In the post-war years,
in the early 1950s, London became one
of the world’s premier recording centres,
if not the premier centre. At
that time, impresario and producer,
Walter Legge attracted the cream of
the artistic world to London. This recording
is one of his greatest testimonies,
everything comes together in perfection.
As my colleague Colin Clarke remarks
in his excellent review,
already on this site, of this Naxos
2 CD refurbishment, the Philharmonia’s
playing, under Karajan’s baton, "will
make you melt". Legge persuaded
Karajan into the EMI recording studios
to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra
many times in the 1950s and many very
memorable recordings resulted (mostly,
if not all, on the Columbia label).
One of these, I remember, was an electrifying
reading or Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony
made round about 1956. I always regret
letting that LP out of my collection.
This recording was
made in Kingsway Hall, one of London’s
premiere and most technically sympathetic
recording venues. Elisabeth Grümmer,
a former actress, made an ideal Hansel,
expressively boyish, with heroics nicely
balanced by an appealing vulnerability.
And of course there is the superlative
voice of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, then
in her prime. She, incidentally would
marry Walter Legge in the year of this
recording, 1953. Her Gretel has youthful
purity and girlish gaiety, her enunciation
well nigh perfect and delivery silkily
impeccable. Their gay (in the old-fashioned
sense of that word) delivery of ‘Brüderchen,
komm tanz’ mit mir’, the Act I Dance
Duet, sends one’s spirits soaring and
surely their Act II Evening Prayer would
melt the hardest heart. That whole Act
II , Scene II is pure enchantment with
the angelic-voiced Amy Felbermayer (who
also doubles as the Dew Fairy) adding
yet further rapture.
I will not bore readers
by echoing Colin Clarke’s enthusiasm
for the rest of the very worthy cast
and of Karajan’s keenly sensitive reading
that does not shrink from briefly probing
into the darker deeper levels of this
fairy tale or eulogising the superb
bonus tracks. I will however mention
my admiration for the singing of that
third Elisabeth - Elisabeth Schumann
- here singing the Evening Prayer in
recital with another legend, Ernest
Lush. There is also the sublime voice
of Conchita Supervia in the Dance Duet.
Congratulations to
Naxos on such a superb refurbishment
of one of the true classics of the gramophone.
Ian Lace
see also review
by Colin Clarke
Elisabeth Grümmer (mezzo) Hansel; Elisabeth
Schwarzkopf (soprano) Gretel; Else Schürhoff
(mezzo) The Witch; Maria von Ilosvay (mezzo)
Mother; Josef Metternich (baritone) Father;
Anny Felbermayer (soprano) Sandman, Dew Fairy;
