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AUDIO, VIDEO & DVD NEWS

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AUDIO NEWS

COMPILED BY ANDREW R BURTON

Tannhauser (complete recording)

Wolfgang Windgassen (Tannhauser), Gre Brouwenstijn (Elisabeth), Herta Wilfert (Venus), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Wolfram), Josef Greindl (Hermann), Josef Traxel (Walther), Toni Blankenheim (Biterolf), Gerhard Stolze (Heinrich), Alfons Herrweg (Reinmar) Bayreuth Festival 9^th August 1955 conductor Andre Cluytens

Orfeo C643043 D (3CDs)

The second release in Orfeo`s series of recordings taken from and officially sanctioned by the Bayreuth Festival features a production first seen in 1954 under the baton of Joseph Keilberth (coincidentally newly available on Archipel ARPCD 0280).  Cluytens took over from Jochum shortly before the opening performance of the 1955 Festival and here reveals his Wagnerian credentials to great effect.  In later years he went on to conduct Meistersinger (1956, Music & Arts) Lohengrin (1958, Myto) and Parsifal (1965, not released).  Windgassen assumes the title-role tirelessly with the Dutch soprano Brouwenstijn strong and resounding as Elisabeth.  Wilfert is not in quite the same league but went on (elsewhere) to be the first singer to sing both Venus and Elisabeth in this opera.  The supporting cast is strong with Fischer-Dieskau (not a singer I usually warm to) on particularly good form.  Those wondering whether to upgrade from their copies of the earlier Melodram CD issue may wish to note that the sound here is clearer and brighter, if thinner in the bass.  The booklet contains no text but plentiful illustrations of the staging.

The Flying Dutchman (complete recording, in English)

Eric Halfvarson (Daland), Nina Stemme (Senta), John Tomlinson (Dutchman), Kim Begley (Erik), Patricia Bardon (Mary), Peter Weld (Steersman),

London Philharmonic c David Parry

Chandos CHAN3119 (2CDs)

I think this is the first time this opera, well-served by the recording industry, has been presented in English.  Nina Stemme`s spectacular performance provides what I consider to be the best reason to hear this recording with her clear, accurate, and characterful Senta (as can also be seen in a telecast from the Vienna Staatsoper, in the Society`s video library).  Halfvarson is a richly bucolic Daland, Begley a somewhat monotone Erik, and whilst I`m not sure that Tomlinson`s Hollander (currently to be heard at Bayreuth) would not have been better caught a few years ago, I enjoyed his noble and anguished performance.  The orchestra is on splendid form although at times it overwhelms the singers  - even Mr Tomlinson - perhaps caused by the Culshaw-style production involving a fair degree of movement by the singers.  The recording provides beefy yet detailed sound and Chandos` booklet includes full text (quite unnecessary given the superb diction of the cast), but I have to say that the banding of first disc is atrocious, with a measly three tracks for the whole 44 minutes of Scene 1.  The performance deserves better, but notwithstanding this technical inadequacy the set deserves and receives a strong recommendation.

Tristan und Isolde (Acts 2+3)

August Seider (Tristan), Helena Braun (Isolde), Ira Malaniuk (Brangane), Hans Hotter (Kurwenal), Gottlob Frick (Marke), Albrecht Peter (Melot), Paul Kuen (Shepherd), Bavarian State Opera Munich conductor Rudolf Kempe, 8^th November 1953

Archipel ARPCD 0256 (2CDs)

This is a rather frustrating release in what Archipel describe as their “Desert Island Collection”.  I`m not sure what is intended by that designation, since this release cannot be regarded as a sole choice for the opera.  Act 1 appears not to have survived and what we do have is in poor sound:  there are breaks in the music, the sound level comes and goes and is over-filtered.  August Seider is a mature Tristan, Helena Braun past her best (she can be heard to greater effect in the 1950 Munich performance on Orfeo) and the two are often rather too forceful in their performance.  Hotter and Frick are wonderful, however, and notwithstanding the effort required to listen through the sound, I found Act 3 extremely powerful.  Kempe was a Wagner conductor of the highest quality and he made no commercial recording of this work, although tapes exist of a 1955 Met performance with Svanholm and Varnay.  Until these become available, those wishing to hear Kempe`s interpretation must rely on this Archipel set.

Excerpts from Lohengrin, Tristan, Siegfried, Gotterdammerung

Margaret Jane Wray (Elsa, Isolde, Brunnhilde), John Horton Murray (Lohengrin, Tristan, Siegfried), Nancy Maultsby (Brangane), Adam Klein (Mime),Russian State Symphony Orchestra conductor John McGlinn

Naxos 8.555788 and 8.555789 (2 cds, available separately)

An unusual collection of items:  the first disc features 33 minutes of Lohengrin Act 3 coupled with the last 25 minutes of Siegfried Act 1, and the second disc has Brunnhilde`s Immolation coupled with the first 52 minutes of Tristan Act 2, which provides a rare opportunity to hear Wagner`s own concert ending.   Unfortunately I felt that this was the most notable aspect of the discs, which otherwise are recommended only to particular fans of the performers who I thought showed little true feel for Wagner:  the orchestra plays well although the strings are thin at times, but the conducting tends to the ponderous.  The discs, at bargain price, are well-recorded and generously annotated with notes and translations. 

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January 2005

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