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If you like Mozart operas .........

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John C. - Aussie

(B)

... and have a DVD player then I recommend you beg, borrow or steal a copy of the 1991 Met production of Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) featuring Levine, Battle, Serra, and Kurt Moll. A group of fellow music lovers visited last night and this was the highlight of the evening. Excellent audio and video quality on our laserdisc set, presumably transferred to the DVD copy.
Luciana Serra was in fine form singing the role of "The Queen of the Night" and she looked captivating as well. Much as Kathleen Battle has caused massive problems with her Met tantrums she comes across in the role of Pamina as a brilliant singer. I could rave on and on about the effective Met staging, the ............
I guess that of all the composers in our collection of LP, CDs, LDs & DVDs, Mozart is the one most frequently visited. What a genius he was. And yes, I like the movie "Amadeus" in spite of its gross inaccuracies!
John

Peace at AA

Follow Ups:

Some others to watch for... - SR 11:31:43 06/12/02 (7)
Yes the Met Zauberflute is very good. Another Zauberflute you would like is the Vienna Stattsopera production, or the Drottingham production. Both these are very straight 18th century style presentaions. I prefer the Vienna of those two.
Other great Mozart on DVD or laserdisc....
Cosi fan tutti by Theatro Alla Scala
Marriage of Figaro by Drottingham
(by all means avoid the Karl Bohm/Kiri te Kanawa version, it is a filmed version all lip sync, and poorly done)
Don Giovanni by Teatro Alla Scala
Abduction from the Seraglio by Drottingham
Idomeneo w/ Paverotti and Von Stade by the Met
A word about Drottingham....
It is the surviving Swedish Court theater from Mozarts time. It is very small as were the theaters of this day. All their productions are with period instruments, and orchestra in powdered wigs. They do not use modern costumes or lighting effects. If you want to see some Mozart as he must have seem it go for these. Casts are always great. Do not miss the Abduction from the Seraglio by them. It is a terrific opera that they perform to perfection. The two women who sing Constanze and Blonde are to die for.

Steve
- Re: Some others to watch for... - bublitchki 13:52:56 06/14/02 (0)
  Don't forget the Furtwaengler Don Giovanni on DG DVD. One of those great postwar casts (Siepi, Edelmann, Gruemmer, Della Casa, Berger), and of course *the* conductor of the 20th century for my money (though perhaps not in Mozart).
  Picture and sound quality quite acceptable (it was a film); note that the arias were separately recorded/filmed and are lipsynched.
  Nothing in recent years comes anywhere close to this for me.
- We have all of those except ... - John C. - Aussie 16:37:28 06/12/02 (5)
  ... the two Drottingham ones you mention. Our copy of "Abduction" is the Covent Garden version under Solti and there are two versions of "Marriage of Figaro" - the Kiri Te Kanawa version referred to underneath and the Abbado/Vienna Staatsoper version (which like all of Sony's LD operas lacks subtitles). We have the DVD version of Don Giovani by Teatro Alla Scala but all the rest are laserdisc. Our copy of "Amadeus" is also laserdisc.
  Altogether we have 10 Mozart operas on LD and LD in the collection of 68 LD & 33 DVD complete opera sets. I love opera. Unfortunately my beloved does not share my enthusiasm so I can only wallow in them when we have company or she goes out :-(
  John
  
  Peace at AA
  - Re: We have all of those except ... - SR 21:37:08 06/12/02 (4)
    I've become a big opera fan also, but its been only over the last two years. I think Mozart is far and away the most gifted composer of opera, although there are certainly many fine works by others. Last year I bought season tix to the LA opera. Our final production was Turandot just last week. LA Opera presented it with a new ending (as you know Puccini died before it was complete). I loved the production but hated the new ending. I think Puccini is my #2 man behind Mozart. His best arias were as good as Mozarts best, but the overall quality of music and his fitting of that music to story was not as skillful.
    Puccini got stuck in this rut of killing off the heroines.
    Steve
    - What was the new ending, Steve? - psgary 22:15:59 06/12/02 (3)
      I like Turandot very much. I'm a big fan of Puccini. Pavarotti still "owns" "Nessun Dorma" in my book. Who has ever topped him on that aria?
      - Re: What was the new ending, Steve? - SR 15:38:20 06/13/02 (2)
        
        In Reply to: What was the new ending, Steve? posted by psgary on June 12, 2002 at 22:15:59:
        
        It's difficult for me to describe in that I've never seen the Alfano ending. I've just read about it. I will be picking up a DVD of this opera soon. I understand the traditional ending has Turandot instantly becoming "nice" and quickly ends with the Nessun Dorma theme.
        The new end is written by Luciano Berio using Puccini sketches. It features a lengthy (did I say long ?) instrumental "transformation" of Turandot which has her threaten suicide with the knife pulled from Liu then finally become willing to become the faithful wife, taking Calaf's hand and walking off into the sunset. Brand new music without a trace of Nessun Dorma, also without a trace of any vocal, also IMHO without a trace of Puccini. A guy sitting next to my wife had seen Turandot "at least 15 times". He hated this ending. I hated this ending without ever having seen any other. I enjoyed the Toscannini story that when he conducted the premiere in 1926 he just stopped at Puccini's end and announced "This is where the maestro died". I tink I would enjoy that the most.
        The LA opera performance was however spectacular. Not a hint of weakness anywhere in the cast. This Franco Farino who sung Calaf could give Paverotti a run. His Nessun Dorma was spectacular.
        Steve
        LA Opera Turandot
        
        DVD Turandot - John C. - Aussie 00:26:07 06/14/02 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: What was the new ending, Steve? posted by SR on June 13, 2002 at 15:38:20:
        
        Hi Steve
        I love this opera. Absolutely stupid story but great music so who cares.
        I have a couple of laserdisc versions (came up at Big Emma at prices which could not be resisted by weak kneed me) - the Arena di Verona which is spectacular, the SanFrancisco version with Eva Marton and I am drooling for the chance to see the DVD one performed in China at the Forbidden City by Mehta at some multi million dollar cost.
        We saw a documentary about the making of this Chinese epic. The Chinese insisted they replace all costumes and only use authentic Ming Dynasty ones. Some or all of this documentary is on the DVD also.
        Lucky you seeing a live performance even if the ending was crap.
        John
        
        Peace at AA
        
        Thanks - psgary 20:42:28 06/13/02 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: What was the new ending, Steve? posted by SR on June 13, 2002 at 15:38:20:
        
        Without seeing it, the new ending does seem like it would stink. Bad form for two to commit suicide with the same knife.
        I've always admired Toscannini's integrity for stopping. Lots of great music before Puccini was forced to stop. Who needs someone else's fill-in tunes?
        Thanks again.
Did you say Mozart operas? - PriyaW 09:25:46 06/12/02 (0)
Oh, man, I love those. Although I have not seen the MET version of the Magic flute, I have seen Cosi Fan Tutte and several others. Maestro James Levine runs a tight ship and their productions are top-notched. I just got back from Sri Lanka after a short vacation and am hungry for some Mozart, you bet. So I will try to find the DVD asap.
And I also love "Amadeus," even though the plot is not true. I have Amadeus on LD, Pioneer Special Edition with 2 CDs of the soundtrack. Every January 27th, (his Birthday, of course!), I watch this movie and still get goose bumps!
Best Wishes!

PriyaW
Re: If you ?like? Mozart operas ......... - Timbo in Oz 23:19:05 06/11/02 (0)
Like?
John?
Like!!!!????
Gees,
he was a clever observer of us huming beens, eh!
even with all those notes!
But, I think he might have been a bit of a pain in the arse to compete with.
I don't think Clementi 'liked' him, respect maybe.
Wolfie didn't like VB much either. "The Great Mogul"
Sighhh, sift, sift.

warmly
Timbo

pS The Met worker's slogan after she'd gone!
"we might have lost a Battle, but we won the war"
Met side track - digging for dirt - psgary 21:01:59 06/11/02 (2)
It's good to know about the Met production. I heard Battle in recital around that time, maybe a few years earlier, and she had/has pipes. Is this also available on CD? My dad and mummy are big Mozart and Battle fans and would be very interested.
Now for the dirt: I heard she was "banned" from the Met for her tantrums. That is incredible given the reputation of opera stars in general. What crimes against humanity did she commit to be banished from the Met, where she must have had many fans? Any details would be appreciated.
Just to keep it within the confines of The Asylum - Anyone know what kind of gear Kathleen Battle has? Plinius? Mark Levinson?
Thanks.
Gary
- Diverse opinions on Kathleen Battle - John C. - Aussie 00:02:01 06/12/02 (1)
  I posted up some time ago about this lady, whom it seems, sometimes was not!
  http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/music/messages/45931.html
  John
  
  Peace at AA
  - Thanks, John. - psgary 22:12:03 06/12/02 (0)
    Will the real Kathleen Battle please stand up? What to believe? I'm still mystified, but perhaps there's no answer to this one.
    Thanks again.

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