Customer Reviews

Korngold - Violanta / Marton · Berry · Jerusalem · Hesse · Laubenthal · Janowski

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A must for post-romantic opera fans! Strauss meets Puccini in this lush, lyrical score- full of Korngold's characteristically multi-colored orchestration. When you hear the prelude, you wonder how an 18-year-old could produce such an inspired, techincally masterful score. And the big love duet is a real treat with its Tristan-like fatalism and its delectably Italianate lyricism (and a tune you'll remember!). The story is Italian verismo with a German-flavored heroine bent on self-destruction/spiritual redemption, but it's the performance that really wins the day. The orchestra and chorus are superb: the whole opening scene from magnificent, lyrical prelude and the very exciting choral climax are fabulous. Jerusalem sings more sweetly than usual with heady ardor, and Berry shows himself to be a real singing actor- glorious tone, full of shading and highly dramatic. However, Marton steals the show. You have heard her in the roles that stress her voice beyond its limits (Turandot and some Wagnerian roles come to mind) but as Violanta, she is wonderful. The tone is much more beautiful than usual, creamier and she floats some high soft notes of startling purity. Her death scene (I'm not giving anything away: it's a post-Wagnerian opera, so we expect the heroine to die) is very expressive and affecting. A fine addition to your collection- recommended to everyone.

This is really a fantastic opera! I am sure many of you have not even heard of Korngold before, but if you listen to this, you will not forget him again. This opera has got everything: wonderful music, a mix between Wagner, Strauss and Puccini, and a plot with a good intrigue. Especially the love duet at the end of the opera is fantastic. You should all buy this one!

Excellent cast, orchestra and recording. This opera is closer to Das Wunder der Heliane, Korngold's masterwork, than any of his other operas; heavy modern orchestral effects with eclectic Puccini, Strauss , Mahler and Wagner ideas recognizable. The CBS version is very expensive compared to the more recent Sony reburning.However it has much fuller documentation which was useful to me for some lectures i'm giving on Korngold.

How Erich Wolfgang Korngold could have composed this masterpiece at age 17 is one of the true miracles of Western Civilization. I think it is his finest work, finer than "Die Tote Stadt" or his magical film scores. The singing is radiant, with both Eva Marton & Siegfried Jerusalem at their best, with a freshness in their voices that wore away in later recordings. The conducting by Janowski is flawless. The music just breaks your heart as only the 'fin de cycle' Korngold could do - BUY this CD on ArchivMusic!!!

This is a great little opera, it's hard to believe that Korngold composed it while still a teenager. It's full of lush late romantic sounds and the libretto is nice and tight with no dull moments. This was recorded in 1980 when the singers were all at the top of their career and sound just great. Interesting note, Violanta was staged at The Metropolitan Opera in 1926 for Maria Jeritza, one of the top sopranos at the time, it was given five performances but has never been revived. A year later Die Agyptische Helena by Strauss was also staged as a show case for Jeritza, it too was gone from the repertory for about 80 years until Deborah Voigt showed interest in bring it back. Voigt would make a great Violanta, hint, hint.