profil d'Archie

transcendent, Oct. 27 2008

Abbado's Lucerne Festival Orchestra is arguably one of the all time best. The players are hand-picked by him for the Lucerne Festival and include soloists, principals from some of the foremost orchestras, and several quartets. They have been meeting for the past number of Lucerne Festivals; and EuroArts has released DVDs of their performances of Mahler's Symphonies 2, 5, 6 and 7. Now Mahler's 3rd has just been released.

Much has been written in reviews of the previous releases about this wonderful orchestra which enthusiastically assembles annually. Most of the players know and admire their colleagues, and this certainly comes out in their playing. One reviewer said… Lire la suite

Have a Valium, Déc 5 2002

Come on, chaps. Relax. Do not get hung up on a little bit of nudity. In the context, it is most appropriate.

The Duke is not a nice man. His courtiers are not nice people. What goes on is not nice. This is a very powerful visual representation of what is going on; and the orchestra bopping away in the background in the first scene heightens the on-stage tension.

Not to put too fine a point on it, this is a truly great interpretation and production. It is all of a piece. The singers can act (or should it be the actors can sing) and it fits together musically, dramatically and visually.

I would consider it a "must" buy.

Another great Weigl production, Aoû 13 2002

There is little I can add to the review by Noam Eitan regarding the artistic merits of this production.

I have been an unabashed fan of Petr Weigl ever since I obtained his productions of "Eugene Onegin", "The Turn of the Screw", "A Village Romeo and Juliet" in VHS format (all, alas, delisted).

Cinematic interpretations of operas are, I believe, another artistic approach to these works. Even the live performance recordings come close to this freedom with elaborate sets and camera play. Admittedly Weigl tends to abridge and perhaps offends the purists, but he does end up with a very tight production. (After all, even in live productions, cuts are often… Lire la suite