Messiaen's breathtakingly intense opera on the life of St Francis of Assisi stars Rod Gilfry as the charismatic visionary, beguiled by the glory of creation, yet fearful of both its imperfections and its transience. Pierre Audi's thoroughly engaging production for The Netherlands Opera brings out the naive imagery, the grandeur, and above all the vast tenderness of the resplendent score, revealed as a grandiose ritual with the meaning and purpose of life as its central theme. But the real drama of the work takes place in the orchestra. Elevated to stupendous heights by the sublimely inspired Ingo Metzmacher, The Hague Philharmonic and the Chorus of De Nederlandse Opera combine forces with a brilliant cast to produce the finest possible musical pilgrimage.
Stars: Camilla Tilling, Rodney Gilfry, Hubert Delamboye, Henk Neven, Tom Randle, Donald Kaasch
Crew: Pierre Audi (Stage Director), Olivier Messiaen (Original Music Composer), Jean Kalman (Lighting Design), Ingo Metzmacher (Music Director), Jean Kalman (Set Designer), Pierre Audi (Director)
Country: Netherlands
Language: Français
Studio: De Nederlandse Opera
Runtime: 275 minutes
Quality: HD
Released: Apr 28, 2009
IMDb: 10
