Richard Strauss - Arabella / Thielemann, Te Kanawa, Brendel, Metropolitan Opera

"Arabella" is essentially theater dressed up with operatic music -- showing that Richard Strauss (and Hugo von Hofmannsthal) could reverse the "Prima la musica, poi le parole" dictum when they wanted.In this case, the theater seems to play to fantasies of vanity, intrigue, and romance that in other places would qualify as chick lit.As usual for Strauss's operas however, "Arabella" contains a variety of strong, modern psychological characterizations, a nearly unique attribute that combined with Strauss's music makes Strauss's body of operas so much more interesting than many other popular pieces in the genre.The performance and recording on this DVD are exemplary, even though the material is inherently not at the level of the masterpieces that Strauss produced so often.

I have had this for years. My tendancy has been to compare Mandryka to Dietrich Fischer-Disksu and Arabella to Lisa Della Casa due to them both being favorites. But this cast and presentation is in all ways equal or superior the the LP/cd incarnations previously mentioned. And David Kuebler's Matteo is extremely difficult to sing. His vocal acrobatics are golden toned and spit-on lovely to hear. What an accomplishment!Beautifully gorgeous singing by all. Marie McLaughlin is so perfect. You really will watch this numerous times. The sound is like a high quality cd.I clean house to it. No harm in memorizing a great opera!

This is a wonderful production, superbly directed, sung, acted and filmed. One might nit pick here and there but I'm not a nit picker. Everyone is so perfect in their individual roles, so rightly cast.The acting all around is terrific and just as rich in close ups as from a distance. This is very demanding vocal music that requires extraodinary abilities of the supporting players and they all deliver no matter how small the role. Gorgeously costumed and set in the 1860's, the ladies gowns can be somewhat cumbersome. A rare opera where no one dies although a duel is barely avoided a happy ending ensues joyfully expressed by Mandryka's ecstatic skips as the final curtain descends. Only the very difficult will be disappointed but for those of us who don't know too much, it's a pleasure. Very highly recommended.

Arabella is one of those operas you don’t see performed very often. I don’t know why, since, when done properly, as was this one, the performances can be excellent. This is a traditionally staged and properly costumed rendition, with excellent singing. While I expected same, from Te Kanawa and Brendel, I was surprised that such an excellent voice, as that found in the form of Marie McLaughlin, was assigned to such a second-level part as Zdanka, Arabella’s younger sister. I don’t understand why we haven’t seen and heard her, in more challenging roles. Either way, this is a keeper.

For Strauss and Arabella fans this is a great, nearly, must have performance with Te Kanawa in the title role, and the great Metropolitan Opera orchestra conducted by Christian Thelemann. For those unfamiliar with the opera, why not dip into it with this cast. Be cautioned: this is not the Strauss of Salome, or Electra or Rosen Cavalier. This opera seems tame and domesticated...

This production is excellent. The only problem is that the DVD doesn't have subtitle.

I was avidly browsing through the recorded evidence of *Natalie Dessay's* brilliant vocal performances --having recently heard her on a free TV arts network music CD extract. Not realizing that into Ms. Dessay's amazing recordings would be inserted [mirabile dictu] items featuring OTHER operatic personalities such as Bev Sills and Te Kanawa. So... without reading carefully, I mistakenly bought THIS version of Richard Strauss's "Arabella." Let this be a warning to all semi-conscious shoppers. Dessay sings Strauss inimitably.And I WILL succeed in finding the "holy grail" of her performance. But, woe is me! Until then, I shall haveto be content with Kanawa. Sorry, wrong singer.... And I can't blame Amazon for misleading me (I think).

Magnificent celebration of Richard Strauss music , the talented singers as conductor and the Met Orchestra with such harmonious performance . I forgot that I am not in opera house...

Arabella was first performed in Dresden in 1933 and it is Richard Strauss' last opera for which the libretto was written by Hugo von Hofmannsthal who died shortly after completing it. This work was, in some sense, an attempt to recapture the outstanding success of the operatic style presented in Strauss' earlier work, Der Rosenkavalier (1911). Although well received it has never gained as much popularity as this earlier work. All that aside, this brilliant 1995 Metropolitan Opera production is a joy to own.From the start this production benefits from near perfect synchronisation between orchestra, singing, acting and staging. There's no distracting out-of-period costuming or inappropriate staging, which is just right with neither elaborate intrusions nor soul-sinking sparsity. Here we have at least one production in which the Met has done us all proud. The well portrayed characters endear themselves to the viewer in inspiring fashion.I would say that no composer understood the human voice better than Richard Strauss. It's so inspiring the way in which his music interprets the natural nuances of everyday speech. An example of this is right at the beginning of the work when the Countess Adelaide is consulting a fortune teller. You don't even need to know what they're saying to realise the type of emotions involved.The voice of Kiri te Kanawa is perfectly suited for the lead role of Arabella and it's an inspiration to own this recording of this great soprano singing at her best, and Marie McLaughlin gives us a convincing Zdenka, who spends most of the time dressed as a young man, because it has been predicted that, should the Waldners have two daughters, it will cause problems. Although the plot is rather silly in places, it doesn't matter at all because of the beautiful music. I thought Wolfgang Brendal was very good as the wealthy landowner Mandryka. In fact, it's difficult to fault any of the performances by any of the actors.I think most opera enthusiasts, especially fans of Richard Strauss, will love this production, which also involves a performance by the young Natalie Dessay as Milli, the cabmen's mascot. Anyway, I liked it and shall enjoy watching it many times as I hope many others will aswell.

Kiri de Kanawa delivers a classic Arabella. For me this is the best, although i am sure that there are excellent modern performances. The Characters are all well played and sung: the card playing father, the fussy mother, the suitors etc. A classic story of love, misunderstandings which keep the poor father away from his card table (of course, Strauss would have known this character well, being such a keen card player himself). No one gets killed (although there is almost a duel!). Great fun. The music is Strauss light: think Rosenkavalier rather than Salome or Elektra. First put on in 1933 when Strauss was almost 70, this looks back to the Belle Epoque before 1914: no reference at all to anything contemporary. Kiri de Kanawa is at her very best here and at the height of her singing career. I know a lot of opera lovers go for death and catharsis (Tosca, Butterfly, Tristan etc.), but this is a real gem for those that love Mozart and Rossini (Strauss himself loved Mozart as much as Wagner). And no one is a better at creating characters than Strauss.

I sometimes buy opera DVDs for somewhat tenuous reasons, I had just watched a Carmen with Marie McLauglin and I was impressed, what else was she in? Answer Arabella. This turned out to be a good choice for me, not only as Marie maintained her promise, but the whole production is to my liking.The sets are period and tastefull, adding nicely to the mood. Costumes too are nicely done, ladies in flowing dresses and gentlemen in evening dress.Kiri Te Kanawa as the lead sails majestically through the various misunderstandings in excellent voice. Donald McIntyre is in fine acting form as her father, and Helga Dernesch flutters through her role in good voice.Wolfgang Brendel makes an excellent Mandryka, his singing reflecting the wide range of emotions that his wrong assumptions produce.The spurned lover Matteo, David Kuebler does a good line in starey eyes upon his rejections, he has a tenor of clarity which is to my liking.Natalie Dessay as the mascot bounces energetically around with great character, but is a bit shrill, usually I like her a lot, but this is going back a bit.The minor characters are all perfectly sound, no pun intended, so if you like Strauss, Te Kanawa, and McLauglin this could be for you.

This is a 1994 production of the "lyric comedy" made at The Metropolitan Opera House. The stage direction is by Otto Schenk. It is a sumptuous production in traditional settings and costumes.Kiri Te Kanawa sings the title role in a ravishing voice. Her portrayal of the title role brings out the serene and loving character of Arabella very well indeed. Wolfgang Brendel - in an honourable but vulnerable role of Mandryka - is convincing as a rich provincial land owner and sings with a firm voice. Marie McLaughlin (Zdenka) is excellent in singing as well as acting as Arabella's younger sister who loves Matteo who in turn is in love with Arabella.The role of the parents are taken by Donald McIntyre and Helga Dernesch: they are both very good in characterisation. In the ball scene in Act 2, the young Nathalie Dessay (Fiakermilli) is full of character and sings brilliantly.Christian Thielemann draws a beautiful sound from the orchestra and his direction is exemplary. The recorded sound is rich and clear.

This is such a lavish production, by the Met. Top cast, top orchestra, top conducting, top interpretation. Natural acting, if you ignore the 4:3 screen aspect ratio and the occasional distortion in loud passages (it is an oldish video) it feels like watching a movie. The end sequence to act 1 is thrilling. Who'd have thought a domestic setting could do that - Strauss' score helps of course, but it's the combination of that and Kiri te Kanawa and the production that makes it I think.