Comments on: “The Merry Widow” À La “Mad Men” With Tony Award Winning Conductor Franz Allers & Lisa Della Casa

By: Julian Eaves

Julian Eaves — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 23:32:01 +0000

Serendipitously, I just came across Emil Strauss singing Danilo’s Auftrittslied, with piano accompaniment, from 1907. It’s astonishingly clear, spry, and the piano includes some quite ‘honky-tonk’ effects (who was playing? Lehar?). Great fun. As for a ‘Mad Men’ look to the show, check out La Fenice’s recent production: very chic, but with a Danilo who arguably sounds more like Wotan than a carefree man-about-town.

By: PhilipCarli

PhilipCarli — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 02:33:35 +0000

Peter – “Stone age in technical detail”?

I have to say that Truesound Treansters’ re-release of the 1907 Berlin recording makes me happier and happier the more I listen to it. The performers are real personalities, not dim ghosts. The technology was cutting edge for the time, and it could be claimed as something of an early technical triumph. I would recommend opening your ears and widening your sonic imagination and interpretive abilities. There’s a lot of early recordings that are too easy to dismiss without some attentiveness and comprehension on the part of the listener.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:16:36 +0000

Thank you, Kevin, for your additional informations!
I am aware of the fact that tastes can differ. And, of course, you are right:
there exist early recordings, but most of them are really stone age when it comes to the technical point of view and one gets only a very faint impression how it really sounded.

But when I listen to this somehow girlish sharp and birdlike unsteady twittering of the Massary (which was typical for a lot of pre-war-singers, be it in the opera or operetta) then it may be funny, even a little bit grotesque and old-fashioned but not a pleasure to my ears.

Interpretations of music always mirrors a the “esprit” of the time which obviously can change. Even if we play nowadays on baroque instruments, it will be different to the sound of the real epoch.

But, of course, Fritzy Massary and “team”…:-) is one answer to a possibe interpretaion.

Whereas, if you listen to the recordings under Lehàr’s bar you have a very different style; o.k., he has recorded especially his later operatic style works. But he appreciated Tauber very much and also the gorgeous Jarmila Novotna,…, which may show that he also was open for different interpretations…

In this sense: thank you. Have a nice evening. It is always interesting to read your website and to have discussions from time to time!

By: kevin

kevin — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 07:51:11 +0000

We do have some very detailed accounts of how the original singers of operetta in the 19th century sounded – and that was a sound very far removed from della Casa, Schwarzkopf or Güden. And of some stars, such as Alexander Girardi, we have recordings and even film clips that give a good idea of his “style.” From the early 20th century onwards many original cast members made recordings too, so we actually know what Mizzi Günther and Louis Treuman sounded like as Hanna/Danilo and how they presented Lehár’s music. Of course everyone is welcome to prefer a different approach to LUSTIGE WITWE or operetta in general. But considering how many reviewers praised Fritzi Massary as the greatest operetta singer ever (Oscar Bie) and how many copied her style, one can call her one of the “true” stars of the genre. And compare others with Massary to check if they have anything “new” to say and if they learned from their famous predecessors (which Schwarzkopf absolutely did, with overwhelming results).

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 15:55:24 +0000

Hi evereybody!

Thank you for this review!

Thanks to it, I have already ordered a copy of this CD and was really positively surprised by its crisp and gorgeous sound quality and the sheer beauty of della Casas singing. To be honest, I prefer the singing in original languages, be it in operas or operettas, and for me the versions with Hilde Güden and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf are unreachable top recordings in style and taste. And Bonynges version with the highly appreciated Sutherland suffers from the silly reorchestration.
But this english version is exciting concerning the direction, the orchestra and the singing! I think, it is complaining on high level if one is not happy with well gifted opera singers (alright, the tenor sounds a little bit as if he has Knödel in his mouth, but for the rest of the cast, I think we should not complain!).
What I can’t stand anymore is the comparison with Fritzi Massary which – for the operetta research center and some others – seems to be the only “true” operetta singer of all times. We have no proofs of technically reliable recordings how operetta, especially the “golden” and early “silvery” one should sound corresponding to the composer’s intention. It will – forever – remain a pure question of taste.
And I personally prefer excellent opera voices to the sound of weak singing actors and actresses.
I beg your pardon!