Review of the Arthaus Musik DVD

It is difficult to fault this performance otherwise, but it fails in one fundamental way,

it does not take off. The periods of grandeur are prosaic; the lighter moments are ponderous. The failing must be attributed to the conductor whose reading is straightforward to excess. Two characterizations transcend the weight of the reading: Pederson's Pizarro is suitably evil in voice and action; Lloyd presents a tellingly kindly but belabored Rocco. Both orchestra and chorus are exemplary and the stereo sound cannot be faulted at all. Video is enhanced from the LaserDisc release of a decade earlier, but the result is not altogether satisfying. Shadows are too dark and outlines too stark. A bit less 'improvement' would have served the result better and the LaserDisc realization is more satisfying overall.

Benackova is a relatively lyric Leonore but the climaxes are satisfying and she does not push the voice for effect. Protschka is vocally fine though he does not imbue the character with passion. McLaughlin's Marzelline needs a brightness denied her by the conductor. Archer presents a less attractive suitor in vocal characterization than one would hope. One cannot picture this Marzelline accepting him even after Fidelio is discovered to be Leonore. Like the production, Tschammer's Don Fernando is completely conventional and uninspiring.

Like the famous Klemperer audio recording, this seems a better choice for studying the music than for enjoying it. At least four other video recordings, none readily available on DVD, should be considered for dynamics, though all have limitations: Böhm's with Jones and King; Rother's with Ludwig and King; Mehta's with Janowitz and Vickers; and Bernstein's with Janowitz and Kollo.

 

Related website:

Arthaus Musik www.arthaus-musik.de

Image Entertainment www.image-entertainment.com

 

Michael Richter, 7 June 2003

opera@mrichter.com

 

See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.