This disc captures, unadulterated and unadorned,
the opening night of a new production of
Lohengrin at the Vienna
Staatsoper. One glance down the cast-list will tell you that this is
something special. It must have been even more special to have been
in the theatre, for not only was Karl Böhm in the pit but Wieland
Wagner himself was directing the staging, something illustrated generously
in the accompanying booklet. The sound, recorded for broadcast by Austrian
Radio, is in mono, which is undeniably regrettable, but it’s surprisingly
good for its age. The only place where it brings real losses is in the
chorus scenes, which are many in this opera. The natural point of comparison
for this set is
Kempe’s
classic set, which shares the same orchestra, the same Lohengrin
and the same Ortrud, and was recorded two years previously. The comparisons
are fascinating.
The most interesting contrast, and the factor which impels this release,
is the conducting of Karl Böhm. Where Kempe is rapt, Böhm
is driven. Like his live
Ring
and
Tristan from Bayreuth, he prefers fast tempi,
and this drives the drama along at an exciting pace. You can tell that
when you compare the timings: Böhm is more than 20 minutes faster
than Kempe. In fact he achieves the feat of making this one of the very
few
Lohengrins on disc (perhaps the only one?) to fit each act
complete onto a single CD. Yet Böhm never feels unduly rushed.
Instead, the strength of his vision convinces the listener that this
is an entirely appropriate view of the piece. Furthermore, he knows
how to relax when he needs to, and he does so liberally, particularly
for the Grail music. The Act 1 Prelude is markedly slower than what
follows it. He broadens out the soundscape after Lohengrin’s arrival
in the middle of the act, the excitement of the crowd giving way to
a gently meditative first utterance from the knight.
That first utterance is, in fact, something pretty special. Jess Thomas
is on top notch form here and he sounds sensational in his farewell
to the swan in the first act, as in his declaration of love for Elsa.
He is, perhaps, a little anonymous in the second act, but he is moving
and remarkably sympathetic in the bridal chamber scene.
In fernem
Land, similarly slowed down by Böhm, unfolds at an unhurried
pace and in one single-minded direction. He was an extraordinary swan
knight for Kempe, and it’s exciting to hear him in the live context
here. Claire Watson is also on her very finest form as Elsa. There is
clarity and purity to her voice that, to my ears at least, comes close
to making her the equal of Elisabeth Grümmer - high praise indeed.
She is helpless and vulnerable in the first act but brims over with
optimism at the start of the second, and her address to the breezes
is a delight. Perhaps you don’t get quite the same sense of impending
doom in the bridal chamber scene, but she summons up the correct sense
of terror as that scene reaches its climax and she is full of pathos
in her sense of loss in the final scene.
Kempe’s set gave us the finest Ortrud on disc in Christa Ludwig,
and she is every bit as sensational here. If anything, the live event
inspires her to give of herself with even more commitment. The dramatic
temperature of the whole set rises when she enters at the start of Act
2. There is something darkly insidious in her vocal presence, and the
way she seems to pour scorn on her husband is magnificently dramatic.
She then inveigles her way into Elsa’s confidence with the skill
of the greatest of con artists, and the power of her invocation at
Entweihte
Götter! is so great that it brings the house down, forcing
Böhm to halt proceedings for about twenty seconds. She then chews
up the scenery in the great crowd scene at the end of Act 2 and manages
a wonderful groan of defeat when the swan is revealed as Gottfried at
the very end of the opera. Her husband both on and off the stage, Walter
Berry, isn’t quite the match for Fischer-Dieskau either in vocal
beauty or in acting - he sounds overly gruff in the first act - but
he rises to a climax at the start of Act 2 and is never less than a
convincing stage presence. It’s a real treat having Martti Talvela
as the King, his rich, fruity bass giving the part an extra level of
character that it doesn’t always get. Eberhard Wächter is
luxury casting as the Herald.
I doubt that anyone will take this as a top choice, especially not over
any stereo sets, because sound quality is important in this opera. However,
it’s a remarkable record of a live performance, capturing a collection
of Wagner greats and a few surprises, and it will be especially interesting
for anyone who knows and loves the Kempe set.
Incidentally, this whole production was double cast. The other cast
that alternated with this one included the likes of James King, Gustav
Neidlinger and Astrid Varnay. Having not one but
two such legendary
casts available for one opera in the same city seems like an extravagant
dream to us nowadays, but what fun to dream it!
Simon Thompson
