Otto's Classical Musick

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Neruda - Trio Sonatas & Bassoon Concerto - Parnassi Musici

The enterprising label cpo continues to discover and record relatively obscure composers whose music is worth getting to know. They have once again struck gold with the music of Johann Georg Neruda. There is uncertainty about the year of Neruda's birth; New Grove gives c. 1707, while cpo's booklet states that 1711 is definitely the year. He was born in Bohemia and educated at Prague. In 1741 he moved to Dresden, where he found employment in private orchestras of its nobility before successfully petitioning the king for a position as violinist in the court orchestra. Georg Pisendel, the leader of the court orchestra, apparently did not think highly of Neruda's compositions, probably because Neruda favored the Italian style, which was not to Pisendel's taste. Neruda composed sacred works, an opera, 18 symphonies, 14 concertos, and some trio sonatas before his death in Dresden around 1780.

Neruda's music is immediately engaging. It is written in the gallant style, with its emphasis on pleasant and pretty music. Although it may be lacking in depth, it makes for highly enjoyable listening, just the thing to lift the spirits on a cold, gloomy winter's day.

The period-instrument group Parnassi musici plays this engaging music to perfection. Tempos are not rushed, and the ensemble is dead-on. Sergio Azzolini, the soloist in the Bassoon Concerto, is also a member of the ensemble, and as might be expected, his work is equal to that of his colleagues. A slightly more distant microphone placement in the concerto might have been wise, however; we can hear Azzolini take a huge breath after the cadenza in the concerto.

The trio sonatas are probably first recordings; at any rate, there are no competing performances currently available. There is one other recording of the Bassoon Concerto on a Kleos disc, which also contains bassoon concertos by Mozart and Pichl. I have not heard it, and it does not appear to have been reviewed in Fanfare.

While I wouldn't characterize this recording as an essential purchase, I have enjoyed it greatly, and I'm sure you would also.--Fanfare

CD Content

Trio Sonata No. 4 in C major
Trio Sonata No. 5 in D minor
Bassoon Concerto
Trio Sonata No. 6 in D major
Trio Sonata No. 2 in C minor

Mozart - Concertone - Ensemble 415 Banchini

The 415 Ensemble is above all a soloist ensemble whose homogeneity sound richness has always been one of its driving forces. To underline the 250 years of Mozart's birth (2006), Chiara Banchini chose three youthful works: Cassation K.63, La Serenatta Notturna K.239 and the Concertone (pronounced "Con-chair-to-nay") K.190.

For 20 years, Chiara Banchini affirmed her understanding of the performance practices of the Baroque and Classical era violin schools to the international scene. Her colleagues include Italian master musicians known to lovers of classical music, Enrico Gatti, Emilio Moreno and Fabio Biondi, followed some years later by David Plantier, Stéphanie Fister and other violinists all perpetuating the same enthusiasm to serve the classic and baroque repertoire.

CD Content

1. Concertone for 2 Violins in C major, K 190 (186E)
2. Cassation in G major, K 63 "Final-Musik"
3.Serenade no 6 in D major, K 239 "Serenata notturna"

Monday, December 28, 2009

Szymanowski - Krol Roger, Symphony no.4 - Simon Rattle

Szymanowski was concerned with philosophical and moral questions as well as writing music, and King Roger (completed in 1926) is an opera of ideas rather than events, centering on the eternal conflict between Apollo and Dionysus, between reason and the unconscious. The action (such as it is) takes place on a single night: a mysterious shepherd appears at the court of Roger, the enlightened 12th-century King of Sicily, and leads the people and Roger's beloved wife, Roxana, in an orgiastic dance and then off to a "Land of Ecstasy"; the shepherd reveals himself as the god Dionysus, but Roger, while accepting him, turns in the end to the rising sun of Apollo.

Written in 1918, Karol Szymanowski's unique opera King Roger is a work of striking beauty and intensity. The libretto, sung in Polish, reflects the composer's interest in the Mediterranean world and in Greek mythology. In 12th-century Sicily, a mysterious shepherd speaking of a god of beauty, sensuality, and (sexual) liberation troubles the reign of King Roger. The shepherd eventually will reveal himself to be none other than Dionysus, whose temptations the king ultimately resists, offering himself instead to the sun (Apollo). To sustain this very atmospheric and mystical plot, Szymanowski created music of scintillating refinement, adorned with as lush an orchestration as we can imagine, full of oriental color and exotic perfume. The choral writing is powerful and evocative, while the main roles are characterized by sensuous melodies (as in the extraordinary "Song of Roxana", sung by Elzbieta Szmytka with ecstatic abandon).

Simon Rattle reveals a singular affinity for this hedonistic sound world: his direction underlines with uncommon liveliness the subtlety of Szymanowski's harmony and orchestral writing, without ever sacrificing its dramatic impact. The cast is impeccable (superb King Roger of Thomas Hampson, hallucinatory shepherd/Dionysus of Ryszard Minkiewicz), as is the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. As a complement to this short opera, Rattle conducts the late, neo-classical Symphony No. 4 with solo piano. Leif Ove Andsnes gives to the solo part all the precision and rhythmic drive that the piece calls for. The recording perfectly captures the spacious acoustics of Birmingham's Symphony Hall. For all lovers of Szymanowski and/or 20th-century opera, this double CD is a must.--Luca Sabbatini

CD Content

# Król Roger (King Roger), opera in 3 acts, Op. 46, M55
Composed by Karol Szymanowski
Performed by Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
with Elzbieta Szmytka, Philip Langridge, Thomas Hampson, Robert Gierlach, Jadwiga Rappe, Ryszard Minkiewicz
Conducted by Simon Rattle

# Symphony No. 4, for piano & orchestra ("Symphonie Concertante"), Op. 60, M70
Composed by Karol Szymanowski
Performed by Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
Conducted by Simon Rattle

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Beethoven - Symphonies 1-4 - Masur, Gewandhausorchester

"In sheer naturalness of utterance, unforced expressiveness and the superlatively disciplined response of the orchestral playing, the Gewandhaus set has a good deal to offer. The first two symphonies are attractively fresh, with the slow movement of the Second memorable. The Eroica is uncommonly fine, particularly in its nobly paced slow movement which is totally free of excessive emphasis in expression. In the Fourth Symphony Masur is particularly successful, and the Gewendhaus orchestra respond with marvellously alert playing. In the slow movement Masur brings great imagination and poetry to his reading; the homogenous, cultured orchestral sound of the Gewendhaus Orchestra and its rhythmic resilience and vitality are in themselves a sense of pleasure. ...the first set of these three Duos is certainly recommendable."--Penguin Guide

CD Content

# Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

# Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ("Eroica"), Op. 55
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

# Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

# Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Beethoven-Liszt - Symphonies 1-9 - Katsaris, piano

Cyprien Katsaris has already given us (among others) Liszt's transcriptions of the Eroica, Pastoral and Ninth Symphonies, and this latest issue is every bit as impressive as were they. Katsaris has one on the edge of the seat!

These performances have great range of colour, a symphonic momentum and a real sense of scale. All this in spite of a slightly constricted domestic acoustic, which sounds almost as if the instrument were in a Victorian drawingroom. Katsaris produces an altogether remarkable clarity of texture, encompassing all the melodic strands and colours. His virtuosity in the finale of Symphony No. 8 is amazing, but it is not so much his dazzling keyboard command but the Beethovenian vehemence and dramatic fire that make this so convincing. There is a freshness of approach too: the opening measures of Symphony No. 4 have a powerful sense of mystery. At times, as for example in the second movement of No. 8, the second violin counterpoint at bars 41-4 assumes greater prominence than perhaps it should. Katsaris leaves you with the impression that there are two or more pianists at the keyboard, such is his ability to conjure up a variety of orchestral timbres.

This remarkable pianist has the measure of this great music and conveys the effect of the orchestra storming the heavens.The acid test is whether one would want to hear a performance of these symphonies conducted by the pianist and the answer in this case is a resounding, yes. R. L.

CD Content

Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 1 C-dur, op. 21
Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 2 D-dur
Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 3 Es-dur
Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 4 B-dur
Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 5 c-moll
Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 6 F-dur
Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 7 A-dur
Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 8 F-dur
Symphonies de Beethoven (9), transcription for piano, S. 464 (LW A37) Symphonie Nr. 9 d-moll

Friday, December 25, 2009

Stokowski - Maestro Celebre - Bach & Beethoven

CD Content

cd1
1. (00:04:53) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - Prelude in E Flat Minor, BWV 853 (from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I), rec. 1927
2. (00:02:57) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - ''Christ lag in Todesbanden'' Chorus from Cantata No. 4, BWV 4, rec. 1931
3. (00:04:27) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - Adagio from Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C-Major, BWV 564, rec. 1933
4. (00:05:01) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - ''Komm süßer To'' , BWV 478 (from the Schemelli Song Book), rec. 1933
5. (00:03:29) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - Siciliano from Sonata No. 4 for Violin and Piano, BWV 1017, rec. 1933
6. (00:04:43) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - Sarabande from English Suite No. 3 in G-Major, BWV 808, rec. 1934
7. (00:06:08) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - Air on a G String from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068, rec. 1936
8. (00:04:23) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - ''O Haupt voller Blu'' from the St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, rec. 1936
9. (00:04:34) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - ''Mein Jesu! Was für eine Seelenwe'', BWV 487 (from the Schemelli Song Book), 1936
10. (00:04:36) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - Sarabande from Violin Partita No. 1 in B Minor, BWV 1002, rec. 1936
11. (00:09:04) Leopold Stokowski - Bach - ''Es ist vollbracht'' From St. John Passion, BWV 256, rec. 1940

cd2
12. (00:14:02) Leopold Stokowski - Symphony No. 9 in D minor op125 - Allegro ma non troppo un poco maestoso
13. (00:10:18) Leopold Stokowski - Symphony No. 9 in D minor op125 - Scherzo: Molto vivace
14. (00:15:38) Leopold Stokowski - Symphony No. 9 in D minor op125 - Adagio molto e cantabile
15. (00:25:12) Leopold Stokowski - Symphony No. 9 in D minor op125 - Finale: Presto. Allegro ma' non troppo

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas

Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherezade, Borodin - Symphony 2 - Kondrashin, Concertgebouw

What makes a reference recording? First, a great rendition of the material. Second, great sound and finally, lasting appeal. This one has it all.

The interpretation of the material by the Concertgebouw Orchestra proves that Kirill Kondrashin captured the essence of the Thousand and One Nights. He tells us a story about adventure, love and magic through the music.

The balance between the festive and more dramatic parts is superb. Surprisingly, the full interpretation runs 44:16 even though it seems, at first, that it is played rather rapidly (to a rare loss of control even). But the accent on the more majestuous parts of it, make it clock at the average length of Scheherazade renditions.

As for the sound, it is incredible. Philips has done a phenomenal job at restoring this already acclaimed recording. The 96kHz 24-BIT process proves to be first rate. The placement of the instruments in the orchestra is even better that with the previous release of the material. The winds section sounds great and the brass section full. A MUST for any audiophile. The only thing they could not fix is the almost imperceptible click between takes during the conclusion. Many people might not even notice.

As for the lasting appeal, you will be coming back to this one time and time again. It is not a coincidence that Scheherazade has been recorded time and time again. It is because it is an all time favorite. It will become one of yours after listening to this performance.

Lets not forget about Borodin though. Too often, Scheherazade has been matched with the Capriccio Espagnol. This recording matches it with Borodin's Symphony No.2. Great choice! The dynamics of the piece will wake you up for sure. Some may find it a bit to aggressive, but for my part, I find it to be very well suited to complement Scheherazade. The only quirk is that it is a live rendition of the symphony. Some might not like to hear people coughing and moving. The symphony also benefits a little less from the remastering process, but chances are you will buy it for the extraordinary rendition of Scheherazade anyway...Amazon

CD Content

# Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35
Composed by Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov
Performed by Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam
with Herman Krebbers
Conducted by Kiril Kondrashin

# Symphony No.2 in B minor
Composed by Alexander Borodin
Performed by Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam
Conducted by Kiril Kondrashin

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Mendelssohn-Elgar - Violin Concertos - Kyung Wha Chung

Kyung-Wha Chung brings a warmth and sensitivity to Elgar's Violin Concerto that no other modern interpretation has matched. Her playing is equally compelling in the concerto's moments of exhilaration and in its passages of intense introspection.

Her special insight is apparent from the violin's first entry. She plays the opening phrase with a profound tenderness, then unfolds the musical argument of the first movement with passionate conviction. Sir Georg Solti and the London Philharmonic provide an accompaniment that is a beautifully shaped here and throughout the work. The tempo for the adagio is a little slower than some modern versions, and that gives Elgar's melodies the room they need to breathe and take flight.

Chung's finest achievement is in the third movement's cadenza, an extended fantasia on the concerto's main themes that contains some of Elgar's most extraordinary writing to the violin. The return of the soloist's opening phrase--just past 107 in the score (16:55 in the recording)--is unforgettable. Even if you know this work through the classic recordings by Yehudi Menuhin or Nigel Kennedy, Chung's performance is a revelation.

The original 1977 analogue recording, from London's Kingsway Hall, has plenty of presence and detail and has transferred superbly to digital sound. It is coupled on CD with a lyrical, digital recording of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.--Amazon

CD Content

Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor op. 64
Elgar - Violin Concerto in B minor op. 61

Ormandy, Philadelphia Orch - Smetana, Dvorak - Moldau and Symphony No 9

A majestic and gorgeously played "New World" symphony, with an impressively lyrical Largo and powerful climaxes...

CD Content

Smetana - Moldau (Vlatava) - Bamberger Symphoniker - Gustav Kuhn, conductor
Dvorak - Symphony No 9 - Ormandy, Philadelphians
Dvorak - Scherzo Capriccioso - Ormandy, Philadelphians

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Nocturne - Bernstein, New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Nocturne - Bernstein, New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Orchestral | Eac, flac, cue | log, cover | 1 CD, 323 MB
June 11, 1996 | Sony | RapidShare

CD Content

# Gaîté Parisienne, ballet (music by Offenbach arranged by Manuel Rosenthal) Barcarole
Composed by Jacques Offenbach
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# Hänsel und Gretel, opera Children's Prayer
Composed by Engelbert Humperdinck
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# Adagio for strings (or string quartet; arr. from 2nd mvt. of String Quartet), Op. 11
Composed by Samuel Barber
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# Fantasia on Greensleeves, for harp, flute & strings (arranged by R. Greaves; from the opera "Sir John In Love")
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# L' Arlésienne, suite for orchestra No. 1, from the incidental music Suite No 1: adagietto, adagio
Composed by Georges Bizet
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# Pavane pour une infante défunte, for piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Maurice Ravel
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# Andante cantabile, for cello and string orchestra in D major (arr. of 2nd mvt. from String Quartet No.1)
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Introduction and 24 Variations), in A minor for piano & orchestra, Op. 43 Var.18. Andante cantabile
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
with Gary Graffman, New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major ("Eine kleine Nachtmusik"), K. 525 Romance, Andante
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

# Valse Triste, for orchestra (from Kuolema), Op. 44/1
Composed by Jean Sibelius
with New York Philharmonic
Conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Khachaturian, Ibert - Flute Concertos - Pahud, Zinman

I had the good fortune to see Emmanuel Pahud play Ibert's delightful Flute Concerto live, and believe me everything you hear on this disc is true. There's no need for the engineers to spotlight the solo flute. This guy's tone is simply huge. He can hold his own against just about anything the orchestra throws at him (check out the finale), and this performance of Ibert's witty neo-classical essay is simply the last word in virtuosity and timbral richness combined with truly French finesse. The outer movements bustle along with insouciant verve, while the central Andante is nicely "sec"--touching without ever becoming sentimental. Through it all Pahud's fat, liquid tone dances among the instruments, reveling in being the life of the party. Ibert's Pièce for Solo Flute makes for a delicious appetizer preceding the concerto.

The first item on this disc, though, is a horse of a very different color: Khachaturian's Flute Concerto, better known as his Violin Concerto, here in Rampal's popular transcription. While I ordinarily detest this sort of thing outside of Baroque music, the fact is that the piece sounds perfectly fine on the flute, being constructed simply as a series of alternating statements between the boisterous full orchestra and the simply accompanied soloist. In short, there isn't much (musically speaking) that the violin has to do that doesn't sound equally fine on the flute, especially when played as here without a trace of breathiness or hollow timbre. David Zinman's accompaniments fit Pahud like a hand in a glove, and the sound is extremely vivid and well balanced. The opening of the Khachaturian finale will blow you through the back wall of your listening room. An extraordinary disc, by any measure. --David Hurwitz

ARAM KHACHATURIAN
Flute Concerto

JACQUES IBERT
Flute Concerto;
Pièce for Solo Flute

Emmanuel Pahud (flute)

Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra

David Zinman

EMI- 5 57563 2(CD)
Reference Recording - Both Works: This One

Monday, December 21, 2009

Schumann - Piano Concerto in a, op.54 - Violin Concerto in d - Argerich, Kremer, Harnoncourt

This is an excellent recording. The orchestra plays beautifully, with both a Romantic richness and a Classical clarity that Schumann's scores require.

I always enjoy Nikolaus Harnoncourt's take on things. By going back to the original scores and following the dictates of the composer, he sometimes ignores performance tradition but captures nuances and intentions that have been lost. Such is the case here, especially with the violin concerto, where he and Gidon Kremer take the third movement at a slow pace -- a stately polonaise -- as the composer intended. (The accompanying booklet spells out Schumann's views quite clearly.) Not everyone likes this approach, but I do: the result is an elegant, moving and even playful work. For those who have not heard the concerto, the first movement epecially is a gem, one of those why-I-like-Schumann revelations brimming with musical ideas in the composer's unique personal style. The violin concerto has been unfairly maligned over time by those who say Schumann's powers were diminishing when he wrote it. If these are the ravings of a soon-to-be-madman, they are still better than most of the music written in his era!

The piano concerto, an old warhorse which has threatened to sink under its own overperformed weight, is played with verve and panache by Martha Argerich, a performance almost universally proclaimed as one of the best on disc. If you think you've heard the piano concerto a few times too many, Argerich and Harnoncourt put some of the magic back in the piece.

CD Content

# Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
Composed by Robert Schumann
with Martha Argerich, Chamber Orchestra Europe
Conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt

# Violin Concerto in D minor, WoO 23
Composed by Robert Schumann
with Chamber Orchestra Europe, Gidon Kremer
Conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Wagner - Lohengrin - Kubelik, Chor & Symphonieorch. Bayrischer Rundfunk

The attributes of the version under consideration, which appears for the first time on CD, have been underestimated. It held my interest from first to last, not least thanks to Kubelik's masterly overview. Not only does he successfully hold together all the disparate strands of the sprawling work, he also imparts to them a sense of inner excitement through his close attention to the small notes and phrases that so often delineate character in this score and through his vital control of the large ensembles. He is helped inestimably by the Bavarian Radio forces - gloriously singing strings, characterful winds, trenchant, involving chorus -of which he was, in 1971, a beloved chief. There's never a dull moment in this vivid, theatrical Lohengrin. The recording, produced by Hans Hirsch, imparts a suitably spacious atmosphere to the piece but also places the principals up front where they should be except when distancing is required - as at Lohengrin's first appearance and at the moment when Elsa appears on the balcony to address the night breezes.

Janowitz's Elsa is one of the set's major assets. Pure in tone, imaginative in phrasing, she catches the ear from her first entry, very much suggesting Elsa's vulnerability, then implies all her blind faith and belief in her saviour - listen to the single phrase "Verzeih euch mir!" when she is telling evil Ortrud of her love for the unnamed knight -though her part in the big Act 2 ensembles sometimes puts a strain on her lovely tone. Later she eloquently conveys her deep feelings in the love duet, followed by her voicing of all the doubts that beset confused Elsa.

King's Lohengrin is more ordinary; today we would be grateful for such solid, musical and welljudged singing, few if any Lohengrins can sing the passage starting "Höchstes Vertraun" (third disc, track 5) with anything like King's true tone and powerful conviction. Thomas Stewart sings a sturdy Telramund, managing the high tessitura with consummate ease. He is horribly plausible in his complaints against Elsa. This portrayal, taken with his roughly contemporaneous Sachs, also made under KubelIk and only recently rescued from DG's vaults by Myto, discloses him as a grossly undervalued singer, possibly because he lay under the long shadow of Hotter in the late 1960s and early 1970s.--Gramophone

Tracklisting

cd1
01. Vorspiel [0:08:18.00]
02. 1. Akt / 1. Szene / »Hört! Grafen, Edle, Freie von Brabant!« [0:04:42.17]
03. 1. Akt / 1. Szene / »Dank, König, dir, daß du zu richten kamst!« [0:07:12.82]
04. 1. Akt / 2. Szene / »Seht hin! Sie naht, die hart Beklagte!« [0:04:00.00]
05. 1. Akt / 2. Szene / »Einsam in trüber Tagen« [0:04:53.00]
06. 1. Akt / 2. Szene / »Mich irret nicht ihr träumerischer Mut« [0:05:20.86]
07. 1. Akt / 2. Szene / »Wer hier in Gotteskampf zu streiten kam« [0:05:22.00]
08. 1. Akt / 3. Szene / »Nun sei bedank, mein lieber Schwan!« [0:03:49.73]
09. 1. Akt / 3. Szene / »Zum Kampf für eine Magd zu stehn« [0:05:40.46]
10. 1. Akt / 3. Szene / »Welch holde Wunder muß ich sehen?« [0:03:34.00]
11. 1. Akt / 3. Szene / »Nun höret mich und achtet wohl« [0:01:52.13]
12. 1. Akt / 3. Szene / »Mein Herr und Gott, nun ruf' ich dich« [0:05:39.66]
13. 1. Akt / 3. Szene / »Durch Gottes Sieg ist jetzt dein Leben mein« [0:04:35.13]
14. 2. Akt / 1. Szene / Einleitung [0:04:23.24]
15. 2. Akt / 1. Szene / »Erhebe dich, Genossin meiner Schmach!« [0:08:19.76]

cd2
01. 2. Akt / 1. Szene / »Du wilde Seherin, wie willst du doch« [0:08:06.00]
02. 2. Akt / 2. Szene / »Euch Lüften, die mein Klagen« [0:03:51.20]
03. 2. Akt / 2. Szene / »Elsa!« -- »Wer ruft?« [0:04:36.04]
04. 2. Akt / 2. Szene / »Entweihte Götter! Helft jetzt meiner Rache!« [0:04:16.26]
05. 2. Akt / 2. Szene / »Wie kann ich solche Huld dir lohnen« [0:08:31.96]
06. 2. Akt / 3. Szene / Szenenmusik [0:03:25.40]
07. 2. Akt / 3. Szene / »In Früh'n versammelt uns der Ruf« [0:01:27.20]
08. 2. Akt / 3. Szene / »Des Königs Wort und Will' tu' ich euch kund« [0:08:27.73]
09. 2. Akt / 4. Szene / »Gesegnet soll sie schreiten« [0:05:33.86]
10. 2. Akt / 4. Szene / »Zurück, Elsa! Nicht länger will ich dulden« [0:05:34.90]
11. 2. Akt / 5. Szene / »Heil! Heil dem König!« [0:03:22.73]
12. 2. Akt / 5. Szene / »O König! Trugbetörte Fürsten! Haltet ein!« [0:05:57.53]
13. 2. Akt / 5. Szene / »Welch ein Geheimnis muß der Held bewahren?« [0:05:28.56]
14. 2. Akt / 5. Szene / »Mein Held, entgegne kühn dem Ungetreuen!« [0:06:51.60]

cd3
01. 3. Akt / Vorspiel [0:03:34.44]
02. 3. Akt / 1. Szene / »Treulich geführt ziehet dahin« [0:04:58.22]
03. 3. Akt / 2. Szene / »Das süße Lied verhallt; wir sind allein« [0:07:34.60]
04. 3. Akt / 2. Szene / »Atmest du nicht mit mir die süße Düfte?« [0:05:02.13]
05. 3. Akt / 2. Szene / »Höchstes Vertraun hast du mir schon zu danken« [0:08:10.20]
06. 3. Akt / 2. Szene / »Weh, nun ist all unser Glück dahin« [0:05:20.90]
07. 3. Akt / 3. Szene / Szenenmusik [0:03:27.20]
08. 3. Akt / 3. Szene / »Hat Dank, ihr Lieben von Brabant!« [0:03:42.20]
09. 3. Akt / 3. Szene / »Macht Platz dem Helden von Brabant!« [0:06:28.09]
10. 3. Akt / 3. Szene / »In fernem Land, unnahbar euren Schritten« [0:06:20.13]
11. 3. Akt / 3. Szene / »Mir schwanck der Boden! Welche Nacht!« [0:06:12.77]
12. 3. Akt / 3. Szene / »Mein lieber Schawn!« [0:08:27.09]

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Lohengrin (1850)
Romantic Opera in Three Acts
Libretto: Richard Wagner

Elsa......................................Gundula Janowitz, soprano
Ortrud....................................Gwyneth Jones, mezzo-Soprano
Lohengrin.................................James King, tenor
Telramund.................................Thomas Stewart, baritone
Herald....................................Gerd Nienstedt, baritone
King Henry................................Karl Ridderbusch, bass

Bavarian Radio Chorus,
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Rafael Kubelík
Redording: 1971