Arabella — HDVDARTS

Strauss Arabella opera to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Directed 2012 by Sven-Eric Bechtolf at the Vienna State Opera. Stars Emily Magee (Arabella), Genia Kühmeier (Zdenka), Tomasz Konieczny (Mandryka), Michael Schade (Matteo), Wolfgang Bankl (Count Waldner), and Zoryana Kushpler (Adelaida). Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Orchestra, Chorus, and Stage Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. Set design by Rolf Glittenberg; costume design by Marianne Glittenberg. Directed for TV by Don Kent. Sung in German. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Electric Pictures states on the Blu-ray keepcase that Arabella is a problematical work because Hugo von Hofmannsthal died before he could finish the libretto. But the claim is made that Sven-Eric Bechtolf came up with a "superbly convincing" version that resolves ambiguities left by Hofmannsthal.

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Here's news about high-definition video disc ("HDVD") recordings of opera, ballet, classical music, plays, fine-art documentaries, and paintings. In the journal below are independent (and hard-to-find critical) reports on hundreds of HDVDs. Pick the best titles for your excelsisphere.

Feb 25. We have just completed one of our most ambitious reviews: Einstein on the Beach opera, the surreal 4 and 1/2 hour cult legend. Kudos, encomiums, and accolades to Opus Arte for giving us this authoritative and weirdly fascinating recording, which we grade A+. Absorbing and learning Einstein is uniquely challenging. We try to help out by providing aids not included in the keepcase materials: an accurate libretto and a list of segments in the opera with correct Opus Arte time stamps. Good luck!

We have some other good grades with an A for the recent Met The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) and a B- for an earlier The Pearl Fishers from Naples. Also, we recently gave an A- for the new Don Quixote from the Vienna State Ballet.