User Reviews

There is a spoiler here but it shouldn't ruin anything for anyone. It may send a few hands to the remote though.

For anyone who's interested (which should be all males in their right mind) Alcina's aria of exposure, 'ma clothé bosom pop outå', begins at the one hour, twenty-five minute and thirty-seven second mark (or to make things easy, chapter thirty nine). After that there's a five minute wait before the first bosom pops. Interested parties might want to skip ahead. I waited of course (because nobody told me when it would happen).

The aria is actually called 'Ah, mio cor! Schernito sei!' (Ah! My heart! You are scorned!) and it's a great one. Anyone watching it just to see Catherine Naglestad partially nude should end up mesmerized enough by the music and her performance of it to (almost) forget that her breasts end up exposed. The piece is a dramatic tour de force for her and for Catriona Smith who, though she doesn't sing, serves as a counterpoint for the action. Naglestad captures the character's fury and her emotional vulnerability beautifully. Her physical exposure serves that. Ultimately it helps in showing the imperious, spoiled and wanton Alcina as a multi- faceted human being more deserving of sympathy than scorn.

The cast is brilliant. Michael Ebbecke has the role that's both the least and most pivotal to the opera. His voice is the harshest of the cast members but he uses it to convey an air of authority. Claudia Mahnke brings the uncertainty and passion of youth to the role of Oberto. Her voice is rich and, very powerful. Rolfe Romei has a strong tenor voice that's never harsh. He brings complexity, insecurity and sexual ambiguity to a role that (under many directors) could have been a throwaway. Catriona Smith and Helene Schneiderman are standouts. Catriona Smith is wonderfully vulnerable as Alcina's sister, Morgana. Her pain from the abuse by her lover and her sister is tangible. The love she has for both of them is never less than real as well. She sings in bell like tones that suggest despair or passion with equal aplomb. Helene Schneiderman has that wonderful middle range unique to mezzo sopranos that's as much a caress as delivery of song. And she's an extremely expressive singer. Her use of body language is exceptional as well. It's largely due to her work that this production is so emotionally and erotically charged.

But the production belongs to Alice Coote, Catherine Naglestad, (conductor) Alan Hacker and the Staatorchester Stuttgart. Alice Coote has a rich mezzo soprano voice that's positively silken. Her turn as Ruggerio, the bewitched lover who finally scorns the temptress Alcina, is entirely convincing. And she sings it so well …hers is a voice that every listener will want to hear more of. Catherine Naglestad is mesmerizing as the bewitching Alcina. She is at turns powerful and heartrendingly vulnerable. Her sensuality borders on feral. And her singing is something to marvel at. Nothing defies her range. The ways she has of shading tones are rich and varied and her notes soar over the stage. Alan Hacker does a beautiful job with both the orchestra and the singers. His interpretation is elegant and refined but never lacking in drive. The score, as he presents it, supports the singers and the eroticism implied in the production. The highest compliment I can give to it is that it becomes more of a joy to listen to as it becomes more familiar.

The only problem with the staging lies with the backdrop. The set is laid out well but the wallpaper on it is too busy. It's not a problem when the camera is close to the action. But when the stage is shown in full view it's distracting. There are a couple of technical shortcomings as well. There are no scene selections in the main menu. A few of the subtitles have errors. The divisions between acts aren't marked during the performance. There's only one audio track (PCM Stereo) and there's a moment where most of it seems weighted toward only one channel. It doesn't last long but it is noticeable. And it's distracting. There are a pair of bad edits near the end too. The first appears to have been done to shorten what would have been a pause in the action. The second might have been to bring the lights down on camera before they actually went off on the stage. Whatever the case they make the finale of what was a very good production quite awkward.

But none of these points are worth missing this production over. The staging by Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito is (despite the two-for-one wallpaper) imaginative, effective and engaging. The most important characters are fully realized. The singing and acting is great. The PCM audio track is (with the exception of that single weak moment) vibrant and bright. Alice Coote, Catherine Naglestad and the orchestra under Alan Hacker, are magnificent. And of course, the music is glorious!

Baroque opera with a twist of erotica: it can't be beat.