A 20th Century Opera Collection - Walter Braunfels - Die Vögel - Lothar Zagrosek

Walter Braunfels (1882-1954): Die Vögel - Lothar Zagrosek - DSO Berlin
Opera | Early 20th Century | 2CD | EACRip | APE+LOG+CUE | Covers | RS.com | 663MB
Label: Decca | Year of release: 1996 | DDD

Die Vögel, Op.30 (The Birds)
Lyric Fantasy in two acts after Aristophanes' "The Birds"

Nachtigall - Hellen Kwon
Hoffegut - Endrik Wottrich
Ratefreund - Michael Kraus
Wiedhopf - Wolfgang Holzmair
Prometheus - Matthias Görne

Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Lothar Zagrosek

Classical.net review:

Because Walter Braunfels (1882-1954) was half-Jewish, he was dismissed from his position as director of the Academy of Music in Cologne in 1933 and performance of his music thereafter was forbidden. It didn't matter to the Nazis that Braunfels was a practicing Roman Catholic, only that half his blood was tainted by what they considered the most degenerate of non-Aryan races. They had at least one further reason to hate the composer: he had refused to write an anthem a decade earlier for their burgeoning political movement. And, too, Hitler and the Nazis were wrapped up in adulation for their musical hero from the past, the strongly anti-Semitic Richard Wagner, the perfect composer to fill their dubious bill. Secretly, though, they must have feared Braunfels might come to challenge their idol with his "entartete musik" (degenerate music). If this opera is typical of Braunfels' work, I'd say their fears may have been well founded.

In the rubble that followed World War II, Braunfels, who had courageously remained in Germany, somehow managing to avoid extermination, reestablished the Cologne Academy of Music and resurrected his career as a concert pianist. But by then, he was a mostly forgotten composer, whose music was seen as rather old-fashioned by the younger generation. Until recently Braunfels has remained in almost complete obscurity, but, hopefully, this new London recording will change that.

The Birds, first performed in 1920, is based on the Aristophanes' comedy of the same name. It is the story of two men, Good Hope and Loyal Friend, the first lamenting his mistreatment by women, the latter fleeing the decadence of art, who together find their fantasy world, the realm of the birds. They urge the birds to construct a fortress that will enable them to impose a heavy tax on the gods by controlling smoke from sacrifices by men which the gods need for nourishment. The birds comply and incur the wrath of Zeus, and their fortress is destroyed in a violent storm. The two men depart for civilization, but Good Hope, having earlier been kissed by the beguiling Nightingale, ponders that the brief intimacy has forever changed him. Not exactly your normal operatic plot, but the story is lively and quite witty, and a bit more involved than this capsule description, of course.

Braunfels' music clearly shows the influence of Wagner (what German composer writing opera at that time didn't, though?) and Strauss. But from these elements Braunfels forged his own distinctive, eminently approachable style that becomes quite recognizable upon repeated hearings.

Zagrosek's reading and the performances by his cast and orchestra are gripping and more than do justice to this wonderful score. Wottrich and Kraus are impressive in the male leads. Try the former's powerful rendering of the closing number, So ist dies alles denn gewesen, wie? (CD 2, track 12) to sample his transcendent talent. Hellen Kwon is positively angelic as Nightingale, as immediately evidenced by her opening number, Liebwerte Freunde (CD 1, track 2). Marita Posselt (Wren) is just as moving (her voice is sweet and absolutely lovely), and the rest of the cast rises splendidly to the challenging occasion. London offers excellent sound and very intelligent notes. If you're interested in opera, especially in the works of Wagner and Strauss, you'll likely find this new issue quite enjoyable and fully worth the asking price.

Copyright © 1997, Robert Cummings.




Tracklist:

Disc: 1
1. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Vorspiel
2. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Liebwerte Freunde
3. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Graden Weges meinst du, wo die Bäume stehn?"
4. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Wer ist denn da? Ruft jemand hier nach meinem Herrn?"
5. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Tu auf den Wald, ich will hinaus!"
6. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Zu großen Taten wie noch seit Weltbestehn"
7. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Nun erwache mir, Freundin"
8. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Torotix!"
9. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Himmel, Himmel, weh', o wehe, Himmel, jetzt ergeht's uns übel!"
10. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Haltet ein, verructes Vogelzeug"
11. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Wie tut ihr Vöglein mir leid"
12. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Ach, der Zeit, wir ziehen fortan nicht zum Opfer nach Delphi"
13. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 1: "Dich zu ehren wohl erbötig"
14. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Ah, ah! Narzissus, zitterst du im Licht?"
15. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Wer ruft? Wer ruft?"
16. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Laß wie du mich werden"
17. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Ich leih' dir meinem Sinn!"

Disc: 2
1. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Horch! es wehet der Tag heran, ich gehe zu ruhn!"
2. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Hoch steht, erhaben, was uns freut, unsere Veste, nichts ihr gleicht"
3. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Was nahet dort für ein froh Gewoge?"
4. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Gruh! Gruh!"
5. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Halt, halt!"
6. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Weit! Weit! Wohl über euch"
7. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Habt, Kindlein, vom Prometheus ihr gehört?"
8. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Krieg! Krieg!"
9. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Hei! Hei! Hi!"
10. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Ah! Ah!"
11. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "Zum Kuckuck, Freund, das war ein Spaß"
12. Die Vögel, opera in 2 acts, Op. 30: Act 2: "So ist dies alles denn gewessen, wie?"

Pass: leverkuhn

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