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Bedřich SMETANA (1824–1884) The Bartered Bride(sung in German) (1866)
Gottlob
Frick (bass) – Kezal; Pilar Lorengar (soprano) – Marie;
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor) – Hans; Karl-Ernst Mercker (tenor) – Wenzel;
Ivan Sardi (bass) – Micha; Marcel Cordes (baritone) – Kruschina;
Nada Puttar (mezzo) – Kathinka; Sieglinde Wagner (contralto) – Agnes;
Ernst Krukowski (tenor) – Springer; Gertrud Freedmann (soprano) – Esmeralda;
Walter Stoll (bass) – Muff; RIAS-Kammerchor, Bamberger
Symphoniker/Rudolf Kempe
rec. May, June, October 1962, Kulturraum, Bamberg and Grunewaldkirche
Berlin EMI CLASSICS
3818722 [67:43 + 69:37]
Opera in the original language or in the vernacular? For a great
many years the answer was self-evident: opera was sung in the
language of the audience. In many countries and opera houses
this was still the norm long after WW2. Now that most houses
have surtitles, the underlying problem is solved.
On record Germans have tended to sing in German but by the time
the LP appeared on the scene complete operas were often – but
not always – recorded in the original. Smetana’s The Bartered
Bride – in German it is known as Die verkaufte Braut – is
something of a special case, since it never really became
a well-known work until well into the 20th century
and then in Max Kalbeck’s German translation for a staging
in Vienna. My first LP set of the work was in German, recorded
by Concert Hall in Frankfurt, probably in the mid-1950s.
It was conducted by Walter Goehr, had a lively and dramatic
but maybe too genial Kezal in Heinz Rehfuss and Marie was
sung by the fine German soprano Elfriede Trötschel. The rest
of the cast was at best middling. When, some years later,
I got hold of a highlights record from the set under review,
I felt that this was the real thing. That set has held a
honoured place on my shelves ever since. It was a pleasure
to return to it and it sounded just as good as ever.
Stints by Rudolf Kempe as an opera conductor were not all that frequent;
at least not on record. However he set down two legendary
Wagner performances, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Lohengrin and
this Bartered Bride came somewhere between the Wagner
operas. The joyous and alert overture, fresh and life-enhancing,
can be set beside the Figaro overture as the greatest
vitamin injection in all opera. It strikes the right note
from the outset. When the imaginary curtain rises we are
met by the people, in the shape of the excellent RIAS-Kammerchor
under legendary Günther Arndt, singing their tribute to Spring
in Seht am Strauch die Knospen springen. The dances,
often played separately as stimulating encores at orchestral
concerts, Polka, Furiant and, in the last act, Dance
of the Comedians, are performed with verve and virtuosity. The
Comedians is really stunning.
Among the smaller roles in the long cast-list we find some names that
are still remembered, Sieglinde Wagner, for instance, and
also the bass Ivan Sardi. There are others who never recorded
much and so tend to be forgotten. Gertrud Freedmann makes
a charming Esmeralda with her fresh and clear high soprano.
Ernst Krukowski as the Circus Director Springer is a lively
and expressive actor in what is mainly a spoken part. Many
of the others primarily take part in larger ensembles of
which there are several.
Karl-Ernst Mercker makes a pitiable character of the stuttering
Wenzel; one doesn’t expect ingratiating tone from a comic character
tenor like him. Ingratiating is on the other hand exactly
the adjective for Fritz Wunderlich. He has moments of strain
but he often caresses Smetana’s beautiful music with that
unique glowing tone; nowhere more so than in the short aria Gesegnet,
was liebt und auch vertraut just before the finale, and
of course in the famous duet with Marie in the first act¸ Mit
der Mutter sank zur Grabe. There, as elsewhere, Pilar
Lorengar is better than in any other recording I have heard.
Her quick vibrato, which later in her career tended to widen
and give a feeling of unsteadiness, is here beautifully controlled
and she sings warmly and, in the aria in act 3, emotionally
charged. Wunderlich also shows his vitality and comic talent
in the long act 2 scene with Kezal, that opens CD 2. As an
actor he is only second best when set against such a larger-than-life
personality as Gottlob Frick. Many probably think of him
in the heavy Wagner roles, odious characters like Hunding
and Hagen, or noble ones like Sarastro. He was also a superb
Osmin and Kezal was a part that fitted him like a glove.
His aria, included in this scene, is certainly the high-spot
here.
EMI’s recordings from the 1960s were generally speaking excellent,
not as spectacular as Decca’s but honest and atmospheric.
This 45-year-old production carries its years lightly, and
the digital remastering has made it even fresher. It is well
balanced and there are some sound effects, especially in
the last act when the circus arrives: crowd noises, a barking
dog; all give the impression of a live performance. The booklet
has historical notes on Smetana and this opera and a fairly
detailed synopsis by my reviewing colleague Christopher Fifield.
The safest recommendation for readers contemplating a purchase of The
Bartered Bride is probably the 25-year-old Supraphon
set, conducted by Zdenĕk Košler and with Gabriela
Beňačková as Mařenka (Marie) and Peter Dvorskı as
Jenik (Hans). It is sung in Czech, has an excellent supporting
cast but is let down by a Kezal who certainly knows the
role inside out but no longer had the vocal means to carry
it through. If one can accept it sung in German, this Kempe
version is highly competitive with Pilar Lorengar in what
is possibly her best recorded role, Fritz Wunderlich as
his characteristic self and Gottlob Frick the fruitiest
Kezal ever. The music is so captivating and beautiful that
everybody should have at least one version.
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