Customer Reviews

Love for Three Oranges: The Glyndebourne Version

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I see by way of the Amazon listing that this disc is out of print; it is available through collateral sources at $60-
Save if one has a collector's passion to possess all versions of this opera, I would dismiss it from mind until a relatively inexpensive release of it is made available.
Sendak is justifiably highly regarded for his children's books; this production shows that he can design for adults as well. His approach, setting the opera in the period of the French Revolution with clowns and life-size animal carrying out the play within a play, allows full scope for the Prokofiev score to work its magic.
There are good voices along with outstanding ones performing to good purpose here although the structure of the opera gives little opportunity for straight out strong song. Within these constraints they do their work well.
In general, I was well disposed toward the production and the style with which it was performed. My feeling of ordinariness is probably due to a sense of tightness, a lack of spaciousness in the performing arena encompassed by the sets.There is a certain lack of scope which diminishes the performer's impact.
That said, it is good fun, an enjoyable experience, well worth seeing; it is not throbbing with the kind of excitement which other versions seem to have generated in reviewers.