Reimann: Lear [Original recording remastered]

Aribert Reimann (Composer), Gerd Albrecht (Conductor), Bayerisches Staatsorchester (Orchestra), Gerhard Auer (Performer), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Performer), Julia Varady (Performer), Rolf Boysen (Performer), Helga Dernesch (Performer), Colette Lorand (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Gerhard Auer, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Julia Varady, Rolf Boysen, Helga Dernesch, et al.
• Orchestra: Bayerisches Staatsorchester
• Conductor: Gerd Albrecht
• Composer: Aribert Reimann
• Audio CD (July 18, 2000)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B00004T765
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #318,849 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intense!, October 17, 2000

By 

Robert F. Pokorny "Concertgebouworkest fan" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reimann: Lear (Audio CD)

This is the most intense performance imaginable of one of the most brilliant pieces of contemporary music. That it was edited together from live performances makes it all the more amazing. The audience is virtually nonexistant (too stunned to cough?) and all the artists perform with a dedication and single-mindedness that is very rare. Special mention should go to the 3 daughters and 2 sons of the performance, especially Dernesch and Knutson. The scene of Gloucester's blinding is extraordinary as performed here and the piece is a worthy adaptation of Shakespeare. The remastered set finally includes translations and preserves a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent performance of an intriguing opera, August 3, 2000

By 

Vincent Lau - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reimann: Lear (Audio CD)

Although this reviewer is not averse to modern operas, Aribert Reimann's LEAR will probably never be too close to his heart. Part of the reason perhaps lies in this reviewer's inability to appreciate music that are too percussive (it is overwhelmingly so in this opera, and in particular during Part One where the monotonous and repetitive clamour can become rather tiresome after a while). But more importantly, there seems to be a paucity of themetic material which can readily be discerned by the listener. While it is perhaps not fair to describe the music here as tantamount to the sound effects in radio plays (as mentioned by Fischer-Dieskau in his vigorous defence of the opera in the CD booklet), and that there exists certain tender moments to counter-balance the hugely brassy and percussive writing, one does feel a bit musically short-changed after listening to the complete opera, which lasts for over 2 hours.

Nevertheless, Reimann generally did a better job with the vocal parts, which are powerfully written (and difficult to sing) and these have helped in enhancing the dramatic impact of the work as well as delineating the various characters involved in the morbid tragedy. As in all operatic adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the story is invariably simplified and some of the minor characters are cut out. Nevertheless, the adaptation is generally a convincing one and the story unfolds naturally at a sure pace with considerable dramatic build-up from time to time.

The chief glory of this live recording from Munich in 1978 lies in the magnificent performance of the entire cast. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, in excellent voice and at the height of his dramatic and interpretative powers, gives a shattering portrayal of the betrayed monarch. The sense of helplessness and loneliness of a king driven mad by his cruel daughters are heart-rendingly and delicately expressed. This recording will always serve as an excellent reminder of the great artistry of this legendary singer. Helga Dernesh, her Wagnerian voice gleaming and rock steady, gives a magisterial performance as the scheming Goneril, while Colette Lorand, grandly pompous though a bit shrill at time in some of Regan's coloratura outbursts, is perfectly in character. On the other hand, the good Cordelia is sung with great sensitivity by Julia Varady, and she is particularly fine in the moving duet with her father in Part Two. The men are also uniformly outstanding, with Hans Gunter Nocker's sonorous Gloucester, David Knutson's finely sung Edmund (with lots of difficult falsetto singing in the scenes which he feigns madness) , Werner Gotz's darkly treacherous Edmund and Rolf Boysen's sarcastic Fool providing a formidable counter-weight to the more flamboyant female roles. The orchestra and chorus at the Bayerischer Staatsoper provide excellent support under the baton of Gerd Albrecht.

Despite the fact that this is a live recording, the sound quality is fine (with the voices very clearly and forwardly captured). And other than the article by Fischer-Dieskau mentioned earlier on, there is also a chronology of the process of composition penned by Reimann himself in the booklet, which may be of considerable interest to students who study composition. All in all, despite whatever reservations as regards the music, given the lofty standards achieved in the performance, this set can still be recommended with great enthusiasm.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I SAW IT LIVE, February 8, 2001

By 

Raleigh W. Elliott (Anchorage, AK USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reimann: Lear (Audio CD)

I saw the premiere of this opera in San Francisco, and, to put it mildly, I was almost blown out of my chair. It's spellbinding. Definitely not for lovers of easy-listening music or for those addicted to melody. And I'm happy to report that this recording captures everything in the live performance except for the visuals. Nothing in theater approaches the madness and raw heart-rending intensity of Reimann's LEAR. Although I find most contemporary music irritatingly ambiguous or abstract, I had to embrace this opera. It surpasses categorization. The music will grab your attention like acid thrown in your face. Ugly and beautiful at the same time, it's so faithful to Shakespeare's play in mood and affect that you would swear the bard himself had written the score. LEAR is not just another contemporary opera: time will prove that it is one of the greatest operas of all time. Don't put it on until you have a couple of hours alone with your stereo, and be sure to take your phone off the hook. What Verdi struggled for years to do, then abandoned, defeated, Aribert Reimann has done.