Monteverdi - Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria / William Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Adrian Noble (Aix-en-Provence Festival)
by Humphrey Burton
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bertrand Bontoux, Cyril Auvity, Joseph Cornwell, Kresimir Spicer, Marijana MijanovicDirector: Humphrey Burton
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
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: Magisterial and Unforgettable
Summary: 5 Stars
This a first-rate performance and indispensable addition to early opera on DVD. If you check out my other reviews, you will see that I think very highly of the Jacobs recording from harmonia mundi france, on CD. This is no less magnificent a performance, plus it is a DVD, with superb sound, a compelling staging -- and, at one disk, about 40% the cost of a performance on CD!
The ensembles in the prologue are not quite as refined a blending of voices as in the Jacobs performance, and the Tempo / Nettuno is a weak but not disabling link in the cast. Human Frailty is sung by the countertenor Rashid Ben Abdeslam. I find his voice extraordinary for being innately sweet-sounding but capable of shadowed tones. The decision to have this brief role sung completely nude was risky, but the effect in context is completely natural. It heightens the vulnerability of the allegorical character as he is beleaguered by Time, by Fortune, and by Love. The prologue in baroque opera can be an odd device -- abstract, removed as it is from the immediate action of the opera. Here, the archetypical confrontation of humankind with the forces thwarting its happiness is full of pathos, situating us emotionally for the story about to unfold.
Musically and dramatically, this is a performance that cannot be faulted. I attended a performance of this production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2002. Viewing the DVD, I found myself just as absorbed, just as moved, just as awe-struck as I was experiencing it live.
The production design and staging are noble in their inspired simplicity. The visual element never intrudes itself. It only enhances the eternal beauty of the music, bespeaking antiquity, timelessness, and truth. The action unfolds on a sand-covered stage. A large urn in the opening scene is enough to tell us we are in Penelope's palace. Other effective stage devices include Telemaco's ride on Minerva's chariot, their exhilarating flight evoked by a suspended platform and an enormous swath of waving fabric. The heavens where the deities hold their counsel is depicted by a three-dimensional grid of tiny lights. The slaying of the suitors is a true coup de theatre.
There are many many high points in the cast and in the musical performance. Mijanovic as Penelope is intense and regal. Her Ulisse, Kresimir Spicek, is burly and heroic. His ringing tenor has unsuspected poise, depth, and sensitivity. The portrayal of Ulisse must be strong and affecting, to convey the enormity of these final moments of his twenty-year journey. Spicek's performance is second to none in the catalog.
The Minerva is an assured singer and amazing actress. The Eumete is charmingly characterized and beautifully sung by Joseph Cornwell -- as the loyal shepherd he is downright lovable. The buffoon Iro is expertly integrated into the more serious surroundings. Cyril Auvity as Telemaco seems impossibly young, but his singing is fervent and accomplished. Giove is interestingly portrayed -- the singer's fairly light tenor is a Zen-like presence. Even the impetuous couple Eurimaco and Melanta, minor roles, are sung expertly and portrayed delightfully. The suitors, too, are impressive; however, I rather more enjoyed the madrigalesque stylizations as heard on the Jacobs recording.
Monteverdi's ability to marry language and music has not been surpassed in the 400 years since he pioneered the operatic art form. But he requires knowledgeable, sympathetic, talented advocacy to bring the notes on the page to life. This he finds in William Christie, who here demonstrates that his brilliance is not confined to the French baroque repertoire.
One of the most beautiful moments in the opera is the duet between Ulisse and Eumete as they address Telemaco, "Dolce speme il cor lusinga." The recognition scene between Ulisse and Telemaco that follows ("Mortal, tutto confida e tutto spera") is vibrant in its emotional immediacy. It is as moving in its way as the ecstatic recognition scene between Ulisse and Penelope that is the opera's finale.
Bravo, Maestro Christie! You have given us an unforgettable experience. This is artistic expression at its best -- ennobling and enlightening. This is easily my favorite opera DVD. It is far superior to the Harnoncourt competitor, which I would give maybe 3 stars, although Kasarova is no less formidable a Penelope.
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