Customer Reviews

Strauss: Arabella

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

 

 

This new release of "Arabella" with Renée Fleming is not just a treat for all Richard Strauss lovers but for all lovers of great singing and acting.
Among all the singers I would point out the revelation of Julia Kleiter as a radiant Zdenka. Her portrait of Arabella's sister is at the same time innocent and full of passion and her voice is unbelievably pure, crystal-clear, a real Mozartian and Straussian singer. I am sure Ms Kleiter will become a great soprano star in this repertoire in the near future.
Morten Frank Larsen, called at the last minute to replace Thomas Hampson, gives a fully believable Mandryka, physically attractive, proud and arrogant as any good Mandryka should be, with a powerful baritone voice only marred by a slight wobble in his higher register.
But what makes this new release really unforgettable is the tender, poignant, unbelievably beautiful Arabella of Ms. Fleming. Her evolution from the flirtatious young woman of the first Act to the romantic, self-determined and mature heroine of the last scenes is utterly believable. Her duet with Kleiter "Aber der Richtige" is pure magic with the voices blending perfectly and her encounter with Mandryka at the Faschings Ball, burns with fire and passion. Her voice, in resplendent, luscious form, soars effortlessly to the highest register. Her last aria, "Das war sehr gut, Mandryka" must rank among the most gorgeous Strauss singing on CD or DVD ever! Above all Ms. Fleming's interpretation will surely make you fall in love with this Arabella.
Brava Ms. Fleming, your Arabella is really Bella!!!!!

As a young music major, my initial attraction to Strauss and to opera in general was through the Solti "Elektra," which thrilled me and stirred my imagination like no other vocal work. I must have worn out the LP copy in the music library at Carson-Newman College, overachieving in drop-the-needle test preparation. My other revelations were the Ormandy-Bach 'St. John Passion' and the incidental music from Hindemith's "Mathis der Maler."

In the following years I've jonesed on countless Salomes and Ariadnes and stretches of the Kleiber "Rosenkavalier," as well as the Hockney "FroSch" from L.A. But, now in my September years, I've come to treasure the sentiments in the final collaboration of Strauss and von Hofmannsthal, the opera "Arabella." Although a flawed dramatic work (the librettist died before he could refine his draft), this return to the city of 'Rosenkavalier' with a financially-challenged heroine embodying all of the sympathetic traits of the Marschallin, and then some, deeply appeals to me. Arabella is an outsider in the social scene of fin-de-siecle Vienna: a sensitive, kind girl seeking the calm assurance of the "right one" above the financial security of the local nobility. She is besieged by four suitors, none of which interests her, and tries to maintain a demeanor of kindness and generosity, but knows that she must make a romantic decision soon in order to rescue her debt-ridden family. She is willing to make the sacrifice, but lives in eternal hope for 'der Richtige.'

Mr. Right actually shows up just in time in the guise of Mandryka, the nephew of a former military colleague of Arabella's father. Mandryka is a sinfully rich landowner in the endless forests of eastern Europe. It's love at first sight for both; he from a photo of her and she from a distant glimpse of him. Of course, Waldner, Arabella's father, immediately approves the union.

Arabella unwittingly snags the richest catch of all, and it's obviously due to karma. The 'in dem wie' of the Marschallin becomes the 'wie ich bin' of Arabella. The love and forgiveness she shows to her sister, who nearly ruins all plans of the arranged marriage, and the final act of kindness Arabella shows toward Mandryka make the spectator's heart swell. The general design of her character as a source of understanding and compassion makes the outcome of this opera unusually satisfying. It just might be my favorite opera at this point in my life.

Now, how has Zurich presented this wonderful stage work? Well, the production is definitely minimalist, with bare, spacious sets, white furniture, and sheer curtains to separate spaces. Fin-de-siecle imagery is traded for a stylized modern look, but the production's costumes reach a fine balance of the modern and traditional. Renee Fleming's costumes are especially lovely; she has seldom been presented in a more flattering light. Her face and figure are absolutely gorgeous, and she compensates for her middle age by playing Arabella in a more coquettish manner than is usual or even logical. However, vocally, she is DEFINITELY the star of the show. There must have been a strict vocal coach on board requiring her to purge most of the vocal mannerisms she has lately brought to her roles...She is great!

I don't like the miking of this production....all performers must have been wearing personal mikes, resulting in a sound without any sense of hall space or resonance. This makes the singers sound more shrill than they would in the house.

As for the rest of the cast, the only other singer to be praised is Julia Kleiter as Zdenka, Arabella's younger sister. With a bit of gel, she creates a male look (for her masquerade as Arabella's brother) that is more believable than you're likely to see in most trouser roles. In the third act, sans gel, the female look is pleasing and natural. Vocally and dramatically, Julia complements and supports Renee at every level and is fantastic just on her own.

Unfortunately, these talented sisters must play to a pathetically parochial cast of singers that exhibits neither top-notch voices nor passable acting abilities. The deal killer is Morten Frank Larsen as Arabella's betrothed, whose European Metrosexual Mandryka in no way embodies the 'halber Bauer' of the character. Nor does he possess the vocal resources to sing this extremely taxing role credibly. On top of that, his voice is disturbingly ugly. Feh!

Better is Alfred Muff, a stage veteran, who shows some polish as Waldner, but who is definitely on auto-pilot. Fiakermilli somehow absorbs the ennui of the production and fails to thrill.

Franz Welser-Moest is, in this case, an incredibly unfeeling conductor, so much so that the tenderest moments that we love to savor are perfunctorily swept through, making it difficult for the principals to effectively emote. The second act is a musical travesty.

So, look elsewhere for your DVD Arabella. The one I return to again and again is the Glyndebourne production under Haitink. Even though Ashley Putnam is not vocally ideal, she captures the inherent dignity and compassion of the character. John Brocheler is visually and dramatically the best Mandryka ever (Bernd Weikl is the best vocally) and baptizes himself at the end with the glass of water in a true stroke of genius.

Kiri Te Kanawa is actually my favorite exponent of the title role, but the Met DVD also sports an insufficient supporting cast and substandard conducting. If you're a fan of Janowitz and Weikl, then, despite a dull visual palette, the recently-released Solti DVD is the one for you.

This one is not.

I have two other Arabellas, with Kanawa and Brendel and Janowitz and Weikl, and I liked this one the best. I wanted to see Renee Fleming in the part and she was spectacular; beautifully appointed, in fine voice and natural in the role. When Morten Frank Larsen appeared as Mandryka, I thought, "Ooohh la, la! Someone as beautiful as Fleming to play her match!" After a while, I thought he was as much the star of this opera as she was. His acting and singing were terrific and his character seemed believable and natural. (This is contrary to my impression of the opera film with Janowitz and Weikle, who were both way, way, way over the top!) Kudos to this pair!

Julia Kleiter was an excellent Zdenka and Johan Weigel portrayed Matteo very well as the pathetic character he is. Alfred Muff, as Graf Waldner, the father, was wonderful in the role (and the audience showed their admiration at the end). Cornelia Kallisch as the mother was great, too.

I was not too impressed with the Fiakermilli but I don't care for that part at all, no matter who's singing it. The ballroom scene with the fan dancers was the low point for me.

Otherwise, I liked the updated and simple set and costumes.

I also thought Franz Welser-Most did an excellent job conducting the beautiful score. As usual.

If you are new to Arabella, I'd recommend you buy this one!

I would like to add my vote to those of reviewers praising Renee Fleming's performance here. It is absolutely wonderful, both the singing and the acting. Fleming's magical dramatic skill is not often enough praised. Here she captures the subtleties of Arabella's character and her changing feelings and situation with great sensitivity and force. Others have praised her singing (those, at any rate, who are willing to hear her, and don't presume to lecture on how a singer "should" sing) and I second their praise. Her Arabella, like her other Strauss performances, is incomparably beautiful.

The production does not try to capture the stately feeling of mid-19th C Vienna, as the Te Kanawa Met performance does (even rather overdoes) -- so those who like their Strauss served with that more conservative feeling might want to have 2 performances or more of this great work. But that's a good idea in any case. The world is rich in fine performances, and there is no such thing as a "perfect" one; I am pleased to have several Arabellas to enjoy on DVD and CD, and much enjoy their differences. This one by Renee Fleming is at the top of my list. I wouldn't be without it.

I dithered about acquiring this new DVD of Arabella; afterall I had KIri and Gundula, but most of the Zurich productions I have are very good and even though Renee (and Muff and Kallisch)was the only artist whose work I knew I thought it was worth the plunge. And as far as Fleming, I am glad I did. As an actor she has improved immensely since the taping of the Capriccio--a self-absorbed interpretation created to draw attention to herself at the expense of others. This is not the case with her Arabella, but what a pity that Morton Frank Larsen (a substitute for Thomas Hampson) was the only other Mandryka available. Here is a lyric baritone, seemingly young (and very good looking) who has no business singing this role. Yes, I know Hampson is a lyric baritone, but the man has twenty years of experience and has doubtless given considerable thought to the vocal risks he is currently taking. Larsen is unlikely to be around in twenty years. Already he has an incipient wobble and a lack of resonance in his top notes. The voice itself is not distinguished for beauty, but were he to bring some artistry and musicality this could be overlooked. A pity. The Zdenka is excellent. The three suitors and Matteo are adequate. Muff is a very good Waldemar--wasn't he the Mandryka in Kiri's audio recording from the 80's?

While I am mostly sympathtic with most European productions this is one tha I would gladly pass on. It makes no comment politically or socially, and it is ugly to boot.

Welser-Most's conduction is very similar to Solti's recording: brutal. He dispatches the score with the efficiency of a routenier--something I didn't think I would ever accuse Welser-Most of. To hear this music at its best you need only put on the Met production with Thieleman who obviously loves the score.

And lastly, why did Zurich opt for the 1939 production joining Acts II and III together. Sure Strauss approved it at the time, but then he was notorious for "approving" of cuts that were made by Bohm and HvK. Perhaps he felt not to approve would curtail the prodution. At any rate I thought we had moved beyond this sort of thing.

Fleming seems born to be Arabella. Her conversational style here suits Strauss.She illuminats this opera on a par with two others, Te Kanawa at the Met and Janowitz in Vienna. All three of these dvds are equally good and bring insights into this opera.
Amazed by other reviewers who criticized the singing, I would not want any one fond of Arabella to miss this performance . The singing is better than 5 star. (except Sen Guo's Faikermilli who understandably is not up to that of Guberova or Dessay on the other dvds).
As an compelling inducement to watch this dvd, the Mandryka of Morten Frank Larson reaches beyond the best ever to extraordinary. If you have come to think that good male voices are in short supply these days, the singing and superb acting of Morten Frank Larson will be a new star to blaze into your sky.
The loss of one star is for the set, although is improves considerably during the opera is remains a boring gray-purple box for much of the time--Zurich seems often to have poor sets.

This is an absolutely wonderful display of vocal and dramatic sensitive by Renee. The production is not my favorite and I do not really care for the costume concept but Renee's singing is so glorious that one is caught in this stunning vocal spectatcle.She captures all the nuances and intricacies of the role.Fleming has proven to be one of the best middle voice Strauss interpreters of our time.

This version of Arabella is fabulous. If you love Renee you must add this to your collection. Her singing is unbelievable and her tone is spellbinding

Julia Kleita is absolutely great in the role of Zdenka both for her acting and her singing/character. Flemming on the other hand brings nothing in the way of style to this great score. Where are the vocal colorings and that special Vienna style? And she's clumsy looking in that modern(!??) production. She (Flemming) is beautiful but for me it's all about the music. There's no better Arabella in the last 10 or 15 years than Kiri Te Kanawa.
You can see it on video with a superb cast in a super production. Here's a big production that never losses the essence of Strauss' intimate play. And if we're all lucky we will eventually see the Lisa Della Casa/Fischer-Dieskau from the 1950s, (While we wait you can catch a glimps on You Tube).

I witnessed this very same production of Arabella by Götz Friedrich in the theater when it was first unveiled in Zurich way back in May of 2000 with this unparalleled cast: Cheryl Studer (Arabella), Wolfgang Brendel (Mandryka), Piotr Beczala (Matteo), Dawn Kotoski (Zdenka), Irene Friedli (card reader), Cornelia Kallisch (Adelaide), Alfred Muff (Count Waldner), Erika Miklosa (Fiakermilli) and others. Franz Welser-Möst also conducted those performances. Alas, this video release simply does not capture the magic, neither of the production nor of the singing. The cast in 2000 had everything you could possibly want for making this work a success. But Renee Fleming ruins the proceedings with her blues-and-jazz informed singing (which has nothing to do with the Strauss idiom, something worse than mannered) and her inability to act or move regally. Her overall demeanor is just too reminiscent of a modern day country & western singer or of your average suburban soccer mom. She adds nothing to the role and, in fact, takes away a lot. Wish the folks at DECCA had filmed the other cast for a winning release.