Musicals & Music Films > 15 GBP to 20 GBP Musicals & Music Films > Opera & Operetta

UNHEARD-OF, SPLENDID, OUTRAGEOUS, GRACEFUL ...

Advantages: Marvellous adaptation, glorious music, excellent soloists
Disadvantages: None

...Theatre des Bouffes-Parisiens. Orphee aux Enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld) was Offenbach's first full length operetta completed in 1858. The legend had been used as a theme (usually as a tragic one) for opera several times before. Here, though, is an irreverent romp through a classic tale of Gods and mortals, supposed good and evil - with blurring of both around the edges, scattered about by wicked wit, salacious humour and at times down right ...
...ORPHEE AUX ENFERS FROM THE OPERA NATIONAL DE LYON This production of Orpheus was staged in 1997 in Lyons, Grenoble and Geneva and was the result of a collaboration between Laurent Pelly (stage director) and Marc Minkowsi (conductor). In the sleeve notes to the CD boxed set, Marc explained how they wished to return to the simplicity and charm of Offenbach's original 1858 version while not losing some of the more musical embellishments of the later ...

Newfloridian 18.08.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Orphee Aux Enfers - Jacques Offenbach (DVD)

You can come home again after all

Advantages: Monteverdi's music, gorgeous musical performance
Disadvantages: Lots of cuts

...3 of his survive today. Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (The Return of Ulysses to His Homeland) is the 2nd oldest, having premiered in 1640. Ancient masterpieces age like fine wine. Musically this opera is full of simple beauties. The only scores that exist contain the vocal lines and the bass (continuo) line.... and that's it. The rest of the orchestration is interpolated. I think Nikolaus Harnoncourt does a marvelous job at that, and the period instruments ...
...is no show-stopping aria, but the music is very drama-oriented, moving very smoothly from each arias and ensemble pieces. The opera proper is preceded by an allegorical prologue that tells of the fragility of man against the will of the gods. The STORY occurs after the Trojan War. Ulisse (Ulysseus) the Greek has been missing for 20 years during his journey home to Ithaca, where his steadfast wife Penelope has been saving herself waiting for his ...

EpinionSmorg 26.04.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Il Ritorno D'Ulisse In Patria - Monteverdi (DVD)

Like you've never seen him before

Advantages: Inside look at would have been the greatest concert ever
Disadvantages: Would have been amazing to see it all pulled together in one final rehersal.

...a life long fan of Michael Jackson, there was never any question as to whether I would see this film or not, more a case of when I would see it. Me, my cousin and my little sister decided to go see this on Sunday, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this film (even if my 14 year old sister asked me what it was about when we sat down - I had to alugh, bless her!), which was only ever meant for Michael Jackson's archives for personal viewing. So ...
...of Jackson's video's and then Michael Jackson would emerge from the suit to perform 'Wanna Be Starting Somethin'. There is a small snippet of footage showing the dancers rehearsing a "toaster" mechanism whereby they would literally jump out of the floor. The next song would have been 'Jam', followed by 'Bad' and then 'They Don't Really Care About Us', where a film was made to be played on the big screen behind them where literally thousands of dancers ...

carlz2001 14.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Michael Jackson - This Is It (DVD)

A Brilliant Film About The Legend Who Is Prince.

Advantages: Outstanding Film And Soundtrack.
Disadvantages: Absolutely None

...of course the fantastic song Purple Rain. You could not wish for a bigger quantity of consistently fabulous music wrapped into one film. It makes me wish that Prince and other 80s singers would stay the way they were because music from that decade was the best it has ever been and in my opinion there is very few singers "now," regardless of how good they are. Who have that same ability to take a song and make it magical like the ones in the 80s did. ...
...like those I heard in Purple Rain. But, I was sadly disappointed! I wonder how it happens that musicians as good as Prince lose their effect? The only reason I can find is that they are conforming and trying to blend in with the music you hear now and because of that they lose the "essence" that made thier music so special and different in the first place. Its a shame! If his music was still anything like his earlier stuff and like it was in Purple ...

danielleg1989 14.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Purple Rain (DVD)

Feed me, Krelborn, FEED ME NOW!

Advantages: Music, plot, acting, everything
Disadvantages: None

...film version of it. Little Shop Of Horrors was directed by Frank Oz, and features the arrival of a strange and interesting new plant in the failing Skid Row flower shop owned and run by Mushnik. His two employees are the geeky and friendless Seymour and the blonde bimbo Audrey. Other characters emerge as the film progresses, but the main protagonist to these two is the plant, named Audrey II by Seymour. The plant's arrival, just when it seemed ...
...the shop. Initially a tiny little thing, Seymour nurtures it until one day he finds that in order for the plant to grow, there is one thing it needs to be feed more than anything else: blood! What makes this film work is the timing of the music. It is a musical comedy, and as such the musicality must be an attractive prospect. The plot itself is brilliant, and does a lot of the storytelling, but the music fills in the time gaps with ease. The upbeat ...

pmcds 09.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Little Shop Of Horrors (DVD)