Est 1923

Operetta Arias & Duets

Sampling the Schwarzkopf riches

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Franz Lehár, Johann Strauss II

Label: Regis

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 75

Mastering:

Stereo

Catalogue Number: RRC1291

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
(Die) Lustige Witwe, '(The) Merry Widow', Movement: ~ Franz Lehár, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Franz Lehár, Composer
(Die) Lustige Witwe, '(The) Merry Widow', Movement: Heia, Mädel, aufgeschaut...Dummer, dummer Reiterna, Danilo) Franz Lehár, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Franz Lehár, Composer
(Die) Lustige Witwe, '(The) Merry Widow', Movement: Lippen schweigen (Hanna, Danilo) Franz Lehár, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Franz Lehár, Composer
(Das) Land des Lächelns, 'Land of Smiles', Movement: Es ist nicht das erstemal Franz Lehár, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Franz Lehár, Composer
(Das) Land des Lächelns, 'Land of Smiles', Movement: ~ Franz Lehár, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Franz Lehár, Composer
(Eine) Nacht in Venedig, '(A) Night in Venice', Movement: Seht, oh seht! ... Frutti di mare! Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
(Eine) Nacht in Venedig, '(A) Night in Venice', Movement: Annina! Caramello! ... Pellegrina rondinella Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
(Eine) Nacht in Venedig, '(A) Night in Venice', Movement: Hör' mich. Annina, komm in die Gondel Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
Wiener Blut, 'Vienna Blood', Movement: Grüss Gott, mein liebes Kind! Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
Wiener Blut, 'Vienna Blood', Movement: Wiener Blut! Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
(Die) Fledermaus, '(The) Bat', Movement: Mein Herr, was dächten Sie Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
(Die) Fledermaus, '(The) Bat', Movement: Dieser Anstand, so manierlich Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
(Die) Fledermaus, '(The) Bat', Movement: Klänge der Heimat (Czardas) Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
(Der) Zigeunerbaron, '(The) Gipsy Baron', Movement: So elend und so treu Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
(Der) Zigeunerbaron, '(The) Gipsy Baron', Movement: Wer uns getraut Johann Strauss II, Composer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano
Johann Strauss II, Composer
One’s personal benchmarks are set by the artists of one’s formative years. For me, as for so many others, EMI’s early-1950s Viennese operetta recordings – produced by Walter Legge, with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as leading lady – retain a unique position in the affections. They set not only the standards but also the nature of operetta recording for the whole LP era, and they did much to get the classic operettas of Johann Strauss and Lehár accepted into the operatic repertory. “Whipped cream” was one description aptly applied to Schwarzkopf’s tones, and if her somewhat aristocratic touch was more appropriate to the wealthy Hanna Glawari of Lehár’s Merry Widow than to the simple fisher-girl Annina in Strauss’s A Night in Venice, few could complain as they were swept away by the glories of her singing.

The idea of collecting together Schwarzkopf’s major contributions to those recordings is an appealing one, and it has for the most part been carried out excellently here. Only the inclusion of “Ganz nach Pariser Art” from The Merry Widow seems a misjudgement, since it is suddenly cut short after less than two minutes. Otherwise the whole collection heightens admiration for the delights of the music and the quality of Schwarzkopf’s soprano. And yet, with the complete recordings mostly available so inexpensively, mightn’t it be better simply to go for those? If this collection does suit, then Regis’s very modest price is unlikely to give reason to regret purchase.

Operetta Arias & Duets

(Die) Lustige Witwe, '(The) Merry Widow', Movement: ~

(Die) Lustige Witwe, '(The) Merry Widow', Movement: Heia, Mädel, aufgeschaut...Dummer, dummer Reiterna, Danilo)

(Die) Lustige Witwe, '(The) Merry Widow', Movement: Lippen schweigen (Hanna, Danilo)

(Das) Land des Lächelns, 'Land of Smiles', Movement: Es ist nicht das erstemal

(Das) Land des Lächelns, 'Land of Smiles', Movement: ~

(Eine) Nacht in Venedig, '(A) Night in Venice', Movement: Seht, oh seht! ... Frutti di mare!

(Eine) Nacht in Venedig, '(A) Night in Venice', Movement: Annina! Caramello! ... Pellegrina rondinella

(Eine) Nacht in Venedig, '(A) Night in Venice', Movement: Hör' mich. Annina, komm in die Gondel

Wiener Blut, 'Vienna Blood', Movement: Grüss Gott, mein liebes Kind!

Wiener Blut, 'Vienna Blood', Movement: Wiener Blut!

(Die) Fledermaus, '(The) Bat', Movement: Mein Herr, was dächten Sie

(Die) Fledermaus, '(The) Bat', Movement: Dieser Anstand, so manierlich

(Die) Fledermaus, '(The) Bat', Movement: Klänge der Heimat (Czardas)

(Der) Zigeunerbaron, '(The) Gipsy Baron', Movement: So elend und so treu

(Der) Zigeunerbaron, '(The) Gipsy Baron', Movement: Wer uns getraut

Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music. 

Stream on Presto Music | Buy from Presto Music

Gramophone Print

  • Print Edition

From £6.67 / month

Subscribe

Gramophone Digital Club

  • Digital Edition
  • Digital Archive
  • Reviews Database
  • Full website access

From £8.75 / month

Subscribe

                              

If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.