Customer Reviews

Dvorak - Rusalka / Robert Carsen, James Conlon - Fleming, Urbanova, Diadkova, Larin, Opéra de Paris

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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

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.

The is the only Rusalka DVD available in original Czech. And it boasts Renee Fleming in the title role.
As usual, she is magnificent. And it is great to see her in addition to hearing her. In general, I find her singing more dramatic and less silkily beautiful than in her celebrated recording under Mackerras(Decca). This is probably what one would expect from a live performance. The other singers are all great, with Sergei Larin as the prince, Franz Hawlata as the watersprite, Larissa Diadkova as Jezibaba and Eva Urbanova as the foreign princess. The orchestra under James Conlon performs ably.
The set and direction are very modern and to these eyes somewhat controversial. But they are interesting, effective and totally valid.
The audience is very well behaved(or some applauses are edited out?), bursting into applause, justifiably, after the famous first act "Mesicku ..." aria, but before the agitated orchestral lead-out, which I felt disrupts the flow slightly.
The film direction is well done in the most part. The camera occasionally lets you see how a scene change is done, which leaves you wondering what the audience in Bastille was actually seeing at other scene changes where the camera "naturally" cuts from one scene to another.
There are very minor cuts to the score. The one I noticed were the solos by the 3 wood nymphs before their trio in the third act.
I don't have a 5.1 system yet, so I cannot comment on the surround sound, but at least the stereo sound is very good.
All in all, the DVD is well worth having.
Technical detail: 2 DVDs(1 DVD9 + 1 DVD5, I thought one DVD9 should have been able to hold 155 mins of video + trailers.)
NTSC, Region 0.
Subtitles in English, French, Itatian, Spanish.
Soundtracks in Czech, Linear Stereo + AC3 Dolby Digital + DTS.
Booklet contains track listings and a synopsis.
Trailers include plugs for other TDK opera DVDs

The music was beyond reproach and the performers well cast. So why the one star? An opera, to me, is a story set by the composer in a setting of time and place. It is a visual and audial work of love where sound and sight are carefully joined to achieve the composer's purpose. Dvorak's beautiful fairy tale has been sacrificed to some giant ego who has completely disregarded Dvorak's setting. The opera is a fairy tale with dark woods, wood nymphs, a water goblin, a prince and princess and the protagonist who is a water nymph. How can it be set in a stark room with electric lights and a double bed? The prince comes seeking "the white doe" through the "woods" in a suit, topcoat and derby!! The only way I could get through this unpleasantness was to close my eyes often and just listen to the music. As another reviewer has said, buy the audio CD of Rene Fleming as Rusulka.

Musically entirely acceptable, but visually a mess. A gross example of directorial indulgence. The modern dress presentation is ludicrously at odds with the fairytale story.

As I was watching the first act of Robert Carsen's production of Dvorak's "Rusalka" for l'Opera de Paris, I couldn't help thinking how much M. Night Shyamalan would love it, given that the set looks like the bottom of a swimming pool. Then again, it inexplicably switches to what looks like a very large hotel room, so perhaps Paris Hilton is the target audience. (Where, oh, where is this forest The Prince keeps singing about?)...Ah the Land of Eurotrash (in this case Canadian) Opera Directors, where their artistic "vision" completely obliterates that of those pesky little people known as the composer and librettist. At least Carsen has a unique eye for the stylish, and he pretty much keeps out of the way of his singers. And what singers they are! The voices here are uniformally superb, starting with the glorious Renee Fleming, performing here one of her signature roles. Her supporting cast, particularly Sergei Larin and the remarkable Franz Hawlata shine no less than she, and they all do yeoman's service in ignoring the silliness around them. I guess we can be grateful that somebody bothered to film Fleming in this role, but I personally would have preferred a less pretentious approach. (And some explanatory notes from Carsen would have been greatly appreciated in the DVD booklet!)

I am in the new generation of opera singers and lovers. I'm always looking for new artistic productions and interpretations on stage. This production of Rusalka could be most perfectly explained as sheerly beautiful! Some don't like its mildly complex staging, but I believe that its open for vast interpretation That's why its awesome.

These are a few of my thoughts about the meaning:

We see a small pool on stage about 2 or 3 inches in depth in the beginning, representing the lake that Rusalka and her sisters live. Remember, Rusalka is a water sprite, NOT a mermaid, as many people seem to think. Water sprites have the ability to walk on water, so this makes more since as they begin to splash around "on top" of the water.

Secondly, Rusalka's Father, who is dressed in a formal black business suit, is dressed this way (I believe) to represent a powerful force over the lake and its inhabitants. Its like "Daddy's coming home to his little girls after a day of work." The bed over the water represents the land, which is "out of reach" to the girls in their sprite form. Of course, the bed lowers as Rusalka becomes a woman.

As far as the "mirror scene" is concerned, this is left up to interpretation, but becomes more symbolic as Rusalka and the new Princess "trade places". Then we begin to understand why the mirror had to be there. Also, think of each side representing something: One is a world wanted and craved, the other a plain reality.

The dance sequence is something that needs to be thought about. Its essentially the entire story from beginning to end (more or less) in a dance. Notice the gestures that Rusalka makes as if she is choking, and see that same gesture mirrored in the female dancers. The stripping of their dresses is essentially the stripping of many things: life, happiness, and her ideal world.

I think that Robert Carsen did a remarkable job with this production. In addition, the singing of ALL of the characters is quite amazing. Renee's interpretation of "Song to the Moon" is sung with the warmest of legato lines and caresses the soul like velvet. Truly one of her signature roles! I love the three sisters in the beginning for their musicianship and energy. But Larissa Diadkova as Jezibaba is really something to hear. Her dark Mezzo voice is like Chocolate, with a hint of spice. Sergei Larin as the Prince gives a fascinating performance as well.

I highly recommend this production to any opera lover, if anything, just for something different. If you watch it with an open mind, I think that it has the ability to become a favorite in your collection. It did in mine!!!

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.

I thought this was a gorgeous production, and was riveted from start to finish. Sometimes I get the "Eurotrashing" comments, some times I don't. In this case, I don't see it at all. I see a production of an opera based on a fairy tale where the sets and staging truly serve an artistic purpose. In my opinion, it is a production that Opera National de Paris should be proud of. I loved all of the sets, and loved the use of the "mirror image" staging to illustrate the duality of Rusalka's existence. The lighting was stunning.

Another thing I like about this production is the number of singers I am not familiar with. Truth be told, the only two in the cast I had heard are Renee Fleming and Eva Urbanova. I spend a lot of time with opera singers, none of whom you have heard of. One thing I've learned over time is this: there are plenty of great singers that will never be known to the general opera public. This production will demonstrate that to you in spades.

The opening scene of this opera set the tone perfectly. The three nymphs (Rusalka's sisters) are cavorting in the water. The staging was playful and credible. The use of water onstage was a very nice touch. The set was vast, but sparse, making the nymphs look even tinier. And what nymphs they were! Michelle Canniccioni, Svetlana Lifar, and Nona Javakhidze were fabulous. They sang beautifully, with gorgeous ensemble. They also looked the parts, beautiful and innocent, dressed in simple white gowns.

Their cavorting is eventually halted by the entrance of their father, the Water Spirit. His foreboding black suit and stern look gave way to a kind man, who proceeded to play with his daughters. As the Water Spirit, we have the fabulous baritone Franz Hawlata. What a great instrument he has, and what disciplined technique. Nothing is forced, and every vowel lines up. He delives some of the best singing in the production.

I also loved Larissa Diadkova as the witch Jezibaba. Her mezzo has a real presence. In addition to her wonderful arias and ensemble singing, she was a convincing actress. She's definitely a good witch. Not such a nice person is the Foreign Princess who underhandedly steals the Prince from our Rusalka. This juicy part is very well sung by Eva Urbanova. You may boo and hiss her actions, but you'll cheer her singing and strong characterization. The Prince is capably sung by Sergei Larin. His death at the end of the opera was very well done. Plus, it's good that not only sopranos get to die on stage!

The reason I bought this DVD is to see and hear the magnificent Renee Fleming in this signature role. All I can say is Wow! Her two big arias ("Song to the Moon" and "I am torn from life") are characteristic Renee. The set and lighting for "Song to the Moon" was just beautiful; simple, elegant, and supportive. Nothing in the set, staging, or lighting detracted from this, one of the most beautiful and moving arias in the lyric soprano rep. Renee's silky voice has plenty of great legato, full dynamic range, and outstanding register matching. Every single note has integrity. She can shape a phrase like nobody's business. Renee is also a fine actress, and a beautiful, elegant woman. I particularly enjoyed the scene where she is losing the Prince because she can't speak. The last scene and duet with the Prince is beautiful and poignant.

But the real star of this opera is the music by the great Antonin Dvorak. This opera can stand up to any opera. Dvorak was a brilliant composer who, like Beethoven, bridged the gap between Classical and Romantic. He's a lot bigger than the New World Symphony. The music is played with great sensitivity and energy by the orchestra of the Opera National de Paris, assertively conducted by James Conlon.

I hope that all opera lovers will make it a priority to own this DVD. Not only is it a beautiful production, it is a performance record of one of the finest lyric sopranos of all time singing a signature role. Renee is one of our generation's greatest blessings.

Highly recommended!

Rusalka is one of my favourite Czech operas. Dvorak's scoring is magnificent; edging towards the Wagnerian side of the scale; combining light and lyrical with dramatic overtones. The cast is impeccable. Commencing with Renee Fleming in one of her greatest roles to date and her support cast members are strong enough to match her. Sergei Larin's helder-tenor voice ripe for the picking. Laisssa Diadkova has always been a favourite of mine and here she displays why, both vocally and artistically. Franz Hawlata's large basso voice gives the Water Sprite that little bit of menace. The three wood nymphs of Michelle Canniccioni; Svetlana Lifar & Nona Javakhide are extremely powerful and remind me of the three Rhine Maidens from Das Rhinegold of Wager's Ring Cycle. Eva Urbanova makes a chilling Foreign Princess, the remainder of the cast match these. The Act ll Ballet is stunning as is the orchestral playing of the National Paris Opera Orchestra under the direction of James Conlon. Now we come to the staging: I can see where Michael Levine is coming from, but I do NOT agree with his decision or vision. Come on, what has happened to traditional set design? Who do these so called modern designers think they are! The composer and lyricist have developed a story/theme, why not stick to it. After all it has survived since its inception. How would you feel if the conductor wanted to play around with the music and add bits of his own? Would that be acceptable? So why change the design so that no one, other, than the designer knows where the opera is set.
This is a beautiful opera destroyed by an over egotistical designer who thinks he knows best. If he insists on these weird designs, then he should write an opera to go with it.
I have a saying: if it ain't broke, don't fix it; and that applies to operatic staging.