There’s lots to like in the 2003 Glyndebourne recording of Die Fledermaus.  Let’s start with Stephen Lawless’ production.  It’s attractively designed, quite slick and has a few good new gags without going overboard.  The sets are designed with striking diagonals and staircases and gantries.  Rotation is used both as a device to change the setting and as an element in the scene composition.  The overall effect is that the scene changes from drawing room to a sort of “gilded cage” for Orlofsky’s party – which opens out to create space for the action – to a prison with minimum disruption to us or the action.  Spots are used to create stagey effects and at one point Jurowski in the pit ostentatiously upstages the actors on stage.  Lawless never lets us forget this is a “show”.  Continue reading →