Post by lee on Mar 14, 2009 0:32:37 GMT 1
Dedicated Karajan collectors will doubtlessly already know that the following recording has been released (indeed it has been available from Japan since the end of last year):
Die Walkure - La Scala 20 April 1958
Siegmund - Ludwig Suthaus
Hunding - Gottlob Frick
Wotan - Hans Hotter
Sieglinde - Leonie Rysanek
Brunnhilde - Birgit Nilsson
Waltraute - Christa Ludwig
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala
Herbert von Karajan
By anyone's standards, this is a remarkable cast of the first night of these performances for which it was long thought the tapes were lost. Incredibly they have resurfaced and are available on two labels, Myto and (costing nearly three times as much) Dynamic. I'm happy to report that I have purchased the Myto discs and the sound on them are good, indeed very good for their provenance, albeit with very slight distortion at the loudest climaxes - I cannot imagine that the sound on the Dynamic release can possibly be three times better, thereby justifying the extra price outlay. The balance between pit and singers is excellent - you can certainly hear the orchestra very clearly and there is remarkably little stage and audience noises . The presentation on Myto is basic, containing merely a track listing (generously indexed) and some photographs of the protagonists (including a very striking one of HvK that I haven't seen before) and one of this production. Perhaps it is more luxurious on Dynamic, but I am not in a position to comment on that - maybe somebody else here is ?
As to the performance, Act I is okay; it doesn't erase memories of the Berlin performances in the studio and Salzburg the following decade, largely because of Suthaus' inability to stay on the beat (which to be fair, is a common problem for Heldentenors in this role). It all sounds as a result, cautious. However, all changes with the arrival of Hotter's Wotan in Act II; this is a great portrayal and raises the standards of the performance to the highest levels. Nilsson is similarly inspired and is her usual impressive self in this role. Act III features an equally impressive set of Valkyries and an exciting Ride, albeit one which has a couple of bars snipped off near the beginning, clearly a bad tape edit. The final scene is most moving. Hotter kissing away Brunnhilde's Godhead against glorious support from Karajan in the pit, who throughout is noticeably more fiery and swift than in the Berlin studio recording.
This release cost me £12 for a three CD set, money that even in these relatively frugal times, I consider extremely well spent. Recommended to Wagnerians and Karajanites alike.
Lee
Die Walkure - La Scala 20 April 1958
Siegmund - Ludwig Suthaus
Hunding - Gottlob Frick
Wotan - Hans Hotter
Sieglinde - Leonie Rysanek
Brunnhilde - Birgit Nilsson
Waltraute - Christa Ludwig
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala
Herbert von Karajan
By anyone's standards, this is a remarkable cast of the first night of these performances for which it was long thought the tapes were lost. Incredibly they have resurfaced and are available on two labels, Myto and (costing nearly three times as much) Dynamic. I'm happy to report that I have purchased the Myto discs and the sound on them are good, indeed very good for their provenance, albeit with very slight distortion at the loudest climaxes - I cannot imagine that the sound on the Dynamic release can possibly be three times better, thereby justifying the extra price outlay. The balance between pit and singers is excellent - you can certainly hear the orchestra very clearly and there is remarkably little stage and audience noises . The presentation on Myto is basic, containing merely a track listing (generously indexed) and some photographs of the protagonists (including a very striking one of HvK that I haven't seen before) and one of this production. Perhaps it is more luxurious on Dynamic, but I am not in a position to comment on that - maybe somebody else here is ?
As to the performance, Act I is okay; it doesn't erase memories of the Berlin performances in the studio and Salzburg the following decade, largely because of Suthaus' inability to stay on the beat (which to be fair, is a common problem for Heldentenors in this role). It all sounds as a result, cautious. However, all changes with the arrival of Hotter's Wotan in Act II; this is a great portrayal and raises the standards of the performance to the highest levels. Nilsson is similarly inspired and is her usual impressive self in this role. Act III features an equally impressive set of Valkyries and an exciting Ride, albeit one which has a couple of bars snipped off near the beginning, clearly a bad tape edit. The final scene is most moving. Hotter kissing away Brunnhilde's Godhead against glorious support from Karajan in the pit, who throughout is noticeably more fiery and swift than in the Berlin studio recording.
This release cost me £12 for a three CD set, money that even in these relatively frugal times, I consider extremely well spent. Recommended to Wagnerians and Karajanites alike.
Lee
