DVD Videos

WERGO release another highlight in their Carl Orff DVD edition: a film version of Orff's first stage work 'Gisei - Das Opfer' by the film director Peider A. Defilla.

'Gisei' is set in the year 902 in a village school in Japan and is about the sacrificial death of a child. Both the subject and Japanese culture greatly inspired the young Carl Orff, and he remained an aficionado of Japan all his life. In the Japanese tragedies, Orff also found numerous references to the ancient Greek tragedies by Sophocles with which he concerned himself decades later.

This DVD shows the world premiere production by John Dew (who was recently awarded the Carl Orff Prize 2012) at the Darmstadt State Theatre. Lavish costumes as well as carefully rehearsed facial expressions and gestures convey a deep impression of this tragedy. The following 15-minute bonus film includes interesting additional information on Orff's oeuvre and particularly on his work on 'Gisei'.

Stage and costumes: Thomas Pekny

Lights: Georg Boeshenz

Performed in the Florian Barn of the Andechs Monastery

A rascal’s tale, both fascinating and amusing, and presented in Orff’s “rootsy” and powerful Bavarian style. “Astutuli” are the cheeky super-bright people who get taken all too easily by a clever con-man. Nobody wants to be the dumb one; thus, the audience first lose a healthy sense of truth, then they lose their clothes and their purses and eventually all their dignity. “Everything is make-believe!” shouts the entertainer before disappearing with his accomplice and the loot. It’s a rascal’s tale, a story of deception, which is both fascinating and amusing. But behind all that – and unnoticeable until the very end – we find deceit, spoonfeeding and theft.

DVD-Video with English subtitles

Dolby Digital 5.1, DVD-9 / 105 min.

regional code: 0 (PAL, colour), frame size: 16 : 9

Stage and costumes: Thomas Pekny

Lights: Georg Boeshenz

Performed in the Florian Barn of the Andechs Monastery

Orff’s Bavarian piece is about the love affair and eventual marriage — which is not befitting their social positions — of Duke Albrecht III and Agnes Bernauer, the beautiful daughter of a barber-surgeon from the city of Augsburg. Albrecht’s father, Duke Ernst, feels that this marriage jeopardises rightful succession and has Agnes declared a witch and drowned in the Danube River. Duke Albrecht III founded the Andechs Monastery in 1455 and is buried in the conventual church where Carl Orff is laid to rest.

DVD-Video with English subtitles

Dolby Digital 5.1, DVD-9 / 105 min.

regional code: 0 (PAL, colour), frame size: 16 : 9

Creon, new ruler of Thebes, issues a burial ban for Polyneices, Oedipus’ son. Antigonae disobeys Creon’s orders and buries her brother, so as to abide by the laws of the Gods. Despite the warnings of the citizens and the seer Tiresias, Creon sentences Antigonae to death by walling her in. However, by annihilating Antigonae, Creon also destroys his very own existence: in quick succession, his son, who is engaged to Antigonae, and his spouse commit suicide.

German /English Dolby Stereo , 16:9, DVD 9 , (0) PAL

139+10 min

According to the Delphic Oracle, Oedipus, ruler of Thebes, can only save his city from doom if he solves the murder of his predecessor Laius. In the course of the investigation, Oedipus himself is accused of regicide and realises that several years earlier, he unwittingly killed Laius, his own father, and married Jocasta, his mother. Thereupon, Oedipus blinds himself.

German /English Dolby Stereo , 16:9, DVD 9 , (0) PAL

126+10 min

A joyful celebration welcoming the New Year with one of the best orchestras in the world. The Gala from Berlin 2004 presents the outstanding Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle with Carl Orffs well known Carmina Burana as well as Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3 and Handel´s Hallelujah.

Carmina Burana is intensely dramatic and one of the twentieth century's most widely performed works for chorus and orchestra.

Simon Rattle is a musical force of nature and the interaction between his unique, varied musical gifts and the great performing traditions of the Berliner Philharmoniker is one of the most exciting features of our present cultural life.

The soprano Sally Matthews, the tenor Lawrence Brownlee and the baritone Christian Gerhaher made this evening to an extraordinary event. Christian Gerhaher is one of the most important baritones of our times. (He just recorded the Carmina Burana with Daniel Harding, to be released on Deutsche Grammophone in August 2010)

"Everything which I've written so far and which you've unfortunately published you can now pulp. My collected works begin with Carmina Burana." Carl Orff

Picture format DVD: NTSC 16:9

Sounds formats DVD: PCM Stereo, DD 5.0, DTS 5.0

Region code: 0

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Running time: 89 mins

FSK: 0