Palestrina

German composer Hans Pfitzner's 1917 opera is based on the legend that Missa Papae Marcelli—the best-known work by the 16th-century musician Palestrina—convinced the pope to allow polyphony in church music. The first act finds the elderly Palestrina inspired to compose the mass after visitations from angels and past master composers, while the third act depicts his eventual triumph. In between lies a lengthy tableau set at the Council of Trent, where high ecclesiastics argue over the place of music in the church—and thus the question of new versus traditional art. For this 2009 mounting at Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper, the orchestra plays well under Simone Young, and tenor Christopher Ventris is vocally powerful and emotionally moving in the title role, although the remaining vocalists, including Peter Rose as Pope Pius IV, are less effective. And the design is bizarre: hot pink and lime green costumes coupled with stark black-and-white sets, with huge papier-mâché masks and white facial makeup added to the mix. Still, the opportunity to see Palestrina is likely to remain rare (although highly regarded in Germany, the opera has never caught on internationally), so this is still welcome, especially given the fluid camerawork and excellent sound presented in DTS 5.0, Dolby Digital 5.0, and PCM stereo. DVD extras include a brief “making-of” featurette with Ventris and director Christian Stückl. Recommended, overall. (F. Swietek)