RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Carl ORFF (1895-1982)
Trionfi - Trittico teatrale
Carmina Burana- cantiones profanae (1935-36) [57.52]
Celestina Casapietra (sop); Horst Hiestermann (ten); Karl-Heinz Stryczek (bar);
Rundfunkchor Leipzig/Horst Neumann; Dresdner Kapellknaben/Konrad Wagner
Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig/Herbert Kegel
Catulli Carmina - ludi scaenici (1943) [38.08]
Ute Mai (sop); Eberhard Büchner (ten); Jutta Czapski, Günter Philipp, Wolfgang
Wappler, Gerhard Erber (pianos)
Rundfunkchor Leipzig/Horst Neumann
Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig/Herbert Kegel
Trionfo di Afrodite - concerto scenico (1952) [40.45]
Isabella Nawe (sop) - La Sposa; Eberhard Büchner (ten) - Lo Sposo; Renate
Krahmer (sop) - Corifea; Horst Hiestermann (ten) - Corifeo; Reiner Süß (ten)
- Corifeo; Renate Krahmer (sop I); Regina Werner (sop II); Karl-Heinz Stryczek
(bar)
Rundfunkchor Leipzig/Horst Neumann; Rundfunkchor Berlin/Wolf-Dieter Hauschild
Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig/Herbert Kegel
rec. Leipzig: Versönungskirche, 1974 (Carmina); 1971 (Catulli);
Haus Auensee, 1975 (Trionfo). ADD
No libretto
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 95116 [71.35 + 65.29]
The collective title “Trionfi” evokes the world
of Roman festivals and processions. Essentially, the three works celebrate
erotic love in medieval and classical times, with the last centred on a wedding
in antiquity; they are economically split over two discs in a slimline case
and on sale at Brilliant’s usual super-bargain price. These recordings,
originally released on Berlin Classics, were made in excellent analogue sound
in the 1970s and are presented in their order of composition, being 1935-6,
1943 and 1951 respectively, so expect to hear a progression in Orff’s
style over fifteen years alluding not only to Stravinsky’s “Les
noces” but also betraying the influence of post-war composers.
This music really cries out for modern, stereo sound, so Jochum’s earlier
première mono recording (review
review)
is not really in the running for today’s general listener. There is
a 1974 recording of the complete triptych by Ferdinand Leitner made around
the same time as this one by Kegel, which has received lukewarm reviews, including
one from my MusicWeb International colleagues Jonathan Woolf (review
review)
and Nick Barnard (review).
When Rob Barnett, reviewed
this Kegel set back in 2002 he mentioned the Smetacek version from Supraphon
in the 1960s but had not heard it; neither have I, but in short this probably
remains the best version available, given the shortage of alternative options,
if you want the triptych known as “Trionfi” rather than just the
most popular work by far, “Carmina Burana”.
There is a real and constant problem with the omission of texts; while “Carmina
Burana” might be familiar enough to most listeners to enable them to
get by, the other two works might baffle anyone unable to understand Catullus
in the original Latin. “Catulli Carmina” is a choral cantata for
tenor, playing Catullus himself, with Lesbia being the object of his unrequited
love. The text for “Trionfo di Afrodite” is an amalgam in Latin
and Greek of poetry by Catullus, Sappho and a fragment of Euripides, with
Italian subtitles to demonstrate its indebtedness to a Renaissance idiom.
The notes provide some brief guidance regarding content but that is no real
substitute for the words in toto.
The conductor, Herbert Kegel, was a prolific recorder (review),
especially of twentieth century music, and I particularly liked his swift,
driven “Parsifal” and excellent “Gurrelieder”; he
brings the same energy and propulsion to Orff’s music in which he was
something of a specialist.
The glory of these recordings is the chorus, the combined radio choirs of
Berlin and Leipzig supplemented by the Dresden Kapellknaben (misspelt on the
back cover), which sings with great energy and attack and displays admirable
diction throughout. The depth and clarity of the recorded sound also allow
us to hear how good the orchestra and individual players, maintaining excellent
balance between the unusual groups of instruments Orff employs.
However, the soloists in “Carmina Burana” are not as a trio quite
up to the standards of the choir and orchestra. Best of them is Horst Hiestermann
in his famous roasted swan aria; he is both anguished and very musical. Baritone
Karl-Heinz Stryczek has a big, rather fuzzy sound which could at times have
benefited from having a leaner, more focused tone with more breath under it
to provide resonance. That said, he characterises with gusto. Soprano Celestina
Casapietra, the conductor’s wife, cannot compare with the likes of Gundula
Janowitz, Lucia Popp or Barbara Hendricks as she does not have their purity
and steadiness – or indeed their energy and accuracy; she slides too
often and sounds tentative in the taxing “Dulcissima”, but is
adequate.
“Catulli Carmini” is a much smaller scale piece with only four
pianos and percussion but something of the same mood as its famous predecessor.
There are plenty of hypnotic syncopations and repetitions although it is melodically
rather impoverished; there is a predominance of a capella chanting
with choral backing, punctuated by outbursts of rowdy shouting, laughing and
clapping. The aforementioned absence of texts makes it harder to appreciate.
Eberhard Büchner is wonderfully dissolute and lecherous, theatrically yelling
without damaging his voice. The choir is energised and salacious. Soprano
soloist Ute Maier is decidedly superior to Casapietra, being neater and purer
of voice, especially in the upward leaps of “Jucundum mea vita”,
which is clearly a close cousin to “Dulcissima”.
“Trionfo di Afrodite” is clearly even less melodic; it relies
upon ostinato rhythms and percussive figures provided by a much bigger orchestra,
although tutti passages are rare; Orff is more concerned to devise multiple
varieties of texture than blow the lid off. The performance is very good but
I do not in truth enjoy it as much as the previous two works.
In brief, this is as fine a collection of Orff’s triple confection as
you could hope to encounter although there are admittedly superior individual
recordings of “Carmina Burana”.
Ralph Moore
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