Fortunately, Tim Mead is a commanding presence, his countertenor suitably strident. That he was untiring across its two-and-a-half-hour span is the least remarkable thing about it. David McVicar’s new production of Britten’s late masterpiece “Death in Venice” is a brooding and elusive meditation on the tribulations of aging creativity and its relationship to death and desire. Death in Venice: The Opera By Benjamin Britten Tony Palmer (Regisseur) Alterseinstufung: Nicht geprüft Format: DVD. Share on Facebook; Share on Twitter; Share Benjamin Britten’s poignant setting of Thomas Mann’s novella is beautifully realized by the authoritative conducting of David Atherton and a distinguished cast. This abyssal pull is reflected in the backdrop, a limitless grey horizon cut by glittering blue sea – a rather literal version of what Mann’s contemporary Freud would call the “Oceanic feeling.” It bisects the stage at such a height that it always, rather miraculously, separates the heads of characters from their bodies, which elegantly mirrors the head and body conflict of Apollo and Dionysus that is at the heart of the work. 2021 Opéra National du Rhin Benjamin Britten. The set (designer Vicki Mortimer) is a series of concentric arches, their classical columns giving a foreshortening effect. But instead it was a perfect musical reflection of Aschenbach’s own retreat into an abstruse formalism in his work, which imbues him with an aura of brilliance that is blinding but isolating. It is luxury casting all round in the large supporting ensemble, with cameos from Rebecca Evans as the Strawberry Seller and Hanna Hipp as the German mother. Mark Padmore & Gerald Finley Are Otherworldly in Britten Masterwork. Gewöhnlich versandfertig in 1 bis 2 Monaten. At Royal Opera House, London, until 6 December. Learn more about advertising and sponsorship on WFMT. It’s not quite claustrophobic, but it feels stifling, even if Paule Constable’s lighting lends the characters an oil-paint glow. So too did we feel in his posture vulnerability and shame as the troupe of Players round on him humiliatingly midway through act two (“Ha ha! Share this Post. Here McVicar’s restrained sets and sparing use of props pays an expressive dividend in ways that it has not elsewhere, which can feel unrealized (his much-revived “Nozze di Figaro” a case in point). Stattdessen betrachtet unser System Faktoren wie die Aktualität einer Rezension und ob der Rezensent den Artikel bei Amazon gekauft hat. His voice now finds itself in a place that cultivates richer and riper colors in the lower register, giving his performances a careworn dignity balanced by an upper register that is alchemical in its production of colors and textures. Britten’s evocation of gloomy, stricken Venice relies heavily on the lower strings, and their tone here is dark and focussed throughout. But as Venice and Tadzio worked on him, this gave way to a looser, more expressive physicality, which finally left him crumpled in darkness against a pillar after an astounding “Phaedrus” monologue, where he bid farewell to life. Physically it was well-judged as well: stiff and bourgeois with one hand behind his back at the outset (“I, Aschenbach, famous as a master-writer, successful, honoured”). Tadzio, the object of Aschenbach’s desires, is a mute role, danced with nonchalant elegance by Leo Dixon. But the broader scale of this production breaks up that intimacy and brings many of the smaller roles – all excellently played – to the fore. Share this Post. ver since his coronation opera Gloriana bombed at its 1953 premiere, Benjamin Britten has never quite owned the stage of his country’s figurehead opera house in the wholehearted way one might expect. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Leo Dixon’s Tadzio was rather more grown-up than a more invasive reading of the text might imply, and his pronouncedly adult poise and robustness perhaps dialed back the more transgressive and taboo impulses that we know linger in both opera and novella. Perhaps, though, that is changing, after Deborah Warner’s Billy Budd earlier this year comes this equally big-scale Death in Venice, staged here for the first time in 25 years. Death in Venice is a novella written by the German author Thomas Mann and was first published in 1912 as Der Tod in Venedig. Variation an der Kasse je nach Lieferadresse. The beach scene has just a strip of blue backdrop to represent the sea, but comes alive through the low-level sun illuminating the action. 11,99 € — 11,99 € DVD "Bitte wiederholen" — 1. – ggf. Um die Gesamtbewertung der Sterne und die prozentuale Aufschlüsselung nach Sternen zu berechnen, verwenden wir keinen einfachen Durchschnitt. A backstage chorus bolsters the cast, and they often come out into the auditorium, giving extra impact to the often raucous crowd scenes. Mark Padmore is on similarly excellent form as Aschenbach. Unser Zahlungssicherheitssystem verschlüsselt Ihre Daten während der Übertragung. Read the synopsis for Benjamin Britten’s Death in Venice. A scrim separates front and rear portions of stage, which serves to separate Aschenbach’s interior from the external action, and he meets Finley’s various avatars almost precisely on the border between it. Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday! Oil-paint glow … Mark Padmore and Leo Dixon. Venice is in the grip of pestilence. And so the backdrop to Vicki Mortimer’s set is mostly black as night, with scenes emerging out of darkness; Aschenbach’s gondola glides past louring marble pillars. Costumes and props are all faithful to the early 20th-century setting, and Venice is evoked through full-sized gondolas (pictured below) and stonework arcades. Washed in late-afternoon sunshine and leading to a glossy, glassy, deep-blue sea, this is where the teenage Tadzio, danced by Leo Dixon in choreography by Lynne Page that perfectly balances the godlike and the human, plays with his friends, and where Aschenbach’s reason deserts him. Sleek sepulchral columns glide across the stage to usher in changes of setting, and form increasingly complex and claustrophobic configurations, as Aschenbach becomes ever more lost in Venice’s sickly maze. Padmore doesn’t do much opera, but this role is perfect for him. Padmore exhibited masterful dynamic control, creamy masterclass-perfect messa di voce, austere brightness, and hollow ghostliness (redolent, naturally, of Pears). Nur noch 10 auf Lager (mehr ist unterwegs). Home | Programs | Specials | From the Royal Opera House Covent Garden: Britten’s ‘Death in Venice’. And that seems to be the main idea here. The vocal variety Finley brought to each of these roles made it hard to tell that it was the same singer we kept seeing.