Busoni: Doktor Faust (Naxos/Arthaus Musik
Blu-ray)
Picture:
A- Sound: A- Extras: B Main
Program: A
Ferrucio
Busoni’s Doktor Faust is an opera
that I am a bit unfamiliar with, but it’s recent addition to Blu-ray courtesy
of Naxos on their Arthaus Musik label has made a quick fan out of me, in fact
this is perhaps my favorite production thus far and our coverage has been
fairly vast even in the early stages of Blu-ray, but we have not been
disappointed yet with the lineup that Arthaus has put out.
Busoni
had been working on Doktor Faust
between the years 1916 and 1924, but never finished it and the three-part opera
has been performed numerous times with multiple interpretations of what was
intended by Busoni. For this Blu-ray
release we have the a newly created version performed at the Zurich Opera House
in 2006, which features Busoni’s pupil Philipp Jarnach as the main consultant
to this version with conductor Maestro Philippe Jordan taking the reigns on
what turns out to be a magnificent production and performance from start to
finish.
Of course
the story of Goethe’s Faust has appeared in a variety of versions and
interpretations and that lies at the very core of this opera with Doctor Faust
(world renowned tenor Thomas Hampson) playing a man hell-bent on knowledge and
power. When he learns about a magical
black book that delivers incredible power, he must have it even though his
pupil Wagner tries to convince him otherwise as he has seen what those who have
used the book look like. Despite good
advice the Doctor uses the book and summons Lucifer who then offers him a
servant called Mephistopheles, who ends up giving him wishes in return for his
soul. For those familiar with the story
the rest is his rise and then inevitable downfall after gaining power and then
losing it at the hands of Lucifer whose only care was his soul to begin with.
What
makes this performance so amazing and spectacular though is Thomas Hampson who
single-handedly transforms this opera to a whole new level of awesome. His performance as Doctor Faust is exciting,
intelligent, and so carefully handled that it’s mesmerizing to watch. The Zurich Chorus is also stunning and helps
support the featured roles in the opera and the overall production design and
execution is top notch.
As if
this particular performance wasn’t strong enough, its release to Blu-ray will
knock your socks off, seriously.
Starting with the impeccably detailed and stunning 1.78 X 1 transfer in
1080i, Doktor Faust is simply
marvelous to look at. The set design,
costumes, and staging are incredibly three-dimension with refined color, depth,
and resolution that brings the opera straight into your home theater. We have seen some incredibly great material
released thus far from Naxos on their various opera labels, but Doktor Faust is thus far the strongest
from Arthaus and is a must-have for any fan or serious Blu-ray enthusiast.
Not only
is the transfer strong on this Blu-ray release, but the audio is dynamite as
well with an engagingly strong DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix that matches the
performance of the picture quality. In
addition to the DTS mix there is also a PCM 2.0 mix that is also impressive,
but different in nature. The 7.1 mix is
as expected more ambient in nature with a mix that fills the room in a more
acoustic-type of way with sound bleeding from all channels and encompassing the
listener with some impressive fidelity and musical reproduction that is
stunning. The PCM 2.0 mix is a more
natural mix that feels more balanced in nature with only two channels providing
the sound it feels more contained and less open, but this will ultimately come
to the listener’s preference and that is what we love about having the two
options here. Either way, both mixes are
phenomenal and will not disappoint.
Like with
all their opera releases, Arthaus Musik provides a highly detailed booklet
inside the Blu-ray packaging that details much of the production and helps give
us the necessary information to further appreciate their catalog of
material. There are two interviews on
the Blu-ray as well and there is a gallery and trailers for other productions
as well. This is a 50GB disc that it’s
evident that much of that space went to the real material and that is where it
should go, but the interviews with Philippe Jordan and Thomas Hampson are
incredibly insightful as they discuss the material and other fascinating
aspects of the production that will enhance the viewer’s perceptions in some
marvelous ways.
The only
thing left to really say is…GRAB IT!
Also
check out these titles on Blu-ray from Naxos:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/new/viewer.cgi?search=naxos
- Nate Goss
