‘With his new production for NETHERLANDS OPERA of Orfeo, Pierre Audi has completed a well-received cycle of Monteverdi’s major stage works. On stage we saw the usual Audi juxtaposition of elements: some vast tree trunks, a stone wall, an immense round pond, and later, fire. The prologue was magnificently sung by the counter-tenor David Cordier as La Musica. … The chorus sang with such spirit and refinement that one regretted that they did not have more to do. … Stephen Stubbs, seconded by Emmanuelle Haïm playing various keyboard instruments, led his ensemble Tragicomedia with obvious affection and understanding. All the instrumentalists played with fluent ease, a long way from the scratchy ‘authentic’ bands of 20 years ago!’ -- Opera
This looks like it would have been a good production to see live - high standard of singing and interesting abstract costumes and sets if you like that kind of thing (I do). Unfortunately the ultra-low-definition picture quality and clumsy camera placings make it completely unwatchable for me. Very unusual lapse by Opus Arte - although I bought their dvd of L'incoronazione de Poppea at the same time and it has the same problems. Avoid!
Dès lors, tout est dit ! Quelle prétention, quelle fatuité ! Je revendrai au plus tôt sur un vide-greniers. Dire que je voulais trouver mieux que la version de Savall !!! Tout à fait raté. Tout juste bon pour la Mairie de Paris !
It is on hearing and mostly on seeing this very first opera written by Claudio Monteverdi that I understood how this opera kept its original "grandeur" in showing a very modern interpretation where gesture, lightning and scenery joined together to the voices, mainly that of John Mark Ainsley, an outstanding Orfeo . On looking at this opera, I felt, as a well-informed amateur, to assist to something which is something of the past and something of today. Love, mourn, hope will never vanished because they are still living on today like it was in the time of Monteverdi. I strongly recommend that masterpiece on every aspects.
I must to say;I have all L'Orfeo dvd's,including french Harmonia Mundi edition(Jacobs on La Monnaie,starring Simon Keenlyside)and I just can't see or to hear absolutely nothing "cold" or "sterile" in this really superb performance.In my opinion,this production just hit the mark by attempt to put Orfeo on his own tragic context.Some conductor's choices here regarding orchestral textures(sometimes just voices,like in a very gloomy madrigal)were crucial to this meaningful,very dark and unique Orfeo.Ainsley is nothing less than superb on the title role.He got the whole character to a superlative level,both in singing and acting(if Zanazi was a very poor actor to Savall and Keenlyside doesn't have the ideal singing technique to many of "virtuoso" Monteverdi's writing).Bernarda Fink,another strong reason to watch this dvd,just doesn't have competitors to her Proserpina.Chorus is in perfect involvement,orchestra plays fine and stage production accentuates the frightening death feelings on the Striggio's libretto.So,unlike that "cold and joyless" rewiew,I must to say here,just to be honest,that I don't believe in any L'Orfeo better this one on dvd at the present time.
To complain that this staging of Orfeo is "cold and joyless" is like complaining that meteors are brief and only seen on chilly nights. Listen to the music! It's profoundly elegaic! It's not The Daughter of the Regiment. And Monteverdi's Venice was not The Renaissance Pleasure Faire.
This is a superb performance! The singers are nearly perfect, and the instrumental ensemble IS perfect. The only close competition for musical perfection on DVD is the William Christie version of Il Ritorno d'Ulises in Patria.If you love Monteverdi, you need this disk!