CPO’s recordings of Lehár’s operettas have largely concentrated on the less familiar works. Here – as with the previous Land des Lächelns (2/08) – the operetta is one of those more frequently recorded. With a title-role for Tauber and a score generously decked out with balalaika colouring, Der Zarewitsch has remained one of Lehár’s most popular works on the continent, though it has never achieved a professional production in London. It’s a decidedly odd tale of an heir to the Russian throne who enjoys sexual awakening at the hands of a dancer brought in for the purpose but is then forced to end their relationship when he succeeds to the throne. Of two complete LP versions, both transferred to CD, that from EMI (Gedda/Streich, 1964) has rightly seen off its one-time rival from BMG (Kollo/Popp, 1980).

Though at times these CPO recordings have given the impression of using performers unfamiliar with the genre, that does not seem a problem here. From the start Ulf Schirmer wields a relaxed baton, weaving a texture of Russian sounds refreshingly less hard-driven and more delicate than we often hear. Though Alexandra Reinprecht seems ill-at-ease in her opening showpiece “Einer wird kommen”, she thereafter sings with a refinement that comfortably challenges her eminent predecessors. As for Matthias Klink as the Tsarevitch, he seems to me quite splendid – a natural tenor without the inclination to force that one finds with both Gedda and Kollo, not to mention Tauber himself. In the buffo roles Christina Landshamer and Andreas Winkler add to the charm, while the fuller dialogue enhances the impression of a naturally evolving piece.

The flip-side is that the dramatic force of the piece is by no means as sharply brought out as in the EMI version, with dialogue and musical numbers by no means as well integrated. It’s clear from the occasional cough and the reactions to some of the dialogue that this was recorded live, though there is no applause. Overall I wouldn’t argue for this new version ahead of the EMI, though with its spacious modern sound it makes a most agreeable alternative.