Customer Reviews

Berg - Lulu / Davis, Schafer, Bailey, Kuebler, Harries, Schone, Bardon, Glyndebourne

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lulu is a very complex work. This DVD makes justice to all of the complexness of the work: musical and dramatic. First of all: Christine Schäfer. Since Teresa Stratas she is the most impressive singer to play this difficult role. As she is a genuine coloratura , Schäfer can handle with all these crazy cadenzas with naturality. And her personification of Lulu is as ambigous as Wedekind( the play ' s writer) has though. But it isn' t only Schäfer that is fantastic in this DVD. Wolfgang Schöne is a convincent Schon and Jack the riper.Stephan Drakulich as The Painter and the Neger is very sexy and exciting . The old wagnerian bass-baritone Norman Bailey is a moving and repulsive Schigolch (and yet in a very good voice).Alwa, one of the most demanding tenor roles in all lyric repertoire, is very well sung by David Kuebler, and his naive looking is very moving during all the performance.Kathryn Harries as Geschwitz is fantastic too. Her final singing is a golden key for this performance. Far from one analytical aproach, Andrew Davies made a romantic and effective reading of the score. The London Philharmonic is in a special day, sounding realy as a great orchestra. The violin and piano solos, at the first scene of act three are very well played.
The staging, transposed for a modern time ( Lulu is atemporal) is fantastic by the simplicitiy of the sets and the coherence (the steps marking Lulu's ascension and fall !!!). Sexuality flows over all the singers.But always with naturality.And I would like to remark also that this mise en scene has a fine movie during the intermezzo of the second act, folowing all the instructions of Berg.
For this ( low) price you will have one of the best readings of the score , only comparable with that of Boulez (1978), and one very special staging of one of the most important opera of the history, maybe .....the last great opera.

I cannot say enough good about Glyndebourne's 1996 production of Berg's
opera recently (and finally) released on video here in the States.
Initially I believed I'd be disappointed in this unit set. Wrong. A tall,
brick semi-circular wall of red brick with offset white bricks that extend
as necessary into beams, creating an angular stage wide staircase joining
otherwise impossible to use doorways, etc. A bare floor with 3 or 4
concentric circles revolves (sometimes in opposite directions) as necessary
denoting scene changes etc. At its direct center is a vast round hole.
This circular concept is fascinatingly explored bookending Lulu's going
full circle - beginning and ending in the gutter. Interesting too watching
her rise from this hole (a really great visual) in her first scene to
sinking permanently into it in the final. Once again the team of Graham
Vick and Paul Brown shed new light on one of opera's best bad girl
stories. That said light is brilliant is a cause for celebration!

Andrew Davis leads the London Philharmonic in a reading of the score that
may well be the most heavily romantic I've encountered. Berg's exquisite
melodies have never sounded more obvious (and sometimes drawn out -
wondrously so) as here. The jazz elements never sound foreign or archly
intrusive as they sometimes can, but rather all of a piece. The audience -
already berserk at final curtain goes berserker still at Maestro Davis's
bow.

If ever a singer was made for a role it is Christine Schaefer. Ms.
Schaefer's incarnation of this notoriously and fiendishly difficult role
comes off, both in voice and body, as an almost "victoire trop facile" for
she is, quite simply, Lulu. Schaefer exudes a raw, otherwordly femininity
and sensuality - the first notable gal to play by her own rules, facing
odds and consequences with an aplomb most men either find shocking or
forget completely the scruples they once possessed. Brilliantly
costumed Schaefer looks amazing whether she's in leather, lace or latex.
Heck, this Lulu even makes a bath towel look like evening wear. (And
the "painting" with her in almost painted on pants is hot stuff.)


Wolfgang Schoene paints Schoen in broad strokes on a huge emotional canvas
and the payoff is huge! Wonderful throughout, he is particularly
mesmerizing watching this "giant" of a human reduced to putty in the letter
writing scene. He is a helpless bear and he gets his just desserts, alright!

While not vocally - physically, in Kathryn Harries's portrayal of Geschwitz
looks like Frederica von Stade. Her countess is particularly pitiable, a
frightened bird - her act of heroism in the escape comes off with
incredible passion. Also a little creepy since I found it impossible to
decide whether the act was purely selfless or selfish. Her grizzly, filthy
demise following Lulu's horrifying screams were particularly chilling and
heartbreaking.

Stephan Drakulic offers a tremendous portrayal of the Painter. Here we see
Lulu's first victim (not, of course, sequentially) trapped in a fatal
obsession where he's so hot for her he can't keep his hands off her (or his pants on). His Act II with Schoen is really played out bigger than I recall in any other Lulu and it is shattering to watch both ego and love fly out the
window as Schoen repeatedly suggests his sole success was having "married a
half a million" - reducing the artist to nothing in a matter of minutes.
His return as a post punk, metal white trash Negro was initially a
humorous, then chilling turn.

Wonderful to see Norman Bailey as a more human than usual Schigolch, yet
retaining a wonderful bum-like craziness.

There is a wonderful black and white film during Act II's great intermezzo -
showing the action we "miss", Lulu's trial, the Countess's panty exchange,
all in a silent "film noire" style. The film ends back at Glyndebourne in
an empty house with Maestro Davis conducting. Amazing!

I could go on for pages more - but will spare you by saying: if you love
Lulu - you won't want to be without this most exciting DVD. It really is
remarkable and Schaefer gives a performance that simply cannot be missed!

Lulu is not an easy opera to get to know. It is written in a twelve tone style (serial) invented by Arnold Schoenberg. But Berg's serial music is easier to listen to than Schoenberg and many parts of Lulu are beautiful in their own way.
This DVD is a perfect way to get acquainted with the score. It is a perfect performance and Christine Schafer has both the vocal resources for this difficult part as well as the looks and acting ability for this femme fatale. The rest of the cast are fully up to her.
The production is pretty bare: a brick wall with a stairway up to two doors, a wooden floor and chairs. But don't let that steer you off. The important thing in Lulu is passion, and it is here in spades.

It might be said that the 20th Century brought along opera's entry into the adult age. Little by little, operas started treating "delicate" subjects in a more serious way, one the largely victorian 19th century never dreamt of. Perhaps the trend was started by Richard Strauss, first with Salome and later on with Elektra. And others followed gladly suit, Schönberg with his Moses & Aron, depicting on stage a savage orgy that even today, almost three quarters of a century later, stage directors have a hard time devising tastefully (and perhaps tactfully). Berg was no exception: the 20's saw his Wozzeck and its tormented characters, the 30's this, his unfinished crown jewel with its decadent world of wealth, lust and manipulation that is given here, as is now customary, in the Cerha completion of the last act that Berg's untimely death prevented the composer from finishing.

At last, this production allows for a credible stage Lulu; the Graham Vick production, filmed here almost ten years ago at Glyndebourne's then new theatre does away with the usual overaged singer attempting a rôle that is inextricably linked like few others to the visual image of its portrayer and has for us the excellent Christine Schäfer, not just looking the part (her young, attractive looks undoubtedly helped) but also despatching its fiendishly difficulty with ease and applomb.

The other parts are also effectively cast, rendering this a winning all-round team effort. Katryn Harries is a superior Geschwitz, David Kuebler an intriguing Alwa. The veteran Norman Bailey appears as Schigolch.

The London Philharmonic, not an ensemble one usually associates with 20th century music, play stupendously and are very well conducted by an Andrew Davis that shows an absolute understanding of the score. Vicks's staging encompasses all three acts with minimum changes (more to do with objects on stage rather than actual scenery modifications) and I've read some critics in UK periodicals whose authors at the time (summer of 1996) did not seem to like it much. Granted, there's no actual displaying of the painter's atélier in Act 1 or Paris saloon, London street, etc. in other parts of the work, but to me it flows well; the work is so well directed you don't actually need scenery changes.

This video (in its VHS incarnation, back in 1997) deservedly won the prestigious Award for Best Video granted by the well-known Gramophone magazine in the UK, and may we say very much so especially in this new, DVD edition.

Berg's LULU is a stunning work. Possibly the best opera of the twentieth century - certainly in the top five. This Glyndebourne production is musically, dramatically and technically impeccable, although the minimalist staging probably worked better in the theater than it does on video. Nevetheless, this is definitely one to own for anyone who has a taste for modern opera, or who is open to developing one. (Now I hope someone will release the Teresa Stratas video from the eighties which is out on DVD only in Japan, and not playable in the US).

This is the only commercial DVD release of Berg's Lulu in complete 3 acts. I like the performance here. Christine Schäfer is a great champion of modern music and "Lulu of our time". Her performance is outstanding, both vocally and visually. Other singers are also quite good. Andrew Davis leads London Philharmonic in a performance which does Berg's masterwork justice by brining the intricate texture of the music to life. The orchestra's playing is clear enough to follow Berg's scores easily, but the tone is warm enough to sense links to the last romantic masters, like Mahler. Graham Vick's stage direction is, for the most part, commendable and following the scripts. (There are a few regrettable departures, though.) A deserving winner of the 1997 Gramophone Award for Best Video.

A short comment on the 3rd act. I personally strongly recommend 3-act performance over the 2-act truncation. Berg passed away before completing the 3rd act, but he left sufficient material, including almost complete short score of the 3rd act, to his widow. The 3rd act was later completed by Cerha, essentially following Berg's material. Therefore, it is fair to consider the music in the third act "essentially due to Berg himself." (I personally find the music flow between the first 2 acts and the last one to be completely seamless.) The interested reader may find detailed account of this matter in Geroge Perle's (a Berg specialist) book "The Operas of Alban Berg, Volume II: Lulu".

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It might be instructive to compare this video with the only other video with complete 3 acts: Pierre Boulez's 1979 l'Opéra de Paris film, which unfortunately is only available as Japanese or Chinese edition, or as bootleg version. I personally prefer the Boulez's. With Stratas as Lulu and Patrice Chereau as director, it really shines! Boulez's conducting is predictably leaner and cooler, and the references to 12 tone music is decidedly emphasized, and romantic elements suppressed.
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That said, both videos are outstanding! I certainly have benefited a great deal from both outstanding performances.

This is a great production.
The sets are minimal and the costumes are essentially modern. However, the acting, singing and pacing of this opera is as close to perfect as one could ever hope for. I have the Teresa Stratas / Pierre Boulez recording on CD on DG. Boulez' Lulu is very "in your face" and he revels in the atonality of the work. However, this Glyndebourne production actually makes the work sound more lyrical and natural.

I highly recommend this recording - along with Christine Schäfer's 'One Nigh. One Life' DVD.
Lulu isn't an easy work and it isn't meant to be easy listening. However, as a human drama, it is in a league of its own. Some have said that Christine Schäfer was too young for this part - she sings in a clear, vibrato-free voice (she has a voice perfect for 18th century music) - how her youth and "earthy sexiness" are great assets here, we can easily believe that men will do foolish and criminal things to possess her.

Note for Berg (or opera) lovers: this was the only DVD performance of Berg's LuLu that I could find a few months ago. Since then several more have appeared at Amazon. I'm glad I saw this performance first, though: the perfection of the performance and the production combined with the (sometimes distracting) realization of the ultimate in trendy of the (2006) time should make it a classic. I'm glad I saw it before I was tempted by the other releases.

The DVD presentation is done as if live at Glyndebourne -- I suspect it's a combination of theatre takes and for-camera scenes. One thing is certain: the whole production is brilliantly conceived and very nearly completely realized. Christine Schafer's acting talent is exploited to the utmost and her voice is not only spectacular in range and purity but co-ordinates with her actions and expressions to give a chillingly consistent picture of LuLu, perfectly and passionlessly amoral -- or is she in some strange way perfectly innocent? The singers are all pretty amazing. Fine rich voices, mostly good acting, and Berg's vocal lines soar from the the singers as if spontaneously evoked rather than laboriously learned.

The setting is a visual treat: one very spare (but also very fancy) stage setting and almost no furnishings or props beyond a set of chairs and an occasionally appearing table or vase. The long undulating staircase of cantilevered boards with no apparent support and no outside rail gives an entirely appropriate sense of unease and even danger as actor/singers ascend and descend to doors high above the stage, and what appears to be an open well shaft in the middle of the action is downright scary -- also entirely appropriately. Slowly revolving wide concentric rings in the floor make an eerie dumbshow (an ancient theatrical tradition, a sort of group mime) of scene shifts as furniture and characters pass and mingle. The production is worth studying for the set alone; admirers of Gordon Craig's stage designs (Craig was developing his ideas as Berg developed his) will recognise it immediately.

That said, I thought the production a bit too trendy in places -- writhing about on the floor in simulated sex is already a dated idea, and the contortions muffle the singing, too, as you'll find if you try closing your eyes to spare yourself Schafer's embarrassment. The cell phones some characters whip out are clunky and already dated and used perfunctorily, as a wall phone with rotary dial and handpiece, more or less period already, wouldn't have been. But what to one person is a flawed scene or idea may be another's idea of genius.

The performance includes a short silent film as an entracte, as Berg intended. Berg's subtle homage to the pantomime that inspired the plays that inspired the opera? It seemed also the production's homage to the Louise Brooks "Pandora's Box" (it's not certain that Berg ever saw that film). The silent film is often left out, partly because it's thought to require a new version for every cast, so its inclusion is anothe tribute to Berg and to the completeness of the production.

There seemed to me to be many subtle references to the Georg Pabst silent movie, Pandora's Box (Pandora's Box (The Criterion Collection)), and the Criterion Collection DVD set would make a good companion to the opera.

As always, the "real" DVD package has much more to offer than a Netflix disk or a TV showing.

Les spécialistes se souviennent de la Lulu de Pabst, mais aussi de celle d'Anja Sija, dans un opéra-filmé qui ressortira peut-être un jour en DVD. Et puis il y eut la référence absolue : celle de l'Opéra de Paris, en 1979. Pierre Boulez osait les trois actes et se payait le luxe d'une mise en scène brillante et intelligente et d'une interprête hors pair : Teresa Stratas. La représentation fut filmée en direct, et retransmise par la télévision, mais... pas de DVD! Il faut donc se contenter de la Lulu de Christine Schäfer et du Covent Garden. Décors minimaux et bonne interprétation, sans plus

This modern reinterpretaion of the timeless opera shows the eternal character of the story. The minimal set that exudes the old adage, "simple is best" and removes distractions and brings the audience to the soul.

Christine Schäfer is terribly seductive while the male characters are utterly convincing, with the impeccable singing technique and wildly expressive acts.

How wonderful it is to have it available on a recorded medium, as the richness and the density of the material allows the viewer to take it in a little by little.