Customer Reviews

J. Strauss - Eine Nacht in Venedig

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

 

 

Music is fine; singing is adequate; fullscreen (1.33:1) video staging is colorful; dancing is OK; it's just that there is nothing at the center of this airy "exposition." The acting is mediocre, but that's probably because the storyline has so little dramatic, or comedic, coherence. Whoever directed this production seems to have recognized the problem with the vapid script, and tried to distract us with sexual diversions (e.g., the decolletage of a few of the actors, including the amply bosomed leading lady, was occasionally showing more than just necklines).

Save your money, there are much better video productions of fun operettas [e.g., the Morbisch theatrical version of "Grafin Mariza" with Dagmar Schellenberger, or her stylish (non-Morbisch) "Merry Widow"; there are also two excellent versions of "Die Csardasfurstin": one fullscreen version with Anna Moffo, and a widescreen, bawdier version at Morbisch with Vera Schoenberg].

The applause at the end of this tedious affair was polite, but no one was standing.

I can't speak to the content as this is a gift for my mother. The DVD case does not specify format, but the disc itself is labeled as PAL (European video/TV format). However, I checked it with Nero software and it is actually encoded as NTSC, as indicated above, and plays fine on an American DVD player/TV. So just a sloppy labeling error on the manufacturer's part.

seting glorious;music divine;singing and production all that one could wish for if you can't be there.