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Monteverdi - Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria / William Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Adrian Noble (Aix-en-Provence Festival) by Humphrey Burton, Adrian Noble
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DVD Cover InformationActor: Bertrand Bontoux, Cyril Auvity, Joseph Cornwell, Kresimir Spicer, Marijana Mijanovic Director: Adrian Noble, Humphrey Burton DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled) Format: Anamorphic, Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC Picture Format: 1.78:1 Running Time: 180 minutes DVD Release Date: 2004-02-24 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Studio: Virgin Classics
Movie Reviews of Monteverdi - Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria / William Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Adrian Noble (Aix-en-Provence Festival)Movie Review: A unique and effective production that puts Monteverdi first Summary: 5 StarsApproximately 20 years ago I saw a production of Ulysses mounted at San Francisco Opera with Thomas Hampson in his debut in the role of Ulisse and Frederica von Stade as Penelope. To say that I was underwhelmed is to put it lightly. That was, without question, the longest evening of musical theatre that I have ever had the misfortune to sit through and I wasn't alone in my displeasure. At intermission, half the house cleared out and those that remained, spent the second half of the performance sleeping or admiring their cuticles. I would have left, too; however, the tickets were a gift from a friend who joined me and I thought it grossly impolite to walk out. Mind you, he was snoring up a storm. It was a dreadful affair: Turgid, old-fashioned and static, it was a lifeless production that put me off to Monteverdi for years. It wasn't until five years later that I saw a first rate production of Poppea that I reassessed my appreciation for the Venetian master's art. I realized then just how vibrant and beautiful these works can be. Of the three extant Monteverdi operas, I've always found Ulisse the least accessible of the lot. It is, for the most part, more interior and subtle, more psychological drama than musical spectacle, but that's not at all a bad thing. This wonderful production from the Aix-en-Provence Festival is a winner on every level. Talk about effective direction and design. A sand covered stage framed on either side by two high walls and a large arched entry upstage is pretty much all there is to the set. Some singers scale the walls, while others ascend from beneath the stage, others still descend from the rafters or stride in through the arched portal. The lighting is effective but unobtrusive, a dramatic device used with great economy. This whole production, for me, was an exercise in restraint. A studied but vital mounting. It thankfully lacked pretense. Too often nowadays, the drama and beauty of opera gets bogged down or lost all together in productions that want to revolutionize the art form regardless of whether the audience feels it needs it or not. Striving to make the works contemporary and relevant, they end up confusing what's important with what's impressive and what is insight with what is manipulation. This production is a perfect example of how you can be relevant and fresh while still respecting the source. It steers clear of the cheap, sensationalistic and the vulgar. Save for some dimly lit and brief nudity in the prologue, there is nothing here to shock. Calixto Bieito this ain't. All of the singers were wonderful, especially Marijana Mijanovic's beautifully delivered Penelope. Her dark hued mezzo was like balm to the ears, rich as molasses and just as sweet. Kresimir Spicer (a name unknown to me) is a dramatically and vocally convincing Ulisse. There was such tenderness in his "Gia Que Sorte e Felice" and Mijanovic responded in kind. I can't think of a remotely weak link in the cast. William Christie's commitment to Monteverdi is both well known and unparalleled and he sure as heck doesn't disappoint here. Wonderful from beginning to end.
Summary of Monteverdi - Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria / William Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Adrian Noble (Aix-en-Provence Festival)Monteverdi's story of how Ulysses returned from the Trojan War and found his palace full of young suitors for his wife and kingdom has been well served in video productions, but never better than in this one. Les Arts Florissants has set new standards in Renaissance and Baroque music, both for technical skill and for period style. This performance upholds the group's exalted reputation in Monteverdi's magnificent music. Humphrey Burton's direction is effective, with convincing stage action that walks a tightrope between realism and allegory in situations that are sometimes contrived, symbolic, or inherently static. Costumes do not pinpoint any particular period; scenery is minimal almost to the point of nonexistence; what is lost in realism is gained in suggestiveness and flexibility. Various gods and goddesses meddle in the action. Burton takes these departures from realism in stride, most notably in the scene where Ulysses (Kresimir Spicer) shoots the suitors of his wife, Penelope (Marijana Mijanovic), and the goddess Minerva (Olga Pitarch) takes the arrows from his bow and guides them to their targets. As the goddess of love (several divine roles are double-cast), Pitarch strikes charming poses and has a big, pink heart tattooed on her shoulder. The singing under Christie's expert direction is excellent throughout the cast, notably from Robert Burt (the beggar Iro) besides those mentioned above. --Joe McLellan
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