Helen Traubel And Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
During the 1940s, Helen Traubel and Lauritz Melchior ruled the Wagnerian roost on American opera stages. Although they're not paired up here (turn to the Toscanini Walküre Act I scene iii or Götterdämmerung love duet on BMG for the Traubel-Melchior partnership in full flower), this collection of short arias and extended scenes displays a kind of vocal amplitude, ease of delivery, and directness of utterance rarely encountered today. Traubel may not delve the fiery waters of Isolde's Narrative and Curse with the intensity of a Frieda Leider or Kirsten Flagstad, but her clear diction and bedrock intonation will surely stop aspiring Elsas or Isoldes in their tracks. In the complete first scene from Act 3 of Tristan und Isolde, the matchless Melchior characterizes the protagonist's descent into delirium via purely vocal means, with no enacting or barking. True, his baritonal timbre boasted more vibrance and roundness in the live 1936 Covent Garden Tristan on VAI. Still, neither Torsten Ralf nor Kurt Baum, fine as they are here, quite matches their older colleague's unique sound. Artur Rodzinsky and Fritz Busch stand out for their full-throttled, supportive podium work. Sony's dazzling transfers uphold the incomparable standards typical of the Masterworks Heritage series, while William Youngren's informative annotations are free of claptrap. --Jed Distler

Helen Traubel And Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner, Music, Herbert Janssen, Lorenzo Alvary, Richard Wagner, Artur Rodzinski, Erich Leinsdorf, Ernst Knoch, Fritz Busch, Roberto Kinsky, Herta Glaz, New York Philharmonic, Astrid Varnay, Helen Traubel, Kurt Baum, Lauritz Melchior, Torsten Ralf, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Classical Vocals, German/Austrian Romantic Opera, Opera

Lauritz Melchior and Helen Traubel sing Wagner
Average customer rating:

Classic voices, good orchestral support, excellent Wagner. . . .

Lauritz Melchior and Helen Traubel sing Wagner

Manufacturer: Minerva
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Toscanini, Arturo | ( T ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000005R8J
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

Die Walkure, Act 1, Scene No.3: Ein Schwert Verheiss Mir Der Vater
Die Walkure, Act 1, Scene No.3: Der Manner Sippe
Die Walkure, Act 1, Scene No.3: Wintersturme Wichen
Die Walkure, Act 1, Scene No.3: Du Bist Der Lenz
Die Walkure, Act 1, Scene No.3: EinMinnetraum
Die Walkure, Act 1, Scene No.3: Siegmund, Heiss Ich
Gotterdammerung: Dawn And Brunnhilde-Siegfried's Duet
Gotterdammerung: Zu Neuen Taten
Gotterdammerung: Willst Du Mir Minne Schenken
Gotterdammerung: O Heilige Gotter
Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral Music
Starke Scheite Schichtet Mir Dort - Helen Traubel
Wie Sonne Lauter Strahlt Mir Sein Licht - Helen Traubel
Mein Erbe Nun Nehm' Ich Zu Eigen - Helen Traubel
Fliegt Heim Ihr Raben! - Helen Traubel
Grane, Mein Ross Sei Mir Gegrusst - Helen Traubel

Customer Reviews:

Classic voices, good orchestral support, excellent Wagner. . . ........2007-03-21

What a wonderful CD! And no one to this point has reviewed it? Toscanini conducts the excellent NBC Symphony Orchestra, with Lauritz Melchior (one of the great "heldentenors") and Helen Traubel singing the roles of Siegmund and Sieglinde respectively, in excerpts from Wagner's "Ring."

Act 1, Scene 3 may be one of the best things that Wagner ever created. Melchior begins by singing of his dilemma. His strong, heroic voice is well displayed. When he sings of his father, the poignancy and plaintiveness of his voice is clear with his ringing "Walse." This is a powerful start to the great duet.

Traubel (as Sieglinde) responds with her stirring "Der Manner Sippe," in which she describes her state and the visit of s stranger who left a sword. Many had tried to wrest it free, but had failed. There is poignancy, again, as she sings of the situation. And a wonderful voice she exhibits. She shows off a strong, rich voice, well suited for her character. Her lower register is tied nicely to higher notes.

Melchior (as Siegmund) responds with his elegiac "Wintersturme." His stentorian tone fits this segment of the scene most nicely. The orchestra plays well behind him, but his voice is never overwhelmed by the orchestration.

Traubel responds with "Du bist der Lenz." A well sung version, with her rich voice doing justice to this piece. The dramatic tension of this scene continues to build, as Sieglinde "raises the ante" with Siegmund. Haunting leitmotifs of the bigger picture of the gods and their plans emerge toward the end of this.

Melchior begins a response with "Ein Minnetraum," but this lovely fragment gets cut off as Sieglinde begins to see things as they are. Sieglinde's "O stille" signals the beginning of a slowly building tension until the dramatic finale. Her "Doch nein" until the end of the scene moves toward a wonderful crescendo. With this, Sieglinde is coming to the haunting realization of who Siegmund really is. The singing is ravishing, as she asks a series of questions of Siegmund and gets the answers that she expects--such as the name of Siegmund's father, "Walse," and his own real, proper name. The back and forth between Melchior and Traubel is affecting, with the orchestral support behind them. And Siegmund pulls the mighty sword, placed there by his father, from its moorings. The music swells.

Then, the finale, with Siegmund and Sieglinde realizing who they are and deciding that that makes no difference, as their love transcends normal bounds. Powerful stuff; Wagner at his best in one of the great scenes from all of opera.

There are also two other scenes on this CD, the dawn in "Gotterdammerung" through Siegfried's Rhine Journey; the Immolation scene at the conclusion of the opera (and the entire "Ring").

This is well worth acquiring for its classic Wagnerian "Ring" works.

Helen Traubel And Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner

Average customer rating:

UNA JOYA
The greatest Wagnerian tenor and soprano at their peak
Extradordinary issue of classic recordings
A must have
Another triumph for the Masterworks Heritage Series

Helen Traubel And Lauritz Melchior Sing Wagner

Manufacturer: Sony
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

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000JHIM
Release Date: 1999-06-29

Tracks:

Rienzi: Act V: Rienzi's Prayer 'Allmacht'ger Vater, blick' herab'
Lohengrin: Act I, Scene 2: Elsa's Dream 'Einsam in truben Tagen'
Lohengrin: Act I, Scene 3: Lohengrin's Arrival 'Nun sei bedankt, mein lieber Schwan'
Lohengrin: Act I, Scene 3: 'Mein Held, mein Retter'
Lohengrin: Act II, Scene 2: 'Euch Luften'
Lohengrin: Act III, Scene 2: Bridal Chamber Scene 'Das susse Lied verhallt'
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude To Act I
Tristan und Isolde: Act I, Scene 3: Isolde's Narrative 'Erfuhrest du meine Schmach'

Tracks:

Tristan und Isolde: Act II, Scene 2: Liebesnacht 'O sink' hernieder, Nacht der Liebe
Tristan und Isolde: Act II, Scene 3: 'O Konig'
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude To Act III
Tristan und Isolde: Act III, Scene 1: 'Die alte Weise'
Tristan und Isolde: Act III, Scene 2: 'O diese Sonne!'
Tristan und Isolde: Act III, Scene 3: 'Liebestod'

Amazon.com

During the 1940s, Helen Traubel and Lauritz Melchior ruled the Wagnerian roost on American opera stages. Although they're not paired up here (turn to the Toscanini Walküre Act I scene iii or Götterdämmerung love duet on BMG for the Traubel-Melchior partnership in full flower), this collection of short arias and extended scenes displays a kind of vocal amplitude, ease of delivery, and directness of utterance rarely encountered today. Traubel may not delve the fiery waters of Isolde's Narrative and Curse with the intensity of a Frieda Leider or Kirsten Flagstad, but her clear diction and bedrock intonation will surely stop aspiring Elsas or Isoldes in their tracks. In the complete first scene from Act 3 of Tristan und Isolde, the matchless Melchior characterizes the protagonist's descent into delirium via purely vocal means, with no enacting or barking. True, his baritonal timbre boasted more vibrance and roundness in the live 1936 Covent Garden Tristan on VAI. Still, neither Torsten Ralf nor Kurt Baum, fine as they are here, quite matches their older colleague's unique sound. Artur Rodzinsky and Fritz Busch stand out for their full-throttled, supportive podium work. Sony's dazzling transfers uphold the incomparable standards typical of the Masterworks Heritage series, while William Youngren's informative annotations are free of claptrap. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

UNA JOYA.......2005-11-24

Estos discos vienen presentados en un envoltorio no habitual: en lugar del típico estuche de plástico se utiliza una fina funda de cartón (no sin abundantes reseñas). Otra particularidad es que en ninguno de los fragmentos cantan a dúo Melchior y Traubel: siempre son acompañados, el uno o la otra, de un tercer cantante (de un nivel, por lo general, no comparable) que hace pareja con uno de los "protagonistas". Aunque también hay números en solitario y fragmentos exclusivamente orquestales. Dicho ésto hay que afirmar que los dos discos son de un nivel de calidad más que excepcional, de una altura superior a lo mejor de lo que se suele conocer, incluso en los preludios orquestales (magníficos). Hay más de 90 minutos de Tristán e Isolda que, después de oírlos, dejan a uno sin las ganas de escuchar a Karl Böhm o a Furtwängler (por maravillosas que sean estas versiones). También un soberbio fragmento de "Rienzi", cantado por Melchior, y unos cuantos tracks de Lohengrin de gran calidad.

The greatest Wagnerian tenor and soprano at their peak.......2002-08-14

Although as billed this 2 cd album would seem to indicate we were going to get a series of duets between these two greats, these are Columbia studio recordings of the forties and the two sing separately, never together. (RCA has kept its two Melchior/Traubel duets - with Toscanini - consistently in print on LP, tape and CD as well as Traubel's Immolation Scene). The Columbia material here is drawn from 78 rpm albums, released as lps and then unavailable for a quarter of a century - restored to us at last. The set lasts two hours and seventeen minutes with Melchior getting the lion's share of one hour and fifteen minutes and Traubel following up with 62 minutes of singing.

This of course represents the much-mourned "bleeding chunk" variety of Wagnerian recordings which were all that we had available in pre-lp days. Except for one excerpt from RIENZI, the material is all from two operas LOHENGRIN and TRISTAN UND ISOLDE. Too bad some digital wizardry could not have been performed to replace Traubel's Tristan (Torsten Ralf) with Melchior but alas they didn't cover the same material so even digital wizardry could not help us here.

Recordings of Met broadcasts with the two paired in TRISTAN do exist and why they are not cd is a puzzlement.

The strength and purity of line of both Melchior and Traubel are unsurpassed. There was never a warmer Wagnerian soprano than Traubel and she is always totally on pitch - her notes are perfectly sung and her line is unwavering. I can't understand how people can hear Flagstad (who always left me cold) and Traubel and proclaim the former to be warmer. It simply isn't true. Traubel is velvet - for me simply the finest Wagnerian soprano ever recorded.

This is a treasure trove set and budget-priced. The digital transfers of the original mono sound are superb. Very highly recommended.

Extradordinary issue of classic recordings.......2001-03-02

Even a non-Wagnerian will rejoice at hearing these discs, highlighting the work of the two best Wagner singers of the 20th Century, Melchior and Traubel, in their prime. The Traubel "Liebestod" alone is worth the price of admission! Here she uses her extraordinary vocal instrument to thrilling effect. Her prodigious technique, incredible breath control unmatched by today's singers, clear diction and rock solid intonation are glorious to hear. Her extraordinary performance is matched by Rodzinski's conducting of the New York Philharmonic.

Sony's remasterings are splendid. During the mid '40's Columbia was experimenting with various long playing formats, resulting of course in the "microgroove" records of 1948. All recordings from 1944 on were recorded on large 16 inch discs in anticipation of this breakthrough. As a result the original masters on these CD's are possessed of extraordinary clarity and richness.

A must have.......2000-01-19

Anyone who loves Wagner cannot be without this priceless issue. Two of this century's greatest Wagnerian singers at their artistic peaks singing these masterful selections with aplomb, intensity and a brilliant vocal technique that would dazzle even the staunchest anti-Wagnerian. Ms. Trauble's "Liebstod" is so exquisite and electrifying that you'll never again want to hear another singer utter those haunting words, including Nilsson, Flagstad, M. Price, Behrens and Lehman, just to name a few. As great as all those ladies were in the role, Helen Trauble just manages to infuse it with a greater sense of passion and pathos. What can be said about Lauritz Melchior except that he was the only "true" heldentenor of this century, with a powerful instrument that was used with innate intelligence and artistry? No one (least of all today) can hold a candle to this brilliant singer and seriously doubt his lofty position will be threatened anytime in the immediate future. Though mono recordings, the sound quality is EXTRAORDINARY. Bravo to Sony for their unyielding commitment to restoring these priceless recordings and bringing them to a new generation of music lovers.

Another triumph for the Masterworks Heritage Series.......1999-08-05

Listening to these beautifully remastered recordings gives you an excellent idea of what people mean when they talk about the "golden years" of opera. Melchior in particular lives up to his reputation as the greatest heldentenor of the century. Traubel's performances show why she was the Met's Wagnerian soprano of choice after Flagstad's departure. The set includes the usual excellent liner notes and packaging that we've come to expect from Sony/Columbia in this wonderful series of reissues. While the recordings date from the 1940s, they have been cleaned up and the mono sound is rich and warm.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

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