The Mozart 22 series immediately sparked my interest, as I love opera and Mozart's music. I saw the series as a good opportunity not only to revisit some old favourites but to also discover the operas that I wasn't so familiar with. Overall, it is an interesting series, but it is also very hit and miss. There were some outstanding ones, some excellent, some very good, some promise-more-than-deliver quality, some disappointing and some pretty dire.
Outstanding: Apollo and Hyacinthus, which had very elegant traditional production values, engaging stage direction that doesn't fall into the trap of weirdness, superb orchestral playing and conducting and the performances especially from Karg equally so. Il Re Pastore is pure operatic magic of the highest order, the costumes and sets are simple and not your idea of a traditional setting but especially for L'Amero Saro Costante it is beautifully done, and excepting Spicer the performances are spot on. Il Sogno Scipione I loved for its visual opulence, its musical spirit and commanding performances especially from Louise Friba. Mitridate Re De Ponto once again has simple sets, but is musically outstanding with faultless performances across the board.
Excellent: Idomeneo has some very innovative stage direction without straying too far from the libretto, and of the excellent performances(with only the Idamante not as good as the rest) Harteros' electric Elettra is the standout. La Finta Gardiniera benefits from a colourful and lively concept, and the result is a hugely entertaining and quite creative production(especially loved the wickedly sassy Serpetta), with only Podesta's sex act coming across as out of place. Cosi Fan Tutte has its flaws, the scenes in Act 2 with Fiordiligi disguising herself to join Guglielmo at the battle are muddled and the masquerading scenes are confusing, but the production is funny, moving and charming on the most part with lively(if not always subtle stage direction) and great performances.
Very good: Betulia Liberata is let down by Marijana Mijanovic's voice not being to my tastes, but Poppen's splendid conducting, Ovendon's effortlessly ringing singing and Kleiter's breathtaking vocal purity more than make amends. Die Schuldigkeit Des Ersten Gebots may have a somewhat funny but superfluously staged fight between a hunter and a furry monster and one outrageous costume for Mercy, but it looks interesting, is musically outstanding and once again boasts a fine performance from Karg. La Finta Semplice has gone up for me actually, I didn't like some of the staging and hated the women's costumes but again I cannot fault the musical values and the cast especially Hartelius and Wagner are outstanding.
Decent-but promise-more-than-deliver: Die Zauberflote had a few staging touches I didn't like, and I didn't care for the Monostatos or the Speaker either, but I liked the colourful sets and costumes(though Papagaeno's dreadlocks are a shock) and Muti's conducting and the performances of Kuhmeier, Pape and especially Damrau are superb. Le Nozze Di Figaro had an interesting surrealist approach visually and I liked the performances on the whole, especially D'Arcangelo, Netrebko and Schaefer, but Harnoncourt's conducting has a tendency to sound ponderous especially at the end of Act 2 and a few bits of staging didn't work. Don Giovanni has some great things like the staging of the serenade, the revolving set and the performances of Schaefer, D'Arcangelo and especially Beczala, and Hampson is much better than expected as the Don, but Deiner's Elvira, the sound quality and the disgusting staging of the final Commendatore scene bring things down. Bastien Und Bastienne/Der Schauspieldirektor has a great concept that has its advantages and disadvantages, with Schauspieldirekor faring better, it is musically good though if not outstanding and apart from Zamojska the performances are equally fine. Lucio Silla has fantastic performances from all three ladies and impeccable musical values but also has confused staging and Sacca doesn't leave much of an impression.
Disappointing: Zaide/Adama(two operas I actually don't care that much for) was better on re-watch, it has some fine singing, orchestral playing and conducting but some questionable production values and staging. Abendempfindung has some redeeming qualities such as Hammre's acting, Smith's dancing and the beautiful orchestral playing, but overall is frustrating with Ann Murray sounding worn, static visuals and staging that seems to actually forget about the music. Lo Sposo Deluso/L'Oca Del Cairo has some good things, like the singing of Klink, Moi, Wagner and Hartelius as well as the musical values and the moving finale, but also has annoying video directing, dull staging, Hartelius' worst costume on DVD and unappealing visuals, plus Hammre's role here is irritating.
Terrible: Ascanio in Alba is the nadir of the series for me, the orchestral playing, conducting and Damrau's performance are terrific but everything else is a disaster. Not close behind is Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail, a production that looks terrible with ugly sets and irrelevant staging and of the performances only the Belmonte and Blonde impress, Aikin is awkward and acidic and Hawlata lacks sonority.
Overall, hit-and-miss but interesting. Bethany Cox
Outstanding: Apollo and Hyacinthus, which had very elegant traditional production values, engaging stage direction that doesn't fall into the trap of weirdness, superb orchestral playing and conducting and the performances especially from Karg equally so. Il Re Pastore is pure operatic magic of the highest order, the costumes and sets are simple and not your idea of a traditional setting but especially for L'Amero Saro Costante it is beautifully done, and excepting Spicer the performances are spot on. Il Sogno Scipione I loved for its visual opulence, its musical spirit and commanding performances especially from Louise Friba. Mitridate Re De Ponto once again has simple sets, but is musically outstanding with faultless performances across the board.
Excellent: Idomeneo has some very innovative stage direction without straying too far from the libretto, and of the excellent performances(with only the Idamante not as good as the rest) Harteros' electric Elettra is the standout. La Finta Gardiniera benefits from a colourful and lively concept, and the result is a hugely entertaining and quite creative production(especially loved the wickedly sassy Serpetta), with only Podesta's sex act coming across as out of place. Cosi Fan Tutte has its flaws, the scenes in Act 2 with Fiordiligi disguising herself to join Guglielmo at the battle are muddled and the masquerading scenes are confusing, but the production is funny, moving and charming on the most part with lively(if not always subtle stage direction) and great performances.
Very good: Betulia Liberata is let down by Marijana Mijanovic's voice not being to my tastes, but Poppen's splendid conducting, Ovendon's effortlessly ringing singing and Kleiter's breathtaking vocal purity more than make amends. Die Schuldigkeit Des Ersten Gebots may have a somewhat funny but superfluously staged fight between a hunter and a furry monster and one outrageous costume for Mercy, but it looks interesting, is musically outstanding and once again boasts a fine performance from Karg. La Finta Semplice has gone up for me actually, I didn't like some of the staging and hated the women's costumes but again I cannot fault the musical values and the cast especially Hartelius and Wagner are outstanding.
Decent-but promise-more-than-deliver: Die Zauberflote had a few staging touches I didn't like, and I didn't care for the Monostatos or the Speaker either, but I liked the colourful sets and costumes(though Papagaeno's dreadlocks are a shock) and Muti's conducting and the performances of Kuhmeier, Pape and especially Damrau are superb. Le Nozze Di Figaro had an interesting surrealist approach visually and I liked the performances on the whole, especially D'Arcangelo, Netrebko and Schaefer, but Harnoncourt's conducting has a tendency to sound ponderous especially at the end of Act 2 and a few bits of staging didn't work. Don Giovanni has some great things like the staging of the serenade, the revolving set and the performances of Schaefer, D'Arcangelo and especially Beczala, and Hampson is much better than expected as the Don, but Deiner's Elvira, the sound quality and the disgusting staging of the final Commendatore scene bring things down. Bastien Und Bastienne/Der Schauspieldirektor has a great concept that has its advantages and disadvantages, with Schauspieldirekor faring better, it is musically good though if not outstanding and apart from Zamojska the performances are equally fine. Lucio Silla has fantastic performances from all three ladies and impeccable musical values but also has confused staging and Sacca doesn't leave much of an impression.
Disappointing: Zaide/Adama(two operas I actually don't care that much for) was better on re-watch, it has some fine singing, orchestral playing and conducting but some questionable production values and staging. Abendempfindung has some redeeming qualities such as Hammre's acting, Smith's dancing and the beautiful orchestral playing, but overall is frustrating with Ann Murray sounding worn, static visuals and staging that seems to actually forget about the music. Lo Sposo Deluso/L'Oca Del Cairo has some good things, like the singing of Klink, Moi, Wagner and Hartelius as well as the musical values and the moving finale, but also has annoying video directing, dull staging, Hartelius' worst costume on DVD and unappealing visuals, plus Hammre's role here is irritating.
Terrible: Ascanio in Alba is the nadir of the series for me, the orchestral playing, conducting and Damrau's performance are terrific but everything else is a disaster. Not close behind is Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail, a production that looks terrible with ugly sets and irrelevant staging and of the performances only the Belmonte and Blonde impress, Aikin is awkward and acidic and Hawlata lacks sonority.
Overall, hit-and-miss but interesting. Bethany Cox
