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Pique Dame: Dutch National Opera (Jansons) [DVD]

Stefan Herheim (Director) Rated: Exempt Format: DVD
3.8 out of 5 stars 23 ratings
£24.92
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12 Jan. 2018 		—
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Genre Special Interests
Format Widescreen, PAL
Contributor Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Alexey Markov, Larissa Diadkova, Misha Didyk, Stefan Herheim, Dutch National Opera, Svetlana Aksenova, Mariss Jansons, Vladimir Stoyanov See more
Language Russian
Runtime 3 hours and 1 minute

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Product description

Product Description

Former Music Director Mariss Jansons returns to Amsterdam to conduct Pique Dame at the Dutch National Opera with 'his' Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He encounters a noteworthy cast and under his baton the orchestra sounds 'brilliant and splendid' (Der Tagesspiegel). Renowned director Stefan Herheim staged Tchaikovskys much-loved opera about a young man who, for the prospect of earthly wealth, gambles away his chance for love and happiness. Herheim, whose stagings are famous for their multi layered levels of interpretation, attempts to reflect on the composers hidden love for men. 'The Latvian maestro, the intriguingly performing orchestra, the smartly-chosen soloists, and director Stefan Herheim have succeeded in staging an extraordinary production' (Die Presse). 'Stefan Herheim makes a great picture show out of Tchaikovskys Pique Dame' (NMZ). 'A masterpiece' (Der Standard).

Review

Mariss Jansons conducts with clarity and passion, the orchestra and chorus are excellent and the cast is strong. --Opera Now, February'18

The Concertgebouw relishes the dark hues and the amazing woodwind scoring; the chorus, well marshalled with the men as multiple Tchaikovsky is superb. --BBC Music Magazine, May'18

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 16:9 - 1.78:1
  • Rated ‏ : ‎ Exempt
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Russian
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.42 x 19.02 x 13.97 cm; 120 g
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Stefan Herheim
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen, PAL
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 3 hours and 1 minute
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ 12 Jan. 2018
  • Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ English, French, German, Korean
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, German, French
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ C Major Entertainment
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B077MJ1RSJ
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 23 ratings

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3.8 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • BK Lim
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Production
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent teamwork from Mariss Jansons and Stefan Herheim. I would rate this a notch higher than their previous joint-effort in another Tchaikovsky’s opéra, EUGENE ONEGIN.
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  • Lonely Russian
    2.0 out of 5 stars Went too far?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 May 2018
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    This version of the opera focuses on Tchaikovsky's homosexuality. Of course, there is nothing wring about that per se, however such scenes when the composer (who is permanently present on the stage) pays Hermann for his "services" and when Lisa is offering herself to Tchaikovsky (sic) are bordering the theatre of absurd.

    Excellent orchestra (needless to say), conducting and singing though, with perhaps one unfortunate exception - Mr Didyk himself who somehow managed to do it even less convincing then a few years ago in Madrid.

    Worth listening - not sure about watching.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Boris Nekrasov
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 June 2018
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    Exciting performance my favorite opera
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  • Keris Nine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Composer and composition inseparable in Stefan Herheim's production
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 February 2018
    Never one to take an opera libretto on face value, Stefan Herheim's production of Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades for the Dutch National Opera is another of his composer portrait productions. Herheim is a director who likes to explore a composer's life and times and see how they inform the works they create, and consideration of Tchaikovsky's life, his passions and particularly his repressed homosexuality make those great works all the more fascinating. Perhaps not so much for anyone less familiar with the composer or someone just wants to see a more straightforward account of Pushkin's tale.

    In the DNO's Pique Dame, it soon becomes clear that Tchaikovsky himself is going to be firmly at the centre of the opera, using his own life and passions to write the opera as it goes along. A figure who looks very like Tchaikovsky later inserts himself into the opera as Yeletsky, who is engaged to marry Liza; a reference to Tchaikovsky's own failed attempt at marriage. The shock opening scene however has already alerted us to the fact that Tchaikovsky/Yeletsky's inclinations lie elsewhere. Thereafter it is impossible not to view Yeletsky as anything else but a surrogate for Tchaikovsky, but we are also invited by Herheim to see Tchaikovsky in Liza's friend Pauline and in other characters. It's as if Tchaikovsky has poured various aspects of his own personality into all the characters in the opera, which is a valid way of looking at art even if it doesn't really take the motivations of the original author Pushkin into consideration. I suspect that most people would prefer to just see the story told well rather than have all these confusing and contradictory elements weighing it down. Fortunately, the production has much more to offer.

    As it often is with Herheim, the production design is extravagantly beautiful. The action takes place mostly in a single drawing room that converts into a ballroom as required - although if you are less literal minded, you could see it as taking place entirely within Tchaikovsky's own mind, which obviously it does on one level. Whichever way you look at it, Philipp Fürhofer's set and costume designs are just magnificent, the lighting immaculate in terms of mood as well as simply illuminating the set to look its best. Somehow the DNO seem to have managed to persuade Mariss Jansons to work with Stefan Herheim again, despite his evident confusion (seen in the behind the scenes feature on the DVD release) over what the director was trying to achieve in their previous collaboration on Eugene Onegin. Jansons's conducting of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra through Tchaikovsky's rich score is just ravishing in its attention to the mood, to the little orchestral flourishes and to the dramatic intent of the work. This is another wonderful collaboration.

    Last but not least, the singing is outstanding. There's really no substitute for a Russian cast singing Russian opera, and the cast here are all marvellous. I've been critical of the anguished whine of Misha Didyk in the past, but he has "filled out" a little in appearance since I last saw him sing this role and that tight, high constricted tenor has also expanded into a fuller, more rounded timbre. It's by no means an easy role to sing at the best of times, but Didyk is impressive here and may even be the ideal Hermann. Because of the dual role and the acting requirements, Yeletsky/Tchaikovsky is more challenging here than the role usually is, but Vladimir Stoyanov is superb, his voice warm, lyrical and sensitive. Larissa Diadkova is an experienced Countess, and proves her worth here again. Svetlana Aksenova's Liza is also impressive, but there's a feeling that Herheim has paid less attention to the women in the opera, or at least found Tchaikovsky's writing of them to be not as interesting as the male characters. The use of the chorus is all important to the wider dynamic of this work and once again the DNO chorus are nothing short of phenomenal.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Oppicelli Ernesto
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating performance but ... the nuisance is superior to it.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 March 2018
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    Bravo! Bravissimo!! to the amazon.uk’s reviewer who is indicated as ‘ operaforbeginnersdotblog ‘. I do agree with what he writes 100%. May I add that forgetting the inevitable reservations, always due to the
    surprising mind of these directors, let me point out the fact that here the real artist who deserves the best applause is Mariss Jansons. As sometimes it happens to read about staging of operas here we have another case where it’s better to close our eyes and listen to the magic of the great music by Tchaikowsky conducted with an unparalleled maestry.
    Anyway it’s a real fascinating performance but the nuisance is superior to it!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Client d'Amazon
    3.0 out of 5 stars Trois étoiles pour la qualité des chanteurs et de la direction musicale...
    Reviewed in France on 26 September 2021
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    La Dame de Pique, ultime opéra de Pyotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, qui annonce aussi la fin d'une relation épistolaire et privilégiée de treize ans, entre le Maitre russe et sa bienfaitrice, Madame Nadejda von Meck...Cette dernière ne répondant pas à une audacieuse nouvelle demande d'argent de Piotr Illitch, le compositeur, vexé, aurait-il assouvi son ressentiment à l'égard de sa "Dame de Pique", c'est a dire Madame von Meck?... En relisant la nouvelle de Pouchkine, Madame von Meck comprend qui est Piotr Ilitch pour elle; un double d'Hermann, un être calculateur, assoiffé d'argent, et ce qu'elle est pour lui; une vieille femme un peu sorcière, curieuse et despotique...Tchaikovsky, lui même s'identifie à Hermann au point d’être suffoqué de sanglots au cours de la composition de son œuvre...Il se reconnait en ce jeune homme passionné, dévoré d'ambition.. Il est toujours difficile, voire périlleux de faire une relecture psychologique des personnages, notamment à l'opéra.. Encore faut-il ne pas se tromper, car ici le compositeur est inutilement ridiculisé, avec des anecdotes douteuses sur sa biographie (!), alors qu'il semblerait plus logique et plus crédible que Tchaikovsky soit considéré comme le double d'Hermann, puisque rien ne le rapproche du prince Yeletski...Et si l'effet visuel avec la multiplication sur scène du personnage de Tchaïkovski est saisissant, il n'apporte rien à la cohérence de l'opéra...ce n'est que pour impressionner les spectateurs....Ils le seront peut-être, sur le moment. Dommage, car la distribution est excellente, et la direction musicale admirable.
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  • J. C. Mareschal
    4.0 out of 5 stars Superb musical performance! Poor staging!
    Reviewed in Canada on 26 February 2018
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    I liked the opera La Dame de Pique, but was not thrilled by it. Like that of Eugen Onegin, the libretto of the opera was inspired by a Pushkin story. The plot shows the principal character, Hermann, sacrificing his love for Liza by pursuing his passion for gambling, and in the end committing suicide after losing at the cards when the queen of spades falls. The libretto is based on an interesting plot but it is very far from being as gripping as that of Eugen Onegin. As much as liked the music and the choruses, I was really taken aback by the staging. It seems that the director focused more on what he thought were Tchaikovsky’s obsessions when he composed the opera than on the plot itself. The staging is thus loaded with heavy allusions to Tchaikovsky’s obsessions: his homosexuality, his future suicide, his failure to break out of the cage he locked himself in. These distractions from the actual plot maybe one of the main reasons that the libretto appears so unexciting. This is a pity because the music is beautiful, the choruses are outstanding, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the direction of Mariss Jansons gives a superb musical performance. It is no surprise that, at the end, the Amsterdam public reserved most of its ovation for the conductor and his orchestra.
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  • Joseph L. Ponessa
    2.0 out of 5 stars Niet, niet, niet, niet, niet!
    Reviewed in the United States on 9 July 2023
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    I am a passionate fan of Pikovaya Dama. I dreamt of going to Sankt-Peterburg someday to see it at the Kirov, but I suppose the war has made that impossible now. So I got this Blu-ray from the Nederland to console myself. Instead I found myself propelled into an episode of nay-saying:
    Niet No.1 -- I am generally against action on stage during overtures. The overture is a piece of music beforehand, a Vorspiel. It settles the audience to focus on the action as a coup de théâtre when the curtain goes up.
    Niet No.2 -- I am particularly against action on stage before even the overture begins. It adds to the chaos and clutter in our minds which the music is meant to dispel.
    Niet No.3 -- I am against inserting the composer into the action. The composer and the conductor and the orchestra through the music alone. The singers and dancers are on stage to carry the action.
    Niet No.4 -- I am against distorting the action away from the libretto, though this is commonly done these days. The author of the libretto was Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's brother, Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who doesn't even get any jacket billing. Modest most certainly would not have written any opera to broadcast the foibles of his brother. So the focus on Piotr is not insight but distraction. If anything, the director should have put Modest on the stage rather than Piotr.
    Niet No.5 -- I am against violating the spirit of the original book, if the libretto has such a basis. In this case, the ultimate source is a short story by Aleksandr Pushkin. I know, literary classics have no rights any more these days. I just disapprove of treating them that way. Where would we be without them?
    I do give two stars because of the magnificent playing and singing. But I am afraid that I cannot find my copy of this Blu-ray any more to cross check. I have a feeling that in a fit of loyalty to Pushkin, to both Tchaikovsky's and to the much abused singers, I placed the Blu-ray precisely in the middle of my kitchen garbage and hauled it to the trash. It may be consulted at the landfill where it properly belongs.
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  • Julio Feliu
    3.0 out of 5 stars A BEAUTIFUL PIQUE DAME MARRED BY DISTASTEFUL ARTISTIC CHOICES
    Reviewed in the United States on 9 September 2019
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    The 2016 Dutch Opera production of Pique Dame (Queen of Spades) is the best acted and sung performance of this opera available on DVD and Blu-ray thus far.  Unfortunately, this perplexing and surreal production is marred by artistic choices that get in the way of its narrative and trivialize this operatic masterpiece.  Why anyone would think that this was the appropriate vehicle to focus on Tchaikovsky's homosexuality simply boggles the  mind.  To begin with, even before the opera's orchestral introduction, this production begins with an  offensive tableau that is prurient, unseemly and insulting to Tchaikovsky and to the opera.  Similarly, introducing lewd behavior during the pastorale in Act II, scene 1 is not only out  of place but offensive. As if this were not bad enough, the entrance of Russian Empress Catherine the Great becomes a transvestite segue, with the Empress turning out to be none other than the anti-hero Hermann in drag. Moreover, having  Lisa begin to disrobe and make  sexual overtures to Hermann in Act III, scene 2 detracts from the dramatic impact of the drama. Plus, inserting Tchaikovsky, who also doubles as Prince Yeletsky, into the opera, and having him behave like a busy body while composing the opera, playing the piano and conducting an imaginary orchestra, is distracting and shifts the focus of the story to him.  Finally, filling the stage with a slew of Tchaikovskys again and again is more slapstick than dramatic.

    The above is especially disheartening because the singing of the entire cast is absolutely flawless.  Remove all the kitsch and you have a performance that does justice to the opera.  The singing of Misha Didyk as Hermann, a role he performed perfectly in the Liceo Opera Barcelona in its 2010 production, is perfect, as is that of Svetlana Aksenova (Lisa), Vladimir Stoyanov (Tchaikovsky/Yeletsky), Larissa Dadkova (the Countess), Alexey Markov (Tomsky) and Anna Goryachova (Polina). In fact, the singing of the entire cast, down to the smallest part, is a joy to hear. 

    This production stages the three-act opera in two acts, by combining the first three scenes as Act I  and the remaining four scenes as Act II.

    The set is basically a large study with movable panels. The opening St. Petersburg garden scene is staged indoors, forcing  the  guests to  panic during the thunderstorm and scamper for shelter.  The costumes are all black, white and gray or a combination thereof, the only deviation being in the pastorale, which gives us splashes of red and green.

    This is a beautiful vocal performance marred by questionable artistic choices that tarnish the overall production.  I would have given this production five stars were it not for the offensive choices made.  I still recommend it highly but suggest that you listen to rather than watch this beautifully sung performance of Pique Dame.
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