The title role in
Paganini was the first that Lehár wrote
expressly for Richard Tauber, although he had already sung in
Zigeunerliebe and
Frasquita some years earlier. In fact
Tauber didn’t sing the role at the world premiere in Vienna on 25 October
1925, where Carl Clewing replaced him. Tauber had a contract with the Berlin
State Opera, which required him to be in Stockholm at the time of the Vienna
premiere. It was not until January 1926 that he sang the role for the first
time in Berlin. However the Berlin impresario was at first reluctant to
mount
Paganini at all since it received such a cool reception in
Vienna. In the event it turned out that the Berlin production was a great
success and ran for three months. The female lead in Berlin, Princess Maria
Anna Elisa, Napoleon’s sister, was sung by Vera Schwarz, a leading Austrian
soprano who sang at the Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin and for
several years at the Vienna State Opera. She is probably best remembered for
her collaboration with Tauber. This was not only in
Paganini but
more famously at the premiere of
Das Land des Lächelns in Berlin
1929, under the composer, when they also recorded some excerpts from the
operetta.
Whether the plot of
Paganini, a supposed love affair between
Napoleon’s younger sister and the violin virtuoso, is historically correct
is moot. At all events Lehár wrote some truly memorable songs for the main
characters and the concert master has some flashy violin solos to execute.
The play opens with a group of villagers standing in front of the tavern
listening to Paganini playing inside. Henry Raudales plays exquisitely with
pinpoint double-stops. Then the story begins to unfold. Anna Elisa has her
entrance song, backed up by the chorus of villagers and then hears the
violin playing and wonders who it is. Paganini appears and sings a song in
praise of his native land,
Bella Italia. In a duet Paganini tells
the princess about his love of his instrument. In her next song Anna Elisa
admits that, in spite of already being married, she has fallen in love with
the violinist:
So ein Mann ist eine Sünde wert (A man like him is
worth a sin). Another love story sails up. The Prince, Anna Elisa’s husband,
has a mistress, Bella, who now appears and Pimpinelli, the Prince’s
chamberlain, at once woos her. Now we are beginning to see a true operetta
story. This second couple also sings a duet, a charming waltz, and then we
reach the first act finale, almost a quarter-of-an-hour long. Here Paganini
learns who the charming lady is and he falls in love with her, as she had
already done with him.
When the second act begins six months have passed and Paganini has been
appointed
maestro di capella of the court in Lucca, where the
Prince and Princess reign – and Bella is the prima donna. He is sad because
he has lost everything he owns to Pimpinelli in a game of cards, yes,
everything; worst of all: even his violin. Pimpinelli promises to give it
back if Paganini tells him how he charms the women. Then follows the most
famous song in the operetta and one of the most famous in any operetta:
Gern hab’ ich die Frau’n geküsst, somewhat unidiomatically
translated (Girls were made to love and kiss). Now you are really interested
to know what happens next, aren’t you? I won’t tell you! I have a better
suggestion: get the recording and find out yourself. It’s a charming
operetta, full of lovely melodies and as usual it basks in Lehár's
masterly orchestration. It is also very well sung. Kristiane Kaiser, after a
good but slightly hesitant start, only gets better and better. Just listen
to the waltz-song
Liebe, du Himmel auf Erden (CD 2 tr. 2) – one of
the gems here and so beautifully sung. She is in the Anneliese Rothenberger
class, which is praise indeed. Zoran Todorovich, who has taken part in
several earlier operetta recordings for CPO, is here at his most charming
and brilliant. He has gradually taken on more dramatic roles over the last
few years – singing Lohengrin and Otello among other things. His voice has
darkened but he has retained the schmaltz in the tone. He sings some truly
wonderful pianissimo phrases, worthy of a Nicolai Gedda. Eva Liebau’s Bella
is charming and Martin Zysset’s Pimpinelli doesn’t let the side down. Ulf
Schirmer is a masterly operetta conductor and his choral and orchestral
forces are also well versed in the idiom. The operetta was recorded live at
a concert and there is some applause. Otherwise there is little that reveals
there is an audience present.
A couple of hang-ups though: there is no libretto enclosed, only a summary
synopsis. The spoken dialogue is very clearly recorded but for those with no
German or who are less than fluent a libretto with translations would have
been welcome. Then, less seriously perhaps, several timings have been mixed
up in the track-list. If you can stomach such shortcomings you have here a
splendid recording of one of Lehár’s better operettas. The old Electrola
recording (1977) with Nicolai Gedda and Anneliese Rothenberger has recently
been reissued for the umpteenth time and it will probably never be
completely surpassed, but a cast of Kristiane Kaiser, Zoran Todorovich and
the rest is a serious challenger. It should be considered by all operetta
enthusiasts.
Göran Forsling
