Glad to locate an off-air video for DVD transfer of A Village Romeo & Juliet which, sumptuously directed by Petr Weigl in Czechoslovakia (as was), effortlessly captures Delius's love of nature and composed a glorious score and libretto much inspired by the Wagner of Tristan and Parsifal. No directorial 'concepts' as he captures the spirit of the libretto without fuss or indulgence, except, perhaps, a degree of licence in the interior scenes of the Paradise Garden - a piquant creation of so many impressionist paintings accompanying "We are the vagabonds..."! The cast dubbed by actors with precise lip-synching, except for the role of the Dark Fiddler played by Thomas Hampson. I recall attending his lieder recital at the Wigmore Hall, around the time the film was made, 1989, and remember how well quickly he could darken the tone of any song so well. The Decca set was recorded with Helen Field, (Vreli), Arthur Davies, (Sali), the Arnold Schonberg Chor, Austrian Radio SO/Charles Mackerras. A work of shimmering beauty effortlessly reflecting the idyllic nature of the story.
As a DVD companion, I decided to add Ken Russell's documentary, Song of Summer, (1968) which is also rich in imagery and compelling central characters, Delius, Jelka and Eric Fenby. Delighted to get the 2CD EMI Classics set of the Beecham/RPO recording of A Village R & J, off the shelves, for reference, and to discover that Eric Fenby also wrote the notes.
As a DVD companion, I decided to add Ken Russell's documentary, Song of Summer, (1968) which is also rich in imagery and compelling central characters, Delius, Jelka and Eric Fenby. Delighted to get the 2CD EMI Classics set of the Beecham/RPO recording of A Village R & J, off the shelves, for reference, and to discover that Eric Fenby also wrote the notes.
I'm also interested in the accompanying documentary to the main feature and have placed an order as the set is reasonably priced, too.
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