Benda: Romeo und Julie / Immler, Kordes, Tereusch, McFadden, Weir; M. Schneider

Georg Anton Benda (Artist), Michael Schneider (Artist), Scot Weir (Artist), Heidrun Kordes (Artist), La Stagione (Artist), Claron McFadden (Artist), Christian M. Immer (Artist), Hermann Treusch (Artist), Christoph Tomanek (Artist), Simone Brähler (Artist), Ralf Emge (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 29, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Cpo Records
• ASIN: B00000DAKV
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,324 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Act I: Recitativo accompagnato & Aria: Auch sie verstummt-Du, die vom grauen Wagen - Heidrun Kordes

2. Act I: Dialog: Wer kommt? - Heidrun Kordes, Claron McFadden

3. Act I: Aria: Ehrlichkiet und Treue - Claron McFadden

4. Act I: Dialog: Umarme mich - Heidrun Kordes, Hermann Treusch

5. Act I: Aria: Lieb und Hoffnung - Scot Weir

6. Act I: Dialog: Lieb und Hoffnung - Heidrun Kordes, Scot Weir

7. Act I: Final/Terzett: Ja, der Lerche furhe Kehle - Heidrun Kordes, Scot Weir, Claron McFadden

8. Act II: Prld - La Stagione Frankfurt/Micheal Schneider

9. Act II: Recitativo & Aria: Ach, endlich schloss-Laß, ihr Nachtigallen - Claron McFadden

10. Act II: Dialog: Himmel! Ihr Vater! - Claron McFadden, Christian M. Immler

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Act III: Funeral Song: off the stage-Im Grabe wohnt Vergessenheit - La Stagione Frankfurt/Micheal Schneider

2. Act III: Duet: Ach, meine Tochter - Christian M. Immler, Ralf Emge

3. Act III: Duet: Mit diesen Kerzen - Claron McFadden

4. Act III: Funeral Song - La Stagione Frankfurt/Micheal Schneider

5. Act III: Dialog: Francesco! - Scot Weir, Christoph Tomanek

6. Act III: Aria: O, meine Julie - Scot Weir

7. Act III: Duet: Beste, du lebest? - Heidrun Kordes, Scot Weir

8. Act III: Dialog: Ihre Stimmen! - Hermann Treusch, Heidrun Kordes, Scot Weir,Christian M. Immler, Ralf Emge

9. Act III: Final/Coro: Auf! Auf unter Reuezahren - La Stagione Frankfurt/Micheal Schneider

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 18th Century curiosity well done, July 24, 2000

By 

John Cragg (Delta(greater Vancouver), B.C Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Benda: Romeo und Julie / Immler, Kordes, Tereusch, McFadden, Weir; M. Schneider (Audio CD)

Turning Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet into a short German Singspiel with a happy ending may seem a rather implausible undertaking, and so it turns out to be. Shakespeare's play is butchered to the point of not being recognizable. What is is gained is rather pleasant music by a minor German master, here well performed by obscure forces.

Benda's music is in the contemporary style, without any radical features. In the Singspiel tradition, it is interspersed with spoken dialog, and I at least want to keep the skip button well at hand. That the music is not more profound or moving is in line with what was done with the play, so the overall effect is quite enjoyable.

The two sopranos, Heidrum Kordes as Juliet and Claron McFadden as Laura(!) sing delightfully. The light tenor in Romeo's role, Scot Weir, sounds a bit wimpish, but then so is Romeo. The Bremen chorus and Frankfurt orchestra under Michael Schneider do a good, if not particularly inspired, job.

The booklet contains a typically fatuous and uninformative "musicological" essay, the libretto with English translation, and a good track index. The production only lasts about 90 minutes with about 15 of those spoken, so the price, while good, is not a bargain one.

Overall, if you want to explore 18th century opera by other than the major, dominant figures, this is a valuable set. Otherwise, there are better operas, though not recordings, at this price.