Jonas Kaufmann is too polite to say what he really thinks about some of the more Regie-oriented productions he's appeared in. I have a feeling this may be one that he didn't care for so much. I really admire him for sticking with it; and oh my goodness, he sounds wonderful!
I haven’t seen the whole production yet. It's hard to say much about it based on a couple of 6 or 7-minute clips. However, according to Zerbinetta’s review at Likely Impossibilities, even after watching the whole opera it still may be difficult to grasp director Richard Jones’ point of view.
On the other hand, based on this clip and a few others, it sounds like the confusion is worth either coping with or ignoring in order to savor the fine music-making. And Herr Kaufman rocks the blue t-shirt look, too!
Wagner – Lohengrin: Act 2: Im fehrnen Land
Bayerischer Staatsorchester, Kent Nagano
I didn't find this production particularly confusing. In fact I liked it a lot.
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Thanks to the link for your review. I like what I have seen so far, and look forward to seeing the rest sometime.
ReplyDeleteI just got the Konwitschny production (the one where they're all school children) mostly because to see/hear Emily Magee; that's near the top of my stack of DVDs to watch.
Not sure I'll get any DVD watching in this w/e as I have two live performances to attend.
DeleteLive sounds even better than DVD. I will be tied up at the church most of the weekend, so my DVD viewing may be restricted to Sunday evening. Have fun at the opera (or concerts, as the case may be!)
DeleteWell it looks like the trip to Hamilton to see Rigoletto is off so that just leaves Sunday's Opera Atelier Der Freischutz
DeleteI wasn't put off by the production--in fact I liked it. Indeed I prefer it to Lenhoff's Baden Baden production. Doubtless part of the reason is due to the fact that musically it was beyond reproach; I can't imagine a better Lohengrin or Elsa and while Schuster is no Meier, she sang beautifully. Vogt is almost too other worldly.
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