The warmest of welcomes to Lehár’s Friederike, a live performance recorded in Munich’s Prinzregententheater. The casting of the four young characters (two sopranos, two tenors) is spot on, the well drilled chorus exude vitality, and conductor Ulf Schirmer’s sympathetic pacing of the score reminds us that this operetta has an unexpected pathos as we are drawn into what Lehár himself described as his “most deeply felt work”.

Even before Friederike opened in Berlin in 1928, the story of the young Goethe’s falling for Friederike and abandoning her for his art was deemed unsuitable for an operetta. However, this recording, the first for nearly 30 years, makes every moment of their predicament believable. There are a few quibbles concerning fades and perspective that arise in the dialogue but these can be set against the often touching and genuine feeling which every singer invests in the story. The glorious voice of the soprano Kristiane Kaiser in the title-role is matched by the powerful tenor of Klaus Florian Vogt as Goethe. They make a striking pair. Vogt sometimes opts for the higher alternative in his vocal part, written for Richard Tauber, and caught in the moment of a live performance there’s an occasional sign of stress in his upper register. He makes Goethe an entirely convincing figure, however, and his enchanting way with the “Röslein” Lied makes one wonder why this number has never achieved greater popularity.

The secondary leads are equally convincing. Sylvia Schwartz’s bright soprano offers a happy contrast to Kaiser’s Friederike with Daniel Behle as Lenz bringing a darker tenor timbre that sets him off against Vogt’s Goethe. The Munich Radio Orchestra revels in the pastoral colourings of Lehár’s music, inspired by the Alsace-Lorraine setting, with the flute and horns deserving a special mention. It’s a strong and idiomatic reading from Schirmer who never fails to convey his love for Lehár’s elegant and infectious score. It’s all so enjoyable that it seems churlish to end by saying that CPO’s booklet leaves everything to be desired.