Handel: Admeto, Re di Tessaglia HWV22 - DVD & Blu-ray videos

When one of Germany’s most famous filmmakers and stimulating operatic directors focuses her creativity on a rarely performed Handel opera, the result is a “mixture of dancers and singers, comedy and pathos” (The Times). “Admeto”, one of Handel’s most popular operas in his lifetime, was premiered in London in January 1727. Doris Dörrie, whose Japan-inspired feature film “Cherry Blossoms – Hanami” was a major German box-office hit and won several international awards, returns to her beloved Japan in this production. Flowing robes, translucent panels and the participation of Japan’s Mamu Dance Theater and ist choreographer/dancer Tadashi Endo add an evocative dimension to the work whose lead roles were written for a popular castrato and two rivaling primadonnas. Sensitively directed for video by Agnes Méth, who worked with Dörrie on Mozart’s “La finta giardiniera” at the Salzburg Festival (available as part of the M22 cycle by UNITEL), the opera is played by Nicholas McGegan’s FestspielOrchester Göttingen on period instruments. For this production, a coproduction of the Internationale Händel- Festspiele in Göttingen and the Edinburgh International Festival on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death, Doris Dörrie was awarded the Edinburgh Festival’s prestigious Herald Angel Award.

For Handel´s Admeto, Oscar® nominated film director Doris Doerrie – winner of the 2009 Edinburgh International Festival´s prestigious Herald Angel Award – returns to her beloved subject of Japan. In vividly coloured and brilliantly realized set pieces, one of Handel´s most popular operas receives a stunning transformation into the stylish ritualized world of samurai culture. “It´s brilliantly played by the period-instrument FestspielOrchester Goettingen, conducted with fine sensibility and sensuality by Nicholas McGegan” (The Times). “In Doerrie´s production … 200 minutes of music fly by” (The Times)

Stage Director: Bernd Lepel

Doris Dörrie and Tadaschi Endo received an Oscar® Nomination in 2008 for Best Foreign Language Film (“Cherry Blossoms – Hanami”).

This production received the prestigious Herald Angel Award, Edinburgh International Festival 2009.

Film and Opera director Doris Dörrie directed successful Operas in Salzburg and Munich.

Recorded live at the Internationale Handel-Festspiele Göttingen, Deutsches Theatre 2009.

“It´s brilliantly played … directed with fine sensibility and sensuality. Weird but delightful.” 5 stars The Times

"Handel would have enjoyed this enchanting shadow theater" Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Bonus Baroque and Butoh (22 minutes)

Picture Format: NTSC 16:9

Sound Format: DTS 5.1 PCM Stereo

Region Code: 0

Duration: 181 minutes + 22 minutes bonus material

Recorded: live at the Internationale Handel-Festspiele Gottingen Deutsches Theatre 2009

Subtitles: English Italian German French

When one of Germany’s most famous filmmakers and stimulating operatic directors focuses her creativity on a rarely performed Handel opera, the result is a “mixture of dancers and singers, comedy and pathos” (The Times). “Admeto”, one of Handel’s most popular operas in his lifetime, was premiered in London in January 1727. Doris Dörrie, whose Japan-inspired feature film “Cherry Blossoms – Hanami” was a major German box-office hit and won several international awards, returns to her beloved Japan in this production. Flowing robes, translucent panels and the participation of Japan’s Mamu Dance Theater and ist choreographer/dancer Tadashi Endo add an evocative dimension to the work whose lead roles were written for a popular castrato and two rivaling primadonnas. Sensitively directed for video by Agnes Méth, who worked with Dörrie on Mozart’s “La finta giardiniera” at the Salzburg Festival (available as part of the M22 cycle by UNITEL), the opera is played by Nicholas McGegan’s FestspielOrchester Göttingen on period instruments. For this production, a coproduction of the Internationale Händel- Festspiele in Göttingen and the Edinburgh International Festival on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death, Doris Dörrie was awarded the Edinburgh Festival’s prestigious Herald Angel Award.

For Handel´s Admeto, Oscar® nominated film director Doris Doerrie – winner of the 2009 Edinburgh International Festival´s prestigious Herald Angel Award – returns to her beloved subject of Japan. In vividly coloured and brilliantly realized set pieces, one of Handel´s most popular operas receives a stunning transformation into the stylish ritualized world of samurai culture. “It´s brilliantly played by the period-instrument FestspielOrchester Goettingen, conducted with fine sensibility and sensuality by Nicholas McGegan” (The Times). “In Doerrie´s production … 200 minutes of music fly by” (The Times)

Stage Director: Bernd Lepel

Doris Dörrie and Tadaschi Endo received an Oscar® Nomination in 2008 for Best Foreign Language Film (“Cherry Blossoms – Hanami”).

This production received the prestigious Herald Angel Award, Edinburgh International Festival 2009.

Film and Opera director Doris Dörrie directed successful Operas in Salzburg and Munich.

Recorded live at the Internationale Handel-Festspiele Göttingen, Deutsches Theatre 2009.

“It´s brilliantly played … directed with fine sensibility and sensuality. Weird but delightful.” 5 stars The Times

"Handel would have enjoyed this enchanting shadow theater" Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Bonus Baroque and Butoh (22 minutes)

Picture Format: HD 16:9 - please note this Blu-ray disc - BD is not compatible with standard DVD players

Sound Format: DTS 5.1 PCM Stereo

Region Code: 0

Duration: 181 minutes + 22 minutes bonus material

Recorded: live at the Internationale Handel-Festspiele Gottingen Deutsches Theatre 2009.

Subtitles: English Italian German French

Set Design by Roland Aeschlimann & Costumes by Marie-Thérèse Jossen

George Frideric Handel‘s ‘Admeto’ is considered one of the most successful operas produced in the fi rst half of the 18th century. Along with ‘Radamisto’, ‘Giulio Cesare’, ‘ tamerlano’, ‘Rodelinda’ and ‘Alessandro’, which were also written in this period, ‘Admeto’ belongs to Handel‘s so-called ‘London operas’ - works he composed for the Royal Academy of Music. Though born in Halle, Germany, Handel spent most of his adult life in London and became a British subject in 1727.

Axel Köhler, the celebrated counter-tenor who is active in Munich, Halle and Berlin – now also well known for his work as a director - has brought ‘Admeto’ into the modern era in timeless style by the skilful application of imaginative theatrical digressions. Köhler‘s production at the Halle Opernhaus revisits a work that encompasses comedy, tragedy and almost absurd grotesqueness and gives it a convincing metaphor in the form of a modern hospital.

The recording of ADMETO on this Blu-Ray forms the highlight and also the conclusion of our Handel Festival cycle, which began four years ago with TAMERLANO, and was followed by TESEO.

World première recording on DVD and the first recording for 35 years. Special Box set with 2 DVDs and 2 Audio discs.