Editorial Product Review:Description:Cast list
Kiri Te Kanawa: Arabella
Wolfgang Brendel: Mandryka
Marie McLaughlin: Zdenka
David Kuebler: Matteo
Helga Dernesch: Adelaide
Donald McIntyre: Count Waldner
Charles Workman: Count Elemer
Kim Josephson: Count Dominik
Julien Robbins: Cound Lamoral
Natalie Dessay: The Fiakermilli
Jane Shaulis: A fortuneteller
Metropolitan Opera and Chorus, Christian Thielemann, conductor
Amazon.com:Criticizing Richard Strauss for composing melodically enduring operas is as pointless as lambasting Vermeer for painting only exquisite interior scenes. Those who say Strauss never improved on
Rosenkavalier may be right, but when such beguiling sounds kept coming from his music for the next 30 years of his life, there shouldn't be any quibbles.
Arabella follows a woman who cannot make up her mind on a suitor and, like most Strauss operas, ends with a meltingly lovely duet. Taped at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1994 under the baton of conductor Christian Thielemann, this production features Kiri Te Kanawa in the title role; her acting is mediocre, but vocally she never forces anything and at least sounds like the perfect Arabella. Wolfgang Brendel does well with Mandryka, who finally ends up with Arabella, and Marie McLaughlin as Zdenka makes a sympathetic younger sister to the heroine. Otto Schenk's production is sturdily conservative, the video transfer is acceptable if unspectacular, and the sound mix is CD-quality.
--Kevin Filipski
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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
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star-studded
i've never seen so many big names in one opera before ; also, nathalie dessay has a little role in act II, but that's not really highlighted ; it's definitely a must-have for anyone who wants 2 hours of not stop beautiful music
Customer Rating: -
A Wonderful Performance
Earlier criticism of Strauss was that he was washed up after his earlier operatic successes. Fortunately all post WWII performances of the later works have proved this silly generalization wrong. Arabella is a case in point. I suppose for non-German speaking auditors the arioso/recitative style that is common to much the later Strauss is perhaps the greatest hurtle to overcome. And the rewards are many for those that stick with this score.
This performance is superb. Te Kanawa is in lustrous voice and Brendel is excellent, but then I find no weak link in the cast. Many have criticized Kiri's German and I understand that she has admitted to finding the text of German operas somewhat daunting. (A pity that she didn't spend a year or two in a German house.) I have not seen/heard the Janowitz version and am reluctant because it is a film and lipsynching alienating. Additionally the German diva has been guilty of being more interested in the tone and textually she has received some low marks, notably for her Elsa. So for me there is no choice. A great live performance conducted by one of the best German conductors or Solti whose recording of the opera is brutal.
Incidentally one of the previous reviewer states that there are no subtitles. This is not true. He needs to look at the back page of the notes provided. It is necessary to "hit" menu and the data is provided. Newer DGG releases have formatted their DVD's.
Customer Rating: -
I love this opera!
I was unfamiliar with the story of this opera until I saw it awhile back. It's quite an amusing little story. Te Kanawa looks the part of Arabella (even though she is over 50 in this performance), and she sings it with proper emotion. I don't understand people who say she sings without feeling. The rest of the cast is top notch. One of the perks of this recording is debut role of Natalie Dessay as the Fiakermilli.
Customer Rating: 
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Warning: no subtitles
If you love opera DVDs bez you can learn the opera -- music and words -- this DVD may not be for you.
