Customer Reviews

Richard Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier / Karajan, Schwarzkopf, Edelmann, Salzburg Festival Orchestra [VHS]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't know why Amazon has started to attach to new releases reviews that were written for ancient VHS versions and early, different DVD versions. The info Amazon provides on the reviews that actually says "review of the VHS edition" is easily overlooked. I don't think this is really a service to the customer, who might be put off buying a newly remastered Blu-ray edition with many bonus features when he sees an attached review that pertains to a Betamax of the same title, or something equally irrelevant.

I have never been a Schwarzkopf fan and for the past 18 years preferred Régine Crespin's Marschallin (on Decca), even in the complete Solti recording, where her voice allegedly was in decline (critics are always happy to point out these imperfections). I also never warmed up to Otto Edelmann's Baron Ochs, and felt his timbre gives the role a cunning/evil twist rather than a comic one (I prefer Manfred Jungwirth). My first reaction to this tape was that the production is conservative and unimaginative, compared for example with the newer Covent Garden production with Solti and Te Kanawa. However, on repeat viewing I finally gave in - I feel the critics were right all these years and Schwarzkopf IS the greatest Marschallin ever. I still am not a fan of hers as a voice - Crespin's voluptuous voice and seductive yet motherly characterization are a rare gem. Yet Schwarzkopf's interpretation is highly intelligent and very subtle (it took me 18 years to appreciate it). It is a very unusual role of a lover who displays rare wisdom and maturity in her love and understands when to let her lover go as an act of love. Schwarzkopf displays a deep understanding of the Marschallin's dilemma and choice with very fine nuances of singing and acting. I felt that watching her acting added depth to just listening to her on discs. In that sense the very restrained production serves to highlight Schwarzkopf's nuances. Even Otto Edelmann's Baron Ochs is more complete when viewed on stage. His baron Ochs is a stupid, crude and conniving character, rather than funny, and as a result it is more difficult to forgive him (he's never really silly). He represents the complete antithesis to the Marschallin's truly noble handling of her love object - he wants to grab, hold on to, use and thereby demean his chosen one. Their conception of these roles is highly idiomatic and no singer who wasn't raised on the German language can quite match that. They project a degree of self confidence in these roles that comes with the experience of many live performances together - they rarely look in the direction of the conductor to get their cues. This film is a classic.

This is the best Rosenkavalier of all. Sena Jurinac is a magnificent Octavian - a wonderful voice, and subtle and noble, as well as characterful, acting. Otto Edelman is a great Ochs - terrific vocally, and with a certain amount of charm is able to seem some kind of aristocrat, despite being such a boor. Anneliese Rothenberger is a beautiful Sophie - in voice and acting, and she looks the part too. Erich Kunz is a splendid Faninal - wonderful fussy movements combined with a really beautiful voice. And, for all that people say about her, Schwarzkopf is really just the best Marschallin. It's altogether wrong to think of her as cold: there are layers and layers of characterization here, and each layer is deeply felt. What is mistaken for coldness is instead an acted restraint, which is in itself an expression of depth of feeling. It makes a difference to be able to see her act, of course - a lot goes on in very slight gestures and facial movements. And she is so strong vocally: absolutely never under strain. The whole thing is capped by terrific playing by Karajan and the Vienna Phil, who know how to do Viennese in a way that nobody else can. My immediate comparisons are the two Carlos Kleiber DVDs - the cast is better vocally than on either of those, and the acting is better too, I think - and the old Erich Kleiber and Karajan audio recordings. I think this film is better than the Karajan audio because Sena Jurinac is better than Christa Ludwig, and the Vienna Phil is better at this than the Philharmonia, wonderful orchestra though the Philharmonia is. And I think Schwarzkopf is better than Erich Kleiber's Maria Reining as the Marschallin.

This film has been available on DVD, though it doesn't seem to be readily found now. I have just managed to get the DVD (new) through a marketplace seller on Amazon.de. OK the picture quality is not always great, but that's nothing to complain about in the context of a performance as wonderful as this. Get it if you possibly can!

It would be idle to pretend that a 1960 film can be technically transformed into a state of the art DVD. But having said that, the boast that Kultur makes in this case is very close to the truth. I owned one of Kultur's last VHS tapes available of this work. Ten minutes into it I stopped, rewound the tape and put it back on the shelf knowing full well that I would never play the tape again: it was a travesty and did no one any favors from the artists down to Kultur. For this reason Amazon should immediately remove reviews of this opera that are based on the VHS tape. They are simply muddying the waters and have nothing to do with this current reissue.

In the book, "Elizabeth Schwarzkopf: A Career on Record" by Alan Saunders and J. B. Stean the following comment was made regarding this taping: "At Salzburg this was the year when "Rosenkavalier" was filmed, and there were some disturbing behind-the-scenes machinations and disputes before Schwarzkopf's itinerary was finally settled. In the event she gave four performanaces of "Don Giovanni" under Karajan, four of "Cosi fan Tutti" under Bohm, and just one of "Rosenkavalier" with Karajan, without any stage rehearsal, before the production was filmed. The soundtrack was recorded over two mornings. Dame Elizabeth remembers, somewhat wryly, that the only part of the score which Karajan repeated was the orchestra passage at the beginning of Act 3. The filming, in a series of single 'takes' lasting the length of each reel, was undertaken as a second stage in proceedings. The singers used half voices throughout and did their best to synchronise with the soundtrack.
Dame Elizabeth finds some fault with the film's visual production, since in a Hofmannsthal comedy it should be possible to see the characters reacting to one another, whereas the camera tends to concentrate on the face of whoever is singing at the given time."

What I miss in this DVD are the close ups that are now typical of DVD's that have been released in the last few years and are a feature of the medium. I realize that this is not the way one sees opera in the house, but I treasure the experience and have found it very rewarding. Czinner was using film; video was not available to him in color. Given the speed with which he had to work, it is a tribute to all concerned that what resulted is as good as it is. I was lucky enough to see Schwarzkopf's Marschalin when the San Francisco Opera visited Los Angeles; they were treasurable experiences--even in the monstrous Shrine Auditorium. The film documents these experiences for me. What the film offers is a wealth of casting that could not have been duuplicated outside of Salzburg and Kultur as is their wont have omitted a complete cast list. The Faninal is Erich Kunz, the Italian Singer is Giuseppe Zampiere, Annina is Hilde Rossl-Majdan, Valzacchi Renato Ercolani. How much would it cost Kultur to provide cast information? In any event this is luxury casting that is rarely available today. As can be expected the sound track emphasizes the voice at the expense of the orchestra. I do wonder what the Blue Ray Edition can offer--a better picture, better sound?

I have a number of "Rosenkavaliers" in my collection: Lott, Fleming, Pieczonka, and Schwanenwilms. All are technically superior and only Lott's production is traditional. I know the Munich set has many admirers and it is probably the best work that Gwyneth Jones has committed to disc, but I have never warmed to the sound of a helden soprano singing this role; it must be admitted that the remainder of the cast are superb as is Kleiber's conducting, but then Lott also offers Kleiber so that base is covered. Karajan spent the last years of his life repeating and rerecording many of the works that he did in the years after WWII. In practically every case the earlier versions are superior to what came later, technical advances not withstanding. By the time he memorialized his last "Rosenkavalier" the tempos were slower, the singing less distinguished (I love Anna Tomowa-Sintow but this was not her finest hour) and there were numerous cuts that were not made in the 1960 edition: it is a pale shadow of theis earlier taping.

Even with the technical shortcomings of the Czinner film this is a highly recommended release; ideally one should have a more contemporary performance as well, but if one is the limit this is it.

It is a real shame to realize that there is no difference in quality between the VHS version and this new one on DVD. This is originally such an unbelievable and charming performance with Karajan at his best years and with the unbeatable Schwarzkopf in her most amazing opera role. After having seen this version in a theater, it is very difficult to watch this poor quality video at the time of high-resolution DVD. In addition, the English subtitles from the VHS version have disappeared - I could not believe it. If you really want to own this version, do not spend this money on the DVD version. If you still have a VHS player, go and get the VHS version at low price.

Kultur describes this title as newly restored and remastered; it's going to be available on Blu-Ray as well. Since it won't be released until November, presumably nobody has seen it yet. So let's not rush to judgment based on e.g. VHS versions.

You might ask why then I give it four stars? Partly because I'm eager to have it no matter what, and partly to balance the negative, based on other version, reviews.

that line from the last act comes to mind, viewing the new BluRay version of that famous Rosenkavalier recording.
In my opinion, this is the greatest Rosenkavalier ever recorded. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf IS the Marschallin in every nuance of her interpretation, and no other recording, back to the famous Lotte Lehmann recordings, comes close to the psychological depth and vocal beauty of the Schwarzkopf Marschallin.
More than that: the Marschallin, a member of Viennese nobiliy, has to speak High-German with some Viennese dialect colorations. The touching sad-sweetness how Schwarzkopf sings that words is unsurpassed, and it is hard to approach even for a native German singer.

And then a stellar cast:
Anneliese Rothenberger, Sena Jurinac, Erich Kunz and Otto Edelmann.

Edelmann, certainly, was one of the greatest interpretors of Ochs von Lerchenau. Ochs not only is a member of lower country nobility but a particularely primitive one, who tries to appear more refined. This has to be reflected in his singing. Ochs tries to sing High-German, but the low class country dialect of the people he usually is surrounded with has to come through. There have been very few singers of the role of Ochs who mastered that as perfectly as Edelmann.
What else? A most beautiful "classical" staging and Herbert von Karajan conducting.

Technical quality:
The original Salzburg festival performance was filmed on 35 mm, but the sound recordings were done before.
That way the voices could be recorded with studio microphones for optimum sound quality, but the synchronization in the film recording was not perfect. This was distracting in some close-ups of the old DVD version. Much of that has been corrected when the recording was digitally re-mastered, but it still can be noticed. The image quality, however, is superb since the BluRay recordings were directly taken from the 35 mm master.

THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST OPERA RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME and an absolute "buy" recommendation.

If you have not yet seen the Rosenkavalier, see that recording, and see it several times. You will be fascinated by it's beauty and you will discover new details every time you see it - and you will get addicted to it.

The newly remastered Kultur DVD edition (November 2010) of this classic Paul Czinner film arrived today in my mailbox. I put it on just for a couple of scenes, and it is magnificent in every regard. For years I have owned the old VHS copy, going so far as to copy it onto DVD-R. Now this beautiful edition is in my hands.
Of course, there are other fine ROSENKAVALIERS on DVD (and even more so, on CD), but this one is a classic. Otto Edelmann may not be the best Baron Ochs, and von Karajan, at least for me, has been an acquired taste. But in sum I would not want to be without this justly famous classic. Here Strauss's masterwork lives and breathes. The disc is reasonably priced, and must go to the top of the "recommended" list.

Let's get this 1961 video's flaws out of the way first. The first is that although it seems to be a staged performance, in actuality the singers are miming to a pre-recorded soundtrack. The performers were then filmed "onstage" to simulate a live, staged performance. The result is a slight feeling of artificiality, as well as more obvious points when the lip-synching and the soundtrack are off. The second is that although Kultur has remastered the film, and also added subtitles (something the previous releases did not have), the video quality is still surprisingly grainy, and the sound tinny and distant. So if you are looking for state of the art picture quality and sound, look elsewhere.

The reason to get this video is obviously the cast. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Sena Jurinac, Anneliese Rothenberger, and Otto Edelmann were all so closely associated with this opera that having them all together in one video seems like a dream come true. Herbert von Karajan was also a famous conductor of this opera, although this recording didn't really capture the famous lush "Karajan sound" as well as his 1956 studio EMI recording.

So how does the legendary cast really fare? Let's start with Schwarzkopf's Marschallin. Schwarzkopf was always a controversial performer, not just for her past (she was a member of the Nazi party), but because of the way she sang. Her critics called her "mannered," and often pointed out that for "dramatic effects" she was fond of cooing, sighing, distorting vowels, overusing her chest voice, and otherwise destroying the "pure" vocal line. What I suspect is the real issue though is that many people just can't warm to Schwarzkopf's voice. Certainly it is not an easy voice to listen to -- the timbre is often throaty and husky in the lower registers, and lacks the silvery spin of, say, Lisa della Casa or Eleanor Steber. Sometimes I wonder if Schwarzkopf even liked the sound of her own voice. I remember a video of a master class in which she relentlessly pushed a young soprano to change her vowels to avoid a guttural, throaty sound. In the process she ended up doing a pretty good imitation of herself, and garnered uncomfortable laughs from the audience. That harsh, throaty, chesty sound is what I dread most in Schwarzkopf recordings, and many of her vocal "effects" seem to have been efforts to hide that sound.

But when I watched this video of the Marschallin, somehow the vocal idiosyncrasies that often drive me nuts in recording were balanced out by her gripping, unforgettable portrayal of the Marscallin. Schwarzkopf's Marschallin is not simply a wise and gracious aristocratic cougar. Instead, Schwarzkopf portrays her as a bitter and isolated woman. In Act 1, she's noticeably less affectionate with Oktavian than most Marschallins I've seen. Her famous monologue at the end of the act is spellbinding -- Schwarzkopf does not seem to be singing "to an audience," but really is having an internal monologue. She ends the act by dropping the mirror to the ground. Her face during that moment is so desolate and bleak. It's an unforgettable gesture.

Sena Jurinac was also a legendary Oktavian. Oktavian is onstage for almost every scene of the opera, and I must say, Jurinac is as perfect of an Oktavian as I've ever seen. Not that she really looks like a 17 year old boy. But her silvery voice, her earnest, romantic stage manner, and her sense of musicality and style make her Oktavian unforgettable. I like the fact that she doesn't overdo it with the traditional "flat singing" and mugging in Act 3 as "Mariandel." I also, as I said, liked it that the relationship between Oktavian and the Marschallin is represented as a bit distant from the start. Good foreshadowing. Anneliese Rothenberger is simply a delight as Sophie. Her voice is also bright and silvery, her appearance adorable, and her characterization of this young girl is delightful. She doesn't make Sophie a brat. Her voice also blends beautifully with Jurinac in The Presentation of the Rose.

Otto Edelmann is the Baron Ochs. Ochs is a problematic character -- most audiences find him so repulsive and annoying, rather than funny. But he's onstage for large portions of the opera, and his attempts to reclaim his youth by marrying the teenaged Sophie are meant to serve as a foil for the Marschallin's own struggles with aging. Edelmann portrays Ochs as a crude pig, and personally I like my Ochs' to have a sort of rascally charm and joie de vivre about them. But Edelmann is also a real bass, and can handle Ochs' low tessitura without problems.

The climax of Der Rosenkavalier is in the Act 3 trio, when the Marschallin realizes that Oktavian has indeed fallen in love with a more age-appropriate female, and that it's time to move on. All of a sudden, Schwarzkopf's voice drops its husky and throaty sound, and soars over the orchestra, and blends beautifully with Jurinac and Rothenberger. Schwarzkopf barely smiles through the scene. At one point Oktavian holds out his hand to the Marschallin and the Marschallin does not accept it, and when she exits the lodge, she avoids eye contact with Oktavian. The trio thus becomes not only the Marschallin's gracious capitulation of her lover, but a painful farewell.

I often think of the best performers as magicians. The best ones are masters of creating a spellbinding illusion. Schwarzkopf to me illustrates the "magician" part. Until I saw this film I thought her voice was unattractive, and I rarely listened to her recordings willingly. But then I saw this film, and I believed. This is what opera is all about.

Can't Amazon clean out the old files or empty the buffers? Once again old reviews for VHS and "on the market for 5 minutes" DVDs pop-up for what will amount to a totally new product with this release on DVD and Blu-ray of Der Rosenkavalier. A properly restored version of this beloved opera, with the acclaimed performance by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and the rich red and gold scenery will indeed be an early Christmas present. Rating based purely on the performance.