Frau Ohne Schatten

Track Listings

1. Die Amme- Licht Ueberm See

2. Der Kaiser- Amme! Wachst Du-

3. Die Kaiserin- Ist Mein Liebster Dahin

4. Die Stimme Des Falken- Wie Soll Ich Denn Nicht Weinen-

5. Die Kaiserin- Amme, Um Alles

6. Orchester- Erdenflug

7. Verwandlung- Im Hause Des Faerbers

8. Die Frau- Sie Aus Dem Hause

9. Die Frau- Dritthalb Jahr

10. Die Frau- Was Wollt Ihr Hier-

11. Orchester- Die Dienerinnen Rufen Mit Suessen Stimmen

12. Die Amme- Hat Es Dich Blutige Traenen Gekostet

13. Orchester- Die Amme Hat Befehlend In Die Haende Geschlagen, Lautlos

14. Orchester- Die Frau Sinkt Vorne Auf Ein Buendel

15. Komm Bald Wieder Nach Haus, Mein Gebieter

16. Was Ist Nun Deine Rede

17. Das Kaiserliche Falknerhaus, Einsam Im Walde

18. Falke, Falke, Du Wiedergefundener

19. Des Faerbers Wohnung

20. Schlange, Was Hab Ich Mit Dir Zu Schaffen

See all 39 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews:

A Major Document of an Incredible Oeuvre..........2007-03-12

.
Of over 600 songs, Fischer-Dieskau and Gerald Moore realized over three-quarters: these are those. Gerald Moore was of course as important to this project as Fischer-Dieskau.

DGG's sound is excellent.

This set is a remarkable document of art.
.

Average customer rating:

Bohm says to
Beyond Comments
A famous dream cast
The triumph of Bohm
Nilsson finally captured

R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten
R. Strauss , James King , Birgit Nilsson , Vienna State Opera Orchestra , and Walter Berry
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Strauss: Elektra
Strauss - Daphne / Güden · Wunderlich · King · Little · Schöffler · Böhm
Capriccio
Die Schweigsame Frau
R. Strauss: Elektra

ASIN: B000001GMP
Release Date: 1994-09-20

Tracks:

Licht Uberm See
Amme! Wachst Du?
Ist Mein Liebster Dahin
Wie Soll Ich Denn Nicht Weinen?
Amme, Um Alles, Wo Find Ich Den Schatten?
Erdenflug
Verwandlung
Sie Aus Dem Hause, Und Das Fur Immer
Dritthalb Jahr Bin Ich Dein Weib
Was Wollt Ihr Hier?
Ach, Herrin, Susse Herrin!
Hat Es Dich Blutige Tranen Gekostet
Mutter, Mutter, Lass Uns Nach Hause!
Trag Ich Die Ware Selber Zu Markt

Tracks:

Komm Bald Wieder Nach Haus, Mein Gebieter
Was Ist Nun Deine Rede, Du Prinzessin
Verwandlung
Falke, Falke, Du Wiedergefundener
Verwandlung
Schlange, Was Hab Ich Mit Dir Zu Schaffen!
Ein Handwerk Verstehst Du Sicher Nicht
Wer Da?
Sieh - Amme - Sieh
Wehe, Mein Mann!
Es Dunkelt, Dass Ich Nicht Sehe Zur Arbeit
Es Gibt Derer, Die Bleiben Immer Gelassen...
Das Weib Ist Irre

Tracks:

Schweigt Doch, Ihr Stimmen!
Mir Anvertraut, Dass Ich Sie Hege
Auf, Geh Nach Oben, Mann
Fort Von Hier!
Wehe, Mein Kind
Sterben! Sterben!
Vater, Bist Dus?
Weh Mir! Erfullt Der Fluch!
Wenn Das Herz Aus Kristall Zerbricht In Einem Schrei
Verwandlung
Nun Will Ich Jubeln
Vater, Dir Drohet Nichts

Customer Reviews:

Bohm says to.......2006-01-20

The Casting and vienna po
"Hey guys, one mo time for ol time sakes?"
Vienna/casting : "sure why not"
There, my review. One lonely star.
If you fail to understand, THEN here: everyone is past their retirement.
I expect at the end of the yr I'll have 20 votes in the No , not helpful box, and Zero in the yes Paul's review was very helpful
:-)

Beyond Comments.......2005-03-25

Strauss once said that "Die Frau" was his "child of sorrow" because its troubled life on the stage.He always thought it was his greatest opera at the end of his life.So,I think Böhm's cuts are a complete abomination(I count near five on act 3).Besides,Hesse isn't the ideal Amme in my point of view and microphone catches Nilsson much more than others soloists on final scene.However,this live recording is beyond of any comments because its intangible beauty displaying this higher Strauss' music.Especially Rysanek that stands out performing the Empress in an extent many above the usual."Vater,bist dus?",that supplication to Keikobad on act 3 is beyond any description.In fact,in despite of cuts and smallest problems,this recording is a supreme conquest and great art consecration.You must hear to know.

A famous dream cast.......2005-03-20

Various great opera singers have "owned" great roles over the years, but almost none have quite the way Leonie Rysanek owned the Empress. DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN sounds difficult and abstruse if you describe the opera's plot to someone, but Rysanek and James King make the Emperor and Empress so deeply felt that they quickly reveal this as one of the most oddly moving operas ever written. At the opera's great climax, Rysanek gives full vent to the Empress's humanity at her famous "Ich will nicht!"--which she utters as if her heart were utterly breaking--that she fully justifies the glorious transformation in the music that announces her and her husband's salvation. And Nilsson was a great Dyer's Wife--her laserlike intensity, so terrifying in roles like Salomé and Elektra, is here used to great effect for her character's dislikability but also her fundamental decency and depth of character. Böhm was the ideal conductor for this cast--no one can humanize Strauss (or Wagner, for that matter) quite the way he could.

The triumph of Bohm.......2004-03-03

When I was thirteen years old,in 1976, the San Francisco Opera announced the return to the repertory of Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten, to be performed in the fall season. I wasn't familiar with the work, but I was a big Karl Bohm fan (I collected his Mozart opera recordings) and as it had been announced that he would be conducting the run of performances, I knew that I had to see one of the evenings. I convinced my parents to get Sunday-matinee tickets for my brother and I, and we went. Needless to say, my life was changed forever. Rysanek, Berry, Hesse, Matti Kastu (as the Emperor) and Ursula Schroeder-Feinen (as the Dyer's Wife) inhabited their roles completely and fearlessly, and sang like deities. But it was Bohm who was the true hero of the day. A personal friend of Strauss, he had championed this opera for several decades, and was primarily responsible for its entry into the international repertoire. His love for the opera shone through every bar. No-one else has captured the prayerful aspect of the Barak's Goodness orchestral interlude in Act I, right down to the repeated "amen"s in the lower strings at the end of the passage. Who else whips the orchestra into such a frenzy as Empress and Nurse soar through the air from heaven to earth, making the thickening of the smog and feel of the dust almost palpable as they descend. And who else has caught the magical serenity of the closing bars of the opera so surely, yet played them so lightly with such a gossamer touch? Solti and Sawallisch, for all their expertise (and the highly touted "note-complete" performances they conduct) remain earthbound and dully prosaic next to Bohm. "Unidiomatic" is the kindest word I can come up with to describe their approaches. Listening to their recordings is rather like listening to a provincial foreign actor play King Lear with a heavy accent; with Bohm, we're in Olivier territory. And this 1977 taping from the ORF (Austrian Radio) does not disappoint. The Vienna Philharmonic is a vast improvement over the mid-1970's San Francisco Opera orchestra, and James King is far preferable to Kastu, a Finnish heldentenor who never made much headway in the States. I will go out on a limb and say I regret that Schroeder-Feinen was not cast in the Vienna performance. Her voice was youthful yet large, with a lyric quality that by 1977 was sadly absent from Nilsson's portrayal. This is a minor quibble, though. This recording really is an essential performance; even with cuts it blows Solti and Sawallisch out of the water. I must just relate an interesting bit of stage business. When the Messenger banished the evil Nurse to the world of men in Act III, Ruth Hesse let out a groan to shake the rafters (you can hear it on this recording), threw her arms into the air and fell backwards into the boat, which then floated offstage with the Nurse clutching desperately to the mast and looking wildly about like a cornered beast. That was theatre!

Nilsson finally captured.......2004-01-09

For someone like myself who has heard every note Nilsson sang on recordings, this CD of Die Frau is beyond description. Nilsson always posed a challenge to sound engineers. It was always difficult to hear her true beauty on recordings. When this CD came out, I was smilling when she began to sing. This is exactly how she sounded in San Francisco on September 30, 1980 when I heard her perform this role.
I had another opportunity to see and hear her. The place was Wilmington, Delaware. The date was April 13, 1988. She was at the Wilmington Opera House to conduct a master class. Many of her students were from the Academy of the Vocal Arts and The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. In all honesty, I learned more about Nilsson on this day than I did In 1980.
At the end of the program, she invited people to ask her some questions. One of the most notable ones was the one about her most difficult singing role. She said that all of them posed their own challenges. But the man was persistent. I was seated in the front row and I thought I could offer her some help. I said softly," Die Frau?" She looked at me, and then looked at the audience with somewhat vacant and inward searching eyes and replied, "Yes. I would have to say Die Frau Ohne Schatten. When I first learned it, it was so difficult to learn on the piano. The range of octaves and the tempi were very confusing. But when I began rehearsals with the orchestra, everything fell into place."
In short, if you have heard other renditions of Die Frau Ohne Schatten and were disapointed with the sound or the bizzare plot, don't worry. Buy this recording as fast as you can before it vanishes.

Birgit Nilsson Sings Richard Wagner & Richard Strauss

Average customer rating:

The whole career of one of the greatest singers of all time
Birgit Sings Like Sweetness
A Document In The Grand Career Of Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005)
Great

Birgit Nilsson Sings Richard Wagner & Richard Strauss

Manufacturer: Gala
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Birgit Nilsson: Opera Arias
Nilsson Sings Verdi
Or sai chi l'onore: Opernarien von Mozart, Weber, Wagner, Strauss
Wagner: Opera Arias & Duets
Prima Voce: Flagstad

ASIN: B000001XNS
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

Ariadne auf Naxos: Es Ist alles vergebens - Es gibt ein Reich
Salome: Es ist kein Laut zu vernehmen
Salome: Ah! du wolltest mich nicht deinen Mund kussen lassen, Jochanaan
Salome: Sie ist ein Ungeheuer, deine Tochter
Salome: Ah! Ich habe deinen Mund gekusst, Jochanaan
Elektra: Was willst du, Fremder Mensch?
Die Fau Ohne Schatten: Es dunkelt, dass ich nicht sehe zur Arbeit
Die Fau Ohne Schatten: Es gibt derer, Die bleiben immer gelassen Abtu ich von meinem Leibe die Kinder
Die Fau Ohne Schatten: Die Weib ist irre - Barak, ich hab es nicht getan
Tannhauser: Dich, teure Halle
Lohengrin: Euch Luften, die mein Klagen
Lohengrin: Elsa!-Wer Ruft?
Lohengrin: Ortrud, wo bist du?

Tracks:

Tristan und Isolde: Horst du sie noch?
Tristan und Isolde: Mild und leise wie er lachelt
Die Walkure: Schlafst du, Gast?
Die Walkure: Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond
Die Walkure: De bist der Lenz
Die Walkure: O susseste Wonne! Seligstes Weib!
Die Walkure: Siegmund heiss ich und Siegmund bin ich!
Siegfried: Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich
Gotterdammerung: Schweigt eures Jammers jauchzenden Schwall
Gotterdammerung: Starke Scheite, Schichtet mir dort

Customer Reviews:

The whole career of one of the greatest singers of all time.......2007-01-14

I could nor beleive my eyes when I saw the price of this recording. It covers the whole career of the greatest Wagner and Strauss singer in the last half of the 20th Century. I think the whole performance of Ariadne of Naxos allurs in the archives of the Swedish Broadcasting company - a release, please!
When the news arrived that La Nilsson hade died in her home, surrounded by family members and near friends, on Christmas Day 2005 (kidneys not functioning, and no more dialysis possible) - we at once underrstand her uniquiness - there was nobody there to take over the helm and shield....It is quite wonderful that this eextensive compilation was published just recently. It is a very worthy portrait of a blessed singer!

Birgit Sings Like Sweetness.......2007-01-08

This is the first time I had heard Birgit Nilsson sing. The CD was great. However, I did have to blast the music because it is the original recording on the CD. Besides the quality it is worth purchasing if you want to hear one of the best. Her voice is clear and sweet, and welcoming to the ears.

A Document In The Grand Career Of Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005).......2006-03-23

The great soprano from Sweden, Birgit Nilsson, once contemplated suicide when she met with dismal reviews in her first perfomrance as Agathe from Weber's Die Freitschutz, for she was inexperienced and fresh out of the farm she grew up in. She went on to become the greatest dramatic soprano of all time, and for me, she is an even more thrilling and masterful soprano than the overrated Maria Callas. Birgit Nilsson died of unknown causes in her hometown of Sweden on Christmas of '05 only months ago. Her huge, steely, bright, metallic voice was reportedly capable of breaking glass and stone. This album covers many years in her career. Her Ariadne is not well known and it's captured in a young voice (50's) and she is in phenomenal shape. The dramatic heft of the role is suited to her voice. Wagner was her specialty of course and here we have slices of her Elisabeth from Tannhauser. She also sang Venus. Isolde was another great role of hers (the one she debuted at the Met) and Brunhilde is of course her best role. Singing Strauss is no piece of cake but when we listen to her Salome and Elektra and Dryer's Wife from Die Frau we are hearing a woman who, despite age, is singing with strength and vigor. She gets into character each time and she sings beautifully. All fans of La Nilsson must get this one.

Great.......2003-08-20

This is a very good CD for people who follow Birgit Nilsson's development. It contains live performances from 1949 (Ariadne auf Naxos - Nilsson sang Ariadne!!) to 1977 (Dyer's Wife in Die Frau Ohne Schatten). You can see her development from young to old over close to 30 years. For someone like me who have many of Birgit Nilsson's commercial recordings, this is a great CD too because it allows me to compare her 'live' performances with the studio recordings. It also enables me to see how her voice developed over the years. For instance, her voice grew in warm as she progressed in her career. By 1977, her voice had lost some ease - you can tell that she has to sing with more effort but her top register is still amazing, the gleam is still there even if it is more effortful to produce (when I say effortful I mean by young Birgit Nilsson standards - if you compare with other singers, she still sings effortlessly). Imagine - by 1977, she was 59 and she still puts singers singers half her age at 30 to shame. A very interesting CD in very mono sound. 5 stars for Nilsson's superb performances (her vocalism never fails to amaze me), for a fantastic variety of excerpts, for very mono sound, for the historical importance of this CD and for the incredible bargain price ... for 2 CDs.

Tracks:

Wagner: Tannhauser - "Dich, teure Halle" (Elisabeth's Aria from Act 2, Scene 1)
Wagner: Die Walkure - "Du bist der Lenz" (Sieglinde's scene from Act 1, Scene 3)
Wagner: Die Walkure - "Der Manner Sippe" (Sieglinde's scene from Act 1, Scene 3)
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde - "Weh', ach wehe dies zu dulden" (Isolde's Curse and Narration from Act 1, Scene 3) with Natascha Petrinsky
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde - "Mild und leise" (Isolde's Liebestod from Act 3, Scene 3)
R. Strauss: Elektra - "Ich kann nicht sitzen" (Chrysothemis's scene) with Natascha Petrinsky
R. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos - "Es gibt ein Reich" (Ariadne's scene)
R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten - "Ist mein liebster dahin" (Kaiserin's opening scene, Act 1)
R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten - "Wehe mein Mann" (Kaiserin's opening scene, Act 2)
R. Strauss: Salome - "Es ist kein Laut zu vernehmen" (Salome's final scene)

Amazon.com

Here the beautiful-voiced Deborah Voigt tackles music her sound is made for: big, powerful moments from works of Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. All 10 selections are handsomely sung, with gleaming, even tone, and some are true standouts. Elisabeth's Greeting from Tannhaeuser is sort of matter-of-fact, but both of Sieglinde's solos from Walküre are filled with urgency and depth and seem to be happening in real time. Ariadne's monolog is suitably ethereal and fantastic (in the true sense of the word) and the "chunks" from Die Frau ohne Schatten and Chrysothemis's monolog from Elektra, though weird out of context, are vocal showpieces. Her Isolde is nuanced and potent, if without the ultimate rage in the Narrative and Curse or the heavenly transfiguration of the Liebestod, and the final scene of Salome, ravishingly sung, does not quite probe this character's berserk Freudian issues. But she's a remarkable singer and this CD is sure to delight; one can bathe in her warm, rich sound. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

The Opera ain't over.............2007-06-18

This review is kind of dated; since this album was released, the fat lady had lost a bunch of weight. Miss Voigt got some unfortunate publicity a couple of years ago when Covent Garden paid off her contract, and fired her due to her excess poundage. I don't question their right to do that, but I do question the sanity of anyone who fires the greatest Wagnerian of our day. That event triggered her big weight loss, and she's back at Covent Garden. What do audiences want? Every High School has plenty of girls who look great in skimpy costumes, but, can they sing this music? Please...great Wagner singers are MUCH rarer than great heart surgeons. Flagstad wasn't anything to look at, and Schumann-Heink was massive, BUT, they could do justice to Wagner. Helen Traubel? There are exceptions to everything.

This is a truly wonderful album...Wagner and Strauss did not write for weaklings. Miss Voigt makes Sieglinde and Isolde come alive; her voice is both massive and beautiful. What we have here is 68 minutes of the finest singing of really tough music available in our day. The "Tristan und Isolde" excerpts are alone worth the price, but the whole recording is a joy.

A Wonderful Wagner and Strauss Recital.......2007-04-04

When I first heard this CD, I didn't think much of Deborah Voigt since I had heard her during her earlier days singing Mathilde in Rossini's Gugliemo Tell with the conductor Evelino Pido. Her timbre at that time was so creamy and rich and beautiful, and as I heard her over the years, I noticed that the qualities that made her such a promising singer in that Tell were not present in this recording. I also heard her do some Verdi roles in the Met, parts that were obviously not suited to her cooler, Germanic sound. A few days ago, after listening to a broadcast of her spectacular Salome from Chicago last fall and her recent Agyptische Helena from the Met, I have to say that I have never been more amazed by this soprano.

Of course, Voigt is no Nilsson, but who else was? I don't think Inge Borkh, Gwyneth Jones, Ursula Schröder-Feinen, Leonie Rysanek, or Hildegard Behrens ever equalled the great Swede in terms of power and focus, and neither will Voigt. But what Voigt has that Nilsson does not is a warmth and a grain to her voice, making Voigt's portrayals of her heroines sound more human than godlike compared to the stentorian Brünnhilde. Voigt's Sieglinde, Ariadne, Elisabeth, Isolde, Salome, Kaiserin, and Chrysothemis are all magnificent characterizations with a human, womanly touch to them. This recital allows the listener to hear showpieces that reflect her talent as a German dramatic soprano, and the listener is immediately drawn by the care to which Voigt lavishes on these selections. Dich Teure Halle is sung with the bright, happy, pure sound one associates with Elisabeth, and if it not a personalized portrayal of the heroine, it certainly is a perfectly sung one. Of the two selections from Die Walküre, Der Männer Sippe is sung with urgent drive, showing us once again that Deborah is the best Sieglinde of our day. She sings Du Bist der Lenz with rapture and beauty, and one would have hoped that she could have partnered Ben Heppner or Domingo to finish the remainder of Act I in this CD. The selections from Tristan are sung with vocal opulence that reminds us how Voigt is quickly becoming one of the best Isoldes today. The Narration from Act I is sung like a powerhouse of rage and sarcasm, and the Liebestod is perfectly sung, albeit lacking that sense of apotheosis that characterized Nilsson and Flagstad in their singing of the part. Although these excerpts were Voigt's starting forays into Isolde, she already shows security and intelligence in this cornerstone of the dramatic soprano repertoire.

The next half of the recital shows Voigt's talents in the Straussian roles where her voice is put to its best use. Unlike the Wagner selections, these Straussian excerpts don't seem to lend as well to cutting, but they nonetheless give the listener an idea of Voigt's mastery of the Straussian idiom. Her large, creamy, grainy voice is ideal for Chrysothemis, and I have never heard Ariadne sung better in these recent years. Voigt is easily the equal of Rysanek as the empress, the steely sheen of her voice perfect for the luminscent character of the Kaiserin. She closes the recital with the final scene from Salome, a selection that shows Voigt's exploration of another dramatic role that she assumed to great acclaim last fall in Chicago. All in all, a great recital, and one would only hope that she had been partnered by a more sensitive conductor like Christian Thielemann.

Absolutely Smitten!.......2005-12-30

Generally, I dislike the "new crop" of singers. It's rare, if ever, that I find a singer that can rival the singers of the Golden era. On this album, however, Deborah Voigt does exactly that. This album is a perfect showpiece for how absolutely SOLID the voice is from absolute tip-top to the very depths of her chest voice. In the rarely performed excerpts from Die Frau Ohne Schatten, Voigt tackles the extremely high tessitura effortlessly, pouring forth walls of sound. The rest of the album, from Es Gibt Ein Reich to Du bist der Lenz, follows in the same vein. The tone is always golden, gorgeous, and shining. The top has just enough metal in it to ride the orchestra, but not overly much.

The listener certainly gets the distinct impression that Madame Voigt could sing like this for an eternity, and heaven knows I wanted her to! She wields her voice like a spear; shining and golden. There is a homogenous quality to the voice that is unrivalled by most of her contemporaries. Deborah Voigt sings like a force of nature; I got the impression that she could even overpower the orchestra, if she so chose. That type of singing, uneffected and gorgeous, is certainly exciting no matter what the case.

Not since Birgit Nilsson have I heard such a huge, solid instrument. Certainly Nilsson has some advantages over Voigt; namely experience. If Voigt keeps heading in the inimitable direction she is making for herself, she is destined to be one of the very greatest sopranos of this century.

Brava Madame Voigt!

Divine Deborah.......2005-12-24

Deborah Voigt is perhaps today's newes Eileen Farrell. Like Farrell, she's unabashedly American, doesn't care for the spotlight or the "diva" lifestyle and has a voice that is beautiful, huge, steely and dramatically satisfying. Debora Voight is, sadly, underrated, like Farrell was in her own time (the 60's and 70's). It is possible that Renee Fleming albums sell more than Voigt albums. But I really think she is a dynamic singer and this album is her best showcase. With a voice that is stronger and more dramatic than the light-toned Fleming, Voigt excells in such roles as Aida, Ariadne, Brunhilde, Tosca and other heavy lyric roles. She is a masterful singer of the Strauss and Wagner repertoire. Especially noteworthy is her renditions of Elisabeth's "Hall Aria" from Tannhauser. This aria has not been recorded in quite a long while and Voight joins such great Wagnerian divas as Kirsten Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson as possibly the greatest Wagnerian sopranos. Her Brunhilde from Die Walkure is a revelation, especially how she sings "Du Bist der Lenz" and "Der Manner Sippe". Such beauty and power! The same beautiful and fearsome power is given to Isolde's Invective "Curse" Aria "We Ach Wehe". In contrast, she softens her voice to the beautiful strains of the Liebestod, full of passion and romantic euphoria. Her Elektra is phenomenal, and here we are treated to Chrysothemis' Scene. It was the opera Ariadne of Naxos at London's Covent Garden where Voigt was slighted because "she was too fat" for the costumes that the art director had in mind. Well, BS! Voigt has a great voice and makes a fine Ariadne, surpassing even Jessye Norman in modern recording. And her Salome is to die for. The Final Scene, in which Salome rhaposidizes her necrophilic feelings for John the Baptist, is terrifying in its power. No doubt she is the best American soprano of our time.

RECOMMENDED FOR WAGNER OR STRAUSS BEGINNERS.......2004-12-14

One word: Awesome! this is a must have. The selection of arias is great, specially Walkure, Tannhauser (Dich teure halle!!) and the Liebestod of Isolde. The final scene of Salome is the highlight of this cd. TNo wonder is one of the best classical cds of the year. 5 stars! Recommended!!

Strauss - Die Frau ohne Schatten / Voigt, Heppner, Schwarz, Grundheber, Hass, Sinopoli

Average customer rating:

Fantastic performance - shame about the cuts
Interesting, but not enough to grab me
Not the best
Can't be compared to the classic Solti set
A Lasting Memorial

Strauss - Die Frau ohne Schatten / Voigt, Heppner, Schwarz, Grundheber, Hass, Sinopoli
Richard Strauss , Giuseppe Sinopoli , Deborah Voigt , Ben Heppner , Hanna Schwarz , Franz Grundheber , Sabine Hass , Ute Selbig , and Werner Güra
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Strauss - Elektra / Marc, Voigt, Schwarz, Jerusalem, Ramey, Wiener Phil., Sinopoli
Strauss: Salome
Handel - Giulio Cesare / Mijanovic · Kozená · von Otter · Hellekant · B. Mehta · A. Ewing · Bertin · Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten / Varady, Domingo, Behrens, van Dam, Sir Georg Solti
Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier / Te Kanawa, von Otter, Hendricks, Rydl, Leech, Grundheber, Haitink

ASIN: B000000S90
Release Date: 1997-11-25

Tracks:

Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Licht ubern See...'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Amme! Wachst Du?'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Ist mein Liebster dahin,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Wie soll ich denn nicht weinen?'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Amne, um alles, wo find ich den Schatten?'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - Verwandlung: Erdenflug
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Dieb! Da nimm!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Sie aus dem Hause,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Dritthalb Jahr bin ich dein Weib' -
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Was wolt ihr hier?'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Ach Herrin, susse Herrin!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Hat es dich blutige Tranen gekostet,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Mutter, Mutter, lass uns nach Hause!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Trag' ich die Ware selber zu Markt,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy-Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act I - 'Ihr Gatten in den Hausern dieser Stadt,..'

Tracks:

Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Komm bald wieder nach Haus, mein Gebieter,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Was ist nun deine Rede, du Prinzessin,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - Verwandlung
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Falke, Falke, du wiedergefundener' -
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Es gibt derer, die haben immer Zeit,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Schlange, was hab' ich mit dir zu schaffen!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - Ein Handwerk verstehst du sicher nicht,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Ich, mein Gebieter, deine Dienerin!' - Verwandlung
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Zum Lebenwasser!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Wehe, mein Mann!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Es dunkelt, Dass ich nicht sehe zur Arbeit...'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Es gibt derer, die bleiben immer gelassen,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - 'Sie wirft keinen Schatten.'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act II - Barak! Ich hab'es nicht getan!'

Tracks:

Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Schweigt doch, ihr Stimmen!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Mir anvertraut,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Auf, geh nach oben, Mann,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Fort von hier!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Aus unsern Taten steigt ein Gericht!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Wehe, mein Kind,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - Verwandlung
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Vater, bist du's?'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Mein Liebster starr!'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Wenn das Herz aus Kristall zerbricht...'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - Verwandlung
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - Trifft mich sein Lieben nicht,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - Nun will ich jubeln,..'
Die Frau ohne Schatten - Or, A Fairy Tale By Two Intellectuals: Act III - 'Vater, dir drohet nichts,..'

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic performance - shame about the cuts.......2006-07-13

No other recording - not even Solti's - lifts off the way Sinopoli's does in that stunning quartet which concludes this opera ; he controls the huge orchestral forces and intricate vocal lines to engineer the most heart-wrenching climax before the ethereal voices of the unborn children send us off to bed, amazed and delighted. So it's a thousand pities that Sinopoli permitted so many damaging cuts - not least the 'cello solo before the Dyer's wife expresses her remorse in the underground chamber; surely they could have been recorded and spliced in afterwards? My respect for Sabine Hass, who succumbed to cancer not long ago, does not prevent me from observing that while she conveys great intensity in her performance it is also too often a strident pain in the ears. Grundheber is gruff compared with the mellifluous Van Dam in the Solti, though that suits the character; Voigt and Heppner, however, are in unbeatable voice: powerful, lyrical amd true; as good as, if not better than, their counterparts in the Solti, Varady and Domingo. Voigt is especially moving in the statue scene -again, horribly pruned but still very effective. I have four recordings of this masterpiece: Karajan 1964 Salzburg set, the Solti, the Bohm on "Opera d'Oro" (in indifferent sound but it enshrines some wonderful performances) and this one - and I wouldn't want to be without any of them, especially the Sinopoli if only for that last scene.

Interesting, but not enough to grab me.......2003-12-05

I am sure that most who read this comment, the one that leads into this review, and then look at the star rating will wonder if I had made a mistake. Well, I didn't. I do rate it a five star performance, but the opera itself is very dry to me. When the subtitle states it is a "Fairy tale opera by two intellectuals" that is a perfect statement. There is nothing fairly tale about this work (at least not in the Humperdinck way of things), nor is there anything remotely involving. Like much of Strauss, the music meanders around in a wash of orchestral sound never really finding a theme, or a tune, or much of anything, yet always filled with something that is captivating, and nearly touching the soul. I rate the opera, not the recording, along side Wagner's two operas that took me years to enjoy; Parsifal and Tristan. Nothing happens for ever in this opera. Yes, there is glorious music in it, that I will admit, much glorious music. To me the drama is completely lost.

I came to this opera because of comments made by musicians who are friends who are "in the know." They all raved about the performances of Christa Ludwig as the drier's wife, and how the ending of the opera (with all the future children to be born to the emperor and empress singing) was a revelation. Of course, I was completely intrigued. I saw photos of that talked about ending with Ludwig in them. Surely this opera must be as beautiful and imaginative as the photos presented. Well, I put the recording on and drifted off entirely. Obviously, the opera didn't keep me awake long enough to know if it really was all that good. Now I have to admit, I loved Elektra and Salome and could find all the melodic beauty in those scores; there are moments in Rosenkavalier, beautiful as the score is, where I am so bored it isn't even funny (act three is a waste), and in most of Strauss' operas I have found he learned well from Wagner: whatever you write if it can be said in three words make sure you say it in three hundred words; if the scene can be completely acted out and make a super impact in 10 minutes, make sure you take three hours to do the same. For the most part, this doesn't bother me too much, for in many of his operas there is much beautiful music to relish in while nothing especially important is happening (excepting in Capriccio, that opera has nothing happen all night long, and only some of the music is captivating, the rest is deadly dull).

Sadly, that is exactly how I view this opera: it is a bunch of nothing happening for hours on end. At least there is a wealth of beautiful music to listen to, but as far as the story is concerned, there is nothing to engage you. Now I guess in performance it is another matter, but I have never seen this opera in performance. I have only listened to it on recording. I heard the Karajan recording, and it is wonderful as far as the lush sound is concerned, but I found myself outside of everything just like I found that in this recording.

To some readers, this is going to sound like a review that should have rated only one star, but you see, the recording is not the problem, the singers are not the problem, the conducting is not the problem; these things are all perfection. It is the opera itself. I cannot fault the performers, the conductor, or the engineers if the work itself is dull. They do a masterful job and what I am hearing is simply breathtaking. To me, it is unfair to fault the work of the performers when the work itself is the fault. It is a wonderful recording, and complete. I can even listen to it one act at a time, if I give myself time to rest between each (one act a day is enough), and during that time period I can really enjoy this opera all because of the wonderful singing, conducting, and orchestral playing.

I would recommend that you become familiar with the opera BEFORE you buy it. Get to know it and enjoy it (I didn't do that, and I am sure that is one reason it has taken me so long to enjoy it). Then buy it and you will enjoy it. If you are not certain about it, then borrow it first and listen to parts of it. It is expensive, as all opera recordings are, so do approach this recording with full awareness of what you are getting, and don't let the glowing reports of friends who saw the opera in generations past influence you into getting something you may or may not like.

Not the best.......2003-08-12

This is an excellent performance. But my advice is to get the Vienna 1964 under Karajan from DG. That version is in mono not stereo. Also, Karajan makes cuts and reorganizes some of the scens so that they don't follow Strauss direction. So why do I recommend that version?

Put simply because the performance is simply exceptionally outstanding. Christa Ludwig gives a miraculous performance as the Dyer's Wife - the supreme interpreter of the role, above all competition. Your heart stops whenever she starts singing. Leonie Rysanek, it need not be said, is incomparable as the Empress - no one can touch Rysanek in the role of the Empress except Rysanek herself!! Grace Hoffman sings with searing dramatic sense in the difficult role of the Nurse. Her voice is strong and incisive. Her malevolence comes through clearly and her voice has sufficient heft to cut through the Straussian orchestration. Walter Berry is in sensational voice as Barak and his partnership with then-wife Christa Ludwig is unbeatable. Their duet at the beginning of Act 3 is a collectors' item to be treasured. Jess Thomas is in excellent voice as the Emperor. Plus we have the great Fritz Wunderlich in a small role and the lovely soprano, Lucia Popp in a number of small roles - the falcon, the voice from heaven, the voices of unborn children. The Vienna Philharmonic play like gods. They knew that this was Karajan's last opera with them and they gave nothing but their best - their quality of musicianship puts all and sundry to shame. Finally, the DG transfers are superb. No doubt it is in mono but the clarity of detail is amazing. One could only wish that someone had been smart enough to record it in stereo back then. Unfortunately, no one did. It is always worthwhile getting a DG 'live' performance than some of those on smaller labels simply because DG has access to the original tapes and always make superb transfers. Karajan's 1962 Il Trovatore for example, had been available for a long time on smaller labels but the smaller labels had bad sonic quality. So when the DG version came out I just snapped it up because the quality was better although I had to pay more.

Therefore, if you want the 1964 Karajan Vienna, better snap up now. It's already not available Amazon.com but you can still find it elsewhere. By all means, if you want a stereo version, this and the Solti are both excellent recordings. But that night in 1964 at the Vienna State Opera was a miraculously special one that Straussians will not want to miss. In particular, if you like Die Frau Ohne Schatten, you must not miss that performance, esp when DG has done such superb transfers.

Can't be compared to the classic Solti set.......2003-07-30

This set is very disappointing. Not only is it uncompetitive when faced with the classic Solti set on Decca, the principal singers here are all caught well below their best. Sinopoli's conducting is very idiosyncratic and I don't think it is effectively musically or dramatically. All the other available versions of this opera is better than this one, which should be avoided.

A Lasting Memorial.......2001-09-20

Giuseppe Sinopoli was a truely brilliant man, and he died much to soon. Ariadne auf Naxos will stand as a towing memorial to him. Never have I heard such an incredible rendering of this devine music, all of the beauty is revealed in prefect pacing and attention to detail.Each singer has given their all, brilliant preformances all around.
If you love this opera, this is a "must have". If you never quite cared for it, run out and buy it, and be prepared to fall in love.
We has lost one of the finest conductors of all time, Rest in Peace,we will miss you.
Margot Roby-McGowan

Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten / Varady, Domingo, Behrens, van Dam, Sir Georg Solti

Average customer rating:

The "Almost" Dream Recording
Impressive enough
Wrong voice
Outstanding Recording; Opera Problematic
Karl Bohm vs. George Solti

Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten / Varady, Domingo, Behrens, van Dam, Sir Georg Solti
Richard Strauss , Wiener Philharmoniker , Sir Georg Solti , Julia Varady , Plácido Domingo , Hildegard Behrens , José van Dam , Reinhild Runkel , Sumi Jo , Gerhard Eder , Elzbieta Ardam , and Rannveig Braga
Manufacturer: Decca
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Binding: Audio CD

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R. Strauss - Ariadne auf Naxos / Schwarzkopf · Seefried · Streich · Schock · Prey · PO · Karajan
R. Strauss: Elektra
Richard Strauss - Capriccio / Schwarzkopf, Wächter, Gedda, Fischer-Dieskau, Hotter, Ludwig, Moffo, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sawallisch
Tchaikovsky - Eugen Onegin / T. Allen, Freni, von Otter, Shicoff, Burchuladze; Levine
Solti Strauss ~ Arabella / della Casa, Gueden, Dermota, London, Wiener Phil.

ASIN: B00000420D
Release Date: 1992-04-14

Tracks:

Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Licht uberm See - Runkel
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Amme! Wachst du? - Domingo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: lst mein Liebster dahin - Domingo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Wie soll ich denn nicht weinen? - Jo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Amme, um alles, wo find' ich den Schatten? - Domingo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Erdenflug. Flight down to Earth - Wiener Philharmoniker/Solti
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Dieb! Da nimm! - Hornik
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Sie aus dem Hause - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Dritthalb Jahr bin ich dein Weib - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Was wollt ihr hier? - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Ach, Herrin, su Herrin! - Robin/Sasaki/Lang
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Hat es dich blutige Tranen gekostet - Runkel
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Mutter, Mutter, launs nach Hause! - Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Trag' ich die Ware selber zu Markt - Dam
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act One: Verwandlung: Sie haben es mir gesagt - Dam

Tracks:

Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Komm bald wieder nach Haus, mein Gegieter - Runkel
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Was ist nun deine Rede, du Prinzessin - Dam
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Orchesterzwischenspiel - Wiener Philharmoniker/Solti
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Falke, Falke, du wiedergefundener - Domingo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Stille... O weh, Falke, o weh! - Domingo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Es gibt derer, die haben immer Zeit - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Schlange, was hab' ich mit dir zu schaffen - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Ein Handwerk verstehst du sicher nicht - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Wer da? - Dam
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Sieh - Amme -sieh - Varady
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Zum Lebenswasser! - Robin/Sasaki/Braga/Targler/Lang
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Wehe, mein Mann! - Varady
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Es dunkelt, daich nicht sehe zur Arbeit - Dam
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Es gibt derer - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Das Weib ist irre - Dam
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Verwandlung: Barak, ich hab' es nicht getan! - Behrens

Tracks:

Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Schweigt doch, ihr Stimmen! - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Mir anvertraut - Dam
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Auf, geh nach oben, Mann - Jo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Sie kommen! - Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Fort mit uns! - Runkel
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Aus unsern Taten steigt ein Gericht! - Varady
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Was Menschen bedurfen? - Runkel
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Keikobad! Deine Dienerin - Runkel
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Weh uns Armen! - Jo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Vater, bist du's? - Varady
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Goldenen Trank - Varady
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Ach! Weh mir! Mein Liebster starr! - Varady
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: 'Wenn das Herz aus Kristall...' - Domingo
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Sind das die Cherubim - Varady
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Engel sind's, die von sich sagen! - Varady
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Trifft mich sein Lieben nicht - Behrens
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Nun will ich jubeln - Dam
Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Three: Verwandlung: Vater, dir drohet nichts - Ardam

Customer Reviews:

The "Almost" Dream Recording.......2007-04-18

This complex and demanding opera will probably always elude mere mortals in their attempt to document it in a definitive manner. But Solti comes close. He is in total command of the detailed and often over-elaborate textures, and the impact of the VPO in the big passages (the very opening, for instance) is FRIGHTENING! Typical bass-heavy Decca recording, with a separate microphone apparently placed down IN the bell of the Tuba... Excellent instrumental detail with much presence, though when the voices are going full tilt, orchestral detail tends to get obscured. Sawallisch's complete recording for EMI is better in this respect. (Also, just for the record, Solti substitutes the usual Vibraphone for Strauss' Glass-Harmonica in the final scenes; Sawallisch
is the only one I've heard use the real instrument).

Solti's tempi are very convincing, with a few exceptions---he really rushes the "Magic Pavillion" scene in Barak's hut (Act 1; again Sawallisch is perfect in every repsect here), and Barak's final big tune ("Nun will ich jubeln") really plods along, albeit with great gusto.

Casting is fascinating--the women generally fare better than the men. Julia Varady is a lovely (studio-only) Empress; fabulously expressive singing throughout. She even makes the long, hysterical spoken passage(upon seeing her husband petrified)sound dramatically plausible. Reinhild Runkel in the extremely demandig role of the Nurse is excellent--absolutely amazing, in fact! Terrific diction and understanding of every bit of the text, coupled with a true sense of the bizarre and nearly demented.

Solti's controversial choice of Domingo as the Emperor will always haunt this recording. He sounds extremely ill-at-ease with the conversational
first scene---and totally unidiomatic compared to the rest of the (mostly) Germanic cast. He settles into the style more comfortably for the big Act 2 scene, which Solti paces marvelously. Too bad James King's days of singing this role were behind him when this recording was made--he should have had a complete studio version to document his distinguished reign in this demanding role.

BIG DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THIS RECORDING-----in Act 1, during the intense scene with the Empress trying to convince the Nurse to take her down to the lower human realm, the singers fall a FULL MEASURE behind the orchestra. The clarinets have already jumped in a measure early at track 5, 4:31. And at track 5, 4:49 the ladies fall behind and remain a measure off for a full 24 bars!

Of course, in a massive and fiendishly difficult work such as "Die Frau", things like this can and do happen. But I am NOT nitpicking--this is supposed to be the "FRAU to end all FRAUS"---- extremely expensive and recorded and released with much fanfare----and yet it contains a HUGE
technical blemish that should have been corrected. (And, for all I know, it WAS re-edited in it's newer release--I have the original).

Still, probably THE Frau recording to own, if you only want one version. But don't by any means discount Sawallisch's complete set--it's pretty
phenomenal on its own terms(if you can find it).

Impressive enough.......2007-02-22

This is a great work of art. The story is intriguing. I'm not generally a fan of Strauss' operas, barring Elektra. I find the music is not generally tuneful enough for my taste, to put it crudely. There are however, stunning moments...like that charming interlude with the orchestra and cello solo. Really beautiful.

The singers are great but there is some trading-off. Where Placido Domingo is not necessaruly idiomatic enough, he sings beautifully, as always. Where Hildegard Behrens and Reinhild Runkel have the requisite idiom and dramatic expression, their voices are most unappealing to me. I agree with one previous reviewer's description of "Behrens' wiry tone," although she sounds better here than some of her other recordings. Ms Runkel does have some pitch problems and a fair bit of unsteadiness. Still, the roles are well performed.

Full accolades go to Julia Varady (a searing, touching and BEAUTIFUL-voiced Empress), Sumi Jo (a rapturously sung Falcon) and Jose Van Dam (an achingly warm and well sung husband). I found all the other supporting roles to be very well executed and Solti's conducting and the orchestral clarity make this an excellent choice.

Wrong voice .......2006-11-04

A very solid rendering of this spectacular score, Solti is still the best among the pretty-boys who have come after. This recording is marred only by the choice of Domingo as the Emperor. Poor timing and awful diction coupled with his flowery timbre make the scene in act 1, which happens to be my favorite, almost unlistenable. I never thought I would miss the scratches and pops of the old Decca and DG recordings, but I guess I do and would trade gladly for them to hear a young Jess Thomas or even James King sing this role.

Outstanding Recording; Opera Problematic.......2006-09-09

This is a first rate recording. The orchestra, chorus, and singers are really excellent. The music is gorgeous and it contains some absolutely splendid vocal music. This is perhaps the problem with this opera. It is relentlessly gorgeous and serious in a way that Strauss' less grandiose though perhaps more successful, operas are not. The heavy symbolism of the plot only reinforces this tendency. Perhaps when staged by an intelligent director it may do better in performance.

Karl Bohm vs. George Solti.......2006-07-03

Almost everything about this recording is pristine. However, any singer that takes one of the lead roles should first have a psychiatric examination--huge leaps, extremes in range--Die Frau is one tough opera! First prize goes to Placido--first Emperor that can really take the high tessitura of that role. Behrens and Varady are likewise in excellent voice and the vocal acting is well-defined. The role of the Nurse is, in my view, the most demanding and psychologically most important. Reinhild Runkel is not in the same league as Martha Modl or Ruth Hesse--she uses a lot of sprechstimme (maybe at the direction of Solti) and that detracts from the vocal efforts--plus, occasional pitch problems. Finally, I have been a fan of Karl Bohm's recording of this opera. However, the final nod goes to Solti, for intensity, orchestral clarity, and cohesiveness. The Vienna Philharmonic is featured in both Bohm's and Solti's recording. The orchestra wins First Prize--Die Frau is not La Boheme.

Average customer rating:

The "Monster" Concert Live

Eleanor Steber In Concert (1956-1958)

Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Eleanor Steber Sings Mozart
Her First Recordings (1940)
The Eleanor Steber Collection, Vol. 1: The Early Career, 1938-1951
Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915/Dover Beach/Hermit Songs/Adromache's Farewell

ASIN: B000003LIG
Release Date: 1994-12-12

Tracks:

Die Frau Ohne Schatten: Act Two: Vater, Bist Du's? Through Zeige Dich, Vater!

Tracks:

Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
Ernani: Ernani, Involami
Song
Louise: Depuis Le Jour
Tosca: Vissi D'arte
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di
Standchen
Im Abendrot
Elfenlied
Freundliche Vision
Songs Of The Auvergne: Passo Pel Prat
Songs Of The Auvergne: Berceuse (Soun, Soun, Beni, Beni)
Songs Of The Auvergne: Fibilou Par Una Sera
The Telephone: Telephone Aria
Old American Songs: Long Time Ago
Old American Songs: Simple Gifts (Shaker Song)
Nancy Hanks
Whistle And I'll Come To You
Danny Boy

Customer Reviews:

The "Monster" Concert Live.......2000-03-28

Those of us who are Stebermaniacs know that the October,1958 Carnegie Hall concert preserved in this live recording captured Eleanor Steber at the height of her popularity and vocal artistry. In her autobiography, she admits that she planned the most spectacular program she could conceive, and she blows away the enthusiastic audience with her stamina, technique, versatility and emotion coupled with control and musicality. Every review of this concert I have ever read selects a different "high point;" the spectacular Strauss segment from "The Woman without a Shadow," "Qui la Voce" from I Puritani, the multiple aria encores, Barber's "Knoxville," the Berlioz song cycle: the sheer quantity of glorious singing makes this a collector's item. An additional bonus is a more subdued, but warm 1956 song recital containing selections never before available. The sonic values are excellent in the 1958 concert, a bit less so in the earlier concert. Nevertheless, these are treasures, especially in the light of the few Steber concert recordings in existence.

Ritorna vincitor! - The Legandary Birgit Nilsson (2 CDs)

Average customer rating:

Return to Valhalla OhValhalla Goddess
Birgit Nilsson Now Sings In Heaven
Ave Atque Vale, Birgit Nilsson
RIP BIRGIT NILSSON - 5/17/1918 - 12/25/2005

Ritorna vincitor! - The Legandary Birgit Nilsson (2 CDs)

Manufacturer: Decca
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Binding: Audio CD

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Wagner: Opera Arias & Duets
Nilsson Sings Verdi

ASIN: B00008MLU4
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

Ritorna Vincitor! - John Pritchard
O Don Fatale - Aregeo Quadri
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio! - Argeo Quadri
Nel Di Della Vittoria Io Le Incontrai... Ambizioso Spirto... Vieni T'affretta! - VIRGILIO CARBONARI
Vissi D'arte - Lorin Maazel
Einsam In Truben Tagen - Edward Downes
Starke Scheite Schichtet Mir Dort - Sir Georg Solti
Allein! Weh, Ganz Allein - Sir Georg Solti
Ein Handwerk Verstehst Du Sicher Nicht - Walter Berry
Ah! Du Wolltest Mich Nicht Deinen Mund Kussen Lassen, Jokanaan!... Sie Ist Ein Ungeheuer, Deine Tochter... Ah! Ich Habe Deinen Mund Gekusst - Gerhard Stolze

Tracks:

Dich, Teure Halle - Edward Downes
Mild Und Leise Wie Er Lachelt - Hans Knappertsbusch
I Der Engel - 'In Der Kindheit Fruhen Tagen' - Sir Colin Davis
II Stehe Still! - 'Sausendes, Brausendes Rad Der Zeit' - Sir Colin Davis
III Im Treibhaus - 'Hochgewolbte Blatterkronen' - Sir Colin Davis
IV Schmerzen - 'Sonne, Weinsest Jeden Abend Dir Die Schonen Augen Rot' - Sir Colin Davis
V Traume - 'Sag', Welch Wunderbare Traume' - Sir Colin Davis
Var Det En Drom? (Was It A Dream?) - Bertil Bokstedt
Flickan Kom Ifran Sin Alsklings Mote (The Tryst) - Bertil Bokstedt
Svarta Rosor (Black Roses) - Bertil Bokstedt
Sav, Sav, Susa (Sigh, Rushes, Sigh) - Bertil Bokstedt
Diamanten Pa Marssnon (The Diamond On The March Snow) - Bertil Bokstedt
Hostkvall (Autumn Evening) - Bertil Bokstedt
Varen Flyktar Hastigt (Spring Flies Fast) - Bertil Bokstedt
En Svane (A Swan) - Bertil Bokstedt
Fra Monte Pincio - Bertil Bokstedt
Varen (Spring) - Bertil Bokstedt
Melodi (Melody) - Bertil Bokstedt
Bon Till Natten (Prayer To Night) - Bertil Bokstedt
Skoldmon (Valkyrie) - Bertil Bokstedt
En Gammal Dansrytm (An Old Dance Rhythm) - Bertil Bokstedt
I Could Have Danced All Night - Herbert Von Karajan

Customer Reviews:

Return to Valhalla OhValhalla Goddess.......2006-03-11

Birgit Nilsson was without a doubt the most powerful soprano of the 20th century, even a greater singer than Maria Callas, despite the fact that audiences loved Callas a lot more. Since her death on December 25th, 2005, I've listened to many of her recordings (and there are plenty, she was well-documented on recording). Nilsson was a versatile singer, and not just a Wagnerian specialist. This recording album of various arias represent her versatility and flexibility and even with all these arias of diverse repertoire, it's still not enough to capture her vast prowess. Not featured on here are her accounts of the Baker's Wife in Strauss' Die Frau Ohne Schatten and Minnie in Puccini's La Fanciulla Del West, or Agathe from Weber's Die Freischutz, not to mention her interpretation of Beethoven's heroine Leonore in Fidelio and Venus from Tannhauser. She was known for her ability to sing both Elisabeth (soprano) and Venus (mezzo-soprano) in Tannhauser!!

What we have here are wonderful accounts of arias from diverse operas. Let's analyze some of them, in hopes you can get hooked on Nilsson and check out her full-length opera recordings.

Wagner: Ring Des Nibelungen: Every opera connoisseur knows that Birgit Nilsson was the heir to Kirsten Flagstad's throne when it came to singing Brunhilde. Possessing a superhuman and radiant voice, she found a bit of her Swedish self in the mythic character of the Valkyrie Brunhilde. To me, there is no greater Brunhilde. She had a heroic voice so that the Immolation Scene in Gotterdammerung (featured here) is by far the best account. She appears in the Karl Bohm recordings of the Ring and the studio engineered Ring under the baton of George Solti. TRISTAN UND ISOLDE: Her debut role at the Metropolitan Opera was as Isolde. She masters the role, which is possibly the most difficult in Wagner opera, and essays the high tessitura with great aplomb. Not featured here is the great Curse Aria. The Liebestod was a piece of cake for Isolde, and it is featured here. She sings this well, no doubt, but her only fault is that she could never quiet her voice the way some sopranos could. If anyone had trouble hearing Nilssons' mega voice, something was wrong with their hearing! TANNHAUSER: She was able to sing Elisabeth and Venus, and she got into the character's romantic nature. The Hall Aria is on here and it's great.

STRAUSS: As excting as her Wagner heroines were, her Strauss heroines were just as impressive. She understood the intensity of the music and delved into the character's psyches, even more so than the Wagner roles. As such, her SALOME is largely regarded as the best on record. While she could not physically convince us as a teenage nubile princess who inflammes the passions of her pagan father, she was able to sing the role with electrifying power and frightening madness. If you listen to the Solti recording, you will note how she could get into Salome's twisted mentality starting from the scene in which she asks for Jochanaan's head and the finale in which she kisses the severed head. This final scene is on here, thank God. Her interpretation of ELEKTRA set the bar high for all subsequent sopranos. She once again got into the character's depravity and lunacy. The intensity of the role never took its toll on her and she tirelessly sings the part in a combo of dramatic power and beautiful singing. Please check out her Elektra recording under Solti again, where she is paired with Regina Resnik.

PUCCINI: Yes, Birgit Nilsson sang Puccini and she did a damn good job of it too. Very few critics gave her credit for her superb Puccini heroines. At the Met in the 60's, audiences saw her stage performances of Tosca, Turandot and Minnie from La Fanciulla Del West. Her TOSCA is powerful, unsubtle but dramatically compelling. In the Lorin Maazel recoding opposite Franco Corelli, she was able to make her voice sound more round, warmer and more "Italian". Here we have her "Vissi D'Arte" but she could really deliver in such moments as the Death of Scarpia, the Torture/Interrogation Scene and the Finale. In fact her cry "O Scarpia Avanti Addio!" is possibly the best on record. She sang TURANDOT at the Met opposite Franco Corelli in riveting performances, rivaling any other soprano who sang Turandot at the time. The size of her voice, her regal presence (fashion designer Cecil Beaton made a Chinese Empress costume, complete with a decorative crown, especially for her) and her command of the music made for a stunning Turandot. Check out the EMI recording with Corelli and Scotto.

Verdi: She sang Verdi, though it was not a repertoire she followed up on extensively. Audiences saw her as Lady Macbeth, Princess Eboli, Elisabeth Di Valois (from Don Carlos) and Leonora from Forza del Destino. And of course as AIDA. Her Aida is not the most beautifully sung or the warmest, but in sheer volume and grandness she takes the crown. There is a studio recording she sang opposite Franco Corelli and Grace Bumbry. At the Met, audiences saw her paired with Jon Vickers' Radames. Ritorna Vincitor! Aida's first great aria in Act 1 is on here and it's the title of the album. Her LADY MACBETH is by far her greatest Verdi role. The cold, icy, unfeeling way she sings the part makes her Lady Macbeth by far the most wicked and dramatically convincing. Even without the Italian fire in the belly, she could get into character as good as the rest of them.

SWEDISH SONGS, BROADWAY AND MOZART: Her account of her native Swedish folk songs are lovely, and in her time, legendary, and even in her heyday as an opera singer she would sing Swedish songs on Swedish radio. As a girl growing up in her father's farm, she sung these folk songs which eventually drew the attention of Conservatory instructors and operatic voice coaches. Broadway ? I'm sorry. This is cute and experimental of her to sing "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady but this is not her forte. Her voice is too big for the role of Liza Doolittle and the waltz-like/operetta song is way out of her league. On a final note, Nilsson sang Mozart, namely the part of Dona Ana in Don Giovanni, which is found on at least two studio recordings, the famous one being the one with Cesare Siepi as Don Giovanni and Leontyne Price as Elvira under the baton of Erich Leinsdorf. Her Dona Ana is neither beautiful nor mannered, she sings with the usual Nilsson bravura and attempts to soften her voice but she shows no real command for the Mozart reperotire and again this was purely experimental for her.

LONG LIVE BIRGIT NILSSON! I WILL FOREVER REMEMBER HER AS BRUNHILDE, SINGING WITH SUPERHUMAN POWER AND PASSION IN THAT CLIMATIC IMMOLATION SCENE AT THE END OF GOTTERDAMMERUNG. NO ONE CAN MASTER THAT GRAND SCENE "Fleight Hom, Ih Rabens (Fly home you Ravens!) .."GRANE..MEIN ROSS (Grane My Horse!) HER VOICE GETS STRONGER, HIGHER AND MORE INTENSE, FLYING, FLYING EVER UPWARD TO VALHALLA.

Birgit Nilsson Now Sings In Heaven.......2006-01-22

On December 25th, 2005, the great soprano Birgit Nilsson passed away, and an era went with her. She was singing at a time in the mid 20th century just after World War II when other golden-age singers had made it big at the Met- among them Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi and Victoria De Los Angeles, the latter two which also died only recently. Nilsson will forever be remembered for her Wagnerian heroines- the Valkyrie Brunhilde, Isolde, and for her outstanding Turandot. But Nilsson sang a variety of repertoire, though critics snubbed her in such terrific roles as Beethoven's Leonore in Fidelio, Verdi's Lady Macbeth and Puccini's Tosca, roles which I think suited her well and she sang wonderfully. She also sang Mozart's Dona Anna, though this role for me was not suited to her voice. This album is a tribute to her supreme artistry. Here we have Aida's great aria Ritorna Vincitor! - an aria which is more stentorian and heroic sounding than the lush, lyrico-spinto renditions of such fine Aidas as Renata Tebaldi and Leontyne Price. The aria " O Don Fatale" belongs to Princess Eboli in Verdi's Don Carlo and should rightly be sung by a dramatic mezzo soprano. Nilsson handles the music to this quite well, however. Although she never performed Leonora in Forza Del Destino, the "Pace Pace Mio Dio" in this album is sublime. The rest of the arias include arias from Strauss' Salome, Elektra and Wagner's Gotterdammerung and Tristan And Isolde. Her distinctive voice is well captured on this album and any true fan of the late diva will want to buy this.

Ave Atque Vale, Birgit Nilsson.......2006-01-13

Every opera lover in the world met the news today of the December 25, 2005 passing of Birgit Nilsson with sadness. She was surely one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century, and in Wagnerian roles alone she was the equal of the great Kirsten Flagstadt. From her beginnings as a simple farm girl in Sweden she rose to the top of all of the international opera houses in the three decades when her voice was in full bloom. Her last public performance was in 1984 but she continued her legend in her masterclasses. She was a phenomenon whose glorious voice and presence will be much missed, but at least she has a huge recorded legacy that adds to her immortality.

This 2 CD set is a gathering of excerpts form many recordings and while it does not have the impact of, say, a full performance as Isolde or Brunnhilde or Turandot or Salome, it does offer a generous sampling of the many roles she mastered. Included on this set are arias form 'Macbeth', 'Aida', 'La Forza del Destino', 'Don Carlo', 'Tosca', 'Lohengrin', 'Die Götterdämmerung', 'Elektra', 'Salome', 'Die Frau ohne Schatten', 'Tannhäuser', 'Tristan und Isolde' and songs by Wagner ('Wesendonk Lieder'), Sibelius, Grieg, and Ture Rangström, and yes, even Frederick Lowe! She performs with various orchestras and conductors and pianists.

Not usually one for these 'best of' albums, this one is special, especially with the news that this extraordinary artist whose voice could reach the heavens is gone. An aptly titled memento -Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

RIP BIRGIT NILSSON - 5/17/1918 - 12/25/2005.......2006-01-12

The opera world mourns the passing of the great dramatic soprano. I never had the fortune to experience her performances live, but her many complete opera recordings and recitals are part of my CD library. This set is a perfect introduction to this diva's art and versatility.

Thank you for the music, Madame Nilsson.

Average customer rating:

First rate Dramatic Tenor of the old school
Painful to listen to...
Sweet Sounds
Sweet Sounds

Sounds and Sweet Airs

Manufacturer: The Orchard
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000050HZA
Release Date: 2000-10-24

Tracks:

Be Not Afeard
Morgenlich Leuchtend Im Rosigen Schein'
Wintersturme
Siegmund Heiss' Ich Und Siegmund Bin Ich!
La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee
Fiora, Fiora
Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar
Nein! Langer Trag' Ich Nicht Die Qualen... Durch Die Walder
Gott! Welch' Dunkel Hier!...In Des Lebens Fruhlingstagen
Falke, Falke, Du Wiedergefundener
The Breaking Of So Great A Thing
Horsehoofs, Horsehoofs

Customer Reviews:

First rate Dramatic Tenor of the old school.......2006-10-05

This wonderful singer is from "the old school" of singing. A very exciting heroic voice. There a few dramatic tenors in the world today and too few recordings of these great opera arias sung by large voices. Jacque Trussel, is indeed a great tenor, I will tell all my friends and students to buy the wonderful recording. Bravo Divo!

Painful to listen to..........2006-10-03

Someone gave me this CD as a gift, and it's amazing I still talk to the person. This CD is full of bland, flat performances from a strained, undertalented, overblown tenor who should have retired, or better yet, never have started his career.

The only reason this CD is worth owning is to have a recording of Hoiby's "Be Not Afeard" which is a beautiful piece totally murdered by the performer.

On the bright side, this is a perfect gift for someone you hate!

Sweet Sounds.......2000-10-12

Mr. Trussel is a consumate, dynamic performer whom I've had the pleasure of seeing & hearing perform at Covent Garden in London. This Cd is an exquisite experience. Here, his voice is as glorious as it is live. This cd will make you want to see and hear him live. The repertoire is a vast spectrum, ranging from the tormented music of Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen to the triumphant music of Siegmund in Wagner's Die Walkure. There is music from Montemezzi, Verdi, Strauss, Weber, Barber, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Lee Hoiby "Tempest" (a role that was written for Mr. Trussel and premiered by him). This Cd is an exciting combination of music that isn't recorded very often. And it is all sung with great passion and a full, beautiful tenor voice. The Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra is both robust and delicate, when need be.

Thank god, A REAL TENOR!!!

This is a rare find and something worth checking out.

Sweet Sounds.......2000-10-12

Thank god, A REAL TENOR!!!

Tracks:

Symphonic Music From Operas: Waltz Sequence From 'The Knight Of The Rose'
Symphonic Fragment From 'The Love Of Dance': Molto vivace
Symphonic Fragment From 'The Love Of Dance': Piu tranquillo
Symphonic Interludes: I. Reisefiber und Walzerszene
Symphonic Interludes: II. Traumerei am Kamin
Symphonic Interludes: III. Am Speiltisch
Symphonic Interludes: IV. Frohlicher Beschluss
Symphonic Music From Operas: Symphonic Fantasia From 'The Woman Without A Shadow'

Customer Reviews:

Mehta comes off better the less you know.......2005-10-07

These are lush excerpts from Strauss operas played to the hilt by the Berlin Phil. In the music that everybody knows, the Rosenkavalier waltzes, Mehta is not competitive--his readings are big, generalized, without wit or special interest. But who really knows the music from Der Liebe der Danae or Intermezzo? It's garrulous and unispired compared to Strauss's best, but a nice plunge if you like warm chocolate. The recording isnt the best. Horns are far away, strings very up close, winds buried in a bit of a haze. I think I like Mehta in this musci mostly because I've never heard anybody better--and don't need to.

One of Mehta's better enterprises from his New York years.......2005-08-24

Zubin Mehta the conductor has always reminded me of pro athletes that perform at their greatest when young, hungry and not making much money. Then, when they get that first big contract, they are suddenly mediocre, their drive reduced by instant wealth.

This is the metaphor I have for Mehta, whose outstanding youthful recordings of Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony, Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and "Eine Alpinesymphonie", the Tchaikovsky Symphonies 4 and 5, and Schmidt's Symphony No. 4 were never replicated after he made it to New York and began churning out mediocrity after mediocrity on CD.

While not the final word in Strauss bleeding chunks, this recording is, I believe, one of Mehta's better enterprises from his New York period. The orchestral excerpts from Richard Strauss's operas are all performed with relaxed elan, style and substance and comprise an entertaining hour of music.

No particular work stands out among the entities, which include music from "Rosenkavalier", "The Love of Danae", "Intermezzo" and the symphonic fantasy from "Die Frau ohne Schatten". There are better individual performances of each of these suites but few CDs put them together and perform them as well as here.

The 20-bit technology creates a nice sound circa 1990 that exposes the Berlin Philharmonic's texture. This is not the same orchestra that Karajan had sharpened to a razor's edge when he died a year earlier, but a more generic good that still wears well.

Nothing in this music suggests the profundity of Zarathustra and none of it scales the heights of Alpine. Still, it is enjoyable while reliably played and performed. I enjoy the occasional spin of this disc when I look for less than revelatory or profound Strauss, and I think you will too.

The Klimt cover was the best thing; the music second..........2003-08-30

It is interesting that the Berlin Philharmonic should undertake to record the "Die Frau" Symphonic Fantasy with Mehta. The Fantasy was arranged by Strauss to help address the financial crunch he faced after the WWII defeat of Germany. Ironically enough, the Berlin Philharmonikers had been Karajan-less (due to Tod:) for about a year when they recorded this piece with Mehta. This CD proves that the BPO could reach great intepretive heights in Richard Strauss's music only under the direction of Karajan. However competent he is in other repertoire, Mehta is not a natural Straussian. The Rosenkavalier and Intermezzo extracts are well-played but lack the genial charm and warmth of other rival versions. The BPO sounds oddly mechanical and forced under such leadership!

The two brief fragments from "The Love of Danae" are the best bits of this CD - played with golden tone, (and very possibly the best too because I do not have another recording to make comparisons with!).

Strauss's music when poorly directed can sound like an amateur high-school brass band gone astray. And that is what happens in the "Die Frau" Fantasy. Towards the big climaxes, the brass go off the reins, becoming uncontrollably loud and splashy. You just need to hear the same passages played by Solti and the Vienna PO in the complete opera recording to realize how much more musical these passages can sound when played with great discipline.

An average Strauss CD then, chiefly valuable for the two rare "Danae" pieces. The 20-bit Sony mastering process is perhaps too precise for the music's own good, it sounds clinical and lacks bloom.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Heaven & Hell [Import]

Lamertini: Il Primo Libro de Madrigali

La Voce di baritono nella tradizione Italiana: Famous Recordings from 1906 to 1943

Live in Japan [Live] [Import]

Les Sillons De La Terre

Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony/Bizarro

Jazz Music: A Dif'rent Kinda Sax

Gitano Cubano

Exitos, Vol. 2

A Reminiscence

The Best of Howard Jones

1. Die Amme- Licht Ueberm See
2. Der Kaiser- Amme! Wachst Du-
3. Die Kaiserin- Ist Mein Liebster Dahin
4. Die Stimme Des Falken- Wie Soll Ich Denn Nicht Weinen-
5. Die Kaiserin- Amme, Um Alles
6. Orchester- Erdenflug
7. Verwandlung- Im Hause Des Faerbers
8. Die Frau- Sie Aus Dem Hause
9. Die Frau- Dritthalb Jahr
10. Die Frau- Was Wollt Ihr Hier-
11. Orchester- Die Dienerinnen Rufen Mit Suessen Stimmen
12. Die Amme- Hat Es Dich Blutige Traenen Gekostet
13. Orchester- Die Amme Hat Befehlend In Die Haende Geschlagen, Lautlos
14. Orchester- Die Frau Sinkt Vorne Auf Ein Buendel
15. Komm Bald Wieder Nach Haus, Mein Gebieter
16. Was Ist Nun Deine Rede
17. Das Kaiserliche Falknerhaus, Einsam Im Walde
18. Falke, Falke, Du Wiedergefundener
19. Des Faerbers Wohnung
20. Schlange, Was Hab Ich Mit Dir Zu Schaffen