Karl Böhm - Nozze di Figaro query

[Karafan]

I am cataloguing my opera sets at the moment and am puzzled by the DG Originals issue of Karl Böhm's Nozze di Figaro (with Prey, Janowitz, Fischer-Dieskau, et al) originally released on LP in 1968. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-nozze...ohm+nozze+prey

Having scoured the booklet I can see no recording date(s) or venue given. Can anyone help please?

Cheers and Happy New Year!

K.

[Richard Tarleton]

This suggests Berlin, 1968, Karafan

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Scroll down to "Credits" here, Karafan, and it gives "1968" as the recording date.

http://www.discogs.com/Wolfgang-Amadeus-Mozart-Hermann-Prey-Edith-Mathis-Gundula-Janowitz-Dietrich-Fischer-Dieskau-Tatiana-/release/2286343

The Gramophone review of the recording gives a couple more hints:

.Made in 1968, when Bohm was enjoying an Indian summer, it was based on a production by Sellner at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin and indeed the production was supervised by Sellner. Since its premiere under Bohm in 1963, he had led many revivals including some performances with this cast, around the time the recording was made, which surely accounts for this sense of a true ensemble felt all round and of a thought-through interpretation.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This suggests Berlin, 1968, Karafan

Snap!

[Richard Tarleton]

Snap!

[gurnemanz]

The year of recording is often not the same as the year of release. In this case it seems to be so. I have a French box set containing this recording. It states: Enregistrement: Berlin, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, 3/1968.

[Gordon]

I would have been very surprised if the location had not been the J-CK in Dahlem, it was the "Kingsway Hall" of DG in Berlin. Bohm's Magic Flute was recorded there in June 1964.

[Karafan]

Thanks all - you're a jolly good bunch. And yes, Gurnemanz, date of release is often later so thank you especially for the corroboration of both date and venue from your French edition.

Great pictures, Gordon!! I look forward to meeting you early in the New Year, by the way, when you're up in my neck o' the woods (ticket bought and paid for!). PS - Are they scanned from a photo album Gordon - they are a tremendous pair of images ;-)

K

[Gordon]

Thanks all - you're a jolly good bunch. And yes, Gurnemanz, date of release is often later so thank you especially for the corroboration of both date and venue from your French edition.

Great pictures, Gordon!! I look forward to meeting you early in the New Year, by the way, when you're up in my neck o' the woods (ticket bought and paid for!). PS - Are they scanned from a photo album Gordon - they are a tremendous pair of images ;-)

K

These images came from a friend in Germany who has a similar fascination with J-CK as I have with KH! He supplied the photos scanned from his album in exchange for some of mine from KH.

I suspect that the layout of the players and singers was much the same as for the MF and probably the same engineer, Gunter Hermanns who must have known the church very well having recorded much of Karajan's sessions there eg his Beethoven symphonies set of 1961/2. I posted the images in large size so that you can see the mic placements. I always wonder how the sound in there isn't harder with all that glass.

Glad you are able to come to the Yorkshire RMS regional group meeting in March, I look forward to meeting you too!! I assume that you'll be staying for the whole event?

[Stanfordian]

I would have been very surprised if the location had not been the J-CK in Dahlem, it was the "Kingsway Hall" of DG in Berlin. Bohm's Magic Flute was recorded there in June 1964.

Yes, it certainly is the Jesus Christ Church, Dahlem/Berlin. I went to have look around in September but couldn't gain access immediately as there was an orchestra inside making a recording. They must make a fortune from all those 100s of recordings made there over the years. It did have period of not being used for recordings when for a time it was under the flightpath for Templehof airport.

[Karafan]

These images came from a friend in Germany who has a similar fascination with J-CK as I have with KH! He supplied the photos scanned from his album in exchange for some of mine from KH.

I suspect that the layout of the players and singers was much the same as for the MF and probably the same engineer, Gunter Hermanns who must have known the church very well having recorded much of Karajan's sessions there eg his Beethoven symphonies set of 1961/2. I posted the images in large size so that you can see the mic placements. I always wonder how the sound in there isn't harder with all that glass.

Glad you are able to come to the Yorkshire RMS regional group meeting in March, I look forward to meeting you too!! I assume that you'll be staying for the whole event?

Well certainly for your KH talk, Gordon....

As for Otto Gerdes, I always recall his arriviste moment with von Karajan after DG had inexplicably allowed him (a recording producer) to conduct Tannhäuser and he subsequently greeted HvK with a jovial "Good day, my dear colleague!". Karajan, none too impressed, refused to either acknowledge him or ever have him on his technical team again!

[frankwm]

The year of recording is often not the same as the year of release. In this case it seems to be so. I have a French box set containing this recording. It states: Enregistrement: Berlin, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, 3/1968.

12-20 March 1968 @ Jesus Cristus Kirche

[Karafan]

Thanks Frank - where did you find such specific dates?

[frankwm]

Not dug out my original set (nor ever played it!) but DGG (as was) listings are here - near page bottom:

http://fischer.hosting.paran.com/music/music.htm

Have noticed a few errors whilst browsing: but you'll find this as its SLPM numbering (139 276-79)...originally it was a 'special price' set with a different catalogue #.

[Gordon]

Not dug out my original set (nor ever played it!) but DGG (as was) listings are here - near page bottom:

http://fischer.hosting.paran.com/music/music.htm

Have noticed a few errors whilst browsing: but you'll find this as its SLPM numbering (139 276-79)...originally it was a 'special price' set with a different catalogue #.

Thanks for that Fwm it also gives the Magic Flute dates for the pictures above: June 18-25th 1964. The session photo looks like the playback for the HmHmHm number!