Unsurpassed Production of Strauss's Last Opera
Capriccio represents the culmination of Strauss's operatic career, just as Metamorphosen and the Four Last Songs are the capstones of his orchestral and vocal writing. Capriccio was premiered in 1942 in Munich, whose beloved opera house was destroyed by Allied bombing the following year. The Nazi regime, too, soon fell, but Strauss's opera--focusing on eternal questions of love and art--has become increasingly popular and is widely considered one of his greatest works.
In the notes for this recording, George Hall writes, "Despite the extreme circumstances surrounding its creation--catastrophic for the wider world, imbued with fear and shame for Strauss himself, whose chief concern during these years was to protect his beloved Jewish daughter-in-law and grandsons--Capriccio is far more than the piece of elegant escapism Strauss's detractors have claimed it to be." In Capriccio, he continues, Strauss "reasserted his commitment to the values of art as a civilised and...
Enrapturing and lovely
The DVD isn't out yet, but I just wanted to put in a word about how lovely and enrapturing this performance is. I saw the live broadcast in a Minneapolis theater and I was simply blown away by every aspect of it. Renee Fleming will capture your heart with her gorgeous singing and her portrayal of a woman who has to choose between two lovers. (The one slight false note, IMO, is her contemporary hair styling; doesn't look right for the period. But I can live with that.) The rivals for her heart are finely drawn and sung--the musician passionate and headlong; the poet buttoned-up and nervous, but desperate for the Countess's love. The supporting singers are right on target--characterful and funny. The Met sets and costumes are excellent. And Andrew Davis does a solid job in the pit. This was Strauss's last opera--and what a tuneful, touching human story to tell right at the end of his incredible career.
A Worthy Contender, but..............
For an opera that makes little or no concession to being part of the regular repertoire Capriccio is now available in three different productions and Fleming is repeatting the role she previously taped in France. This is fortunate since her first dvd displays an utterly self absorbed performance that is truly unfortunate. The entire production had unfortuate aspects that were gratuituous, e.g., Nazi elements simply because the work was composed during WWWII. During the interim Fleming did a Countess for Vienna State Opera which was telecast; it was reported to be superb. Alas we will probably never get to see it.
I have no objection to time traveling if it adds something to the mix--or doesn't get in the way of performaing the opera. Here it is all very chic and stylish but it does seem at odds with the text at many points. With references to Gluck and other 18th Century composers who are essentially "names" in that they are only going to be found in reference books what...
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