Covers + lossless, Not my Rip
A marvelous souvenir of great nights at the VSO.
"The two-CD set of `Strauss Prima Donnas' in Vienna begins with two extracts from the 1933 EMI highlights. Lehmann's Marschallin monologue is done as one remembered it to be. In the Rose Presentation Olszewska is a heavy, mezzo Octavian but Schumann, after 66 years, remains the sweetest and most accurate of Sophies. The Konetzni and Welitsch items - the latter's astonishing 1948 Salome - also derive from EMI's studios. The legendary 1944 Ariadne, given on Strauss's 80th birthday, has also been available before (DG, 11/94, and Preiser, 11/94). Gueden in the final scene of Daphne, ethereal, silver-voiced, is familiar from the DG issue (7/65R) of the complete performance.
Everything else here is new and taken live from the State Opera. The extracts from the 1955 Frau ohne Schatten has the same cast as the Decca studio set (4/68R) of the same year. The second extract has the young Rysanek singing fabulously as the Empress in her Act 3 solo. Schwarzkopf recorded the final scene of Capriccio in the studio, but here, in what must have been a memorable evening in 1960, she adds the extra frisson offered by a live occasion, singing with lustrous tone. Della Casa and Rothenberger were familiar partners as Arabella and Zdenka: this Act 1 scene is a nice souvenir of their collaboration. A year later, in a glorious, highly dramatic partnership, Nilsson and Waechter sing the Recognition scene from Elektra, and Janowitz is a lovely Ariadne. Here, as elsewhere, Böhm shows himself the supreme Strauss conductor he was, and his players excel themselves for him.
The final offerings, all three from Rosenkavalier, offer us three more Marschallins. Jurinac, who first broached the role at Covent Garden in 1966, and Ludwig as Octavian offer a performance to rival that of Reining and Jurinac... The second extract, from a State Opera performance in Moscow, takes up, more or less, where the first ends. The Marschallin (recorded on the State Opera's visit to Moscow) is not perhaps Rysanek's best Strauss role; she is not quite precise enough of rhythm or word; and Ludwig is a somewhat blowzy Octavian (compared with Jurinac). The set ends with the final duet under Bernstein's loving care, as sweettoothed as you might expect. Ludwig, now as the Marschallin, has only her `Ja, ja' to commend her. [A]s a whole this collection is a marvellous souvenir of great nights at the VSO."
-- Alan Blyth, Gramophone [3/2000]
1. Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59: Da geht er hin, der aufgeblasene by Richard Strauss
Performer: Sena Jurinac (Soprano), Christa Ludwig (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Heinz Wallberg
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1909-1910; Germany
Date of Recording: 06/21/1972
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 10 Minutes 30 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a stereo recording.
2. Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59: Mir ist..."Rose Presentation" by Richard Strauss
Performer: Maria Olszewska (Alto), Elisabeth Schumann (Soprano)
Conductor: Robert Heger
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1909-1910; Germany
Venue: Vienna, Austria
Length: 6 Minutes 10 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
Vienna, Austria (09/20/1933 - 09/24/1933)
3. Ariadne auf Naxos, Op. 60: Sein wir wieder gut by Richard Strauss
Performer: Irmgard Seefried (Mezzo Soprano), Paul Schöffler (Baritone)
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1911/1916; Germany
Date of Recording: 06/11/1944
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 3 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
4. Ariadne auf Naxos, Op. 60: Wo war ich? by Richard Strauss
Performer: Maria Reining (Soprano), Alda Noni (Soprano), Erich Kunz (Baritone)
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1911/1916; Germany
Date of Recording: 06/11/1944
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 10 Minutes 43 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
Composition written: Germany (1911).
Composition revised: Germany (1916).
5. Ariadne auf Naxos, Op. 60: Grossmächtige Prinzessin by Richard Strauss
Performer: Alda Noni (Soprano)
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1911/1916; Germany
Date of Recording: 06/11/1944
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 11 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
6. Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59: Kann mich auch an ein Mädel by Richard Strauss
Performer: Hilde Konetzni (Soprano)
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1909-1910; Germany
Date of Recording: 12/15/1947
Venue: Vienna, Austria
Length: 4 Minutes 45 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
7. Salome, Op. 54: Ah! Warum hast du mich nicht angeseh'n by Richard Strauss
Performer: Gertrude Schuster (Alto), Ljuba Welitsch (Soprano), Josef Witt (Tenor)
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1903-1905; Germany
Venue: Vienna, Austria
Length: 10 Minutes 29 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
Vienna, Austria (12/22/1948 - 12/24/1948)
8. Die Frau ohne Schatten, Op. 65: Was wollt ihr hier? by Richard Strauss
Performer: Leonie Rysanek (Soprano), Christel Goltz (Soprano), Elisabeth Höngen (Alto),
Karl Terkal (Tenor)
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: Germany
Date of Recording: 11/09/1955
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 15 Minutes 26 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
Composition written: Germany (1914 - 1918).
9. Die Frau ohne Schatten, Op. 65: Vater, bist du's? by Richard Strauss
Performer: Ludwig Weber (Bass Baritone), Leonie Rysanek (Soprano), Christel Goltz (Soprano),
Emmy Loose (Soprano)
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1914-1918; Germany
Date of Recording: 11/09/1955
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 9 Minutes 49 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
10. Capriccio, Op. 85: Morgenmittag um elf! by Richard Strauss
Performer: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Soprano)
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1940-1941; Germany
Date of Recording: 05/15/1960
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 13 Minutes 28 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
11. Arabella, Op. 79: Ich danke, Fräulein by Richard Strauss
Performer: Lisa Della Casa (Soprano), Anneliese Rothenberger (Soprano)
Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1932; Germany
Date of Recording: 06/21/1964
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 10 Minutes 53 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a stereo recording.
12. Daphne, Op. 82: Unheilvolle Daphne! by Richard Strauss
Performer: Hilde Gueden (Soprano)
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Date of Recording: 04/17/1964
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 8 Minutes 20 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a stereo recording.
13. Elektra, Op 58: Wer bist denn du? by Richard Strauss
Performer: Birgit Nilsson (Soprano), Eberhard Wächter ()
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1906-1908; Germany
Date of Recording: 12/16/1965
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 12 Minutes 37 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a stereo recording.
14. Ariadne auf Naxos, Op. 60: Es gibt ein Reich by Richard Strauss
Performer: Gundula Janowitz (Soprano)
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1911/1916; Germany
Date of Recording: 11/26/1976
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 5 Minutes 19 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a stereo recording.
15. Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59: Die Zeit, die ist ein sonderbar by Richard Strauss
Performer: Leonie Rysanek (Soprano), Christa Ludwig (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Heinz Wallberg
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1909-1910; Germany
Date of Recording: 10/03/1971
Venue: Live Moscow, USSR
Length: 10 Minutes 1 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a stereo recording.
16. Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59: Ist ein Traum by Richard Strauss
Performer: Reri Grist (), Erich Kunz (), Christa Ludwig (Mezzo Soprano),
Dame Gwyneth Jones (Soprano)
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1909-1910; Germany
Date of Recording: 04/13/1968
Venue: Live Vienna, Austria
Length: 8 Minutes 1 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: This selection is a stereo recording.
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