Customer Reviews

Wagner: Lohengrin

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a beautiful modern recording of one of Wagner's most accessible works. Abbado, famous for his Verdi conducting, directs a strong, passionate performance. Siegfried Jerusalem may lack the tonal beauty of Domingo in this role, but he pays more attention to the text and is willing to carefully shade his voice in the more introspective moments. Cheryl Studer is a radiant Elsa, her reedy tone projecting both innocence and goodness. She is not quite as dramatically aware as she was on her earlier live recording from Bayreuth, but her singing is even more beautiful here. Waltraud Meier sings a stupendous Ortrud, bringing both beauty of tone and sensuality to a role normal sung by roaring harpies. Many people claim the Solti recording of this opera as the best, but I prefer this one for its beauty and simplicity.

This recording is quite good, if perhaps rather main-stream. There are no real flaws, but maybe the performance is too polished. The reason you should get this recording - and you should, definitely - is Waltraud Meier: she is a riveting Ortrud, combining her wonderful, sensous voice with a stunning dramatic presence. If I were to choose with which of the two female protagonists of the opera to spend a night on the town with, I'd not opt for the heroïne, but for the witch!

Claudio Abbado had no recorded history with Wagner upon making this sumptuous Lohengrin which goes right to the top. I was initially very skeptical as the famous prelude opened. It is much faster than many conductors take it and the dreamy atmosphere is not allowed to envelope the listener to the degree one hears with Furtwangler or Karajan. But the glorious Vienna Philharmonic keeps one's hopes through the prelude and onto the main event.

The two leads sound fabulous and just right for the part. Studer and Jerusalem make a great team indeed. All the supporting parts are evenly balanced, the chorus is ravishing in the big numbers such as Elsa's Bridal Procession. I compared Abbado's take directly with the famous Solti/Domingo/Norman on Decca as well as Karajan's EMI account. It's safe to say that all three have magnificent orchestras and choral work. Solti has Domingo who is terrific but I have a difficult time his voice in this music, just too Italian for me. Jessye Norman is too mature and grandiose for the delicate Elsa. Decca's sound is fine but lacks the immediacy of DG's work for Abbado here. And to be frank, as good as he is, Solti is not as inspired in Lohengrin as he was in his earlier operatic recordings. As for the Karajan EMI, that really was one of Karajan's rare botched operatic efforts. EMI's sound balances are all over the place, the singers are not on the same level as with Abbado or Solti. Karajan's Lohengrin was made over several years and sounds unfocused.

For all those reasons I pick Abbado as the prime candidate for this opera. His Italian style of bringing out the lyrical, melodic flow in this piece works wonders and yet he doesn't shy away from the big dramatic moments. Apart from that rushed Prelude to Act 1, ( which you can easily find a substitute for ), this is outstanding work and I was certainly impressed by Abbado, a conductor who usually doesn't captivate me.

CAST: Kurt Moll [Heinrich der Vogler (Henry the Fowler)] ** Siegfried Jerusalem [Lohengrin] ** Cheryl Studer (soprano) [Elsa von Brabant] ** Hartmut Welker [Friedrich von Telramund] ** Waltraud Meier (mezzo-soprano) [Ortrud] ** Bojidar Nikolov [Nobleman of Brabant] ** Franz Kasemann [Nobleman of Brabant] ** Claudio Otelli [Nobleman of Brabant] ** Peter Köves [Nobleman of Brabant] ** Amy-Linda Domaracki [Page] ** Ingrid Sieghart [Page] ** Senta Fischer [Page] ** Elisabeth Mach [Page] ** Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus [Saxon and Thuringian counts and nobles; Brabantine counts and nobles; noblewomen, pages, vassals, ladies, serfs] ** Vienna Philharmonic ** Claudio Abbado

As much as I adore the Placido Domingo/Jessye Norman/Solti studio recording of Lohengrin made in the early 90's, this 80's recording under the baton of Claudio Abbado with the Vienna Phil and starring Siegfried Jerusalem and Cheryl Studer is in itself a miraculous masterpiece. There is an innately spiritual mood in the music, and none of Abbado's usual Italian mannerisms appear. The singers, especially, are in phenomenal shape, capturing the dramatic strength and dynamics of Wagner's first true great opera. Lohengrin inspired the Bavarian King Ludwig to build a "Swan Castle" Neuschwanstein which still stands today. In this romantic opera, he evokes medieval grandeur and weaves a magic enchantement of a Germany he favored- that of kings, knighthood and esoteric philosphies. Lohengrin, son of Parsifal, meets a tragic end at the hands of the wicked Talmarund and Ortrud. But even worse is the collapse of his marriage to Elsa, whom he had championed. She loses her trust of him when he refuses to give him her name. Little does she know that he is himself under a spell- if he reveals his name (in other words, if he shows her how human and un-heroic/divine he is) he turns back into a swan. Even if all this fantasy is too much, the music of Wagner is always, deep, mystical and exciting. This recording represents the best of both the art of beautiful singing and the art of dramatic singing. Perhaps this recording is the number one Lohengrin. I highly recommend it as your first listening experience of this opera. It's nothing short of magnificent. The Vienna Phil is lush, sensual, spiritual and climatic.

Siegfried Jerusalem was past his prime at the time of this recording, but even that does not detract from his powerful performance, though, to be overly critical, there are a few times his voice is clearly under the pressure of the taxing demands of the "high tenor" part and he literally cracks his voice. But he is in character, a mature, intelligent, sensitive singer, with years of experience singing nothing but Wagner. He is sensational and his Lohengrin epitomizes the proper way of singing the role in modern times. It is only his old age that has him at a disadvantage when compared to Domingo, whose voice is fresh and bursting with energy. Nevertheless, Jerusalem seems to step up his singing at the end of the opera.

Cheryl Studer is also in her old age as a singer but is wholly committed to the musical demands of the role and she's in character. She sings with great passion, particularly in the end, but she's magnificen throughout. She's in total control and her voice is dulcet but powerful and dramatic. She is, actually, the better singer in this recording, outshining even Jerusalem's Lohengrin. She understands how Elsa is his shining star, his motivation for heroism. She is angelic but earthy. Studer is the best Elsa on record.

Kurt Moll steps up his own singing to a level of grandiose Wagnerian bass technique. He is an amazing Henry the Fowler and he commits himself to the music and the character. Waltraud Meier as Ortrud is outstanding. She not only sings with bravura, but she gets into the twisted mind set of the character. Hers is the best on record as well. Abbado is in great shape. The recording is flawless. But even this does not compare to the beauty and strength of Solti's recording with Domingo and Norman.

I really admire this set as a dramatically convincing performance with idiomatic singing throughout. It wasn't lucky on its release date, which was too close to the Colin Davis set on RCA and overshadowed by the stellar set with Domingo and Jessye Norman under Solti on London/Decca. But the Davis is ruined by Sharon Sweet as a blowzy, unsteady Elsa, despite the excellent Ben Heppner in the title role (RCA has wisely issued an excerpts CD called 'Heppner Sings Lohengrin'). The Solti is spectacular, but Domngo isn't exactly born to the German singing style, and Norman is twice the voice her part needs.

I therefore pick the Abbado for its overall musical excellence. Siegfried Jerusalem is a terrific, intelligent Lohengrin who was unfortunatley caught just past his prime. Cheryl Studer's Elsa is the best since Grummer on the classic Kempe set, and I think better. Abbado conducts with great musicality and feeling for the opera, despite never having conducted Wagner in the pit before this. The orchestra and chorus are glorious, and the sound is surpassed only by the spectacular Solti. What's not to love?

P. S. August, 2009 -- As an addendum to the above, I am adding my review of a 1959 Lohengrin from Bayreuth that feels like an answered prayer, since it features Konya with an excellent conductor. I've also heard the Kubelik, which despite its devoted fans, is crippled for me by James King's blatant, uninflected singing that carries little musical interest.

Here's the Bayreuth review:

By consensus the Fifties was a Golden Age for opera, and this 1959 Lohengrin from Bayreuth could be offered as prime testimony. I have little to add to the unstinting praise given below. Every role is filled almost ideally -- the Herald of Eberhard Waechter is as world-class as the King or Telramund. One advantage of a festival is that star casting can be lavished throughout. Grummer had already established herself as the major Elsa in Germany, and every opera house in the world clamored for the sweet-toned Sandor Konya, with his miraculous blend of lyrical beauty and power. In Wagner we haven't seen his like since, excepting only Ben Heppner.

Having gone back to the original Bavarian Radio tapes, Orfeo's sonics are exceptional; they have also remastered them to eliminate microphone distortion and hiss. The Bayreuth orchestra sounds a tad boxy and muffled, but the voices are up close and well captured. The overall effect is like hearing a superb FM braodcast. There are few stage noises (Wieland Wagner's abstract production featured no stage sets or machinery).

Fanciers of the opera won't hesitate to buy this set, despite the absence of libretto and the most tedious, long-winded liner notes imaginable. Given all its merits, is this the best Lohengrin on records? Vocally, the answer is yes. But expert as he is, von Matacic doesn't conduct with inspiration. Solti and Abbado both exhibit greater dramatic tension and musical variety. In turn, they bring out more vivid characterizations from their lead singers than is heard here. And modern stereo far outshines dated mono, of course.

But these are quibbles. Any Lohengrin featuring Konya is well worth hearing. Among the three or four now available (including a tempting RCA Living Stereo version under Leinsdorf from Boston that turns out to have both dismal conducting and a rock-bottom Elsa) this one is first choice. It's a must-listen for anyone who loves the oper

On the surface, this could be the most 'on-paper perfect' Lohengrin ever recorded. Just look at the cast: Siegfried Jerusalem as Lohengrin, Cheryl Studer as Elsa, Waltraud Meier as Ortrud, Kurt Moll as the King...what more could you possibly ask for? This should be nothing short of perfection!

And - with but one exception - the singing here indeed varies from excellent to outstanding. Siegfried Jerusalem, the most prominent Heldentenor of the early 1990s, is a predictably strong and reliable swan knight: his voice is manly and muscular (like Jess Thomas' on the deservedly classic Kempe recording); his singing is steady and his interpretation an intelligent one. Siegfried Jerusalem is definitely good enough in the title role - that is, unless you have a very specific preference for honey-sweet Lohengrins in the Domingo mold. That Jerusalem is not.

Everybody's expectations for Cheryl Studer were probably even higher: Elsa was one of her biggest breakthrough roles. And here you can hear why. The only minor regret is that now she verges on sounding too mature and experienced for the role, but one can quickly forgive that given her touching and profound performance. Kurt Moll is another singer who does not entirely meet the high (probably too high) expectations. His voice is still a magnificent profundo, and it has gained even greater depth and gravity with age, which is all good, but, sadly, it also sounds slightly drier and less eloquent than back in the 70s/80s. Yet, that too can be quickly forgiven because of his splendid ensemble singing - and the fact that, just like Gottlob Frick, he has the ideal voice for the role. (I should probably point out here - before any Rene Pape fans protest - that while Rene Pape has a superb voice, his is a basso cantante voice, which I find somewhat too light for Wagner's heaviest tiefer Bass roles like the Kings Heinrich and Marke, Landgraf Hermann, and Pogner: they are much more effective when served by a true profundo like Moll or Frick.)

Waltraud Meier is still in her prime here (before she went up rangewise and down qualitywise) and actually one of the biggest stars of the recording - which is, of course, vital, since the whole Act 2 is basically Ortrud's show. Meier's performance here proves that she is probably the only modern-era Ortrud who can be seriously compared to Christa Ludwig. It is not just that she has (/had) the most awesome voice, she also knows how to use it. Rich, full, buttery sweet, yet so lovably evil and unflinching. She rises to the occasion magnificently and completely dominates the second act - it's straight A+ material!

And, one should add, Andreas Schmidt, one of most musically pleasing Heralds on record, is a strong asset, as well.

But then there is the exception: Hartmut Welker's Friedrich. While I can appreciate the challenges of performing Telramund, one of the most notorious German 'killer' roles along with Pizarro (i.e., practically whenever he opens his mouth, he has to compete with the whole orchestra, who are doing their best to drown him - many notable bass-baritones have consciously gravitated away from the role because of that), Welker's performance is still rather disappointing. He seems incessantly strained, as if he were singing at the at the utmost reach of his capacity all the time. He is wobbly and unsteady. He sounds almost as if he were in constant pain. Consequently, his Friedrich emerges as an inadvertent caricature, a small-time rogue rather than the complex, ambiguous, misguided and misled nobleman. This is a sorry blemish in an almost ideal cast.

The other (but significantly more subjective) caution is related to Abbado's conducting. For the most part, it is brilliant, and he conveys a very solid and coherent view of the opera. And he couldn't have had a better orchestra, which is, by the way, superbly captured: the sound is vivid and first-rate without going into such wild and exaggerated theatrics as the Solti version does with the numerous brass fanfares. What I find questionable, though, is Abbado's partiality for very fast tempi. Back in the 1990s, when this recording was new, I initially disliked it because of Annado's tempi but, having listened to it several times over the years, I have actually grown to appreciate it, even - at least in some ways - the Act 1 Prelude, which is one of the fastest on record. The only place where I still really cannot agree with Abbado is the final scene: it *is* rushed to the point where the music can hardly breathe and almost no dramatic tension can build up. It evokes memories of Leo Slezak missing his swan (small wonder he did if the Swan Express is so rapid!) - and also makes the swan knight's actions seem a little ironic: he sure took his time to get there (after two summons and a long wait) but, given the slightest excuse to get away from his wife, he is unashamedly eager to leave!

The final point is a subjective one. It might not even matter to everybody: some people like their Wagner fast, some slow. Think which side you are on. Do you enjoy Böhm's conducting on Tristan and Isolde? If you do, you will probably like Abbado's conducting here, too. Or do you find Böhm too rushed and prefer Furtwängler (or even Bernstein)? If so, you might reconsider.

In the end, the hasty tempi are what makes the Abbado set, for me, a 4.5 star recording rather than a straight 5 star one - I would like to have the music breathe more. But, when making the decision between 4 and 5 stars, I chose to err on the side of generousity, since I had already given 4 stars to Karajan and Barenboim, and this is (objectively!) better than their recordings. For the average listener who wants a modern digital Lohengrin, this is a great choice. But if you wish to experience the sublime, ethereal beauty of the music (to the point where tears run from your eyes), try the Kempe. His cast is at least equal to Abbado's and he unveils many intricacies of the score that are missed by most others. It is the perfect complement to this recording - or to any other Lohengrin set, for that matter.

Immediately, you are aware of the glorious sound of the Vienna Philharmonic, which seems to be taking this recording very seriously. I wasnt really a fan, as most were, of Abbado's DVD version due mainly to Domingo, preferring Levines, though the division between the two were slim. Regarding CD versions, I have always been completely in love with Kempes, which is great, especially Telramund and Ortrud by Dieskau and Christa Ludwig(I consider it to be the finest performance ever by Dieskau). This is the finest version I have heard since the Kempe and in some ways even finer, specifically, I like Cheryl Studers Elsa even more than Grummers(which is saying a lot) and I like Siegfried Jerusalems Lohengrin over Jess Thomas(which is not as shocking-though Thomas was in his short lived prime during the recording.) Jerusalem has more velvet to his voice-which is still absilutely beautifl at the time of this recording. Kurt Moll is also still his booming, cavernous self, that slighlty less so than at his prime. Orchestrally, I find myself shocked to say that Abbado does as fine a job, if not more remarkable a job than Kempe. There is really nothing to complain about. Studer gives the finest performance I have ever heard her give, basically-the stars aligned perfectly for this recording. However, it is too expensive at the moment(especially when the Kempe is only about twenty dollars. If this is released again cheaper-snatch it up, or if you come across it here from less than 40 bucks-do the same.
First act-Abbad0(though Kempes is mighty fine
Second Act-Kempe-only weak part of the abbado
Third act-about even

Maybe I'm being biased because I only love Placido Domingo as Lohengrin. Siegfried Jerusalem was a spectacular Wagnerian singer, with a great voice, but he didn't really act his parts. Plus, this particular Lohengrin is too close to Domingo's performance in the Solti recording. If he looked just how he does in the cover, he also tries to hard to look like Domingo's versions of the Wagner heroes. Cheryl Studer is the only good one in this recording. Her voice is beautifully lyric but powerful and Waltraud Meier is terrific as the wicked sorcereses Ortrud. Kurt Moll always delights.

The music is too fast-paced. There is no genuine Wagner essence here. Abbado is an Italian conductor and not a true Wagnerian conductor. This score is out of his league as a conductor.

Deserves only 3 stars. You have to be a fan of the singers or the conductor. This is not how Wagner should be sung. Granted, it's a beautiful account. Jerusalem is great, Studer is great. Some moments are really moving.

Try the Solti Lohengrin instead with Placido Domingo and Jessye Norman.

My biggest problem with this recording is really more a matter of taste then of any objective flaw. Abbado is consistently up tempo, which, in my opinion, does not allow the music to breathe, if you will. Just for the sake of comparison, Furtwängler's recording of the Vorspiel lasts 9:52, Abbado's lasts 8:24. The result is that it feels hurried and ineffective.

On the other hand, Kurt Moll as Heinrich der Vogler is noble and divine, so if you like Moll as much as I do, then this recording is worth purchasing. Other noteworthy performances include Meir and Jerusalem in the title role.

Bottom line: Abbado needs to quit collecting like he has a plane to catch!