Customer Reviews

Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier / Schwarzkopf · Ludwig · Karajan

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There are two dozen or so Reference recordings in the glorious (and odd) history of recorded Opera. A Reference recording is one in which all elements coalesce to produce such obvious perfection that, even unseen, the Opera assumes legendary status: influencing (even terminating) subsequent recording efforts of the same work. The stunning Callas - Gobbi Tosca, now in it's second half-century, is the undisputed example of a perfect recording. Opera mavens who demur must keep it to themselves. Opera's a tough gig.

Der Rosenkavalier has been doubly blessed. This 1956 recording has enjoyed Reference status since its release (in glorious mono). Recently, a remastered Erich Kleiber effort with Maria Reining as the Feldmarschallin has resurfaced and assumed Reference status for many, as well. If you awoke this morning craving a truly Golden-Age performance of this perfumed homage to fin-de-siecle decadence, you will not go wrong purchasing either one. If, however, you (like me) ARE an example of fin-de-siecle decadence you must have both.

Recorded in London's Kingway Hall (you can hear the underground trains rumble in the distance if you crank-up the subwoofer) and originally mastered to mono to appease Producer Walter Legge's legendary hatred for stereo, EMI's house band of the era, The Philharmonia Orchestra, has never sounded silkier. The closest contemporary example of how this Orchestra once sounded is The Met Orchestra under Levine before his recent illness. Strings are plump sounding yet elegant. The horns forceful with perfect intonation: this score is horn and string driven. A failure here is fatal! The woodwinds and percussion perfect as well. Karajan and Klemperer evoked wonders from this orchestra, yet two more disparate personalities cannot be conceived. Orchestra's are not usually so democratic so I suspect Legge's influence at work. Luckily, the original multi-channel master was not destroyed and, unlike the great Sawallisch led Capriccio, a stereo version of Rosenkavalier is available. The record's soundfield is narrow yet deep, typical of early stereo. Some compression and tape hiss is inevitable but is not bad enough to detract from enjoyment.

Schwarzkopf was born to the part of the Marschallin. Aristocratic authority coupled with wistful sadness, her keynote for the role, must be delicately balanced. I think she is incomparable. Her voice has unusual heft in this recording. Again, I suspect Legge's influence. He was her husband, after all. Oh to be a fly-on-the-wall.... Otto Edelmann as Baron Ochs bellows beautifully, never yielding to mere vulgarity. Christa Ludwig, a favorite of mine, is wonderful as Octavian. Eberhard Wachter a fine Faninal. The truly stunning cast also includes Teresa Stich-Randall, Ljuba Welitsch and Nicolai Gedda. My praise for this glorious assemblage is utterly superfluous. Such casts are just a half-forgotten dream now. But this is what it takes to make a Reference recording. If you don't own it (or have never heard it) and you are even remotely receptive to Strauss, I urge you to wallow in this Grand Viennese confection. Three years after this Opera's premier, the world it so lovingly depicts was skewered by the sword and died in the Trenches. What was wistful becomes tragic. What once glistened now fades. This Opera is all that is left of that poor silver rose.

For years and years and years there was no other recording of ROSENKAVALIER to compare with this one, and many people were introduced to the opera by dint of this recording (done originally in both mono and stereo). Indeed, it still it still makes many people's lists of the alltime greatest opera recordings period, and when you listen to the gorgeous conducting of von Karajan especially in the prelude you'll instantly hear why (there is still yet to be a better conductor for this opera than Karajan). Elizabeth Schwarzkopf's portrayal of the Marschallin is in and of itself equally praised, and yet here I think the kudos have been heaped over-high. Schwarzkopf is indeed very moving, and she's magnificent in the great Time aria and in the splendid closing trio, but her highly mannered responses to her lover often get on your nerves: there's a little too much cooing and gurgling going on. (Was perhaps her Marschallin influenced not a little by the public antics of the Gabor sisters at the time?) Christa Ludwig is in fine voice but never seemed the right choice to play Octavian (she's not nearly masculine enough). Teresa Stich-Randall is in glorious voice as Sophie: although she has often been faulted for lack of warmth here, her underplaying seems to counterbalance Schwarzkopf's coyness.

The opera itself is almost irrresistible. Susan Sontag once infamously listed it as a defining work of camp, which should say more about Sontag's chilly aesthetic sense than it should about the opera itself, which is magnificent: ravishing melody piled upon ravishing melody. This is not the most challenging opera Richard Strauss wrote, nor even the most moving, but it certainly is the most beautiful. Idiosyncracies of performance notwithstanding, this is still a highly recommended recording--although prospective buyers might want to check out closely the Kiri Te Kanawa version as well before buying.

It seems almost impossible to believe that Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is gone. She died recently at age 90, remaining the prototype of many of the roles she defined, having lived a life of scholarly musicianship, gifted acting ability, beauty of presence, and a voice considered by many to be one of the finest ever created. She was blessed and we in turn were fortunate to have her enormous gifts captured for posterity on both recording and film.

Will anyone ever come close to matching the stature of commitment to the role of the Marschallin in 'Der Rosenkavalier' Schwarzkopf possessed and continued to stun audiences throughout her life on the stage? I think not. Though there are reigning divas who deliver this role with great power, there was something about Schwarzkopf's intuitive delivery that truly made her own the role. Her Marschallin was credibly beautiful, convincing us she could be the lover of a teenage lad, while have the grace and dignity to look into that infamous mirror during her Act 1 monologue and speak to every aspect of aging and the passage of time that touched the hearts of opera lovers for years. Another moment that is unforgettable is the final lines as she has leaves Sofie and Octavian to their new love, soaringly singing in the trio, then quietly and with profound dignity walking off stage, looking back with her inimitable 'Ja, ja', spoken in perfect Viennese dialect. Breathtaking!

This recoding of Strauss' masterpiece remains, for this listener, the finest ever made. Joining the luminous Schwarzkopf are Christa Ludwig as Octavian, Teresa Stich-Randall as Sofie, and Otto Edelman, Eberhard Wachter and even Nicolai Gedda in the brief but glorious role as the Italian Singer! Herbert von Karajan conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus in a rousing, waltzing, zesty, and profoundly moving performance. Everything is in place and perfect.

There are many CDs of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf that have been re-mastered and are available readily (another of her treasures is her rendition of Strauss' 'Four Last Songs' which will never again be so meaningful as they are now at her departure). For posterity all opera lovers should hasten to purchase this well re-mastered CD set before it becomes a collectors' item. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf may be gone but her memory and her supreme musicality and commitment are eternal. Grady Harp, August 06

This recording remains the best Der Rosenkavalier and, for me, one of my most treasured opera recordings of all time. While there are other wonderful recordings (I would, in particular, recommend Solti's with Regine Crespin as the Marschallin or Haitink's with Kiri Te Kanawa), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's portrait of the Marschallin set the standard. Schwarzkopf portrays in staggering detail a Marschallin who is young and attractive, sad and scared, and wise and generous in giving up her Octavian for Sophie.

Schwarzkopf is surrounded by a perfect cast with Christa Ludwig's firm mezzo making a strong Octavian; Teresa Stich-Randall has a clear, whiteness of tone that makes her an ideal Sophie; and Otto Edelmann is a characterful Baron Ochs.

Karajan gives an emotional reading of the work that he has rarely matched elsewhere.

The transfer to CD is from original analogue tapes recorded in 1956. It does expose some misty sound occasionally, but there is a great sense of presence and overall the sound is remarkable. The producer, Walter Legge, declared it "A miracle" when he listened to the opera. I couldn't agree with him more.

This recording of Rosenkavalier conducted by von Karajan is usually the first of many Rosenkavalier recordings recommended by Straussians and classical music elitists. There is a reason for that: Karajan's sumptuous, Viennese, and beautiful conducting (a very Straussian quality), and the contribution of great artists such as Christa Ludwig and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf to this great score. In terms of musical technicality, Karajan brings out the music's lush qualities in such a way that very very few conductors has matched since. His vision gives a very melancholy view to the opera...very Romantic and melancholy. Some people may not like it, but I do.

The singers in this recording are reknowned for their interpretations of the roles, with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's Marschallin being labeled as the definitive take on the Princess' character. I think that, for all her mannerisms and careful treatment of the score though, that the wholistic interpretation of the role is lost. Her voice is perfect for the role though. I have never heard a more affecting and genuine Viennese Marschallin.

The Octavian in this recording is Christa Ludwig. I need not say anything more about this artist except that everything she touches becomes the definitive interpretation of that role. From the alto part in Bach's St. Matthew Passion to Brangane, Waltraute, and Fricka in Wagner, and the Mahler alto parts, everything that this great artist sings is a pleasure to the ear and to the interpetive listener's point of view. She set the prototype of the mezzo Octavian for future generations (in what was supposed to be a soprano role).

Teresa Stich-Randall is a so-so choice for the part of Sophie. I've heard better elsewhere. Otto Edelmann though, is a very good Ochs. It is very funny...very Viennese. Nicolai Gedda is a very fluent and dulcet-sounding Italian tenor.

In conclusion, while I think this Rosenkavalier has many merits that make it a delight to listen to, I don't think it should be the definitive Rosenkavalier for any collection. There are cuts here and there, but it is nonetheless a magnificent performance. Also, I think the conducting could have used a bit more liveliness to it as opposed to the Romantic and melancholy sound that Karajan brought to this interpretation. It is an excellent Rosenkavalier, but there are a few recordings that have advantages over it.

I would say, perhaps Carlos Kleiber's Rosenkavalier with Fassbaender and Gwyneth Jones and Lucia Popp would probably top the list because of the wonderful conducting and the near-perfect cast (but really, Schwarzkopf could be a better Marschallin than Jones in many instances) and Popp's perfect Sophie. Another set I really like is Solti's due to the excellence of his cast and the beauty of Helen Donath's Sophie, which has never been bettered on disc. Although Regine Crespin does not have the most fluid of voices, she gives a most touching portrayal of the Marschallin, and I definitely like Yvonne Minton's very strong Octavian. Solti is not the most Viennese conductor, but his lively reading of the score gives it some new perspective. I think listeners should give Erich Kleiber's account with Decca a try. Jurinac and Güden are perfect as Octavian and Sophie, and Reining, even if her voice is rather mature for the Marschallin, gives a most breathtaking and complete interpretation. The Ochs in that recording, Ludwig Weber, is also one of the best interpreters of the part without the hammy theatrics of some Barons. I'd still stick with this one for Schwarzkopf though, but Stich-Randall ruins an otherwise near-perfect set for me.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf has recently departed our society after a long and illustrious career, and no admirer of her work should be without one of her finest and most celebrated monuments. This Rosenkavalier still stands comparison with any other that I know, but its significance is over and above its merits purely as a performance and recording.

What we have here is a memorial to two epochs. One epoch is the world that was heading for destruction in the wars of the 20th century. Part of that world was the society of the idle rich, the gilded butterflies with their servants and silver roses, a kind of Wellsian Eloi marking time until the advent of their own Morlocks in 1914 and 1917. By the date of this performance in 1956 the world had had enough nemesis and catharsis to be going on with, and was trying to retrieve something of what had been lost while re-establishing itself in a new form. The technology of musical recording had made enormous advances, the discerning musical public was ready for some added spice to the standard fare of Mozart Beethoven and Brahms, and the imagination and opportunism of Walter Legge was well vindicated in the reception given to his production of Rosenkavalier. Both the story and the music of Rosenkavalier were ostentatiously and provocatively reactionary in 1911, the very year of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, and Legge's instinct was right in sensing that this evocation of a vanished and irresponsible culture would be welcomed in a society yearning to put austerity and dull dutifulness behind it. In the 50's the number of classical recordings had not yet exceeded what could be annually reviewed in a leisurely way in a hardback book called The Record Year, and I can still remember what a landmark production it saw this Rosenkavalier as being.

Another factor was Karajan. This was a new kind of orchestral maestro, flamboyant in his lifestyle and a `society' figure. It would be perverse to deny that he was an outstanding musician nevertheless, and this Rosenkavalier is as good a test-case as any for how one finally rates him. To me he seems to have done nearly everything very well without ever attaining the outright greatness of Fuertwaengler Toscanini or Beecham. He was outstandingly professional and even in his way perfectionistic, just as Legge was, but he had a soul and deep sensibility as well, and there is no way this performance can be faulted for failure to understand the music or the composer. And that takes us back to the performers. Schwarzkopf, for me, is ideal as the Marschallin, her voice coming over as the right kind of thirtysomething as well as having the authority and poise that the role demands. I think it would be possible to quibble endlessly over the right sort of voices for Octavian and Sophie without coming to any firm conclusion. I wouldn't claim that Teresa Stich-Randall has a vocal quality to rival, say, Janowitz or Ameling, but Sophie is an innocent and unsophisticated young girl, not Princess Margaret or Joanna Lumley, and I have no difficulty with Stich-Randall in the part. As for Octavian, how does the singer act the part of a youth who can pass for feminine to Ochs not only by his looks but apparently by his voice as well? Ludwig is a great singer and a great musician and that will do for me. I particularly like the way Edelmann handles the part of Ochs, partly Austria's answer to Squire Western but also with the right air of second-tier aristocracy to him. It would be hard to think of anything Waechter did not sing well, and there is an unlooked-for bonus in the form of Gedda, no less, as the Italian tenor.

The recording has benefited from some digital remastering, and it would be unreasonable to complain that it is not and cannot be quite the equal of productions dating from 30 and 40 years later. The booklet is excellent too, with a fine essay by Karajan's biographer Richard Osborne; and Legge, husband of Schwarzkopf, supplies the English translation of the libretto. This is not, I should say, an absolutely transcendental performance in the sense that one might say that of Fuertwaengler's Tristan or of Parsifal from Knappertsbusch, the kind of reading that has never been fully equalled and never seems likely to be. It's more on the level, eminent indeed but not out of sight, occupied by Karajan's own fine Mastersingers, which I also own and highly value. If the performance and recording are your exclusive preoccupation there are certainly rivals to this account and there is plenty of informed commentary on those to guide your choice. For me, as I suppose I've indicated, this is a set that I want just for itself regardless of comparisons. I shall be very surprised if it ever disappoints anyone else either.

karajan's recording of der rosenkavalier is generally thought of as the best, and with good reason...it is hard to find enough singers to sing this opera well, and for the most part, this recording succeeds. However, there is a videotaping of this at the salzburg festival in the early 60s, which i think beats this. The cast is somewhat different, but schwarzkopf, edelmann, and karajan are the same.
Schwarzkopf is simply wonderful in both versions. I can't imagine a more detailed or more carefully wrought rendition of this part. I love Schwarzkopf's singing, and this alone is a great reason to know this recording or the videotaped performance at salzburg.
otto edlemann as the baron is wonderful though i think he's not as characterful in this recording as he was on stage. The man also has great stage presence and really looks the part of the baron. It is in this light that one sees how the baron is a gentleman and a ruffian at the same time. This is harder to catch in a studio recording. I don't think he was in better voice in salzburg, but he really gets into the role more there.
Christa Ludwig in the studio, Sena Jurinac live...Jurinac rules, i must say, she just gets into the role more than Ludwig...Ludwig was a great singer but i don't think her thick voice suits all of octavian's part, where jurinac is able to be the male and the female (as mariandel of course). Jurinac is simply glorious and i find, much better than christa ludwig.
The live performance's great advantage is the better faninals. Anneliese rothenberger is in the salzburg production and she simply shines here, probably the best sophie i've ever heard or seen. like jurinac and schwarzkopf, she epitomizes the role better than anyone else. EMI's studio recording features teresa stitch-randall, who sings fine, but there is no warmth of substance i find. She leaves me cold. Erich Kunz had more experience over the young eberhard waechter as faninal and i think he's a little more interesting in the way he sings, there's more variaton in tone and character...of course, waechter had a marvelous career, but this is not his best.
One advantage the studio recording has over the live salzburg performance is in the thousands of small roles this opera has, for walter legge found the best people possible, while in reality it's hard to do that on stage. one can find infinite possibilites for this in a recording but on stage its hard to find great people for every small role.

one can continue comparing roles with each performance, but i think the salzburg performance comes out on top. Karajan was blessed with a better cast and an unbeatable trio of women...listen to the final trio in the video, its sublime. It also accentuates the comedy more.
I'm not the biggest karajan fan in the world, mostly cause his conducting seems self-absorbed and doesn't seem as musical as some people think he was. His salzburg performance has the advantage of the vienna philharmonic, the most pertinent choice for this opera. the viennese players had doubtless played this opera hundreds of times and the viennese spirit is extremely present. Karajan is also more flexible in salzburg and more dramatic where it needs to be.
The salzburg preformance is top-notch with a once-in-a-lifetime cast one only dreams of, but karajan's earlier studio recording is very fine and well performed. Both are essential to karajan and schwarzkopf lovers, but if a performance of der rosenkavalier had to be played before the world ends, let it be the salzburg performance.

This is surely one of the most stunningly gorgeous records ever released and must surely be a first-choice among Rosenkavaliers on disc (perhaps together with the classic Kleiber one). In addition to wonderful performances, this 1956 set sports a marvelously clear, warm, detailed and focused sound quality.

The main attraction here is, I suppose, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, whose approach is imaginative and characterful, more restrained, perhaps, than some competing Marschallin's, but all the more effective for it - notice, for instance, how her voice often seems to emerge gradually from the orchestra rather than jumping into the spotlight. Her singing is, however, almost achingly beautiful, with soaring lines, warmth and tenderness - it is, I'd say, among the most convincingly and beautifully taken opera roles ever; quite peerless. Fortunately she is supported by a cast almost equally impressive. Listen, for instance, to Teresa Stich-Randall's high pianissimo notes; sheer magnificence and a tonal control to die for. Christa Ludwig's Octavian is, if possible, even better; indeed, I couldn't imagine a more captivating, gorgeously sung and thoroughly idiomatic performance than this. If Edelmann's Ochs is less immediately striking, it is mostly because of what he would have to compete for attention with, for the performance is really sympathetic and warmly sung. Part of the success of this performance is certainly also due to the fact that we get a thoroughly luxuriant cast, even with respect to the smaller roles - take Nikolai Gedda's wonderful Italian tenor as a case in point; better sung, I think, than many main characters on high-profile releases today.

Overall, the performance is, perhaps, less overtly dramatic than some others, and more dreamlike and glowingly magical. This is emphasized, not the least, by Karajan's conducting - he is actually relatively fast, but displays an unerring command of the overall lines and arguments and draws playing of refinement, smoldering fire and quietly surging power rather than surface drama - yes, the later Karajan that sometimes focuses too much on beauty of sound is audible, but in this recording the result is a performance of taste, elegance, but opulence and enchantment nonetheless. In fact, the whole opera seems to be conceived of as a long crescendo, culminating in the trio of the third act, where the restraint is finally let go of, letting the music sing and sound with unbridled power. The effect is certainly among the most powerful, wonderful and ravishing musical effects ever achieved; the kind of overwhelming magnificence that leaves the listener breathless and speechless for a long time afterwards.

Oh well, I won't go on - this is simply a performance that demands to be heard, even if you should happen not to like opera in general. It is without doubt one of the great recordings of the century and the kind of recording that I couldn't have imagined living without once I've heard it. Urgently recommended.

Mozart was the supreme genius, of course. But there are moments in Rosenkavalier where Strauss reaches pretty close to the sublime. They are wonderfully presented here, in one of the most ravishingly beautiful recordings ever made. Perhaps for the average listener (I wouldn't claim to be an expert about opera, or even really a fan of the genre) the highlights album can do; but this is one disc that should be in any library of great music. In my case, I have this on cd and vinyl-- with (brag) the album cover inscribed to me by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf herself.

Schwarzkopf fans should also check out Youtube, where you can find the singer leading a master class, and other interesting clips.

This was my first recording of this magnificent opera and it left me cold. It may be that I never was much of a fan of either Elizabeth Schwarzkopf or Otto Edelmann. Now that I have many more recordings, all of which is better than this one IMO, I know why I didn't like it. It is mainly because of Karajan's approach to Strauss in general and Schwarzkopf as the Marschallin.
Karajan's approach to this exceptionally lyrical opera is so undramatic and overglossing. It has none of the beauty and spark of Böhm or Kleiber (both Erich and Carlos). Even the great 1936 Busch performance, in bad sound quality, has more beauty and spark than this. I see the same in his Ariadne. Several times in the opera is dramatically important musical devices simply ignored by Karajan. In almost all other recordings I feel a sence of awe in the Octavian/Sophie duet in the beginning of act 2. In this recording there is nothing awe-inspiring at all.
Schwarzkopf is nothing like Maria Reining (in either the studio Erich Kleiber set or in Clemens Krauss' Salzburg performance). Schwarzkopf is too much like Schwarzkopf and not the Marschallin. I get no sense of drama from her.
I also have a problem with Otto Edelmann. I miss the deep bass of Ludwig Weber (on the Kleiber set), Kurt Bohme (on Bohm's set) or Alexander Kipnis (in the Busch performance).
Christa Ludwig is one of very favorite mezzo sopranos, but I think she sounds much too feminine to be Octavian. Probably the best Octavian I have heard is Sena Jurinac (on the Kleiber set). Irmgard Seefried (on Bohm's set) is also really great. None of them are very feminine in their portrayl of the young Count. Ludwig sings really well, but I have never felt she is musically and dramatically right for the part because of her very feminine voice.
The rest of the cast is really good
The sound is good for early stereo, but there are times when the sound is a little muffled. The documentation is really great.

To close I have to say that Bohm's magnificent recording with Schech, Seefried and Bohme is a clear first choice if you have to have a stereo recording.
If stereo isn't important, then there is basically no better studio recording than the famous Erich Kleiber set from Decca with Maria Reining, Sena Jurinac and Ludwig Weber.