Evening Star: German Opera Arias

Editorial Reviews
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This disc allots more than 40 minutes out of 67, and 6 of its 10 tracks, to arias by Albert Lortzing, whose operas provide a bridge between the Singspiel-informed works of Mozart and Beethoven and the Romantic operas of Weber, Wagner and Humperdinck. Thomas Quasthoff and Christian Thielemann clearly want to raise Lortzing's profile and the opportunity to engage with this operatic 'missing link' is an obvious source of the disc's appeal. Initially, the listener would have to agree – the sheer brio of the composer's invention sweeps you off your feet. There are daring harmonic relationships and vocal effects with brilliant orchestral detail to match. One can understand the conductor's attraction to the music's 'German Rossinian flair'. But a little of this goes a long way. Lortzing may be a musical sleight-of-hand artist, but the wit soon becomes hectoring, and one begins to tire of the compulsive patter. Thomas Quasthoff meets the composer's demands with a resourcefulness that ought to save the situation but only exacerbates it. He commands a wide range of vocal 'faces' and reveals himself as a gifted comic – he could record a brilliant Papageno if he ever chose to, and these arias make one curious to hear him apply his vocal and verbal dexterity to the Italian language – Figaro's 'Aprite un po' and Leporello's 'Madamina' immediately spring to mind. Here we come to the heart of the matter, because in these first six tracks it is hard to avoid feeling that the singer is applying his artistry to music that doesn't entirely support it. In fairness, Lortzing does sometimes pull back – in both key and character, the Tsar's aria 'Sonst spielt ich mit Zepter' from Zar und Zimmermann recalls Tamino's 'Bildnisarie' in Die Zauberflote, and Quasthoff responds with a warm, confiding mezza voce. Overall, however, the first half of this programme offers an over-generous portion of a recipe that is itself overcooked, over-seasoned and overly rich. The Deutsche Oper Orchestra make the most of their opportunities, though Thielemann overdoes some of Lortzing's pompous introductions and blatant epilogues in an acoustic that intensifies this effect. With the first orchestral sounds of Lysiart's aria from Weber's Euryanthe, we enter the world of world-class composers. As in Lortzing's Zar and Wildschutz, Quasthoff's vocal/ expressive range enables him to sing both the Landgraf and Wolfram in Tannhauser, although the successive effect comes across as a 'splitting of the difference'. The Minnesanger's 'Evening Star' aria that gives the present disc its title also provided a still centre to DG's recent release 'Bryn Terfel – Wagner'. Although Terfel is even finer in sheer vocal quality, Quasthoff sings the hymn mit innigster Empfindung – he is an artist whose deployment of his vocal instrument is at least as important as its intrinsic quality. The final track from Strauss's Die schweigsame Frau makes chronological sense, but was a calculated risk coming right after Wolfram's aria. It works because Quasthoff treats it as a balm to the spirit. In outlining his future plans, which in 2003 include his 'first opera recording' as Don Fernando in Fidelio, someone at DG seems completely unaware that Quasthoff has already recorded the role nobly in Colin Davis's 1995 RCA set. Stephen Pruslin

Tracks:

The Marriage Of Figaro: Non Piu Andrai
The Marriage Of Figaro: Se Vuol Ballare
The Creation: Rolling In Foaming Billows
The Creation: Now Heaven In Fullest Glory Shone
Die Meistersinger: Jerum! Jerum! (Cobbler's Song)
Tannhauser: Evening Star
Allerseelen (All Souls' Day)
Zueignung (Devotion)
Schwannengesang No.4: Ser (Standchen)
Ave Maria, Op.52 No.6
Faust: Song Of The Flea
The Nursery, No.5: Child's Evening Prayer
Hopak
Legend: Christ Had A Garden, Op.54 No.5
Pilgrim's Song: O Bless You Forests, Op.47 No.5
None But The Lonely Heart, Op.6 No.6
Don Juan's Ser, Op.38 No.1
Danse Macabre
Herodiade: Vision Fugitive (Fleeting Vision)
Carmen: Chanson Du Toreador

Customer Reviews:

Nelson Eddy-Operatic Arias & Concert Songs.......2006-08-22

A very good sampling of Nelson Eddy's operatic and concert work.
DVD in good condition.

Eddy Sings Opera!...Mozart...Haydn...Wagner..and More!..Fabulous Find For Fans.......2006-07-20

Fans of Nelson Eddy's classic musical films, will be in heaven when they hear his golden tones on this collection of the Operatic Arias and Concert Songs recorded between 1939 and 1944.
Eddy was not what you would call a booming Baritone, but wow, what a voice. Sweet, smooth, breathtaking. Gorgeous!

His masterful rendition of the Arias, and Concert Songs in Italian, English, German and French are impeccable. Whatever the emotion, sadness, joy, etc, Eddy captures it. You will feel the story in the words.Some are very solemn and moving, others are upbeat and will leave you smiling. Enjoy 2 from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro"(Non Piu Andrai/Se Vuol Ballare), Haydn's "The Creation",2 from Wagner("Jerum! Jerum"/"Evening Star") ,Moussorgsky, several from Tchaikovsky including "Don Juan's Serenade. You can see the complete list of 20 tracks in the buying info, but some of the other highlights, I thoroughly enjoyed are Schubert's "Serenade" and "Ave Maria", "Chanson Du Toreador", Bizet(from Carmen)and "Hopak"(Moussorgsky).

The original recordings are over 60 years old. This CD is a wonderful digital transfer. The album will give you over 70 minutes of enjoyment. It also come with a nice little bio booklet, detailing the singing career of Nelson Eddy, and the track listings, with the composer and the year Eddy first recorded it. The only thing it is missing, is the credits for the fine orchestras and musicians accompanying Eddy. I would have liked to have known who they were. None the less a fabulous and 5 star find for fans of Nelson Eddy, and a nice taste of some familiar Operatic pieces.

Enjoy....Laurie

Nelson Eddy's operatic recordings.......2004-01-07

This CD contains all of Nelson Eddy's recordings of classical music. However, given that he recorded over 200 songs, this is a small amount of his recorded legacy. Also note that, other than the Mozart (Italian), the Strauss (German), and the last 4 selections in French, the rest of these selections were recorded in English, although Eddy could and did sing them in the original languages. Despite what the previous reviewer said, these recordings are not from "the early years", when Nelson Eddy was an opera singer. These recordings are from the 1940's. Nelson Eddy had performed in his last operas in 1935, and he was almost never associated with actual opera on film. He performed yearly in concerts, solely of classical repertoire, from before his national fame, until the early 1950's. He was a very popular radio performer in the 1930's and 1940's. He sang many more operatic pieces/classical songs on radio (usually in their original language) which he never recorded. I, for one, regret that he did not record more from his classical repertoire, because that essential part of appreciating his art is mostly gone forever. My point is, that these songs do not give a full sense of the wide range of Eddy's work in the non-popular areas of song.
The liner notes are pretty good, although there are some errors in them.

Nelson Eddy : The Opera Years.......2001-10-01

Ah Sweet Mystery. A trip back in time. Is there any music medium Nelson Eddy did not excel in? First opera, concerts, movies, radio, tv, nightclubs. He was the master of them all. This is a great introduction to the early years when he was opera's leading and most exciting baritone.

Average customer rating:

This is an Evening Star to shine on the landscape of the soul
Supreme Mastery!

Evening Star: German Opera Arias
Albert Lortzing , Richard Strauss , Richard Wagner , Carl Maria von Weber , Christian Thielemann , Christiane Oelze , and Thomas Quasthoff
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Consider, My Soul: Sacred Arias

ASIN: B00005YS1Q
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Tracks:

Zar Und Zimmerman: O Sancta Justitia! Ich Mochte Rasen
Zar Und Zimmerman: Den Hohen Herrscher Wurdig Zu Empfangen
Zar Und Zimmerman: Sonst Spielt Ich Mit Zepter, Mit Krone Und Stern
Der Wildschutz: Funftausend Taler! Traum Oder Wach Ich?
Der Wildschutz: Lass Er Doch Horen!-Bei Diesem Schlimmen Fall
Der Wildschutz: Wie Freundlich Strahlt Die Holde Morgensonne
Euryanthe: Wo Berg Ich Mich?-Schweigt, Gluhnden Sehnens
Tannhauser Und Der Sangerkrieg Auf Wartburg: Gar Viel Und Schon Ward Hier In Dieser Halle
Tannhauser Und Der Sangerkrieg Auf Wartburg: Wie Todesahnung Dammrung Deckt Die Lande-O du, Mein Holder Abendstern
Die Schweigsame Frau: Wie Schon Ist Doch Die Musik

Customer Reviews:

This is an Evening Star to shine on the landscape of the soul.......2005-12-31

There can be no doubt about the beautiful and beautifully sustained quality of Thomas Quasthoff's voice. It strikes one immediately with a cello-like smoothness. I first heard Herr Quasthoff singing Lieder, and knew instantly that he was a master, one of the few who is gifted not only with a voice but also with, thank God, musical intelligence.

When he applies that intelligence to arias, he gives an intimate and very effective lustre to the vocal line. Even with arias one has heard many times before, an immediacy comes through. I felt as though I were hearing the Weber and the Wagner for the first time - that same joy in the newness and wonder of such superb music alighted on me.

With the Lortzing, I feel the official review above is unfair. They were delightful to listen to, and Lortzing is sufficiently able as a composer to produce works of worth and originality. One may not - one does not - put him into the same rank as Beethoven, Weber, Wagner, etc. - but then we are speaking of giants of the Romantic period. Between genius and mere competence lies a HUGE field, and Lortzing is well into the plus side of that field. That Thomas Quasthoff sings the Lortzing arias magnificently, one takes for granted.

I am happy to place Quasthoff into the same category of "must-have" baritone/bass-baritone singers as Fischer-Dieskau, Olaf Bär, Bryn Terfel (although Terfel is not quite the word-painter that the others are), and so on. We are blessed at the moment with several extremely good male Lieder singers, and Quasthoff is most definitely one of them. I am busily searching for all of his recordings.

I found the album delightful, and thoroughly recommend it.

Supreme Mastery!.......2003-02-07

Once in a long while an artist comes along whose natural gift and mastery of the music is so enormous, that each one of their recordings is a revelation. This is the case with Thomas Quasthoff. Ever since I listened to his CD of Mozart arias, I am in complete awe of his talent, his virtuosity, and his absolutely gorgeous voice.
What we have on this CD is a combination of two talents of cosmic proportions. Quasthoff and conductor Christian Thielemann bring us some of the most fascinating music ever written with ardor and determination of discoverers. Of particular interest are arias by Albert Lortzing. What one might have dismissed as lighter works (Zar und Zimmermann) had anyone else performed it, is transformed into a sparkling and delightful set of arias, emphasizing the artists' keen sense of humor.
Luckily, most of us are familiar enough with Tannhauser, so we don't have to look at the handy translation booklet to appreciate the beauty of the "Evening Star". If you listen to the same aria sang by Bryn Terfel on his CD with James Levine, you'll have two very different and very beautiful renditions; Terfel's soulful, reflective, yet very much in charge, and Quasthoff's ethereal, mystical one.
What impressed me about this entire recital, is gentle, unobtrusive, yet very much imaginative support of Thielemann's orchestra here. There's a beautiful dialogue happening, particularly between the low strings and Quasthoff's surprisingly bright bass-baritone in "Gar viel und schon ward hier in dieser Halle".
It's difficult to convey even 1% of the music's beauty in a couple of paragraphs. Get it immediately and find out for yourself.

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