Reviews (8)

A very impressive Rheingold
First and foremost...Jerusalem's Loge is the best out there. The part is perfect for him. He does very well in the Met's Siegfried as Siegfried, but it's a bit too heavy of a role for him at times (which is understandable of course...what a role!). Loge suits him pefectly in manner and signing.

As for the rest, Morris is an excellent Wotan has all the command usually exhibited by great Wotans. H does a wonderful job. I was also impressed by whoever sang Fasolt, he just gave an extremely sturdy peformance. Great tone and a very reasonable Riese (giant).

The first scene (Rhine Maiden's scene) was a bit awkward but to be honest, I've yet to see a production of that scene that I actually did like. Maybe it's just an awkward scene in general. Anyway, the next scene more than makes up for that as the stage becomes littered with talent and most of the characters of the opera show up.

The third scene down in Nibelheim is almost as good as the second scene except that I would've have liked to see more out of the other Nieblungs (besides Alberich and Mime) to give more of a sense of dread of Alberich's rule.

I'm not a huge fan of the fourth scene in general (I guess I find it kinda slow) but this is of course in keeping with the rest of the production an extremely admirable scene. Espescially in the staging of Froh's rainbow bridge. It is a fairly amaizing special effect for the opera stage.

To sum it all up, this production is certainly worth what you'll pay for it. Levine's direction and the cast are almost impeccable so the distraction are minimized about as far as they could be. You'll certaily enjoy the Ring at the Met.

"All you gods I'll grip...in my golden grasp!"
There is more to like...and less to be somewhat
dissatisfied with...in this Metropolitan Opera
Television Production of -Das Rheingold-. In the order
of my preferences, from best to lesser, are the
visual effects, the sets, the music and conducting,
the costumes, and some of the singing. But even
the singing which is less pleasing is only unequal
in certain parts, such as parts of the opening
Rhine scene and with the giants and the gods
in their first encounter. But this was a live

production, and the mircrophones were placed
as a distance, not right in front of the singers,
as they might be in a recorded version. So some
of the singing by Alberich in the first scene
seems not quite loud and forceful enough, but
then he is clamboring over the rocks. The
singing of the giants is also less than a bit
loud enough...and forceful. But then, things
change...and Alberich's singing in Nibelheim
is very good.
The visual effects are very captivating to me...
the mists...clouds...that rise from the blue
watery murkiness of the Rhine up to the god-
haven...as the camera pulls back, there is
a wondrous castle in the background...and Fricka
and Wotan are somewhat "dwarfed" by it as they
recline on a spiral, slanted set -- meant to represent
some sort of gigantic saucer-shaped rock or cliff
top...but which has wondrous similarity to a
textured, rough, rocky spiral galaxy. Then
there is the red mist...cloud...on the descent
into Nibelheim...and the passing shot in the
background of small dwarves at work in their
cave compartments with shining gleams cast off
here and there...the Nibelheim section is the
best part, as far as I am concerned...the
set is wondrous...a circular cave opening in
the back with the red background...it looks
like some eternal eye...or a gigantic worm-hole
into a fated eternity...
Also what should be mentioned is the English
translation of the libretto which can be added
by clicking on the opening bars...the translation
is very tough...elemental...pagan...not poetic
or lyrical. It gives a very real, ominous...compelling...
forceful...underpinning to the visuals and the
German singing going on in the visuals.
The style of the production is of the Wagnerian
Romantic late 1800s style...the costumes have
that "period" look, but the sets are timeless
and elemental, not weirdly modern and anachronistic.
I much prefer the look of this production over the
descriptions given by some of the posters of
the Bayreuth production conducted by Boulez where
the opening Rhine scene, apparently, is set
under the shadow of a hydro-electric dam! And
the Rhine Maidens appear to be "call girls."
The viewer should also consider several levels
of meaning and awareness as he or she watches
this production...and relates the meaning of what
is being said...thoughts about gold, and wealth,
and power, and greed, and revenge...and renouncing
love in order to gain power. There is definite
social...and psychological critique going on here.
Alberich's critique of the pleasure lives of the
gods sounds as if it might be from the lips of
a Platonist contemplating the fate of the Atlanteans...
or of a 19th century socialist...or of a transcendental
critic/rebuker like Thoreau. The giants' warnings
to Wotan about the sacredness of contracts and
the bond of one's word, sound like thoughts to think
about in relation to government and governing...
and law...their talk of how Wotan used the pledge-
power of his spear to wield their compliance, sounds
like something out of Thomas Hobbes, and the whole
idea of the social contract. The more one watches
and listens...and lets several levels of possible
meaning come together, the richer and more
powerful and gripping the genius of bringing
so much myth/psychology/and inspired alienation
and passion together in a work of art, and drama,
and music becomes...
If you think an opera can't be overwhelming
and stun you...watch the giant Fafner kill the
other giant Fasolt...and watch the stunned,
horrified looks on the gods' faces...and Wotan's
shocked, chastened, brooding look as he realizes
what is happening as a result of the ring's curse.
The scene is powerful...and gripping...
and moving in a profoundly deep and elemental
way... you are truly "within the spell" of
the cycle to come...and its relentless
unfolding possibilties...moving ever slowly
but enigmatically...and sadly... toward fatal
fated conclusion...

Too ugly to be laughed at....
Wagner's masterful score is well-executed by Levine, if you can ignore the audience, which coughs like it has TB. Visually, this production is atrocious. The Rhine-daughters are about as graceful as three-legged cows and are costumed like cheap mermaid prositutes or fishy spokesmodels for a seafood place. Loge looks like he's wearing Star Trek TNG latex. As he climbs the rock to get the gold, Alberich makes the whole thing wobble like something put together by middle-schoolers for their first production of The Ring. Bad stage direction all around. The only part I think lived up to Wagner's vision was the cool rainbow bridge at the very end, but you can see that by looking at the DVD case. Remind me not to attend the Met. Sounds good but best to watch when blind.

Disappointing production and performances
I'm disappointed by the production and the performances. While it's a good idea to stage this opera in a naturalistic manner, the stage direction is disappointing, as can be witnessed from the comical episodes involving the Rhinemaidens and the various transformations by Alberich.

The cast fails to do justice to Wagner's score. Morris is hampered by bad stage direction all the way and he is less than dramatically vivid. Ludwig is well past her prime, as is the Alberich. In fact, the other roles are not that well taken, too, with the single exception of Jerusalem's Loge. But a good Loge cannot rescue the entire opera. Levine's slow tempo is also a liability even though the orchestra performed well.

The art and the artist
It is gratifying and most helpful that a prominent Jewish conductor has presided over one of the best interpretations of the Ring I have ever seen.

Helpful, because on the heels of Jean Shinoda Bolen's Jungian interpretation of the Ring mythology, Levine has helped all Wagner fans move further away from the Nazi stereotype that has always dogged the operas. For too long, the Wagner fan has been seen as a caricature Lone Nutter, who listens to Wagner at full blast while easing back into his armchair with a copy of Mein Kampf and a stein of lager, with a huge swastika draped across the wall in front of him.

Levine and other Jewish Wagner fans have been able to, as Dimitri Drobatschewsky put it, separate art from the artist. It's not as if Wagner was alone in his anti-semitism, anyway. It was primarily Hitler's adoption of Wagner for his own ends that created the Evil Composer tag.

The Rheingold sets the standard for the rest of the Cycle, this being the prelude to the trilogy. Levine is both inspired and inspiring and delivers at every level throughout. Morris is an impressive, if at times, a little under powered Wotan, his passing resemblance to Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees notwithstanding. Behrens consistently proves why she has long been considered the ultimate Brunnhilde. The only visual blip being that, through no fault of her own, she is rather too close in age to Morris to be a credible daughter.

The sets are generally adequate, and at times, excellent, although other productions have slaughtered this version, especially in the Rheingold - the controversial, yet visionary 1983 Bayreuth production (The English Ring) above all. In the Bayreuth '83 Ring (which also featured the superb Behrens), the Rhinemaidens were sylph-like and naked against a stunningly original backdrop, which gave the production a pagan and elemental flavour that is somewhat lacking in the Levine version.

However, this remains a top notch production and one of the few versions to be currently available. At the prices Amazon are offering, you simply can't go wrong. Having just received my copy of Gotterdammerung, I now have the entire Ring and I certainly take my hat off to James Levine and his superb cast and crew. Get it while you can, people. These things have a way of becoming unavailable rather quickly. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Mediocre production
I must first admit that Siegfried is my least favourite opera in the entire Ring cycle. Maybe it's because of this reason that I'm disappointed by what I see and hear on this DVD recording, as there's nothing which can make me like this opera more.

I have nothing really against the staging and direction. However, these come across as being rather perfunctory. At times, the singers are left with nothing much to do for a long period of time. Things are sometimes too static for the music, which are often much more lively than the stage action.

The singing is mediocre. I like James Morris's Wanderer. Siegfried Jerusalem, though musical and mostly accurate, is a little too slender in tone for the hero. I'm not impressed by the Brunnhilde of Hildegard Behrens. The other performers are adequate but no more. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under Levine gives a good though not transcendant performance.

Maybe I'm being a little too harsh. But I think this opera has much potential that has been unexplored by the performers and the director here.

A truly great production!
This was a very grand production of Seigfried. Master Levine does an incredible job as conductor and his interpretation of Wagner is grand. I do not think the production is dull. The lighting is a bit dark at time, but I think that James Morris is superb as the Wanderer. As expected a very good Metropolitan Opera performance. This completes the Ring Cycle for me.

NOT a dull production
I disagree strongly with the reviewer who complained that this production is "dull". It is rescued from dullness by Heinz Zednik, the genius who plays Mime, and by fantastic sets. Also, James Morris is at his peak as the Wanderer, totally convincing visually and vocally, and he's the only one I've heard so far who can sing the line: "Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha, der witzigster bist du ..." with all the "ha"s correctly timed. Everyone else--especially Hans Hotter--consistantly screws up this line, even in studio recordings.

Ekkehard Wlaschiha hits a homer as Alberich. Superbly menacing as he threatens the Wanderer and a great bully when he fights with Mime over the treasure.

A dull production
This is a rather dull production. The singers are OK and whatever one thinks about Jerusalem, he's still a serviceable Siegfried. The other cast members are, however, mediocre and the direction is ordinary.

Great!
Although Jerusalem is not well-done, but none of the production from the MET is not GREAT,the scenery,well,was terrific and the last scene, I can only use the term "perfect" to describe that! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Beware of the staging
I will make no comment on the music and singing (see one of the excellent books on that). I review this only to warn you of the absurd staging that does its best to ruin this beautiful opera. The dances especially are almost comical due to the attempt to modernize what is already a timely and timeless work of art.

A Fine Performance of a Most Extraordinary Work
If you love powerful music, political intrigue, epic historical drama, and rich characterization, do not miss Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina. It is what Mussorgsky called a "nationalist people's musical drama," one fit for our age; it is only opera I know of that can give you insight into the tensions of our times: the turmoil of Afghanistan and Iraq. These are lands struggling with modernism, autocracy, religious fanaticism, feudal fiefdoms, and fears of the West. All this was true of Russia when Peter the Great was coming of age and when Prince Ivan Khovansky, in league and in rivalries with false westernizers (like Prince Golitizan) and the Old Believers, sought to create their putsch against the imperial power of the Romanovs.

The music is wonderful, providing melodic depth to every nuance of this psychosocial epic. It is more subtle and mature "Boris Godunov," but no less moving. Yet Khovanshchina does have its problems: Peter the Great, the central figure of the drama, is absent. Russian law forbade Mussorgsky from depicting members of the Romanov family on stage (so, too, the palace intrigues between Peter and his sister, Sophia, could not be shown). So, dramatically it lacks the tightness of Boris. Neither could Mussorgsky depict Patriarch Nikon, whose reforms so inflamed that Old Believers that, by the end of the opera, they immolate themselves. Mussorgsky died with Khovanshchina barely sketched, so musicologists still debate his point of view (I think Kirchner and the Vienna State got it wrong, but no matter).

The production is a fine one: well conducted by Claudio Abbado, beautifully sung, and often brilliantly acted (most especially by Ghiaurov as Ivan Khovansky and Zednik as the scribe). The dance of the Persian slaves is marvelously sensual, and the staging, while variable in quality is generally excellent - superb in Khovansky's rally and in the immolation scene. Technically, it is very well recorded, though in standard frame and just in stereo. Enjoy it now; don't just wait for a DTS version. At 173 minutes on 1 DVD you're certainly getting your money's worth.

Abbado brings great insight to Mussorgsky's masterpiece.
Tolstoy once said: "I like neither talented drunks nor drunken talents" thereby wittily dismissing Mussorgsky. Mussorgsky however cannot be pushed aside so easily ( even if Tolstoy was right; it took no less than three composers to finish the work,
left in a sorry unfinished state.)
Abbado, who is undisputably today's greatest interpreter of
Mussorgsky, chose, very wisely, the Shostakovich orchestration
who created a dark hued, sombre score that he handles masterfully.
In fact we go from the aethereal strings (The Prelude) to the
dark bases representing the brutal strenghth of the Khovanskys
and the ensuing conflicts. Distant trumpets create magical effects. This DVD sound is superb( and if I may say so, you are far better off with this than the exorbiantly priced CD set)
And to see it! The design is incredible. Sets are surrealistic
in a way, full of disturbing images suiting the mood of the moment. Screens sometimes close creating claustrophobic effects,
sometimes opening to infinite vistas. Sometimes we see ruined cities or pyramid of skulls, the latters seems like a constant theme reminding us of the concluding tragedy.
The principals... Nicolai Ghiarov, the world famous basso, acts
and sings with tremendous power, a multifaceted tragic character.
Paata Burchuladze, another marvelous basso, shines as Dosifey the
high priest. We must also mention Anatoly Kocherga in the role of Shaklovity the evil Boyar, thoroughly
frightening, but believable - his great aria in third act is
one to watch for. Ludmila Semtchuk as Marfa is beautifully acted
and sung, she is a real feast for the eye as well as the ear.
Last but not least, Heinz Zednik, the scribbler, ( of Bayreuth's Mime fame) here
he sings in Russian as if the role was created for him.
Note of caution: The music is difficult and requires repeated listenings. Watch it one act at a time as the opera is very long.
But I assure you, you will love this work as I came to love it, being a sceptic at first.
Do I need to sum up? Great musical and theatrical experience.
Opera at its best. Can't recommend it enough.

Good but not the best
I found this performance bizarre; the whole production seemed strange. It was not an avant-garde one, but done with a pretense for historical accuracy. Yet the costumes of the chorus suggested something totally different from 17century Moscow. Were they Polish or Ukrainian? Someone did not seem to do their homework.
I actually liked Marusin as Prince Golitzyn. I think he had squillo and also he acted quite well. Paata Burchuladze seems to always play the same role, no matter whether he is in this opera or in Don Giovanni. The singing is good, though. I must admit that only main roles that are either Russians or Bulgarian Ghiaurov, sing intelligibly, although Ghiaurov happenned to have a heavier accent that I would have thought. But for me as a native Russian speaker, the singing of the chorus and other's smaller roles were a real disappointment as I could not understand a word and had to resort to subtitles and it was a real distraction. I wonder if Italians have the same feeling when they listen to their opera performed by foreign singers...In any case, it's a satisfactory performance but I think the complexity of the work was not resolved here, and the beauty of this opera was not fully conveyed. It looked rather Wagnerian to me but it is not and I believe it had to be done with more respect to its Russion origin, or be totally devoid of place and time to become an avant-garde production.

Not the definitive production
Well sung and adequately conducted, this Khovanshchina suffers terribly from Alfred Kirchner's unfocussed and ultimately unsatisfying production, totally lacking in spiritual core. Much of the production does nothing to assist the viewer in appreciating or even understanding the admittedly complicated plot. The standard cuts are made, thankfully (chiefly affecting Act 2). Abbado conducts the Shostakovich orchestration (preferable to Rimsky-Korsakov's, perhaps) with a decidedly un-Russian flair, making for an interesting but unconvincing interpretation. Kirchner's production comes into focus only in the finale to Act 5 by Igor Stravinsky, rarely used in relation to the more common Shostakovich finale, itself based on Rimsky-Korsakov's original finale. (Ravel also wrote one, performed once in Monte-Carlo and never heard again.) The singers acquit themselves with varying degrees of success; the Vienna State Opera Orchestra plays well, not sounding very Russian; the Bratislava Opera Chorus is mediocre much of the time (granted, the stage direction they are given is for the most part horrendous). The English subtitles are good; this is an in-house performance (although not from the Vienna Staatsoper) from 1989, with some very annoying camera work. Total length 174 minutes, not 113 minutes as printed on the box. A decent rendition, if not profound. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Sets by David Hockney
If anyone has managed to find this listing, this is the Met production with the sets by David Hockney. Pamina is sung by Kathleen Battle and Sarastro by Kurt Moll. Other singers are Luciana Serra (the Queen of Night), Francisco Araiza(Pamino), Manfred Heim (Papageno), and Heinz Zednik (Monostratos); conducted by James Levine of course. The DVD has subtitles in German (hallelujah!), English, French, and Chinese, but no other extras. The singing sounds weak, but that may be because I'm used to other recordings in which the singers are over-miked. Otherwise, it's good performance of "The Magic Flute".

Simply Fantastic!
I have just watched this performance, and I have to say that this is simply fantastic. The characters that really stand out from the show are Manfred Hemm's Papageno and Luciana Serra's Queen of the Night.

Hemm delivers the best Papageno I have ever seen, with not only a great voice (solid baritone - lovely!) and also commendable comic acting. Serra blew me away the moment she sang her first aria "O zittre nicht mein lieber Sohn..." It is note-perfect and flawless. She sings those scales as if they are a piece of cake, and she hits the high F perfectly, even in "Der Holle Rache". She falters just a teeny weeny little bit in the latter, but perhaps I'm picky. I've been wanting to find the perfect recording of "Der Holle Rache", but I haven't been in luck yet. (the version sung in the movie "Amadeus" was pitch-perfect, but incomplete and not available in the soundtrack.) But understandably, the Queen of the Night is one of the most difficult opera parts to sing, and Serra already pulls it off remarkably well, delivering an overall brilliant and astounding performance. (I thought she looked beautiful as QOTN too.) Of course, besides these two, there's Kathleen Battle as Pamina, perfect as always, Francisco Araiza as Tamino and Kurt Moll as Sarastro to look out for.

I have to share 4 of my favourite scenes here. 2 belong to the Queen of the Night's 2 arias, 1 is the scene where Monostato's slaves and himself are under a spell from Papageno's Glockenspiel, and they really "totter" away harmlessly. That scene is absolutely hilarious, with them going "lalalala" and dancing away, exiting at stage right. The final one is the finale duet with Papageno and Papagena (Barbara Kilduff)in "Pa-pagena! Pa-Pageno!". Hemm's and Kilduff's voices blend very well together. I love that song.

Thumbs up to this beautifully recorded performance, conducted by James Levine. I highly recommend this recording. It is definitely worth the money, and worth rewatching again and again.

My favourite flute ever....
I am a long time magic flute lover, who has heard or owned most of the major recording out there. Recently I started buying Mozart opera DVD's as they were good to introduce friends to the operas. I first bought the recent Davis/Royal Opera version, but found it a very mixed bag, so I decided to go for this one since Kurt Moll was always my favorite Sarastro on record and he sings the part here (The Sarastro on Davis was very dissapointing).

The bad news is that Moll is not in quite as good voice as he was in either his Solti or Davis CD audio only performances. The good news is that he is still magnificent, and this is the best Zauberflote I have ever heard!

I never had much respect for James Levine as a conductor. Well that has changed. For reference, my favorite flute's ever were 1)Christie on Erato 2)Klemperer on EMI 3)Beecham on EMI. All had there problems, but Christie I found to be the overall best flute I knew including all cast, conducting, acting, and recording. And it has been replaced by a DVD flute!

What I loved about this performance:

First of all the conducting is very fine. It is very sharp and disciplined performance with precise singing (litte romantic sliding of notes) and there is, best of all, a wonderful sense of listening between all the singers and the orcherstra. It was obviously meticulously rehearsed for the 1991 Mozart celebrations. Mozart is the most difficult music to perform because you cannot get away with any emotional sloppiness, which means a luminous precision is always called for. This performance has this quality better than any other I know.

There are some weak bits in my opinion however. A few of the arias really drag their feet in a failed attempt for the conductor and singer to find the right inspiration. As much as I like Moll, I find his arias too slowly sung, as well as the Isis and Osiris chorale. Fortunately they still are very effective due to Moll's maginificent voice and the solemn nature of the music itself.

Also, occasionally things can be a bit brisk to let the music breathe properly. Overall however, I would give this flute the best marks for conducting.

The singing/acting also has no weak links and many outstanding aspects.

Ariaza's Tamino is merely good--at his best with the speaker, and worst in final union music with Pamina. After the first trial he slightly misses a key timing, which when sung perfectly (hear Blochwitz on Christie) is one of the most sublime moments in the score. Still, this is a good, solid Tamino--well acted, suitably noble if a bit too old. Overall:B-

The three ladies are some of the most delightful I've heard. The 2nd has a slightly grating tone, but their timing, harmoninzing, and accuracy puts them right at the top. A-

Papageno is solid if rather a bit overdone. Hemm has a lusty, solid bavarian baritone which suits the part in my opinion. It is not a radiantly beautiful voice (hear Keenlyside on Davis), but solid and powerful. Many papageno's have been more charming, but Hemm is still good, and very find in ensembles. B

Serra's Queen is up near my all time favorites: Popp on Klemperer, Dessay on Christie, Damrau on Davis. She rather lacks warmth however, which puts her slightly below these on the first aria. The 2nd is as good as anyone. A-

Battle's Pamina is my favorite ever. I feel it was this sort of voice Mozart had in mind for the part--a radiant soprano. Battle's interpretive insights have often left me cold before, but I find her Pamina just spot on. She plays it with a Tempest Miranda sort of innocence and wornder. I find this suits Pamina exactly. A+

Monostatos is also the best I have ever heard. Singers tend to make him rather bland for some reason, but this singer gives him oodles of dramatic force. A+

Boys are superb. Their trio with battle's Pamina is the finest I have known as well. One boy in particular has amazing power and accuracy. A

Sarastro is Moll not in his best voice, but it is still Moll. A

Choir. Big American heavy vibrato style. Not my cup of tea, but more importantly the choral pieces are sung with genuine Masonic fervor that makes them satisfying regardless. B

Speaker. Andreas Schmidt is as fine here as I have ever heard him. Wonderful warmth and force. A

This is getting too long! While there is much in this performance that I still can imagine better, in overall quality this is by some margin the best performance I have heard or seen of this opera. Certainly those who love particular parts more than others will find other performances superior (Tamino lovers for instance will always treasure Wunderlich/Bohm), but if you love every note of this opera as well as its Masonic themes, I would give this the top recommendation.

O, A+ english subtitles too. Video,sound and production are good, though not the best in my opinion. Overall the production has a sort of childish artistic style to it, which I thought was fine. But then Im mostly here for the music.

Musically the best flute ever....
I am a long time magic flute lover, who has heard or owned most of the major recording out there. Recently I started buying Mozart opera DVD's as they were good to introduce friends to the operas. I first bought the recent Davis/Royal Opera version, but found it a very mixed bag, so I decided to go for this one since Kurt Moll was always my favorite Sarastro on record and he sings the part here (The Sarastro on Davis was very dissapointing).

The bad news is that Moll is not in quite as good voice as he was in either his Solti or Davis CD audio only performances. The good news is that he is still magnificent, and this is the best Zauberflote I have ever heard!

I never had much respect for James Levine as a conductor. Well that has changed. For reference, my favorite flute's ever were 1)Christie on Erato 2)Klemperer on EMI 3)Beecham on EMI. All had there problems, but Christie I found to be the overall best flute I knew including all cast, conducting, acting, and recording. And it has been replaced by a DVD flute!

What I loved about this performance:

First of all the conducting is very fine. It is very sharp and disciplined performance with precise singing (litte romantic sliding of notes) and there is, best of all, a wonderful sense of listening between all the singers and the orcherstra. It was obviously meticulously rehearsed for the 1991 Mozart celebrations. Mozart is the most difficult music to perform because you cannot get away with any emotional sloppiness, which means a luminous precision is always called for. This performance has this quality better than any other I know.

There are some weak bits in my opinion however. A few of the arias really drag their feet in a failed attempt for the conductor and singer to find the right inspiration. As much as I like Moll, I find his arias too slowly sung, as well as the Isis and Osiris chorale. Fortunately they still are very effective due to Moll's maginificent voice and the solemn nature of the music itself.

Also, occasionally things can be a bit brisk to let the music breathe properly. Overall however, I would give this flute the best marks for conducting.

The singing/acting also has no weak links and many outstanding aspects.

Ariaza's Tamino is merely good--at his best with the speaker, and worst in final union music with Pamina. After the first trial he slightly misses a key timing, which when sung perfectly (hear Blochwitz on Christie) is one of the most sublime moments in the score. Still, this is a good, solid Tamino--well acted, suitably noble if a bit too old. Overall:B-

The three ladies are some of the most delightful I've heard. The 2nd has a slightly grating tone, but their timing, harmoninzing, and accuracy puts them right at the top. A-

Papageno is solid if rather a bit overdone. Hemm has a lusty, solid bavarian baritone which suits the part in my opinion. It is not a radiantly beautiful voice (hear Keenlyside on Davis), but solid and powerful. Many papageno's have been more charming, but Hemm is still good, and very find in ensembles. B

Serra's Queen is up near my all time favorites: Popp on Klemperer, Dessay on Christie, Damrau on Davis. She rather lacks warmth however, which puts her slightly below these on the first aria. The 2nd is as good as anyone. A-

Battle's Pamina is my favorite ever. I feel it was this sort of voice Mozart had in mind for the part--a radiant soprano. Battle's interpretive insights have often left me cold before, but I find her Pamina just spot on. She plays it with a Tempest Miranda sort of innocence and wornder. I find this suits Pamina exactly. A+

Monostatos is also the best I have ever heard. Singers tend to make him rather bland for some reason, but this singer gives him oodles of dramatic force. A+

Boys are superb. Their trio with battle's Pamina is the finest I have known as well. One boy in particular has amazing power and accuracy. A

Sarastro is Moll not in his best voice, but it is still Moll. A

Choir. Big American heavy vibrato style. Not my cup of tea, but more importantly the choral pieces are sung with genuine Masonic fervor that makes them satisfying regardless. B

Speaker. Andreas Schmidt is as fine here as I have ever heard him. Wonderful warmth and force. A

This is getting too long! While there is much in this performance that I still can imagine better, in overall quality this is by some margin the best performance I have heard or seen of this opera. Certainly those who love particular parts more than others will find other performances superior (Tamino lovers for instance will always treasure Wunderlich/Bohm), but if you love every note of this opera as well as its Masonic themes, I would give this the top recommendation.

O, A+ english subtitles too. Video,sound and production are good, though not the best in my opinion. Overall the production has a sort of childish artistic style to it, which I thought was fine. But then Im mostly here for the music.

This is getting absolutely Ridiculous!!!
Why are these people objecting to a black Pamina when numerous white sopranos sing Aida, Turandot, Butterfly etc. You racist bigots with warped morals!!! Utter shame on all of you! ... Read more