Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Salzburg, 1997)

Cast: Christine Schäfer (Konstanze), Paul Groves (Belmonte), Akram Tillawi (Pasha Selim), Franz Hawlata (Osmin), Malin Hartelius (Blonde), Andreas Conrad (Pedrillo), Chorus of the Vienna State Opera, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Marc Minkowski (Conductor), François Abou Salem (Director), Aleandre Tarta (Video Director)

Recorded in the Residenzhof Salzburger Festspiele 1997

Issued on DVD in 2003 by Image Entertainment [ID9312RADVD, NTSC/all regions, with menus in English and optional subtitles in English]

Technical Details
Picture Format 16:9
Sound Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM Stereo

Running time 159 minutes

Sung in German
Mozart's delightful singspiel is updated here to modern times. In addition to modern dress (blue jeans for Belmonte and a smart business suit for Konstanze in the beginning) the viewer gets a production that has many wonderful touches of today's Middle East. There is quite a bit of added dialogue, some in Arabic. The dialogue works quite well, and since it is translated in the subtitles, one is always aware of what is being said. The purist will object to Arabic music, clearly not by Mozart. I would have prefered less of this and the inclusion of 'Ich baue ganz', which is cut here. The production is lovely to watch and I especially enjoyed the costumes and the little pond in which Blonde and Osmin sing their duet.

Foremost among the singers is Christine Schäfer as Konstanze. The fiendishly difficult role poses no problems; she is equally at ease with the stratospheric top notes of 'Ach, ich liebte', the lyrical and legato-filled 'Traurigkeit' and the coloratura-laden 'Martern aller Arten'. I have never heard a cadenza added to 'Martern' but here one gets it and Schäfer does not disappoint. Astonishingly, she never runs out of breath and manages to act and to articulate the text while singing the role with great beauty.

Malin Hartelius also pleases as Blonde with easy top and full of spirit. Of the men, the weakest link is Paul Groves as Belmonte. Obvious language problems make the dialogue a trial. The problem is more noticeable since he is the only soloist who is not a native speaker of German. His voice is pleasant enough without having the beauty one would like in this role. Andreas Conrad's heroic Pedrillo pleases much more in that department. Franz Hawlata is a comic Osmin without overdoing it. While lacking the booming low notes others bring to the role, he does satisfy. Akram Tillawi portrays a much kinder and fairer Selim than one is accustomed to. His handsome appearance makes the decision for Konstanze seem harder than usual.

Minkowski's tempi are on the fast side but he manages to bring out much of the beauty in the score.

Picture quality, sound and lighting are all excellent. I enjoyed this production as it gave a modern view of this opera, while still staying faithful to Mozart in principle. The booklet only offers the scene selections and nothing else, which I found sparse.
 
Marco Schmid, 20 February 2004
mrcshmd13@aol.com
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.