by the stage direction. Madalena Binder sings Eurydice with firm tone and her voice is indeed beautiful and creamy - I only think that she didn't sound really natural about some vocal "effects" probably asked by the conductor, sich as fixed tone on high notes and other things. She would be really more charming, if made to sound more spontaneous. Patricia Petibon is delightful as L'Amour and is very gracious too. As a matter of fact, the three singers look very good! Predicatably in a Gardiner performance, the choir is excellent and his conducting shows his care and love for the music of Glück. He brings to the fore all the expressive turns of the orchestra and doesn't miss one opportunity to make this music sound its best. Image is perfect and sound is even better than you had tickets for the Paris Opera).
Rating: 
Summary: Who was Gluck?
Review: Christoph Willibald Gluck apparently wanted to simplify operatic music so that the florid lines of a Handel or other Italian Opera composers were rejected in favor of simple vocal lines. To my ear he succeeded all too well. I am an enthusiast who favors almost everything John Eliot Gardiner conducts but I could find almost nothing to listen to here. THIS MUSIC IS DULL. No amount of orchestral polish and vocal polish (of which there is a great deal) can cover the dullness of the "music" The staging is outlandishly static with only the minor character Amour having anything like motion allowed. Unbelievably static. The blue color lighting will also drive most viewers crazy. I could only recommend this video to a Gluck fanatic and I suggest that if you don't know who Gluck is, you shouldn't waste your money on this disk.
Rating:
Summary: Blue Orfeo
Review: Gluck wrote an Italian version of "Orfeo" in 1762 for Vienna. In 1774 he re-wrote a French version for Paris, with ballets and an extended role for Orphée. Gardiner chose a French version Berlioz wrote in 1859 for the great mezzo Pauline Viardot. This "Orphée et Eurydice" opened in the renovated Châtelet together with "Alceste", also availavable on DVD. Both were recorded in October 1999 and share similar aesthetics. "Alceste" too has an early Italian and a later Berlioz version. For "Alceste" Gardiner constructed a French hybrid that incorporates elements of the two. For example, the famous aria "divinités du Styx" has a French translation of the Italian version: "ombres, larves." Why? Ask Gardiner. He also transposed the "Alceste" score downward. On both DVD's, his approach is fresh, idiomatic and unforced. His fast tempi balance the dreamy pace of action on the stage. He loves sprightly rhythms and now and then an abrupt chord. The still very young Czech mezzo Magdalena Kožená (Orphée) has a pleasant voice of exceptional sheen and beauty, a good command of the coloratura with delicious lightness, agility and clear diction. However, she lacks the necessary depth. The demands of the role surpass her experience, evidenced by a deficiency in the lower registers that sometimes breaks her musical line. These problems in the passaggio are particularly evident in the challenging "Amour vient rendre à mon âme" with its tessitura spread over three registers (27:00, in the trills), added by Berlioz especially for Viardot. American soprano, Madeline Bender (Eurydice), dressed in a virginal white gown, has a smooth, crystal tone. French soprano, Patricia Petibon is a delightful Amour. All three are quite ravishing. Paradoxically, the exquisite Kožená suffers from ugly makeup that is supposed to give her a certain masculine hue. Robert Wilson, an American originally from Texas, active mostly in European opera houses, directs both productions. Under his direction the singers move in a highly stylized and ritualistic choreography inspired by the Japanese Nôh theatre tradition. A section of the French public booed him loudly. This was echoed by French critics. They panned his approach and made vaguely suspicious references to his Texan origins. English and German critics liked and defended him from this lukewarm reception. Wilson is known as a minimalist. He presents the action as a series of tableaux that flow naturally from one to the other. Orphée and his spouse move about the stage looking something like ancient Egyptian bas-reliefs. The famous "Ballet des Ombres Heureuses" and "Danse des Furies" are tableaux devoid of dancers, with a few shifting shadows of the chorus in the background, plus a few abrupt lighting changes. Both the "Alceste" and the "Orphée" share a projected cube that floats near, approaches and departs again. I find it amazing how communicative this device is, despite its abstractness. It is evocative of the power of fate, descending arbitrarily from the air to threaten the loving pairs in the two works. The Ancient Greeks' concept of fate is not immediately accessible to the modern mind. Yet, Wilson dramatizes it in a visceral way that is completely modern. He is truly a genius of the 21st Century. Unlike other productions, ravaged by the excesses of ignorant and megalomaniac directors, espousing post-modernism, minimalism, or any other faddish -ism, this unique collaboration between Gardiner and Wilson produces a consistent musical-dramatic unit. Despite this, I must admit that initially both productions struck me as detached, contrived, devoid of rubato and under-whelming. I rarely bother to listen to anything written before 1812, being heavily invested in the romantic and post romantic repertoire. It is only on repeat viewing that I was able to appreciate the wonders of these productions. If you approach them in a fairly suggestible mood, the experience can be (and has been) described as "hypnotic." From the moment the blue square enlarges to encompass the action on stage you enter an enchanted world. The set, merely a rock and a few poplar trees in silhouette, is bathed in the same cerulean color as Orphée's costume. This ever present blue is reminiscent of the azure of the endless heavens or that of the Aegean Sea, pristine in its primordial beauty. I couldn't tear myself from the screen. The characters too, seemed to be hypnotized, or even bewitched. Wilson's approach has given rise to various interpretations. I read of one viewer who felt that the characters moved slowly and artificially as if their movements were controlled by the gods. Only the god Amour has the freedom to move with spontaneity. Another thought that the unisex costuming and makeup emphasized the femaleness of Kožená and Petibon, which gave the tale an intriguing Saphic slant. For me, the action took place in an arctic dream world, cast in an eerie light, inhabited by almost frozen figures residing on the edge of death. Where these productions take you is highly personal. It has been an insidiously enticing operatic experience for me. Wilson dissolves your defenses by seduction rather than by force. Many operatic productions lose their power in the transition from the stage to the small screen. These two works seem perfect for television because the heightened artificiality, often an unwanted effect, is at the core of the stylistic language here. The intensity of the experience is ironically heightened in this case by the intimacy that this medium provides. Another advantage of the DVD is that the lack of projection of the voices, always a problem with Châtelet acoustics, is easily solved here. Like all the other Châtelet DVD's, these two have an almost perfect picture quality. As a final note, I am curious to see Wilson apply his approach to Wagner's ring. He may be able to make dramatic sense of its warring gods, without reducing them into "symbols" of one kind or another.
Rating: 
Summary: ROBERT WILSON'S "ORPHEUS..."
Review: Gluck's ORPHEUS & EURIDICE is one of my favorite operas. Strangely enough I have seen several different productions. I say, "strangely" since it is rarely produced in New York, but I have seen it in a gorgeous, traditional production at the Metropolitan Opera House starring the incomparable Marilyn Horne and in a concert version at Tanglewood with the same star. I have also seen a post-modern production at the New York City Opera which made little sense to me and in two interesting productions outside of New York City. Robert Wilson is a director I admire greatly and this production is gorgeous: the costumes, the choreography, the stark settings and especially the lighting are all of a piece as if done by one person. The formal structure of the opera is stressed with Wilson's use of simple, symbolic gestures, mask-like make-up, few props and a bold use of color. The story is the mythic one of Orpheus who, in mourning for his wife, Euridice, decides to venture to Hades in order to return her to Earth. After various struggles, he does so with the great aid of the goddess, Amore. There are only three principal roles in the opera, all sung by women and this cast is very good, if not up to the likes of Horne or in another fine recording, Anne Sofie von Otter, or in yet a third, Rise Stevens. In fact, there are times, especially in Act 1, when the mezzo, Magdalena Kozena, as 'Orpheus' frequently sings off pitch. Patricia Petibon does better as the goddess and Madeline Bender is fine as 'Euridice.'
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, his orchestra the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, and the Monteverdi Choir are all superb.
Rating:
Summary: ROBERT WILSON'S "ORPHEUS..."
Review: Gluck's ORPHEUS & EURIDICE is one of my favorite operas. Strangely enough I have seen several different productions. I say, "strangely" since it is rarely produced in New York, but I have seen it in a gorgeous, traditional production at the Metropolitan Opera House starring the incomparable Marilyn Horne and in a concert version at Tanglewood with the same star. I have also seen a post-modern production at the New York City Opera which made little sense to me and in two interesting productions outside of New York City. Robert Wilson is a director I admire greatly and this production is gorgeous: the costumes, the choreography, the stark settings and especially the lighting are all of a piece as if done by one person. The formal structure of the opera is stressed with Wilson's use of simple, symbolic gestures, mask-like make-up, few props and a bold use of color. The story is the mythic one of Orpheus who, in mourning for his wife, Euridice, decides to venture to Hades in order to return her to Earth. After various struggles, he does so with the great aid of the goddess, Amore. There are only three principal roles in the opera, all sung by women and this cast is very good, if not up to the likes of Horne or in another fine recording, Anne Sofie von Otter, or in yet a third, Rise Stevens. In fact, there are times, especially in Act 1, when the mezzo, Magdalena Kozena, as 'Orpheus' frequently sings off pitch. Patricia Petibon does better as the goddess and Madeline Bender is fine as 'Euridice.'
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, his orchestra the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, and the Monteverdi Choir are all superb.
Rating:
Summary: ROBERT WILSON'S "ORPHEUS..."
Review: Gluck's ORPHEUS & EURIDICE is one of my favorite operas. Strangely enough I have seen several different productions. I say, "strangely" since it is rarely produced in New York, but I have seen it in a gorgeous, traditional production at the Metropolitan Opera House starring the incomparable Marilyn Horne and in a concert version at Tanglewood with the same star. I have also seen a post-modern production at the New York City Opera which made little sense to me and in two interesting productions outside of New York City. Robert Wilson is a director I admire greatly and this production is gorgeous: the costumes, the choreography, the stark settings and especially the lighting are all of a piece as if done by one person. The formal structure of the opera is stressed with Wilson's use of simple, symbolic gestures, mask-like make-up, few props and a bold use of color. The story is the mythic one of Orpheus who, in mourning for his wife, Euridice, decides to venture to Hades in order to return her to Earth. After various struggles, he does so with the great aid of the goddess, Amore. There are only three principal roles in the opera, all sung by women and this cast is very good, if not up to the likes of Horne or in another fine recording, Anne Sofie von Otter, or in yet a third, Rise Stevens. In fact, there are times, especially in Act 1, when the mezzo, Magdalena Kozena, as 'Orpheus' frequently sings off pitch. Patricia Petibon does better as the goddess and Madeline Bender is fine as 'Euridice.'
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, his orchestra the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, and the Monteverdi Choir are all superb.
Rating:
Summary: Nosferatu
Review: I mostly agree with the other reviewers. I'm not as well grounded as some in opera, or Gluck in particular (I've never seen any production of this), but I do have a few comments. I don't know what Ko�ená's makeup was supposed to accomplish, but I watched the recent Nosferatu DVD the other day, and the similarity struck me. (If we can have original Baroque instruments, why can't we have castrati?) In the same vein, the "Ballets et Danses" looked mightly like the hoards crossing the field in the Night of the Living Dead. I felt like the production was done on a dare: "Here's $123 for costumes and scenery; see what you can do. Oh, and you can have a blue light with a dimmer on it. Don't let anybody move; it stirs up the dust." I did think the singing was pretty good, especially Ms. Ko�ená. Few of the possible vocal sins were committed. Acting was up(?) to opera standards. I have the old Italian version with Verrett on LP. That sounded good. (I saw her with Sills in Siege of Corinth years ago here in Dallas. Their duet brought down the house.) I don't think anybody mentioned that this seemed to be recorded during live performance(s). The DVD sound was a little gritty on my system. (The 5.1 was better than the 2.0; I don't have proper 5.1 decoding yet, just Pro Logic.) There was a lot of color noise within some of the blue background gradients (all blue, of course). If opera was just singing, I would give it four stars.
Rating:
Summary: Nosferatu
Review: I mostly agree with the other reviewers. I'm not as well grounded as some in opera, or Gluck in particular (I've never seen any production of this), but I do have a few comments. I don't know what Ko'ená's makeup was supposed to accomplish, but I watched the recent Nosferatu DVD the other day, and the similarity struck me. (If we can have original Baroque instruments, why can't we have castrati?) In the same vein, the "Ballets et Danses" looked mightly like the hoards crossing the field in the Night of the Living Dead. I felt like the production was done on a dare: "Here's $123 for costumes and scenery; see what you can do. Oh, and you can have a blue light with a dimmer on it. Don't let anybody move; it stirs up the dust." I did think the singing was pretty good, especially Ms. Ko'ená. Few of the possible vocal sins were committed. Acting was up(?) to opera standards. I have the old Italian version with Verrett on LP. That sounded good. (I saw her with Sills in Siege of Corinth years ago here in Dallas. Their duet brought down the house.) I don't think anybody mentioned that this seemed to be recorded during live performance(s). The DVD sound was a little gritty on my system. (The 5.1 was better than the 2.0; I don't have proper 5.1 decoding yet, just Pro Logic.) There was a lot of color noise within some of the blue background gradients (all blue, of course). If opera was just singing, I would give it four stars.
Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANT, BOLD AND BRAVE! [also Bravo!]
Review: My Fellow Americans! Get over it folks! Thank God for Artists like Robert Wilson, providing this special production of Gluck's rarely seen work, and this work deserves to be seen often in this format. It's a brilliant DVD production, yes, stylized - so what? That's the entire point of these avant-garde productions, to make us think- discuss and perhaps inspire to create another vision. {It also just so happens to be young and fresh!}
Even Cocteau - with permission - would smile on this one! Get this for your collection - and ENJOY!!!
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