Mozart - Il Re pastore
by Thomas Hengelbrock
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Andreas Karasiak, Annette Dasch, Arpine Rahdjian, Kresimir Spicer, Marlis PetersenDirector: Thomas Hengelbrock
Brand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language); French (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language); German (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 122 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-01-09
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
Movie Reviews of Mozart - Il Re pastore
Movie Review: Pastoral existentialism and sparkling music from Salzburg
Summary: 5 Stars
Mozart's Il re pastore (KV 208) is hardly well known. This DVD shows that this serenata has more to it than youthfull charm and pastoral naïvite.
Mozart was 19 when he composed this two-act mini-opera on a libretto by the old warhorse Pietro Metastasio. The plot is from the time of Alexander the Great where we meet blue-blooded herds and an Alexander keen to give back his conquests to theire rightfull heirs. The plot is arguably less silly than many other pastorals of the time, but still a staging like that we have here gives this drama a more explicit sense of purpose.
Thomas Hengelbrock is not only conductor, he is also responsible for the staging. This proves to be a most welcome combination as it gives a sense of coherence and deep understanding of the relation between text and music that is rare.
The scenery is set against a marionette-theater whith costumes and backgrounds in black and white. It plays with the images of playing cards and underlines the message of a conflict of choice and fate, before it breaks out into a more realistic setting whith costumes in cassual clothes.
Running less than two hours and sung whith a clear vision of the characters this is a treat of a performance. Thomas Hengelbrock conducts the Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble whith fire and gives both the instrumentalist and the singers the space they need to give the music free rein.
The singers Marlis Petersen (soprano, Elisa, a noble girl (/nymph)in love with Aminta) and Annette Dasch (mezzo-soprano, Aminta, a shepherd in love with Elisa) are particullary impressive.
The arias are clearly intended to show a rich variety of types. From Alessandro's (baryton, Kresimir Spicer) opera seria-like "Si spande al sole in faccia" (no. 4) to Aminta's rondeaux "L'amerò, sarò costante" (no. 10) with a ravishing violin obligato of Sebastian Hamann in a Johann-Christian-Bach-like song that also bears resemblances to later arias of Mozart's singspiels (Seraglio and Magic Flute).
Alessandro is played as a little too keen, and quite childish ruler. Agenore (tenor, Andreas Karasiak) is played as a spoilt dandy that evolves into a scincere and understanding lover. Tamiri (mezzo-soprano, Arpiné Rahdjian) is a hot-blooded girl in love with Agenore.
The singers are all very convincing both musically and as actors. However Petersen and Dasch showes real stagepresence throughout and proves to be superior in every way. In adition to their good looks their voices seems to be particularly well suited to their roles.
The orchestra plays with a crisp articulation and the brass is well into the fore, with a very impressive hornplaying in some of the arias.
This is a performance wich is not easily forgotten and which I guess also makes sense for a lot of people also on an existential level.
Summary of Mozart - Il Re pastore
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