HANS WERNER HENZE

Boulevard Solitude

Laura Aikin, Pär Lindskog, Tom Fox, Marc Canturri Hubert Delamboye, Pauls Putniņš

Directed for Stage by Nikolaus Lehnhoff

Gran Teatre del Liceu / Zoltán Peskó

Recorded live at the Gran Teatre del Liceu / Barcelona

2–3 March 2007

The musical version of Manon Lescaut with a libretto by Grete Weil became Henze's first stage success in 1952 when he was just 26 years old and stands out for its strong jazz influence

Hans Werner Henze is considered as one of the world's greatest living composers

This well-received production is a co-production between the Gran Teatro del Liceu and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

The immediate inspiration for the opera was the film Manon by Henri-Georges Clouzot (winner of the Venice Film Festival in 1949). The film was no doubt the inspiration for the Lehnhoff production as well, as this is opera at its most cinematic

The DVD includes strong visual images, in the brilliantly designed sets and costumes by Tobias Hoheisel, enlivened by director Lehnhoff and choreographer Denni Sayers

The production by Nikolaus Lehnhoff won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for best opera production in 2002

Brand new recording – state-of-the-art quality

“Henze’s Boulevard Solitude is a triumph. I recommend it fervently to anyone who believes that opera is more than an agreeable prelude or postlude to a good dinner.” The Times

“…they have hit the operatic jackpot: an intelligent production that should appeal to anyone with a broad interest in 20th-century music, cinema, theatre, art or design.” The Independent

Picture Format: NTSC

16:9 anamorphic

Sound Formats: PCM Stereo

Dolby Digital 5.1

DTS 5.1

Region Code: 0

Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Català

Booklet Notes: English, German, French

Running Time: 102 mins

Euroarts DVD NTSC 2056358