Both recent productions (2009) of Korngold’s masterpiece testify to its continuing appeal to audiences and directors alike. The casting of the vocally demanding role of Paul is crucial to La Fenice (DVD) and Frankfurt Opera (CD), and both productions are fortunate in having an exceptionally fine tenor portraying the grief-sticken husband, whose dead wife Marie returns in a dream as Marietta, a dancer in a theatrical troupe visiting his home town of Bruges – the ‘dead city’ of the title.

In Pier Luigi Pizzi’s production for La Fenice, the curtain rises on Marie’s room, a monochrome shrine with dark shadows and shafts of light focusing on vases of white amaryllis. The lighting designer, Vincenzo Raponi, ensures that no expression goes unchecked on the faces of an uncommonly fine group of singers. Walkways at various angles restrict the dancers in the commedia dell’arte sequences, where the choreography seems somewhat cramped. The visual highlight comes during the second tableau, in a breathtaking transformation scene from the setting of Marie’s room to the moonlit rooftops and church steeple of Bruges, which circles into view. Stefan Vinke as Paul may have the frame of a bouncer but he is light on his feet and conveys both the depth of his loss and the elation of falling hopelessly in love with Marietta, the statuesque Solveig Kringelborn. She makes her second entrance as a vision in scarlet, very much the femme fatale, and although her character is essentially one-dimensional she makes Marietta almost human. Christa Mayer as Brigitte the comely housekeeper melts the heart with her confession to Frank, Paul’s confidant, portrayed by Stephan Genz, whose singing is sincere and eloquent, as is his Frankfurt counterpart, Michael Nagy. The sound of both orchestras (Eliahu Inbal conducts in Venice) adds to the theatricality.

The Frankfurt performance has great depth and resonance. This is another faultlessly cast production with some outstanding singing from the lyric tenor Klaus Florian Vogt and the dramatic soprano Hedwig Fassbender. Their vivid word-painting and turn of phrase rivets the attention, with the orchestra led by Sebastian Weigle throwing themselves heart and soul into Korngold’s score.