Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Regarded as Mozart's first operatic masterpiece, this 1782 singspiel—combining music and spoken dialogue—is generally treated as a light comic piece, following Belmonte as he tries to rescue his beloved Konstanze from captivity in the harem of Pasha Selim in Turkey, a place presided over by blustery steward Osmin. But Christof Loy's extraordinary 2010 production for Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu turns the work into something like a long play with gorgeous musical interludes, while also tamping down the comedy to treat the story very seriously. While that makes this Abduction quite different from virtually all others—and it surely won't be to all tastes—the performance makes a strong case for Loy's approach. Ivor Bolton takes slower tempi than is customary but elicits beautiful playing from the orchestra, and the cast is extremely fine. Diana Damrau has the full measure of Konstanze's difficult arias, delivering the most extreme coloratura without effort, and Christoph Strehl is a virile Belmonte, although he tires toward the close. Franz-Josef Selig's low notes sometimes become a growl, but he's a formidable Osmin, and Christoph Quest brings special fire to Selim, a spoken role that is insignificant in most productions but important here. The sets are minimalist, with no Turkish flavor, and the costuming is vaguely modern. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray release) and PCM stereo, this works as an excellent supplement to a more orthodox reading (such as the Florence production reviewed in VL-11/03). Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)