Hard on the heels of the old Decca recording under Clemens Krauss
appeared this even older version from German Radio. Recorded in
1949 the sound is quite stunning. The clarity makes every detail
fully audible and there is a sheen on the strings that leaves
the Decca far behind. It is mono of course but of such remarkable
quality that I rarely miss the stereo definition. There is a fair
amount of distortion, mainly in duets and ensembles, which is
irritating but possible to live with. Contrary to the Krauss issue
there is dialogue included and it is delivered with theatrical
flair and in high spirits. With no texts enclosed one needs to
be fluent in German, but those who are not will almost certainly
appreciate the atmosphere and the tangible enjoyment from the
artists.
Hungarian Ferenc
Fricsay was an excellent advocate of Johann Strauss’s music
– documented on DG recordings – and his conducting is no less
idiomatic than Clemens Krauss’s. Even a real sourpuss must be
cheered up by the playing of the overture and when the imaginary
curtain rises the plucked strings and harp, preceding Alfred’s
serenading, will almost certainly produce shivers down the spine.
And it is the conducting and the playing that time and again
will make the listener sit up and prick up the ears. The Waltz
of Waltzes, An der schönen blauen Donau, is played as
ballet insert near the end of act II and this reading can be
compared with the greatest of the many versions that have amassed
in my collection.
A Fledermaus
without good singers is, however, just a half Fledermaus
and the Berlin based cast Fricsay had gathered can compare favourably
with any of the commercial sets. Two of the singers here were
to appear half a decade later on Karajan’s Columbia recording
(see review);
Helmut Krebs as a clear-voiced and honeyed Alfred and the young
Rita Streich as a delicious Adele. As Gabriel Eisenstein we
hear Peter Anders, whose 100th anniversary is celebrated
this year. He was sadly killed in a car accident in 1954, aged
only 46, and this recording is as good an example as any of
his capacity. He is a dramatic and more aggressive Eisenstein
than most others but he has charm and his singing is glorious
– and sensitive. This recording is a worthy tribute to his memory.
His Rosalinde is sung by a 22-year-old Anny Schlemm, who sounds
more mature than her age and is absolutely splendid in Klänge
der Heimat. Herbert Brauer, whose recorded legacy doesn’t
seem to be too comprehensive, is an excellent Falke and the
minor roles are also well taken with an extra plus for Anneliese
Müller’s ‘visual’ Orlofsky.
The recording was
for a while available on CD (Deutsche Grammophon) some fifteen
years ago. I didn’t hear it then but I’m happy to have had the
opportunity now. Considering the age and some technical shortcomings
it will hardly be a first choice for a library recording but
as a complement to one of the classic sets it is highly attractive.
The two Karajan recordings, Boskovsky’s early 1970s version
– for long my favourite version but I tend to waver sometimes
– Böhm (without dialogue) and Carlos Kleiber (DG) are the cream;
for a splendid DVD version there is Domingo’s Covent Garden
set with Prey, Te Kanawa and Luxon and for the most Viennese
of all the Krauss recording is more than worth the money. Real
aficionados will need them all.
Göran Forsling