Lehár’s
Wo die Lerche singt (Where the Lark Sings) opened at the
Theater an der Wien on 27 March 1918 in front of a war-weary audience. Those
attending must have been relieved to enjoy an evening of good old-fashioned
Viennese operetta moulded in Lehár’s popular style. Indeed it was seen no
fewer than 416 times until it finally closed in 1929. It turned out to be
Lehár’s second most successful work at the Theater an der Wien after
The
Merry Widow. Today it appears to be largely forgotten and, indeed, only
merits one paragraph in Richard Traubner’s history,
Operetta.
The story like so many of Lehár’s later operettas embraces a happy ending.
It is a story of a young country girl, Margit, who is engaged to a local
young man Pista, but is seduced away from him by a painter who has been
staying in her village. When she runs away with the painter to the town she
realises that he is fickle and unworthy of her love when he returns to his
former sweetheart, Vilma. Margit realises town life is not for her and she
returns with her grandpapa Török Pál to the countryside where the lark sings
and to her fiancé. Of the operetta’s four scenes the first, and longest, is
set in Margit’s native countryside. Lehár underlines its rustic charm and
innocence in orchestral accompaniments that so often imitate birdsong. The
other three scenes have suitably more sophisticated music and the
orchestra’s mocking attitude is sometimes apparent.
As usual with the CPO Lehár operetta series, this recorded live
performance includes many scenes of spoken dialogue which will be lost on
all those who do not speak German.
Sieglinde Feldhofer makes a delightful Margit and her entrance — she is
heard before she is seen — marks her out as a true child of nature as we
hear her
a capella coloratura song, ‘Durch die weiten Felder’. The
first act is Margit’s and as one of Vienna’s leading critics wrote of the
role, “[it is] … one of the greatest vocal roles ever written by an operetta
composer …”
Feldhofer impresses strongly with a warm lyrical tone expressing charm and
innocence. Tauntsov is a virile Sándor full of ardour for his country lass,
who is plainly quickly smitten. Their duet, ‘Lovely Margit, my little lark’
continues the natural rustic character, as well as a suitable tender
quality, that pervades the first scene culminating in the great Harvest
Chorus.
While the music of the other three scenes, set in Budapest, pleases with
some stirring episodes, and some gorgeous waltzes, there seems to be
something lacking, an imbalance. It's a bit of a let-down with Sándor
much more in evidence and Margit somehow relegated to the background as she
suffers humiliation when the painter’s affections waver. Two highlights
charm however: the early polka duet between Margit and Sándor, ‘Who’s the
man with the lovely woman?’ and the waltz duet, this time Sándor romancing
Vilma, ‘Far away as in bygone days’. Miriam Portmann as the femme fatale,
Vilma has an appealing timbre and she projects strongly and securely.
The vastly experienced baritone Gerhard Ernst is sage and strong as
Margit’s down-to-earth grandfather Török Pál. Amusing comments on shortage
of food supplies in wartime Austria occur in his Scene 1 duet with Vilma,
Margit’s rival for the love of the feckless painter, Sándor, when he
exchanges views about country living. “One gains half a pound almost every
quarter of an hour; yes life is healthy in the country!”
Nicely produced with strong performances - an entertaining Lehár operetta
that deserves to be better known.
Ian Lace
