Albeniz - Merlin / Wilson-Johnson, Marton, Vaness, Skelton, De Eusebio, Madrid Opera

Description

This DVD records the Teatro Real's unearthing of a living treasure - the world premiere of Albéniz' Merlin, an unperformed and virtually unknown work of genuine power. Many believed the score was lost, until the conductor José de Eusebio reconstructed it from various manuscript sources and publishers' proofs. Commissioned by an eccentric English Lord who supplied the libretti for the work, Merlin was meant to be the first of a trilogy of operas devoted to Arthurian legend and loosely based on Malory's Morte d'Arthur - a sort of British counterpart to Wagner's Ring Cycle. Unfortunately, the trilogy was never to be finished -- Albéniz died while working on the second installment, Lancelot, and never began the score of Guenevere, which was to be the third. Alas, the composer only heard the opening orchestral prelude to Merlin performed in his lifetime. In this stunning production, director John Drew has created a world of magic and fantasy, using evocative sets and splendid lighting. Merlin's story begins just before Arthur pulls the sword from the stone. Morgan Le Fay suspects Merlin's magic trickery at work in Arthur's success, which has denied her son Mordred the Kingdom. Although Arthur shows mercy in pardoning the mother and son after they engineered an uprising against his rule, Morgan is single-minded in seeking revenge against Merlin and the king. In the end, she is victorious -- Merlin is seduced and trapped in the Cave of Gold by Nivian, his own slave, who is working under Morgan le Fay's direction. Special Features: Interviews with Carol Vaness, David Wilson-Johnson and conductor José Eusebio Picture Format: 16:9 anamorphic • Subtitles: GB / D / F / ES Sound Format: Dolby 5.1 Surround & LPCM Stereo

Customer Reviews:

Why?.......2006-03-25

The really interesting way to watch this is on Discovery HD theater, with absolutely no information whatever except the title, and try to figure out what it is. At first you think it might be a modern ballet to old music, performed by a European company operating under EU rules mandating a percentage of fat people in all ballet companies. But then one of them starts to sing, and you realize it's some kind of mixed media thing. Eventually, a few English words emerge from the fuzz of sound, though not enough to explain what's going on. Why is Merlin involved with people on an atoll somewhere in the south seas? And wearing a voluminous white silk dressing gown? These are only two of many puzzles. Then the scene changes, and a lady in red with green hair appears in a scene with what might be Welsh miners standing on tree stumps.

If it weren't for the reviews here, I'd still be in the dark.

I'm sure the Albeniz music is worth listening to. But this is the kind of thing that gets art a bad name among thinking people.

A disappointment.......2005-10-19

I like the piano and guitar music of Albeniz, and I have a very large collection of videos, music, and, primarily, books on the subject of King Arthur, so I leapt at the chance to buy "Merlin". Unfortunately I bought it directly from the producer rather than Amazon so it cost me almost twice the Amazon price. I'm afraid it wasn't worth it. Other reviewers have complained about Eva Marton's vibrato. Vibrato is supposed to aid the singer in establishing an accurate pitch. In this case, that vibrato was so overwhelming it made it very difficult to discern the pitch. The opening scene was spactacular, as were most of the rest of the sets. The lighting was also first rate. I thought the costumes of the knights to be ridiculous. I am glad I have this performance on DVD, but primarily because it extends my collection of Arthuriana. Having looked at and listened to it once, I expect it to just sit on the shelf, untouched, for a very long time.

A great cast, except for the leading female role........2005-02-11

Eva Marton used to be a great singer. During the filming of Merlin, however, she demonstrates the perils of remaining before the public too long. Her voice, now with a shrill, penetrating quality more appropriate to a dentist's drill, and a vibrato so wide that the entire round table could be moved through it, has long since passed any reason for continuing to be recorded. However, with this recording, she does provide something of a comic relief: such stupendously bad singing can be wonderfully entertaining. She is the single misstep in the cast if your premise is that all the singers in such a production should be good ones. If, however, you stipulate that an unattractive and vengeful character might usefully be sung by a voice so unattractive that it is humorous, then you find an entirely new dimension to the recording. Either way, Merlin is a wonderful addition to the operatic repertoire and this recording is very good.

Excellent, atmospheric epic.......2004-08-07

A discovery that will likely become broadly popular, especially in English-speaking countries. Merlin captures the mood of Camelot in a melodic and artistic presentation. Marton seems screechy (maybe due to the nature of her character?) but overall the singing is delightful. The choreography and staging add to the overall enjoyment. Even with the English subtitles I had trouble understanding some of the dialogue, which didn't detract from the entertainment of this recently uncovered masterwork. Is it "Wagneresque? Perhaps slightly, but also more popular, easier to grasp than the ponderous "Ring". I wish Albeniz was able to complete the other 2 operas, then go on to Tolkien!

Good and gets better........2004-07-31

I didn't like it the first time I listened to it, but after I listened to it several times, the music took over. The libretto is not in ideomatic English;it's downright odd. It's a grand opera, with fine choral scenes and the plot is sensible compared to most operas. The opera is a major work from an unexpected composer.

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