ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856): Manfred, Op. 115.

Description: A massive, long rectangular screen above the orchestra projects both the off-stage actor reading Manfred's text and a variety of phantasmagorical images according to the point we're at in the work (the cover shows the final scene - Manfred's castle) while the DVD viewer sees even more than can be projected in the theatre. Performing Schumann's problematical late Sturm und Drang distillation has always been a problem, but this intensely acted and colorfully projected solution (there are times when it seems a Werner Herzog film is about to break out) is certainly effective. Johann von Bülow (Manfred), Mechthild Bach (soprano), Elisabeth Popien (mezzo), Hans-Jörg Mammel (tenor), Markus Flaig, Manfred Bittner, Ekkehard Abele, Tobias Berndt (basses), Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra; Andrei Boreyko. 16:9 widesreen. NTSC region 0. 89 min.