Julius Patzak

On this CD:

1. Johannespassion (St. John Passion), BWV 245 Ach, mein Sinn
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Alois Melichar

2. Fidelio, opera, Op. 72 Gott, welch' Dunkel hier!/In des Lebens Frühlingstaben
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Karl Bohm

3. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Herman Weigert

4. Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527 Bande der Freundschaft
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Leo Blech

5. Così fan tutte, opera, K. 588 Der Odem der Liebe
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Julius Pruwer

6. Die Entführung aus dem Serail, opera, K. 384 Konstanze, Konstanze dich wiederzusehen
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Leo Blech

7. Eugene Onegin, opera, Op. 24 Wohin, wohin sied ihr entschwunden?
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Julius Patzak
Conducted by Manfred Gurlitt

8. Mignon, opera in 3 acts Leb' wohl Mignon
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Wolfgang Martin

9. Manon, opera Ich schloss die Augen
Composed by Jules Massenet
Performed by Julius Patzak
Conducted by Manfred Gurlitt

10. Manon, opera Ich bin allein/Flieh' o flieh, holdes Bild
Composed by Jules Massenet
Performed by Julius Patzak

11. Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor, opera Horch die Lerche singt im Hain
Composed by Otto Nicolai
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Wolfgang Martin

12. Un ballo in maschera, opera O sag, wenn ich fahr
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Julius Patzak
Conducted by Manfred Gurlitt

13. Un ballo in maschera, opera Wohl kam im sichren Heime/Doch heisst dich auch ein Pflichtgebot
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Julius Patzak

14. Il Trovatore, opera Dass noch einmal
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak, Gertrud Runger
Conducted by Wolfgang Martin

15. Il Trovatore, opera Wenn du mich liebst/In uns're Heimat
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak, Gertrud Runger
Conducted by Wolfgang Martin

16. Ständchen ("Mach' auf, mach' auf, doch leise, mein Kind"), song for voice & piano, Op. 17/2
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Julius Pruwer

17. Cäcilie ("Wenn du es wüsstest"), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 27/2
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Julius Pruwer

18. Liebesfeier, Op 16/2
Composed by Felix Weingartner
Performed by Julius Patzak, Franz Rupp

19. Sechse, sieben oder acht
Composed by Ignaz Brull
Performed by Julius Patzak, Franz Rupp

20. La danza. Tarantella Napolitana ("Già la luna è in mezzo al mare"), for voice & piano (Soirées musicales)
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by Berlin State Opera Orchestra with Julius Patzak
Conducted by Alois Melichar

Julius Patzak, Music, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Ignaz Brull, Jules Massenet, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Otto Nicolai, Gioachino Rossini, Richard Strauss, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Ambroise Thomas, Giuseppe Verdi, Felix Weingartner, Alois Melichar, Herman Weigert, Julius Pruwer, Karl Böhm, Leo Blech, Manfred Gurlitt, Wolfgang Martin, Berliner Staatsopernorchester, Staatsopernorchester, Wiener Philharmoniker, Franz Rupp, Julius Patzak, Gertrud Runger, Art Song (General), Choral, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Classical Vocals, French Romantic Opera, German/Austrian Classical Period Opera, German/Austrian Romantic Opera, Italian Romantic Opera, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music, Opera, Passion, Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard, Russian Romantic Opera, Vocal, Vocal Music

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bruno Walter
Average customer rating:

One the greatest of all time.

The Da Mahler Code

DESERVEDLY A CLASSIC BUT...

My thoughts.....

Not a first choice, but still a must-have

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bruno Walter
Gustav Mahler , Bruno Walter , Kathleen Ferrier , Julius Patzak , and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bernstein, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Mahler: Symphony No6; Rückert Lieder

Mahler: Symphony No. 9

ASIN: B00004XQ8E
Release Date: 2000-11-14

Tracks:

Das Lied Von Der Erde: I. Das Trinklied Vom Jammer Der Erde - Julius Patzak
Das Lied Von Der Erde: II. Der Einsame Im Herbst - Kathleen Ferrier
Das Lied Von Der Erde: III. Von Der Jugend - Julius Patzak
Das Lied Von Der Erde: IV. Von Der Schonheit - Kathleen Ferrier
Das Lied Von Der Erde: V. Der Trunkene Im Fruhling - Julius Patzak
Das Lied Von Der Erde: VI. Der Abschied - Kathleen Ferrier
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen - Julius Patzak
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Ich Atmet' Einen Linden Duft - Kathleen Ferrier
3 Ruckert-Lieder: Um Mitternacht - Julius Patzak

Customer Reviews:

One the greatest of all time........2006-05-20

There are times when you can't let something pass. I've heard this nonsense about how Bruno Walter "didn't understand Mahler." The fact that Walter knew Mahler well and worked with him gave him far better insight into the composer than those commenting almost a century after the fact. The poetry in this performance is there for those whose who are capable of hearing it. Stating that Ferrier was past her prime seems odd in that she was about 40 when this recording was made and if made in 1951 it would have been two years before her death. She was a true contralto (the voice for which the music was written)with a tonal color that any mezzo-soprano can only approximate. Regarding this not being opera it might do well to remember that Mahler was primarily a conductor of opera. Would this have influenced how he may have wanted this work performed? I think so.

The Da Mahler Code.......2006-01-10

This is probably a minority report, but I could never understand why the Walter/Ferrier recordings of the "Das Lied" are considered to be the best Songs of the Earth. Probably because everyone else says so.

Yes, it's not bad, but certainly not at the top of the list.

The question is why is it so overrated? Our culture loves drama and hates death. Ferrier sang her Farewell in 1951 when she was dying of cancer and she knew it. In the 1947 performance of the same work, she burst into tears in the middle of the Abshied. OK, I understand what's the fuss and drama about, but what does it have to do with the music itself?

The Das Lied is not an opera, a fact that Walter and Ferrier (and also Bernstein amongst others) failed to understand, making this work sound overly dramatic and over-sentimental. It is *poetry*, pure p-o-e-t-r-y, and demands an entirely different approach to the one that many musicians have been taking over the years (yes, forget the misery of Mahler's life, as well. A musician's life is one thing, his output another.)

Bruno Walter himself said that "Kathleen Ferrier's performance in Das Lied remains among the deepest and happiest experiences of my musical life. The lovely timbre of her voice moved me as hardly any other sound has. And she had a soul as well as a voice. That soul knew and resounded the very soul of Mahler's work. I have often thought how much it would have meant to him to hear the profound understanding in her performances."

Contrary to that statement, both Walter and Ferrier did not understand Mahler. (BTW, neither did Bernstein, whose recording of the Das Lied with Fischer-Dieskau is certainly one of the worst Das Lied recordings ever.)

Ferrier probably was someone with a soul indeed, and a great singer, but this work did not suit her. Walter a great conductor, but this Das Lied is a clear case of mystification of the public, something analogous to the Da Vinci code (in this case the Da Mahler Code) and the smile of La Giogonda. There's no mystery. Only preconceived ideas.

I would go for the Boulez/Urmana, Klemperer/Ludwig or Tennstedt/Baltsa recordings, instead. Top of the list (also the Janet Baker and Jochum/Merriman, too.)

DESERVEDLY A CLASSIC BUT..........2006-01-08

Now this recording is out of copyright it is beginning to turn up on several labels (e.g. Naxos). It is, after all, a classic recording. However, it was Decca who recorded it and they therefore are the ones who have access to the originals. So this is probably the best transfer, worth the extra cost over its rivals.

Its status as a classic is well deserved. Walter was a close colleague of the composer, talked through the work with him and conducted the world premiere after Mahler's death. It was a piece he had lived with for more than 40 years by the time this recording was made and his interpretation therefore at least deserves serious respect. Of course, it merits much more than that. Walter loved this music and invested it with all the depth of humanity he brought to everything he conducted. There is appropriate weight and thrust to the opening Trinklied, a logically consistent flow to the meandering melodic lines of the Einsame im Herbst, Schubertian delicacy in Von der Jugend and so on right through to the yearnings and final resigned acceptance of Der Abschied. This, as you might expect from Walter, is a Das Lied viewed from the Mozart, Schubert, Brahms end of the telescope rather than as the forerunner of Schoenberg, Berg, Webern and beyond. To that extent he could be said to smooth out some of the more abrasive orchestration, to soften the impact of the clashing harmonies in the great Funeral March and to try to integrate the often disparate and apparently unrelated contrapuntal melodic lines. For a contrasting point of view, you need to turn to Rattle, Boulez or, interestingly, Horenstein.

One of the chief raisons d'etre for this recording, of course, was the special relationship that had developed between Walter and Kathleen Ferrier. In the unique sound of that voice and in her special artistry, Walter felt he had at last found the perfect vehicle for this piece. And she doesn't disappoint. She gives a near-definitive performance of her three songs and especially of Der Abschied. The last outburst of love and regret for the `liebe Erde' and the ensuing resignation that drifts into an infinity of repeated `ewig...ewigs' over Mahler's achingly unresolved sixths in the harmony, these are heart-rending moments. If there is just the slightest note of reservation in my praise, it is that Ferrier (as her letters show) was rather in awe of Dr. Walter, particularly in this piece which was so much a part of his life. As a result she always seems to be following Walter's lead in this performance, without quite allowing herself the interpretive freedom she shows even in her live New York performance with him. But in her live performance with Barbirolli (on APR) the sympathy - empathy even - between the two close friends leads to greater freedom still, greater risk-taking on both their parts that I find all the more moving, despite the pretty dreadful sound quality.

Julius Patzak is also an integral part of this Vienna performance. The tenor role is a tough one, having to scale the heldentenor heights of the opening movement, the porcelain delicacy of the third and the drunken abandon of the fifth. Patzak doesn't have quite the ideal heft for the Trinklied and occasionally gets submerged in the orchestral swell, but he does bring a wonderfully plangent colouring to his voice in the `Dunkel ist das Leben' refrain. There's a wealth of experience behind the subtle word-painting of Von der Jugend, however, and the Drunkard in Spring is also a perfect blend of singing off the words and the notes.

This recording is deservedly a classic of the gramophone, a great performance which displays roots that reach directly back to the composer himself. However, if you can listen through bad sound quality, I'd urge you to listen to Ferrier's performance with Barbirolli as well.

The three Ruckert Lieder also included on this disc are also wonderfully done - especially Ich bin der Welt anhanden gekommen. Um Mitternacht, too, is mightily imposing. Only Janet Baker (again with Barbirolli) runs them close.

My thoughts............2005-07-13

For a performance more than 50 years old, it sounds really good. Kudos to the engineers; I never knew the early 50s recording can be that good. Kudos too to Bruno Walter, a close friend and great interpreter of Mahler, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, certainly one of the world's finest orchestras.

Personally, I didn't really like Julius Patzak on the tenor. He sounded to mellow, less dramatic compared to James Kings on a rivalling performance done by Bernstein with the same orchestra (and the same label) 14 years later.

Kathleeen Ferrier, on the other hand, is an absolute winner. There's something really special about her performance that really makes me want to cry, particularily in the "Farewell" movement. She sounded very rich and warm when she was singing in moderate registers, but very sweet and delicate - fragile even as if she know she was going to live no longer - whenever she took the higher notes. By the time she sings "Everywhere the lovely earth blossoms" I was in tears, knowing that this would be one of her glorious moments in her career before dying of cancer. Fischer-Dieskau's performance (with Lenny) was touching in one thing, but Ferrier's performance was an excrutiating experience...

May her performance touch others... for ever... and ever.

Not a first choice, but still a must-have.......2004-08-07

I own nine different recordings of Mahler's Das Lied Von Der Erde, and I would probably rate this somewhere in the middle, with Kubelik, Sanderling, and Klemperer ahead of it, and close to on-par with the Horenstein.

This is an excellent and deservedly legendary performance. Patzak and Ferrier both give extremely artistic performances. There is great charisma and depth to their singing and interpretation of the words and melodies. However, technically, there are far better performances out there (they were both past their prime). Fritz Wunderlich, Peter Schrier, and Waldemar Kmentt as tenor and Janet Baker and Alfreda Hodgson as alto come to mind immediately. Bruno Walter gives a very moving reading of the song cycle, but the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra does not perform very well. It sounds rather unrehearsed and unrefined (and not in a good "fresh" way).

What you have here is a very moving, very magical performance of Das Lied Von Der Erde that should be heard by everyone. But it saddens me to think that many people would purchase this as their "only" recording of this piece (due to the justifiably positive reviews) and feel they can explore this piece sufficiently with it.

I highly recommend checking out the Kubelik/Baker/Kmentt recording. It is an absolutely essential recording with a brilliant conductor, excellent orchestra and sound, the best alto performance available for this work (Baker!), and an excellent tenor. Klemperer and Sanderling give equally amazing readings with two of the best tenors you will ever hear perform this piece (Schrier and Wunderlich, respectively).

Although I find this recording to be far inferior to the three mentioned above, I truly believe one must own several recordings of this work, and in that respect, this Walter/Ferrier deserves the shelf space.

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Same Ring, better sound

Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

Manufacturer: Gebhardt Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wagner: Götterdämmerung
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ASIN: B000BUEGK4
Release Date: 2005-11-29

Customer Reviews:

Same Ring, better sound.......2007-06-23

This is the classic Furtwangler 1953 Rome Ring cycle previously released on EMI and reviewed elsewhere, but in much improved, clearer and brighter sound. This release is clearly to be preferred to the EMI version.

Average customer rating:

Remastering has improved this historic Beethoven Ninth, but not drastically

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Mozart: Symphonies 33 & 39; Eine kleine Nachtmusik
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Bruckner: Symphony No. 8; Overtures by Mendelssohn, Nicolai, Wagner & Weber
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 5

ASIN: B0009K2YSW
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

I. Allegro Ma Troppo, Un Poco Maestoso
II. Scherzo: Molto Vivace - Presto
III. Adagio Molto E Cantabile
Andante Moderato
IV. Presto - Allegro Assai
Presto - Recitative: 'O Freunde, Nicht Diese Tone!'
Allegro Assai Vivace
Andante Maestoso
Allegro Energico E Sempre Ben Marcato
Allegro Ma Non Tanto
Poco Allegro, Stringendo Il Tempo

Customer Reviews:

Remastering has improved this historic Beethoven Ninth, but not drastically.......2006-03-09

Earlier I reviewed Karajan's 1947 performance of the Beethoven Ninth, made in war-torn Vienna by a barely revived Philharmonic, as the first great Ninth of the postwar era. I sitll believe it is, but I regret saying that the recorded sound was very good for its era. I should have said that it's good in spots, but other sides (it was made in 5-minute segments, as per usual with 78s) are gritty and patchy. Usually the very beginning of a movement has the worst surface wear, with the sonics improving as we move further along.

In this 2005 remastering for EMI's "karajan Colleciton" the soundstge is wider and less boxy than in the previous "References" isue from 1988. Surface scratchiness and ticks no longer dominate as much as before--though a noticeable amount remains--and there's a bit more smoothness in the strings. However, it sitll takes a while for the ear to adjust to historical mono sound that constrains the grandness of Beethoven's conception, so if you are the sort of historically minded listener who can already make such an adjustment, I'm not sure the new remastering will offer much added fideltiy. If you are new to the performance and don't have an old pressing to replace, however, this version is certianly the one to buy.

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Beethoven: Fidelio

Manufacturer: Gala
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000FIGGQ4
Release Date: 2006-05-30

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Johann Strauss Jr: Die Fledermaus

Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0001EFU1E
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Tracks:

Overture
Taubchen, Das Entflattert Ist
Nein, Mit Solchen Advokaten
Komm Mit Mir Zum Souper
So Muss Allein Ich Bleiben
Trinke, Liebchen, Trinke Schnell
Mein Herr, Was Dachten Sie Von Mir
Mein Schones, Grosses Vogelhaus
Ein Souper Heut Uns Winkt
Ich Lade Gern Mir Gaste Ein
Mein Herr Marquis

Tracks:

Dieser Anstand, So Manierlich
Klange Der Heimat
Im Feuerstrom Der Reben
Herr Chevalier, Ich Grusse Sie!...Bruderlein, Bruderlein Und Schwesterlein
Ballet
Einen Walzer Spielt Uns Auf!
Entr'acte
Prison Scene
Spiel' Ich Die Unschuld Vom Lande
Ich Steh Voll Zagen...Ein Seltsam Abenteuer
O Fledermaus, O Fledermaus

Vienna Philharmonic (1952-1957): Beethoven

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Vienna Philharmonic (1952-1957): Beethoven

Manufacturer: Andante
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000066TUS
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Album Description

This three-CD set is the first volume in andante 's complete survey of Beethoven's symphonies performed by perhaps the world's greatest Beethoven orchestra — the Vienna Philharmonic. Drawn from the VPO's archives, these live recordings from the Vienna Musikverein are receiving their first official release through andante: Wilhelm Furtwängler conducting Symphonies Nos. 1 and 9 (1952), Eugene Ormandy in No. 5 (1953), Clemens Krauss in No. 6, "Pastoral" (1952), and Carl Schuricht in No. 7 (1957). Illustrated with an array of period performance photos, the set's 144-page booklet includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tim Page and essays by producer Gottfried Kraus, VPO veteran Clemens Hellsberg and American writer Erik Ryding ("Beethoven and Vienna"), as well as detailed artist biographies from The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and the full text of the Ninth Symphony's "Ode to Joy" in German, French and English.

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Standout performance!
Great Fidelio in the Romantic tradition
Legenday Performance

Beethoven: Fidelio

Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Ov - Vienna State Opr Orch/Wilhelm Furtwangler
Act One: Jetzt, Schatzchen, Jetzt Sind Wir Allein
Act One: Der Arme Jaquino...O War Ich Schon Mit Dir Vereint
Act One: Ist Fidelio...Mir Ist So Wunderbar
Act One: Hore, Fidelio...Man Braucht Auch
Act One: Gut, Sohnchen, Gut, Hab' Immer Mut
Act One: March - Vienna State Opr Orch/Wilhelm Furtwangler
Act One: Depeschen?...Ha! Welch Ein Augenblick!
Act One: Jetzt, Alter, Jetzt Hat Es Eile!
Act One: Abscheulicher! Wo Eilst Du Hin?
Act One: Vater Rocco...O Welche Lust!
Act One: Nun Sprecht, Wie Ging's?

Tracks:

Act One: Wir Mussen Gleich Zu Werke Schreiten
Act One: Ach! Vater, Eilt!
Act Two: Intro - Vienna State Opr Orch/Wilhelm Furtwangler
Act Two: Gott! Welch Dunkel Hier!
Act Two: Wie Kalt Ist...Nur Hurtig Fort
Act Two: Er Erwacht!
Act Two: Euch Werde Lohn in Besser'n Welten
Act Two: Ist Alles Bereit?...Er Sterbe! Doch Er Soll Erst Wissen
Act Two: Vater Rocco! Vater Rocco!
Act Two: O Namenlose Freude!
Act Two: Entr'acte - Vienna State Opr Orch/Wilhelm Furtwangler
Act Two: Heil Sei Dem Tag, Heil Sei Der Stunde
Act Two: Du Schlossest Auf Des Edlen Grab

Customer Reviews:

Standout performance!.......2006-11-29

Fidelio represented for the most of conductors but specially for Wilhelm Furtwangler, the reaffirmation of the mean values of the humankind , a call to decency in total synchronization with the imperative principles of the Enlightenment, the heroic struggle and mercurial fierceness that nestles under the untamed spirit of the human being. Of course this was an obvious statement in those oppressive years, signed by the opprobrium of the Russian iron's fist as well as the Nazi regime Conductors like Toscanini and Bruno Walter flagged this work in Salzburg and New York respectively as the triumph of the man's will against any other kind of Totalitarian Regime.

This memorable and historical version has several elements that make it absolutely a must-have; the cast, Orchestra, Director and historical moment in which it was performed.

Since I got in LP format twenty years ago until its fortunate release on CD format, this is one of those absolutely necessary recordings to listen and enjoy over and over, because it conjugates grandness and noblesse.

Great Fidelio in the Romantic tradition.......2004-10-23

Source: Live 1950 performance at Salzburg. This famous performance has circulated for years in pirated form. Here it appears in respectable publication--or at least as respectable as Od'O gets.

Sound: OK for its time and place. For you delicate souls who must hear DDD clarity or suffer the vapors, walk away right now. This is not for you. For those of you interested in art, be warned that Flagstad's voice simply overwhelms the capacity of the recording system from time to time. Accept that and move on.

Documentation: Not up to Od'O abysmal standards. No libretto. Nothing on cast members, conductor, orchestra or circumstances of the recording. Track list omits timings and fails even to identify the singers. Disc 2, track 11, as shown above in the Amazon track listing, appears as "Entr'acte." So it is, and then some, for in accordance with the practice of the day, Furtwaengler gives a barn burning performance of the Leonore Overture No. 3.

This is Furtwaengler's Fidelio, which is to say that it is a great Fidelio. This is the ultimate Romantic take on the opera, utterly at variance with the dry and spare style of performance that is now, alas, fashionable. Listen here to one of the greatest of the great conductors in full command of every nuance of the score.

Three members of the cast are certainly as good as any who ever recorded Fidelio, and possibly better. Flagstad is her incomparable self. Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Anton Dermota are simply unbeatable as Marzelline and Jaquino, the secondary soprano and tenor.

The other three main principals are more problematic. Julius Patzak is Florestan, the much-abused hero who does not appear until Act II. Patzak was a renowned lieder singer whose operatic career began with Tamino and Don Ottavio, soared to Rudolfo and Turiddu, triumphed in the operettas of Strauss and Lehar, and finished with Herod. His performance is intelligent, skillful and well thought-out. The only problem with Patzak in Fidelio is simply that he does not have enough voice. Florestan is not a man, he is Beethoven's symbol of suffering humanity. In the final scene of Act II, when Florestan sings the praises of Leonore before all the massed voices--"Retterin, Retterin des Gatten sein"--Patzak can't bring it off. He sounds more like Woody Allan than humanity liberated.

Paul Schoeffler, like all the rest of this cast, was a stalwart of the Vienna State Opera. I saw him do a terrific Hans Sachs in San Francisco during the sixties. A natural-born Don Alfonso for "Cosi fan tutte," he lacks the bite for that heart of darkness which is Don Pizarro. Josef Greindl, on the other hand, was opera's resident cave man. His huge, dark, mean-sounding voice is utterly at variance with the weak but vaguely benevolent Papa Rocco. When Schoeffler and Greindl sing together, as they often do, it sounds as though they have mixed up their parts.

The Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the chorus must have been magnificent in the pit and on the stage. The recording suggests this, but doesn't do them full service.

Five stars for Furtwaengler, Flagstad, Schwarzkopf and Dermota.

Legenday Performance.......2001-03-30

This 1950 Salzburg performance has been around for decades, but this is the cleanest recording I've heard. The performance is stunning. Flagstad was entering the final phase of her career, but the voice is magnificent: warm and wonderfully powerful. The rest of the cast is absolutely first rate, with Schwarzkopf an unmatchable Marzellina. Furtwangler is at his legendary finest. Nothing but a plot summary accompanies the discs, not even the fact that one of the Lenore overtures is used to bridge the two scenes of Act II. Nevertheless, this would be a bargain at three times the price.

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An ignored opera that was once a huge dramatic success

Einem: Dantons Tod

Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Prld
Act One: Sie Die Hubsche Dame
Act One: Camille, Welch Trube Augen!
Act One: (Orchestral Interlude) - VPO/Ferenc Fricsay
Act One: Du Kuppelpelz! Du Runzlige Sublimatpille!
Act One: Was Gibt's Da, Burger?
Act One: Robespierre, Du Bist Emporend Rechtschaffen
Act One: He, Er Da Im Finstern?
Act One: (Orchestral Interlude)
Act One: Ich Sage Euch, Wenn Sie Nicht Alles
Act One: Ach, Camille!
Act One: Das Ist Eine Bose Zeit

Tracks:

Act Two: Danton! Danton!
Act Two: Camille, Morgen Sind
Act Two: Camille, Camille! Hore Camille!
Act Two: (Orchestral Interlude)
Act Two: Ihr Name, Burger!
Act Two: Ich Weiss Nicht Mehr
Act Two: Die Verhandlung Wird Fortgesetzt
Act Two: (Orchestral Interlude)
Act Two: Zerissen Ist Der Dunkle Wahn
Act Two: Wenn Ich Nach Hause Geh'

Customer Reviews:

An ignored opera that was once a huge dramatic success.......2007-05-16

It has taken me a long time to get around to von Einem's splashy, intensely theatrical Dantons Tod, even though I was aware of its high reputation in Germany. Like Pfitzner's Palestrina, the work hangs on in Germain opera houses but is totally ignored in Britain and America. This is the premiere performance from 1947 in servicable radio sound, mono of course, but with plenty of intrusive stage noises. Since the pitch isn't distorted, the sound didn't bother me, but newcomers to historical sound be warned. As for the performance itself, Fricsay leads with white-hot intensity, and it's only a pity that the big crowd scenes during the Reign of Terror, so essential to the opera's dramatic impact, sound distant and murky.

As for von Einem's musical idiom, it's moernist conservative, like Orff, "Zemlinky, and Pfitzner. The music reels and punches, with a great deal of well calculated melodrama, and since the basis was Georg Buchner's searing stage play (Buchner was the author of Woyzeck, made into Berg's opera, Wozzeck), von Einem wisely makes much of the singing declamatory, leading up to the riveting trial where Danton confronts his tormentor, the evil despot Robespierre. Any listener who has a taste for Wozzeck will find von Einem equally brutal and psychological but musically much closer to film music.

This particular staging from Salzburg launched Fricsay as a major conductor, and given the equally committed soloists, Daontons Tod couldn't have had a more auspicious launch. Every voice--Schoffler, Patzak, Cebotari, and Webber--is beyond criticism.

P.S. For those who want updated sound, there's a stereo recording of a concert performance on Orfeo. It has a good reputation but lacks the incendiary power of this set.

Clemens Krauss conducts Strauss: Salome, The 1954 Decca Recording

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Unassuming High Class

Clemens Krauss conducts Strauss: Salome, The 1954 Decca Recording

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mado Robin Sings Lakmé
Wagner: The Ring
Strauss: Salome
Bloch: String Quartets 1-4

ASIN: B000276K4G
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Customer Reviews:

Unassuming High Class.......2005-06-14

The VPO at its best, a constellation of experienced voices submerged in their characters and a conductor that shares with the performers an estilistic homogeneity which nowadays is rarely heard in opera performances. Oscar Wilde's plot is contemporary, rooted in Western idiosincrasy. Here we are spared two emasculating detours encountred in other approaches to Salomé: the mad house; the savage perverts. This Salomé means business, and that is splendid music and the finest psicology. The sound is great.I suggest reading the theater play first, as a libretto is lacking (except for minor differences, they are almost identical).This recording is a great experience in style, and a joy to the ear too.

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Mahler & Walter

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Mahler's protege unveiled

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Mahler & Walter

Manufacturer: Andante
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mahler: Symphony No.5

ASIN: B00007E8SO
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Album Description

This four-CD set presents unique performances of symphonies and orchestral lieder by Gustav Mahler, with Bruno Walter leading the Vienna Philharmonic. Containing previously unreleased recordings, this collection features the Fourth Symphony and orchestral lieder with Hilde Güden; the Second Symphony ("Resurrection") with Maria Cebotari and Rosette Anday; and Das Lied von der Erde with Kathleen Ferrier and Julius Patzak, a performance captured a day after the completion of the famous Decca recording. As a direct disciple of Mahler, Bruno Walter had a special authority and affinity with the composer's works, particularly Das Lied von der Erde. The accompanying 168-page booklet contains a wealth of period photos, as well as a preface by renowned Mahler biographer Henry-Louis de La Grange, an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tim Page, and in-depth essays by producer Gottfried Kraus ("Mahler, Walter and Vienna"), former VPO violinist Otto Strasser ("Bruno Walter! and the Vienna Philharmonic"), and Bruno Walter authority Erik Ryding ("Gustav Mahler and Bruno Walter: A Musical Friendship").

Customer Reviews:

Mahler's protege unveiled.......2004-02-28

Bruno Walter was Gustav Mahler's protege and confidant, the man that carried his music forward from Mahler's 1911 death another half-century into the stereo era. Until rich businessman Gilbert Kaplan came along and made the "Resurrection" symphony his specialty, Bruno Walter was the unquestioned leader in Mahler recordings and is still our only direct link to the composer.

That link is displayed here in three of Mahler's most famous works -- the 2nd and 4th symphonies and "Das Lied von der Erde". This "Resurrection" symphony is more dramatic, biting and fervent than Walter's late life stereo version for Sony.

He displays the traditional Germanic tendency to vary the musical pulse within the first movement's development section. This is a tempestuous version interspersed, when appropriate, with the pastoral flavor Mahler felt when composing this opus at an Austrian lake.

The 1948 sound is boxy but has very good bass response. The timpani and lower strings come through fine with no obvious distortion in big moments. It is not perfectly clear but more than acceptable by any standard.

The Vienna Philharmonic was having a good day during this performance, taken from Austrian radio, with all members up to the important task. The singing of alto Rosette Anday is good, even though she is flat at the beginning of "Urlicht" and slides several times, while the work of soprano Maria Cobetari is wonderful.

The 4th symphony, recorded in 1955, is even better and more universally Mahlerian than the 2nd. This is music where Walter's sense of beauty, proportion and humanity meld perfectly with the nature-driven score. Hilde Gulden sings the heaven music and contributes three Mahler songs captured at the same November 5, 1955 performance in the Great Hall of the Musikverein.

The May 1952 recording of "Song of the Earth" with contralto Kathleen Ferrier and tenor Julius Patzak is in every way a peer of their famous studio collaboration. Certainly it made sense for this team to perform the music live that May 17, a day after making their historic recording.

All told, this set helps 21st Century listeners more fully understand the connection between Bruno Walter and Gustav Mahler that must have existed early in the 20th Century when Mahler was conducting these scores in Vienna and New York. This recorded tribute must then be considered near definitive for everything herein, even though I've heard many better songs from later recordings.

As is their custom, Andante surrounds the 4 CD pack with 166 pages of notes, photos and collectibles in three languages and hardcover front and back. A true collector's item for any Mahler addict.

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