The last decade of the twentieth century alone spawned three operas based on the life of the “principe die musici”: Alfred Schnittke’s Gesualdo was premiered in 1995 at the Vienna State Opera; then the following year came Franz Hummel’s opera of the same name, a commission from the city of Kaiserslautern; and in 1998 Salvatore Sciarrino wrote an opera for the Schwetzingen Festival entitled Luci mie traditrici, after a sixteenth century drama about a prince who murders his wife.
So Gesualdo was already the focus of a good deal of interest when the Munich-based director and film producer Werner Herzog also developed an interest in the composer at about this time. Herzog seemed somehow predestined for the job. His preference for eccentric protagonists, amply attested to in films such as Aguirre, Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo starring Klaus Kinski, went hand in hand with a musical streak that has won him a great deal of admiration since the mid 1980s with regular opera productions at the Bayreuth Festival, the Opera Bastille in Paris and La Scala, Milan. Of course, one was never to expect a creative artist of Herzog’s talents to produce a conventional documentary film.
Thomas Olofsson’s 1999 biopic of the composer Edvard Grieg (1843–1907), entitled What Price Immortality?, was greeted with great interest and international acclaim. The film, which was written by Olofsson himself, along with Ture Rangström und Johanna Olofsson, attempts to give a picture of Edvard Grieg, both as a man and a composer, a figure who still receives less attention outside Scandinavia than he deserves.
The pianist Staffan Scheja plays the role of Edvard Grieg as both performer and composer, playing works such as the piano ballad in G minor, op. 24. The internationally renowned Auryn Quartet plays the initial string quartet in G minor, op. 27.
The new production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen launched in 1995 by the English National Opera (ENO) was received with great enthusiasm by both the public and musical press. This atmospheric production was prepared by David Pountney, Robert Israel created the stage set, Dunya Ramicova was responsible for costume design and Quinny Sacks was responsible for the choreography of the dance roles as well as the numerous breathtaking ballet scenes. Under the musical direction of Nicholas Kok, the English National Orchestra played a baroque music which was as crystal clear as it was expressively infectious. Next to outstanding performers of the dancing roles such as Puck (Simon Rice) and the Indian boy (Arthur Pita), an entire armada of excellent singers was summoned up such as one seldom experiences together on the baroque opera stage. These included Yvonne Kenny as Titania, Thomas Randle as Oberon and Richard Van Allan as King Theseus. Jonathan Best, with his comic portrayal of the drunken poet, was loved by the audience and praised highly by the press, while other singers like Michael Chance, Mary Hegarthy, Janis Kelly, Marc Le Brocq and Christopher Ross all contributed their talents to produce an unusual musical theatre experience.
From the English National Opera 1994: Tim Albery’s startlingly original treatment of Britten’s vivid tragedy was hailed as a landmark production when it was staged at the English National Opera. The critics were unanimous in their praise of Philip Langridge’s remarkable portrayal of Grimes, and the whole company, including Janice Cairns, Alan Opie and Ann Howard, won countless accolades, as did the inspired musical direction of conductor David Atherton. The individual set against the community: this is the theme of the opera and never has this stark opposition been so sharply realised as in Albery’s very abstract vision. Hildegard Bechtler’s stark but beautiful sets underline Grimes’ alienation. (Sung in English)
Featuring some of today’s leading conductors in rehearsal, this series gives a unique insight into the process of creating great music. The conductors’ very different styles and methods; the dialogue between an orchestra and an inspired interpreter; the intensity of the preparations for a concert performance; and the struggle towards perfection are captured in these revealing audio-visual records. Most episodes include a full run-through of the work rehearsed. All include interviews with the conductor who is seen at work. Zubin Mehta rehearses the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for a performance of Richard Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche Op. 28.
Alban Berg (1885-1935) lived in the mainstream of well-to-do Austrian society. His marriage to the beautiful Hélène was thought to be made in heaven. But how can this doyen of Viennese respectability be reconciled with the composer who wrote the dark operas Wozzeck and Lulu? This multi-layered film explores Berg’s double life. Soprano Kristine Ciesinki, who features in specially-staged extracts from Lulu and Wozzeck, travels to Vienna, Prague, the USA and Germany to track down important archive documents and people who can recall the composer’s presence in their lives.
Kaguyahime is one of Japan’s oldest fairytales. The story of the mysterious Moon Princess inspired Jirí Kylián to create a full-length ballet and to commission a score from the Japanese composer Maki Ishii. Through ist use of western percussion instruments and Japanese drums, the work combines both occidental and oriental elements, ist rhythmic vitality providing a musical structure for the poetic tale. Woodwind instruments extend the tonal colour, as does the use of traditional Gagaku music from the Japanese court.
When Jirí Kylián first discovered the fairytale, he found two compelling reasons to choreograph it. First, he was interested in the way the story combines realistic and supernatural elements as only fairytales can; and secondly, he was fascinated by what the tale reveals of Japanese culture through the interplay of the earth and the moon.
David Parsons is one of the golden boys of American dance, combining great popular appeal with quality and integrity of ideas and execution. As artistic director, choreographer and dancer, he has transferred to his own troupe, The Parsons Dance Company – eight exceptionally polished and energetic dancers – the charm, virtuosity and physical power that made him a star of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. A witty terseness and probing intelligence mark his choreography, which conceals its difficulty behind a silky casualness. Many of his pieces have been absorbed into the repertoires of leading ballet companies including the Paris Opera Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre, and he continues to develop his work, demonstrating a true commitment to real, satisfying, dancing. Parsons’ work is featured in three studio recordings, which demonstrate the diversity of his influences and his mastery of a wide range of styles. Versatility excites him and, with each piece he creates, he explores a new vocabulary of movement, searches for a fresh emotional colour, often working with a different design team. The music he chooses ranges from Mozart and Rossini to Robert Fripp and specially-commissioned scores. Lighting designs by Howell Binkley enhance all the stagings. David Parsons introduces each of the seven pieces presented in these programmes and it is easy to see why his charm, energy and integrity have won him such a considerable following.
This first-ever studio recording of the world-famous Kirov Ballet was made by the award-winning director Thomas Grimm at the Danmarks Radio Århus Dance Studio, the most advanced facility of ist kind. It showcases highlights from their repertoire, both classic and contemporary, and features a galaxy of star dancers, including Larissa Lezhnina, Altynai Asylmuratova, Sergei Vikharev, Faroukh Ruzimatov, Konstantin Zaklinsky, Yelena Pankova and Yulia Makhalina. These Kirov performances may be acquired separately or combined in a mixed bill; Petrushka (50′), Chopiniana (36′), Paquita (37′), Le Corsaire – pas de deux (9′), Markitenka – pas de six (16′), The Fairy Doll (12′), Barber’s Adagio (14′).
Producer and TV director Nigel Wattis directed the film biography of incomparable soprano Kiri Te Kanawa. Melvyn Bragg, as narrator, leads us through the singer’s life, and talks to her about her life and career, while other artist personalities such as George Solti, Dame Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge, Jeffrey Tate, Stephen Barlow and John Hopkins add their personal impressions. This portrait, dedicated to Kiri Te Kanawa’s teacher of many years, Vera Rozas, was filmed in 1991, and accompanies the soprano through a whole year. It follows her on trips to New Zealand and the San Francisco Opera, where she was preparing her role in Strauss’ Capriccio. The film includes recordings of her in excerpts from arias by Handel, Mozart, Charpentier, Puccini and Cilèa, as well as in the final scene of Capriccio, and in songs by Richard Strauss.
