Customer Reviews

Korngold - Die tote Stadt

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

 

 

If you are at all familiar with Erich Wolfgang Korngold's wonderful scores for Hollywood films (arguably, the most famous would be "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "The Sea Hawk" both of which starred Errol Flynn), the musical language of his opera
DIE TOTE STADT will not disappoint nor surprise you.

Although clearly a Twentieth Century work, it is completely tonal, richly romantic and lush with hints of Richard Strauss and Puccini. "Marietta's Song" is the one famous aria in this rarely performed work. (You can hear it done beautifully on one of Renee Fleming's recent operatic recital cd's.) The New York City Opera had a huge financial and critical success with Frank Corsaro's production many seasons ago, but that has not prompted that company to regularly revive it, nor has it been produced by the Metropolitan Opera within recent memory.

This performance on the Naxos label is amazing in that the sound, for a live performance, is full and vivid. All the performers do well, with special marks going to the Swedish soprano, Katarina Dalayman. The tenor,Thomas Sunnegardh, in the extremely taxing leading role, sings, for the most part, beautifully and very strongly.

From what I can glean from the synopsis which has obviously been translated by someone whose first language is not English, this is a story much like that of the Hitchcock classic film, "Vertigo:" a man is so obsessed with a dead woman that he persuades his new romance to "become" his lost love. Sadly, for people like me who approach this opera with no knowledge of a production or another recording, the libretto is only printed in German--there is no English translation.

Until this recording came out, I knew very little about this opera. I knew the plot, and I was familiar with only one "aria" from it recorded by Leontyne Price. Well, what a joy to hear the complete work. It is a 20th century opera but one of such beauty, one that is a joy to listen to without having to do a million hours of preparation to figure out the intended musical conception. One is not forced to listen to strained singing, barking, speech-singing, or any of those less than lovely sounds often associated with modern 20th century opera. It grabs you instantly.

NAXOS, to me, is far more successful in their sound reproduction in live performances than in their studio recordings. Their balance of singer and orchestra is incredible, but without sacrificing the subtle nuances of the orchestra by having the singers recorded too closely. I have always loved the energy of live performances, and this only adds to this opera. All the singers are excellent, as is the orchestra, the conducting, and the production itself. The Stockholm opera has done a masterful job of presenting this work.

And for an aside, the great "Marietta's Lied: Gluck, das mir verblied" recorded so awesomely by Leontyne Price is in reality a duet! And how wonderfully it is performed here, and those soaring lines we so often feel fit the soprano so well are actually sung by the tenor, and they still take your breath away.

The opera was beautifully written and here beautifully performed. Such a work really is a treat to hear, and I am sure a treat to witness (sadly, I have never seen this opera).

One won't go wrong buying this opera, especially if you are just coming to 20th century operas. This one has enough of the "old lyrical way of doing things" to please you instantly, and enough of the "new way of doing things" so you don't think you are listening to a very old opera but something quite new and exciting.

All around excellent recording

This "other" recording of Di tote Stadt has quite a lot going for it. A definite live (Swedish Royal Opera 1996), it has some of the flaws live recording can bring - occasional stage or audience noise, very occasional lack of coordination between pit and stage (or the offstage children's choir). And maybe tenor Sunnergardh shows the strain more than Kollo with Leinsdorf, although Kollo himself is not exempt in this punishing role. But the Naxos set has advantages too. While the RCA sound is indeed lush, the Naxos recording brings out more detail, both of harmony and orchestration, drawing the work closer to the Schoenberg of the Gurrelieder and to Zemlinsky than to Richard Strauss. The live performance has more drama, is closer to the stage than to oratorio, and the characters therefore are more human, more engaging. So those who already have the RCA set should buy this to compare; and those who don't know the work can safely spend a very small sum of money to start with this bargain box.

This is just wonderful - I think it much better than the Leinsdorf set so beloved by USA reviewers! Its a live performance and uses electronic enhancement but wow, its atmospheric and yet true to the composers intent, at least it certainly seems that way. Can't rank this highly enough and if you like late romantic music then Korngold was the master - I also love his chamber works and violin sonata, which are also late romantic often complex pieces......check them out also and buy one with the money you save on this better than usual Naxos set (sound is Swedish Radio I think not Naxos cheap miking and hence there is adequate low frequency to shake the room where necessary - needs good hi fi to bring the house down!)

Greeting from Sydney, Australia - David