By: Dafydd Jones

Dafydd Jones — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 20:56:43 +0000

Thank you for your very informative and insightful review.I had the Melodiya 2 LP boxed set of this operetta,when I was a youngster. It was,unsuprisingly,in Russian. I used to love operetta (and still do) and Kálmán was one of my favourites. Like allot of people,back then,I knew the Kálmán operettas via the emi electrola recordings and various highlight and recital Lps from labels like,the aforementioned emi,eurodisc,and to a lesser degree,decca. I also used to borrow,for what it’s worth,the rca highlights Lp of Kalman’s Die Csárdásfürstin. A total travesty of the score;but it did have Anna Moffo as an operatic,but very alluring Sylva!!The Lp is worth owning for her rendition of the opening solo. If only they hadn’t mucked about with the rest!! I also had the Melodiya set of Die Bajadere,which to judge from the samples I have listened to elsewhere,had exactly the lightness of touch that this new recording from Bonynge lacks. This also applies to the Ohio Light Opera recording. I must admit to not being that impressed by Bonynge’s previous forays into Kalman’s operettas. Whatever you might say about the old emi electrola recordings,they had sumptuous production values and world class soloists,some of whom like Anneliese Rothenberger,may have been a little too operatic in their approach,and a little too middle aged for the roles they performed (as has been observed in some online reviews,elsewhere) but on the plus side,looking at all the recordings of operetta she made,over the years;obviously knew this kind of repertoire inside out. Her voice was also still in pretty good shape. (I must confess to being a bit of a fan here!) Also,while the romantic numbers are,I suppose, a little too operatic for their own good there is more of a feel for the sumptuousness,and if I may say so,virility of the scores,than Bonynge’s interpretations,which seem to lack the necessary passion. The Melodiya recording,on the other hand, seemed to me to possess the best of both worlds. The romantic leads are particularly good.Their Prince Radjami has a particularly sonorous voice;but their Marietta is even better;having just that twenties ‘flapper’quality and lightness of touch the score needs. Best of all the choruses and the tempi of the syncopated dance numbers have all the necessary twenties bounce that Bonynge’s funereal pacing lacks. Why so slow? In my opinion this is,in many ways,the single worst aspect of this recording. Unfortunately,I can’t comment on the authenticity of the orchestrations used in the Melodiya recording,however. I still have the Lps but,at present, no record player to play them on.They certainly have allot more of that twenties feel to them than either the Cpo or Ohio Light Opera recordings. That said;the Cpo recording is certainlywelcome. From the samples I have heard,the singing and conducting is of a decent standard and certainly an improvement on the Bad ischl recordings you refer to. I am also please that it was recorded in the studio and that some dialogue was included.Die Bayadere is a particularly lovely operetta and a decent recording is way overdue. With all it’s failings,we must still be thankful that this recording is as good as it is!

Comments on: Kalman’s “Die Bajadere”: Radio Recording From Cologne

By: Dafydd Jones