Mozart - The Mozart Glyndebourne Collection 1973/2005

Although Idomeneo is one of Mozart's lesser known operas, it sparkles with the composer's usual brilliant melodies. Glyndebourne became the main advocate of the opera in the 50s and 60s, and yet despite this, Idomeneo was still considered by 1974 something of a rarity.
During a ferocious storm Idomeneo, the King of Crete, makes a vow to Neptune, offering a sacrifice (the first human being Idomeneo sees) in return for the god's help in bringing his ship safely to shore. As it turns out, this is his own son, Idamante. This dilemma can only be solved by the unselfish love of Ilia, who is willing to give her life in his stead.
Richard Lewis once again confirms his position as the world's leading exponent of this opera, in the title role of Idomeneo, with Josephine Barstow equally mesmerising in her portrayal of Elettra's agony. This significantly shortened version begins with Idomeneo alone on the beach after having survived the fierce storm. John Cox uses strikingly dark staging, echoing the drama of the action, and according to Mozart's original directions includes drowning sailors and the infamous Act II sea monster.

Performer:
Idomeneo – Richard Lewis
Idamante – Leo Goeke
Ilia – Bozena Betley
Electra – Josephine Barstow
Arbace – Alexander Oliver
The High Priest of Neptune – John Fryatt
The Voice of Neptune – Dennis Wicks
The London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus
Conductor – John Pritchard

This classic production, originally broadcast from the Glyndebourne Festival in 1973, captures several favorite singers in their early prime. We look at Te Kanawa, Von Stade, and Luxon and think, "My God, how young they look!" Moreover, how wonderful they sound, and how appropriate they are for this opera, which suffers when it is performed by singers who are too mature. (After all, the Count and Countess are still young adults, not far removed from the time of The Barber of Seville.)
Director Peter Hall and designer John Bury accomplished wonders with the little Glyndebourne stage, particularly in Act Four, where the Count's gardens have seldom been so realistic. This is an intimate Figaro, as well it should be, because this opera is essentially intimate in nature. Hall does nothing controversial or self-indulgent here, and Beaumarchais, da Ponte, and Mozart are allowed to speak with the clarity that is their due.
It would be hard to improve upon the acting in this production. Some viewers might prefer a cooler and more restrained Countess – and indeed, it is made pretty clear that at least on one level, she is titillated by Cherubino's affection, and returns it – but it's also obvious that she sees herself as Susanna's mistress only by a trick of fate. This is in contrast with Luxon's Count, who relishes his perceived superiority over his underlings. Von Stade's Cherubino is endearingly boyish, and Cotrubas's Susanna is sharp without being arch. In the title role, Knut Skram is again refreshingly youthful and athletic. His singing is less distinctive than that of the other leads, but in a production in which the ensemble is strongly emphasized, Skram's relative lack of vocal distinction is really not a problem. Even the smaller roles are excellently cast. Hall reminds us that there are no bit parts, only bit actors. Granted, fans of the individual singers will want this DVD, but they will be disappointed if they are hoping that their diva will walk away with the evening. Pritchard's conducting is small-scaled and knowledgeable.
The picture (4:3 format) and sound (PCM Stereo) show their age a little, but not much. The nice thing about the sound is that it captures the theater's ambience – it's almost like being at Glyndebourne in the best seat. The subtitles are in English, French, German and Spanish – the English subtitles (at least) are a little sparse, but they are certainly adequate. No bonus features, but there should be no complaints when a three-hour opera fits onto a single DVD. The booklet includes an excellent essay by Babette Hesse. On the DVD itself, there are 87 (!) separate chapters for the opera, to facilitate access just about anywhere.
This will be a first-choice Figaro for almost everyone, except for those who demand the most refined sound, or a more self-consciously grand production.
Raymond Tuttle

Performer:
Figaro – Knut Skram
Susanna – Ileana Cotrubas
The Countess – Kiri Te Kanawa
Count Almaviva – Benjamin Luxon
Cherubino – Frederica von Stade
Bartolo – Marius Rintzler
Marcellina – Nucci Condo
The London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus
Conductor – John Pritchard

This DVD of the 1977 production of 'Don Giovanni' done at Glyndebourne with musical direction by Bernard Haitink and stage direction by Peter Hall is a bit of a disappointment. Musically it is only mediocre, to be honest. The sound afforded the London Philharmonic is probably not even up to the standards of the late 1970s with strident strings and recessed winds. Haitink, of course, is a grand Mozartean and one can hear that the performance he got from his orchestra was a good one; it's just that we don't get to hear it in anything like modern sound. Add to that the less than wonderful casting and you get a so-so experience. Hall's direction is good and not tainted by attempts at too-clever direction, the stage and costume design by John Bury is also good – the opera seems to have been updated a bit to the early 1800s, with the aristocrats in Beau Brummel-like costumes, the peasants in appropriate costumes of the period. The set is rustic, with buildings made from what look like weathered barn wood, and serviceable. Lighting is rather dark, which is OK considering how much of the action takes place at night; this does tend to emphasize the ugly underside of the drama, which is a valid conceit. By far the best singer/actors are Stafford Dean as Leporello and Elizabeth Gale as Zerlina. Each of them sings well and their acting has some life in it. John Rawnsley's Masetto is not far behind. Benjamin Luxon, while a fine singer, is miscast as the Don; he doesn't have the sex appeal or charm that one needs to make the Don a believable character. Further, his singing is uneven. His 'Deh, vieni alla finestra' (the serenade) is simply fabulous, but the Champagne Aria is pallid. (I wanted to say the Champagne Aria was flat, but my pun-o-meter wouldn't let me get away with that.) Pierre Thau as the Commendatore was commendable.
Rachel Yakar as Donna Elvira starts out well but becomes less so as the opera proceeds. The opposite occurs with the Donna Anna of Horiana Branisteanu, who begins the opera sounding tired and with poor breath support but she grows as the opera progresses; still, she is not an ideal Donna Anna even at her best. Her acting is generic, almost expressionless much of the time. Leo Goeke in the thankless role of Don Ottavio is mediocre. His voice has never struck me as anything but merely serviceable and at times is ugly. One cannot erase memories of Francisco Araiza in the Muti/La Scala DVD or particularly of Michael Schade in the 1999 Muti/Vienna DVD. Or, indeed, of Gösta Winbergh in the old Karajan video production.
The bottom line is that this is probably not the 'Don Giovanni' to get unless perhaps you saw the 1977 Glyndebourne production and want it to commemorate the experience.
Scott Morrison

Performer:
Don Giovanni – Benjamin Luxon
Leporello – Stafford Dean
Donna Anna – Horiana Branisteanu
Donna Elvira – Rachel Yakar
Don Ottavio – Leo Goeke
Zerlina – Elizabeth Gale
Masetto – John Rawnsley
Commendatore – Pierre Thau
The London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus
Conductor – Bernard Haitink

The morale of Mozart's dramma giocoso is clear: fidelity in women is like an Arabian phoenix; everybody says it exists, nobody knows where. Leaving this defamatory statement aside, Cosi fan tutte is Mozart's most beautiful ensemble opera ever written and a magnificent example of his wit at work.
The Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Cosi have a special relationship: by the middle of the 20th century performances of the opera had become relatively rare owing to its salaciousness, whereas in Glyndebourne Cosi became standard repertoire at a very early stage. In addition, the first audio recording of this opera was made at Glyndebourne (then conducted by Fritz Busch).
This engaging and witty production of 1975 has been singled out by many Mozart connoisseurs for its colourful set, fabulous costumes and abundance of humour in its character portrayals. With sterling performances from the likes of Helena Dose and Thomas Allen, and a carefully remastering, it is a highlight of Arthaus' new mid price label.

Performer:
Fiordiligi – Helena Doese
Dorabella – Sylvia Lindenstrand
Despina – Daniele Perriers
Guglielmo – Thomas Allen
Ferrando – Anson Austin
Don Alfonso – Frantz Petri
The London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus
Conductor – John Pritchard

Glyndebourne's production of Mozart's opera looks and sounds ravishing. The airy sets and gorgeous costumes set a frame for a superb ensemble cast to give of their very best. Top of the list has to be Valerie Masterson's Constanze. She sang the part for her Sadlers Wells Opera debut back in the early 1970s and then developed her interpretation over the next ten years. Here she gives an object lesson in singing, characterisation and stagecraft. She looks as good as she sounds and that is saying a great deal. A figure of simple dignity, she fills out the character of Constanze with great skill and she sings like an angel, plumbing the depths of "Traurigkeit" with wonderful expression and feeling, and then capping that with a fiery, confident and thrilling "Martern alle Arten". She sings gloriously in ensemble and duet. This is a great performance from a great British soprano and should not be missed. Why she was not more recorded or filmed is one of the mysteries of the record industry, so make the most of her performance here - it is wonderful. You can also catch her artistry on DVDs of the ENO's Xerxes and Julius Caesar, and very early in her career in the D'Oyly Carte Mikado. The rest of the cast is excellent: Ryland Davies as a fluent Belmonte (who looks good with Masterson as a convincing young couple); Lillian Watson, a dream as Blondchen; Willard White, a wonderful Osmin and James Hoback as a college-boy Pedrillo. Conducting is loving and expressive but above all don't miss this record of one of the very best sopranos to have graced our stages giving of her very best in this most testing of parts. Masterful Masterson!

By "stephen16250"

Performer:
Belmonte - Ryland Davies
Constanze - Valerie Masterson
Blonde - Lillian Watson
Osmin - Willard White
Pedrillo - James Hoback
Selim - Joachim Bissmeier
The Glyndebourne Chorus
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor - Gustav Kuhn
Recorded 1980

The Arthaus Musik DVD is a live performance by the Glyndebourne Opera in 1978. It was directed by John Cox and designed by David Hockney. During the overture, first one sees Hockney and his assistants creating the design, then the cast is identified when Cox directs them, and finally the conductor, Bernard Haitink and the orchestra are shown. Hockney’s design is brilliant and faithful to both the magical theme and the ancient Egyptian motif of the opera. Most notable are the colorful sets and the design for the animals. When the Queen of the Night enters, the background changes to a starry sky. The antics of the animals when Tamino plays his flute to entice them are visually delightful. During the trial scene, Pamina and Tamino first walk back into fire and then into rolling waves of water.
Haitink conducts an excellent reading of the score. Felicty Lott is a first rate Pamina, Leo Goeke a fine Tamino, Benjamin Luxon a vocally excellent Papageno, Thomas Thomaschke has the required low notes for Sarastro, and May Sandoz has the high notes for the Queen of the Night. Willard White is luxury casting for the speaker, and John Fryatt is a competent Monostatos. The three ladies are well performed by Teresa Cahill, Patrica Parker, and Fiona Kimm. The three boys, sung by females Kate Flowers, Lindsay John, and Elizabeth Stokes, are vocally good, but I feel that boy sopranos are more faithful to Mozart. The Hockney sets are also available on DVD in a performance from the Metropolitan, conducted excellently by James Levine and featuring an all-star cast of Kathleen Battle, Francisco Ariaza, Manfred Hemm, Luciana Serra, Kurt Moll, and Andreas Schmidt. In this production, the three boys are sung by boy sopranos. It would be my first choice, but the Glyndebourne set runs a very close second.Bob Rose, FANFARE

Performer:
Pamina - Felicity Lott
Tamino - Leo Goeke
Papageno - Benjamin Luxon
Queen of the Night - May Sandoz
Sarastro - Thomas Thomaschke
The London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus
Conductor – Bernard Haitink