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Massenet: Werther [DVD] [2005]

DVD ~ Marcelo Alvarez

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

RRP:	�24.99
Price:	�24.49 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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	67% buy the item featured on this page: Massenet: Werther [DVD] [2005] 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �24.49
	17% buy Massenet - Werther [DVD] [2004] 4.0 out of 5 stars (1) �17.59
	4% buy Massenet: Werther [DVD] [2007] [NTSC] 1.0 out of 5 stars (1) �19.59
	3% buy Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore [Wiener Staatsoper 2006] [DVD] 4.7 out of 5 stars (3) �11.98

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Product details

Actors: Marcelo Alvarez, Elina Garanca, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Philippe Jordan, Wiener Staatsoper
Format: Classical, Colour, DVD-Video, PAL, Widescreen
Language French
Subtitles: German, English, Italian, Spanish, French
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
Classification: Exempt
Studio: TDK
DVD Release Date: 31 Oct 2005
Run Time: 132 minutes

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

ASIN: B000BK53N8
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 56,509 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Synopsis

A 2005 production of Massenet's opera which tells the tragic story of Werther's intense passion for Charlotte, who has married his best friend, Albert, fulfilling a pledge to her now deceased mother. But Werther's letters of love bring Charlotte to his side when he promises to take his own life. Philippe Jordan conducts the Vienna State Opera Orchestra.

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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews

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4 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lively modern production of Werther, 27 Mar 2006

By	Cookieheimer (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This production is not as magical as the beautiful Manon staged by the Paris Opera, first of all because the opera itself is a weaker piece but also because of a somewhat unconventional staging.

Marcelo Alvarez, as good as ever, stands out as an emotional Werther. His performance is the kind that haunts you long after the opera has ended. His timbre is less radiant than when he sings de Grieux but this may be simply because the score is written for a slightly lower tessitura. Elina Garanca, as excellent as she may be, is not as eerie and fascinating as Ren�e Fleming. She is an excellent actress though and thanks to her playful singing achieves overall a totally convincing performance (the famous "air des lettres" is particularly stunning). Adrian Er�d portrays Albert convincingly, evolving from a self-confident conqueror to a tortured soul. His voice is excellent all along, as is his French diction. Finally, Ileana Tonca does a wonderful job as Sophie, thanks to a voice of light soprano who carachterizes perfectly the role.

The music direction under Philippe Jordan is colourful and subtle, especially in the 2 last acts where Alvarez is also at his best.

The staging situates the story in the 1950s, using typical furniture of this period (including a TV) as if to show that the situation is a very conventional family situation rather than the exquisitely sophisticated drama depicting Goethe's 18th century. This choice is sometimes awkward and tends to reduce the characters to simplistic caricatures: the housewife, the boring chauvinist husband, the passionate lover bringing something exotic in an otherwise ordinary life and the little sister evolving from a naive girl to a sassy confident. At its best, the piece evokes Todd Haynes's movie "Far from Heaven" with Julianne Moore (think of the housewife...) ; at its worst, it is slightly reminiscent of a sitcom. The opera suffers slightly from this approach as it robs the music of its excitement and dulls its lyrical outbursts but the acting and the theatre benefit from it in that it makes the situation more vivd and credible to modern audiences.

Despite the questionable staging, this production is by no means what opera reviewers sometimes like to describe as "eurotrash". It is well sung and interesting all along. Therefore, if you need to buy only one Massenet, prefer the flawless Manon with Fleming and Alvarez but if you can afford two, you can't go wrong with this Werther: you may be intrigued or amused, but you won't be disappointed assuming you keep an open mind. Technically, picture (16:9) and sound are perfect.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Superb modern dress version, 21 Oct 2008

By	pointone (Bournemouth UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Werther - Massenet [2005]

Updated to the 1950s this is a superb production of Massenet's opera written in 1885/7 based on Goethe's novel written in 1774.

The very simple love triangle of Werther (Marcela Alvarez) and Charlotte (Elina Garanca) and her reluctantly married husband Albert (Adrian Erode) updates into a thoroughly convincing modern drama.

The acting emphasised in the extensive use of close-ups is excellent, as is the beautifully stage set of one enormouse tree with a circular staircase leading to a tree walk that by selective lighting works well for all the interiors.

Fine acting, great orchestral support, sound and vision make this an engrossing version of Werther.

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