Product Description

Claudio Abbado conducts the chorus and orchestra of the Vienna State Opera in a powerful recording of Alban Berg's influential opera, Wozzeck, a terrifyingly great portrayal of a soldier who is tormented and mocked by his superiors until he loses reason. Peter Mussbach's highly stylized production heightens the emotional intensity of this searing work and becomes an agonizing lament over lost innocence. Aage Haugland, Franz Grundheber, Heinz Zednik, Hildegard Behrens, Philip Langridge, Walter Raffeiner. 97 minutes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37396 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-08-21
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: German
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.com
Alban Berg's scalpel-like dissection of human baseness is compellingly captured in a 1987 Vienna State Opera production that emphasizes its often- overlooked lyricism. Based on George Buchner's play about a soldier's mad descent into murder, Berg fashioned a fast-moving exploration of both his protagonist's life and his own 12-tone music, utilized expressively throughout. As conducted by Claudio Abbado, the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus make Berg's usually difficult music utterly accessible. Franz Grundheber vividly conveys Wozzeck's descent into insanity, and Hildegard Behrens embodies his girlfriend Marie's mixture of innocence and sluttishness. Adolf Dresen's staging, thrillingly visualizing Berg's tense score, works its hair- raising magic best during the opera's climactic explosion of fatal violence. This performance of Wozzeck--sung in German with optional English subtitles, and with the Dolby 5.1 sound capably conveying the sheer aural creepiness permeating Berg's music--does justice to one of the true masterworks of 20th century opera. --Kevin Filipski

Customer Reviews

an important opera an important performance
Spiritual descendant of Gustav Mahler, Berg's expressionist materpiece is a watershed work and prime example of the 2nd Viennese's school's 'more palatable' side. The drama, like the music, appeals to the subconscious and 'free-form' while remaining ferociously complex in structure and execution. Berg casts the music in various established late Romantic idioms, such as the Theme and Variations or Symphony form, such that the drama almost seems to be a 'second layer' growing on top of the music--even so, the two mate perfectly. Anyone with an interest in the documented dissolution of tonality (an experiment that did indeed culminate in 12-tone serialism, but not for a decade--and an experiment that would not last past 1970) should investigate this work, best experienced in a staged format. A couple of the singers' intonation and clarity of diction leave a bit to be desired, but on the whole Cluadio Abaddo does a masterly job of guiding orchestra and singers alike through a complex maze of notes. Recommended to die-hard Wozzeck fans, those who enjoy contemporary music, music scholars, fans of opera, and those wishing to extend their musical palate.

--Justin Laird Weaver

A must-see opera
WARNING! This is NOT composed in "12-tone atonality," as reviewed above. This is arguably the greatest opera of the twentieth century, and, consistent with Berg's other expressionistic works, embodies a wide range of styles, including some fairly standard late-romantic harmony. Franz Grundheber's Wozzeck is bone-chillingly gripping.

First rate!
Great performance, vocally and orchestrally. The acting is good as well. Staging is appropriate throughout, and visually at times quite lovely, as in the drowing scene.

One minor caveat, already noted by another reviewer: the images on the box have nothing to do with what's inside! They look like they were taken from a Disney version!