The bad: there are cuts, which are particularly inexplicable in an opera of Capriccio's conception. One of the passages cut is the discussion of what the opera written should be; cutting the 'Ariadne' and 'Daphne' quotes makes the Count's witty suggestion all too abrupt. There's also a cut in La Roche's monologue, another unfortunate omission.
The men generally outclass the women. Olivier and Flamand (Keenleyside and Kuebler) are solidly characterized and elegant, but top honors go to Braun as La Roche. I found Hakegard to be too pompous and caricatured as der Graf, particularly in the sonnet reading. It's a possible reading of the character, but a more sly and subtle approach would have been welcomed. Troyanos as Clairon is as elegant as always, but she was very sick when this performance was filmed (and unfortunately died the same year), and is nowhere near her recorded performance for Bohm.
The Countess is the role around which the opera revolves, and Te Kanawa is...mixed. She has a beautiful, clear, smooth voice, and a great deal of natural poise. But the role never really comes to life; she feels rather unengaged. It's not a fatal flaw for most of the work, but it takes some of the power out of the lovely final scene.
The supporting cast is solid, although the costuming for the Italian Singers is painful at best. Recommended to get to know Capriccio, but to really know this work, I would recommend the Bohm and/or Sawallisch recordings, and following the libretto carefully! Capriccio is a "Conversation Piece for Music", and the truncated subtitles of this issue will let you follow the argument, but not carefully enough. This is particularly relevant in the two-part Octet (Laughing/Quarreling Ensemble), where there's simply no way to effectively subtitle it. Capriccio is not an overtly dramatic work, but repays careful attention and study.
