EIN SOMMERNACHTSTRAUM / Staged by Henry Mason / Mozarteumorchester Salzburg / Conductor: Ivor Bolton / Live at the Residenzhof, Salzburg, August 2013 / DVD

Format: NTSC

Running time: 185 Minutes

UPC: 880242726988

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches; 2.93 Ounces
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ DVD
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ France
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Shakespeare's 'Midsummer Night's Dream' with Mendelssohn's incidental music: the recording from Salzburg (2013) presents a grandiose 'Midsummer Night's Dream' in which every detail is just right.

Shakespeare's work is (still) relevant today, because some of life's embellishments are universal. In his works, he illuminated the human comedy, which can quickly turn into tragedy, with all its facets. The 'Midsummer Night's Dream' tells of the confusion that love can cause in a highly humorous way, underscored with subtle wit and charm.

This recording of the Salzburg Festival from the summer of 2013 shows the labyrinth of the three lovers who are looking for true love. Director Henry Mason is also responsible for the translation, with slight modernizations. The performance in the harmonious ambience of the Residenzhof, which was staged with incidental music by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, proves to be entertaining and exciting. Even the overture, which lasts about a quarter of an hour, is brilliantly illustrated; there is dancing, flirting, elves and gnomes up to mischief, Puck controlling everything (terrific: Markus Meyer) even tries to steal the baton from the conductor Ivor Bolton. The humor is often exaggerated and sometimes drastic, but the English theater tradition never whitewashes the actual message of a work, but knows how to lead back to the original content. Henry Mason also manages to do this with a captivating direction of characters, which is further enhanced with an enthralling linguistic design. This is great acting that can be experienced here, right down to the smallest roles.

Wonderful performers

As Thesus/Oberon, Michael Rotschopf shows great presence and dominates the action, alongside the aforementioned puck. Karoline Eichhorn (Hippolyta/Titania), who still does yoga exercises even as a heavily pregnant bride, and naturally enchants as Titania like an elf, is also an ideal cast. Tanja Raunig (Hermia) and Eva Maria Sommersberg (Helena) are wonderful seductresses, before whom Daniel Jeroma (Lysander) and Claudius von Stolzmann (Demetrius) can only kneel - and then also convincingly. The entire team acts excellently; Here you can experience the best of English director's theatre.

Jan Meier put a kind of scaffolding on the stage. The Mozarteum Orchestra, conducted by Ivor Bolton, sits on the first floor, which can be closed off with louvers if necessary. Music is played with a lot of vigor and beauty of sound. Puck is also happy to conduct events from this vantage point. Elves and other figures like to climb up from the basement, and a birch grove also appears – an ideal escape for lovers and acting craftsmen. Oberon's elves are up to mischief there. This is a grandiose production from a single source, coherently organized, the arc of suspense never breaks.