Lotfi Mansouri’s spectacular last production as General Director of The San Francisco Opera with Yvonne Kenny making her debut in the title role, new dialogue specially commissioned from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Wendy Wasserstein and an original ballet to set the scene ‘Chez Maxime’ bringing fresh insight into Lehár’s classic operetta. This production also features another world premiere, Njegus’s song, “Quite Parisian”. Filmed in High Definition in December 2001 at the San Francisco Opera House. Sung in English.

Yvonne Kenny, Bo Skovhus, Angelika Kirchschlager, Gregory Turay
San Francisco Orchestra / Erich Kunzel
Stage Director Lotfi Mansouri

TV Director: Gary Halvorson

Plus


IMPRESSIONS - Lotfi Mansouri, Yvonne Kenny, Bo Skovhus, Angelika Kirchschlager and Gregory Turay discuss The Merry Widow
Illustrated Synopsis
Cast Gallery
24 page, full colour Illustrated booklet in English, French and German with an essay by Camille Crittenden examining what insight the Merry Widow gives into women’s roles in fin-de-siecle Vienna


Reviews
‘A production that deftly captures the sparkle and eroticism of Lehar’s music. I love it. Under Erich Kunzel, the orchestra brings out all the sparkle and eroticism of Lehár's bewitching melodies and orchestrations. Best of all, perhaps, are Michael Yeargan's sets and Thierry Bosquet's costumes. The gently varied range of colours as the curtain rises on the Widow's lamp-lit Act 2 party is quite simply breathtaking, and Act 3, too, is a riot of colour. Enjoy!’
The Gramophone

‘Mansouri’s staging, lavishly kitted out in elegant Jugendstil sets and costumes by Michael Yeargan and Thierry Bosquet, achieves the rare feat of bringing off the work’s unique mix of boulevard farce and sophisticated eroticism.’
The Independent

‘…this is about as lavish a production of Franz Lehár’s adorable operetta as you are ever likely to see…soprano Yvonne Kenny is perfectly cast in the title role.’
Classic FM Magazine

‘Michael Yeargan’s glamorous and beautifully-wrought designs and Thierry Bosquet’s extravagant costumes. We see all too little of this kind of splendour in these cash-strapped days.’
Opera

CAT NO: OA 0837 D
FORMAT: NTSC
REGIONS: All Regions
PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9
LENGTH: 188 MINS
SOUND: DOLBY SURROUND / DOLBY STEREO
SUBTITLES: ES
RELEASED: 01/07/2003
NO OF DISCS: 1