Le rossignol

I have always loved opera(and classical music in general), and while I more appreciate rather than love Stravinsky I have always been fascinated by Le Rossignol. This is a mesmerising version, I loved the mix between the conventional staging and the computer-animated images, the former is always interesting and the latter is used to stunning effects. The costumes and sets are equally wondrous, and the photography only adds to it rather than distract from it. The orchestral playing is taut and also with an ethereal quality when the orchestration calls for it. The conducting is efficient and never lets the production sag in pace. The singing is superb, the obvious standout is the titular role performance of Natalie Dessay, her colouratura and singing in general still continues to dazzle as well as her effortless sounding technique and while it is somewhat toned down in terms of character compared to Marie, Orphelie and Olympia (naturally as they are different roles) she is also charming and fun. Laurent Naouri sings sonorously making a big effort to make his challenging vocal line seem easier than it actually is. Violeta Urmana is a haunting Death and Marie McLaughlin sings and acts her role with a lot of character. In conclusion, a Le Rossignol to watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is a wonderful adaptation of Igor Stravinsky's opera The Nightingale, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was broadcast on PBS's Great Performances on December 21. The opera is sung entirely in Russian, but is subtitled in English, and it is easy to follow the dialogue and story. I was mesmerized by the surrealistic, computer-animated special effects, although I realize they are probably not everyone's piece of cake. Accompanied by the stunning animation, the film follows Stravinsky's score and libretto faithfully, thus creating a dazzling multimedia spectacle. I recommend this film wholeheartedly to opera fans and lovers of Surrealist art. A well-deserved 10 stars!

I think this needs more than a single viewing; it helps to have some inkling of the plot, but most of what occurs can be enjoyed simply on the simplest plot level as a young sleepy lad dreams himself into the magic of a vase, and follows his imagination into a folkland of lyrical dreams, nightingales, emperors, and oddly, flying universal price stickers... One can go onto Wikipedia and follow the beginnings and development of the work in composer Stravinsky's mind, and there is also a curious "making of" document that accompanies the DVD, but for about an hour of colorful and imaginative, dreamlike and striking filmmaking, this is more than worth your time--but then--watch it again! The soprano Natalie Dessay is marvelously skilled, absorbing with her command of her considerable a abilities, and mesmerizing with a care to the work itself, and filmmaker Christian Chaudet is in command of a often funny, curious and genuinely imaginative world.