By: Ernesto Oppicelli, author of operetta books

Ernesto Oppicelli, author of operetta books — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 09:25:51 +0000

I have just added to my operetta collection the cpo-cd wrongly titled DIE FASCHINGSFEE and being a cpo-friend, for I bought ALL their miraculous discs, I was more than surprised that this label accepted to put in their catalogue this offensive result to the ‘real’ and splendid Kalman operetta.
I am indeed really sad about this infamous cd which has everything – or almost everything – to be condemned. With the piano score in my hands I was in a mere chaos trying to ‘reach’ the numbers coming from the cd … I made myself nuts trying to figure that out …I admit that a friend has also told me that there are two versions of this operetta made by Kalman himself – so: were also published two different piano score? I am sure 100% it is impossible to recognize here one or the other of the original scores … it’s only a pure fraud to people who loves the operetta theatre. Yes, a very few numbers correspond to the score, but it’s all a hodge-podge which I am sure would have made my dear Emmerich Kálmán cry bitter and compassionate tears if he had to listen to it. What a pity and what a skulduggery from cpo. I would have never, NEVER, expected such a trick!
I have to confess that I’ll try with all my force to spread to everyone this opinion of mine because it is necessary Hélas, nowadays it seems necessary to a lot of theatre managers to modernise, to change, to put a new look to their productions, the old has to become young! But those operettas are never old, their magic is in their natural pleasantness and the richness in the orchestral and vocal arrangements which are nearer to the classical music more than anyone may think. Is it bad then that after the show one can whistle a tune? Even going out from a performance of Puccini’s LA BOHÈME you may hear someone whistling the Musetta’s waltz. It is different with a Wagner opera! Oh ja ja ja.
I had to say my opinion and … since it happens when you are not in line with an audience that gives thunderous applause, I am expecting insulting answers! That’s how conditions are nowadays.

By: ERNESTO OPPICELLI author of books on operetta

ERNESTO OPPICELLI author of books on operetta — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 14:30:55 +0000

THE ABOVE PERFORMANCE OF FASCHINGSFEE IS NOT THE KALMAN’S OPERETTA. IT’S AN AWFUL REMAKE THAT I JUST RECEIVED AS A CD AND I HAD THE NECESSITY TO WRITE A MESSAGE TO THE CPO DIRECTION THAT I REPEAT IT HERE:
Dear CPO Sirs,
I have just received from jpc and listened to your cd wrongly titled DIE FASCHINGSFEE and being a cpo-friend, for I bought ALL your miraculous discs, I was more than surprised that your label has accepted to put in their catalogue this offensive result to the ‘real’ and splendid Kalman operetta.
Please let me say my sadness because this infamous offer has everything – or almost everything – to be condemned. I had my piano score in my hands to follow the cd and found myself in a chaos trying to ‘reach’ where the offered music came from … I made myself nuts trying to figure that out … This is a pure fraud to people who loves the operetta theatre and it’s easy to understand why – it comes from the Gärtner-Platz-Theater where it’s a common thing not to recognize a work because they seem to use their intelligence to ‘change’ everything – to change what is not to be changed. . This cd is so far from all your products that you ought to cancel it from your catalogue or, at least, not to repeat such adventure in the future. I have to admit that I’ll be very careful to buy anything from cpo from now on. I am rightly aware that the beauty of a work is in its original form and not to the revised version unhappily created by assassins of the art.
I’ll never understand why you put this thing to your catalogue. I have now a certain ‘fear’ to listen to another cpo-cd I bought from jpc: EINE NACHT IN VENEDIG …. Oh JA JA JA, es ist die Korngold Fassung … is it really that or someone has thought to have the right to change it too? …
All your titles have always been a true joy to me, particularly with the Lehar operettas (even when I
had some reservation about something, never I felt sad because of your coherent respect for the ‘original’ score. To say all the truth I was only disappointed when I did not find the whole score with your WIENER FRAUEN … please do it again … ‘complete’) …
Your cd of DIE FASCHINGSFEE has also part of the dialogue … why haven’t you cut it? . There are – here and there – a few numbers which correspond to the score, but it’s all a hodge-podge which I am sure would have made my dear Emmerich Kálmán cry bitter and compassionate tears if he had to listen to it. What a pity and what a skulduggery from cpo. I would have never, NEVER, expected such a trick!
I have to confess that I’ll try with all my force to spread to everyone this opinion of mine because it is necessary …
Well, perhaps you will not pardon me and you will PERHAPS justify why this FASTENZEITSFEE has been thrown to the market …
I do hope you will NOT make the same mistake in the future because I DO hope you will make me happy again surprising me putting in the market Lehar’s PETER UND PAUL INS SCHLARAFFENLAND (believe it or not, and smile: : I interpreted the ‘Christkindlein’ Lied from it, in one of my operetta concerts!) and ROSENSTOCK UND EDELWEISS, DIE TANGOKOENIGIN … and why not! DIE GELBE JACKE …
… and why not one of the most beautiful Suppé’s operetta? I mean DONNA JUANITA …
… and why not Albini’s BARON TRENCK?
Well, my appetite may let me continue giving titles and titles and titles ..…
Before concluding my message I must let you know that DIE FASCHINGSFEE is much better represented in the commercial market with the american (yes!!) version from the Ohio light Opera Company (Albany records TROY1391-92 – it’s a pity they had a very unhappy cover for it) as well as the WDR release (LC Classic 14165 – Kölner rundfunkorchester/Dirigent Peter Falk).
All the best,
Ernesto Oppicelli
Via Certosa 1 a interno 3
16159 Genova Certosa
Italien

Comments on: Kalman’s “Faschingsfee”: Carnival Spectacle At Munich’s Gärtnerplatz

By: Ernesto Oppicelli, author of operetta books

By: ERNESTO OPPICELLI author of books on operetta