Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Lohengrin - romantic opera in three acts (1850)
[200:34]
Lohengrin - Klaus Florian Vogt (tenor)
Elsa - Annette Dasch (soprano)
Ortrud - Susanne Resmark (mezzo)
Telramund - Gerd Grochowski (baritone)
King Heinrich - Günther Groissböck (bass)
Herald - Markus Brück (baritone)
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin/Marek Janowski
rec. live, Berlin Philharmonie, 12 November 2011
PENTATONE PTC5186403 [3 CDs: 59:24 + 79:34 + 61:36]
Janowski’s Wagner cycle arrives at Lohengrin and by
this point in the series some things can safely be relied on. The first is
Janowski’s penchant for fast tempi which, in this context, carries the
welcome advantage that each act fits onto one disc. It seldom feels rushed,
however. When he broadens out it is for the more famously contemplative
moments, such as In fernem Land or Einsam in truben tagen. In
fact, the dawn interlude in the third act begins remarkably slowly but
gathers pace as it develops, an effect that not everyone will enjoy.
The other normally dependable advantages are slightly less reliable
this time around. One is the beauty of the orchestral playing, which is
still extraordinary. However, it takes a while for the shimmer effect to set
in. The divided strings of the prelude are ever so slightly shaky in the
opening bars and I couldn’t really relax into it until the entry of
the woodwinds. The scenes surrounding Lohengrin’s entrance in Act 1,
however, are wonderful, as is the playing around In fernem Land. The
string tone for the opening of Act 2 is wonderfully dark. The other
advantage is the quality of the recorded sound. It’s very good,
bringing clarity and light to the string and wind sound especially. However,
the brass feel slightly recessed this time around: the important trumpet
fanfares at the climax of the prelude are difficult to hear, and most of the
big climaxes are a little underplayed, including the prelude to Act 3.
It’s most damaging in the final bars of the second act where the theme
of the forbidden question should thunder out on the brass but here struggles
to make itself heard above the general orchestral texture which can come
across as slightly thick and muddy. Perhaps I’m only noticing these
flaws because these aspects have been so excellent in other instalments of
the series, but it’s a pity that the magic is less forthcoming this
time around.
Still, get over this and there’s a lot to enjoy. Most
discussion will probably centre around Klaus Florian Vogt’s assumption
of the title role. I’d heard the name before but I’d never heard
him sing until I put on this recording. At first hearing I found the voice
very difficult to place. Initially it is very light, almost childish in
places, and it almost entirely lacks the burnished quality that so
distinguishes, say, Domingo’s reading of the role. There are times
when he can even sound a little pinched and he is certainly a far cry from
the traditional heldentenor sound of, say, Siegfried Jerusalem or
James King. However, the more I heard of him the more I liked him. The
finest quality he brings is one of vulnerability, something that is
undoubtedly an important part of the character’s make-up, particularly
in Act 3, but something we so rarely hear. In Vogt’s hands the
character appears sympathetic and genuinely interesting. We actually feel
for him when he is summoned back to the realm of the grail at the end. His
voice has a wounded, pleading quality to it in his interactions with Elsa,
both in the third act and, perhaps even more convincingly, the closing scene
of Act 2. Vogt’s reading may be a little unconventional, but he brings
something new and valuable to the role and for that reason alone he demands
to be heard. Like Vogt, Annette Dasch does not have a voice one might
normally associate with her role. She is a touch mature and even a little
effortful in her first appearance, but she grows in stature as the opera
develops and she makes an urgent foil for Vogt. Their duet at the start of
Act 3 is very compelling, perhaps the highlight of the set. A genuine
conversation seems to be taking place between them and there’s
heightened sense of tragedy when she eventually asks him his name.
Gerd Grochowski is a vital, wide-eyed Telramund who refuses to
accept his own defeat and has a convincing, dark urgency which suits the
role well. Susanne Resmark does not sound happy in the role of Ortrud,
however. Her voice appears big and unwieldy and she squawks a little when
going for some of the higher writing. More damagingly, she lacks the
subtlety that the role really requires: this Ortrud is blankly malevolent
and little else. Günther Groissböck is a vigorous King Heinrich,
sounding younger than you might expect for the character, but he is grips
the attention and adds an extra sense of energy to the part. Markus
Brück’s herald is dependable, as are the cameo roles. The choral
singing is also first rate, and here again the quality of the recording
comes into its own, with lots of transparency revealing inner lines and
balancing the voices well against the orchestral background.
Somewhat like his Meistersinger, this is a good addition to
Janowski’s Wagner cycle, but despite its evident attractions it falls
short of being essential. Lohengrin is, after all, probably the best
represented of all Wagner’s operas on disc, and each set - including
this one, to be fair - has something special to set it apart.
Domingo’s singing is exceptionally beautiful and well rounded, both
for Solti on CD or Abbado on DVD. Siegfried Jerusalem for Abbado on CD
gives perhaps the best overall interpretation of the title role. He is
backed up by a sensitive Cheryl Studer as Elsa and an extraordinary Orturd
from Waltraud Meier. James King and Gundula Janowitz are the sweetest
sounding pair on disc - if slightly anonymous at times - for Kubelik.
Barenboim’s men are outstanding while his women are a little bland,
and Kempe’s extraordinary Vienna performance still
holds its own decades after it first appeared.
When you compare this Pentatone release to these, or even to other
modern DVD releases, most notably Kaufmann and Harteros in Munich or Nagano’s Lyon production (also featuring Vogt in
the title role), Janowski is solid but not superb.
Simon Thompson
Solid but not superb.