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Opus Arte's opera DVDs are widely praised, and their Julius Caesar has just won yet another award.
They have also struck gold with this Lohengrin from the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, which is presented in gorgeous widescreen with thunderously powerful audio.
The production of Nikolaus Lehnhoff is the first positive, for while the drama is updated, it not once loses sight of the key themes.
Most importantly, the staging is successful in delineating characters and motives. The conflict between good and bad is carefully set out, while the juxtaposition between the real world and Elsa's fantastical, dreamlike existence is powerfully evoked. Duane Schuler's lighting continually bathes Elsa and her Knight in ghostly whites and creams, while the scheming Telramund and Ortrud are given sinister blacks and greys. The second half of Act II in particular has a hallucinatory quality that emphasises the exotic, wondrous presence of the Knight.
Finally, the dramatic possibilities given by the circular, portentous sets of Acts One and Three and sloping steps of Act Two are endlessly explored by Denni Sayers' alert choreography. It seems obvious on paper, but given how few Wagner updates pay any attention to the demands of the text, this is a welcome example of 'how to do it'.
Equally welcome is the presence of Kent Nagano in the pit, whose interpretation is lively, spontaneous and exciting. Perhaps the Prelude to Act III lacks some visceral tension, but elsewhere tempi sound exactly right and the playing of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin is accurate and thrilling. Especially good is the evocation of a sunrise in Act III, with raucous timpani and brass complementing the gorgeous lyricism of the strings.
The EuropaChor Akademie Mainz provide firm tone, but it is the solo voices which stand out. Solveig Kringelborn's Elsa is not the most beautiful sound, but the harsh edge present in her voice is endlessly effective in conveying internal anguish. Hans-Peter König uses his cavernous and noble bass to immense effect in the role of Heinrich, while the coupling of Waltraud Meier and Tom Fox as Ortrud and Telramund was an inspired choice - the former in particular continually roughens her normally luxurious voice with menace.
The loudest cheer, though, must go (and does go) to Klaus Florian Vogt in the role of Lohengrin. This tenor possesses a beauty of tone that is almost Mozartian, yet his projection is vast and he manages to ride over the full Wagner orchestra with a formidable ring in his top notes. I was also impressed by the ethereal echo in the man's voice, both at his entrance in Act I and exit in Act III. As an atheist I shall never know, but if a heaven-sent Knight sounded like anything, it would surely be this.
Musically, the DVD is exceptional, with one reservation – that the mix of timbres in the solo voices occasionally harms the ensemble – yet it would hardly be so enjoyable were the acting not of such a high standard. With the camera continually probing into characters' faces, we see the shame, anguish and confusion in the faces of the protagonists. When Lohengrin appears in Act I, the amazement of the crowd is palpable. When Elsa cries in Act III, her tears seem heart-wrenchingly real.
With great conducting, great singing and a sense of drama that is lost in most Wagner productions currently doing the rounds, this is as good an introduction as any to the world of the Music Drama. It may not equal some of the renowned recordings on CD, but Wagnerians will not want to be without.
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