Rating: 
Summary: A Fearful Symmetry; or, Be Careful What You Wish For
Review: Dvorák's 'Rusalka' is by far his most effective opera and the only one that has made its way in the non-Slavic world. Based on de la Motte Fouqué's fairytale, 'Ondine,' but with additions from Hans Christian Andersen and the Czech ballads of K. J. Erben, and with a symbolist libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil, Dvorák's music captures the story's ecstasy and anguish perfectly. Briefly, it is the story of a water nymph who falls in love with a Prince who visits the lake where she, her three sisters and her father, the Water Spirit, live. She wishes to become mortal so she can be with him and implores the witch, Jezibaba, to grant her that wish. Jezibaba does so but with two provisos: she will become human but lose the power of speech, and if her lover rejects her she will be forever cursed. Well, the Prince initially loves her but, dismayed by her muteness, is soon won over by the blandishments of the evil Foreign Princess, so Rusalka, with her father's help, flees back to the water world. Jezibaba tells her that her only way of extracting revenge is to kill human males by kissing them and when the Prince, who has seen the error of his ways, comes to reclaim her, she warns him (having gotten back her voice) that she cannot come with him because her kiss would be fatal. He says that to 'die upon a kiss' would be the only way he could ever attain peace. They sing a rapturous duet, she kisses him and he dies. Curtain. Rusalka is a signature role for Renée Fleming; her audio recording of the opera six years ago was a huge hit. This production, from the Paris Opéra, conducted by James Conlon, followed in 2002. The direction of Robert Carsen and set and costume design by Michael Levine emphasize the duality and symmetry of the mortal and fairy worlds. In Act I, which takes place at the bottom of the enchanted lake, the stage set is designed with a vertical symmetry, rather like the reflections seen at the water's surface when one is submerged. In Act II, which occurs in a stylized palace, there is left-right symmetry with the singers on the left side and mute actors mirroring them on the right side. Quite effective, if sometimes unintentionally reminiscent of the famous mirror act done by Groucho and Harpo Marx. Still, it conveys visually the mirroring of the real and fairytale worlds whose inability to merge leads to the final tragedy. The musical presentation is spectacularly good. Fleming, of course, is superb. Her two main arias, the famous 'Hymn to the Moon' and the Act III 'Vyrvana zivotu" ("I am torn from life") are stunningly beautiful. Her ecstatic final duet with the Prince, sung by Sergei Larin, is equally marvelous. Larin is in very good voice and has the requisite heft to manage the almost Wagnerian tenor role as the Prince. There is not a single weak member of the rest of the cast. Huge-voiced basso Franz Hawlata is touching as Rusalka's father, the Water Spirit. Larissa Diadkova is properly impish as the comic witch, Jezibaba. Eva Urbanova, strangely the only Czech in the cast of this quintessential Czech opera, is scary as the evil Foreign Princess. The three Wood Nymphs, as Wagnerian a trio as one can find outside the 'Ring,' are well done by Michelle Canniccioni, Svetlana Lifar and Nona Javakhidze. The Kitchen Boy, a pants role, is well-done by Karine DeHayes. It is particularly gratifying to see and hear the venerable French tenor, Michel Sénéchal, as the Gamekeeper. The Act II ballet, neatly carrying forward the mirror-image theme of the production, was crisply choreographed by Philippe Giraudeau and danced by the corps of the Opéra Ballet. The video direction was by François Roussillon; it is unobtrusive and natural. I was both charmed and intrigued by this production. 'Rusalka' is slowly becoming better known throughout the world and I suspect this DVD of the Paris production will help further its spread. Recommended. Scott Morrison
Rating:
Summary: A Fearful Symmetry; or, Be Careful What You Wish For
Review: Dvorák's 'Rusalka' is by far his most effective opera and the only one that has made its way in the non-Slavic world. Based on de la Motte Fouqué's fairytale, 'Ondine,' but with additions from Hans Christian Andersen and the Czech ballads of K. J. Erben, and with a symbolist libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil, Dvorák's music captures the story's ecstasy and anguish perfectly. Briefly, it is the story of a water nymph who falls in love with a Prince who visits the lake where she, her three sisters and her father, the Water Spirit, live. She wishes to become mortal so she can be with him and implores the witch, Jezibaba, to grant her that wish. Jezibaba does so but with two provisos: she will become human but lose the power of speech, and if her lover rejects her she will be forever cursed. Well, the Prince initially loves her but, dismayed by her muteness, is soon won over by the blandishments of the evil Foreign Princess, so Rusalka, with her father's help, flees back to the water world. Jezibaba tells her that her only way of extracting revenge is to kill human males by kissing them and when the Prince, who has seen the error of his ways, comes to reclaim her, she warns him (having gotten back her voice) that she cannot come with him because her kiss would be fatal. He says that to 'die upon a kiss' would be the only way he could ever attain peace. They sing a rapturous duet, she kisses him and he dies. Curtain. Rusalka is a signature role for Renée Fleming; her audio recording of the opera six years ago was a huge hit. This production, from the Paris Opéra, conducted by James Conlon, followed in 2002. The direction of Robert Carsen and set and costume design by Michael Levine emphasize the duality and symmetry of the mortal and fairy worlds. In Act I, which takes place at the bottom of the enchanted lake, the stage set is designed with a vertical symmetry, rather like the reflections seen at the water's surface when one is submerged. In Act II, which occurs in a stylized palace, there is left-right symmetry with the singers on the left side and mute actors mirroring them on the right side. Quite effective, if sometimes unintentionally reminiscent of the famous mirror act done by Groucho and Harpo Marx. Still, it conveys visually the mirroring of the real and fairytale worlds whose inability to merge leads to the final tragedy. The musical presentation is spectacularly good. Fleming, of course, is superb. Her two main arias, the famous 'Hymn to the Moon' and the Act III 'Vyrvana zivotu" ("I am torn from life") are stunningly beautiful. Her ecstatic final duet with the Prince, sung by Sergei Larin, is equally marvelous. Larin is in very good voice and has the requisite heft to manage the almost Wagnerian tenor role as the Prince. There is not a single weak member of the rest of the cast. Huge-voiced basso Franz Hawlata is touching as Rusalka's father, the Water Spirit. Larissa Diadkova is properly impish as the comic witch, Jezibaba. Eva Urbanova, strangely the only Czech in the cast of this quintessential Czech opera, is scary as the evil Foreign Princess. The three Wood Nymphs, as Wagnerian a trio as one can find outside the 'Ring,' are well done by Michelle Canniccioni, Svetlana Lifar and Nona Javakhidze. The Kitchen Boy, a pants role, is well-done by Karine DeHayes. It is particularly gratifying to see and hear the venerable French tenor, Michel Sénéchal, as the Gamekeeper. The Act II ballet, neatly carrying forward the mirror-image theme of the production, was crisply choreographed by Philippe Giraudeau and danced by the corps of the Opéra Ballet. The video direction was by François Roussillon; it is unobtrusive and natural. I was both charmed and intrigued by this production. 'Rusalka' is slowly becoming better known throughout the world and I suspect this DVD of the Paris production will help further its spread. Recommended. Scott Morrison
Rating: 
Summary: Ridiculous production
Review: I am a Professor of Music, who teaches an Introduction to Opera course. I recently saw the absolutely fabulous Met production of Rusalka with Renee Fleming--it was pure gold, as was she. This DVD, on the other hand, even her glorious singing cannot redeem. The production makes no sense whatever and destroys the magic of this beautiful fairy-tale opera. The only way to experience this DVD is with eyes closed--or, better still, not at all.
Rating:
Summary: Ridiculous production
Review: I am a Professor of Music, who teaches an Introduction to Opera course. I recently saw the absolutely fabulous Met production of Rusalka with Renee Fleming--it was pure gold, as was she. This DVD, on the other hand, even her glorious singing cannot redeem. The production makes no sense whatever and destroys the magic of this beautiful fairy-tale opera. The only way to experience this DVD is with eyes closed--or, better still, not at all.
Rating: 
Summary: Great performance; weird conceptualist production
Review: I believe the singing and musical performance in this production are wonderful, a pleasure from start to finish. Fleming, Hawlata (as the water goblin) and the wood nymphs are particularly beautiful. I hadn't realized how good Fleming is until seeing this performance. Don't hesitate to buy this recording. On the other hand... This is a matter of taste I realize, but I really prefer traditional, realistic staging for a work like this. The production is interesting. It seems to be making a point about the surface between the water and earthly worlds. The sets are full of mirrors, reflections, even doppelgangers. They're physically beautiful, and the production is less ridiculous than many conceptualist distortions of 19th-century operas, but still, I would have preferred a traditional design. This is irritating to me, but I can "tune it out" and enjoy the music thoroughly. It does appear to me that, as tastes develop, we are seeing fewer of these essentially egocentric production designs. The cult of the conductor is also in decline I hope. Levine replaces Karajan.
Rating:
Summary: The Murder of Rusalka
Review: I can not express myself in English as well as I would like to
completely disagree with the above reviewers of this outrageous
production od Dvorak's beautiful opera. I respect their right to
have liked it but I must present the opinion of the majority of
traditional opera lovers who think that opera producers and direc
tors do not have the right to change the composers' intentions.
It is a pity that such wonderful singers consented to participate
in this monstruous deformation of an opera dealing with a world
of fantasy. This is a recording to be heard and not seen. To my eye it is hateful, indecent, ugly and boring and what one sees
has nothing to do with what the singers are saying. It is worse
than Salzburg's productions of Les Troyens, La Damnation de Faust
and Turandot. Francesca Zambello's production of Les Troyens for
the Met. Opera and War and Peace for Paris are bothe modern and
not traditional but they still respect the composers' creations.
Think well before spending your money in this DVD. If you want
to hear Renée Flemming in this beautiful opera buy the CD set. Félix M. Galván-Bird, MD
Puerto Rico.
Rating:
Summary: The Murder of Rusalka
Review: I can not express myself in English as well as I would like to
completely disagree with the above reviewers of this outrageous
production od Dvorak's beautiful opera. I respect their right to
have liked it but I must present the opinion of the majority of
traditional opera lovers who think that opera producers and direc
tors do not have the right to change the composers' intentions.
It is a pity that such wonderful singers consented to participate
in this monstruous deformation of an opera dealing with a world
of fantasy. This is a recording to be heard and not seen. To my eye it is hateful, indecent, ugly and boring and what one sees
has nothing to do with what the singers are saying. It is worse
than Salzburg's productions of Les Troyens, La Damnation de Faust
and Turandot. Francesca Zambello's production of Les Troyens for
the Met. Opera and War and Peace for Paris are bothe modern and
not traditional but they still respect the composers' creations.
Think well before spending your money in this DVD. If you want
to hear Renée Flemming in this beautiful opera buy the CD set. Félix M. Galván-Bird, MD
Puerto Rico.
Rating:
Summary: ENCHANTED
Review: I loved it through and through. Renee Fleming is great in the role and the whole cast is excellent. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Rusalka for a new generation!
Review: Reading some of the reviews for this DVD makes me fear for the future of opera. Several online opera reviewers have scathed this production as unintelligible and typical euro-trash. It is people like this that will be the death of opera in America. Grow up and evolve!
This production is incredibly intllegent and beautiful. Renee is AMAZING! But it is the director, Robert Carsen, who has outdone himself. This production trancends traditional produtions and reveals something that is, at once, cerebral and heartfelt. This production provokes your attention from the first note and never let's you go.
Isn't that what opera should do?
Seriously, do you really need to see another traditional production that you could easily imagine in your mind as you listen to the recording? Come on, we've all seen Disney's The Little Mermaid!
This production keeps you guessing and engaged for more than 2 hours, while Dvorak's score is performed with incredibly artistry and commitment.
Those who diagree need to realize that this art form needs this evolution in storytelling, and this new production is worth seeing!
Rating:
Summary: Crazy but effective!
Review: Staging a medieval fairy tale like "Rusalka" in modern dress is one of the craziest things I ever heard of. As Tolkien says, "A fairy tale is not an allegory, it must be taken on its own terms." Thanks to inspired to performances by a stellar cast, making this fairy tale into a modern allegory of betrayed innocence works. Fleming and Larin sing and act beautifully. Franz Hawalata's brilliant performance as the grumpy water goblin (Rusalka's father) is the glue that makes the performance hold together as a dramatic unity.
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