This Fidelio comes
hot on the heels of a rival Naxos transfer,
by Ward Marston, which used Austrian
Radio broadcast material. I should note
at the outset that I’ve not heard the
Naxos and can’t at this stage comment
on Guild’s claim that their alternative
source is superior to the mastertape
they provided for Naxos, and which they
say didn’t represent it well.
The performance, as
distinct from any arguments regarding
sonics, is utterly compelling and well
deserves the kind of concentrated attention
it’s now receiving. At the head stands
the kinetic Bruno Walter. It’s not a
word one would ordinarily think to use
of him, much less his older post-War
self, but his drive and passionate command
in this score was incendiary, Walter
whipping up the band and singers in
a fast, linear, directional and profoundly
exciting way (it’s not all razor sharp
tempi of course; he relaxes where necessary
– but the sense is one of forward momentum).
As his New York Beethoven Symphonic
cycle was a few years later to show
his command of linear development was
profound – and sculpted with considerably
more dynamism than the Walter of the
following decade, by which performances
he tends to be judged. If proof were
needed of his operatic mastery I would
cite this Fidelio and the 1937 Vienna
performance of The Marriage of Figaro
(on Andante) - a performance that outdoes
even his Met Figaro of 1944.
He had a strong, not
flawless cast but one never less than
compelling. At the head stands Flagstad.
In his notes Richard Caniell fights
a retrospective rearguard battle in
defence of Lotte Lehmann in this role,
citing her greater sense of humanity
over Flagstad’s intense reserve. In
fact the Met’s original 1936 preference
for Flagstad, who’d burst on the Wagnerian
scene, so upset Lehmann that she apparently
said she’d never appear again as Leonore
at the Met. Notwithstanding questions
of pliancy of characterisation Flagstad
is in technically superb voice. She
manages to colour the voice with considerable
expressivity even though it could be
argued, and successfully I think, that
her recitatives lack the last ounce
of engagement. Melchior isn’t here;
he wasn’t offered the role lest it "offend
the tenors of the Italian wing"
but we do have Maison, a hero of the
Met Wagner cycles. Opinions divide over
his assumption of the role; Caniell
isn’t overly keen but others admire
his grandeur. I happen to admire both
the quality of the voice and its sustenance,
retaining strength across the range
as it does, though equally, yes, I’d
like to have heard Melchior opposite
Flagstad (or Lehmann). Another noted
Wagnerian, tenor Karl Laufkötter,
also impresses through force of character
as much as anything – the voice was
never particularly beautiful but it
was deployed with real reserves of imagination.
As Rocco Kipnis employs his big voice
with exceptional flexibility – his theatrical
instincts are sure, as we hear time
and again in this performance, and the
voice is at its magnificent best. Not
to be overlooked is Marita Farell’s
Marzelline – most impressively sung
– and American born Huehn (what a loss
that he recorded so infrequently and
that his career lost ground after the
War) and Herbert Janssen’s notable Don
Fernando.
But above all this
is Walter’s Fidelio in only his second
Met performance. And you should lose
no opportunity to acquaint yourself
with his fast-moving humanity, and his
intense identification with every fissure
of a work that bore more than usual
weight and resonance at the time. I
would be remiss if I overlooked Guild’s
excellent booklet, with performance
histories, synopsis and cast notes and
their usual high quality photographs.
Jonathan Woolf
Dear Mr. Woolf,
The competing Fidelio to which I refer
in my recording notes in the
Guild booklet is my own restoration
published on Naxos 8.110054-55.
The one by Ward Marston (a marvelous
engineer) is not the same
performance as the 1941 broadcast.
The Guild release of the 1941 performance
differs in sonics from my
earlier release on Naxos in many portions,
specifically beginning in
the Act I quartet, and thereafter yielding
more air, body and
improved tone. I could also hear in
our later source superiority in
the opening commentary as well as later
in the second act, thus I
decided the improvement over my earlier
release on Naxos was
justified.
Your juxtaposition between Guild and
a recent Naxos release
engineered by Mr. Marston will surely
confuse purchasers. Would you
clarify in your text, or place this
letter on the site with an
appropriate reference?
Many thanks for your interest and expressive
reviews.
Best wishes,
Richard Caniell
see also review
by Robert Farr
Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera/Bruno
Walter 