Richard Wagner - Tristan und Isolde

"The story of Tristram and Yseult is one of the most potent and enduring legends of the Nordic, Teutonic and Anglo-Saxon peoples, so potent that it even became grafted on to the Arthurian cycle of legends when Tristam or Tristan (originally Drostan or Drystan) was said to be one of the Knights of the Round Table. It says much for the success of the opera 'Tristan und Isolde' that since its première in Munich on 10th June 1865, the tale of the tragic lovers has been indissolubly associated with the name of Richard Wagner. Even before that première, however, the opera had been sending out shock-waves, as the famous 'Prelude' with its extraordinary harmony - the very first sound to be heard has become known as the 'Tristan chord' - had been performed in three major cities and the entire score had been in print since 1860. For reasons which seem inexplicable today, it was thought unstageable: a première scheduled at the Vienna Court Opera in 1861 was aborted after 77 rehearsals. Undoubtedly the action was steamy by nineteenth-century standards of morality; but in addition the advanced harmonic thinking that was in evidence on every page appalled traditionalists as much as it excited the avant-gardists. Significantly 'Tristan und Isolde' took nine years to achieve its second production, seventeen years to reach London and a further four to achieve a New York première.

"Wagner had been acquainted with the medieval legend for years, and it is strange that no other composer had tackled it, although Schumann had contemplated an opera on the subject and it had been lightly satirised in Donizetti's delectable 'L'Elisir d'amore'. In his work, Wagner was influenced by the writings of Schopenhauer and by a purely biographical factor - when he first became obsessed with the project in 1854, he had a guilty love for the married Mathilde Wesendock. In order to complete 'Tristan' he laid aside work on his 'Ring' trilogy and composed at unusual speed for him. The music was begun in 1856, the poem was written the following year and the score was ready by the end of 1859. Wagner made some changes to the story as he received from his main literary source, Gottfried von Strassburg's thirteenth century epic 'Tristan'. In particular he made Tristan and Isolde fall in love even before they became stricket by the love potion. There were one of two interesting undertones to the Munich première. The lovers were sung by a real-life husband and wife, Ludwig and Malwina Schnorr von Carolsfeld, and the opera was conducted by Hans von Bülow, whose wife Cosima was already under Wagner's thrall and had born him a child, Isolde (supposedly Bülow's daughter), on the day of the first orchestral rehearsal. Soon her liaison with him would become the scandal of the musical world.

"Recording Wagner's music dramas was first taken seriously by His Master's Voice (the Gramophone Company) in the early 1920s. Extensive excerpts in English, involving the brilliant conductor Albert Coates and the great bass Robert Radford, as well as other English-speaking singers, were recorded even in the acoustic era, when the vital orchestral element was perforce rather than muffled, but as each 78rpm disc was considered as an entity, sessions were rather laissez-fair and there was no attempt to maintain a cohesive cast - in the excerpts from 'The Valkyrie', Radford as Wotan even had to interact with three different Brünnhildes. The advent of electrical recording in 1925 brought the possibility of achieving some semblance of Wagner's orchestra, and HMV was quickly into action, producing a number of important Wagnerian excerpts in 1926, sung in German. So the firm's executives were extremely put out when the following year they lost the auction for the right to record at the holy-of-holies, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, to their deadly rivals at The Columbia Graphophone Company.

"To its credit, Columbia rejected the HMV system of piecemeal excerpts and made a determined effort to give the Wagnerian record-buyer a coherent view of each drama. It was found too difficult to take down actual performances, so recordings were made when the Festspielhaus was not in use. Although, in the even, only extended excerpts from 'Parsifal' were achieved in 1927, virtually the whole of 'Tristan und Isolde' was set down in 1928 - Acts 1 and 2 were done substantially complete and only Act 3 was cut, a practice which was usual in those days anyway, in the interests of conserving the energies of singers and audience alike at the end of a long evening. The greatest exponents of the title rôles, Lauritz Melchior and Frida Leider, were under contract to HMV, but a fine cast was assembled, including Rudolf Bockelmann, regarded as second only to Friedrich Schorr as a Heldenbariton, and the handpicked Bayreuth orchestra and chorus were conducted magnificently by the underrated Karl Elmendorff. The set was issued with a disc of musical exegesis by the doyen of Wagnerian criticism, Ernest Newman.

"Around the same time, HMV was assembling a set, recorded in two different cities, making up an even bigger portion of Act 3. It was uneven in both performance and recording - three conductors were involved, the faithful Kurwenal was portrayed by three separate baritones and Sides 7 and 10 were difficult to reproduce smoothly on the gramophones of the day - but at its best it burnt more brightly than the Columbia set. In particular Albert Coates was capable of greater incandescence than Elmendorff and the lovers were interpreted by two legendary singers, the English tenor Walter Widdop and the Swedish soprano Göta Ljungberg. King Marke was interpreted by the same singer as at Bayreuth, the black-voiced bass Ivar Andrésen. It may help listeners to know that Howard Fry sings Kurwenal up to 'es kann nicht lang' mehr säumen', then Charles Victor (Widdop's teacher) takes over from 'O Wonne! Freude!' and Eduard Habich assumed the character in Scene 3, mostly recorded in Berlin. Kennedy McKenna sings the Shepherd in the London-recrded first scene (without its cor anglais solo, so well played on the Bayreuth set), while Marcel Noë takes the rôles of the Shepherd, the Steersman and Melot in Scene 3. Those who know the beautiful acoustic of Queen's Hall will recognise it on the London sides." (Tully Potter. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Karl Elmendorff, Nanny Larsen-Todsen, Gunnar Graarud, Rudolf Bockelmann, Ivar Andrésen, and others on the bonus material.

1.1. Einleitung

1.2. Aufzug I, Szene I/II: 'Westwärts Schweift Der Blick'

1.3. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Weh'! Ach Wehe! Dies Zu Dulden!'

1.4. Aufzug I, Szene IV: 'Begehrt, Herrin, Was Ihr Wünscht'

1.5. Aufzug I, Szene IV: 'War Morold Dir So Wert'

1.6. Aufzug I, Szene V: 'Tristan! Isolde! Treuloser Holder!'

2.1. Aufzug II: Einleitung

2.2. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Hörst Du Sie Noch?'

2.3. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Isolde! Geliebte! Tristan! Geliebter!'

2.4. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'O Sink' Hernieder, Nacht Der Liebe'

2.5. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Einsam Wachend In Der Nacht'

2.6. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Lausch', Geliebter!'

2.7. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Doch Unsere Liebe, Heißt Sie Nicht Tristan Und Isolde?'

2.8. Aufzug II, Szene III: 'Der Öde Tag Zum Letzten Mal!'

2.9. Aufzug II, Szene III: 'O König, Das Kann Ich Dir Nicht Sagen'

3.1. Aufzug III: Präludium Und Hirtenpfeifensolo

3.2. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Kurwenal! He! Sag' Kurwenal!'

3.3. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Das Schiff! Siehst Du's Noch Nicht?'

3.4. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'So Bange Tage'

3.5. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Tod Denn Alles'

3.6. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Mild Und Leise, Wie Er Lächelt'

3.7. Aufzug III: Präludium (Shepherds Pfeifensolo Nicht Aufgenommen)

3.8. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Kurwenal! He! Sag' Kurwenal!'

3.9. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Hei Nun! Wie Du Kam'st?'

3.10. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Bist Du Nun Tot?'

3.11. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'O Diese Sonne! Ha, Dieser Tag!'

3.12. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Ha! Ich Bin's, Ich Bin's, Süßester Freund!'

3.13. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Kurwenal! Hör'! Ein Zweites Schiff!'

3.14. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Mild Und Leise, Wie Er Lächelt'

3.15. Die Motive Und Ihre Funktion In Der Oper. Erklärt Und Illustriert Von Ernest Newman

flac/16-bit

Richard Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

"Lovers of Wagnerian opera have long admired the singing of Friedrich Schorr as Hans Sachs, the central role in 'Die Meistersinger', as heard in his famed 78rpm recordings and wondered what he would do with the complete role. Fortunately, a recording of a complete performance on stage at the Metropolitan Opera survived from the broadcast of 1936. And while it has less than good sound, it is sufficient to communicate why Schorr was world famous for his portrayal. What makes Schorr's singing of Hans Sachs so memorable? Other singers have conveyed a rich, warm intelligence in this role. Hans Hotter in the 1949 Munich performance, and one or another famous baritone such as Bocklemann, Nissen and Janssen, have suggested something of the humanity of this memorable character; yet only Schorr communicates the essential nobility of Hans Sachs that makes this personage equal to the sublime eloquence of the music and the elevation of Wagner's conception. As a result, what Wagner's genius really gave us in this score shines through, bringing this huge opera to glowing life around a person fit to live in the memory of the human race for all these centuries. 

 

"Nobility in a person is rare enough in human existence to make a profound impression on the lives and spirit of those fortunate enough to recognize it. Nobility, it seems to me, means that state of being or color of character which results from a constant association and service to high principles. No meanness of spirit, no hidden self-concerns or crafty motives for status or comfort, wealth or pleasure, shadow this radiant benevolence. The character of such a person has an unmistakable and unforgettable tone of elevation, resulting from a loftiness of relationship to circumstances which most others warp to personal uses, disguise the action in claims of principle as they may. This state of being, when encountered, puts events into a different focus, and we see that it is possible to live an epic and poetical life even amidst ordinary circumstances. We see, too, that a certain innate grandeur of tone begins to color the attitude and actions of such a person, setting them apart from most others. Indeed, this is the only true royalty, one not composed of titles or crowns or kingdoms. Tone reveals all.

"All this is exactly what distinguishes Schorr’s expression of Hans Sachs. His tone radiates a rich, warm, wise humanity that glows from every note. Such a quality can never be assumed or copied; it results from the integrity of the person. Schorr’s voice, expressed in song, composed of a lyrical, buoyant, poetical colour, seems to endow Hans Sachs with a plenitude of innate powers, confirming in every moment how he came to occupy the position he does in Nuremberg, and in our hearts.

"It is this essential nobility, coupled with indomitable strength, which made Schorr the Wotan of all time, but worked against him as Gunther or Faninal. This same quality also set up fascinating conflicts when he sang the villainous Pizarro in Fidelio to Flagstad’s Leonore. No such conflict exists in Schort’s evocation of Hans Sachs, for here his eloquence of utterance, musicality of spirit, tenderness of expression and grandeur of vision, joined to Wagner's text and music, yield a profound character study of unforgettable stature; here is a representative man in the best sense.

"One of the most memorable aspects of Schorr’s singing was his ravishing mezza-voce. This brought to his powerful and rich tone intimations of a tenderness which lent dimension to the innate strength of his voice. The one single fault in his singing, which became progressively evident, was a certain growing weakness in the upper register. This caused him to break on certain notes, as can be heard in the 1936 and 1940 Walküre and in various moments of Meistersinger.

"Something like this difficulty likely caused one of the great losses in recording history, for Toscanini had engaged Schorr to sing Hans Sachs under his direction at the 1937 Salzburg Festivals after conducting Schorr (and Elisabeth Rethberg) in the Brahms Requiem in a New York Philharmonic concert. Apparently, Schorr’s voice did not sustain him in some way at rehearsals. He was obviously going through a bad patch. Toscanini stated 'I’m worried about Schorr [...] he’s hoarse and breathless on the high notes [...] when I called on him to sing full voice like the others, he said he had a cold. Of course, the management has begun to search around for the few available replacements. Let's hope for the best.” Eventually Schorr was replaced with Nissen. Schorr agreed to withdraw under claim of illness. This was a tremendous loss and I think, perhaps, a great mistake was made. It may be that Nissen’s singing was stronger in certain notes but what a world of wit and wisdom, warmth and nobility Schorr could have given us as complete compensation for these difficulties. Many other singers have negotiated all the notes of this role with no problem whatsoever, but their performances were routine, lacking in those essential qualities of elevated spirit that Schorr, above all others, embodied.

"To hear Schorr sing 'Wahn! Wahn!' or, indeed, every line of Act III, is to hear expression that is immortal in every element. His singing of this particular music, both in his well-known 78s, and in this broadcast performance, brings us the consummate perfection of Schorr’s art, for here Schorr is the very embodiment of benevolent wisdom, as he muses upon the insanity of misrelationships which disfigure the potential beauty of mankind. Sachs endeavors to make sense of why men 'strive and fight, in fruitless rage and spite. What do they gain?' Sachs' contemplation touches us deeply because his grave, sorrowing concerns, the underlying resignation which colors his thoughts with sadness, reflect something that is inestimable in human nature — the large-spirited, warm-hearted nobility of a man concerned not with himself, nor with this or that personal event, but with the pandemonious inclination of human beings everywhere to war with each other. These considerations are floated in a tender reverie in Sachs' Act III Monologue, 'Wahn! Wahn!', as he recollects the absolute absurdity and folly at the heart of the previous night's riot.

"Such considerations as we hear in this passage pale in the expression of an ordinary singer, as they would in the statements of a man whose life, as lived, does not support his philosophy, thus the tone he takes reflects a self-inflated pose that is embarrassing. For this reason, singers with ordinary voices who sing Sachs' role, diminish or obscure the true poetry and profundity of meaning that make the 'Wahn' monologue into an elegiac life-song in which we see and hear, with eager recognition and relief, a truly representative man. Singers like Edelmann, Wiener, Schöffler and others may have good voices, but they lack the special color, timbre and tone which mark the truly great, thus the ordinariness of their expression reduces true eloquence to rhetoric. Even a great singer like Hans Herman Nissen, deeply identified with the role of Hans Sachs, lacked the dignity, warmth, intimacy of tone, humor and poetry we hear from Schorr; Nissen’s wisdom is fit for municipal celebrations and friends but doesn’t speak out over the ages to all of us.

"Only a few truly great voices are, by virtue of certain unique qualities, capable of being instrumental to all that is profound and noble in our highest arts. Clearly, Hans Sachs, in medieval Nuremberg, contemplating the universal insanity of humanity pitting one aspect against the other, could as well offer his warmly toned concerns today as in any other era, but we would suffer few among us to tell us so. In 'Wahn! Wahn!' listen to Schorr change the tone of his indictment of the previous night's strife to ironical humor, without a trace of bitterness or self-righteousness, as he sings 'Gott weiss, das geschah' ('God knows how this befell'), floating his contemplation in a tone of warm-hearted amusement, while the marvelous strains of Midsummer's Eve engulf one with the tender beauty of life. Here Sachs perceives that no world evil was at the base of it all, only some 'glow worm that could not find his mate.' He sees that it is for inconsequentials that we bait and fight each other, some scrap of importance, some bauble or glittering image which yields nothing to the spirit or the communal life into which we are all set. Would it were that we could hold the view of our idiocies like a bubble of laughter in our mouths, as Schorr's Hans Sachs teaches us to do, and turn all this madness 'to serve for noble works.'

"It is because Schorr, in his voice, tone and temperament, so personifies Sachs, that his lyricism can clasp wings on these considerations and lift us to the same philosophical elevation, above the despair of human enmity, to feel, as Wagner's inspiration means us to feel, the human capacity to become superior to circumstances. Wagner, speaking through such a Sachs as Friedrich Schorr, teaches us the sweetness, not of tolerance but of an innate compassion which is strength and tenderness combined, a poetic sweetness-of-being which reminds one of the magic of Midsummer's Eve’s melody at the end of Act II and its reprise in 'Wahn, Wahn'.

"These same qualities pervade much of Schorr's singing in this opera. Consider the delicate poetry of tone with which Schorr commences his Fliedermonolog, so utterly in keeping with the charm which the Elder tree's fragrance throws upon him. Schorr mixes this tone into his contemplations of the poetry he heard from Walther in the previous Act, so that the enspelling creativity of Spring is mixed with the innate musicality and involuntary originality that he sensed in the young man's expression, surrounding Sachs with fragrant reminiscences. The tone that Schorr gives Hans Sachs is truly poetical, yet this is not the ardent rapture of a young man buta restrained, musing, grave, subtle sound in which one can feel the profundity of Sachs' character, just as one would experience depth in certain persons in ordinary life — not by some accrual of facts, nor the conceptual claims they make, nor by the books they've read, but by the tone they take. This, alone, communicates whether we have before us intellectual pose, or the image of deep content rather than the reality itself. This truth is communicated instantaneously, and though we might be unable to explain the grounds for our trust, we are ready to rely on this rare reality at once. Schorr exudes this depth in the very timbre of his voice — it is hued innately with ennobled character — so that the Fliedermonolog focuses us upon Sachs in a depth we are never thenceforth to lose. He is the person whom all eyes follow, one of those rare personages given us through the miracle of great art who stands for a real human being amidst countless thousands of half-asleep, half-alive persons.

"Schorr’s singing in the Fliedermonolog finds him savoring the poetical ideal which is at the secret heart of Walther's words and music. This subtle rapture puts a special magic on Sachs' tender and evocative 'Nun sang er, wie er musst' ('He sang because he must'), which reflects, in the way Schorr sings it, not only his admiration for the freedom and inevitability of Walther’s song-filled expression, but a profound savoring of the beautiful necessity which underlies all the true poetry that issues from the human heart. Sachs’ sense of a higher law governing all the music, one which is deeply related to living, is the source of his germinal awareness that the rules of the Meistersingers are atrophying the true spirit of songfulness; this is what he recognized in their rejection of Walther, and this is what will flower eventually into his whole-hearted support of the young man's inspiring and poetical vision.

"Through Schorr's profound art, all that is ennobling in Wagner's sublime music and text comes through and takes its true stature. And while we would have preferred to hear Schorr within the context of Toscanini's triumphant recreation of the score, there is much in power and poetry here to provide a fitting musical context for Schorr’s incomparable portrayal.

"The joy we take in this preservation is doubled by the fact that we are finally enabled to hear Elisabeth Rethberg's Eva. Her lovely tone in this music, particularly in her ecstatic phrasing in Act II before and during the 'Schusterlied' Scene, or in the scenes she has with Sachs, is something to cherish. Her phrasing in the Act III Quintet does not surpass that of Elisabeth Schumann, who remains the finest on record, nor does she imbue this music with her special personality, as does Lotte Lehmann. Nevertheless, Rethberg's intonation, her special intensity, refinement of expression and emotional warmth makes for a portrayal of Eva that will linger in your memory. So many of the passages she sings are ravishing in their beauty of phrase and ecstatic tone. For instance, when she discovers Walther after she leaves Sachs in Act II, the enthrallment in her tone, the soaring range of her singing of 'Ja ihr seid es' and all the following lines, have no parallel in any of the other performances I've ever heard. I refer in particular to the lines 'Nicht eh'r, bis ich sah den theuersten Mann!' or everything she sings in this stanza, or her sustained tone, so ineffably touching in her parting words, 'Dem Meistergericht'.

"For these two, Schorr and Rethberg, I prefer this Elisabeth Rethberg as Eva performance, though it's in far lesser sonics than the marvelous reproduction of the 1939 Meistersinger with Schorr and Jessner. Both Schorr and Rethberg are in the voice we associate with them in these roles from the 78rpm disc they made together of the 'Footstool duet Sieh' Ev'chen! Dacht'ich doch'. Ever since hearing that record in the 1940s, I've yearned to hear a complete performance with these two artists. Now, here it is.

"Lawrence Gilman, music critic of the New York Herald Tribune, celebrated 'the limpid and solacing beauty of Madame Rethberg's voice in Meistersinger,' writing of Rethberg's 'sense of the shape and balance of phrases' as well as 'her delicate instinct for line and cadence and proportion.' Out of these elements emerges an Eva who is not simply a lovely maiden, touched with an affection for Sachs she even imagines to be love, but one capable of a much different passion for Walther. Hers is a spirit which soars with such feminine intensity that many of Eva's lines shine with a glowing beauty.

Rene Maison as Walther is better, perhaps, in this role than in anything else preserved from his seasons at the Met, with the capital exception of Loge in Das Rheingold in which he is unsurpassable. This Belgian tenor, born in 1895, made his Metropolitan Opera debut just a few weeks previously in this same role with a nearly identical cast. The timbre of his voice has a certain bleating quality to it which deducts from one’s esteem of his singing but he certainly manages to convey a lyricism and poetry not untouched with virility, which makes for a convincing and quite musical portrayal.

"Eduard Habich, world famed for his portrayal of Alberich, is heard here as Beckmesser, making of this narrow-minded character a believable figure whose outlook and nature avoid caricature. Habich gives us a Beckmesser who is unaware of the comical aspects of his expression (especially in his endeavor to sing his serenade to Eva in the second act) and who is even touching in his earnestness. Interestingly, Habich never reminds one of his memorable Alberich in Rheingold despite his unmistakable voice, and the fact that Alberich and Beckmesser share a tone of cramped injury and rage, thus the two portrayals could easily have struck similarities. Instead, he has reshaped his tonal approach so as to fit it naturally into the utterly different world of medieval Nuremberg. His is a portrayal fit to be heard amidst such vocal luminaries as Schorr and Rethberg, remaining in the memory and enlarging in stature with each hearing.

"Emanuel List is heard as Pogner, and while his recognizable voice is welcome, he is in rather poor vocal condition; indeed, his singing in Act I is the worst ever heard from him in Met broadcasts. Fortunately, he recovers sufficiently to not make a trial of Acts II & III. Of course, every singer, no matter how great, can have a bad night, though not too often does he or she have it broadcast nationally and preserved on transcription discs.

"Karin Branzell is an attractive Magdalene, sprightly and rich-toned. Hans Clemens is less ingratiating, given that his tone often takes on an unattractive nasal bleat, but he is lively and convincing. These last words particularly apply to the Met chorus, which is vitally involved in all that transpires. It is enormously effective in responding to Beckmesser's endeavor to sing the lyrics of Walther's lied in Act II. The confusion and consternation heard from the crowd, which finally gives way to gradations of laughter culminating in a crescendo of hilarity is marvelously authentic and convincing. This, then, is yet another of the many virtues of this performance. Also to be relished is much of Bodanzky’s leadership of the orchestra, though not his confused, lopsided essayal of the complex ensemble that ends Act I, nor the infamous cuts for which he was so notorious.

"Opera lovers came to learn of the existence of a recording of a complete performance of 'Die Meistersinger' with Schorr in Paul Jackson's fascinating book 'Saturday Afternoons at the Old Met'. Professor Jackson was auditioning a private preservation issued by Edward J. Smith that is extremely miniscule, poor-sounding, tinny, and swamped in surface noise. Nevertheless, these problems did not prevent him from hearing the glories of the performance:

"'In company with Chaliapin's Boris, Richard Mayr's Baron Ochs and Pinza's Don Giovanni, Schort's a Sachs is one of the unmatched pontcayals of the century [...] sublime is the word.'

"The better-sounding recording presented here further verifies Paul Jackson's estimate. There are occasions when Schorr's voice turns hollow or he negotiates one or another note with difficulty, but this is no more than a few minor blemishes on a magnificent painting.

"Given this greatness of characterization and voice, 'Die Meistersinger' seems to be irradiated throughout with a warm sunlight and, in the finale to Act II, a magical moonlight, still reflecting the now-hidden sun, casting its spell over the darkened houses of medieval Nuremberg. Wagner has brought this world to poetical life with its guilds and Summer Song Festival. Lawrence Gilman considered 'Die Meistersinger' to possess many dimensions:

"'[...] profound and blithe, tranquil and poignant, homespun and magical. For in this huge and bountiful piece, tragedy is masked by a deep and comprehending humanity that fills up one’s sense with the greatness of the human spirit.'

"For Gilman, as for myself, Friedrich Schorr, above all others, communicated this inspiring quality, suffusing great knowledge with tenderness; a figure touched with a quiet humor and characterized by a love of the old, enlarged by an openness of heart to the new. Gilman’s evocative writing has its chief focus on the music-drama's central personage, Hans Sachs:

"'What a character Wagner has given us here! — this poet, dreamer, man of sorrows: this tragedian who has mastered his grief and does not take too seriously his resignation; who is mellow without softness, noble without offensiveness [...] a man of infinite charm — magnetic, lovable, fine-fibred, yet homespun; a being of fathomless tenderness.'

"Gilman continues:

"'For some, this is the most endearing of all scores, and deep is the happiness of those who are so fortunate as to hear 'Die Meistersinger' revealingly performed as, at the Metropolitan, with the sage, mellowed and glowing Sachs of Friederich Schorr; probably the finest embodiment of the character that is now to be seen in any lyric theater.'

"Harold Schonberg, New York Times music critic, recalled, in his article 'Backward Times' (1994):

"'For 'Meistersinger' there was a Sachs of Schorr and Eva of Rethberg. They set standards for all time in those roles. Schorr had a noble bearing and a kind of wisdom and humanity in his singing that nobody else in my time has been able to duplicate. Rethberg’s silvery voice, so perfectly placed, so easily produced, imbued with an older tradition, so intense and, at the same time, vocally relaxed, was unique.

"Schorr's recordings in the studio, and broadcast from the stage, corroborate this estimate, making unimportant the very few occasions when Schorr cannot adequately manage a particular note. What matter, when this great artist provides the vocal equivalent of the Hans Sachs we imagine? The few 78rpm commercial recordings illuminate much that was unforgettable in Schorr's portrayal but the fullest corroboration comes from hearing this broadcast in 1936. And while Schorr gives us the stature, tenderness and nobility of this human character, his portrayal draws dimension from its setting, not only in Wagner's music, but in the voices of Rethberg and Maison and the milieu that Wagner's music brings to life.

"Even in those performances in which the vocal forces convey mundane conceptions, still the greatness of the music enfolds them with its magic. And while music lovers especially esteem one or another part of the score, everyone I've ever known agrees that the conclusion of Act II is the most sublime. Of this Gilman writes:

"'At the close of the second act, as the rioters disperse and the tumult dies down, and the doors are closed and the lights put out, leaving the stage quite empty and dark, the Night Watchman arrives on the scene with his lantern and his ox-horn, rubbing his eyes, singing his quavery call. Then we see the moon rise above all Nuremberg, sleeping in the heart of a forgotten but recovered century, while the murmuring orchestra reminds us of the brooding enchantment of the summer night. Once again, we realize that there is nothing in music to set beside this lovable masterwork, with its beauty and serene philosophy, its delicate, exact recapturing of the hue and fragrance of a vanished day, its perfect veracity and transcendent art.'

"There have been many savourable performances of this masterwork, many of which offer sonics that do justice to Wagner's enchanting music. These belong on the music lover's shelf even in those instances where the portrayal of its central character lacks those memorable qualities which recall the singer's voice whenever we think back upon the music. Yet space must be made on the shelf of any significant collection for this sonically cramped, sometimes noisy preservation, one that may predominate over many hi-fi recordings with a different kind of fidelity. This performance, narrowed in its aural scope, stems from a time when technology was just beginning to assemble its capacities and prospects, delivering to us, 67 years later, these glowing and unforgettable portrayals, taking its place as one of the chief treasures of its era, and even, perhaps, of any age." (Richard Caniell. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, Artur Bodanzky, Friedrich Schorr, Elisabeth Rethberg, Rene Maison, Karin Branzell, Emanuel List

1.1. Vorspiel
1.2. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Dazu Dir Der Heiland Kam'
1.3. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Verweilt! Ein Wort'
1.4. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Da Wär Der Ritter Ja Am Rechten Ort'
1.5. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'David, Was Stehst?'
1.6. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Mein Herr! Der Singer Meister-Schlag'
1.7. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Der Meister Tön' Und Weisen'
1.8. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Aller End' Ist Doch David Der Allergescheit 'st'
1.9. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Seid Meiner Treue Wohl Versehen'
1.10. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Gott Grüß' Euch, Meister!'
1.11. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Beliebt's, Wir Schreiten Zur Merkerwahl?'
1.12. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Das Nenn' Ich Ein Wort'
1.13. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Verzeiht! Vielleicht Schon Ginget Ihr Zu Weit'
1.14. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Wohl, Meister! Zur Tagesordnung Kehrt'
1.15. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Am Stillen Herd In Winterzeit'
1.16. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Nun, Meister, Wenn's Gefällt'
1.17. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Was Euch Zum Liede Richt' Und Schnur'
1.18. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Fanget An!'
1.19. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Seid Ihr Nun Fertig?'
1.20. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Halt Meister! Nicht So Geeilt!'
1.21. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Doch Wird's Wohl Jetzt Mir Kund''
1.22. Broadcast Commentary

2.1. Aufzug II: 'Johanistag! Johanistag!'
2.2. Aufzug II: 'Was Gibt's? Treff Ich Dich Wieder Am Schlag?'
2.3. Aufzug II: 'Nicht Doch, 's Ist Mild Und Labend'
2.4. Aufzug II: 'Was Duftet Doch Der Flieder'
2.5. Aufzug II: 'Gut'n Abend Meister!'
2.6. Aufzug II: 'Könnt's Einem Wittwer Nich Gelingen?'
2.7. Aufzug II: 'Das Dacht' Ich Wohl'
2.8. Aufzug II: 'Da Ist Er!'
2.9. Aufzug II: 'Hört, Ihr Leut', Und Lasst Euch Sagen'
2.10. Aufzug II: 'Jerum! Jerum!'
2.11. Aufzug II: 'Mich Schmertzt Das Lied'
2.12. Aufzug II: 'Den Tag Seh' Ich Erscheinen'
2.13. Aufzug II: 'Zum Teufel Mit Dir Verdammte Gesell'!'
2.14. Broadcast Commentary

3.1. Aufzug III: Vorspiel
3.2. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Gleich! Meister! Hier!'
3.3. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Blumen Und Bänder Seh' Ich Dort!'
3.4. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Wahn! Wahn! Überall Wahn!'
3.5. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Grüß Gott, Mein Junker'
3.6. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Mein Freund! In Holder Jugendzeit'
3.7. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Morgenlich Leuchtend In Rosigen Schein'
3.8. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Das Nenn' Ich Mir Einen Abgesang!'
3.9. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Ein Werbelied! Von Sachs? - Ist's Wahr'
3.10. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Sieh Da! Herr Schreiber? Auch Am Morgen'
3.11. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Das Gedicht? Hier Liess Ich's'
3.12. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'So Ganz Boshaft Doch Keinen Ich Fand'
3.13. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Säng' Mir Nur Wenigstens Einer Dazu!'
3.14. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'O Sachs! Mein Freund! Du Theurer Mann!'
3.15. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Mein Kind: Von Tristan Und Isolde'
3.16. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Die Selige Morgentraumdeut-Weise'
3.17. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Sankt Crispin, Lobet Ihn'
3.18. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Als Nürnberg Belagert War'
3.19. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Hungersnoth! Hungersnoth!'

4.1. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Ihr Tanzt?'
4.2. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Die Meistersinger! Die Meistersinger!'
4.3. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Wach' Auf, Es Nahet Gen Den Tag'
4.4. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Euch Macht Ihr's Leichet'
4.5. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'O Sachs! Mein Freund!'
4.6. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Morgen Ich Leuchte In Rosigen Schein'
4.7. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Heimlich Mir Graut'
4.8. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Morgenlich Leuchtend In Rosigen Schein'
4.9. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Der Zeugen, Denk' Es, Wählt Ich Gut'
4.10. Broadcast Commentary
4.11. Aufzug II: 'Was Duftet Doch Der Flieder'
4.12. Aufzug III: 'Wahn! Wahn!'
4.13. 'Abendlich Glühend'
4.14. 'Sieh' Evchen!'
4.15. 'Aha! Streicht Die Lene'
4.16. 'Selig, Wie Die Sonne Meine Glückes Lacht'

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Richard Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

"'Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg' is Wagner's only comedy, albeit a far cry from traditional opera bouffe; not only long and heavily orchestrated, it sometimes turns a bit nasty. Its ruthless satire on Wagner's critical nemesis, Eduard Hanslick, is illustrated by the character of Beckmesser, whom the composer originally intended to call Hans Lick. Regardless of one's reaction to the humor, not to mention the unremitting chauvinism that climaxes in the final chorus praising German art above all others, there is no denying the power, complexity and skillful construction of this elaborate opera, as well as the unforgettable beauty of many of its melodies.

"The story is Wagner's invention, based on his considerable research into the medieval traditions of the Minnesinger, German equivalents of the French troubadours. He first sketched out a scenario in 1845, but waited 17 years before starting to compose the music, which then occupied him off and on for another six years, during which time he was also working on 'Tristan and Isolde' and 'Der Ring des Nibelungen'. The first performance in Munich on June 21, 1868, conducted by Hans von Billow, was a resounding success, and the opera has been acknowledged continuously ever since as one of Wagner's finest scores." (Bill Parker. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Jaro Prohaska, Josef Greindl, Max Lorenz, Maria Müller

1.1. Vorspiel

1.2. Aufzug I: 'Da Zu Dir Der Heiland Kam'

1.3. Aufzug I: 'Mein Herr! Der Singer Meister Schlag'

1.4. Aufzug I: 'Der Meister Tön' Und Weisen'

1.5. Aufzug I: 'Damit, Herr Ritter, Ist's So Bewandt!'

1.6. Aufzug I: 'Aller End' Ist Doch David Der Allergescheit'st'!'

1.7. Aufzug I: 'Seid Meiner Treue Wohl Versehen'

1.8. Aufzug I: 'Gott Grüß Euch, Meister!'

1.9. Aufzug I: 'Das Schöne Fest, Johannistag'

1.10. Aufzug I: 'Vielleicht Schon Ginger Ihr Zu Weit'

1.11. Aufzug I: 'Dacht' Ich Mir's Doch!'

1.12. Aufzug I: 'Am Stillen Herd In Winterzeit'

1.13. Aufzug I: 'Nun, Meister, Wenn's Gefällt'

1.14. Aufzug I: 'Fanget An!'

1.15. Aufzug I: 'Seid Ihr Nun Fertig?'

1.16. Aufzug I: 'Halt! Mesiter! Nicht So Geeilt!'

2.1. Aufzug II: 'Johannistag! Johannistag!'

2.2. Aufzug II: 'Laß Seh'n, Ob Meister Sachs Zu Haus?'

2.3. Aufzug II: 'Zeig Her! - 'S Ist Gut'

2.4. Aufzug II: 'Was Duftet Doch Der Flieder'

2.5. Aufzug II: 'Gut'n Abend, Meister!'

2.6. Aufzug II: 'Hilf Gott! Wo Bliebst Du Nur So Spät?'

2.7. Aufzug II: 'Da Ist Er!'

2.8. Aufzug II: 'Geliebter, Spare Den Zorn!'

2.9. Aufzug II: 'Üble Dinge, Die Ich Da Merk''

2.10. Aufzug II: 'Tu's Nicht! Doch Horch!'

2.11. Aufzug II: 'Jerum! Jerum!'

2.12. Aufzug II: 'Das Fenster Geht Auf'

2.13. Aufzug II: 'Den Tag Seh' Ich Erscheinen'

3.1. Aufzug III: Vorspiel

3.2. Aufzug III: 'Gleich Meister! Hier!'

3.3. Aufzug III: 'Am Jordan Sankt Johannes Stand'

3.4. Aufzug III: 'Wahn! Wahn! Uberall Wahn!'

3.5. Aufzug III: 'Grüß Gott, Mein Junker!'

3.6. Aufzug III: 'Mein Freund! In Holder Jügendreit'

3.7. Aufzug III: 'Morgendlich Leuchtend In Rosigem Schein'

3.8. Aufzug III: 'Ein Webelied! Von Sachs? - Ist's Wahr?'

4.1. Aufzug III: 'Das Gedicht? Hier Ließ Ich's'

4.2. Aufzug III: 'Sieh, Evchen!'

4.3. Aufzug III: 'Hat Man Mit Dem Schuhwerk Nicht Seine Not!'

4.4. Aufzug III: 'Sankt Crispin, Lobet Ihn!'

4.5. Aufzug III: 'Ihr Tanzt? Was Werden Die Meister Sagen?'

4.6. Aufzug III: 'Silentium! Silentium!... Wach Auf, Es Nahet Gen Den Tag'

4.7. Aufzug III: 'Euch Macht Ihr's Leicht, Mir Macht Ihr's Schwer'

4.8. Aufzug III: 'Nun Denn, Wenn's Meistern Und Volk Believt'

4.9. Aufzug III: 'Morgen Ich Leuchte In Rosigem Schein'

4.10. Aufzug III: 'Das Lied, Fürwahr, Ist Nicht Von Mir'

4.11. Aufzug III: 'Morgendlich Leuchtend Im Rosigen Schein'

4.12. Aufzug III: 'Verachtet Mir Die Meister Nicht'

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Richard Wagner - Götterdämmerung

"Wagner’s tetralogy, 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' ('The Ring of the Nibelung') was first performed as a whole in August 1876 at the new Festspielhaus in Bayreuth. The complete cycle consists of a Prologue, 'Das Rheingold' ('The Rhinegold'), followed the next day by 'Die Walküre' ('The Valkyrie'), and then by 'Siegfried', leading up to the final 'Götterdämmerung' ('Twilight of the Gods'). Wagner’s first sketches for the libretto of the fourth projected opera, initially under the title 'Siegfrieds Tod' ('Siegfried’s Death'), and later 'Götterdämmerung' ('Twilight of the Gods'), is dated 1848. To this he found it necessary to add an explanatory prologue, for which he made the first musical sketches in 1850. He interrupted his work in order to draft the three earlier operas of the cycle, then returning to 'Götterdämmerung', in which he now made considerable changes. The first complete draft of the work was written between 1869 and 1872 and the full score was finished in 1874. The work was first heard at Bayreuth in 1876 when the whole of the tetralogy was performed. As before, leading motifs associated with characters, events and ideas in the drama, recur, interwoven to unify the whole conception.

"The sources of the plot were found in Icelandic sagas, the 13th-century Middle High German 'Das Nibelungenlied' and the Old Norse 'Thidreks Saga af Bern', but Wagner had recourse to a wide range of other reading, while the structure of the tetralogy and the underlying theme of the curse owes a strong debt to Aeschylus and Greek tragedy." (Keith Anderson. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus, Jaap van Zweden, Gun-Brit Barkmin, Daniel Brenna, Shenyang, Eric Halfvarson, Amanda Majeski, Michelle DeYoung

1.1. Vorspiel
1.2. Prolog: 'Welch Licht Leuchtet Dort?'
1.3. Prolog: Zwischenspiel. Tagesgrauen
1.4. Prolog: 'Zu Neuen Taten, Teurer Helde'
1.5. Prolog: 'Mehr Gabst Du, Wunderfrau'
1.6. Prolog: Siegfrieds Rheinfahrt
1.7. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Nun Hör', Hagen, Sage Mir, Held'
1.8. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Was Weckst Du Zweifel Und Zwist?'
1.9. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Vom Rhein Her Tönt Das Horn'

2.1. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Wer Ist Gibich's Sohn?'
2.2. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Begrüße Froh, O Held'
2.3. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Willkommen, Gast, In Gibich's Haus!'
2.4. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Hast Du, Gunther, Ein Weib?'
2.5. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Blut-Brüderschaft Schwöre Ein Eid!'
2.6. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Hier Sitz' Ich Zur Wacht'
2.7. Aufzug I: Zwischenspiel (Entr'acte)
2.8. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Altgewohntes Geräusch'
2.9. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Seit Er Von Dir Geschieden'
2.10. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Da Sann Ich Nach: Von Seiner Seite'
2.11. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Blitz Und Gewölk, Vom Wind Getragen'
2.12. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Jetzt Bist Du Mein'

3.1. Aufzug II: Vorspiel
3.2. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Schläfst Du, Hagen, Mein Sohn?'
3.3. Aufzug II: Zwischenspiel
3.4. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Hoiho, Hagen! Müder Mann!'
3.5. Aufzug II, Szene III: 'Hoiho! Ihr Gibichs-Mannen, Machet Euch Auf!'
3.6. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Heil Dir, Gunther!'
3.7. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Brünnhild', Die Hehrste Frau'
3.8. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Was Ist Ihr? Ist Sie Entrückt?'
3.9. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Achtest Du So Der Eig'nen Ehre?'
3.10. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Helle Wehr, Heilige Waffe!'
3.11. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'Welches Unholds List Liegt Hier Verhohlen?'
3.12. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'Dir Hilft Kein Hirn'

4.1. Aufzug III: Vorspiel
4.2. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Frau Sonne Sendet Lichte Strahlen'
4.3. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Ich Höre Sein Horn'
4.4. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Was Leid' Ich Doch Das Karge Lob?'
4.5. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Hoiho? - Hoihe!'
4.6. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Mime Hieß Ein Mürrischer Zwerg'
4.7. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Was Hör' Ich!'
4.8. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Brünnhilde! Heilige Braut!'
4.9. Aufzug III: Zwischenspiel. Trauermarsch
4.10. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'War Das Sein Horn?'
4.11. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Schweigt Eures Jammers'
4.12. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Starke Scheite Schichtet Mir Dort'
4.13. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Mein Erbe Nun Nehm' Ich Zu Eigen'
4.14. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Fliegt Heim Ihr Raben!'
4.15. Aufzug III: Schluss

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Richard Wagner - Das Rheingold

"Wagner’s tetralogy, 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' ('The Ring of the Nibelung') was first performed as a whole in August 1876 at the new Festspielhaus in Bayreuth. The complete cycle consists of a Prologue, 'Das Rheingold' ('The Rhinegold'), followed the next day by 'Die Walküre' ('The Valkyrie'), and then by 'Siegfried', leading up to the final 'Götterdämmerung' ('Twilight of the Gods'). The texts had been completed byWagner by 1853 and the completion of the music and performance of the whole cycle in a specially created operahouse of novel design represented a summit of creative achievement, the apotheosis of German art. Leading motifs associated with characters, events and ideas in the drama, recur, interwoven to unify the whole conception.

"The sources of the drama were found in Icelandic sagas, the thirteenth-century Middle High German 'Das Nibelungenlied' and the Old Norse 'Thidreks Saga af Bern', but Wagner had recourse to a wide range of other reading, while the structure of the tetralogy and the underlying theme of the curse owes a strong debt to Aeschylus and Greek tragedy. The music of 'Das Rheingold' was completed in 1854 and follows the principles Wagner had laid down in his treatise of 1851, Opera and Drama, principles that he was to follow less rigidly in later works. In his text he made use of a form of Stabreim, the Old High German alliterative verse, familiar to English readers from early English texts. The orchestration of 'Das Rheingold' uses quadruple upper woodwind, three bassoons, eight horns, four tubas, with contra bass tuba, quadruple trumpets and trombones, a percussion section that includes an array of anvils for the Nibelungs, six harps, with a seventh on stage, and a large string section. The score was published in 1864, with a fulsome dedication to dem königlichen Freunde (the royal friend), King Ludwig II of Bavaria, and the work was first performed at the Court and National Theatre in Munich in 1869. Wagner used the occasion to intrigue, from his villa at Triebschen in Switzerland, in order to defeat his Munich opponents in the theatre administration, hoping to be recalled to save a performance from which his protégé, the young Hans Richter, had, on Wagner’s instructions, withdrawn, after the expected problems with the complicated stage machinery involved. In the event the work, on the orders of King Ludwig, who was losing patience, went ahead and was given a successful performance under another conductor." (Keith Anderson. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden, Matthias Goerne, Michelle DeYoung

1.1. Vorspiel
1.2. Szene I: 'Weia! Waga! Woge, Du Welle!'
1.3. Szene I: 'Hehe! Ihr Nicker!'
1.4. Szene I: 'Garstig Glatter Glitschiger Glimmer!'
1.5. Szene I: 'Lugt, Schwestern! Die Weckerin Lacht In Den Grund'
1.6. Szene I: 'Nur Wer Der Minne Macht Entsagt'
1.7. Szene I: 'Der Welt Erbe Gewann' Ich Zu Eigen Durch Dich'
1.8. Szene I: 'Haltet Den Räuber!'
1.9. Szene II: Einleitung
1.10. Szene II: 'Wotan! Gemahl! Erwache!'
1.11. Szene II: 'So Schirme Sie Jetzt'
1.12. Szene II: 'Sanft Schloss Schlaf Dein Aug'!'
1.13. Szene II: 'Was Sagst Du Ha! Sinnst Du Verrath'
1.14. Szene II: 'Du Da, Folge Uns Fort!'
1.15. Szene II: 'Endlich Loge! Eiltest Du So'
1.16. Szene II: 'Immer Ist Undank Loges Lohn!'
1.17. Szene II: 'Ein Runenzauber Zwingt Das Gold Zum Reif'
1.18. Szene II: 'Hör', Wotan, Der Harrenden Wort!'
1.19. Szene II: 'Schwester! Brüder! Rettet!'
1.20. Szene II: 'Wotan, Gemahl, Unsel'ger Mann'
1.21. Szene III: Verwandlungsmusik
1.22. Szene III: 'Hehe! Hehe! Hieher! Hieher! Tückischer Zwerg!'

2.1. Szene III: 'Schau, Du Schelm!'
2.2. Szene III: 'Nibelheim Hier: Durch Bleiche Nebel'
2.3. Szene III: 'Nehmt Euch In Acht! Alberich Naht'
2.4. Szene III: 'Die In Linder Lüfte Weh'n Da Oben Ihr Lebt'
2.5. Szene III: 'Ohe! Ohe! Schreckliche Schlange'
2.6. Szene III: 'Dort, Die Kröte, Greife Sie Rasch!'
2.7. Szene IV: 'Da, Vetter, Sitze Du Fest!'
2.8. Szene IV: 'Wohlan, Die Nibelungen Rief Ich Mir Nah''
2.9. Szene IV: 'Gezahlt Hab' Ich; Nun Laßt Mich Zieh'n!'
2.10. Szene IV: 'Ist Er Gelöst'
2.11. Szene IV: 'Lauschtest Du Seinem Liebesgruß'
2.12. Szene IV: 'Lieblichste Schwester, Süsseste Lust!'
2.13. Szene IV: 'Gepflanzt Sind Die Pfähle Nach Pfandes Maß'
2.14. Szene IV: 'Weiche, Wotan, Weiche! Flieh' Des Ringes Fluch!'
2.15. Szene IV: 'Soll Ich Sorgen Und Fürchten'
2.16. Szene IV: 'Halt, Du Gieriger! Gönne Mir Auch Was!'
2.17. Szene IV: 'Nun Blinzle Nach Freias Blick!'
2.18. Szene IV: 'Heda! Heda! Hedo! Zu Mir, Du Geduft!'
2.19. Szene IV: 'Bruder, Hieher! Weise Der Brücke Den Weg!'
2.20. Szene IV: 'Abendlich Strahlt Der Sonne Auge'
2.21. Szene IV: 'So Grüss' Ich Die Burg'
2.22. Szene IV: 'Rheingold! Rheingold! Reines Gold!'

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Richard Strauss / Richard Wagner / Charles Gounod - Recital

"Montserrat Caballé's career, which began with a legendary lucky break, would eventually make her one of Spain's greatest sopranos -- equaled in status and reputation only by fellow Barcelonian Victoria de los Angeles.

"Her full birth name was Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepción Caballé i Folch. She was named after the famous Catalan monastery of Montserrat. It is said that her parents feared that they would lose her and vowed that if she were born alive and well they would christen her with the monastery's name. She learned singing at her convent school; at the age of eight, she entered the Conservatorio del Liceo in Barcelona. Her most important teachers were Eugenia Kenny, Conchita Badea, and Napoleone Annovazzi. When she graduated in 1954, she won the Liceo's Gold Medal.

"Caballé made her professional debut in Madrid in the oratorio El pesebre (The Manger) by the great Catalan cellist Pau (Pablo) Casals. She then went to Italy, where she received a few minor roles at various houses. In 1956, she joined the Basel Opera; she was working her way through the smaller roles when one of the principal singers took ill and she took over the role of Mimì in Puccini's 'La Bohéme.' Her unqualified success in that part led to promotion to starring roles, including Pamina ('The Magic Flute'), Puccini's 'Tosca', Verdi's 'Aïda', Marta in Eugene d'Albert's 'Tiefland', and the Richard Strauss roles of Arabella, Chrysothemis ('Elektra'), and Salome. She steadily gained a European reputation, singing in Bremen, Milan, Vienna, Barcelona, and Lisbon, taking such diverse roles as Violetta ('La Traviata'), Tatiana ('Yevgeny Onegin'), Dvorák's 'Armida' and 'Rusalka,' and Marie in Berg's 'Wozzeck.' She debuted at La Scala in 1960 as a Flower Maiden in 'Parsifal.' She sang in Mexico City in 1964 as Massenet's 'Manon.'

"In April 20, 1965, on extremely short notice, she substituted for the indisposed Marilyn Horne in a concert performance in Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia', achieving a thunderous success and "overnight" superstardom. She became one of the leading figures in the revival of interest in the bel canto operas of Bellini and Donizetti, many of which were staged especially for her. Caballé's performances as Elizabeth I ('Roberto Devereux') and that monarch's rival Mary Queen of Scots ('Maria Stuarda') are legendary. In 1971, she sang a memorable concert performance of 'Maria Stuarda' in which her fellow Barcelonian José Carreras made his London debut, and after that she helped advance his career. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1965 as Marguerite in 'Faust.' Caballé's career centered around Verdi's important dramatic roles, but also embraced the Marschallin ('Der Rosenkavalier'), the Countess ('Marriage of Figaro'), and Queen Isabella (in the premiere of Leonardo Balada's 'Cristobál Colón' in Barcelona in 1989)." (Biography by Joseph Stephenson for AllMusic. Available in full here.)

Performers: Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Alain Lombard, Montserrat Caballé

1. Richard Strauss - Vier Letzte Lieder: Frühling
2. Richard Strauss - Vier Letzte Lieder: September
3. Richard Strauss - Vier Letzte Lieder: Beim Schlafengehen
4. Richard Strauss - Vier Letzte Lieder: Im Abendrot
5. Richard Wagner - Tristan Und Isolde: Isoldes Tod
6. Richard Wagner - Tannhäuser: 'Froh Grüß'ich Dich, Geliebter Raum!'
7. Richard Wagner - Tannhäuser: 'Almächt'ge Jungfrau-hör Mein Flehen!'
8. Charles Gounod - Faust: 'Il Était Un Roi De Thulé'
9. Charles Gounod - Faust: Récitatif
10. Charles Gounod - Faust: 'Ah! Je Ris De Me Voir Si Belle'

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Richard Wagner - Lohengrin

"Act I. A plain on the banks of the River Scheldt, near Antwerp. King Henry ('the Fowler') of Saxony has come to Antwerp to persuade the Brabantines to join him in defending Germany against an imminent attack by the Hungarians. Realising that there is tension among the Brabantines, the King calls on Telramund, a noble, to explain its cause. He says that the previous Duke of Brabant, on his deathbed, entrusted his two children to Telramund's care. The son, Gottfried, disappeared one day when he and his sister Elsa were alone. Telramund has accused Elsa of having killed her brother so that she can claim the dukedom; he has therefore renounced Elsa's hand and married Ortrud, through whose noble descent he claims to be ruler. The King orders a trial and Elsa is summoned. 

"Elsa cannot answer the King's questions but she describes a dream in which a knight in shining armour came to her aid. The King rules that the case will be resolved by combat between Telramund and whoever will be Elsa's champion. The King's herald twice sounds a summons, but no one steps forward. A swan appears, drawing a boat in which stands a knight; he steps ashore, bids farewell to the swan and offers to fight on Elsa's behalf. If he wins, they will many, but on condition that she promises never to ask him his name or origin. The knight overpowers Telramund but spares his life. Everyone except Telramund and Ortrud applaud his success. 

"Act II. In the fortress of Antwerp. Telramund blames Ortrud and her evil sorcery for his loss of honour and banishment from Brabant. Ortrud tells him that the knight's power can be overcome only if Elsa can be induced to ask him the forbidden questions or if he is wounded. The couple swear vengeance. 

"Elsa appears on a balcony. Ortrud sends Telramund away and appeals to Elsa's friendship. While Elsa is coming down to talk to her, Ortrud calls on profane gods for help. Gradually she sows seeds of distrust in Elsa's mind, undermining Elsa's faith in the knight.

"A herald announces that Telramund is banished and that the knight will many Elsa, become the Protector of Brabant and lead his men to battle in Germany. Four disaffected nobles (friends of Telramund), angry at the prospect, conceal Telramund.

"The wedding processions assemble. As Elsa is about to enter the minster, Ortrud comes forward and angrily claims that Elsa is taking Ortrud's rightful place. She taunts Elsa for not knowing the knight's name and lineage and accuses him of having defeated Telramund by supernatural means. The knight arrives with the King and tries to comfort Elsa. Telramund rushes forward, repeats Ortrud's accusation and demands to know the knight's name. The knight refuses to answer and sees that Elsa is disturbed. Ortrud and Telramund exult in her anguish; Elsa expresses her desire to know the knight's secrets; the knight prays to heaven for Elsa's protection. He drives Telramund and Ortrud away. The people hail Elsa, and the bridal couple proceed to the minster. As she enters, Elsa sees Ortrud making a threatening gesture.

"Act III. The bridal chamber. The knight and Elsa are led in by ladies and nobles. Alone, they express their love; but when the knight calls Elsa by her name she is saddened by not knowing his. Her torment increases. Hearing that her husband has forsaken happiness in his previous life, she fears he will want to return to it. In spite of his pleas, she demands to know his name. 

"At that moment, Telramund and his four followers break in and the knight kills Telramund with a single blow. He tells Elsa that their happiness is now lost, orders that Telramund's body be taken to the king and instructs that Elsa should be led to him too; there he will reveal his secret.

"A plain on the banks of the River Scheldt. The King and nobles are assembling to march to battle. Telramund's four accomplices bear his body in; Elsa arrives, followed by the knight. He tells the King that he cannot lead the army to war and that Elsa has broken her vow. He reveals that he is a knight of the Holy Grail, from Monsalvat; its guardian knights have supernatural powers provided their identity remains unknown. His father was Parsifal and his own name is Lohengrin. He reproaches Elsa, who begs him to stay, and predicts victory for the German armies. Her pleas are echoed by the King and the people. 

"The swan approaches, drawing the boat. Lohengrin bids Elsa farewell and hands her his sword, horn and ring, to give to Gottfried should he return. Suddenly Ortrud appears. She tells Elsa it was she who transformed Gottfried into a swan, the one now drawing Lohengrin's boat; had Lohengrin been able to stay he could have returned Gottfried to human form. Lohengrin falls to his knees in prayer. Suddenly a white dove descends over the boat. The swan submerges and reappears as Gottfried, whom Lohengrin proclaims the Duke of Brabant. The dove tows Lohengrin's boat away. As Elsa watches him disappear, she sinks lifeless to the ground in her brothers arms." (Alison Latham. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Orchester und Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele, Andris Nelsons, George Zeppenfeld, Klaus Florian Vogt, Annette Dasch, Jukka Rasilainen, Petra Lang, Samuel Youn

1.1. Vorspiel
1.2. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Hört, Grafen, Edle, Freie Von Brabant!'
1.3. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Dank, König, Dir, Dass Du Zu Richten Kamst!'
1.4. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Welch' Fürchterliche Klage Sprichst Du Aus!'
1.5. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Seht Bin! Sie Naht, Die Hart Beklagte!'
1.6. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Einsam In Trüben Tagen'
1.7. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Friedrich, Du Ehrenwerter Mann'
1.8. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Des Bitters Will Ich Wahren'
1.9. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Wer Hier Im Gotteskampf Zu Streiten Kam'/Szene III: 'Gegrüßt, Du Gottgesandter Held'
1.10. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Nun Sei Bedankt, Mein Heber Schwan!'
1.11. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Heil, König Heinrich!'
1.12. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Wenn Ich Im Kampfe Für Dich Siege'
1.13. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Nun Hört Euch, Volk Und Edlen, Mach' Ich Kund'
1.14. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Nun Höret Mich, And Achtet Wohl'
1.15. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Mein Herr Und Gott, Nun Ruf' Ich Dich'
1.16. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Durch Gottes Sieg Ist Jetzt Dein Leben Mein'
1.17. Aufzug I, Szene III: Applaus
1.18. Aufzug II: Einleitung
1.19. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Erhebe Dich, Genossin Meiner Schmach'
1.20. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Was Macht Dich In So Wilder Klage Doch Vergeh'n?'

2.1. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Entsetzlich! Wie Tönt Aus Deinem Munde Furchtbar Der Name'
2.2. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Du Wilde Seherin! Wie Willst Du Doch'
2.3. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Der Rache Werk Sei Nun Beschworen'
2.4. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Euch Lüften, Die Mein Klagen'
2.5. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Elsa!'/'Wer Ruft? Wie Schauerlich Und Klagend Ertönt Mein Name Durch Die Nacht?'
2.6. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Entweihte Götter! Helft Jetzt Meiner Rache!'
2.7. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Ortrud, Wo Bist Du?'
2.8. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Du Ärmste Kannst Wohl Nie Ermessen'
2.9. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'So Zieht Das Unheil In Dies Haus!'
2.10. Aufzug II, Szene III: Morgenlied/'Im Früh’n Versammelt Uns Der Ruf'
2.11. Aufzug II, Szene III: 'Des Königs Wort Und Will’ Tu’ Ich Euch Kund'
2.12. Aufzug II, Szene III: 'Nun Hört! Dem Lande Will Er Uns Entführen?'
2.13. Aufzug II, Szene IV: Prozession/'Gesegnet Soll Sie Schreiten'
2.14. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Zurück, Elsa! Nicht Länger Will Ich Dulden'
2.15. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'Heil! Heil Dem König!'
2.16. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'O König! Trugbetörte Fürsten! Haltet Ein!'
2.17. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'Welch’ Ein Geheimnis Muß Der Held Bewahren?'
2.18. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'Mein Held Entgeg’ne Kühn Dem Ungetreuen!'
2.19. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'In Deiner Hand, In Deiner Treu’ Liegt Alles Glückes Pfand!'

3.1. Aufzug III: Vorspiel
3.2. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Treulich Geführt, Ziehet Dahin'
3.3. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Das Süße Lied Verhallt, Wir Sind Allein'
3.4. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Wie Hehr Erkenn’ Ich Unsrer Liebe Wesen!'
3.5. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Atmest Du Nicht Mit Mir Die Süssen Düfte?'
3.6. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Ach, Könnt Ich Deiner Wert Erscheinen!'
3.7. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Höchstes Vertrau’n Hast Du Mir Schon Zu Danken'
3.8. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Hilf Gott, Was Muss Ich Hören!'
3.9. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Hörtest Du Nichts? Vernahmest Du Kein Kommen?'
3.10. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Tragt Den Erschlagnen Vor Des Königs Gericht!'
3.11. Aufzug III, Szene III: Sonnenaufgang/'Heil, König Heinrich!'
3.12. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Was Bringen Die? Was Tun Sie Kund?'
3.13. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Mein Herr Und König, Laß Dir Melden'
3.14. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'In Fernem Land, Unnahbar Eu’ren Schritten'
3.15. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Mir Schwankt Der Boden! Welche Nacht!'
3.16. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Mein Lieber Schwan!'
3.17. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Weh! Weh! Du Edler, Holder Mann!'

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Richard Wagner - Tannhäuser

"The minstrel Heinrich von Ofterdingen, known as Tannhäuser, has been living as a willing captive and lover of Venus. Following the bacchanalian orgy, in which his desires are finally satiated, Tannhäuser wakes from his dream; he longs for freedom and the simple joys of earthly life. Reproaching him for his ingratitude, the love goddess urges him to sing his hymn to Venus, but at the end of both stanzas Tannhauser pleads to be allowed to leave. Venus tries to charm him into staying, but he only pleads harder and she eventually reluctantly yields, prophesying that he will one day return to her in desperation. Tannhauser declares that his salvation lies only in the Virgin Mary; Venus and her domains vanish. 

"Tannhäuser finds himself in the vicinity of the Wartburg, the residence of the Landgrave. A young shepherd's simple greeting to the spring is followed by the chant of an advancing procession of pilgrims; the shepherd greets them, and Tannhauser, inspired, praises the wonders of God. As the procession passes, Tannhäuser begins to feel the weight of his own sin. The Landgrave and his companions arrive. Upon recognising Tannhäuser, they are unsure how to greet him — does he return as friend or foe? Wolfram quickly dismisses their uncertainty, however, and the group joyfully welcomes their long-lost comrade. Tannhauser wishes to continue on his journey, but the others plead him to stay, with Wolfram's cry of 'Bleib bei Elisabeth!' stopping Tannhäuser in his tracks. Explaining that Tannhauser's song has won the heart of Elisabeth, the Landgrave's beautiful niece, who has suffered greatly during his absence, Wolfram and the others successfully persuade Tannhäuser to return to The Hall of Song, the Wartburg Elisabeth rejoices over Tannhäuser's imminent return, joyfully greeting the hall, which she has not entered since his departure. Wolfram enters with Tannhäuser; Elisabeth recalls Tannhäuser's earlier minstrelsy, describing the conflicting emotions that his song aroused in her and reliving the pain of his departure. Tannhäuser, enraptured, hails the power of love, and the two ecstatically sing God's praises. 

"Tannhäuser and Wolfram depart. The Landgrave arrives, welcoming his niece back to the Hall but finding her unwilling to reveal her feelings to him. Guests assemble for the song contest and the minstrels enter. The Landgrave announces that the challenge of the contest is to fathom the true essence of love - the worthiest contender will receive his prize from Elisabeth herself. Wolfram is the first to try, delivering an idealized tribute to Elisabeth and comparing the purity of love to a fountain which should never be sullied, but Tannhäuser, whose soul is still possessed by Venus, retorts that the highest love in fact resides in the pleasure of the senses. Walther then tries his luck, then Biterolf, then Wolfram again, but Tannhäuser scorns each of their attempts with heightened passion answering Wolfram's second invocation with his hymn to Venus. The guests are incensed, but Elisabeth intervenes dramatically with 'Haltet ein!', imploring mercy and atonement for Tannhäuser. Tannhäuser is overcome with remorse, and Elisabeth's intervention is likened to that of an angel. The Landgrave tells Tannhäuser that his only hope of salvation is to join the band of pilgrims preparing to journey to Rome. 

"Elisabeth prays for Tannhäuser's salvation, with Wolfram observing her unnoticed. Both are alerted by the pilgrims' return from Rome — Elisabeth searches among them for Tannhäuser, but he is not there. Broken, she prays to the Virgin to receive her soul in heaven so that she might intercede for her beloved. Wolfram asks if he might not bear her company, but she silently communicates that she must fulfil her duty alone. She returns to the Wartburg, and Wolfram, seized by a presentiment of her death, asks the evening star to guide her on her way.

"Tannhäuser staggers in, ragged and exhausted. Wolfram, who at first mistakes him for a wandering pilgrim, questions why he returns unpardoned to the Wartburg, and Tannhäuser narrates his pilgrimage to Rome: that, in spite of his abject penitence, the Pope refused to grant him absolution, explaining that Tannhäuser's time in the Venusberg means he can no more be forgiven than the Pope's staff can sprout leaves. Tannhäuser now intends to retum to the Venusberg, and Venus herself appears, tempting him back to her realm. Wolfram is horrified, and a struggle for Tannhäuser's soul ensues, with Wolfram's cry of 'Elisabeth!' breaking the enchantment. At that moment a procession enters bearing Elisabeth's body; Venus disappears and Tannhäuser falls to the ground. As he lies dying, calling on the saint to intercede for him, a chorus of pilgrims enter and recount a miracle: the Pope's staff has blossomed. Tannhäuser's soul is saved." (Synopsis by WLP, Ltd. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Orchester und Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele, Axel Kober, Torsten Kerl, Camilla Nylund, Michelle Breedt, Markus Eiche, Kwangchul Youn

1.1. Ouvertüre
1.2. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Naht Euch Dem Strande!'
1.3. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Geliebter, Sag’, Wo Weilt Dein Sinn?'
1.4. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Dir Töne Lob! Die Wunder Sei’n Gepriesen'
1.5. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Dank Deiner Huld! Gepriesen Sei Dein Lieben!'
1.6. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Geliebter, Komm! Sieh Dort Die Grotte'
1.7. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Stets Soll Nur Dir, Nur Dir Mein Lied Ertönen!'
1.8. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Zieh Hin, Wahnsinniger, Zieh Hin!'
1.9. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Ach, Schöne Göttin, Lebe Wohl!'
1.10. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Frau Holda Kam Aus Dem Berg Hervor'
1.11. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Zu Dir Wall’ Ich, Mein Jesus Christ'
1.12. Aufzug I, Szene IV: 'Wer Ist Dort In Brünstigem Gebete?'
1.13. Aufzug I, Szene IV: 'Als Du In Kühnem Sange Uns Bestrittest'

2.1. Aufzug II: Orchestereinleitung/Szene I: 'Dich, Teure Halle, Grüß’ Ich Wieder'
2.2. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Dort Ist Sie; Nahe Dich Ihr Ungestört!'/'Der Sänger Klugen Weisen Lauscht’ Ich Sonst Gern Und Viel'
2.3. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Den Gott Der Liebe Sollst Du Preisen'
2.4. Aufzug II, Szene III: 'Dich Treff ’ich Hier In Dieser Halle, Die So Lange Du Gemieden?'
2.5. Aufzug II, Szene IV: Einzug Der Gäste
2.6. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Freudig Begrüßen Wir Die Edle Halle'
2.7. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Gar Viel Und Schön Ward Hier In Dieser Halle Von Euch, Ihr Lieben Sänger, Schon Gesungen'
2.8. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Blick’ Ich Umher In Diesem Edlen Kreise'
2.9. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Auch Ich Darf Mich So Glücklich Nennen Zu Schaun, Was, Wolfram, Du Geschaut!'
2.10. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Den Bronnen, Den Uns Wolfram Nannte, Ihn Schaut Auch Meines Geistes Licht'
2.11. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'O Walther, Der Du Also Sangest, Du Hast Die Liebe Arg Entstellt!'
2.12. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Heraus Zum Kampfe Mit Uns Allen!'
2.13. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'O Himmel, Lass Dich Jetzt Erflehen, Gib Meinem Lied Der Weihe Preis!'
2.14. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Ha, Der Verruchte! Fliehet Ihn!'
2.15. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Der Unglücksel’ge, Den Gefangen'
2.16. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Weh! Weh Mir Unglücksel’gem!'
2.17. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Ein Furchtbares Verbrechen Ward Begangen'
2.18. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Versammelt Sind Aus Meinen Landen Bußfert’ge Pilger'

3.1. Aufzug III: Orchestereinleitung ('Tannhäusers Pilgerfahrt')
3.2. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Wohl Wußt’ Ich Hier Sie Im Gebet Zu Finden (Wolfram, Ältere Pilger, Elisabeth)
3.3. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Beglückt Darf Nun Dich, O Heimat, Ich Schauen'
3.4. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Allmächt’ge Jungfrau, Hör Mein Flehen!'
3.5. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Wie Todesahnung Dämmrung Deckt Die Lande'
3.6. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'O Du, Mein Holder Abendstern'
3.7. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Ich Hörte Harfenschlag, Wie Klanger Traurig!'
3.8. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Inbrunst Im Herzen, Wie Kein Büßer Noch Sie Je Gefühlt'
3.9. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Dahin Zog’s Mich, Wo Ich Der Wonn’und Lust So Viel Genoss An Ihrer Warmen Brust!'
3.10. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Willkommen, Ungetreuer Mann!'/'Der Seele Heil, Die Nun Entflohn'
3.11. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Heil! Heil! Der Gnade Wunder Heil!'

flac/16-bit