Movie spotlight
Moses and Aaron
While a number of fine recordings of Moses und Aron exist, this unique DVD of the opera makes a staging of the work accessible, with a variety of camera angle, including a judicious mixture of close-ups and longer shots of the stage. The recording is all the more remarkable for its origins in a live performance, since audience sounds are almost negligible in the DVD. It is an exemplary presentation that merits attention for conveying the opera well. With the stage details intact, and the wide-angle shots planned to make the best use of the stagecraft, the Nickler production, prepared for television by Claus Viller, is a fine example of filmed opera. The sound is quite fine and brings across the nuanced direction of Daniele Gatti, whose efforts join the ranks of other fine interpreters of this work, including Pierre Boulez and Georg Solti.
Insights
Plot Summary
This avant-garde film adaptation of Arnold Schoenberg's unfinished opera 'Moses und Aron' eschews traditional narrative for a philosophical exploration of faith, communication, and the nature of divinity. It centers on Moses's struggle to articulate the ineffable concept of God to his people, while his brother Aaron serves as the charismatic intermediary, using rhetoric and spectacle to convey Moses's message. The film interweaves scenes of philosophical debate, communal suffering, and the creation of the Golden Calf.
Critical Reception
Moses and Aaron is a highly challenging and intellectually demanding film, polarizing audiences and critics alike. It is revered by cinephiles and those interested in avant-garde art, experimental cinema, and musicology, but often found inaccessible by general audiences due to its unconventional structure and lack of traditional cinematic conventions. Its artistic merit is widely acknowledged within specific critical circles.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its rigorous intellectual and artistic commitment.
Decried by some for its perceived austerity and lack of accessibility.
Recognized as a significant work within experimental and operatic film.
Google audience: Information regarding Google user reviews is not readily available for this highly specialized film.
Fun Fact
The film was shot in Israel and features a largely non-professional cast, including Schoenberg's own libretto translated into Hebrew and sung in its original German, adding another layer of complexity to its linguistic and cultural themes.
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