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DVD : Britten - Death in Venice / Jenkins, Tear, Opie, Glyndebourne Opera
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Britten - Death in Venice / Jenkins, Tear, Opie, Glyndebourne Opera starring: Robert Tear, Alan Opie, Michael Chance, Gerald Finley, Paul Zeplichal directed by: Robin Lough List Price: $29.99 CD-Charts Price: $26.99 You Save: $3.00 (10%)Prices subject to change. |
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD EAN: 9780769700441 Format: Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC ISBN: 0769700446 Label: Kultur Video Manufacturer: Kultur Video Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Kultur Video Region Code: 1 Release Date: March 26, 2002 Running Time: 138 minutes Studio: Kultur Video Theatrical Release Date: 1973 Sales Rank: 90750 Related Items:
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Editorial Review: Description: Death in Venice was Britten's final opera an extraordinarily atmospheric and haunting adaptation of Thomas Mann's novella, evoking the grandeur and shabbiness of a Venice in the grip of disease. He eloquently and evocatively describes the moral and physical degeneration of Aschenbach, the writer whose obsessive and self-devouring pursuit of beauty, in the form of a boy, Tadzio, leads him into humiliation and death. Robert Tear takes the central and demanding role of Aschenbach opposite Alan Opie, who sings the various baritone parts. To portray the beauty and fascination of the Polish family and Tadzio, Britten made prominent the use of dance, by turning these characters into dancers, choreographed in this production by Martha Clarke.This new production for Glyndebourne is directed by Stephen Lawless and conducted by Graeme Jenkins. Amazon.com: Benjamin Britten was one of the 20th century's greatest opera composers and one of the most productive, with more than a dozen operas to his credit. Death in Venice, his last, is based on a moody, introspective novella by Thomas Mann about a German writer in a dry spell who takes a vacation in Venice hoping to revive his inspiration but instead plunges into a terminal identity crisis. The enigmatic plot is a series of confrontations--with his sense of failure, with intimations of mortality (a plague that terrifies the city), with the creative and destructive powers of love, and with tantalizing glimpses of unattainable, alien beauty, embodied in a vacationing boy whom the writer admires timidly from a distance. Death in Venice distills themes found throughout Britten's work: the loss of innocence; the relation between illusion and reality; tensions between society and the alienated individual; mysterious encounters that defy rational explanation. This carefully organized production offers virtuoso performances by Robert Tear as the writer and Alan Opie as a sort of doppelganger in a half-dozen cameo roles. It will delight hard-core Britten enthusiasts, but is not the most suitable way to begin an acquaintance. Those approaching Britten's operas for the first time are advised to start with the witty Albert Herring, the spooky Turn of the Screw or the tragic Peter Grimes, all of which exist in good video recordings. --Joe McLellan Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
 Rating:  - a voice teacher and early music fanGO FOR THE CD BEFORE THE DVD 'Death in Venice' was Britten's final opera, and it is really not the best way to become acquainted with it, for the filming is 'drab'and lackluster, but I'm wondering if it COULD actually be portrayed any differently. After all, the story centers around one character: Aschenbach (sung very well indeed by Robert Tear). I found myself following the libretto that came with the Chandos WONDERFUL 2005 recording directed by Richard Hickox with the BBC singers and Philip Langridge as Aschenbach. There are times when it is difficult to understand the words of some of the songs. Of course, if one is familiar with Mann's story, it's not that hard to 'keep up', but I want to know specifically ... Read More: Rating:  - Some OK features, but not the best productionI broke down and bought this video because I had seen the original Metropolitan Opera production of this work back in 1974 and was mesmerized by the integral use of stage space, acting, dance and miming that made up the production. I had been warned that this production was on a smaller scale because the Glyndebourne stage is not very large, but I was unprepared for the very amateurish sets, costumes and direction, especially in the opening scenes. Director Stephen Lawless did not use his space particularly well. The sets and costumes (by Tobias Hoheisel) are amateurish and unimaginative. In many ways, it looks like a Red Mill Dinner Theater production of Britten's opera, which is not a compliment. Robert Tear is a good actor, ... Read More: Rating: - Excellent production but problem with storyOther viewers may respond more positively than me to Britten's "Death in Venice." The searching and inward qualities of the writer Aschenbach are certainly noble, but, while I am far from a prude, there is a repulsive quality here which loses me. Nonetheless, Britten is a terrific opera composer, his last opera has magnificent music and the performance is superb. Robert Tear is very moving as Aschenbach. He is in excellent voice and his superb, plangent tenor is matched by eloquent acting. Alan Opie, too, is quite fine, in very good voice and offering a wide variety of acting skills in his numerous roles. The staging, video and sound are first rate. Although this is in English, I wish subtitles were available, as they would have made ... Read More: |
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