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Amazon.co.uk Review
The epic grandeur of Der Rosenkavalier stems not just from its immense length (over three hours) but from the all-too-human complexity of its characters--each of whom is smitten with someone else--and the endless stream of graceful melodies the composer conjures. After the tonality-stretching dissonance of Salome and especially Elektra, Strauss moved onto a different musical path here: the music's sheer gorgeousness has given this most heartbreaking of 20th-century operas its pride of place in the repertory.
For this 1994 performance at the Vienna Opera House, conductor Carlos Kleiber leads a committed reading of the buoyant score that savours every note. The three leads are superb singer-actresses who get full marks for embodying Strauss's most richly romantic creations: Felicity Lott (the Marschallin), Anne Sophie von Otter (Octavian) and Barbara Bonney (Sophie) also offer a truly entrancing final trio, one of the great scenes in all opera. The stereo sound mix is solid, as is the video transfer. --Kevin Filipski, Amazon.com
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A triumph for all concerned!,
By
This review is from: Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier -- Vienna/Kleiber [DVD] [NTSC] (DVD)
Although appearing in a DG dvd barely two years ago, this is the taping of a 7-year old performance(a composite of several ones? the booklet just says "taped in Vienna, 3/94") that must have sent home the fortunate ones present with a smile broad as their faces. And what a performance it is! I wonder if there's a conductor better equiped to tackle this complex score than Carlos Kleiber, who must have the score embedded in his genes (his father Erich, one of the foremost conductors of the first half of the 20th century, was also an outstanding exponent of the piece, his version preserved by Decca). There's an earlier taping of the original Otto Schenk production from which this one derives that has been severally available in betamax, vhs and laserdisc and which I haven't seen, but I could catch an actual performance of that same production in Munich many years ago and if my memory doesn't betray me, this one is superior if only by notches (the actual singers may have been different in that 1974 summer evening from the ones featured in the video, though, so please bear with me). Lott (Dame Gwyneth Jones in the Munich performance, with a few vocal problems but with an equally grand presence) is an ideal Marschallin, never losing her poise without appearing icy or aloof (as Schwarzkopf sometimes might), her exit in Act III an example of true aristocratic flair and grace under the inevitable. Von Otter is too beatiful a woman to play a truly credible boy of 17 and her stage manners are way too feminine, but her singing is so ravishing one quickly forgets about it. Brigitte Fassbaender took care of this role in the Munich performance and I recall her portrayal as superior, her looks and ways more "masculine" and thus more up to the role (but I'll keep Von Otter's voice for pure pleasure!). The Ochs I saw in the Munich rendition under Kleiber I mentioned was Karl Ridderbusch, an outstanding Ochs if there ever was one, equally matched in this new video by the similar-voiced Kurt Moll, who perhaps might have shown more restraint in his stage ways (after all, Ochs is also an aristocrat, not a bad-mannered rogue). And the Sophie of your dreams is undoubtedly Barbara Bonney, here resplendent in voice and looks. The camera takes are thoughtful and made with good taste, never obtrusive or "imaginative" as in other videos. Mind you, look no further: even if this were an audio-only release, it will be worth avery penny invested on it. And with the Vienna Philharmonic (well, with their "Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper" hats on) in top-notch form under a most inspired conductor, this will surely stand the test of time as well as those other classic non-video accounts of the score, the 1956 Karajan (the Czinner film notwithstanding) and the even earlier from the hands of Kleiber père. DG have opted to edit out end-of-act curtain calls, bows and cheers, save for Act one's, a decision I don't understand for I'm sure the house must have come down with cheering and applause after such a delightful evening.
46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kleiber at his best,
By A Customer
This review is from: Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier -- Vienna/Kleiber [DVD] [NTSC] (DVD)
It must be admiited that most things Carlos Kleiber has conducted have been quite special performances - and this is no exception! This "Rosenkavalier" could quite aptly be described as enchanting with some quite beautiful singing from Lott, Bonney et al. If the final few minutes of Act I do not move you, then nothing will, as Lott sings her heart out acknowledging the Marschallin's futility of the relationship with her young Octavian. Kleiber's direction is precise and lovely to behold. Clearly, this is a Der Rosenkavalier which every Richard Strauss.opera lover should have in their DVD collection. The sets, costumes could not be more beautiful. Buy this and let the performance "wash over you".
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent performance - user-unfriendly DVD,
This review is from: Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier -- Vienna/Kleiber [DVD] [NTSC] (DVD)
As a performance, this is formidable. Has there ever been a better conductor of this opera than the elusive Carlos Kleiber? Probably not. He heads a great (and very photogenic) cast here. Felicity Lott exudes class as the Marschallin and Anne Sofie von Otter is a very convincing Octavian. Barbara Bonney sings and acts beautifully as Sophie, but her costume and wig let her down somewhat: she looks somewhat matronly here, which is surely not the idea, unless its a piece of sardonic directorial subtlety on the part of producer Otto Schenk. Kurt Moll has almost too beautiful a voice to portray the boorish Baron Ochs, but that doesn't interfere with my appreciation of his performance: he acts the part most effectively.
One minor cavil: the DVD starts playing as soon as you insert it into the player, so you need to come out and go back to the menu screen to select the subtitles. And even then, it took several goes for me to secure the titles I wanted. This is just my experience, but it did lead to cause some minor irritation when I wanted to get stuck in to my viewing.
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