Mozart - Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail [Abduction from the Seraglio]

I didn't expect such a glorious Abduction when I sat down with friends to watch this DVD. Re-releases of such old productions (1980) are often plagued by stiff camera work, unbalanced recording, and/or outmoded vocal technique. This offering from Deutsche Grammophon has none of those flaws. Thus I rushed here to the keyboard, to proclaim the excellence of my "discovery" to the world, only to find that Mike Birman has already written everything I wanted to say, and in 2006! Bravo, Mike!The only addition I can make is to call attention to the role of Thomas Holtzmann as Pasha Selim, the pivotal character in this operatic sermon of Enlightenment values. Holtzmann conveys just the right measure of despotic arrogance in the first two acts so that his noble gesture of tolerance becomes both powerful and plausible in the third act. After the DVD viewing, I asked my friends what they thought of Selim's singing. They were predictably somewhat reticent; not one of them had realized that Selim never sings. The role of the Pasha is spoken only.On the other hand, the role of Osmin is so prominent that a good actor can effectively steal the show from the two romantic couples. Martti Talvela was born to sing and act Osmin. A huge bear of a basso, he manages to carry the opera's humor to hilarious extremes without overwhelming or upstaging the fine performances of Reri Grist as his slave Blonde or Norbert Orth and his rival and foil Pedrillo.If you have a friend who needs to be converted to the joys of opera, and particularly of opera on DVD, you couldn't find a better choice than this flawless evening's entertainment.

Very good version of good opera. Slow moving opera and 1980 sound. Mozart's music is better than the words and the arias. The opera itself is far from Bel Canto but the singers sing it very well.

This is a great version. Quality videography, great actors. Of course the music is awesome, its Mozart

This is a well done production, somewhat different from an English sung version I own. These are great singers and a fabulous production. It is presented in very traditional sets, which is something you do not always find in some of the newer recordings of operas.

The program notes tell us that this 1980 Munich production was "hotly contested" by the opening night audience, and that filming was delayed until the third evening. Apparently some liked the high level of slapstick in the staging, and some found it offensive. "Die Entführung" is a problematic work in its uneasy balance between the serious and comic and in its theatrical pacing. Mozart hadn't yet learned that long, elaborate arias, however beautiful, can impede the progress of the drama. I don't mind seeing the whole thing lightened up a bit by the droll visual jokes.The excellent cast is led by the Konstanze of Edita Gruberova, who sings her very demanding music with aplomb (including the major challenge of "Traurigkeit" and "Martern aller Arten" back-to-back), and creates a sympathetic character. She is well partnered by Francisco Araiza's noble Belmonte; he was a fine Mozart tenor, with a lovely lyric line. Too bad his biggest aria, "Ich baue ganz", was cut. The servant couple is also well cast. Reri Grist is a pert, feisty Blonde, and Norbert Orth a good comic Pedrillo. Grist avoids the famous high E in her first aria; I would guess the note simply wasn't working on that particular evening. The Osmin is Martti Talvela, and it's fun to see the great Finnish bass in a comic role. He splutters effectively, sings his music beautifully, and his massive frame is the source of a few jokes - as when he towers over the diminutive Araiza. The conductor is the redoubtable veteran Karl Böhm. I never cared much for his Mozart, which featured an unpalatable mixture of rhythmic rigidity and soft-edged articulation. But the problem here is his tempos, which tend to speed up and slow down unpredictably, sometimes catching the singers by surprise. The program notes praise Böhm's flexibility, but it sounds to me as though he has difficulty sustaining a steady tempo. But, at age 86, he was nearing the end of a long and distinguished career, and perhaps we should give him a break. In any case, the beautiful singing largely makes up for his inconsistency.In short, a beautifully sung and thoroughly enjoyable performance. Recommended.

It has one of my favorite opera performers: Francisco Araiza. The other performers were excellent, as well.

the amazing Karl Bohm at work. I thoroughly enjoy this rendering by the renowned conductor

Montaje naif muy de su época. Gran dirección musical y maravillosos cantantes en su mejor momento. Lástima que la grabación sea muy pobre.

Super ma mamie adore !!

Auch wenn ich nicht unbedingt ein Gruberova-Fan bin - eine wunderbare Aufführung, die keine Wünsche offen lässt. Leider sind Opernaufführungen dieser Qualität auch an der Münchner Staatsoper mittlerweile sehr selten geworden. Auch wenn die Inszenierung inzwischen etwas "in die Jahre" gekommen ist - genau DAS wollen die Leute hören und auch sehen, keine Opernchöre in SS-Uniformen etc.Ich habe die Entführung" vor Kurzem im Teatro San Carlo in Neapel in durchaus vergleichbarer Qualität erlebt und wüsste nicht, an welcher deutschen Opernbühne man etwas Vergleichbares geboten bekommt.

But do not expect the three great operas here... Don Giovanni, cosi fan tutte, le nozze... Or the magic flute. This opera is just nice

And an Osmin to match. A fantastic set of singers, and actors. None of this opera's long, stop-action arias seem at all long in this edition, which means the stage director doesn't have to fill in with lots of scene action to keep the audience interested. On the contrary: one's interest is enchained. Simple staging, with very good comedy, but nothing unnecessary. By far my favorite of (my four) Entfuhrungen ...Madeleine H.