Elijah Moshinsky

Een lust voor oog en oor is deze op locatie opgenomen film die voor tweederde uit opera en eenderde uit documentaire bestaat. Regisseur Elijah Moshinsky praat de fragmenten van de opera aan elkaar met wetenswaardigheden uit de geschiedenis van de fascinatie van Europese componisten met Turkije en uit het leven van Mozart t.t.v. de compositie van dit werk. Maar de opera kan ook apart bekeken en beluisterd worden.

De locatie is het Topkapi Paleis te Istanbul, met name (maar niet alleen) de show more Harem, prachtige beelden, ook van de Gouden Hoorn waar het vluchtschip van Belmonte klaarligt.
Mooiste rol: Osmin (Peter Rose).

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A feast for the eyes and the ears is this production filmed on location. One-third documentary and two-thirds filmed opera, the film also gives highlights of the history of European’s composers fascination with Turkish culture and some biographical information about Mozart’s life during the composition of the Entführing. But if you want you can view the opera alone.

The location is the Topkapi Palace at Istanbul, especially (not only) the Harem. Beautiful photography, also of the Golden Horn, where Belmontes flight ship lies waiting.
I liked Osmin (Peter Rose) most.
See and hear him (the fat one) in the second part of a small sequence of events:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZPkosU-EFs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMZdPZSo5ok&feature=related show less

The duke of Vienna leaves the city for a short while and puts Angelo in charge in his absence. Isabella, a novice nun, goes to plead with Angelo for the life of her brother, Claudio, who is accused of ‘fornication’. Angelo, taking advantage of the situation tries to blackmail Isabella into sleeping with him. But the Duke, who is observing everything in disguise, comes to the rescue. With his help the virtuous Isabella saves the life of her brother and keeps her honour intact.

Measure for show more Measure reads like a comedy but many think of it as a ‘problem’ play. I guess it may be classified as a problem play as it shows the rampant licentiousness and the appalling corruption of the rich. The central theme of ‘illicit’ sex (even though by law at least both Claudio & Juliet and Angelo & Mariana are considered to be married) was unique for me. I have read many Classic plays where only ‘villains’ engage in ‘illicit’ sex. But in Measure for Measure Claudio & Juliet are not portrayed as immoral people or as villains. In fact a lot of later productions of Measure for Measure toned down these elements by showing everyone to be either secretly married or by showing Angelo as a good person who was only testing Isabella’s virtue. This was one of my more unsettling Shakespeares. Themes of debauchery, prostitution and corruption are not really fodders for comedy. Angelo’s abuse of power and the apparent helplessness of the common people when faced with this kind of corruption rings really true even today. Overall, Measure for Measure is an OK film but I will not call it light entertainment. show less

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'All's Well that Ends All' is not one of Shakespeare's best-known plays, it is somewhat unorthodox for Shakespeare and was unorthodox at the time, with its depiction of gender role reversals and how surprisingly realistically cynical it is. It is also one of the most difficult Shakespeare plays to stage and interpret, with it being very psychological and having to bring it out compellingly and realistically. That is a shame because it is an interesting play, it is funny, show more thought-provoking and sometimes moving, with Shakespeare's mastery of language and memorable quotes always shining. My biggest complaint is Bertram's conversion, too rushed and abrupt. But in all fairness that is the Achilles heel of the play and few productions can overcome it. show less

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