23 Jun 2006
GLUCK: Orfeo ed Euridice
All the excitement and activity in the classical recording company world now seems to be in the budget area.
Recently in Recordings
Ariane et Barbe-Bleue on Blu-Ray
Paul Dukas’ Ariane et Barbe-Bleue, first heard in 1907, once seemed important. Arturo Toscanini conducted the Met premiere in 1911 with Farrar and later arranged some of its music for a 1947 recording with his NBC Symphony.
Kaufmann Wagner
The economics of the recording companies dictate much that is not ideal. Wagner’s operas were not composed as they were in order to permit the extraction of bleeding chunks, even on those occasions when strophic song forms do occur.
Mahler: Symphony No. 8
Among the recent recordings of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, Valery Gergiev’s release on the LSO Live label is an excellent addition to the discography of this work.
Songs by Zemlinsky
While not unknown, the songs of Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871-1942) deserve to be heard more frequently.
Gustav Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Rückert-Lieder, Kindertotenlieder.
Recorded on 5 and 6 May 2008 and 17 and 18 January 2009 at the Lisztzentrum (Raiding, Austria), this recent Bridge release makes available the piano-vocal versions of three song cycles by Gustav Mahler, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Rückert-Lieder, and Kindertotenlieder performed by mezzo-soprano Hermine Haselböck, accompanied by Russell Ryan.
Kathleen Ferrier: A Film by Diane Perelsztejn
Contraltos rarely achieve the acclaim and renown of sopranos. Assigned few leading roles in opera, they are condemned to playing the villain or the grandmother, or to stealing the castrati’s trousers in en travesti roles.
1612 Italian Vespers
Following their 2011 Decca recording of Striggio’s Mass in 40 Parts (1566), I Fagiolini continue their quest to unearth lost treasures of the High Renaissance and early Baroque, with this collection of world-premiere recordings, ‘reconstructions’ and ‘reconstitutions’ of music by Giovanni and Andrea Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Palestrina, and their less well-known compatriots Viadana, Barbarino and Soriano.
Eternal Echoes: Songs and Dances for the Soul
Eternal Echoes is an album of khazones [Jewish cantorial music] for cantorial soloist, solo violin and a blended instrumental ensemble comprising a small orchestra and the Klezmer Conservatory Band.
Mahler: Symphony no. 3 / Kindertotenlieder
Michael Tilson Thomas’s recording of Mahler’s Third Symphony is an outstanding contribution to the composer’s discography.
Oliver Knussen’s Symphonies from NMC
Oliver Knussen burst into British music with an unprecedented flourish. In 1967, the London Symphony Orchestra premiered Knussen’s First Symphony, with István Kertész scheduled to conduct.
Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio
Based on performances given in Summer 2010 at the Lucerne Festival, this recording of Beethoven’s Fidelio is an admirable recording that captures the vitality of the work as conducted by Claudio Abbado.
Stanisław Moniuszko: Flis
Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872) was one of the most popular composers of his day in Poland, and of the many works he wrote for the stage, two are performed from time to time, Halka (1848) and Strazny dwór [The Haunted Manor] (1865).
Stanisław Moniuszko: Pieśni Songs
The Polish alto Jadwiga Rappé is a familiar voice in various stage and concert works, and the recent release of a selection of songs by Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872) is an opportunity to hear her performing artsongs.
Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge: Serate Musicali
Originally released on multiple discs in 1981 this reissue on two CDs is a comprehensive collection of art songs by Italian and French composers from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Richard Strauss: Salome
An exciting contribution to the discography of this popular opera, the live performance of Richard Strauss’s Salome from the Festspielhaus at Baden-Baden is a compelling DVD.
Lulu by Gran Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona
Released in late 2011, Deutsche Grammophon’s DVD of the new staging of Berg’s Lulu at the Gran Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona is an excellent contribution to the discography of this fascinating opera.
Lulu by the Metropolitan Opera
A recent release by the Metropolitan Opera, this two-disc set makes available on DVD the famous performance of Berg’s Lulu that was broadcast on 20 December 1980 as part of the PBS series “Live from the Met.”
Elmer Gantry the Opera
The novels of Sinclair Lewis once shot across the American literary skies like comets, alarming and fascinating readers of that era, but their tails didn’t extend far behind them.
Historical Performances from Covent Garden: Barbiere, La traviata and Tosca
Once the province of only the most dedicated opera fanatics, mid-20th century recordings of privately taped live performances have become more widely available.
Lucia and the glass harmonica
Flute players in opera orchestra around the world must look forward to the frequent appearances of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, knowing that while the stage spotlight in the mad scene will be on the soprano, the orchestral spotlight will be on their instrument.
OPERA TODAY ARCHIVES »
Recordings
More and more the big companies mine through their vaults for re-releases in lines called "Great Conductors in Greater Halls with the Greatest Repertory" or "Adagios to take Valium by." Most of the best opera sets now appear in slim cases, with librettos unprovided (other than online). And with every re-release, the price gets lower.
Even more modest companies, such as Capriccio, can get in on the act. The company has started a line called "editionopera," and if this Gluck Orfeo ed Euridice represents the quality throughout the line, Capriccio should do very well. At super-budget price, the packaging and graphic design don't promise much, but the performance is what matters, and quite a good one it is.
Recorded in 1978 in Budapest, the opera features Julia Hamari as Orfeo. She has a most warm timbre that neither comes across as uncomfortably masculine nor inappropriately feminine. Sounding most lovely in their relatively brief appearances are Veronika Kincses as Euridice and Maria Zempleni as Amore. The chorus of the Hungarian State Opera produces a full, robust sound.
The conductor, Ervin Lukacs, does have the traditional harpsichord for accompaniment. Otherwise, this performance will displease "historically informed practice" adherents. Most other listeners will revel in the lushness of the strings and the fullness of the orchestral textures. Lukacs does adopt some speedy tempos at times, and some may feel that the opera's favorite number, "Che faro senza Euridice" could have been lingered over a bit more. In such matters of taste, arguing avails nothing, but the overall spirit of the recording rewards the open-minded listener with its passion and professionalism.
The slim booklet has a detailed track listing, a brief note about the opera and an even briefer story summary (the opera hardly requires a lengthy one). The notes and summary come in German, English, and Italian. Capriccio must not feel as if the French market for this recording necessitates their inclusion.
This opera can be acquired in different editions, from the recent Minkowski set with Richard Croft in the tenor lead, to a vintage Monteux recording featuring Rïse Stevens, and even one with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau mourning the loss of his Euridice. Now, for a very agreeable price, collectors can add this worthy Capriccio set. It's is a bargain in all senses of the word.
Chris Mullins
Los Angeles Unified School District, Secondary Literacy