Monteverdi L'Orfeo, L'Incoronazione di Poppea, Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria, Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda
May 2007 Reviewed by: Wes Marshall Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

For years, classical box sets were hotly collected by music lovers around the world. Things like the massive EMI set of Shostakovich symphonies on vinyl or the complete Ring Cycle on CD were proudly showcased by collectors as a sign of both seriousness and financial well-being. For some reason, the DVD makers of the world seem to be slow on the uptake. Worse, many of the DVD box sets released have included weeds among the flowers.

It gives me great pleasure to recommend a set with only roses. Of course, you have to know what you’re getting into here. These are some of the first operas ever written, and L’Orfeo (1607, only ten years after the first opera) is certainly the oldest opera that is still performed regularly. The music was designed for small theaters, some less than 100 seats and none with more than 400. Monteverdi proposed very small orchestras, with just a few instruments to punctuate the dramatic parts. Often, simple harpsichord and lute parts are all that back the singers, so that the voice receives full attention. There is no final performing score, and on the last two operas, composed when Monteverdi was quite old and frail, other lesser composers seem to have written long passages. No one knows exactly how the acting was done, nor has any good information come down to us about the stage effects and sets.

While this appears to be a set of difficult problems to overcome, it’s actually a field day for Pierre Audi, the genius (I don’t use the term lightly) who pulled these four operas together over a five-year period at de Nederlandse Opera. He justifies his cuts, reordering, the modern sets, and an acting style closer to the slow stylized Japanese Nogaku (\y) than the modern emoting seen in Grand Opera. His reasoning: we don’t know how Monteverdi did it, so let’s set these emotionally resonant operas in a way that has us appreciate their historical remoteness as well as their human timelessness. Audi has been entirely successful.

The result is 9½ hours of operatic bliss. Visually, vocally and in terms of acting, everything Audi creates is aimed at slowly building, like two hours of foreplay before the monumental climax. Camera movements are mostly well judged and the video mastering is perfectly satisfying. The sound in DTS is rich and room filling and much superior to the LPCM, which is a little brittle.

And wonder of all wonders! Opus Arte has finally discovered the concept of DVD extras! Each opera is preceded by an illuminating talk by Audi, the conductor, and several members of the cast. More like this, please.

If you already know Monteverdi’s operas, you’ll likely also know that the singers are some of the best ever to work in Baroque opera. Some other single DVD operas have a little more completeness to the score, but none get to the heart of Monteverdi’s art like this version. Despite the high price of $130, this set is highly recommended. Think of it as the 21st century version of the classical box set.

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