Description

Mieczysław Weinberg - The Passenger (Bregenz Festival, 2010) - DVD

UPC: 0807280907995

Product Features

Title: Mieczysław Weinberg - The Passenger (Die Passagierin)
Conductor: Teodor Currentzis
Stage Director: David Pountney
Cast:Orchestra: Wiener Symphoniker
- Michelle Breedt as Lisa
- Roberto Saccà as Walter
- Elena Kelessidi as Martha
- Artur Ruciński as Tadeusz
- Svetlana Doneva as Katja
- Angelica Voje as Krzystina
- Liuba Sokolova as Bronka
- Elżbieta Wróblewska
Choir: Prague Philharmonic Choir
Chorus Master: Lukáš Vasilek
Set Designer: Johan Engels
Costume Designer: Marie-Jeanne Lecca
Lighting Designer: Fabrice Kebour
Video Director: Felix Breisach
Language: Sung in German and Russian
Subtitles: German, English, Spanish, French, Polish, Russian, Korean
Picture Format: 16:9
Sound Format: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.0
Region Code: 0 (Region-free)
Running Time: 161 minutes (with an additional 21 minutes of bonus content)
Number of Discs: 1 DVD
Recorded: Live at the Bregenz Festival, 2010
Production: A co-production of UNITEL, CLASSICA, and ORF

Overview

Mieczysław Weinberg’s opera The Passenger (Die Passagierin), based on Zofia Posmysz's novel, is a haunting exploration of guilt, memory, and redemption. Set on an ocean liner, the opera follows the chance encounter between a former Nazi concentration camp guard, Lisa, and one of her former prisoners, Martha. The Bregenz Festival in 2010 presented the first fully staged production of this powerful opera, conducted by Teodor Currentzis and directed by David Pountney. The Wiener Symphoniker, along with a stellar cast including Michelle Breedt and Elena Kelessidi, brings Weinberg's evocative score to life, with a visually striking set that juxtaposes the luxurious liner above and the horrific memories of the camp below.

Interesting Facts

First Staged Performance: Although composed in 1967-1968, The Passenger was not fully staged until this 2010 production at the Bregenz Festival, making it a significant event in the revival of 20th-century opera.
Real-Life Inspiration: The opera is based on the autobiographical novel by Zofia Posmysz, a Polish survivor of Auschwitz, who later turned her harrowing experiences into a story that would become the foundation for Weinberg's opera.
Critically Acclaimed Production: The New York Times praised the production, particularly highlighting the performances of Michelle Breedt as the guilt-ridden Lisa and Elena Kelessidi as Martha, whose soprano radiated psychological strength.

Track Listing

Act I:
- Scene 1: Introduction - On the Ocean Liner
- Scene 2: Flashback to the Concentration Camp
- Scene 3: The Camp Routine
- Scene 4: Lisa's Torment
Act II:
- Scene 5: Confrontation on the Liner
- Scene 6: Martha's Defiance
- Scene 7: Lisa's Breakdown
- Scene 8: Final Confrontation and Epilogue