The Royal Opera: Hansel & Gretel (Blu-Ray) ~ Engelbert Humpe... Cover Art

The Royal Opera: Hansel & Gretel (Blu-Ray)

Engelbert Humperdinck (Artist)


List Price: $39.99
Tower Price: $31.99
You Save: $8.00 (21%)
Add to BagAdd to Bag Click to go directly to the checkout.
FREE Shop N' Save Shipping. Check individual shipping price. *Some Restrictions Apply.
 
Availability: In Stock
Also Available in: [DVD]
Share This:
Add To KaboodleAdd To Kaboodle  Submit To Digg!Submit To Digg!  Share On FacebookShare On Facebook  Add to FavoritesAdd to Favorites  TwitterTwitter 

Product Description


Run a Quick Search on "The Royal Opera: Hansel & Gretel" starring Engelbert Humperdinck to Browse Related Products:

Browse more products related to "The Royal Opera: Hansel & Gretel"

Browse more products related to "Engelbert Humperdinck"


Distributor Note

Diana Damrau and Angelika Kirchschlager star in the acclaimed 2008 production of Humperdinck’s famous fairytale opera, in the company of two of Britain’s most revered musical figures: Thomas Allen, playing the role of the Father, and the legendary conductor Colin Davis. Directors Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser combine their characteristic wit and a dash of deliciously dark comedy with the opera’s fairytale charm. Humperdinck’s music mixes catchy folk-like songs with sumptuous instrumental colour, making the result as tunefully approachable, musically memorable and visually delightful as opera gets. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in full Surround Sound.

Release Note

Blu-ray Disc Features:

Region 0
NTSC
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
LPCM Stereo - German
Subtitles - English, French, German, Italian, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Trailers: Cinema trailer
Featurette: Fairytales Feature
Interviews: Interview with Colin Davis
Text/Photo Galleries:
Galleries: Cast Gallery
Production Art: Illustrated Synopsis



Customer Reviews for "The Royal Opera: Hansel & Gretel (Blu-Ray)"

Average Customer Review
4 out of 5 stars ( [1 customer review

Share your thoughts with other customers:
 [Submit your ReviewSubmit your Review

Most Recent Customer Reviews
4 out of 5 stars Excellent, if creepy, production. Damrau shines., September 23, 2009
By Ben
Everyone knows this story. Two poor hungry children are sent out into the woods to pick berries and find themselves captured by a witch whose house is made of gingerbread and sweets. She wants to eat them. Depending on the version youve read, either the witch gets her way, or she gets cooked in her own oven. This Humperdinck opera follows the latter interpretation, and in some ways that seems a shame, because its hard to take the creepiness of the witch as seriously when shes so flatly dumb about whats happening. You cant help but wonder how this witch found a child she COULD trick? Enough about the plot. This is, honestly, a great production. The score is moving and beautiful, and it is masterfully performed here. The audio clearly benefits from the Blu-ray format. All of the performers did admirable jobs singing their parts, but standing out above and beyond all others were Diana Damrau (as Gretel) and Thomas Allen (as Father). Allens performance is boomy and believable as the carefree, drunken Father who comes home to find his children sent out by the rather spiteful Mother into the (apparently dangerous) woods. You cant help but wonder why Mother and Father had never discussed the fact that a witch who eats children lives in the woods outside their house...youd think that would have come up at some point. Anyway, Damraus performance of Gretel is inspiring. You cant exactly say she "stole the show" as it is pretty much the lead role, but her beautiful voice and the whimsical sparkling in her eye really put Hansels character firmly out of your mind when shes singing. You almost forget its in German and youre reading everything! When the witch finally shows up, she is wearing a sweater with the top and bottom buttons fastened, and the rest of them undone, completely exposing her strangely-painted breasts in a very strange (and apparently pointless) way. I guess when witches are wandering around in the woods, they like to feel at one with nature. Without getting cold shoulders. When the scene shifts into her gingerbread house, she trades in the exposed nipples for a walker. Yes, a walker. The little metal frames with two wheels that old people use to get around more easily. This is just one of a bizarre string of production decisions that were taken to bring a modern-day mentality to a very old story. Other examples include the occasional "all stars" t-shirt, or plastic bag from a grocery store. Sometimes these choices were funny and clever. The walker was just there to be weird. I should probably say something about the picture quality, as this is a Blu-ray release. In a word: Fantastic. The cameras are not afraid to get close to the performers, and with so many wonderful expressions coming from Damrau throughout the performance, this is most definitely a good thing. You can really connect with the childrens playful spirits and get lost in their play. The set design is somewhat unique, although I cant really say that there seemed to be any reason for the uniqueness. Why make the walls in the bedroom crooked? Was it to make Hansel and Gretel seem smaller than they actually were? If that was the intent, then they should have made the beds bigger to dwarf them. There are several "what tha?" moments that left me scratching my head. Regardless, the overall effect of this performance is a positive one. Not for children, even aside from the exposed boobs. There are some really dark moments at the end that are perfectly valid story elements, but still not something I would want my kids to see portrayed so graphically. In short: Worth it for Diana Damraus performance, the Blu-ray visuals, and the score.

Related Products
Hansel and Gretel (DVD version of this performance)


ADVERTISEMENT




Explore More Great Tower Sales & Specials



Tower.com video Sales, Promotions & Special Features

Tower.com Video Boutique Stores

Interact with Tower.com