Věc Makropulos
The Makropulos affair
Die Sache Makropulos

"A perplexing issue. The performance has class ... The Vienna Philharmonic play this score with greater naturalness and virtuosity ... The singing is mostly terrific ... Denoke has these notes and the technique and breathing to deliver them. Her men are strong ... The Swiss director ... follow a similar path [as in Tristan und Isolde, Bayreuth 2005], but less surely ... Much of the result though will please, rather bizarrely, those who like "straight", non-interventionist stagings".

"Sidste år havde Salzburg Festspillene operaen som et af sine højdepunkter og høstede stor anderkendelse og nu foreligger på dvd ... I en birolle finder man den danske baryton Johan Reuter".

"I'm sorry to say that this production strikes me as Regietheater at its most arid and untheatrical ... Despite some good individual performances, the consistently fine orchestral playing and Salonen's sensitive conducting, this is not a Makropulos that can be recommended. Marthaler's inert direction is just too exasperating".

"Die komplizierte Erbstreitgeschichte ... wird unter dem schweizerischen Regisseur zur verschlurften Ode der Langsamkeit in einem nussbaumfurnierten Breitwandgerichtssaal ... Das Werk mutiert so zur surrealen Moritat über Ewigkeit und Vergeblichkeit ... Kompliment an die Wiener Philharmoniker und Esa-Pekka Salonen".