Customer Reviews

Sinfonia d'amore [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Petr Weigl's attempt to film Winterreisse is a disappointment. He tells a story via pantomime that has nothing to do with the words of the song cycle. Briefly, it's about a woman trying to decide between two men: her husband and her lover. Beautifully filmed, of course, but one has to forget the meanings of the songs to appreciate it. And why is Brigitte Fassbaender dressed in nun's habit? Is she supposed to be the woman in the story 50 years later? Furthermore, I don't feel that this is a woman's role; it's about a man's unfortuante love-life after all, and it should be sung by a tenor as Schubert intended (a bass or a baritone is too dark for such bleak songs). If Weigl didn't want to do a literal interpretation, he could have used something other than pantomime; perhaps a series of still shots such as the Burns brothers do for their documentaries. Anyone buying this work for the first time would be better off with a good performance on CD and letting the imagination supply the images.

If you are expecting 1.) a filmed recital program of Winterreise or 2.) a literal filming of the Winterreise "plot line," then you may be disappointed. In the case of #1, just the fact that it is a mezzo rather than a male voice singing may strike you as really unusual. And as for #2, with a woman doing the singing, it becomes impossible to film it as if the singer is the protagonist since the protagonist of the story is so obviously male.

If, however, you are willing to accept this film as a thing unto itself, it works just fine. Some of the imagery is beautiful (and the locations always are, as can be expected of any film shot in and near Prague). What I found slightly annoying was that it was unwilling to be literal or to be entirely a free flight of imagination. Whenever it veered in one of those directions, it would immediately bounce back. I would have preferred it to go in either direction, but it always wanted to return to some safe middle ground.

Yes, it is interesting, but I would recommend renting it before purchasing it. If your primary interest is musical (as I admit mine was since I have performed this song-cycle), then renting the film and buying a CD would be ideal. If you either don't know Winterreise or are looking to experience it in a totally new way, then by all means watch this. As long as you are looking for "interesting" rather than "greatness," you will enjoy it just fine.

I have owned this dvd for many years. I didn't like it at first found the images beautiful but fussy. I don't mind the Shubert being sung by a woman. And in fact Fassbender's singing is great.

I gradually warmed to the CD over the period I've owned and and now I welcome an opportunity to play it.

The images that accompany the music, carry many stories with them not just one and they are related to the music, just not in an obvious way.

Buy this DVD and let the whole seep in over the course of years ... it's worth it.

OH MY GOODNESS! 10 stars! This ART film begins with the framework of a flawless interpretation of Schuberts work by mezzo Brigitte Fassbaender, and a brilliant and relevatory interpretation of the piano part (I can't find the name of the pianist). I found myself hearing phrasing in the piano that others simply have not found, and when you hear them, you just think - "that's it!"

That is merely the bones that this film is hung on. The pictures are the essence of film, a story with no dialogue, the stories are not literal interpretations off the lyrics at all, rather they are variations on the themes as told by a a narrator/nun with background figures that evoke a medeival tapestry come to life.

This is not meant to be literal, or a recital, it is a work of art springing from the music. I find that the various story lines give freshness to the original that can be to monolithically dark. The best element, to me, is that Weigl "gets" that this story is ultimately a story of regeneration and hope, and as that message of caring for others more than self makes perfect sense of the nun telling the story. Simply beautiful. Not a concert piece, so prepare yourself for an art show set to music. Not for everyone, but....Marvelous!

Franz Schubert's collection of songs, known by their collective title, Die Winterreise, or The Winter Journey, is arguably the greatest themed group of songs ever written. They can be heard and enjoyed singly, or as a series of songs sharing a unifying theme. I think the entire collection is more meaningful than it's parts. I have treasured several recordings of Schubert's masterpiece and looked forward to experiencing Petr Weigl's filmed version. I thought Weigl's film of A Village Romeo and Juliet was beautiful and touching. His television production of A Turn of The Screw was well done, but his desire to act as auteur in interpreting Schubert songs has led him astray. His translation of the text omits numerous images and thoughts that give the songs much of their depth. And
his selection of the superb German mezzo soprano Brigitte Fassbaender to give voice to the songs was a sad mistake, bringing no credit to Fassbaender or himself. I'm not opposed to creative changes to established master pieces, but casting a woman in a role that so deeply reflects male emotions and syntax comes off as an ego-driven attempt to bring un-needed clarity to words and music that is already profound.