Death in Venice

Benjamin Britten’s adaptation of Thomas Mann’s novella brilliantly combines opera and ballet in telling the story of Aschenbach—a writer consumed by a desire to produce works of ultimate beauty—whose rationalistic (or Apollonian) restraint is overcome by the Dionysian frenzy he experiences when he encounters young Tadzio (a symbol of absolute physical perfection) during a sojourn in Italy. While never achieving the popularity of Britten’s earlier stage works, it has fared remarkably well on disc, with excellent recent productions from Venice (VL-9/13) and the English National Opera (VL-5/14) joining Tony Palmer’s groundbreaking 1981 filmed version (VL-3/03). This 2014 staging from Madrid’s Teatro Real is good, but not quite in the same league, although it boasts an evocative design, with some moments—such as a gondola ride—imaginatively done. It also offers intelligent, well-sung work by John Daszak in the demanding role of Aschenbach, while Tomasz Borczyk cuts an ethereal figure and dances beautifully as Tadzio. On the other hand, Alejo Pérez’s conducting at times sounds a bit cautious, even tentative, and Leigh Melrose overdoes the seven personas of the writer’s Mephistophelean nemesis. Most problematic, however, is director Willy Decker’s decision to be overly explicit in depicting the homoerotic nature of Aschenbach’s obsession, something that Britten and librettist Myfanwy Piper took pains to keep muted. Presented in DTS 5.0 and Dolby stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.0 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, this is a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)