This month sees the appearance of one of the finest classical DVDs you'll ever encounter. Popular music has its accompanying videos almost as a matter of course, but the classics are only just getting into the act. And music videos are in essence what Vincent Paterson has created in his sensational DVD featuring the young Russian opera soprano Anna Netrebko. Using
clever camera-work and troupes of dancers and singers, he has made a film that is enormously funny and indeed thrilling, and a superb tribute to an exceptional talent.
The striking visuals might not be so important if Netrobko's voice was less wonderful. But it's superb -- clear, strong and vibrant in every register. This isn't all. It so happens that Netrobko's on-screen personality is playful and sexy in a way that couldn't be more appropriate to what Paterson has elected to do with the music. The result is perfection of a kind -- a zestful cocktail of hot color, fast-cut images and witty choices for the settings. To top it all, the music itself is in all cases almost perfectly served.
The Jewel Song from Gounod's Faust may not seem like a strong starter but it's made sensationally ebullient, even funny. Switching from historical to neo-punk and back again within seconds, and with the charismatic Netrobko veritably drunk on the effects of her new accessories, the result is a joyous rehabilitation of an old vocal number.
Next, Musetta from La Boheme is shown as a lonely rich girl drawing the looks of every man she passes, plus her taxi-driver and soberly-attired companion. Gorgeously edited, this is another palpable hit. But it can't compare with what follows, Donna Anna's Crudele? Non mi dir from Don Giovanni, with the dancers as trees in a wintry forest turning to snow. This item is a genuine masterpiece, with the performers all- but-permanent impulse to camp for once held in check.
By contrast, a positive riot is permitted, indeed encouraged, in Care compagne from La Sonambula, a feast of provocative posturing and gaudy color. Never before was Bellini like this! The film concludes with the Song to the Moon from Rusalka, done in a variety of watery locations, starting with Netrebko adrift in a swimming-pool on an pink-and- blue inflatable and ending with a quasi-erotic sequence in a shower.
Whatever you do, don't miss this DVD. Between the five musical items are interludes where Netrebko talks about her life, her fantasies, how she enjoys pop music but never wants to sing it, and so on. The DVD also contains behind-the-scenes footage and three Netrebko on-stage items -- two from La Traviata and one from Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila. The CD that the video items are presumably mimed to is Opera Arias (DGM 474 240-2) with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Chinese subtitles are included, along with English, Spanish, German and French. This product is sensational and highly recommended.
The other two DVDs are much less unusual and indeed in part of historic interest. The first is the release in DVD format of the 1977 production of Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. It stars the 36-year-old Placido Domingo as the Duke, Ileana Cotrubas as Gilda, and the veteran Cornell MacNeil in the title role. The production is traditional but eye-catching, and very strong on conviction. The orchestral sound under Levine is especially fine. With the added eminence of the soloists, this is a DVD well worth having.
Essential Ballet isn't new either. It features the Kirov Ballet in an outdoor performance in Moscow's Red Square, and before that on stage at London's Covent Garden, with Princess Diana in attendance. Both performances, in fact, date from the early 1990s. The dancing is of high quality, albeit essentially conventional. The filming techniques are also unadventurous, though if you like the dancing you can at least say no tricks distract you. This is a DVD for ballet enthusiasts, but will be less attractive to those hoping for an innovative approach.
Finally, a bizarre pair of CDs from Warner Music Taiwan. There have been many ruses used in trying to introduce classical music to a wider audience, but none can have been more strange than the claim that here is something to send you to sleep! But this is what Warner Music have done with two recordings of pianist Daniel Barenboim playing Bach's Goldberg Variations and Beethoven's Diabelli Variations. They date from 1991 and 1994 and were perfectly satisfactory, if less immediately striking than Glenn Gould's 2002 triple-CD from Sony (SM3K 87703 -- reviewedTaipei Times Oct. 4, 2002) and Piotr Anderszewski's fine DVD (Virgin Classics 7243 5 99467 9 5 -- reviewed Taipei Times July 18, 2004) respectively. Now, however, they have been re-packaged in soporific mode, with tracks divided into those that are like a soft breeze and genuinely sleep-inducing (are they really that boring?), others that are "chirpy at night" (what can that mean?) and the rest -- ones where Bach and Beethoven are unavoidably energetic and awake -- as music of a "dancing angel." Neverthe-less, this compilation enjoys the advantage that later this month the prestigious Zurich Ballet will be basing their performances in Taipei on the same Bach work (Oct. 29, 30 and 31).
Just after 6am, I walked up to the ticket gate at Taipei Main Station and entered the Taiwan Railway platform without scanning any ticket; instead, I flashed the Sanrio Fun Rail pass on my phone to the gate worker and was admitted. I found my train and prepared to board. My destination? This very same station. I was embarking on a 13-hour journey on one of two round-the-island trains operated by ezTravel. They run each day, one counterclockwise around the island and one clockwise. They differ in a number of ways from an ordinary Taiwan Railway train and can make for
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
On Thursday, former Taipei mayor and founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was sentenced to 17 years in prison and had his civil rights suspended for six years over corruption, embezzlement and other charges. Seven others related to the case were also handed prison sentences, while two were found not guilty. It has been a bad week for the TPP. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) with suspicion of taking part in Beijing-directed election interference. Xu has strong links to the TPP, which once offered her a party list legislator nomination. Tuesday also
RSS