BaL 24.09.22 - Strauss, J II: Die Fledermaus

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.30 am
Building a Library
Nigel Simeone with his pick of recordings of Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus.

Strauss’s sparkling operetta premiered in 1874 and has been delighting audiences and listeners ever since. It has been fortunate on record, and Nigel discusses with Andrew a huge range of performances and styles.

Available versions:-

Karl Terkal, Gerda Scheyrer, Wilma Lipp, Christa Ludwig, Anton Dermota, Walter Berry, Erich Majkut, Eberhard Wächter, Erich Kunz, Luise Martini, Philharmonia Orchestra, Philharmonia Chorus, Otto Ackermann *

Peter Edelmann, Silvana Dussmann, Ute Gfrerer, Marion Rainer, Paul Armin Edelmann, Artur Stefanowicz, Thomas Lind, Waldemar Kmentt, Thaddäus Podgorski, Franz Jirsa, Mörbisch Festival Choir & Festival Orchestra Mörbisch, Rudolf Bibl

Vienna Volksoper Orchestra & Chorus, Erich Binder *

Heinz Holecek, Renate Holm, Wolfgang Windgassen, Eberhard Wächter, Erich Kunz, Sylvia Lukan, Waldemar Kmentt, Gundula Janowitz, Erich Kuchar, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Staatsoper, Karl Böhm *

Gundula Janowitz, Eberhard Wächter, Wolfgang Windgassen, Heinz Holecek & Erich Kunz, Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm (DVD)

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Jürgen Förster, Walter Berry, Anneliese Rothenberger, Nicolai Gedda, Renate Holm, Adolf Dallapozza, Brigitte Fassbaender, Senta Wengraf, Gerd W. Dieberitz, Otto Schenk, Chor der Wiener Staatsoper in der Volksoper, Chor der Wiener Staatsoper, Franz Gerstacker, Wiener Symphoniker, Willi Boskovsky *

Anna Moffo, Jeanette Scovotti, Richard Lewis, Sergio Franchi, John Hauxvell, Risë Stevens, George London, Johann Strauss, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper, Chor der Wiener Staatsoper, Oscar Danon *

Kiri Te Kanawa, Hermann Prey, Benjamin Luxon, Hildegard Heichele (guest appearances by Hinge & Bracket, Charles Aznavour, Merle Park & Wayne Eagling), Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Placido Domingo (DVD)

Laura Aikin, Jochen Schmeckenbecher, Elisabeth Kulman, Christian Elsner Matthias Hausmann, Alexander Kaimbacher, Annika Gerhards, Alice Waginger, Kurt Rydl, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Lawrence Foster (SACD)

Helmut Krebs, Rita Streich, Anny Schlemm, Peter Anders, Edwin Heyer, Herbert Brauer, Hans Wocke, Anneliese Müller, Sylvia Menz, Fritz Hoppe, Rias Symphonie-Orchester, Ferenc Fricsay *

Karl Mikorey, Margarete Teschemacher, Hans Herbert Fiedler, Einar Kristjansson, Peter Anders, Karl Schmitt-Walter, Robert Kiefer, Martina Wulf, Elisabeth Fiechtner, Erna Berger, Maria Reining, Chor und Orchester Reichssender Stuttgart, Gustav Görlich


Natascha Petrinsky, Sabine Kallhammer, Chen Reiss, Rainer Trost, Aga Mikolaj, Paul Armin Edelmann, Jürgen Sacher, Miljenko Turk, Sebastian Holecek, Cologne West German Radio Chorus, Cologne West German Radio Orchestra, Friedrich Haider

Edita Gruberova, Barbara Bonney, Werner Hollweg, Netherlands Opera Chorus, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Pär Lindskog, Lyubov Petrova, Pamela Armstrong, Thomas Allen, Ragnar Ulfung, Håkan Hagegård, Artur Korn, Malena Ernman, Udo Samel, Renée Schüttengruber, Udo Samel, Renée Schüttengruber, Glyndebourne Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski (DVD/Blu-ray)

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicolai Gedda, Helmut Krebs, Rita Streich, Erich Kunz, Rudolf Christ, Karl Dönch, Erich Majkut, Franz Böheim, Luise Martini, Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus, Herbert von Karajan

Hilde Güden, Eberhard Wächter, Giuseppe Zampieri, Rita Streich, Gerhard Stolze, Peter Klein, Walter Berry, Erich Kunz, Josef Meinrad, Elfriede Ott, Wiener Staatsopernchor & Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

Ferry Gruber, Bernd Weikl, Evi List, Lucia Popp, René Kollo, Franz Muxeneder, Bernd Weikl, Ivan Rebroff (speaker), Julia Varady, Nicolai Lugowoi, Benno Kusche, Hermann Prey, Ferry Gruber, Wolfgang Baumgart, Evi List, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper München, Carlos Kleiber

Pamela Coburn, Brigitte Fassbaender, Janet Perry, Eberhard Wächter, ayerisches Staatsorchester, Carlos Kleiber (DVD)

Julius Patzak, Hilde Güden, Kurt Preger, Sieglinde Wagner, Anton Dermota, Alfred Poell, August Jaresch & Wilma Lipp, Chorus of the Vienna State Opera, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Clemens Krauss

Ilse Hollweg, Sándor Kónya , Willy Schneider, Lothar Ostenburg , Ingeborg Hallstein, Hildegunt Walther, Hildegund Walther, Timothy Wilson, Rita Bartos, Reinhold Bartel, Peter Alexander, Willy Hofmann, Rita Streich , Chor, Kölner Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester, Großes Operettenorchester, Koelner Rundfunk Orchester, Franz Marszalek *

Herbert Lippert, Alexandra Reinprecht, Daniela Fally, Daniel Serafin, Angus Wood, Harald Serafin, Gernot Heinrich, Helmuth Lohner, Daniela Lehner, Festival Orchestra Morbisch, Chor und Ballett der Seefestspiele Morbisch, Manfred Mayrhofer (DVD)

Daniel Koehn, Luther Lewis III, Tai-Kristin Smedley, Gavin Wigginson, Reginald Smith, Jr., Julie LaDouceur, Ellen Graham, Michael Friedman, Nicholas Provenzale, Caleb C. Ashby, Dione Johnson, University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Studio chorus, John Nardolillo *

Charles Kullman, Marguerite Piazza, Blanche Thebom , Hugh Thompson, Richard Tucker, John Brownlee, Paul Franke, Patrice Munsel, Nana Gollner, Jack Gifford, Orchestra & Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, New York, Eugene Ormandy (sung in American English)*

Lily Pons, Martha Lipton, John Brownlee, Ljuba Welitsch, Charles Kullman, Paul Franke, Richard Tucker, Clifford Harvuot, Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy *

Regina Resnik, Charles Kullman, Patrice Munsel, John Brownlee, Blanche Thebom, Clifford Harvuot, Brian Sullivan, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy/Josef Blatt

Kiri te Kanawa, Edita Gruberova, Brigitte Fassbaender, Richard Leech, Anton Wendler, Olaf Bär, Tom Krause, Otto Schenk, Karin Göttling, Wiener Philharmoniker & Wiener Staatsopernchor, André Previn *

John Dickie, Gabriele Fontana, Josef Hopferwieser, Brigitte Karwautz, Andrea Martin, Alfred Werner, Rohangiz Yachmi-Caucig, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bratislava City Chorus, Johannes Wildner

* = download only

[Ein Heldenleben]

Thanks Alpie. Sterling work. I was trying to think of some implausible Fledermaus conductors and came up with Furtwangler , Celibidache and the Ensemble Intercontemporain with Pierre Boulez

[makropulos]

Thanks Alpie. Sterling work. I was trying to think of some implausible Fledermaus conductors and came up with Furtwangler , Celibidache and the Ensemble Intercontemporain with Pierre Boulez

And in at least two cases you can hear what implausible might sound like: Furtwängler recorded the overture in 1937 with the Berlin Philharmonic, and these's a Celibidache Fledermaus overture with the Munich PO (both are on YouTube). Furtwängler takes around 8 minutes (quite nippy) while Celi takes something like 11 minutes (!).

[smittims]

I wasn't surprised to see my favourite recording omitted from that list! Elizabeth Schwarzkopf's earlier recording conducted by Otto Ackermann (33CX 1051-2); of course I'd expect a BaL recommendation to be of a newer recording, to appeal to the average listener new to the work.

[smittims]

re Furtwangler, his earlier discography includes two Rossini overtures and the Pizzicato Polka. Otto Klemperer, another conductor often wrongly said to be always slow, recorded a sparkling 'Fledermaus ' Overture.

[Petrushka]

My favourite by a long way is the Willi Boskovsky version which I bought on LP in 1973. It does have a good deal of dialogue but is very atmospheric, treating it like a stage presentation in audio only. The dialogue is done by the singers not some hired actors and is very convincing.

I have both Karajan sets, Krauss and Bohm as well as Boskovsky but have to say I've not listened any of them for a very long time.

[Ein Heldenleben]

And in at least two cases you can hear what implausible might sound like: Furtwängler recorded the overture in 1937 with the Berlin Philharmonic, and these's a Celibidache Fledermaus overture with the Munich PO (both are on YouTube). Furtwängler takes around 8 minutes (quite nippy) while Celi takes something like 11 minutes (!).

I bet you there’s a Boulez overture somewhere …
11 minutes eh that must have been some party

[smittims]

Oops! I wish I could pretend my earlier post was a 'spot the deliberate mistake, Sergeant Wilson', but it was only my erratic memory. I was of course thinking of 'The Merry Widow' which, like 'Fledermaus', Schwarzkopf recorded twice with different conductors.

The first Karajan is my favourite. I think it was Schwarzkopf who recalled that she, Karajan and Walter Legge were agreed there should be 'nothing routine' about it.

[gradus]

I'd forgotten my set of this piece until reading this thread, can't imagine why since it is full of tunes and highly enjoyable, right up Boskovsky's street.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And in at least two cases you can hear what implausible might sound like: Furtwängler recorded the overture in 1937 with the Berlin Philharmonic, and these's a Celibidache Fledermaus overture with the Munich PO (both are on YouTube). Furtwängler takes around 8 minutes (quite nippy) while Celi takes something like 11 minutes (!).

I've just given the Furtwängler a spin. It is indeed nippy.

I'm wondering whether the VPO/Karajan CD on Alto is the Decca one. The cast seems to be the same. A pity that Decca only have the download now.

[makropulos]

I've just given the Furtwängler a spin. It is indeed nippy.

I'm wondering whether the VPO/Karajan CD on Alto is the Decca one. The cast seems to be the same. A pity that Decca only have the download now.

Yes, the Alto one = Decca (though the sound may not be as crisp). There's a very nice transfer of the same recording on Pristine.
Glad you gave Furtwängler a go –I was very pleasantly surprised!

[Barbirollians]

Yes, the Alto one = Decca (though the sound may not be as crisp). There's a very nice transfer of the same recording on Pristine.
Glad you gave Furtwängler a go –I was very pleasantly surprised!

The Clemens Krauss remains my favourite though I have a soft spot for the Previn.

[Darloboy]

Last covered by BaL in December 97 when Rodney Milnes chose the 1960 Vienna Karajan.

[MickyD]

The Clemens Krauss remains my favourite though I have a soft spot for the Previn.

The Previn is good, pity about the laughter track used in the party scene, one woman is particularly irritating.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Last covered by BaL in December 97 when Rodney Milnes chose the 1960 Vienna Karajan.

The Karajan/Decca Die Fledermaus is one of the few recordings by that team that I don’t have. It was a brilliant team.