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36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice, but flawed recording., December 14, 1999
This review is from: Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) (Audio CD)
First off, I don't agree with the previous reviewers comments about The Magic Flute being racist and sexist. The Magic Flute, like Mozart's other operas, is about forgiveness and acceptance. Pamina is elevated to Priestess at the end of the opera- which was shocking in Mozart's day! This is a fabulous recording, but there's one drawback, and it's too big to overlook- Cheryl Studer! She basically butchers The Queen of the Night. The airas are choppy, too subtle, and she cannot hit the high notes! The voice is far too thin than the commanding voice this role calls for. She is not on the level of other great queens of Jo, Deutekom, and Popp. Although Kanawa and Ramey shine- which is reason alone to purchase this recording, Studer does it damage- to such a great extent that I cannot bring myself to listen to it again. This is not meant as a slam against Studer. I respect her and do enjoy several recordings with her (Floyd's Susannah), however this role is not suited for her vocal abilities. The Solti recording with Deutekom and Prey (as Papageno) is, in my opinion, the best recording out there. An added plus- it has the Vienna Philharmonic to back up the great cast! While, admittedly, the orchestra on this set is wonderful too, but no orchestra can match the power of the Vienna Philharmonic!
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
PA-PA-PA-PA-PA-PARTICULARLY PLEASANT PERFORMANCE, June 21, 2001
This review is from: Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) (Audio CD)
My enjoyment of this version has been enhanced by the fact that it was my first complete recording of Die Zauberflote on CD, after years of listening to the classic Klemperer recording spread over six sides of scratchy old vinyl. Even so, I think the Penguin CD Guide's "Top Recommendation" was probably a bit over the top. And this version will only appeal if you want a full dramatic performance with spoken dialogue in German between the songs and some fairly strident sound-effects. Now for the good news: This is an extraordinarily beautiful recording to listen to, and what sets it even further apart from most recordings is the sublime quality of the acting. Ramey sings like a velvet volcano and exudes warmth and wisdom - his performance as Sarastro is almost definitive. Araiza is almost too sweet-sounding for his own good - he's really more lyric than dramatic - but he suits the living-room hi-fi better than a melodramatic belter like Gedda. Nobody will ever sing Pamina and the Queen like Gundula Janowitz and Lucia Popp in the classic Klemperer set, but Dame Kiwi and American Cheryl Studer are outstanding in their own right. However, the performer who really makes this set is Olaf Bar in the central role of Papageno. He is funny - even if you don't speak German - and he is beautiful to hear. His voice has been disciplined and sensitized by years of lieder singing (he is probably the world's leading exponent of Schumann's songs), and he makes the happy/sad/deep/shallow personality of the Birdman come alive. In short, I'm delighted with this recording. I'm told that there are better digital versions around, and for outright musicality and pacing (if you don't mind a dated sound) the old Klemperer set is unbeatable. But if you want a complete dramatic performance of the opera, rather than just a stand-up concert performance of the music, then I cannot recommend this Neville Marriner version too highly.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Zauberflote works its magic for me., June 22, 2003
This review is from: Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) (Audio CD)
Although most reviews on these pages do not speak so favourably about this recording of Mozart's Zauberflote, I find that it is one that works well for me. Apart from the clear, natural and atmospheric recorded sound, I feel that there are several things that make this Flute well worth owning. Firstly, Marriner's sensitive way with Mozart shines through when he leads the cast and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields through this light-hearted score, giving it a Viennese lilt and a sensitive lyricism without compromising on the drama in its more forceful moments. Secondly, the cast is like a top-quality cast. Despite the fact that most of the cast members are not native Germans, everyone is still able to interact and listen to each other without showing off. Dame Kiri is, of course, radiant in her part of Pamina, and Cheryl Studer makes a weighty Queen of the Night with an agile and effortless coloratura in her two arias. Samuel Ramey's weighty and benevolent Sarastro, Francisco Araiza's heady-toned Tamino, and especially Olaf Bar's Papageno only add to the delight of the rest of the major cast, and I should say that the supporting cast, especially the Queen's three ladies who sing with a rhythmic verve, only complement the main players. Thirdly, I would say that this is a Zauberflote that fits comfortably onto two discs rather than three. This is not only practical financially, but it also saves us the trouble of having to change our discs in the middle of an act. Overall, I find this, along with the digital Flutes from Solti and Karajan, among my true definitive recordings of this light-hearted and accessible Mozart opera. But if I had to pick only one definitive choice, I find that this one is it, combining an idiomatic flair with a sensitive cast. As an aside, there is a highlights version of this recording available that contains all the essential numbers you would hope to find on a Zauberflote highlights disc.
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