> The Enchanted Island. Metropolitan Opera, New York. Virgin 2 DVDs.
The plot cleverly combines Shakespeare's The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The cast is headed by countertenor David Daniels as Prospero, mezzo Joyce DiDonato as the witch Sycorax, soprano Danielle DeNiese (Ariel) and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni (Caliban).
Stunning sets, costumes and special effects adorn Act 1, that drags over 98 minutes. Act 2 has faster action, is more entertaining and features the arrival of 70-year-old tenor Placido Domingo, playing the sea god Neptune, attendant mermaids dangling from wires.
High-definition film and hi-fi sound are excellent. Credit must be given to the Met orchestra, chorus and ballet forces, conducted by William Christie, making outstanding contributions. Music at a lively pace provides a solid foundation - Act 1's arias and action just needed editing to tighten it up.
The English libretto has the quartet of lovers from A Midsummer Night's Dream shipwrecked on Prospero's island from The Tempest and a major outbreak of mistaken identity ensues. Magic spells and intervention by Neptune straighten things out. Lisette Oropesa is a shining lyric soprano as Miranda,
Prospero's daughter. Her duet (I have dreamed you from a Handel cantata) with Ferdinand (countertenor Anthony Roth Costanza) is charming. The honeymooners are tenor Paul Appleby, soprano Layla Claire, baritone Elliot Madore and mezzo Elizabeth DeShong.
Highlight: DeNiese's sprightly celebration of Ariel's newly gained freedom (music from Vivaldi's Griselda).
