David McVicar reviews
Gounod: Faust (DVD)
Erwin Schrott, Michael Fabiano et al; Royal Opera House Orchestra/Dan Ettinger (Opus Arte)
Bellini: Norma
Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja, Matthew Rose; Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra/Carlo Rizzi; dir. David McVicar (Erato; DVD)
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte
This is Covent Garden’s latest Magic Flute production, filmed in January. It’s a mixed bag, hard to recommend as a total Flute experience over other DVDs already available. For one component part, though, it’s a must-have. Simon Keenlyside’s Papageno offers none of the vaudeville high jinks traditionally associated with the role: he brings to its comedy a Pierrot lunaire-like poetry, precisely achieved down to the smallest detail. This Papageno arouses both delight and poignant emotions, and his singing is wonderfully strong and true in style.