This issue in Naxos’s
historical series marks an important
recording of this major work, the first
on the new medium of long-playing records
issued by Decca in 1954. However it
was the not the first recording. That
honour belongs to the one made in 1933
featuring Lotte Lehmann and Elizabeth
Schumann, once available on the World
Record Club. Another major version dated
from 1950 and featured Rudolf Kempe
and the resplendent Staatskapelle Dresden.
The present set possesses a distinct
historical weight as it was the first
full-length recording of Der Rosenkavalier.
It assumed a major hold on the early
LP market; a hold disturbed only by
Karajan’s Columbia recording with Elizabeth
Schwarzkopf and by Karl Böhm’s
for Deutsche Grammophon with Marianne
Schech and Irmgaard Seefried.
As usual in these matters
it is the leading singers who generate
most interest and who form the basis
for definitive judgements on the competing
merits of the many recordings in a crowded
discography. I will come to my own preference
in time, however let’s first make an
appraisal of this Naxos reissue.
History informs us
that it was Decca, who pioneered long-playing
records in the UK and who forged the
pristine recording methods; a lead maintained
both in engineering and production technology
through the decades. In this distinguished
interpretation Decca found a master
in the quintessential Viennese conductor
Erich Kleiber conducting that most prestigious
ensemble - the Vienna Philharmonic.
With these forces and with singers from
the Vienna Staatsoper one can expect
the most truthful of interpretations.
One distinct advantage
is that Kleiber and Decca give us the
full score. Few could derive the sumptuous
colours from Strauss’s score as this
maestro could. Even the old monophonic
recording cannot fail to express the
wonderful tones and timbre of this music.
He allows the singers to breathe and
permit their interpretation to flow
in unity with the orchestra. Maria Reining
as the Marschallin reveals a great and
familiar understanding of the score.
This is despite some occasional insecurity
perhaps due to the exhaustion of long
sessions which lasted a full four weeks.
Nevertheless, she is a wonderful singer
radiating a noble tradition. Sena Jurinac’s
Octavian is resplendent in this adorable
role. Her contribution makes this a
great production. She is matched by
the Sophie of Hilde Gueden, one of the
finest young sopranos of the day, and
by the erstwhile Ludwig Weber as Baron
Ochs. Anton Dermota is wonderful as
the Tenor Singer and this excellence
also extends to the minor roles: the
young Walter Berry as the Police Commissar,
Faninal taken by Alfred Poell and Peter
Klein ably performing Valzacchi. Altogether,
this is a magnificent recording and
a collector’s item. I am fortunate to
possess the original LPs in their beautifully
decorated box. Why can’t Naxos emulate
other companies in reproducing this
on their cover?
Regrettably, despite
cleaning the old records, Mark Obert-Thorn
cannot reproduce the superb dynamic
range and warmth of the original. Vinyl
may have had its disadvantages but infidelity
to sound was not one of them.
There is no doubt that
this set laid the standard for all its
successors. The Columbia recording set
down by Karajan and Walter Legge three
years later featured, like most of Legge’s
productions, a starry cast selected
from all over Europe. Karajan attained
great sound from the Philharmonia and
outstanding artistry from Elizabeth
Schwarzkopf, yet it all seemed too contrived
despite the great expense. Both mono
and stereo sets were issued. Nevertheless
this was not the complete opera and
despite Schwarzkopf’s fine reading,
her voice seems inappropriate, Christa
Ludwig is excellent yet does not match
Jurinac for Decca. The third major version
of this era was that made by DG featuring
Karl Böhm and with that great orchestra
from Dresden (so accurately called the
‘Golden Harp’ by Richard Wagner). The
Dresden orchestra so epitomises the
sound-world of the composer and a tradition
of Strauss performance remains there
to this day. The Marschallin was Marianne
Schech and Octavian was Irmgaard Seefried,
Ochs was taken again by Kurt Böhme
with the lighter role of Sophie taken
delightfully by Rita Streich. Fischer-Dieskau
assumed the role of Herr von Faninal
quite resplendently.
It is the latter production
which for this writer proves the finest
in terms of the quality of the all-round
recording and of the orchestra, chorus
and soloists. This version reflects
a harmonization of supreme artistry
all enriched in the Strauss tradition:
great singers and Karl Bohm, the supreme
Richard Strauss conductor.
Nevertheless this Naxos
issue is much to be welcomed and is
a suitable introduction to the work.
Gregor Tassie
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus/Erich
Kleiber 
