Tchaikovsky Pique Dame

Misha Didyk (Hermann), Emily Magee (Lisa), Lado Ataneli (Count Tomsky), Ludovic Tézier (Prince Yeletsky), Elena Zaremba (Polina), Ewa Podles (Countess), Mikhaïl Vekua (Chaplitsky), Francisco Vas (Chekalinsky) & Claudia Schneider (Masha)
Symphony Orchestra and chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Michael Boder (conductor) & Gilbert Deflo (director)

Opus Arte - OABD7085D (Blu-ray)

A Barcelona production (2011) which we have found almost impossible to watch on DVD - the singers seem to shout at us as if we are too close in the huge opera house itself.

A tricky opera to bring off, we were most impressed by it at Stuttgart in 1999 (not filmed) and at Welsh National Opera.

Going back to the old St Petersburg DVD (with a very youthful Gergiev in the pit) it was easy to discount the dullish filming and enjoy the fairly traditional performance. But, consulting the internet, it seems that the best bet for the present is the Graham Vick Glyndebourne production filmed in 1992.

Peter Grahame Woolf