Vesselina Kasarova

Set Design by GILLES AILLAUD

Il Ritorno d‘Ulisse in Patria is based closely on the fi nal books of Homer‘s Odyssey and is hailed as the key work marking the threshold between the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Together with producer Klaus Michael Grüber, Nikolaus Harnoncourt strikes a new balance between musical polish and distillation of the essence of dramatic action. „It is a kind of ‘théâtre pauvre’, which works with a few carefully chosen and powerful symbols“, was how the newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung reviewed the production. The main action takes place on little more than an angled revolving stage in front of a whitewashed wall which hints at the landscape of a Greek island. The sets have an apt simplicity, eschewing fussy detail and spectacular effects. The colours are cool, predominantly white, blue and black, transporting us to a modern day. Harnoncourt’s musical drive has become „a touch gentler“, wrote the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel. „Not that Harnoncourt is now leaving things to chance or to the discretion of his exquisite musicians. But the way he communicates – his entire rostrum manner – seems to have become more relaxed, calmer, rounder, and both he and the listener are amply rewarded by the sound which results.“

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Subtitles: IT (Original Language), DE, GB, FR, ES, JP. KOR

Running Time: 155 mins

FSK: 0

Set Design by Jens Kilian

Arthaus presents a truly new way of looking at La clemenza di Tito with this famous and star-studded production from the Salzburg Festival 2003. Here Nikolaus Harnoncourt, renowned for his analytical approach to the search for the core of the music, interprets Mozart’s last opera. Martin Kušej, who is acclaimed for his theatre productions directs the production. Nikolaus Harnoncourt identifies with Mozart’s score as both an extremely knowledgeable musician and a conductor who invariably plays an active part in helping to shape the drama. Together with the Vienna Philharmonic, he savours the miracles of Mozart’s late work, bringing out its instrumental colours and effects and at the same time stimulating his singers while proving a solicitous accompanist.

Martin Kušej’s production emphasizes the darker sides of the piece, exploring the opera’s basic archetypal patterns while at the same time interpreting it as a highly topical and – in the truest sense of the term – timeless political and human power game. His ability to bring this concept across by focussing on every last detail of the characterization reflects the demand to provide new insights into Mozart’s works that, in Salzburg more than anywhere else, is incumbent upon interpreters. The suggestive power of this performance however, is also due to an ensemble that was truly worthy of a festival appearance. As one critic wrote, six handpicked artists “brought to their parts both plenty of character and a flawless technique”.

Sound Format: LPCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: 1 x DVD 5, 1 x DVD 9 / NTSC

Subtitle Languages: DE, GB, FR, ES, IT

Running Time: 160 mins

FSK: 0