Customer Reviews

Great Recordings Of The Century - Mozart: Die Zauberflote / Karajan, Dermota, Seefried, Lipp, et al

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fabulous early von Karajan. It seems as if the singers have taken first prize on this recording; not that the orchestra isn't good, but I think that if you love singers and singing you should really have this one in your collection. NOTE: there is no spoken dialogue here. (Good!) (Well, that's just how I feel.) The recording itself is darn good considering its age. It doesn't really take away from the listening pleasure. I have several Magic Flutes, and I return to this one often. And yes, Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen is sung superbly. So if you want "an old one" and also "a new one," this should be the old one. Great!

There's nothing quite like the conducting of the young Herbert von Karajan. Listening to his early '50s Mozart recordings is like tasting fine vintage wine. Under Legge, he directed a handful of exceptional recordings (FLUTE, FIGARO, COSI, all four Horn Concertos with Dennis Brain, etc.). It is a pity that this sense of joy and spontaneity, preserved here, eluded him later on in his career. Admittedly, I didn't care for this set at first; now I couldn't live without it. I believe any serious collector should own this beautiful, idiomatic, endlessly insightful version.

If classic singing is involved -- especially Mozart singing -- I could usually care less about sound. Unfortunately, the mono transfer greatly hinders this 1950 recording. Sound-wise, it's no competition for, say, Bohm's later recording on DG, but Karajan's theatrical vibrance shines through: he brings out the warmth, charm and nobility of this great opera like none other, and the singing is miraculous.

Anton Dermota is an inspired Tamino, my personal favorite on disc. Overall he's probably second to Wunderlich (for Bohm), who is the best sung Tamino anywhere. It's all a matter of taste, but I think Dermota really understands this young, sometimes reluctant character, and the acting is quite effective; his ear for German is much better than his Italian (e.g. Don Ottavio), and since Tamino is an outsider in this tale, I quite enjoy his "foreign"-sounding Eastern European dialect.

Several Paminas may surpass Irmgard Seefried vocally (e.g. Gundula Janowitz for Klemperer), but none give such a tender reading of the text. Her brief "Die Wahrheit!" in Act One is deeply personal, adding so much dimension to Pamina in only a few bars of music. Seefried is never emotionally uninvolved, and makes this recording something extra special. Wilma Lipp, however, delivers a mostly "concert" version of the Queen's arias, and I really don't care. There is a frightful misconception that the Queen of the Night is the most important character in the opera anyway. Still, one of two fine performances should be supplemented: Rita Streich (for Fricsay) or the beguiling Lucia Popp (for Klemperer).

As Papageno, Erich Kunz gives a benchmark performance. He brings a clear sense of point-of-view and dramatic event, as well as brilliantly understated comic timing. His near suicide attempt (with the entry of the three boys) is unspeakably good on this recording -- far and away the best recorded version until Solti's (with REAL boys), and still the most insightful anywhere.

Ludwig Weber's "In diesen heil'gen Hallen" is the highlight of this entire Karajan recording. Luscious. His "Isis und Osiris" is sliiightly less involved, but still marvelous. I tend to enjoy a faster tempo (e.g. Bohm's) regardless.

The ensemble work here is the best of any recorded version. The quintets, "Hm, Hm, Hm" and "Wie? Wie? Wie?", may be in fact the best ensemble singing I have ever heard. As mentioned before, The Three Boys were truly unrivaled until Solti and Ostman (many, many years later), and still possess a dreamy, other-world quality that is most satisfying. Truly magnificent.

Unfortunately there's no spoken dialogue. A pity, especially for Kunz fans. Still. Who listens to these operas for the dialogue? Okay: MORE THAN ONCE? WHO CARES? Though flawed by puny mono sound and lack of spoken dialogue (if that matters), this is a LUMINOUS performance featuring virtuosic Mozartian singing and inspired conducting. A personal favorite.

This recording of Mozart's masterpiece was made in 1950 in mono sound. It also follows the common practice at that time of recording the music only, omitting the dramatically essential dialogue. This cripples the recordings following this practice (which include Beecham, this Karajan and the mid 60's Klemperer). This recording, however, puts all other Magic Flutes in the shade. It must be heard.

The young Karajan was a superb Mozartian. On this recording, he is totally unmannered and chooses excellent tempi. The Vienna Philhamonic is a wonderful orchestra, though not quite as good as Karajan's late 50's-late 80's Berlin Philharmonic, and the Staatskapelle Dresden is right up there as well. The Viennese are inspired here, however, and play gorgeously. The cast, which could be found at the Vienna State Opera on a night from this time period, includes the finest Tamino and Pamina on any recording: Anton Dermota and Irmgard Seefried, surpassing even Wunderlich (for Böhm) and Janowitz (for Klemperer). Listen to the trial scene and you'll see what I mean. Erich Kunz is an endearing Papageno, though not quite in the Fischer-Dieskau league; Wilma Lipp tosses off blazing coloratura, though she sounds as though she is singing a concert instead of characterizing an evil goddess. The vocal honors on this set, however, must go to Ludwig Weber as Sarastro. He sings with firm, dark tone, seamless legato, a deep understanding of the text, and a special resonance that not many basses have. Sena Jurinac is luxuriously cast as the First Lady (far better than the awful Schwarzkopf on the vastly overrated Klemperer set). The remaining, supporting characters are excellently sung.

Even without dialogue, this recording creates a magical, mystical atmosphere which is not found on any other recording except Böhm's, which has inferior singers. If you must have dialogue and stereo, go for Böhm (on Deutsche Grammophon Originals 449 749-2). If you can tolerate 3 star sound (out of five), you can't go wrong with this miraculous set.

SOURCE: Studio recording made at the Brahmsaal in Vienna on November 2,3, 6-9, 13-16, 20 and 21, 1950. Digitally remastered in 1999.

SOUND: This is a mono recording from 1950 made with what amounted to the very best 1940s technology. As noted by other reviewers, the singers are right up front (precisely where I want them to be) and the orchestral sound is compressed and a bit dull by digital-era standards. Nevertheless, the sound is pleasing if heard with a little good will, and acceptable to anyone but narrow-minded audio purists.

CAST: Tamino, a prince lost and adrift somewhere in Faery (tenor) - Anton Dermota; Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night and reluctant guest of Sarastro (soprano) - Irmgard Seefried; Papageno, a bird catcher by profession and a human parrot by preference (baritone) - Erich Kunz; The Queen of the Night, a lady of forceful personality (soprano-and then some!) - Wilma Lipp; Sarastro, a true Son of the Light (or maybe the head of a nut cult) (bass) - Ludwig Weber; Speaker, Sarastro's gate keeper (bass-baritone) - George London; Three Ladies of the Queen of the Night - Sena Jurinac, Friedl Riegler, Else Schurhoff; Papagena, seventeen years old and already a hunka' burnin' love (soprano) - Emmy Loose; Monostatos, a would-be disciple of Sarastro who has issues (character tenor) - Peter Klein; Armed Man and Priest - Erich Majkut; Armed Man - Ljubomir Pantscheff; Priest - Harald Proglhoff; Three Boys - Annelies Stuckl,, Eleonore Dorpinghans,, Hermine Steinmassl. Conducted by Herbert von Karajan with the Wiener Philharmoniker und Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien.

DOCUMENTATION: Typical GROC package, including libretto and English translation.

FORMAT: "Die Zauberfloete" is a German Singspiel, that is, a work consisting of musical numbers separated by spoken dialogue. None of the dialogue was recorded. In partial justification for this omission it should be remembered that the set was conceived for issue on 78 rpm disks. Assuming a playing time of about three-and-a-half minutes, the 129 minutes of recorded music would have spread over 36 or 37 sides-18 or 19 disks! Those disks, in turn, would have been offered in bound "albums," each containing five disks. Just lifting the whole opera would have been a task, let alone paying for it. It simply made no economic sense during the 78 rpm era to add many additional disks and substantially increase the cost of the set by recording dialogue.

After the War, the great EMI producer Walter Legge turned over the rubble in Germany and Austria in search of musical talent. He found Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, signed her up and then married her. He put the greatest of all German conductors, Wilhelm Furtwaengler, under contract soon after he emerged from his traumatic "de-Nazification" process in 1947-as he also did Herbert von Karajan. In retrospect, it seems evident that he regarded Furtwaengler, who was in his sixties, as The Man of the Past and the generation-younger Karajan as The Man of the Future. Needless to say, Furtwaengler would have disagreed with those ideas as vehemently as Karajan would have embraced them.

Furtwaengler was busy, to say the least, from 1947 to 1950, stoking the flickering flames of the great orchestra in Berlin and re-establishing the Salzburg Festival. One of his cherished goals during this time was to make a definitive studio-based recording of "The Magic Flute." In preparation for that goal, Furtwaengler assembled a hand-picked cast, drilled them in his concept and led them in performance at Salzburg. One can imagine the reaction of the stiff old man when he discovered that his own producer, that scoundrel Legge had stealthily purloined both cast and production and, worse, had handed them over to that insolent puppy, Karajan, for this recording. Thereafter, Furtwaengler refused to work with Legge in the studio, although circumstances placed them together once more in the recording of an operatic masterpiece, the great "Tristan und Isolde" with Flagstad.

The cast on this recording is a very good one, although after all these years, they hardly seem adequate justification for a lifelong feud.

Anton Dermota, here caught at age 40, was of course the definitive Tamino. You might well say that his voice was not the most beautiful among recorded tenors, that he was short of breath and did not attempt the extended vocal runs to which we have become accustomed, but in spite of all that, he simply made Mozart's tenors come alive in a way that no other tenor has matched. Ludwig Weber is quite phenomenal as Sarastro. I can't bring to mind anyone who has bettered him in the part. Emmy Loose was one of the great character sopranos. Such was her art and skill that she made it seem easy and her reputation has suffered for it. George London as the Speaker and Sena Jurinac as the First Lady are luxury casting, indeed.

Wilma Lipp sings very nicely but the adjective that springs to my mind for her Queen of the Night is "pretty," not "powerful." Irmgard Seefried is lacking in horse power as Pamina. She sings well. Her characterization is sound but her personality does not swell to fill the stage with the essence of Pamina, as it should, ideally. Erich Kunz was an enormously popular and nearly ubiquitous performer in Vienna. I normally have no use whatsoever for the man. To my taste, he is not as awful on this recording as he might have been.

The rest of the cast is at the high level of competence one expects from Vienna State Opera regulars but not particularly memorable beyond that.

Karajan's approach to the opera is that of a very skilled practitioner of what is now regarded as the old school. Purely as a matter of personal taste I would gladly trade some of his sonority for a bit of joyousness.

This is a good and famous recording, well worth the time of anyone who acquires it. Five stars.

TRIVIAL PERSONAL NOTE: Having had the experience of meeting and exchanging idle chitchat with Jim Jones (he of the poison-laced Kool-Aid), Sarastro now strikes me as more than slightly sinister character. Maybe the Queen of the Night knew what she was doing.

Before acknowledging the merits of this historic Magic Flute from Vienna, the Gramophone warned its readers of several drawbacks. The mono sound is close up, boxy, and dry (the Amazon reviewer calls it over-resonant, which makes me wonder if he bothered to play the record--these singers are barely an inch from the mike). The vienna Phil. strings are at times thin and edgy, a surprise but not unheard of in the rocky years just after WW II. There's no dialogue, which loses all the humor and much of the drama.

This, then, is a singer's Magic Flute with a famous conductor in his early prime. As such, we get a perfect portrait of traditional pre-war Mozart style, despite the fact that this was actually recorded in 1950. Tempos are relaxed, the tone is humane, humorous at times, light-hearted but with a serious emotional flavor between the two lovers. You have to adjust your ears at first; once you do, it's quite lovely.

A reviewer below points out that this same cast--Seefired and Dermota as Pamina and Tamino, Wilma Lipp as the Queen of the Night, and Erich Kunz as Papageno--was appearing at the State Opera uner Furtwangler, and now in retrospect we have air checks from two of those performances on labels like Melodram and Opera d'Oro. In 1996 EMI released one from a radio broadcast of the 1951 Salzburg Festival. Furtwangler energized his cast in a way that they aren't here in the studio, and he's also more overtly romantic and spiritual than Karajan, so it's worthwhile seeking those recordings out if you are a fan of Die Zauberflote in its pre-war Viennese guise.

This storied old recording truly is very special and endearing to many for several reasons, and most certainly worth the effort to seek out a copy for your music library. While it probably would not rank as a first or second choice for a Zauberflote recording, it has an honored status for many listeners.

First, it is a document of the young Herbert von Karajan just as he was hitting his stride vs the DG recording of latter years when he had become an obsessive twiddler which ruined a great many of his mature recordings for lots of people including myself. This recording, recorded in 1950 when everything was still performed much as it was before the war (artistic merit/license would not begin to be shown until about 6 years later) reveals a different presentation of this great work, the last, by Mozart.

Recording technology was in its infancy, really, and lets face it, there wasn't a lot of money after the war either to lavish on the as yet rare idea of recording a complete opera. Remember, we are talking of 78's here, the lp would come later on, and so this was a voluminous tome of 19 78rpm records, taking up 37 sides (imagine carrying that baby around)! And so, we have a historical document of pre-war presentation of this work, and also as I stated, early Karajan, and also one of Walter Legge's early productions for EMI.

Closely miked singers (while many complain today) was certainly the only way in this time, given what technology there was to work with, and personally I find this one of the special charms of this set. Everyone is presented clearly for us up front with the orchestra subdued slightly behind them which makes for a special view and take on this most wonderful of operas (actually a singspiel, a "sung play"). The complaints here by other reviewers of the singers, frankly, I find unfounded. This is an old and historic recording, so those complaining about sound, etc., are simply not viewing this recording in the correct light of what it is. Historic recordings should not be expected to surpass or even match modern ones for fidelity, "capture", etc. Believe me, one's ears very quickly adapt to this dated sound, and nearly everyone would agree that this grand old recording holds its own, still, today.

Bubbly and sung with what at the time would surely have been captivating clarity and aplomb, we have a stellar line-up of who was available and from a recently performed series under Furtwaengler at Salzburg earlier that season. This famous "double-cross" by Legge has long been storied, and of course led to lifetime hatred between them. Would I personally complain or wish for others to have been in this recording??? Not really! I find it a perfect presentation with a historic cast, under a new firebrand who would lead great orchestras and companies of singers through the remainder of the century, at the very beginning of his ascension to super stardom in the classical music world. It's Perfect, just the way it is, and much-loved by many.

Now out of print, as many of these old recordings are now, on EMI, it has resurfaced on the Membran/Documents, Urania, and Pearl labels, and I would urge you to eagerly seek it out. I would still recommend this EMI GRC release, as a first choice however, as it contains great documentation w/photos, etc. that will not be present in the other releases.

I would find it hard to believe that any lover of Zauberflote will not be delighted with this grand recording captured for us by the great Walter Legge and company all these many years ago.

Do Enjoy It!
~operabruin

I believe this was the recording that soured Furtwangler on Walter Legge once and for all (except for the legendary Tristan and the Mahler songs with FiDe). Furtwangler's cast at the Vienna opera was hired by Legge for Karajan's recording -- and both conductors were under contract to EMI.

Musical poltics and Vienna were made for each other!

The cast is terrific -- maybe the best ever -- and although the 'pirate' conducted by Furtwangler is better than what Karajan gives us, Karajan has the better sound, and it does sound like perfectly fine 50's mono to me.

I picked up the earlier incarnation on EMI, before the GRC repackaging, at a used shop in Manhattan for $... No regrets!

This recording of Mozart's masterpiece was made in 1950 in mono sound. It also follows the common practice at that time of recording the music only, omitting the dramatically essential dialogue. This cripples the recordings following this practice (which include Beecham, this Karajan and the mid 60's Klemperer). This recording, however, puts all other Magic Flutes in the shade. It must be heard.

The young Karajan was a superb Mozartian. On this recording, he is totally unmannered and chooses excellent tempi. The Vienna Philhamonic is a wonderful orchestra, though not quite as good as Karajan's late 50's-late 80's Berlin Philharmonic, and the Staatskapelle Dresden is right up there as well. The Viennese are inspired here, however, and play gorgeously. The cast, which could be found at the Vienna State Opera on a night from this time period, includes the finest Tamino and Pamina on any recording: Anton Dermota and Irmgard Seefried, surpassing even Wunderlich (for Böhm) and Janowitz (for Klemperer). Listen to the trial scene and you'll see what I mean. Erich Kunz is an endearing Papageno, though not quite in the Fischer-Dieskau league; Wilma Lipp tosses off blazing coloratura, though she sounds as though she is singing a concert instead of characterizing an evil goddess. The vocal honors on this set, however, must go to Ludwig Weber as Sarastro. He sings with firm, dark tone, seamless legato, a deep understanding of the text, and a special resonance that not many basses have. Sena Jurinac is luxuriously cast as the First Lady (far better than the awful Schwarzkopf on the vastly overrated Klemperer set). The remaining, supporting characters are excellently sung.

Even without dialogue, this recording creates a magical, mystical atmosphere which is not found on any other recording except Böhm's, which has inferior singers. If you must have dialogue and stereo, go for Böhm (on Deutsche Grammophon Originals 449 749-2). If you can tolerate 3 star sound (out of five), you can't go wrong with this miraculous set.

Many years ago on a trip to Europe I had the great fortune to hear von Karajan live conducting the Magic Flute. This recording captures the magic of that live performance. The cast is brilliant and the conducting is unsurpassed. This is an old recording and the sound quality suffers somewhat, but it's still a thrilling performance. The price is reasonable and includes the libretto. Anyone who likes Mozart would be delighted to own this classic.

Recitatives are essential for this Mozartian jewel. I can live with the mono sound, but I also want to dig deep into the essence of this magic flute. Although Fischer-Dieskau was sensational at that time, you are safer with Beecham's legendary recording.