Saariaho: L'Amour de loin
by Peter Sellars
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Dawn Upshaw, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gerald Finley, Monica GroopDirector: Peter Sellars
Brand: Universal Studios
Producer: Finnish National Operfa
Writer: Kaija Saariaho
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Classical, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 139 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-09-13
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
Movie Reviews of Saariaho: L'Amour de loin
Movie Review: Hauntingly Beautiful Opera
Summary: 5 Stars
Kaija Saariaho is rapidly becoming one of the more daring and creative of our current crop of contemporary composers. Hailing from Finland, she has good colleagues in this country who consistently provide audiences with the rare beauties of her compositions. One of her most ardent supporters is fellow composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen who indeed conducts the performance of her opera "L'Amour de Loin", leading the Finnish National Opera and superb soloists Dawn Upshaw, Gerald Finley, and Monica Groop. The bizarre aspect of this release is that the DVD of the opera was released before the CD of simply the music. One viewing will explain that choice.
The opera is based on a 12th Century tale of love as filtered through the experiences and musings and dreamings and illusions of a countess, a troubadour and a wandering pilgrim. The staging is simple, built around a tower from where the object of love is seen and sees and the characters weave in and out of this simplicity of stage design created by the inimitable Peter Sellars by means of fascinating lighting schemes. There is no 'big story', just 'reflections on love from afar' as the new fairly frequently performed excerpts are called.
Gerald Finley is a brilliant and handsome baritone who not only has a voice of great beauty and clarity but one who is a committed actor as well (he is currently premiering the lead role of Robert Oppenheimer in John Adams' new opera 'Dr. Atomic' with the San Francisco Opera). He is magnificent to hear and to see. Dawn Upshaw and Monica Group take the women's roles and while everyone is aware of the quality of emersion in new work that accompanies the mention of Upshaw's name, Monica Groop prove herself to be in the same echelon. This gorgeous music, perfectly sung and acted, masterfully conducted by Salonen, and the DVD is of the highest quality. While it is a gift to be introduced to Saariaho's fine opera via DVD, it will be good to have the recording of the music alone to grow into what seems to merit entry into the standard repertoire. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05
Summary of Saariaho: L'Amour de loin
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