Orchestra and Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin - Fidelio

This is for the 1963 Deutschoper Berlin DVD of Fidelio, which you will find Amazon has placed on many other DVDs of Fidelio, as they have mixed up reviews on many classical CDs and DVDs on their site.I am not too comfortable writing a first review, a negative one at that. But if there is anyone else stupid as I am, to make a purchase without any recommendation at all, consider any opinion a gift :)I would humbly submit that just because a 50-year-old video exists, does not automatically make it a classic. That is even if it's in relatively decent picture and sound as this one is (1963 b/w videotape and OK mono).I do not mind that the orchestra is not warmed-up for the overture, particularly the horns and bassoons. That could be expected in a live performance, but yes certain places sounds more like small-town USA, not the Berlin State Opera.The set design is minimalist--a few chairs and tables on an otherwise empty stage. The costumes are period-neutral, mostly inoffensive, but definitely not 18th-century Seville. Stage direction is minimalist as well, which makes for a pretty bland and boring production. The opening scene with Jacquino and Marzellina is static and lifeless, the characters just standing there singing to each other. It doesn't improve much. Why don't they just call it a concert performance and be done with it? The only attempt at acting was by Walter Berry, who portrays Pizarro almost as a comic villain, with makeup and grimacing more evocative of a silent movie-era mad doctor. It's the only performance I've ever seen of Walter Berry that was not thoroughly enjoyable. Here it is an embarassment.Christa Ludwig stands out as Leonore, not because she was exceptionally wonderful, but because she was simply her good average self. In this production, that is remarkable. Another note on costumes: Christa Ludwig, as Fidelio, wears a 1963 business suit, complete with period-correct narrow necktie.Abscheulicher is shown in close-up and I am not absolutely sure some of this was not redone with lip-synching. Perhaps it is just that the sound and picture are not well-coordinated in a few places.The turgid staging makes it a pretty tough sit-thru. Sorry I could not make it to Florestan's entrance ... maybe some other day (maybe).N.B. If this were priced more realistically, say 9 or 10 dollars, I would be more than happy to overlook a few faults. But $27.98 + shipping is absolutely egregious on something as creaky as this. A fool and his money ... etc.

Having bought every DVD available of "Fidelio" and viewed them, my initial reaction to this 1956 black and white movie was not good. However, I went back and viewed it again yesterday(12-28-2014), and to my huge surprise I really enjoyed it. Being a movie, it took liberty with the "stage" libretto, removing some parts and changing the order of some scenes. The overall effect yields quite a logical story line, and actually made me better understand the "staged" opera.I recommend for you to view this film after viewing say the 1978 Otto Schenk version of "Fidelio".BTW. You must click on the subtitle TWICE, in order for it to appear. Once in the first screen, a second time in the screen for starting the film. (Go pass it to the last choice for subtitles.)

This is a unique production that was compromised by being filmed in post WWII Austria and had to be reviewed by the military censors. However, in the end we have a very interesting and engaging Fidelio. I recommend this to those who are familiar with Fidelio and already have a good production on DVD (such as the one conducted by Bernstein featuring Gundula Janowitz). In most cases the singers are dubbed in to actors. In the case of Leonore, there are three women: one to act, one to sing, and one to do the spoken parts. The thought parts are sung but the actors don't lip sync those parts to show they are thoughts.The movie starts with the Fidelio overture and scenes in the countryside leading to an old castle/fort. After the overture is a scene without music where food it brought to the prisoners. This is followed by Marzeline's aria and there is not duet between Jaquino and Marzelline. This is followed by some spoken parts and then the quartet. A man then opens the window and shouts into the house that the governor is coming. Everyone jumps into action to get ready, and many of the people at the castle/fort go hide to avoid the governor. Pizarro reads his warning note and goes directly into the duet with Rocco to gain help in carrying out the murder. Then Pizarro ascends a tower and sings his aria with storm and flood scenes flashing by. After the prisoners are let out and then returned to their cells, the music for Act II begins as Rocco and Fidelio descend to the dungeon.In Florestan's aria he sees a vision of Leonore in a dress on a grassy hill. She walks to him and touches his outstretched hands and his chains fall off. Then he falls back to the dungeon floor as Rocco and Fidelio enter. Act II seems to be pretty much intact and has a lot of good acting with emotion from Leonore. After Leonore and Florestan's duet, we enter into the finale. An interesting twist in the finale is that the last 5 minutes switches from the prison courtyard to evening in town, with Florestan and Leonore all cleaned up (Florestan shaved) and dressed up for the celebration, where they are paraded through town with the celebrants.The glimpses of Leonore as a lady in a dress (one earlier in the film, one in Florestan's aria, and the last 5 minutes of the finale), reveal her vulnerability and give a deeper sense of awe at what this lady has done to free her husband.While this has some quirks and some cheesy film effects (that were probably pretty cool at the time it was made), I really liked this production. Some voices were pretty good, Rocco and Pizarro in particular, and all the actors were good. I especially like Leonore in this. She played the part well, and her vocals are fine but for the high notes because the person singing for her has a squeaky voice on the high notes that seemed out of place for an otherwise solid Leonore.The part where Leonore guesses that the man in the dungeon must be a great criminal and Rocco responds that or he may have great enemies is changed. In this movie, it is Marzelline who suggests he must have been a great criminal, and it is Leonore who suggests that he may have great enemies.

L’opéra de Berlin Est donnait, pour son inauguration, en 1962, le même opéra que celui qui avait précédé cinquante ans plus tôt, dans une mise en scène renouvelée.Ce DVD vaut essentiellement pour sa distribution. Les quatre rôles principaux sont tenus par ce qu’il y avait alors de mieux sur les scènes internationales : vocalement et scéniquement, ils « sont » leurs personnages. Plaisir de voir Ludwig jeune, que je n’ai connue que vers la fin de sa longue carrière (quels aigüs tranchants !). Plaisir de voir King dans ce rôle qu’ila marqué au disque (avec K. Bohm). Les basses (Greindl, bonne comme du bon pain, et Berry, abominable à souhait) ont des timbres suffisamment distincts. Le ministre de W. Dooley est vraiment léger vocalement, mais le jeune couple est charmant, notamment Lisa Otto.Les ensembles sont merveilleusement équilibrés, les belles interventions du chœur (dirigé par le grand W. Hagen-Groll) sont bien captées.Il n’y a pas l’ouverture de Léonore III avant le dernier tableau, l’opéra débite avec son ouverture habituelle, à présent, de Fidelio.Le chef Arhur Rother était un habitué des lieux. Il était alors âgé (il dirigeait déjà en 1906 !). A ma connaissance, il n’a pas enregistré d’intégrale d’opéra en studio pour une des grandes firmes.La mise en scène (de G.R Sellner, intendant du théâtre) est sobre, les décors minimalistes, la « regietheater » était alors à la mode de l’autre côté du Rideau de fer.La qualité sonore de cet enregistrement ancien (1963) rend honneur aux ingénieurs est-allemands (ils s’y connaissaient en micros !). C’est évidemment en noir et blancCe DVD est réservé aux collectionneurs, car nous avons de nombreuses représentations plus récentes de cette œuvre immortelle (mais aps beaucoup mieux chantée). A noter que cette production a été également enregistrée par Böhm en 1963 (même distribution) et en 1970, en couleur (avec Jones et Neidlinger). Bon sous-titrage en français.

Diese 55 Jahre alte Inszenierung wirkt zwangsläufig in einigen Details etwas verstaubt. Aber es sind nicht nur die Stimmen vorzüglich, sondern auch die Darstellung der Figuren sehr beseelt und sehr glaubwürdig. Christa Ludwigs Fidelio dürfte wohl unübertrefflich sein. James King als Florestan erbringt hier eine seiner überzeugendsten Leistungen. Und Joseph Greindls Rocco ist eine Charakterstudie, die ihm so bald keiner nachmacht. Das Ganze ist vor allem eines: glaubwürdig.

interessante Version, leider mit miserabler Bild- und Tonqualität. Es wird von restaurierter Fassung geschrieben, da sind manche Filme der 3oer Jahre besser. Der Preis ist dafür zu hoch. Als Doku zu Walter Felsenstein brauchbar.

Eine Bühnenproduktion - aber ohne jeden Schnickschnack mit ungeheurer Intensität aller Solisten. Spontaner Kommentar eines zufälligen "Bystanders" beim ersten Abspielen: "Das geht ja voll unter die Haut!".

Die an Ketten gefesselten Gefangenen haben mich an dieser Inszenierung beeindruckt. Insgesamt sehr sehenswert.