The Good Soldier Schweik: Complete Opera by Robert Kurka (1921-1957) [Import]

Robert Kurka (Artist), Jason Collins (Artist), Marc Embree (Conductor), Kelli Harrington (Orchestra), Alexander Platt (Artist), Chicago Opera Theater (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Kelli Harrington
• Conductor: Marc Embree
• Audio CD (May 21, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Cedille
• ASIN: B000066SGC
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #704,269 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Overture

2. Dami a Pani!

3. So they killed Ferdinand!

4. We're having a very fine summer

5. Pantomime Dance

6. Good evening, gentlemen, I hope you're all well

7. Good evening, ev'rybody, it's been a lovely day

8. We're all in a hell of a mess

9. It's great fun

10. The ego and the Id

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Prelude (March)

2. O-o-oh!

3. Just look at me

4. Achtung!

5. Aha, rheumatism!

6. Baroness von Botzenheim

7. I always thought the army

8. Okay, let's pray

9. Why bless my soul

10. Well, schweik, how'd things go today?

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Dog Has His Day -- & At Last Kurka's "Schweik" Has His, June 10, 2002

By 

Nicholas A. Deutsch (Tarrytown, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good Soldier Schweik: Complete Opera by Robert Kurka (1921-1957) (Audio CD)

This long-overdue 1st recording of Robert Kurka's "The Good Soldier Schweik" (premiered by the New York City Opera in 1958) should win many new fans for the piece, both because of the many attractions of its wonderfully quirky score & for the strong performance it receives here. An opera with a big "underground" reputation, it surely deserved to be committed to disc just as much as the other works that the City Opera recorded back in the late 1950s & early 60s, such as Douglas Moore's "The Ballad of Baby Doe," Marc Blitzstein's "Regina" & Robert Ward's "The Crucible." Instead fans had to make do with a "pirate" tape in dim sound.
Now we have this bright, sharp version, with outstanding instrumental work under Alexander Platt's energetic leadership & a strong ensemble cast made up largely of young singers, some just out of professional apprentice programs, along with a helpful sprinkling of more seasoned performers -- baritone Marc Embree outstanding in 3 roles. As Schweik, tenor Jason Collins negotiates Kurka's sometimes awkward tessitura (very high/very low) with great skill, & holds center stage gracefully. My only reservation has to do with the small number of female voices for the 2 mixed chorus numbers in Act II: 1 soprano, 1 alto, 4 tenors & 4 baritones/basses hardly makes for a good balance.
Despite the long list of its musical ancestors - Weill, Stravinsky, Czech folk music, Gershwin, Copland, Bernstein, etc. - "Schweik" impresses as one-of-a-kind: the orchestral writing wonderful, the vocal perhaps less consistently so - but Kurka might have made adjustments had he lived to hear the piece on stage. The libretto by Lewis Allan works well, tho' the level of verbal wit & skill is variable, no match for (say) Blitzstein or John Latouche at their best. In the end, however, an opera stands or falls on the merits of its music, & "Schweik" definitely stands.
I've enjoyed getting to know "Schweik" in this committed & expert performance, & I think anyone interested in American opera & music theater will find it worth their while too. Congratulations & thanks to Chicago Opera Theater!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent., May 19, 2007

By 

Nancy Beiman "Northernexpress" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Good Soldier Schweik: Complete Opera by Robert Kurka (1921-1957) (Audio CD)

It is a pity that Robert Kurka died so young. THE GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK is a tremendous achievement and it is considerably more pleasant to listen to today than much of the avant-garde music of its time.

The only other problem is: this opera is too short. I could easily have listened to a much longer piece with great pleasure.