From: rtut@troi.cc.rochester.edu (Raymond Tuttle)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Die Frau Ohne Schatten - new CD
Date: 11 Sep 92 23:21:41 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

London Records, Deutsche Grammophon and EMI Classics have all paid
tribute to the Vienna Philharmonic on the occasion of its 150th
birthday this year, but perhaps one of the most complimentary releases
is not a compilation, but a new recording of Richard Strauss' opera "Die
Frau Ohne Schatten" conducted by Sir Georg Solti (London  436 243, 3
CDs).  This brilliantly performed and recorded set finds the orchestra
at the top of its form in this year's finest operatic recording to date. 

Strauss' opera (with a libretto by Hofmannsthal) contains as much
pretension as profundity, but it is a solidly constructed work, filled
with the composer's signature luscious writing for the female voice.  It
goes Verdi's "Il Trovatore" two better:  not only does it demand four of
the greatest singers in the world, it also demands a great orchestra,
and a conductor capable of the alchemy required to make it all come
alive. 

Even though it isn't perfect, this recording comes close to fulfilling the
requirements.  Many will be tempted to purchase the set just for the
presence of Placido Domingo as the Emperor.  The Spanish tenor makes
many beautiful noises and has the stamina for the role, but his German
is not idiomatic; the lack of hard consonants makes him sound
tongue-tied in his opening monologue, although he improves later. As
his wife, Julia Varady's silvery tone suggests the character's
supernatural origins.  Her spiritual epiphany towards the end of the
work comes off very well. 

The earthly couple, Barak and his wife, are sung by Jose van Dam and
Hildegard Behrens.  Behrens' timbre contrasts well with Varady's, and
her performance (which has its moments of rawness) comes alive with
many vocal nuances.  Van Dam also sounds a bit frayed, but he too is
talented at building a character without the benefit of stage action. 

The role of the cunning Nurse is taken by Reinhild Runkel, who
distinguishes herself with her powerful voice and vivid
characterization.  Smaller roles are luxuriously cast, with Sumi Jo as
the Voice of the Falcon, Eva Lind as the Guardian of the Threshold and
Robert Gambill as the Apparition of a Young Man. 

In the long run, credit must go to the galvanic work of Solti and his
orchestra. In an introductory note, the conductor expresses his love for
this difficult work, and one can sense the sincerity of both his writing
and his conducting.  His performance is a fairly quick one; the opera is
performed without cuts, one act per disc, with each disc lasting for
about 65 minutes.  The tempi rarely seem rushed, although I wish he
had yielded to the temptation to linger in the first scene of Act III. The
Vienna Philharmonic revels in the score, bringing Strauss' leitmotifs to
life as if they were in themselves players in the drama (which in fact
they really are).  This orchestra was involved in the first recording of
this opera (under the direction of Karl Bohm in 1955), and it is not
surprising that they should still be able to claim it as their own today. 

It took more than two and a half years to complete this recording, but 
there is nothing episodic about it.  Few modern operatic recordings
have been as dramatic and as suggestive of the stage as this one.  For
anyone hungry for great orchestral playing and for some tasty vocalism,
this recording is sure to please. 





--
****************************************   Raymond S. Tuttle
"Dunkel ist das Leben, ist der Tod,"       University of Rochester
but it's nothing to get depressed about!   (still with his two little 
****************************************   white mice).