46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than everything except my old CD, November 24, 2001
I am rather picky about Fledermice. I may be a redneck from south Arkinsaw, but I also lived in Germany for 8 years and was married to a Sudeten German whose grandparents grew up in Strauss's Austria. We listened to comedy records in Viennese dialect, and saw and heard many performances of "Die Fledermaus," our favorite German-language work. This is the best version I have seen in viewable form, and musically is second only to the 1971 recording on Angel/EMI CD (also an Otto Schenk production) sung by Gedda, Rothenberger, Holm, Fassbaender, Dallapozza, Fischer-Dieskau, and Berry with the Vienna State Opera Choir and Vienna Symphony under Boskovsky.
A German reviewer said this DVD was a typical Otto Schenk production where the players, especially the men, all act like little Schenks. Schenk's influence is indeed obvious, but I like it, especially compared to the overly decorated and cameoed Fledermaus "galas" that stink up English-language holiday TV. At least Schenk is from Vienna.
The sets and costumes are perfect, but the marvelous performances of the principals and the incomparable music in a top-notch execution Kleiber evokes from an orchestra who grew up on Strauss would have me enjoying this almost as much if everyone were on a basketball court wearing jeans. My one regret is that Fassbaender did not duplicate her powerful and velvety singing of 1971 that made her the Orlofsky of choice ever since. Of course, the CD came from studio conditions, and this DVD is of a live performance before an audience (on New Year's Eve, as with many Fledermice, no doubt lubricated with the usual quaffs of champagne before, during, and certainly after the performance). Still, 15 years and not having to try as hard probably made a difference. Orlofsky is supposed to be bored, but Fassbaender looks bored, too. Still, she is great, just not as great as she once was. Being not as great as one once was is something I understand well.
Even picky German reviewers say that Perry and Coburn do okay with Viennese dialects, and I can vouch for this in agreement with the Munich audience's enthusiasm for these Americans. If the other principals weren't so competent, I would say that Perry steals the show, but her Adele is really the plum role. Well, it's the plum IF the performer is good enough, and Perry is more than good enough. She has not only the voice and fresh beauty, but also the frisky energetic vivacity to make her the definitive Adele in my mind. Coburn does Rosalinde (Blaue Eiche? Gelbe Buche?) as well as it can be done, and Wa"chter is as good an Eisenstein as I have seen. Alfred by Josef Hopferwieser, Falke by Wolfgang Brendel, and Frank by Benno Kusche are all quite competent, but the guys on the CD were better. The ridiculous stuttering lawyer Dr.Blind is a role Ferry Gruber deservedly owns. Another fine job was Ida by Irene Steinbeisser (Rock-biter), who has probably been teased about her surname enough already, so I will just say she could probably do well with Adele's role if Perry weren't around. Schenk probably thought he was a bit old to play Frosch (as on the CD), but I thought Muxneder did fine. I hate to disagree with a "top-ten" reviewer, but it wouldn't be "Die Fledermaus" without his hung-over morning-after scene (including a cheap shot of tearing "31. Dezember" off the calendar to reveal "32. Dezember" hahahahaha). (...)
Technically, DG did its usual minimalist job. The choices for menu languages are English and (...) CHINESE! The English subtitle translations are quaint and awkward in places, maybe what might have come from a studious 19th-century German schoolmarm who had lived in England for a while. To be fair, some of this is almost untranslatable. English gave up the familiar "thou" form of address centuries ago, but not German, so how do you translate a whole song and scene devoted to ceremonializing about it? How about Perry's pun on migraine vs. margarine? The German spellings are the same as English, but pronounciation is much more alike (both G's are hard). (...)
Some reviewers don't find authenticity important, but the more you know about "Die Fledermaus" and Strauss's Vienna, the more you will like this version. Sure, the misery and poverty behind the glitzy uppercrust don't show, but at least the servant Adele gets her way with everybody. This is a great Fledermaus for the 21st century, and I bet Strauss himself in 19th-century Vienna would have also approved.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You will love this "Fledermaus", November 12, 2002
This is a first rate Die Fledermaus!
I watched this DVD last nite for the first time and what a pleasant surprise. Right from the opening chords of the overture you could tell that the conductor Carlos Kleiber obviously loved this work, and the orchestra responded in kind to his caressful approach(see some video of him in the latter part of the opera) to conducting this piece.
The opera takes place at the Bavarian State Opera Ballet and is performed before a live audience that was in a very receptive and appreciative mood.
The video director was Brian Large. Superb! Really, you can have the best singers, orchestra and sets but if the camera angles and switching isn't done properly then the final product can be very mediocre. No worry here.
The singing is stellar: with Eberhard Wachter (Gabriel von Eisenstein), Pamela Coburn (Rosalinde) and Janet Perry (Adele) in the leading roles. The acting is good: light hearted, honest and the overall production is really very funny, without seemingly to have to try to be funny. The cast genuinely seemed to be having a great time on stage and responded enthusiastically to the audience's appreciative applause.
And then.... there were the costumes(especially the ladies) and the sets: Absolutely gorgeous, sumptuous. Perfectly fitting for the setting that this work was written for.
I would have no hesitation in recommending this wonderful, funny opera to anyone. You will love this "Fledermaus"
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Supremely Delightful", March 18, 2003
Imagine a performance where the music was played beautifully and with a loving caress. Imagine a cast in which each singer seems the epitome of the character portrayed. Imagine exceptional acting with that singing, and you have this--the very best performance of Die Fledermaus.
The sets, costumes, and staging are also just right. You will feel that you're right there, at a Viennese grand ball, surrounded by beautiful people, enchanting music, and having a rollicking good time!
It's like being right there at the very best New Year's Eve party you could ever imagine. You will enjoy this performance over and over.
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