Massenet: Thais- The Metropolitan Opera
by John Cox
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Actor: Alain Vernhes, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Michael Schade, Renee Fleming, Thomas HampsonDirector: John Cox
Brand: Uni
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 146 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2010-01-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Decca
DVD Reviews of Massenet: Thais- The Metropolitan Opera
DVD Review: Currently the Clear Winner
Summary: 4 Stars
There are only two other DVD's of Thais in the current catalogue. There may be others in the future, but it is highly unlikely that they (it) will unseat the position that this Met production enjoys. That is not to say that it is perfect. Indeed almost any production of a French opera is in a quandry because of the lack of French singers and the ability to project the text as only a French trained singer can do. The recent Carmen managed to meet this problem head on and do a very good job of. Of course Carmen is a masterpiece and Thais while highly enjoyable and ranking almost with Manon and Werther is a more fragile work.
Aside from the fact that neither lead is French my main bone of contention with the DVD is the very generic production. Fourth century Hellenic Egypt! Not even close. Why in heaven's name was Nicias wearing a white bow tie and white vest and what looked like a thirties lounging robe. This is nit picking, but even so it is glaring because he never changes his costume. Fleming is a diva and I suppose is entitled to all the perks that attend to the position. Her costumes are no more evocative of the setting than those of Nicias, especially her Act I costume. Only those of Hampson's are apt. Fleming's were designed for her and probably cost a lot of money; they are somewhat glitzy and I can't imagine any other opera that would find them acceptable.
What is more important are the singers up to the job, something that previous productions were only able to do with marginal success. Leaving aside French style, both Fleming and Hampson deliver the goods. Renee still has a top that allows her to negotiate the difficult passages without strain. She sings the two high D's in the finale with ease. It is almost incredible to realize that at her age (very ungallant of me to even bring this up)she not only looks far younger than she is, but sings as well as she does--and may she continue to. Dramatically she may skate over the role but to anyone who can sing this role after the wretched attempts of Frittoli and Mei I couldn't care less. Ideally Anathael should be sung by a more heroic baritone than Hampson, but he is such a canny artist and with many years behind him he is able to manage not only this role but a number of others that one would not associate with his lyric baritone. Think Amfortas, Macbeth, Mandryka, et.al. Ideally my Anathael would be sung by Michel Dens, but France is not delivering this kind of singer, so I am more than happy to have an artist of the distinction of Hampson. Nicias is almost a thankless role and Schade performs it well.
Supporting the opera is one of the great opera orchestras in the world and a conductor, though Spanish is at one with the Massenet idiom. We are lucky to have this DVD.
Description of Massenet: Thais- The Metropolitan Opera
Renée Fleming triumphs as the glamorous courtesan Thaïs in Massenet's romantic tragedy set in fourth century Alexandria and the Egyptian desert. The timeless struggle between earthly desire and spiritual redemption finally destroys the resolve of the monk Athanaël (Thomas Hampson), just as the newly penitent Thaïs ascends heavenward. BONUS FEATURE: Interviews by Plácido DomingoBestsellers in DVD
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