Comments on: What Is The Best “Fledermaus” On Disc?

By: Ian Bond

Ian Bond — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 05:33:35 +0000

It surprises me that no mention has been made of two other recordings which, to my mind, rank very highly and can match anything presented to us by the more star-studded casts indulged in by the more mainstream labels.

Firstly the german language recording from Naxos (8.660017-18) with the Bratislava City Chorus, Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Conductor, Johannes Wildner. The only singer in the cast known to me is John Dickie as Eisenstein. The recording is full of life and fun, the entire ballet is included and many of the traditional musical cuts are opened up (not the Act Two opening chorus, unfortunately). This is the FLEDERMAUS I return to most frequently.

As for an English language version, and in the absence of a complete recording of the old Sadler’s Wells translation, it is really hard to dismiss the Alistair Beaton version as presented on Sony (S2K 64573) as performed by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company under the baton of John Owen Edwards. D’Oyly Carte was undoubtedly the nearest the UK ever had to a full-time operetta company and it shows through here in a sparkling performance emanating from their tour of 1994. No ballet or ballet substitute on this one, but we do get the full Act Two opening chorus.

Both recordings benefit from female Orlofskys.

By: matthias kaether

matthias kaether — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:52:23 +0000

I have two Favorites, The Clemens Krauss recording with Patzak, Güden and Dermota ,unfortunately without dialogs. And, very funny, Fricsays Berlin DG-Recording with Peter Anders, Anny Schlemm and Rita Streich. This is a very treasure.

By: Kurt Gänzl

Kurt Gänzl — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 03:19:30 +0000

PS. Yes. Harnoncourt plus operetta = HELL!

By: Kurt Gänzl

Kurt Gänzl — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 03:17:47 +0000

Goodness, how did I not have my tuppenceworth on this. See; MUSICAL THEATRE ON RECORD. (Basil Blackwell, 1990). (1) Patzak & Güden (2) Schwarzkopf & Gedda. If you like ‘extras’ the Domingo one will do fine. There have been others since 1990? Who needs them, when you have (1) and (2)?

By: YIANNIS GABRIEL

YIANNIS GABRIEL — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 15:22:51 +0000

A fine comparative review. I tend to agree that the Karajan (omitting the gala) comes out pretty well but I would prefer the Kleiber version any day if it wasn’t for the impossible Iwan Rebroff as Orlowsky. It simply is beyond me how a great conductor like Ck could possibly have cast him in the part – it is a grotesque caricature.

I am surprised you don’t mention the Previn version. I am not a great fan of Dame Kiri but the rest of the cast seem quite brilliant (including an excellent Italian tenor).

By: jfl

jfl — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 07:28:44 +0000

I could never stand Karajan’s slick “Gala Performance” Fledermaus. The party-guest scene is as out of place as if it was dropped in from space and sounds overproduced. It’s even more offputting than Erika Köth, whose vibrato makes her sound like an electrified lamb. Meanwhile one can get a similarly excellent cast, also with Güden, Berry & Waechter + Kunz, Stolze, Zampieri & Streich, on a live recording with Karajan from the Staatsoper. A true highlight and with a bit of self-referential, tongue-in-cheek fun. It’s a whole different ballgame. And remains my favorite version. (RCA, http://a-fwd.to/36hioQ5 – You are referring to it, however briefly, above.)

And then there’s the most Viennese version, of course, which you also mention, if only in passing, namely Krauss’, 1950…with Patzak (!), Dermota, Peoll – as K&K/Vienna a trio as can get (and Gueden again). (Decca, Preiser et al.: http://a-fwd.to/F4UX1Rk )

I’m not usually one to look into the past for great recordings, but with the Fledermaus I still seem to be emotionally half a century+ behind. :-)

By: John Groves

John Groves — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 09:43:51 +0000

Eugene Ormandy conducts a live Met performance, recorded in 1951, on the Myto CD label – it was once available on a Philips 2LP set – I seem to remember that the diction was so indistinct they could all have been singing in Russian!

By: Bill White

Bill White — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 05:00:17 +0000

I am still seeking a truly satisfactory rendition of this operetta. (The NDR version is a clear contender, but not best in class.) I do think the rambling Frosch monologue in Act 3 is important in evaluating sets, some of them grow dated and or tiresome very quickly. (Or are we to pretend this work is essentially finished after the sparkling completion of Act II?) I do prefer a German sung version because wonderful Strauss songs such as “Bruderlein” sound more comfortable to the ear with the original lyrics.

By: Oliver Richters

Oliver Richters — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 12:27:33 +0000

What about the Bruno Seidler-Winkler recording from Berlin, Spring 1907?
It’s with Robert Philipp, Emilie Herzog, Marie Dietrich and Hermann Vallentin as Frosch.
I think, that’s the first (nearly) complete recording.

By: Harry Forbes

Harry Forbes — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 23:32:41 +0000

Great overview. Agree with all. But one component not mentioned is the ballet music which varies widely from recording to recording. I think only the Karajan Gala set and the Harnoncourt use the full Strauss original music, though Decca has cut it off their CD issue of the set. (Another issue of that performance (I believe on the Regis label) manages to fit it in)I’ve never been able to locate the German Danon recording here in the States.

By: Elmar Joura

Elmar Joura — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 14:16:29 +0000

The Fledermaus with Ljuba Welitsch on CD can be found on https://www.pristineclassical.com/products/paco030
They usually do an amazing jobin restoring historic recordings