Die Tote Stadt - Korngold
2001
Erich Korngold's opera DIE TOTE STADT is a montage of lyric episodes, salon romances and Italianate arias, and stars Torsten Kerl and Angela Denoke as the lovers at the centre of the action. Accompanying the soloists is the Orchestre Philharmonic de Strasbourg, conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig. Read more
| Starring | Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Angela Denoke, Torsten Kerl |
|---|---|
| Genres | Music/Musical, World Cinema |
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Die Tote Stadt - Korngold
Erich Korngold's opera DIE TOTE STADT is a montage of lyric episodes, salon romances and Italianate arias, and stars Torsten Kerl and Angela Denoke as the lovers at the centre of the action. Accompanying the soloists is the Orchestre Philharmonic de Strasbourg, conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig.
| Starring | Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Angela Denoke, Torsten Kerl |
|---|---|
| Studio | ARTHAUS MUSIK |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 25 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Music/Musical, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: German |
| Subtitles | DVD: English, French, German, Spanish |
| Released | DVD: 30 Sep 2002 Production year: 2001 |
| Format | DVD |
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Most helpful member's review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
opera buffs-please watch!
Die tote stadt by Korngold is probably not one of the better known operas in the repertoire.Korngold is probably better known as the composer of the incidental music to the Errol Flynn'Adventures of R obin Hood'.This is a revelation-composed when he was in his early 20s,it's a perfect German expressionist masterpiece,with a Straussian(in both senses of the word,Richard and Johann)influenced score.
The actual performance is a little bit of a let-down-it's sung at a uniform(too loud)dynamic,but the production values are pretty good for opera,and is fairly faithful to its source material.Worth watching for something new -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
A Directorial Mess
Korngold's opera is a powerful, if flawed, expressionist masterpiece which, like the operas of Richard Strauss and Puccini, somehow bridges a gap between Romanticism & Modernism. Korngold also shares some of their sound world, with lush orchestration and a true gift for melody. Sadly,'Die Tote Stadt' is rarely performed today because of the exceptional demands on the two lead roles, and the huge staging requirements. There are several excellent audio recordings but this may prove to be the only way in which newcomers can experience it visually. So it is extremely unfortunate that this production is such a directorial mess.
Inga Levant's interpretation begins well with some spooky atmospherics, but by Act Two it has degenerated into confusing mayhem. The performances are ok, but the onstage business and costuming look like Ken Russell on speed on a bad day ( & I actually like Ken Russell)! What is unforgivable is that Levant has indulgently substituted new symbolic imagery for much within Korngold's already symbol-laden drama,and the potentially optimistic ending is changed For someone unacquainted, It makes following the plot line extremely difficult to follow.
I would still urge you to give this work a try. I have a DVD recording of the excellent 1983 Gotz Freidrich production (which actually also has a gloomy ending) but which is difficult to find commercially. Hopefully the recent Royal Opera House production may get a DVD release. In the meantime, and in the absence of alternatives, give this one a try, but please don't be put off the work itself by its crass treatment. -
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Erich Korngold's opera DIE TOTE STADT is a montage of lyric episodes, salon romances and Italianate arias, and stars Torsten Kerl and Angela Denoke as the lovers at the centre of the action. ... -