CRITIC’S CHOICE

Jessica Duchen

My winter treat has been the Bayerische Staatsoper’s DVD of Korngold’s Die tote Stadt. Simon Stone’s production is contemporary, quirky, heart-rending: here Marie has died of cancer and we can truly buy in to Paul’s agonised bereavement and ultimate acceptance of his loss. Marlis Petersen as Marie/marietta and Jonas Kaufmann as Paul are a dream team, and Kirill Petrenko’s conducting sets the music’s white-hot passion blazing out, the orchestra matching everyone on stage for virtuosity. I doubt it could be bettered.