Customer Reviews

P.D.Q. Bach - The Abduction of Figaro [VHS]

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You already know going in that this will be funny. PDQ Bach (Peter Schickele) has a long history of very clever musical satire. I mean, who else can write music in the style of Bach, Mozart, and Handel, and call it something like "Fanfare for the Common Cold," "The Seasonings," "Chorale Prelude On An American Hymn For The Last Sunday Before The Fourth Day Of The Seventh Month After New Year's Eve," and dedicate a piece to "A nobleman, Count Pointercount"?

At last, we have one of Schickele's major works on video, in a fully staged production by The Minnesota Opera. The principals are quite good, and the chorus is excellent.

Peter Schickele clearly loves Mozart's operas. There are numerous "jokes" based on Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte, Abduction from the Seraglio, and The Magic Flute.

Like Mozart's operas, Abduction has a convoluted plot: Susanna Susannadanna's husband, Figaro, is dying ("Stay With Me"). However, before he can die, he is abducted by Captain Kadd ("My Name is Captain Kadd, and I Am Very Very Very Very Very Very Bad"). Well, actually before he is abducted, Susanna is visited by Dona Donna who is searching for Donald Giovanni ("Perfidy, Thy Name is Donald, Although They Call Thee Don for Short"), who loved her and left her (Donna, that is, not Susanna). There is a rescue attempted by the men (Donald and his mute companion, Schleporello), who are shipwrecked, who are then followed by the ladies who end up in the Pasha Shaboom's harem. Well, you get the picture.

There are subtle and not-so-subtle parodies of specific Mozart arias ("Batti, batti" becomes "Macho, macho, That's How All Men Are," and is followed immediately by "You Can Beat Me," for example), but you don't need to know the Mozart works to appreciate the humor. While some of the bits are perhaps a tad too broad, the clever lyrics and well-written music more than compensate. One of the funniest bits in the entire work is the "Caribbean Ballet" in the style of Swan Lake, complete with pineapple headdresses in place of the usual feathers for the "corps de ballet," and a "Carmen Miranda"-style Odile.

This is definitely worth seeing if you're already a fan of PDQ Bach. It's definitely worth seeing even if you're not yet a fan.

We first saw "The Abduction of Figaro" on PBS at least ten years ago, and vowed that someday we'd own a copy. This is Peter Schickele's humor at its best. (For those unfamiliar with Professor Schickele's works, he is a musician who possesses genuine talent and a warped sense of the bizarre.) Over two hours long, this is not a tape for the squeamish or those with a short attention span, and it helps to have some classical music background. Even so, don't worry; most people will appreciate the juxtaposition of honest-to-goodness opera with snatches of popular songs. The things this man blends together are just plain wrong and yet somehow they fit. Schickele also spoofs all of the cliches of opera itself, from the pompous hero to the drippy heroine, with a cast of superb musicians who have the ability to sing wrongfully on command. The scenery is cheap and gaudy, the staging awkward and painfully funny, and the result is an evening of pomposity skewered by a sick mind. One of the best parts is the PBS-style host wearing a flannel shirt and workboots. Highly recommended for serious and not-so-serious musicians, and for anyone who finds opera annoying. Enjoy with a glass of really cheap wine or, better yet, a can of beer.

This is a melange of the various aspects of the PDQ genre. It includes silly biographic information, a "terrible" overture and lots of arias, some humorous, some satirical, some parodistic, and some just plain beautiful. Also included are some ballet seqences that cannot be described without laughing (such as the "Dance of the Seven Pails"!)

The voices are excellent, as well as the acting, by singers who are really enjoying themselves. The announcer (a familiar voice to listeners of the Met radio braodcasts) is serious tongue-in-cheek. Listen carefully to both the music and the words, because this opera is replete with humor.

Having loved this video for years, I sat down my extended family over Thanksgiving and showed to the lot of them (17 total). Two teenagers, 4 in the 20's, up to our 84 year-old-neighbor lady. Everyone loved it! Even the teenagers. I'm buying a copy to give the teens for Hannukah! It's got broad humor, subtle humor, general music humor, specific opera humor, slapstick, sly wit. I'm so glad I shared it!

Most of PDQ Bach's operas are fairly short (Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice; The Stoned Guest). His really long one is mostly lost (Einstein on the Fritz). The Abduction of Figaro is a 3-act extravaganza, almost 2 1/2 hours long, set in Seville, North Africa, and Cuba. Somehow the Minnesota Opera Company was inveigled into performing it in 1984 and William Pierce was hijacked to do the commentary.

Mozart was a fabulous composer, so one can hardly blame PDQ for stealing so liberally from him. Had he done so more competently he would have written a much better opera. But PDQ never wrote a much better anything.

The opera is very tuneful. Other peoples' tunes, mostly. PDQ Bach (1807-1742?] was an equal-opportunity plagiarist. "Abduction" is something of an upstairs-downstairs opera, considering the number of master-servant pairs involved. There's Figaro's wife, Susanna Susannadanna, and her servant Pecadillo; Donald ("Don") Giovanni and his servant Schleporello; Dona Donna and her servant Blondie; Pasha Shaboom and his servant Opec. Schleporello is a mute, doesn't like it at all, and argues about it quit a bit.

Although the singers' names appear on the jacket, I'm sure they would prefer to remain anonymous. The performance is defective in that it uses a piano for continuo, when of course PDQ wrote for a harpsichord. Harpsichords are far superior anyway.

The overture is sprightly and sounds almost as if it had been cobbled together by Spike Jones -- except that Jones would have done a better job. The opera itself is sung in English, unfortunately -- not because English isn't the original language (there's some debate on that), but because it allows you to understand the fairly idiotic libretto. If it were in Italian or German, you could pretend it's better than it is.

Act I opens at the palace of Count Almamater, in the bedroom of the sick Figaro, who has mostly lapsed into a coma. After Doctor Al Defonso sings his aria ("Found a Peanut") (I told you English was a bad idea) he leaves. Susanna sings her aria, "Stand By Me", which has given rise to an acrid debate as to whether PDQ invented do-wop. Pecadillo comes in to announce the arrival of Dona Donna, who immediately charges in to sing a condemnation of Donald Giovanni and ask if she and Blondie can stay the night. Outside, later that night, Donald and Schloporello show up, while Pecadillo tries to serenade Blondie ("My Dog Has Fleas" ... should have performed this in Lithuanian or something else nobody understands). Donald meanwhile, is unaccountably smitten with Susanna. Things get increasingly complicated until, when the scene returns to the bedroom, Captain Kadd (who has a hook) breaks in. He sings (with hornpipe) about how bad he is and how he's on his way to retrieve a treasure in Cuba. Using Figaro's covered bed, he sails off in with the title character. There is general lamentation. Donald confronts Donna (or vice-versa). Donald, Schleporello, and Pecadillo sail off to rescue Figaro. Almost immediately their ship sinks in full view of everyone (so that's where Bernstein got the idea for the shipwreck in Candide!).

In Act II the 3 men are washed up on shore and sing at length about it. At the court of the Pasha, Opec picks fruit and sings (but not about that)(Opec is played by the inimitable John Ferrante, a countertenor who was so long associated with PDQ Bach's stuff ("Iphegenia in Brooklyn", "The Seasonings", &c.) he wouldn't mind being identified. The Pasha (who's pretty much out of it) comes in and his dancing girls do the Dance of the Seven Pails. Donald and Schleporello discover that Blondie and Donna are somehow already there and part of the Pasha's harem. The latter pair are mightily annoyed when the former put moves on them. Capt. Kadd passes through. Blondie and Donna are disgusted with men ("Macho, Macho"). Schleporello tries the serenade bit again ("You Can Beat Me"), this time with a steel guitar -- obviously an unwonted interpolation in an effort to get a modern audience interested, but by this time they're laughing too hard to notice. Donald makes another pass at Donna. OK, confess; how long ago did you get lost in all this? Donna has a hissy-fit and walks out without singing her aria. Conductor (and PDQ Bach discoverer) Prof. Schickele skips ahead. Donald, Schleporello, Pecadillo -- AND Opec -- decide it's time to go and wind up in ....

Act III is set in Cuba. The 4 guys arrive, walk offstage and then there's is completely senseless ballet that's sort of Carmen Miranda meets Swan Lake, in which PDQ Bach actually plagiarizes himself. The 4 men come back and meet Mama and Papa Geno (hard "G") and their pigs. Captain Kadd now shows up, the bed loaded with pirates, Blondie, Donna, and (of course) the still-comatose Figaro. Kadd gets the treasure map from Papa Geno (huh?) and when it appears that the treasure is in the bed, it turns out that Figaro has disappeared and the Maltese Falcon ... huh? huh? Well, now I'm lost and I'm actually watching it. Anyway, Schleporello gets an aria and ... where did those Valkyries come from? ... and then happily all ends.

This opera is unsuitable for children because they won't understand. Besides, nowadays children quickly reach the point where they don't like actual music and won't discover it again (if ever) until they get dragged to real concerts. On the other hand, an opera written at the time of Salieri, by a composer who was actually inferior to him, isn't a really good place to start. By the same token don't watch "Abduction of Figaro" alone. You may laugh hard enough to require CPR

It helps to have some understanding of opera, but I have used this to introduce novices to the style since it's so darn funny. Even kids will get some of the jokes.

Whether or not you are an opera fan, if you enjoy fun music you will enjoy this performance. The story is a playful merger of The Abduction from the Sarai, Cosi fan Tutti, Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflote. Although the humor is better appreciated if you are familiar to these works, it is definately not required. Overall, it is a good watch!

How Schickele can lovingly lampoon - with no intention to destroy - Mozart's greatest operas is a miracle. I couldn't stop laughing. The singers are great. And the dancers in the Corpse de Ballet are wonderful. I work for Peoria (IL) Ballet and I'm recommending this for all our dancers. Yes, it's broad. Yes, it's over the top. But every plaudit of the other reviewers is true. This "opera" is not to be missed, especially if you are a Schickele fan.

This is the funniest movie ever! Even if you have never seen an opera in your life, you are sure to understand the jokes! Besides including allusions to theatre, the opera includes allusions to popular songs and books everyone has enjoyed at least at one time during their life. I have watched this movie at least five times already and plan to watch it many more. It is the best!

The previous reviews are uniform in praising this piece as a spoof. Yes, it is a spoof and a very good one. No more of that. I am going to take another tack. I say it is an opera and a pretty good one, too, whatever its roots and original intentions. It works, and works well as a music drama--or rather comedy in this case.

Peter Schickele, channeling the last and least of the Bachs, has concocted an effective singspiel/opera buffa, probably the only one in the Twentieth Century that Wolfie Mozart, Larry Da Ponte and Manny Schickaneder would have applauded. Da Ponte, true to form, would have tried to seduce one or all of the leading ladies. Schickaneder would have rushed home to stage a pirate version at his own theater in order to swindle Schickele/Bach out of the profits.

Regional opera companies and opera workshops ought to be producing "The AbFig" on a regular basis. And major companies might do worse. Come to think of it, they have!