Lehár: Giuditta [DVD Video]

Lehar, as one of the most highly admired Viennese Operetta composers, gave us the world-renowned MERRY WIDOW which is still widely performed in world theaters in concept productions everwhere. He also gave us the delightful COUNT OF LUXEMBURG,ontinuously staged only in northern and Eastern Europe as a perfect gem of a tuneful, silly Viennese Operetta with enough fleeting soco-economic references in the undertones to make this perhaps the classic model of a Viennese operetta. His last work is the elaborate GIUDITTA, premiered not as an operetta, but as a grand opera at the Vienna State opera with opera diva Jarmila Novotna and guest star Richard Tauber in the central roles. It oncerns a virtually enslaved woman of Andalusia who fashions birdcage baskets for her apparently morganatic husband to sell. She spontaneously runs off to Africa with a naieve army officer whom she has just met,whereupon proceeds a melodrama with each deciding at the end that they have been given a bitter yet fleeting glance of how low the other has sunk after he decides he will no longer be her meal ticket or her paramour. With three sets in real life in defined time and two sets in a fantasy setting in a nonspecific future time, as well as with some pretty elaborate staging requirements, it has always been an enigma because amateur and professional opera and operetta companies are not sure in what niche to consider it. It is a lusty sing and a pleasure to behold in a well-funded stadium sized setting. This DVD may be the average person's only chance to experience it.

There seem to be a number of different imports of the same performance as appears in this one. Contrary to the product information provided by Amazon my copy (same cover as appears in this listing) claims to have only English subtitles for the operetta which is sung in German. The accompanying booklet with a brief summary of the action appears in 6 languages.As to the performance, it seems to be the only one available at the moment if Amazons catalog is complete. As such, I can certainly recommend it for an entertaining evening. While one cannot hope for the likes of the inimitable Richard Tauber, the original lead, nor Theresa Strata, whose performance of one number appears on YouTube, the cast is quite able to recreate the songs with appropriate dramatic effect and give the production a suitable operetta flavor. It took a few minutes to accommodate to head microphones on each singer and to the dynamics of staging in an outdoor setting but once over that hurdle one is able to join the large audience (however, as if sitting in the most expensive seats) as the production unfolds in true operetta style. Scenic design admirably enhances the action while many of the production numbers are reminiscent of the staging to be found in the Big 1940-50's American movie musicals.All in all, a colorful evening dedicated to nothing more significant than the pleasure of the audience. In achieving that objective it is, indeed, successful.

Usual lavish production that one expects from Morbisch. Main male character is miscast, embarassingly so. It shows its age, but if you like Lehar, it is still a good buy.

A bit pedestrian! I bought it on the strength of so many operetta selections including "Meine Lippen Sie Kussen", and find that while it not the only music in the operetta, the bits between are tedious.