Customer Reviews

Lortzing - Zar und Zimmermann / Prey · Schreier · Frick · Gedda · Köth - Heger

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Albert Lortzing (1801-1851) was a prolific composer of very tuneful German comic operas, of which "Zar und Zimmermann" is his generally acknowledged masterpiece. Lortzing also wrote the libretto, based on literary sources, for this and his other operas mentioned below. The German genre, known as 'spieloper', grew out of the 'singspiel' tradition of which Mozart's "Abduction from the Seraglio" is the best known example. Though a cousin to the Italian 'opera buffa' and the French 'opera comique' and the Spanish 'zarzuela', the German equivalent never traveled outside the German-speaking world with the success its cousins enjoyed outside their home countries. But such works are still popular at home.

Robert Heger was the leading proponent of 19th Century German light opera, among other things (he also excelled in Wagner), in the middle third of the 20th Century. Besides this gorgeous performance of the story of Tsar Peter the Great's early (1697-98) tour of Western Europe, Heger also left stellar recordings of Lortzing's "Undine" and "Der Wildschutz" with great singers the likes of Prey, Schreier, Frick, Gedda, Rothenberger and Wunderlich. Heger also conducted superior recorded performances of other 19th Century German gems such as Weber's "Der Freischutz", Nicolai's "Merry Wives of Windsor" and Flotow's "Martha".

All of these recordings are excellent performances of very entertaining works unknown to most people, even many opera lovers. Investigate and enjoy!

EMI has given us a quite impressive and valuable range of good and fairly cheap reissues of typically romantic German operas under Robert Heger. Lortzing's Zar und Zimmermann is one of those operas that are still rather famous for its impact in its day, but which is rarely performed, at least outside of Germany. While it might not, in the end, be a great work, it is consistently tuneful and enjoyable, representing the German national romantic, singspiel tradition following Weber (and further back, Mozart) at its best.

Robert Heger leads a fine and excellently cast performance, especially impressive when it comes to the male roles (thus we have a Hermann Prey on top form, a good Gedda and a Gottlob Frick who, although rather late in his career - the recording is from 1966 - is still in good shape). The female roles are, perhaps, less distinguished, but still overall good. The orchestral contribution might perhaps lack some finesse, but the playing is spirited and lively. Overall, this is a very good performance of a very enjoyable opera, which deserves a firm recommendation.