A New Recording Of Edward German’s “Tom Jones”
I really don’t listen much, these days, to show recordings. Especially new recordings of my beloved older shows. Those, in
read moreOn the Record
Pop Art Meets Carl Zeller: “Der Vogelhändler” From The 2017 Mörbisch Festival
You could call this year’s Vogelhändler at the Mörbisch Festival a kick-ass production – or an erect middle-finger in the
read more
Lehár’s “Der Graf von Luxemburg”: Live-Recording From Frankfurt With Amazing Conductor
Early Lehár operetta seems to be en vogue this season, on record at least. Here is a new release on
read more
Daring To Be Different: Lehár’s “Die Juxheirat” On CPO
Viennese operetta at the beginning of the 20th century was a genre in transition, claims Stefan Frey in an essay
read more
First Modern Recording of Franz Lehár’s Feminist “Die Juxheirat”
Julius Bauer (1854-1941) was, like many Viennese operetta librettists, a highly cultured and witty man. He studied medicine and then
read more
Offenbach’s Gender-Bending “L’ile de Tulipatan” From New York
The Light Opera of New York (LOONY) shifted gears this spring from its annual early American operetta – usually by
read more
World Premiere Recording: Kalman’s “Dryad’s Kiss”
One of Emmerich Kalman’s great musical idols was George Gershwin whom he entertained in Vienna in 1928, after they both
read more
“A Trip To Africa”: Franz von Suppé’s Oriental Operetta In English
It’s quite a miracle: a full cast album of Franz von Suppé’s exotic Die Afrikareise, recorded live and in an
read more
A New “Student Prince” With John Mauceri
This CD could probably only be released for a German market and for German operetta fans who have no idea
read more
Viennese Operetta Gems 1927-1949: A Classic Naxos Compilation
Any operetta compilation that starts with Charles Kullmann singing “Als flotter Geist, doch früh verwaist” like this has my immediate
read more
Kalman’s “Die Bajadere”: Radio Recording From Cologne
With Die Bajadere, Emmerich Kalman embarked on a new path as a composer in 1921: he changed his librettist team
read more
Sigmund Romberg’s 1933 “Melody”: First Complete Cast Album
Romberg’s Broadway operettas have not been revived professionally in the UK since matinee idol John Hanson – he of the
read more
Joseph Beer’s “Polnische Hochzeit” (1937) On CPO
“In der Heimat blüh’n die Rosen – nicht für mich den Heimatlosen”, sings Count Boleslav in his first big solo
read more
Sigmund Romberg’s 1933 Musical Romance “Melody” On CD: New Cast Recording
It is seemingly inevitable that a conversation among Broadway aficionados about composer Sigmund Romberg (1887-1951) eventually turns to the question:
read more
Dostal’s “Ungarische Hochzeit” (1939): First Complete Recording Of “Lebensraum” Operetta
Here is a new and first complete recording of Nico Dostal’s 1939 operetta Ungarische Hochzeit – premiered at the opera
read more
“Viktoria und ihr Husar”: The 2016 Cast Album From Mörbisch
Paul Abraham’s Viktoria und ihr Husar conquered the German language operetta scene in 1930 – and pretty much swept away
read more
Slay It With Music: A Conversation With Michael Colby
Librettist and lyricist Michael Colby has written musicals such as Charlotte Sweet and Tales Of Tinseltown, both have just been
read more
“Viktoria und ihr Husar” aus Mörbisch 2016 mit Dagmar Schellenberger
Die erste moderne Ábrahám-Aufnahme auf Basis einer rekonstruierten Originalpartitur von Hagedorn & Grimminger: mit einer elegischen Dagmar Schellenberger in der
read more
Lehár’s “Giuditta”: A New Recording From Munich With Ulf Schirmer
There are many reasons why one can fall head-over-heels for Lehar’s “musikalische Komödie” Giuditta, first produced in January 1934 at
read more
Michael Colby’s “Charlotte Sweet” Or: When Musicals Were Fun
More years ago than I care to count, I was staying at New York’s Algonquin Hotel, in my capacity as
read more
Ghostlight Records New Lerner & Loewe “Paint Your Wagon”: Starring Keith Carradine
In November 1951, composer Frederick Loewe and librettist Alan Jay Lerner premiered Paint Your Wagon, their homage to the American
read more
A Noel Coward 4-CD Box: The Complete HMV Recordings
Noel Coward. His name has become a kind of cliché, in the decades since his death, as the epitome of
read more
Albert von Tilzer’s “The Gingham Girl”: A New Cast Album
The Operetta Foundation in Los Angeles has made a brand new cast album of Albert von Tilzer’s 1922 Broadway hit
read more
“Männe, hak’ mir mal die Taille auf!”: Erotic Cabaret Songs
The art of the suggestive song is not restricted to any particular historic era; it is, however, limited to a
read more
Clouds of Rain: Nigel Shore’s New Album
Yes, you are right: there are not that many operettas set in South America. Okay, there is Moïse Simons‘ stunning
read more
Palazzetto Bru Zane: “Let’s Talk About Hervé!”
Palazzetto Bru Zane has devoted its energy to the rediscovery of forgotten (French) operas, so far. But now, an opéra
read more
Vienna’s New Year’s Concert: Using Johann Strauss As A PR-Tool For Tourism
How could we get through January 1st without the obligatory New Year’s Concert from Vienna? The 2016 edition was conducted
read more
The First Great Dickensian Operetta: “Pickwick” (1889)
Retrospect Opera, a registered charity in Britain, has launched a project to record the operetta Pickwick (1889) by Sir Francis
read more
Blacks Doing Yellow-Face, Or Some Very Queer Gilbert & Sullivan
Recently, ORCA received a generous donation in the form of various Gilbert & Sullivan materials that a researcher in the
read more
Leoncavallo’s “Zazà” Returns Triumphantly
This week, there will be a concert performance of Leoncavallo’s one-and-only operetta Zazà at the Barbican in London. It’s a
read more
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf At 100: “Komm’ mit mir ins Chambre separée”
Today, soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf would have celebrated her 100th birthday. That’s a perfect occasion to remember her enormous recorded legacy,
read more
“Grimm”: Tomorrow’s Stars In Today’s Hit-Show
Yes, here it finally is: the original cast album and DVD version of Grimm. This fairy tale musical, with some
read more
Chita Rivera Sings Robert Stolz? The Cast Album Of “The Visit”
Listening to Kander & Ebb’s The Visit – their adaptation of Durrenmatt’s Besuch der alten Dame – with an operetta
read more
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers: A New Cowboy Cast Album
It would seem that cowboys are back en vogue everywhere, not just in Hollywood with blockbusters such as Django Unchained
read more
Could “The Song Of Norway” Be Staged In Disney’s “Frozen” Fasion For A New Generation?
If you have any teenage girls – or younger – in your circle of friends, chances are high that you’ve
read more
MILF Scene of the Year: A New “Nacht in Venedig” From Mörbisch
There is no shortage of Eine Nacht in Venedig recordings. Some of them are all-time classics, such as the Elisabeth
read more