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21 of 21 found the following review helpful:
 Ridiculous productionJan 28, 2005
By Rowena Ravenscroft
"Interested teacher"
My husband and I saw this production when it was revived at the ENO in 2002. We are fervent Handelians, experienced music and opera listeners, and no strangers to postmodern productions of baroque works. Sometimes they work well. For example, the po mo production of Purcell's Faerie Queene done at the ENO in 1998 was delightful. ENO's modernist production of Handel's Semele in 2000 was fabulous. We saw a production of Handel's Radamisto at the St. Louis Opera which, despite some problems with the singers, was one of the most beautiful and meaningful set designs I've ever seen (the designers won a Tony shortly after that for another production). I say all this to let readers know that we are not closed-minded attendees who only respond to period-correct-in-every-way productions.
That said, I have to say that this production of Ariodante, one of Handel's most beautiful operas, was one of the most ridiculous and disappointing experiences we've ever had with an opera, and has made us really wary of crossing the pond to go to anything else at the ENO. The design is preposterous, ugly, has no purpose except to shock the audience and absolutely torture the singers who have to negotiate it. The singers have apparently been instructed to at times act as if their words mean the exact opposite of what they are actually singing, for some reason. It's impossible to watch the production for long without having an impulse to laugh.
Don't waste your money on this DVD unless you're looking for an example of how best to ruin an opera.
18 of 19 found the following review helpful:
A Baroque NightmareDec 19, 2002
By Anastasia Beaverhausen
"Ariodante" can easily be regarded as Handel's most romantic opera - "Flavio" is a close second. It does not deal with the fate of nations/kingdoms but rather focusses on the individual and his/her romantic desires. Many scenes are set in the outdoors: the countryside, the royal gardens, or a forest; and a lot of the drama takes place at night. These different locations afford Handel the opportunity to 'indulge' his fertile imagination to compose the most sensual and programmatic music of his or any other time - like the rising of the moon at the beginning of Act 2. To go into the musical and dramatic 'architecture' of "Ariodante" and Handel's breaking with the Baroque tradition would take too much time here. (Please see Winton Dean's "Handel and the Opera Seria" for more information on this and Handel's other operas.) The director clearly had a (weird) personal agenda. And to expect the performers to be at their best in a production like this is not realistic: Ginevra and Ariodante (respectively the future Queen and King of Scotland) look like they receive EST treatment very regularly; the King of Scotland looks like a dirty old man who has not bathed for months. And Dalinda (the Lady-in-waiting to Ginevra, the future Queen of Scotland) looks off like an Italian widow. The scheming Polinesso, Duke of Albany, who is an elegant courtier (who can insinuate himself into the crown princess's private chambers!) ... just does not look like he could/should be allowed into polite society. One should always try to be objective when reviewing a product and this is one of the few DVD's I would not recommend you to buy. It is a dark, ugly, unintelligent and sexually explicit production. The characters are not believably portrayed as indicated in the libretto as Handel set it. Finally, if I can be abstract, Ariodante should remind one of a Renaissance garden (at night) saturated with the scent of jasmine and other summer flowers. Instead here we get stuck in a stinking bog. A great pity as the ENO's 'Serse' was a beautiful, imaginative yet truthful reading as this one is unattractive and uninspired.
14 of 18 found the following review helpful:
 Totally Exciting Handel!Feb 21, 2001
For those of your operaphiles out there who have yet to venture into the operatic world of Handel, this is the performance for you! The production is stunningly modern--crisp, clean, sharp--and yet, at the same time, takes you back to share in the visceral excitement of that first opening night. Ann Murray is a wonder! I was forced to repeat her first act aria three times before I could move on. I could list a number of "hidden joys" to watch for: how the chorus "changes" throughout the performance, the dramatic force of the work, etc. but, honestly, I would rather that you discover them for yourselves. To put it simply: I thought that I would "test the waters" and watch only a bit of it when it arrived. Wrong!!! I watched the entire performance--all 177 minutes of it. And, in the past week, I have reviewed sections, repeatedly, which particularly enthrall me. And who would have thought it from Handel?
10 of 13 found the following review helpful:
Fine singing, horrible directionJul 08, 2002
The opera video club I run was really looking forward to this DVD, especially as many of us are Handel fans. Unfortunately, we only made it about 40 minutes in before we had to turn it off! The singing is not the problem, it's the rolling on the floor that drove us crazy. Maybe it seemed like a fresh idea in 1996, but it doesn't now! Don't be fooled by the glorious colors and the intriguing postmodern-retro-baroque production. The end result is that each of the characters ends up an unappealing caricature, someone you really don't care about. This one rolls on the floor all the time, that one tongues his walking stick in a lewd manner all the time... Enough said. Now you have various opinions, and you'll have to make up your own mind... We did enjoy the ENO's production of Xerxes, though, in case you're looking for an alternative.
7 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Muggles, Beware!Sep 15, 2006
By Customer Formerly Known as Giordano Bruno
This is clearly a production intended for Lucius Malfoy and his social set. Polinesso even bears a close resemblance to Professor Snape. In short, it's very hard to look at. However, I can't second the recommendation of other reviewers to darken the screen and just listen. It's not well sung. How could it be, when the singers are asked to distort their instruments (their bodies) and pervert the affect of every aria in the most far-fetched manner possible. I'm not a conservative about opera productions, by the way. I heartily recommend Handel's "Theodora" and "Rodelinda" - both modernistic, both conducted by William Christie and sung gloriously. This Ariodante is simply a bad piece of work.
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