Albert Lortzing (1801-1851)
Zum Groβ-Admiral (1847)
Catharina von Frankreich – Anett Fritsch (soprano)
Betty – Lavinia Dames (soprano)
Eduard, Page von Rochester – Julia Sophie Wagner (soprano)
Heinrich, Prinz von England – Bernhard Berchtold (tenor)
Richard, Graf von Rochester – Jonathan Michie (baritone)
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester/Ulf Schirmer
rec. live, 2019, Munich
German libretto with English translation enclosed
Reviewed as downloaded from press preview
CPO 555133-2 [2 CDs: 143]
Albert Lortzing’s operas can still be seen, at least occasionally in German opera houses, primarily Zar und Zimmermann and Der Wildschütz. There are also good recordings of several of them. Zum Groβ-Admiral was something of a success when it opened in Leipzig in 1847 but quickly disappeared, and when it two years later reached Theater an der Wien, where Lortzing was Kapellmeister, the outcome was also meagre. In Munich they had contemplated staging it the same year, but those plans came to nothing, and it was only in 1879 that it had its belated Munich premier at the Hofoper.
But then it disappeared for good and only returned in Annaberg-Buchholz in Saxony in 2019 and was later the same year recorded in connection with concert performances in Munich. Ulf Schirmer has long been an advocate for operas off the beaten track, and a dozen years ago he made the premiere recording of another Lortzing rarity, Regina, which was the first opera set in factory milieu (review). Completed – almost – in 1848, the revolutionary year, it was never performed during Lortzing’s life, and only reached the stage in 1899. It’s a dramatic work with strikes and revolutions, so it’s no wonder it was put in cold storage at the time.
Zum Groβ-Admiral is more of a domestic comedy, even though the action takes place in upper-class circles. The hero – or rather anti-hero – Heinrich, is Crown-Prince Henry of England, later to become King Henry V. He seems to have been a playboy, more interested in partying than preparing for a life as Monarch. His favourite dwelling is Zum Groβ-Admiral, which is not a naval officer but a pub. His wife Catherine and the Count of Rochester manage to play a trick on him, however, and in the end everything is sorted out and Heinrich becomes a worthy representative of the royal family. Such things do not always happen in real life, but in comic operas it is plausible, and what the spirited overture – one of the best numbers in the opera – promises is confirmed in the grandiose finale, after Heinrich has sung his Kavatine – the most memorable number – where he says in the English translation:
I feel it, my inconstant life,
my quest for earthly, vile show,
can only bring me shame and remorse,
make me hated in my fatherland.
Therefore I resolve in the future
to dedicate myself to my duty as a ruler alone.
My wife’s happiness shall never be saddened;
filled with remorse, I return to her.
if her love for me endures,
then I can expect lasting happiness.
Posterity shall be my judge
and honor me with esteem and recognition
Zum Groβ-Admiral is a Singspiel, i.e. there is spoken
dialogue between the musical numbers. This can be a problem in recordings,
where one often has to turn up the volume to hear the dialogue properly.
Here that problem doesn’t exist. The dialogue is recorded very closely, and
every syllable leaps out of the loudspeakers with stunning clarity. Even
listeners with limited knowledge of German should be able to catch most of
it. But it is still a pity that the dialogue is not printed in the libretto,
a bad practice that CPO has cultivated also in the past.
Musically this opera has a great deal to offer. The overture is certainly masterly, skilfully orchestrated, as always with Lortzing, and I would love to hear it as opening number in a symphony concert. The opening chorus raises the temperature several degrees and there is a memorable choral hymn in the first act finale. There are long and well-conceived finales to all three acts and several ensembles too, as so often in Lortzing’s operas. The quartet in the second act, Ha, welch allerliebste Kleine (CD 2 tr.6) is speedy and fully comparable with the famous Billiard Quintet in Der Wildschütz.
Solo pieces are also frequent, but they are seldom called arias. Eduard, the Page of Rochester, a trouser role, has a Lied in the first act, Ein Engel ist an Geist und Zügen (CD 1 tr. 6), Heinrich has a Barkarole with chorus in act II, Was glänzt im Sommerstrahle (CD 1 tr. 13) and Betty sings a charming Lied in the same act, Seh’ ich ein Auge auf mich (CD 2 tr. 2). These are truly highlight, and so is the duet between Betty and Eduard, (CD 2 tr. 4), where the two soprano voices intertwine beautifully.
As for the singing, it is a mixed bag. The three sopranos are excellent. Anett Fritsch (Catharina) has a true prima donna voice. I looked back in my reviews and found a DVD with Così fan tutte from Teatro Real Madrid nine years ago, where her Fiordiligi was much to my liking. Julia Sophie Wagner (Eduard) is also splendid in her trouser role and her tone is not unbecoming for a young man. Lavinia Dames as Betty has a pretty soubrette voice with easy coloratura. It is only fair that they are listed first on the CD cover. I’m afraid that none of the male singers are in the same league as the ladies vocally, even though they are fairly good actors. This imbalance makes it difficult to give this issue a straightforward recommendation, but Lortzing afficionados (how many are we?) should still contemplate a purchase, for the novelty of the music and for the singing of the ladies.
Göran Forsling
Other cast
Copp Movbrai – Martin Blasius (bass)
Soloists from the Chorus:
Snakefield – Andreas Hirtreiter (tenor)
Zeremonienmeister / William / Page – Mattias Ettmayr (bass)
