Will The Real Wozzeck Please Step Forward

[Felix the Gnat]

I loved Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations' and first read it twice, back to back, when I was about 12.

I had an utterly extraordinary experience a few years later when I saw the black and white 1946 film starring John Mills, Bernard Miles, Finlay Currie, Jean Simmons, Martita Hunt, Alec Guinness and Valerie Hobson. It was exactly how I pictured it in my mind's eye when reading the book! Almost everything. Every detail.

Down the years, listening to and owning around 10 recordings of Wozzeck (as well as attending two performances), and the recent MET relay, I can safely say that this 1970 film directed by Rolf Liebermann was identical to my 'Great Expectations Moment'.

Although a film, to me it's the 'real Wozzeck'. Toni Blankenheim is perfect in every way and the main reason for my feelings about this film. The scenes are exactly how I pictured them and The Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra directed by the mighty Bruno Maderna deliver of the musical 'imagery' is the paragon.

Totally subjective, completely personal and probably wrong! But it's how I want my Wozzeck! In every respect.

P.S. Note to pedants - thread title is an instruction, not a direct question

[Bryn]

I loved Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations' and first read it twice, back to back, when I was about 12.

I had an utterly extraordinary experience a few years later when I saw the black and white 1946 film starring John Mills, Bernard Miles, Finlay Currie, Jean Simmons, Martita Hunt, Alec Guinness and Valerie Hobson. It was exactly how I pictured it in my mind's eye when reading the book! Almost everything. Every detail.

Down the years, listening to and owning around 10 recordings of Wozzeck (as well as attending two performances), and the recent MET relay, I can safely say that this 1970 film directed by Rolf Liebermann was identical to my 'Great Expectations Moment'.

Although a film, to me it's the 'real Wozzeck'. Toni Blankenheim is perfect in every way and the main reason for my feelings about this film. The scenes are exactly how I pictured them and The Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra directed by the mighty Bruno Maderna deliver the musical 'imagery' is the paragon.

Totally subjective, completely personal and probably wrong! But it's how I want my Wozzeck! In every respect.

. . .

P.S. Note to pedants - thread title is an instruction, not a direct question

I got the ARTHAUS DVD a good few years back. The only claim re the audio in that is that it is mono. There is no indication of whether it is LPCM from analogue, or lossy compressed. I, therefore, have doubts about the claim to lossless audio re the YouTube version. That said, I knew as soon as I saw that Maderna was conducting it, I knew it was to be trusted.

[Felix the Gnat]

I got the ARTHAUS DVD a good few years back. The only claim re the audio in that is that it is mono. There is no indication of whether it is LPCM from analogue, or lossy compressed. I, therefore, have doubts about the claim to lossless audio re the YouTube version. That said, I knew as soon as I saw that Maderna was conducting it, I knew it was to be trusted.

I must say that when I first bought this on DVD a few years ago, I was worried that it was a film (I don't think stuff like this was uploaded to YouTube back then for a preview). When I saw Bruno Maderna was directing the music, I figured it would all be fine!

[Pianoman]

Yes a real classic. I have around half a dozen dvds of Wozzeck, all varying wildly (and I mean wildly..) in interpretation and stage conception, but it's thoroughly refreshing to come back to a completely naturalistic production, especially with a cast like this and Maderna at the helm.

[Felix the Gnat]

Yes a real classic. I have around half a dozen dvds of Wozzeck, all varying wildly (and I mean wildly..) in interpretation and stage conception, but it's thoroughly refreshing to come back to a completely naturalistic production, especially with a cast like this and Maderna at the helm.

Yes, 'naturalistic' is one of the aspects. I love scene two in the field with the town visibly in the distance. I think Berg's view was that the scene should be in a field, with the town in the distance!

[Joseph K]

This was the first opera I saw live - at WNO IIRC - I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've probably only listened to it again on CD a handful of times but always liked it a lot.

[Master Jacques]

Yes, 'naturalistic' is one of the aspects. I love scene two in the field with the town visibly in the distance. I think Berg's view was that the scene should be in a field, with the town in the distance!

Thank you very much for the link to this. Personally I enjoyed it very much indeed on the musical side, but I must say that I found the pugnacious 1970 TV-realism horribly at odds with the score's bold expressionism. Such productions seem desperately unrealistic today: nothing changes faster than theatrical fashion, for better or worse.

The stage direction for Act 1 scene 2 reads 'open field, town in the distance', as you rightly say: but there are many ways of conveying that other than setting the action in a real field with a real town in the distance. Strange how such hyper-realist setups simply leave me (at least) even more conscious that, as the orchestra and conductor are clearly somewhere else, the singers must be lip-syncing. I much prefer my opera films to make a virtue of that (e.g. Bergman's Magic Flute or Powell & Pressburger's Tales of Hoffmann) rather than pretending it's not happening! In context, the Verfremdungseffekt here kicks in unintentionally, and with negative effect.

None the less, thank you again - this is very well worth hearing in every respect.

[Felix the Gnat]

Thank you very much for the link to this. Personally I enjoyed it very much indeed on the musical side, but I must say that I found the pugnacious 1970 TV-realism horribly at odds with the score's bold expressionism. Such productions seem desperately unrealistic today: nothing changes faster than theatrical fashion, for better or worse.

The stage direction for Act 1 scene 2 reads 'open field, town in the distance', as you rightly say: but there are many ways of conveying that other than setting the action in a real field with a real town in the distance. Strange how such hyper-realist setups simply leave me (at least) even more conscious that, as the orchestra and conductor are clearly somewhere else, the singers must be lip-syncing. I much prefer my opera films to make a virtue of that (e.g. Bergman's Magic Flute or Powell & Pressburger's Tales of Hoffmann) rather than pretending it's not happening! In context, the Verfremdungseffekt here kicks in unintentionally, and with negative effect.

None the less, thank you again - this is very well worth hearing in every respect.

I wouldn't know a good film from a bad film! (my favourite of all time is 'Brief Encounter' so don't expect much from me!). My point is that the film is exactly what I had in my mind's eye.

Act 1 Scene 2, is perfect in this film IMO - the overcast weather, mundane duties, the town with busy life going on, visible in the distance .... it's the literal that appeals to my creatively undemanding mind. And I'm lucky that I perceive the music and the visual aspects of the film perfectly harmonised.

And Toni Blankenheim's acting, is for me, very realistic; sadly based on professional and personal experience. It's a bonus that the music is directed by Bruno Maderna (there appeared a huge Bruno Maderna shaped hole in modern music when he died ).

[Master Jacques]

And Toni Blankenheim's acting, is for me, very realistic; sadly based on professional and personal experience. It's a bonus that the music is directed by Bruno Maderna (there appeared a huge Bruno Maderna shaped hole in modern music when he died ).

Blankenheim is indeed very, very convincing, I agree. He was one of those rare opera singers whose acting enhanced a performance rather than limiting it. His Schigolch was memorable, too, as was his Beckmesser (which can also be tracked down on DVD); and towards the end of his long career he occasionally took on 'straight' acting roles. Maderna certainly opens up areas in the score which nobody else gets near.

(I'm quite sure that your mind is quite as creatively demanding as anyone's, by the way!)

[Richard Barrett]

I must see this video. I've seen Wozzeck on stage a couple of times and there's always something about it that I don't quite connect with (not at all the case with Lulu maybe I should add).

[jayne lee wilson]

I wouldn't know a good film from a bad film! (my favourite of all time is 'Brief Encounter' so don't expect much from me!). My point is that the film is exactly what I had in my mind's eye.

Act 1 Scene 2, is perfect in this film IMO - the overcast weather, mundane duties, the town with busy life going on, visible in the distance .... it's the literal that appeals to my creatively undemanding mind. And I'm lucky that I perceive the music and the visual aspects of the film perfectly harmonised.

And Toni Blankenheim's acting, is for me, very realistic; sadly based on professional and personal experience. It's a bonus that the music is directed by Bruno Maderna (there appeared a huge Bruno Maderna shaped hole in modern music when he died ).

Tangential - Maderna's own music has been a marvellous discovery over the last few years.... more a composer now than a conductor for me....
Know this magisterial edition..?

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/search?q=maderna+works+neos&i=boutique

....with sound best described as "be careful how you use it...."

[Felix the Gnat]

I must see this video. I've seen Wozzeck on stage a couple of times and there's always something about it that I don't quite connect with (not at all the case with Lulu maybe I should add).

I've barely scratched the surface with Lulu.

Bohm, Boulez & Daniel (in English) on my shelf, so maybe something for 2020.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've barely scratched the surface with Lulu.
Bohm, Boulez & Daniel (in English) on my shelf, so maybe something for 2020.

Toni Blankenheim sings Dr Schön on this recording of the incomplete 2-act version:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Berg-Lulu-Leopold-Ludwig/dp/B00B0PO85C

[Felix the Gnat]

Tangential - Maderna's own music has been a marvellous discovery over the last few years.... more a composer now than a conductor for me....
Know this magisterial edition..?

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/search?q=maderna+works+neos&i=boutique

....with sound best described as "be careful how you use it...."

Other way round with me. First with a DG disc of Aura, Biogramma & Quadrivium, NDR Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Sinopoli. I still spin that disc regularly all these years later. I first discovered Maderna's conducting skills on a BBC Legends recording of Mahler 9 with the BBCSO. An excellent performance that reveals different things each time I listen to it.

[Felix the Gnat]

Toni Blankenheim sings Dr Schön on this recording of the incomplete 2-act version:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Berg-Lulu-L.../dp/B00B0PO85C

I've never come across that ........