Patterico's Pontifications

10/29/2005

Kupfer Ring (Barcelona Production) on DVD

Filed under: Music — Patterico @ 8:31 pm



I just ordered the Barcelona version of the Kupfer Ring production on DVD from Amazon. The Barenboim version, previously available on video, is in the process of being released on DVD as well, but Die Walküre appears to be the only opera yet available, and I ordered that as well.

Hooray for Amazon gift certificates!

If anyone has seen these, I’d appreciate a review. But I’m getting them anyway.

2 Responses to “Kupfer Ring (Barcelona Production) on DVD”

  1. Saw Siegfried/Gotterdammerung about 10 years ago at the Staatsoper, so my memory needs to be refreshed. But the opening of Siegfried is a pretty spectacular coup de theatre.

    I have to imagine it’s much less effective on a tv screen, though.

    My suggestion: keep the volume up and let the music compensate for the missing visual grandeur.

    The productions were popular with the public: far less inscrutable than most recent German Wagner productions (contemporary Deutsche Oper Ring productions, for example, had singers running up and down something the director called a “time-tunnel”) High-minded folk complained of too much Hollywood schnick-schnack. Which complaint might just as well be laid at Wagner’s door.

    My impression of a lot of Barenboim opera performances at the time was that the orchestra sounded fairly well-rehearsed, the winds were terrific, but that Barenboim’s conducting during performance was a bit capricious, throwing the musicians off balance.

    m.croche (57c076)

  2. In the mail: entertainment for a long weekend at home.

    Today’s care package from Amazon:Der Ring des Nibelungen (not the same production Patterico got; we’ll have to compare notes).Die Meistersinger von NürnbergLooney Toons Golden Collection, Vol. 3Rocky Bullwinkle Friends, Season 3 And, not for this we…

    Silicon Valley Redneck (af7df9)


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