34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fine French Farce, December 4, 2005
This review is from: Orphée aux enfers (DVD)
I had the good fortune to pick up a copy of this production from the UK, and I certainly hope it becomes available in the US for the sake of fans of Jacques Offenbach and Natalie Dessay.
For those not familiar with the story, it's a burlesque of the Orpheus & Eurydice legend--he's a skirt chasing narcissist, she's a slut, and the gods are even worse. This is not Gounod or Massenet, but operetta at its best.
Even at this early point in her career, Natalie Dessay is the consummate singing actress, and she proves herself a deft comedienne, too. Not belle but tres joli, this diva in the making is the best of an excellent French ensemble, and it's easy to believe that all the men want a piece of her.
This is truly an ensemble piece, and it's hard to single anyone out (bravi!). The balance between singing and acting is nearly perfect, moving effortlessly from spoken dialogue to sparkling arias and some fine dance numbers; no single element overwhelms the others. By sticking to the story, farce though it is, the production is an immensely funny piece of theatre. The scathing social commentary (implied, not preached) is as current as it was 150 years ago. A few other standouts:
Yann Beuron's Orpheus is marvelous. Only in the first act is Orpheus a significant character and his duets with Eurydice and L'Opinion Publique are well choreographed and genuinely funny. He actually manages to make the vain, jealous musician sympathetic.
Laurent Naouri proves as deft a comic as his wife (Dessay), and with Jean-Paul Fouchecourt carries the action from the second scene onward. The fly duet especially combines some virtuoso singing with a bawdy, comic love scene.
Among the minor gods, Etienne Lescroart's Mercury singing his aria in a chorus line with the dancers is a highlight, and Cassandre Berthon's Cupid is so charming that you forget she's singing a male role.
Is there anything wanting? I didn't think so, but the performance was originally shot for television and seems a bit dark at times. Some will be put off by the modern albeit somewhat surreal sets and costumes or the fact that all the dancers (men and women) wear female costumes. That's their loss
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't miss Natalie Dessay in this fabulous farce, July 30, 2006
This review is from: Orphée aux enfers (DVD)
Natalie is the ultimate Euridice with marvelous acting and incredible singing. She generously sprinkles sparkling high G's throughout the show. If she couldn't sing she would have been a famous comedienne. The rest of the cast is delightful. Bethone's Cupid, Naouri's Jupiter, Beuron's Orphee, Olmeda'a Public Opinion, all singing the wonderful Offenbach music. The Fly Song, The Kissing Song...
I could do without the trasvestite dancers (maybe fast forward was invented for that)......but after all, its a French production.
I've converted Offenbach haters to Offenbach lovers with this video!!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Stuff, March 10, 2010
The bad? I have seen plenty of transvestites around, but to get them in here is rather overkill - even if it is a French production. I would have preferred a better can-can too at the end - a tad crowded and the dance itself gets lost - better so, because it is a mostly male cast of dancers. I wish they hadnt dressed up Dessey as a Tart most of the time. It kinda gives the impression that one has to be a tart to have a mind of ones own as regards lovers, especially since Euridice was supposed to be ravishing looking - the daughter of Aphrodite. Bad....
The Good? Absolutely everything from the conductor (Minkowsky is perhaps at his best here) to all the singers. Although I sort of missed the overture, at the end, with the type of treatment that the operetta gets here, it wasnt too badly missed.
My first DVD of this got stolen, and if I was tempted to buy another one paying more than what I did for the first one, you can be assured it is worth it... am reputed to be a miser....
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