Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Abduction from the Seraglio) DVD from Salzburg 1997

This comic Singspiel (opera with spoken dialogues in German) is one of Mozart's most popular works (despite of the Viennese Emperor’s charge that it has too many notes!). It is generally regarded as the completed and improved version of his earlier unfinished work Zaide... along the same theme.

Two European ladies (Konstanze and her maid Blonde) are abducted to Pasha Selim's Turkish harem (a ‘seraglio’) where they are kept under the somewhat watchful eyes of Osmin the liquor-loving guard. There, Konstanze is courted by the Pasha while Blonde is constantly wooed by Osmin. The rescue attempt by the ladies’ lovers (Belmonte and Pedrillo) by pretending to be architects offering the pasha their service fails when the ruckus they make during their night escape awakens Osmin (whose sleep was caused by drinking Pedrillo's drugged wine earlier). Interrogation and negotiation ensues and the Pasha is even more irked by the realization that Belmonte is the son of the enemy who caused his own exile. After much consideration he decides to take the high road and let the lovers go, to the dismay of Osmin (who has taken a definite shine to Blonde.... despite her spunkiness). This is a comic opera, so if you think the plot silly... IT IS

Cast:
Konstanze ::: Christine Schäfer (soprano)
Blonde (Konstanze's maid) ::: Malin Hartelius (soprano)
Belmonte (Konstanze's fiancé) ::: Paul Groves (tenor)
Pedrillo (Belmonte's friend and Blonde's lover) ::: Andreas Conrad (tenor)
Osmin (Pasha Selim's watchman) ::: Franz Hawlata (Bass)
Pasha Selim ::: Akram Tillawi (Non-singing part)
Conductor ::: Marc Minkowski
from the 1997 Salzburg Festival, staged out-door at Residenzhof courtyard)

Sample clips:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTQUJSoORT0 (Christine Schäfer sings Marten aller Arten)

This production is very much modern and unconventional though still is on the sane side of the Eurotrash Regietheater spectrum. The set is in the courtyard of Pasha Selim's compound (it really is more a compound than a palace) with coil-wire parameter and patrolled by Kalashnikov toting guards. The Arab Pasha Selim is in modern clothes (suits in a various states of neatness) and carries a bullhorn (he doesn't sing... but likes to preach a lot). The ladies are in casual Western dress (except for Konstanze and her Arab cape). Hartelius' Blonde is in a sleeveless top and denim short and carries pepper spray The opera opens with Belmonte bursting out of a luggage a la Jack in the Box. Well... you get the picture.. It might not be the 'exotic' as Mozart would have seen it, but it's quite a departure from traditional staging indeed.

Christine Schäfer is simply marvelous as Konstanze. She comes out swinging with her 1st aria, 'Ach, ich Liebte' that meritfully stops the show, follows it with affecting and technically spectacular 'Trauligkeit'... and then lands a knock out punch with the opera's main attraction, the concerto-aria showpiece 'Marten aller Arten.' The voice is small-ish, the singing is big. What ease singing these coloratura tour de forces She compares favorably with the likes of Edita Gruberova and Natalie Dessay in this role even with some minor strain on the long held high C.... this thing isn't so easy to sing after all

Schäfer is well matched by the not-as-famous-yet (with heavy emphasis on the YET) Swedish soprano Malin Hartelius as her maid Blonde (just ignore her brunette hair, alright). Hartelius makes light of Blonde's difficult aria, 'Durch Zartlichkeit und Schmeicheln,' displaying a sterling voice from a commanding low A to an ethereal high E all with a wonderful comedic touch to boot. This is my 4th encounter with this wonderful singer and I'm keeping an eye on her as a major artist in the making (she is a marvelous Melanto in 'Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria', and a wonderful Sophie in 'Der Rosenkavalier'.

Paul Grove is an ardent Belmonte, even though his voice doesn't seem to really fit well with the music (I prefer a darker and weightier sound for this role). This is quite a tamed Belmonte and the argument scene in act II that is supposed to show his suspicion of Konstanze's constancy seems rather tentative. He copes well with his difficult act II aria 'Ich baue ganz auf deine Starke', however.

Andreas Conrad's pinging voiced Pedrillo is a better match with his partner Blonde, singing exquisitely the serenade that signals the escape. But the star singer on the male side is actually the bass Franz Hawlata's Osmin who acts as well as he sings. His drinking scene is a riot. His low D may not be as strong as some others’, but on the whole this is one of the best Osmins around.

The Pasha is a speaking part and is played sympathetically by the actor Akram Tillawi. This is a very refined and soft spoken Pasha, tho a rather preachy one. He is quite a dancer, too (as seen in the finale).

Maestro Marc Minkowski keeps things moving well with this eccletic Euro-Oriental music and sends 4 of his instrumentalists on stage for Marten aller Arten. He is surprisingly adept to this German piece (Minkowski is known more for his French works).

All in all, this is a beautiful musical performance. If you are new to opera this one may take some getting used to with all the switching from singing to speaking. But if you are already a Mozart fan, this DVD is a great buy!

1 DVD. Run-time: 159 minutes. Good picture and sound. Sung in German with subtitle in English. No booklet, just an excerpt with track list.

Some other Mozart operas:
Apollo et Hyacinthus (Salzburg 2006), Ascanio in Alba (Salzburg 2006), Bastien und Bastienne/Der Schauspieldirektor (Salzburg 2006), La clemenza di Tito (Salzburg 2003), La clemenza di Tito (Zürich 2005), La clemenza di Tito (Munich 2006), La clemenza di Tito (JE Gardiner), Cosi fan tutte (Ponnelle film), Don Giovanni (Met 2000), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Salzburg 1998), La finta giardiniera (Salzburg 2006), La finta semplice (Salzburg 2006), Idomeneo (Salzburg 2006), Idomeneo (Met 198-), Lucio Silla (Salzburg 2006), Mitridate (Salzburg 1997), Mitridate (Rousset), Le nozze di Figaro (live performance- SDO 2007), Die Zauberflöte (ROH 2001), Die Zauberflöte (Modena 2005), Die Zauberflöte (Zürich 1999)

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8