I would be spitting nails if I paid Paris Opera prices to watch that travesty of "Le Nozze." Note to arrogant tone deaf directors: it isn't about you and your dashed gimmicks. And unless the singer suffers from hypoglycemia or diabetes, no eating during performance. Potato crisps and vocal cords... NO NO NO NO! Yes, I'm a purist and passionate about opera etc. whoever that naffhead director was s/he destroyed the dynamic substrate of the opera...I stuck it out for Mattei and I would pay Paris Opera prices to hear him and other castmembers sing - no sets, no gimmicks, no creepy floor level simulations.
Christoph Marthaler was one of the leading stage directors of his time, admired for his creativity and for thinking outside boring conservative ideas. His new Falstaff premiered at Salzburg Festival just a few days ago. Maybe, just maybe, he knows a bit more about directing than some random person on the internet.
I'm by no means against new ideas and creative reimaginations of old repertoire but I find this performance pretty underwhelming. There are some funny ideas, sure, but they overstay their welcome in my opinion. Whether it's the recitatives with the electronic keyboard which is amusing at first but soon starts to become annoying or the stuff with the electric recliner (or however it's called). It's a funny prop at first but it makes the whole scene with Susanna, the Count and Basilio extremely static and lacking in dynamic blocking. The scene where the Count discovers Cherubino usually gets a big laugh out of the audience but because they ignored the libretto in this instance and had Cherubino hide elsewhere it falls flat. I think blocking is one of the most important parts of staging an opera and it's just lacking here. Good blocking can make a traditional performance exciting and it can turn a radical new approach into a snoozefest. Just compare this performance with the 2006 performance with Diana Damrau and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo here on TH-cam. It's a traditional version but because of the dynamic blocking and the brilliant performances I find it way more exciting than this version. It's a joy to watch.
C'est la version de mon enfance, je l'ai regardée un nombre incalculable de fois. Merci pour le reupload 🥲
This is absolutely brilliant. ❤
Oooo... thank you) I've wanted to watch it since I saw a duet - Crudel perce ... It was amazing))))
a m a z i n g. Thank you
How cool, thanks for uploading!!
I would be spitting nails if I paid Paris Opera prices to watch that travesty of "Le Nozze." Note to arrogant tone deaf directors: it isn't about you and your dashed gimmicks. And unless the singer suffers from hypoglycemia or diabetes, no eating during performance. Potato crisps and vocal cords... NO NO NO NO! Yes, I'm a purist and passionate about opera etc. whoever that naffhead director was s/he destroyed the dynamic substrate of the opera...I stuck it out for Mattei and I would pay Paris Opera prices to hear him and other castmembers sing - no sets, no gimmicks, no creepy floor level simulations.
Christoph Marthaler was one of the leading stage directors of his time, admired for his creativity and for thinking outside boring conservative ideas. His new Falstaff premiered at Salzburg Festival just a few days ago. Maybe, just maybe, he knows a bit more about directing than some random person on the internet.
This is one of the best performances ever.
Just watch and listen Schäfer's acting.
I'm by no means against new ideas and creative reimaginations of old repertoire but I find this performance pretty underwhelming. There are some funny ideas, sure, but they overstay their welcome in my opinion. Whether it's the recitatives with the electronic keyboard which is amusing at first but soon starts to become annoying or the stuff with the electric recliner (or however it's called). It's a funny prop at first but it makes the whole scene with Susanna, the Count and Basilio extremely static and lacking in dynamic blocking. The scene where the Count discovers Cherubino usually gets a big laugh out of the audience but because they ignored the libretto in this instance and had Cherubino hide elsewhere it falls flat.
I think blocking is one of the most important parts of staging an opera and it's just lacking here. Good blocking can make a traditional performance exciting and it can turn a radical new approach into a snoozefest. Just compare this performance with the 2006 performance with Diana Damrau and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo here on TH-cam. It's a traditional version but because of the dynamic blocking and the brilliant performances I find it way more exciting than this version. It's a joy to watch.