Customer Reviews

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier ~ Te Kanawa, von Otter, Hendricks, Rydl, Leech, Grundheber, Haitink

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

 

 

This set - together with the classical EMI recording with Schwarzkopf - are the best "Rosenkavalier"s available. Von Otter is superb as Octavian and Te Kanawa is exemplary Marschallin (whatever would Renee Fleming's fans and PR people say!). If you are a real "Rosenkavalier" addict, try also a generous selection of highlights from Salzburg 1978 live performance with Janowitz as the Marschallin! Glorious singing and glorious playing! Available at Amazon.com for ca. $5! Search "Rosenkavalier, Janowitz, Minton" and enjoy!

Since this recording was issued over ten years ago, it has been among the highly regarded recordings of Der Rosenkavalier. The casting is ideal. Kiri Te Kanawa as the Marschellin, Anne-Sophie von Otter as Octavian and Barbara Hendricks as Sophie. The voices of all three are beautifully suited to their roles, and they blend together so well in the third act trio. Richard Leech is perfect in the cameo role of the Tenor and Kurt Rydl makes a suitably boorish Baron Ochs. The orchestral playing and balance with the voices could not be better. Bernard Haitink does a fabulous job and the Staatskapelle perform with passion.

In short, this is a recording of Der Rosenkavalier that competes with the best. Lovers of this opera will not be disappointed.

Recorded in 1990 when Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Barbara Hendricks were at the peak of their careers, this gorgeous performance of Strauss' penultimate opera is lovingly conducted by Bernard Haitink and the Staatskpelle Dresden. While few sopranos will ever match the particular beauty and sensitivity of Elizabeth Schwarzkopf as the Marschallin (with Christa Ludwig and Teresa Stich Randall - that recording remains the pinnacle of Rosenkavaliers), te Kanawa is in fine voice and interpretation here. The singing on the whole is wonderful and the monologue, duets and trios are particularly fine. The boorishly boring Baron Ochs is rather flat in the hands of Kurt Rydl, but few singers can bring this odd character to life.

While nearly everything about this recording is lovely, what is lacking is that Viennese propulsion to drive the opera written as long series of waltzes into a realm of breathless passion under the baton of Haitink. Perhaps it is the orchestra or the engineering that holds it back, but the opera just never takes off into flight the way it should. It still remains one of the better complete recordings available. Grady Harp, February 2005

This recording is so heavenly - I just adore Von Otter in this, among her most musical performances (and of course her musicality is always of the highest caliber), and Te Kanawa is as glorious as ever (albeit a bit on the light side in this recording). The Staatskapelle Dresden is so inspired and varied in its coloration throughout this performance.

BUT, the one point of contention I hold in this recording is the unfortunate inclusion of Barbara Hendricks. I am normally either way on her, but I'm afraid she has ruined one of the best scenes in all of opera with her very severely underpitch, squeezed singing. Her presentation of the rose singing is so flat on anything above the staff and incredibly tight, it hurts my ears to listen to it. Her performance is similar elsewhere in the performance, and she is often underbalanced compared to her fuller voiced colleagues. It really was an unfortunate choice.

Otherwise, if you can forgive her frequent pitch mishaps, I thoroughly enjoyed the recording as a whole.

I was looking so forward to listening to this recording. I am a big fan of Kiri and couldn't wait to hear her interpretation of Marschallin. She does it wish such ease and grace. Von Otter is an outstanding Octavian. She portrays the character so well and playfully. The only major pit and flaw in this recording is Hendricks. I have no hassles with Hendricks' voice. I have a few recordings of her, but her voice is suited to more light roles and jazzy works. Can't she rather do more Gershwin or even Previn. In this recording she is so flat and the most beautiful parts are totally ruined. Her voice is so nice and creamy, but she scoops far too much for a Sophie. If they had to choose a Barbara, why not Bonney. The rest of the recording is lovely. The male roles are fantastic, and Te Kanawa and Von Otter are first class. If you want a A class recording, go for the EMI Schwartzkopf version.

This all-star recording was EMI's bid to modernize their classic Rosenkavalier from the Fifties with Karajan and Schwarzkopf, and all three female leads are experts in their parts. Haitink, too, is quite good at Strauss tone poems. But he is a variable opera conductor, and here his bland side comes out. This whole reading seems too careful, and Dame Kiri, not exactly a passoinate soul, lends a further air of polite correctness. None of the characters seem to feel their situaiton very deeply, so we don't, either. We keep skatig over the plished surface, and in the end prettiness can't save the day.