Customer Reviews

Ghosts of Versailles [VHS]

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On December 19th, 1991, The Ghosts of Versailles premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. This opera was comissioned for the Met's Cententenary and was the first new work performed there in over a quarter of a century. See what you missed. Superbly conducted by James Levine, this opera features Theresa Stratas as the dead and depressed Marie Antoinette and has a hillarious cameo by Marilyn Horne as an arabian songstress whose voice is the purest in the land. The brilliant plot involves the characters of Beaumarchais's Figaro plays, led by the ghost of Beaumarchais himself. Will Beaumarchais' follies warm and win over the heart of a dead and depressed Marie Antoinette? Will Louis the XVI lose his wife to the dead playwright? I'm not telling so you'll have to get it and see. A great introduction for those not into opera (since it is sung in English), and enjoyable enough to make even the stiffest operaphille smile.

This innovative production was created as a special celebration for the Met's anniversary and the attention shows. For traditional opera fans this one should come as a welcome treat because it is based on the final play in Beaumarchais' famous Figaro trilogy. It contains many familar characters out of Rossini and Mozart. For those who have followed the affairs of Figaro, Rosina and Count Almaviva through the earlier plays, it may come as something of a revelation to find out what's become of them. Susanna is now plump and a bit dowdy. The marriage of Countess Rosina and Count is back on the rocks. Count Almaviva has not forgiven the Countess for her affair with Cherubino.

The Figaro story is performed as a play-within-a play and is viewed as a flashback to a larger story about the French Revolution. The Marie Antoinette story is based on actual court transcripts and has a disturbing postmodern sound. This part of the music is somewhat difficult but stay with the work and you will be treated to a more traditional (neo-classical) sound. The Figaro story abounds with lovely melodic music and the interplay between the two different musical styles helps give the opera its meaning.

It is hard to imagine a better production of this fine modern work. The conducting is superb, the direction is unusually intelligent and very witty The performers are just amazing. There are outstanding performances here by Renee Fleming, Teresa Stratas, Gino Quilico, and Marilyn Horne. Oddly enough, all of them are upstaged by Graham Clark who plays the villain to end all villains. His performance is unforgettable. Please do yourself a favor and get a copy. It is one of the best things I have ever seen done by the Metropolitan.

Interesting footnote: notes list Julie Taymor (LION KING, FRIDA, The Magic Flute) as artistic consultant.

I purchased the video on laser disc when it first came out and I have worn it out listening to it. I'd love to have a DVD of the work, and additionally a CD to listen to in the car. Alas neither appear to be available. You'll love the interplay between the modern and opera within the opera, as noted above. I saw the production at both the Met and the Lyric Opera in Chicago. It is a superb new work.

I have almost worn the tape out listening and relistening. This is truly a great show but it also is important art.

It's been about eighteen years since I first viewed and listened to John Corigliano's opera, The Ghosts of Versailles. I was hoping I would have a better understanding or appreciation of it. All I can say is that, in this piece, Corigliano demonstrated that he could write in many modes and styles. Forget about the overwrought libretto. So, anyway, now that we know he has these talents, we're still waiting for him the write a real opera.

In 1991, when I heard the Met had commissioned a new opera, my interest was raised. Over the course of rehearsals, I managed to find news of this new project and grew more and more excited. Then the fateful day came for the premiere, and what a premiere it was!

Corgliano and Hoffman truly bring forward through the music and text the boredom of the ghosts at the opening. In fact, I still can't believe anyone has actually sat through the opening without being so bored as to be in physical pain! And it was all downhill from there.

One highlight, though, is the setting of Le Mere Coupable, which is an overlooked highlight in Beaumarchais's career (along with being responsible for the Americans winning the War of Independence). It is good someone has finally set this, but did it have to be the centerpiece of this garbage? Where is has opera gone? One can find very good results in late-20th Century Opera (look at Streetcar Named Desire), but one won't find good recent opera at the Met, it seems.

Now the performance...

These are all excellent singers, but the performance of this opera does put forward the only thing I have not liked about opera in English. These people can sing Italian, Latin, German! Some can even sing Hebrew and Greek! And one can understand the words! Why can't opera singers enunciate when they are singing in English? The stream of vowels without even the hint of consonants only detracts from a performance.