Johann Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Popp, Gruberova, Fassbaender, Weikl, Berry, Hopferwieser, Kunz, Guschlbauer, Vienna Opera
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bernd Weikl, Brigitte Fassbaender, Edita Gruberova, Lucia Popp, Theodor GuschlbauerBrand: Naxos OF America INC
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Spanish (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 169 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-02-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Tdk DVD Video
Movie Reviews of Johann Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Popp, Gruberova, Fassbaender, Weikl, Berry, Hopferwieser, Kunz, Guschlbauer, Vienna Opera
Movie Review: A joyful year-round treat
Summary: 5 Stars
Die Fledermaus, Johann Strauss's most famous operetta, has become standard New Year's fare. And indeed, this performance was taped on New Year's Eve in Vienna, 1980. And what fun it is! Die Fledermaus not only has many famous tunes, it has a witty libretto that perfectly satirizes the gaudy, faithless, tacky world of the Vienna bourgeousie.
The cast looks like they're having a ball, and this is important. Often I find that operetta doesn't translate well onto the larger opera stages because the festivity and fun looks forced. Not here. Watch Dr. Falke (Walter Berry) and Eisenstein (Bernd Weikl) prance around in Act 1, or Rosaline (Lucia Popp) tap her toes in secret during "So muss allein ich bleiben." Watch Orlofsky's party degenerate into a drunken Bacchanale, with flying champagne glasses and swooning ladies. It looks like Times Square in 19th century Vienna. If Frank's (Erich Kunz) antics in Act 3 seem hammy, well, it's still fun seeing Kunz obviously having fun.
The cast is uniformly excellent. It's an opportunity to see the legendary Lucia Popp in all her charm. Everyone who ever saw her said Popp was "special" and this video shows why. It's hard to make Rosalinde lovable, as after all she's a stuffy, hypocritical society lady. But Popp succeeds. Sure, the last note in Csardas is more of a scream than a note, but by then both the "partygoers" and the Viennese audience are applauding. Walter Berry and Bernd Weikl are delightful as Falke and Eisenstein, the two old leches. Even the dullest character, Orlofsky (Brigitte Fassbaender, looking delightfully "butch") is bubbly and bright. Most of all, this is an ENSEMBLE performance, where everyone seems to sing TOGETHER, and with tremendous energy and joy. Act 3 has Erich Kunz drunkenly hamming it up as Frank. Maybe he goes overboard, but who cares? The ONLY disappointment in the excellent cast is Edita Gruberova as Adele. She sings wonderfully, and it's hard to imagine better trills during "Mein Herr Marquis," but to me her voice doesnt have enough sparkle and shine for Adele. She overcompensates with extraneous giggling noises.
So overall, if you're having a bad case of the blues, I think this Die Fledermaus is a definite remedy.
More Johann Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Popp, Gruberova, Fassbaender, Weikl, Berry, Hopferwieser, Kunz, Guschlbauer, Vienna Opera reviews:
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Summary of Johann Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Popp, Gruberova, Fassbaender, Weikl, Berry, Hopferwieser, Kunz, Guschlbauer, Vienna Opera
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