As Thomas Voigt
notes in an introductory essay to this essentially historical
document, early efforts at live transmissions from opera houses
were rare and not particularly successful. He lists, amongst
the earliest transmissions, those of Der Rosenkavalier
with Eleanor Steber and Erna Berger from the Met in 1949
and Don Carlo the following year with Jussi Björling
and Cesare Siepi. In the 1950s several operas made it onto
film with singers often being substituted by actors and actresses
with more cinematic appeal. These films often had variable
lip sync as the order of the day. In the 1970s opera productions
were transferred to the film studios as with the recently
issued DVDs of original Unitel films recorded in full colour
and stereo sound, but with lip-sync still the norm. In between,
an adventurous, innovative and also technologically sophisticated
Bavarian Radio recorded several performances from the Bavarian
State Opera for live transmission. This performance broadcast
by ARD on Christmas Day 1959 was the first of a series that
extended to 1963 and included several Richard Strauss works.
These were particular favourites and specialities of the conductor
Joseph Keilberth who is in charge of proceedings on this performance.
The issue of this
recording at this time is probably connected to the 75th
anniversary of the tenor Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966) who
takes the role of Count Almaviva. His premature death, in
an accident, deprived the world of the outstanding Mozart
tenor of his generation. His essential lyric tenor was expanding
into the heavier classical Italian roles of the fach at the
time of his death. His voice here is still sufficiently pliable
to work its way round Rossini’s fioritura although he lacks
the innate style of the genre or the ease and fluency of the
phrasing (Ch. 4), matters compounded by the opera being sung
in German whose prosody is often in conflict with Rossini’s
music. This limitation of the language affects all the singers,
none more so than Hans Hotter as the slimy Basilio. The outstanding
Wotan of his generation he shows himself to have a good feel
for comedy. What he hasn’t got is the depth of colour and
tonal sonority that is ideally required as is evidenced in
his calumny aria (Ch. 14). Plenty of humour is to be found
in the portrayal of Max Proebstel as Rosina’s ward who has
his elderly eye on less reputable activities for her than
her care and well being. None of these singers has as natural
a way in the genre as that shown by Hermann Prey as the eponymous
barber. This is a role he recorded in audio for DG under Abbado
and which is also caught on the Unitel film of the La Scala
production (see review),
both in Italian. His lithe appearance and comfort with the
role is obvious in his acted portrayal, and his Largo al
factotum is roundly applauded (Ch. 7). As might be expected
the style of the sets and production is rather dated. What
is more dated is the acceptability of the singer taking at
least one bow after an aria, or in Prey’s case returning to
the stage, twice, to take the applause. Audience applause
is something we have to accommodate on DVD recordings of staged
performances somewhat difficult after years of the silent
aria endings and the dramatic continuity of studio opera recordings.
Nowadays, and for some time past, it is rare for singers to
break role to acknowledge even excessively vociferous applause,
a welcome state of affairs. In the role of Rosina, Erika Köth
has a flexible but tonally thin voice with little colour or
capacity for characterisation. Although she has some nice
free notes in her Una voce poco fa (Ch. 12) the overall
impression is rather tweety and even squeaky at the top of
the voice. This may be a limitation of the sound recording
that becomes rough in places. The sound also lacks the wide
tonal range we have come to take for granted as the stereo
era has progressed and which is generally the norm on recordings
from say the middle-1970s.
Dated is
also the name of the game with the production, sets and costumes.
Wunderlich has a very shapely leg in tights and his early
scene costume belies attempts to pass himself off as anything
but an aristocrat. The film director uses the limitations
of the contemporary technology with imagination. In the overture
we see the conductor from the auditorium and the audience
within what is obviously a very fine theatre that would, I
suspect, appear resplendent in colour. During the performance
there are none too subtle camera changes from mid to close-up,
but the visual representation of the staging does not suffer
from this limitation. On the rostrum Joseph Keilberth has
a stately feel for Rossini’s brio and phrasing and concentrates
on giving his singers every support.
The introductory
essay about the recording and the generous synopsis is given
in English, French and German.
This issue is
very much for those with a special interest in seeing the
stage persona of singers who are not often found on video
recordings and particularly the opportunity to see and hear
them perform outside their usual fach. The dated staging will
be fascinating to those interested in the evolution of opera
presentation. For enthusiasts of Il barbiere di Siviglia
there is plenty of choice among well-sung and recorded
DVDs available in colour, with modern sound, particular favourite
singers as principals and sung in the language of its composition.
Very much for special interest only.
Robert J Farr
Count Almaviva, Fritz Wunderlich (ten); Figaro, a barber, Hermann Prey
(bar); Bartolo, a doctor and ward of Rosina, Max Proebstel (bar); Rosina,
Erika K
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