Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Tannhäuser (Paris version - 1861)
Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen - Gottlob Frick (bass)
Tannhäuser - Hans Beirer (tenor)
Wolfram von Eschenbach - Eberhard Wächter (baritone)
Walther von der Vogelweide - Waldemar Kmentt (tenor)
Biterolf - Ludwig Welter (bass)
Heinrich der Schreiber - Kurt Equiluz (tenor)
Reinmar von Zweter - Tugomir Franc (bass)
Elisabeth - Gré Brouwenstijn (soprano)
Venus - Christa Ludwig (mezzo-soprano)
Hirt - Gundula Janowitz (soprano)
Orchestra & Chorus of the Wiener Staatsoper/Herbert von Karajan
rec. live 8 January 1963, Vienna State Opera. ADD mono
German only libretto provided
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 457 682-2 [3 CDs: 188:11]
This live performance of Tannhäuser is primarily of note because Karajan never made a studio recording of this opera and this is the only memento of him conducting it. It amply demonstrates his mastery of the score; he is particularly adept at revealing orchestral detail which can be obscured in Solti’s superb, but flashier studio recording seven years later. He begins with an overture in a typically grand manner compared with the febrile Solti, building to culminate in a splendidly weighty climax.
There is no doubt, however, that the mono sound here presents a distinct disadvantage compared with competitive recordings of the Paris version. Christa Ludwig again sings a scintillating Venus for Solti but here sounds rather muted and a long way upstage. Similarly, special effects such as the approach and retreat of the pilgrims are severely limited and the Viennese strings frequently sound screechier than I am sure they were in actuality; in fact, I suspect that the performance came across much better than the sound permits us to hear, especially as audience applause is enthusiastic. Occasionally, either singers come on mike or the recording volume is turned up and the difference is marked; this happens, for example at 2:07 in track 3 of CD 2 in Elisabeth’s and Tannhäuser’s exchange, making one wish for the same improved clarity throughout.
Encountering the young Gundula Janowitz as a pure, piping shepherd boy opening the third scene of Act 1 is a pleasant surprise and Eberhard Wächter sings a smooth, passionate Wolfram but as Ludwig is so far back in the sound picture, at first there isn’t much here to excite the listener. Beirer is at first clearly labouring, singing under the note with a heavy, pulsing vibrato. He may have a smoother tone than Kollo and more heft than Windgassen but the lack of light and lift in his baritonal tenor makes him a dull dog. Apparently he was unwell but bravely persevered and he warms up a bit as the act unfolds but essentially continues to make an unlovely sound. I defy anyone to listen to Tannhäuser’s “Auch ich darf mich” (track 11, CD 2) and tell me that falls pleasantly on the ear, especially when contrasted with the following aria, “Den Bronnen”, well sung by Waldemar Kmentt. Brouwenstijn’s entrance lifts proceedings; she makes a brilliant, shimmering Elisabeth, really otherworldly, even if every so often her tone turns tremulous.
This would perhaps be a more valuable issue were it not for the fact that several of the principal artists here may be heard in in other recordings in better sound. As I say above, Ludwig may be heard to advantage in Solti’s studio version, Brouwenstijn shines in Cluytens’ 1955 Tannhäuser on Orfeo, reviewed here, and Gottlob Frick is a better Hermann in Konwitschny’s excellent 1960 studio account of the Dresden version where he is in steadier, fuller voice; here he has frequent problems with maintaining pitch and frankly, he frequently sings out of tune.
A fair amount of unrestrained coughing may be heard in quieter orchestral passages, especially throughout the introduction to Act 3. The weakness of the eponymous lead singer and the limited mono sound here mean that my strong preference for Solti’s studio recording remains unshaken.
(This is mostly the Paris version with a little bit of the Dresden – the three singers in the song contest – grafted on.)
Ralph Moore
