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Music / operafilm

Mefistofele

Arrigo Boito

Reviews (12)

Classics today

2008

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Robert Levine (musikanmelder)

2008

"This set's only competition is a 1989 performance from San Francisco starring Samuel Ramey at his peak in an otherwise unimaginative production and with sound and image less sharp than this new one. Even with its design and directorial oddities, this is highly recommended".

MusicWeb international

2016 November

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Michael Cookson

2016 November

"Full of imagination Schwab creates numerous absorbing nightmarish episodes ... One of the great bass roles in opera Mefistofele is played by the renowned René Pape who imparts an evil grandeur throughout ... Striking singing from Pape ... responding expressively to the demands of Boito's dramatic writing ... Kristine Opolais makes a convincingly shy and reserved Margherita ... Love it or loathe it Roland Schwab's highly controversial and often disturbing staging of Mefistofele makes a mightily powerful impact ... Compelling and thought provoking, it will be one of my Records of the Year".

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MusicWeb international

2009 January

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Robert J Farr

2009 January

"His music, as exemplified in this performance, has much dramatic strength as well as melody. Add the advantage of the visual spectacle given in this production and it is a worthwhile addition to the repertoire of any large well-budgeted opera company".

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BBC music magazine

2014 Christmas

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George Hall (musikanmelder)

2014 Christmas

"Carsen's cast is fine, centred on the outsize performance of Ildar Abdrazakov in the title role. He brings sex appeal to Satan, his authentic Russian bass sounding marvellous in the blatant vulgarity of this grandiose assumption ... San Francisco's chorus and orchestra seize their oppurtunities, and conductor Nicola Luisotti revels in the grander possibilities of the score, as well as shining a torch on its finer detail and conscientious craftsmanship".

Klassisk

2014, nr. 35

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Steen Chr. Steensen

2014, nr. 35

"Handlingen er fra Goethes Faust, men det er ikke en tilfældighed, at titlen peger på Djævelen: hos Boito er han nemlig det dramatiske omdrejningspunkt. I Robert Carsens udgave ... er det imidlertid svært at finde noget dramatisk fokuspunkt ... Det yder ikke operaen retfærdighed. Den musikalske side er til gengæld gennemført i alle dimensioner ... Ramón Vargas har en pragtfuld stemme".

Diapason

2017 juillet-août

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By

Emmanuel Dupuy

2017 juillet-août

BBC music magazine

2017 March

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George Hall (musikanmelder)

2017 March

"The cast is about as good as one could come up with. René Pape revels in the grotesque vocal grandeuer of his suited and booted Mefistofle, with Joseph Calleja offering a thoughtful, sweet-toned Faust, painfully aware of the wrong turs he takes on his road to eventual salvation. Kristine Opolais is a powerful Margherita ... The Munich chorus and orchestra perform with enthusiasm and to considerable effect under the focused baton of Omer Meir Wellber".

Fono Forum

2014 Dezember

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Manuel Brug

2014 Dezember

"Ramón Vargas ist ein darstellerisch eindimensionaler, lyrisch (zu) feiner Faust, Patricia Racette ... wirkt zu alt für die Margarete und zu wenig virtuos für die Helena. Nicola Luisotti am Dirigierpult erledigt versiert seinen Job".

International record review

2014 December

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John T. Hughes

2014 December

"Musically ... all is very much alive under Luisotti's vital conducting ... He has put it across most successfully, with the help in this performance of a notable trio of protagonists, all singing intensely but with some amusing touches from Abdrazakov ... Luisotti's guidance of his chorus and orchestra is a contributory factor in one's enjoyment".

Klassisk

2017, nr. 44

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Per Rask Madsen

2017, nr. 44

"I Den Bayerske Statsoperas dvd-produktion ligner Djævelen et kryds mellem en rigmand og en groupie-ombejlet rockstjerne i Roland Schwabs iscenesættelse. René Pape høstede hæder i Opera Today for sin nuancerede og dybe skildring af Mefistofele ... Som antydet er produktionen noget af et kulørt udstyrsstykke".

The gramophone

2017 February

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Mike Ashman

2017 February

"René Pape's Mefistofele is restrained and autocratic ... Calleja is also far less camp than has become the norm for Faust, to the opera's benefit. Both men are in seriously good voice. As is Opolais, who lavishes no small weight of tone on the part ... Reservations aside, this release is a good first calling post for Boito's drama".

Fono Forum

2017 Februar

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Manuel Brug

2017 Februar

"Roland Schwabs linkische Inszenierung verliert sich in einer Metallröhre in teuflischen Klischees und höllischen Allgemeinplätzen. Joseph Calleja singt schön als Faust, hat aber null Ausstrahlung. Von Kristine Opolais als Margarete hätte man mehr Ausdrucksnuancen erwartet. Wenigstens sorgt Omer Meir Wellber am Pult des Staatsorchesters für etwas akustische Geisterbahn".