Der Graf von Luxemburg

Lehar's masterpiece for me will always be Die Lustige Witwe(The Merry Widow), and that may be true for many others as well, but Der Graf Von Luxemburg(The Count of Luxemburg) shares the same attributes that make The Merry Widow as good as it is. And this filmed performance is wonderful. The plot is a little different, which may not please everybody, but what is here is done still in the spirit of the operetta. In fact my only real criticism here is that the first act until the wedding does feel a little on the draggy side. I had no problem though with anything else. Visually, the production is stunning, some may miss the spontaneity of live performance but there are also those who revel in a wide usage of locations, and that was the case with me here. And it is photographed beautifully. The music is gorgeous, and the orchestra perform it with the right verve and lushness that you'd expect from this style. The conducting keeps everything moving swiftly while also allowing the drama to breathe. The performances I also loved, especially from Lillian Suskis who captivates vocally, dramatically and visually. Eberhard Wachter proves that he can sing anything from operetta to Wagner(he is one of the best Kurwenals on record), with a sonorous voice and a dashing but incisive presence. Erich Kunz, Helga Papoushcek and Peter Froehlich are all excellent, but it is the two leads that really impress. Overall, wonderful. 9/10 Bethany Cox