Three of Georg Benda’s melodramas have come out on CD in recent years, but this seems to be the first of his operas to be recorded. Described in the booklet as a Singspiel, which is usually taken to imply a lightweight work, it was called Ernsthafte Oper – serious opera – by the composer, and that it certainly is. It was written in 1776, for performance in Gotha; it draws on Shakespeare (unlike several later operatic versions, notably Bellini’s), but begins after the marriage of the lovers, and – for this is the eighteenth century – it ends happily, with Juliet awakening before Romeo has had time to kill himself, and her father ready to welcome Romeo into the family and end the feud (the drama of family reconciliation was a standard type in German theatre).
The ending isn’t in fact entirely persuasive, not simply because it violates Shakespeare and our expectations but mainly because Benda didn’t provide music sufficiently powerful or sustained to make the reconciliation convincing: it is in fact rather perfunctory, with a brief joyous duet for the lovers and then dialogue, briefly for Romeo and Juliet and more lengthily for Friar Laurence and Capulet, and then a short concluding chorus. It is perfectly clear from the music earlier in the work that Benda was capable of providing what is needed here. The first two acts include some very fine, extended numbers, among them a beautiful, solemn opening scene for Juliet and an intense group of numbers at the end of Act 2, a duet for Juliet and her confidante Laura and an impassioned pair of arias for her in the tomb scene (she is the protagonist: Romeo’s role is much smaller). There is also a very fine, Gluckian funeral chorus. Benda had command of a considerable range of emotion, particularly sombre emotion; most of the arias are in something like Andante tempo. Anyone familiar with his melodramas will recognize the same musical personality here, in the extended accompanied recitatives as well as the arias. In this and other works Benda was seeking to create a German counterpart to Italian opera seria, using spoken dialogue and based on native theatre traditions, and even if the time was not yet ripe for it to catch on it represents a noble effort.
Michael Schneider directs an intense and persuasive performance with his Frankfurt group. The role of Juliet goes to Heidrun Kordes, a soprano with a warm, gleaming voice, of even tonality across her compass, and with an excellent and well-controlled top register. She sings strongly and vividly. Claron McFadden, a little lighter in tone, sings Laura’s music commandingly. Romeo is sung by Scot Weir, an American tenor with a lightish heroic voice, fluent and eloquent in his Act 1 aria and especially in the one he sings in Act 3 over Juliet’s supposed tomb when he believes her dead. Christian Immler’s pleasing baritone serves well for Capulet (here Capellet) without making him too severe and retaining Benda’s characterization of a man of keen sensibility. I’m very glad to have heard this work and I hope many readers will try it and enjoy it. The playing time is short (the second disc is only 26'37'') – hence its release at mid price – but there is a good booklet with a complete text and translation.'