Customer Reviews

Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Kleiber, Coburn, Perry, Bayerische Staatsoper

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am rather picky about Fledermice. I may be a redneck from south Arkinsaw, but I also lived in Germany for 8 years and was married to a Sudeten German whose grandparents grew up in Strauss's Austria. We listened to comedy records in Viennese dialect, and saw and heard many performances of "Die Fledermaus," our favorite German-language work. This is the best version I have seen in viewable form, and musically is second only to the 1971 recording on Angel/EMI CD (also an Otto Schenk production) sung by Gedda, Rothenberger, Holm, Fassbaender, Dallapozza, Fischer-Dieskau, and Berry with the Vienna State Opera Choir and Vienna Symphony under Boskovsky.

A German reviewer said this DVD was a typical Otto Schenk production where the players, especially the men, all act like little Schenks. Schenk's influence is indeed obvious, but I like it, especially compared to the overly decorated and cameoed Fledermaus "galas" that stink up English-language holiday TV. At least Schenk is from Vienna.

The sets and costumes are perfect, but the marvelous performances of the principals and the incomparable music in a top-notch execution Kleiber evokes from an orchestra who grew up on Strauss would have me enjoying this almost as much if everyone were on a basketball court wearing jeans. My one regret is that Fassbaender did not duplicate her powerful and velvety singing of 1971 that made her the Orlofsky of choice ever since. Of course, the CD came from studio conditions, and this DVD is of a live performance before an audience (on New Year's Eve, as with many Fledermice, no doubt lubricated with the usual quaffs of champagne before, during, and certainly after the performance). Still, 15 years and not having to try as hard probably made a difference. Orlofsky is supposed to be bored, but Fassbaender looks bored, too. Still, she is great, just not as great as she once was. Being not as great as one once was is something I understand well.

Even picky German reviewers say that Perry and Coburn do okay with Viennese dialects, and I can vouch for this in agreement with the Munich audience's enthusiasm for these Americans. If the other principals weren't so competent, I would say that Perry steals the show, but her Adele is really the plum role. Well, it's the plum IF the performer is good enough, and Perry is more than good enough. She has not only the voice and fresh beauty, but also the frisky energetic vivacity to make her the definitive Adele in my mind. Coburn does Rosalinde (Blaue Eiche? Gelbe Buche?) as well as it can be done, and Wa"chter is as good an Eisenstein as I have seen. Alfred by Josef Hopferwieser, Falke by Wolfgang Brendel, and Frank by Benno Kusche are all quite competent, but the guys on the CD were better. The ridiculous stuttering lawyer Dr.Blind is a role Ferry Gruber deservedly owns. Another fine job was Ida by Irene Steinbeisser (Rock-biter), who has probably been teased about her surname enough already, so I will just say she could probably do well with Adele's role if Perry weren't around. Schenk probably thought he was a bit old to play Frosch (as on the CD), but I thought Muxneder did fine. I hate to disagree with a "top-ten" reviewer, but it wouldn't be "Die Fledermaus" without his hung-over morning-after scene (including a cheap shot of tearing "31. Dezember" off the calendar to reveal "32. Dezember" hahahahaha). (...)

Technically, DG did its usual minimalist job. The choices for menu languages are English and (...) CHINESE! The English subtitle translations are quaint and awkward in places, maybe what might have come from a studious 19th-century German schoolmarm who had lived in England for a while. To be fair, some of this is almost untranslatable. English gave up the familiar "thou" form of address centuries ago, but not German, so how do you translate a whole song and scene devoted to ceremonializing about it? How about Perry's pun on migraine vs. margarine? The German spellings are the same as English, but pronounciation is much more alike (both G's are hard). (...)

Some reviewers don't find authenticity important, but the more you know about "Die Fledermaus" and Strauss's Vienna, the more you will like this version. Sure, the misery and poverty behind the glitzy uppercrust don't show, but at least the servant Adele gets her way with everybody. This is a great Fledermaus for the 21st century, and I bet Strauss himself in 19th-century Vienna would have also approved.

This is a first rate Die Fledermaus!

I watched this DVD last nite for the first time and what a pleasant surprise. Right from the opening chords of the overture you could tell that the conductor Carlos Kleiber obviously loved this work, and the orchestra responded in kind to his caressful approach(see some video of him in the latter part of the opera) to conducting this piece.
The opera takes place at the Bavarian State Opera Ballet and is performed before a live audience that was in a very receptive and appreciative mood.
The video director was Brian Large. Superb! Really, you can have the best singers, orchestra and sets but if the camera angles and switching isn't done properly then the final product can be very mediocre. No worry here.

The singing is stellar: with Eberhard Wachter (Gabriel von Eisenstein), Pamela Coburn (Rosalinde) and Janet Perry (Adele) in the leading roles. The acting is good: light hearted, honest and the overall production is really very funny, without seemingly to have to try to be funny. The cast genuinely seemed to be having a great time on stage and responded enthusiastically to the audience's appreciative applause.

And then.... there were the costumes(especially the ladies) and the sets: Absolutely gorgeous, sumptuous. Perfectly fitting for the setting that this work was written for.

I would have no hesitation in recommending this wonderful, funny opera to anyone. You will love this "Fledermaus"

Imagine a performance where the music was played beautifully and with a loving caress. Imagine a cast in which each singer seems the epitome of the character portrayed. Imagine exceptional acting with that singing, and you have this--the very best performance of Die Fledermaus.

The sets, costumes, and staging are also just right. You will feel that you're right there, at a Viennese grand ball, surrounded by beautiful people, enchanting music, and having a rollicking good time!

It's like being right there at the very best New Year's Eve party you could ever imagine. You will enjoy this performance over and over.

Asked to give the three greatest operettas, no two from the same country, I would have to name "The Mikado," "Orpheus in the Underworld," and the one just released on Deutsche Grammophon DVD, <Die Fledermaus> (073 007-9). Unlike the overblown "gala" version with Te Kanawa, this 1988 production, long available on VHS, pretty much sticks to what the librettist gave Strauss, and everyone in the cast and audience seems to be having a wonderful time without losing respect for the original.

Eberhard Wachter is a personable Eisenstein, showing unexpected comic flair, as does Brigitte Fassbaender as a perfect Prince Orlofksy and Joseph Hopferwieser as Alfred, the seedy tenor. You could not hope for a prettier Adele than Janet Perry, while Pamela Coburn copes easily with the coloratura and dramatic if somewhat shallow side of Rosalinde. In short, I find this a wonderful cast both comically and vocally.

Carlos Kleiber conducts the Bayerischen Staatsoper forces with tender loving care, although the camera lingers far too long on him during the "Brotherhood" number in Act II. The Ballet is so well done that after long, long applause, Orlofsky's next words, "Enough, enough," get almost as long a laugh. It all leaves the viewer nearly as breathless as the cast.

Of course there is always that horrible Act III in which whatever is supposed to be funny about a drunk is made even less funny by two of them; and one longs for some music after several jokes that an non-local audience simply does not get.

The DVD is set at the 4:3 screen ratio with a running time of 155 minutes and subtitles in English, French, and Chinese--and in the original German, which I think should be standard for all opera DVDs. As with all DVDs, no libretto but a good synopsis is provided. This is a real Grabbit.

This an excellent performance (in German) of Fledermaus conducted by Carlos Kleiber, a superb conductor who simply has not recorded that much. Kleiber nicely catches the fun in this Otto Schenk production, with a very nicely played score and excellent singers throughout. This is pretty much of a straight run through of the operetta, with no extended "gala" sequence in Act II (just a ballet very well done to the "Thunder and Lightning Polka"). The sets and costumes are excellent, the performance very well recorded, and subtitles (including both the original German and English) are available. The only downside of the DVD is the longish bit of spoken comedy (maybe 10 minutes but seems an hour) of the drunken jailer in Act III, a standard of Fledermaus productions. I preferred it to the English lnaguage/Joan Sutherland Gala also on DVD in terms of overall performance.

I read Amazon.com's review of this and wondered if this was the version I had seen. The editorial review mentions that this DVD doesn't have the star quality of the competing Covent Garden version with Joan Sutherland. This version's cover, when enlarged reveals the name Brigitte Fassbender along with this version being conducted by Carlos Kleiber: Operatic stars enough for me.

Herr Kleiber has done some wonderful operas, of which this is one. The comedy of this work is well portrayed. The costumes are wonderful.

If this work doesn't have the name recognition of the Covent Garden version (from a true Royal Opera fan), it deserves to be as well known.

This is an outstanding production with Carlos Kleiber's direction providing an important part of the overall excellence. The other reviewers have dealt with this but I just need to add that the female leads, Rosalinde(Pamela Coburn) and Adele (Janet Perry) are superb both vocally and in their comic acting. The only problem I have is that the VHS tape is recorded at a very high level and some distortion results. Hopefully, this is remedied in the DVD version. I am prompted to write this review to present an alternative way of looking at Act 3 which is the morning after a New Year's Eve Party. Frosch (Franz Muxeneder), the jailer, is a drunk and the beginning of Act 3 features his drunken monologue which I find the funniest part of the opera. Opinions obviously vary on this Act 3, but it is a traditional part of Fledermaus, and I think most viewers will find this excellent comedy, consistent with what has gone before. I complained about the sound on the VHS tape, but the DVD sound quality is quite good.

I saw this opera several times on a vhs tape. Tape quality was poor due to wear. Seeing it on DVD was a huge visual improvement; and, with the audio connected to an external amplifier, I was able to hear the kettle drums reverberation.

Act-3 was boosted with satire to its extreme in this 1987 edition.

carlos kleiber is the real star of this production
here the music is "der koenig aller weine"
beautifull cast ,very well sung and great performance with
brigitte fassbaender as prince orlofsky, but once again it is kleiber the real star of this production

The cast (especially the adorable Janet Perry) is truly outstanding in this fine operetta. Unfortunately, Act III almosts ruins the whole thing with its disgusting attempt at comedy. No fault of the actors though and some very lovely singing by Perry almosts rescues it. But what really irks me is the camera shot of Kleiber during the most reflective and sumptous moments of Breuderline (sp). I sat in horror and disbelief and cursed his giant ego which must surely be the only explanation for this criminal act. I like Kleiber a lot but this nonsense of showing the conductor at the most inappropriate moment is ridiculous.

P.S. If you love Johann Strauss check out his serious operetta, Simplicius, on DVD by Kultur which stretches the boundaries toward opera status. That is one incredible show. Buy this Fledermaus and Simplicius and have a Straussfest!