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MOZART: Die Zauberflote Anton Dermota, Irmgard Seefried, Erich Kunz, Wilma Lipp. Singverein des Gesellschafte der Musikfreunde in Wien, Wiener Philharmoniker Herbert von Karajan. (Recorded: 1952) EMI Great Recordings of the Century CMS567071-2 129m ADD £17.00

 


Crotchet



This, one of Karajan's first Mozart opera recordings still shines as brightly as ever almost fifty years after. Walter Legge's knack of matching a superb cast with Karajan's uniformly sleek conducting resulted in a miraculous series of legendary sets that still stand the test of time remarkably well. Although the producer chose to omit the recitatives, the flowing nature of the music tends to give a better impression than other complete sets. And here we have Karajan in full flower, one of the finest conductors of Mozart with such an inspirational feel for the music's ebb and flow.

We are placed on our toes immediately with a superbly paced Overture that has the VPO strings playing attacca with remarkable delicacy. Indeed, the 'chamber-like' approach was a novel idea in its day. Anton Dermota's 'Tamino' is a model of clarity with magnificent command of the role throughout. His singing in 'Dies Bildnis' is a case in point, graceful, charming and believable. Irmgard Seefried is also a fine advocate of Pamina with securely rounded arias and fine participation in the major duets. Erich Kunz' Papageno is also delightfully vivid and alive with a wonderful 'Bei Mannern' duet with Seefried that fairly melts one's heart.

This leaves us to Wilma Lipp's 'Queen of the Night'; the central Mozartian role, which combines all that, is good and bad in this opera. Lipp is remarkable for her vocal dexterity, outstanding diction and authority in a role that has always been a central one in Mozart's operas. The chorus is also vivid enough but I still feel that the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde was not always attuned to Karajan's outstanding perception. As Richard Osborne moots in his authoritative essay that accompanies a beautifully presented booklet, the conductor 'breathed life' into an opera that was a bit staidly done in those days.

Legge's auspicious gamble by choosing Karajan instead of Furtwangler, in this, the most sublime of Moazrt's late operas paid off handsomely and I would place the set as THE historical companion to set alongside other modern stereo versions such as Davis and Gardiner. The remastering is also vivid and clear, lending a new lease of life to the fifty-year-old tapes. It is also heartening to see the original covers on these reissues and one hopes that 'Die Zauberflote' has found its permanent home as a Great Recording of the Century as indeed it is.

Reviewer

Gerald Fenech

Performance:

Sound:

Reviewer

Gerald Fenech

Performance:

Sound:



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