Respighi: La Fiamma - Deutsche Oper Berlin (2024) [Blu-ray]

The timeless, rarely performed drama about witch-hunts, power games between wife and husband, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and prejudice is brought to life captivatingly on the stage of the Deutsche Oper.

Impressive singing and colossal tableaux accompany a story of intrigue, power struggles and an affair between stepmother and son in Ottorino Respighi's last great opera. Surrounded by political struggles, the characters become entangled in personal conflicts that mercilessly lead to catastrophe and end with a cruel outcome at the stake.

The archaic subject and the expansive dimensions of the operatic epic are reminiscent of the monumental film that was gaining popularity at the same time as it was written, which meant that "LA FIAMMA" struck a chord with the times and enjoyed international success soon after its premiere.

The unpretentious stage design, mostly in dark colours, allows the soloists to stand out all the more clearly in their roles and make a deep impression with their characters. The expressiveness of the voices and the intense choral passages leave the audience frenetically applauding.