Die Fledermaus is still Strauss' best operetta to me, but Eine Nacht in Venedig(A Night in Venice) still makes for delicious entertainment with glorious music. Although with things like distorted shots the camera work at times tries too hard to be more than it needs to be, this is a treat of a production. There are cuts in the music but considering it's not a live performance I was expecting that. It is a very beautifully produced film visually, with well tailored costumes and opulent settings. The staging has all the sparkling fun and charm of the operetta, even if the story is not quite the same the spirit of the operetta remains which is every bit as important and even more so. The orchestral playing does nothing to make the music less glorious than it is, the chorus bring so much joy to the finale and the tempos are well-judged and sprightly. All the cast are excellent. Anton De Ridder and Erich Kunz sing with sonority and great sense of timing, while Julia Migenes and Trudelise Schmidt as well as being dramatically involved sing absolutely beautifully, and Ljuba Welitsch -the definitive Salome- is wonderful if vocally past her best(probably a consequence of taking on too many heavy roles too soon, no matter how brilliantly she sang them). Overall, a lovely film that made me wish I could go to Venice. 9/10 Bethany Cox
