Siegfried (Excerpts)
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110091-92 bk SiegfrdX EU 2/08/2004 11:28am Page 16 Great Opera Recordings ADD 8.110091-92 Also available: WAGNER 2 CDs Siegfried (Excerpts) Lauritz Melchior Heinrich Tessmer Albert Reiss Friedrich Schorr London Symphony Orchestra Vienna State Opera Orchestra Orchestra of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden Robert Heger Albert Coates 8.110211-13 Karl Alwin (Recorded 1928-32) 8.110091-92 16 110091-92 bk SiegfrdX EU 2/08/2004 11:28am Page 2 Ward Marston Great Opera Recordings In 1997 Ward Marston was nominated for the Best Historical Album Grammy Award for his production work on BMG’s Fritz Kreisler collection. According to the Chicago Tribune, Marston’s name is ‘synonymous with tender Richard loving care to collectors of historical CDs’. Opera News calls his work ‘revelatory’, and Fanfare deems him ‘miraculous’. In 1996 Ward Marston received the Gramophone award for Historical Vocal Recording of the Year, WAGNER honouring his production and engineering work on Romophone’s complete recordings of Lucrezia Bori. He also served as re-recording engineer for the Franklin Mint’s Arturo Toscanini issue and BMG’s Sergey Rachmaninov (1813-1883) recordings, both winners of the Best Historical Album Grammy. Born blind in 1952, Ward Marston has amassed tens of thousands of opera classical records over the past four Siegfried decades. Following a stint in radio while a student at Williams College, he became well-known as a reissue producer in 1979, when he restored the earliest known stereo recording made by the Bell Telephone Laboratories (Excerpts) in 1932. In the past, Ward Marston has produced records for a number of major and specialist record companies. Now Siegfried . Lauritz Melchior (Tenor) he is bringing his distinctive sonic vision to bear on works released on the Naxos Historical label. Ultimately his Mime (CD 1: tracks 1-7, 16) . Heinrich Tessmer (Tenor) goal is to make the music he remasters sound as natural as possible and true to life by ‘lifting the voices’ off his Mime (CD 1: tracks 8-10) . Albert Reiss (Tenor) old 78 rpm recordings. His aim is to promote the importance of preserving old recordings and make available the Wanderer (Wotan) (CD 1: tracks 6-7; 11-12) . Friedrich Schorr (Bass-Baritone) works of great musicians who need to be heard. Wanderer (Wotan) (CD 2: tracks 4-6) . Emil Schipper (Baritone) Wanderer (Wotan) (CD 2: tracks 7-8) . Rudolf Bockelmann (Bass-Baritone) Fafner and Alberich . Eduard Habich (Bass) Waldvogel . Nora Gruhn (Soprano) Erda . Maria Olszewska (Contralto) Brünnhilde . Florence Easton (Soprano) London Symphony Orchestra • Robert Heger, conductor (CD 1: tracks 1-7, 11-12, 15-16; CD 2: 9-10) London Symphony Orchestra • Albert Coates, conductor (CD 1: tracks 8-10, 13-14; CD 2: 1-2, 7-8) Vienna State Opera Orchestra • Karl Alwin, conductor (CD 2: 3-6) Orchestra of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden • Robert Heger, conductor (CD 2: 11-15) The Naxos historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the best and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of Recorded by HMV 1929-1932 respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings. 8.110091-92 2 15 8.110091-92 110091-92 bk SiegfrdX EU 2/08/2004 11:28am Page 14 Producer’s Note CD 1 79:04 In the early days of electrical recording, it would have been logistically and fiscally unthinkable to produce Act I 52:06 complete Wagner operas on disc. Nevertheless, extended excerpts were feasible and, between 1925 and 1932, the Gramophone Company gradually assembled a substantial catalogue of Wagner operatic highlights. The excerpts Scene 1 Scene 3 from Siegfried, contained in this two disc set, were made over a period of four years in two cities and three venues. 1 Prelude 3:55 8 Fühltest du nie im finstren Wald 4:24 Three conductors contributed to the project together with an impressive roster of prominent Wagnerian singers (Mime, Siegfried) including not one but three Wotans and two Mimes. At the time, these changes in cast and conductor were likely 2 Zwangvolle Plage! 3:37 9 Nothung! Nothung! Neidliches Schwert! 7:09 considered inconsequential since these excerpts were sold not as one set but as four separate albums. Today, it (Mime) (Siegfried, Mime) seems only natural to combine these recordings into one set. This, however, has presented quite a challenge since 3 Hoiho! Hoiho! Hau’ ein! Hau’ ein! 3:38 0 Hoho! Hoho! Hahei!... Schmiede, mein Hammer each individual recording possesses its own particular sonority and ambiance. The 1930 and 1931 sides, conducted (Siegfried, Mime) (Siegfried, Mime) 5:11 by Robert Heger, are extremely well recorded with plenty of resonant bass from the orchestra. The singers are, 4 Als zullendes Kind zog ich dich auf 8:00 however, too close to the microphone which at times produces a harshness that is almost impossible to tame (Mime, Siegfried) Rec. 16th-17th May 1929, Queen’s Hall, London without degrading the sound of the orchestra. There is also some distortion that is especially noticeable in the inner 5 Soll ich der Kunde glauben 3:52 Mats. CR 2197/2200; Cats. HMV D 1690/1 grooves of each side which I have attempted to minimize as much as possible. The 1929 sides, with Albert Coates (Siegfried, Mime) Lauritz Melchior, tenor conducting, are also well recorded and contain less distortion. They possess a more natural balance between Albert Reiss, tenor singers and orchestra but tend to yield a higher level of surface noise. The four sides made in Vienna in 1928 are Scene 2 London Symphony Orchestra the most problematic by far. They are afflicted with considerable distortion and are slightly unstable in pitch. 6 Heil dir, weiser Schmied 4:02 Albert Coates, conductor Additionally, the second and third sides contain an extremely prominent 50hz hum which, thanks to computerized (Wanderer, Mime) notch filtering, I was able to effectively attenuate. The 1932 recording of the final scene with Melchior and Easton 7 Dein Haupt pfänd ich 8:19 contains perhaps the finest sound of all. The orchestra is well balanced and there is plenty of space surrounding (Mime, Wanderer) Act II 26:47 those two magnificent voices. All of these recordings have been remastered from pristine mid-1930s U. S. Victor pressings which are exemplary for their quiet surfaces. A variety of styli have been used to achieve the cleanest Rec. May 1931, London Scene 1 sonic reproduction with the least distortion. A judicious amount of CEDAR de-clicking and de-crackling Mats. 2B 529, 528, 531-34, 525, 527 ! In Wald und Nacht 4:49 algorithms has been applied but not so much as to compromise the sound of the original recording. Cat. DB 1713 and DB 1578/81 (Alberich, Wanderer) Lauritz Melchior, tenor @ Deine Hand hieltest du vom Hort? 4:37 Ward Marston Heinrich Tessmer, tenor (Alberich, Wanderer) Friedrich Schorr, bass-baritone London Symphony Orchestra Rec. 21st May 1931, London Robert Heger, conductor Mats. 2B 554/5; Cat. HMV DB 1582 Eduard Habich, baritone Friedrich Schorr, bass-baritone London Symphony Orchestra Robert Heger, conductor 8.110091-92 14 3 8.110091-92 110091-92 bk SiegfrdX EU 2/08/2004 11:28am Page 4 Scene 2 CD 2 72:26 cave and the sword he used that he had forged himself. ! Brünnhilde greets the sun, after her long sleep, and # Dass der mein Vater nicht ist 5:27 He asks the old man to tell him the way to the rock he seeks to know who it is that has wakened her. (Siegfried) Act II (Continued) 7:58 seeks, but the Wanderer urges patience. Spellbound, Siegfried tells her how he came through the $ Du holdes Vöglein! 3:38 fire and reveals to her his name. She thanks the gods, (Siegfried) 1 Da lieg auch du, dunkler Wurm! 4:35 7 Siegfried threatens him, anxious to continue his greeting the world and the earth, now her long sleep is (Siegfried) quest, which this strange man, with his broad-brimmed over. Siegfried joins her in an expression of their joy. Rec. 17th May 1929, Queen’s Hall, London 2 Heil! Siegfried erschlug nun den schlimmen Zwerg hat and one eye, is obstructing. She tells him how she has loved him. Siegfried thinks Mats. CR 2401/2; Cat. HMV D 1692 (Waldvogel, Siegfried) 3:23 he sees his mother, but Brünnhilde tells him his mother Lauritz Melchior, tenor 8 The Wanderer blocks Siegfried’s path, but when he has not returned for him. London Symphony Orchestra Rec. 17 and 22 May 1929, Queen’s Hall, London uses his spear against the sword, Nothung, it is now the Albert Coates, conductor Mats. CR2403/4; Cat. HMV D 1693 spear that breaks, and with it Wotan’s power. The @ She promises him her knowledge, for it was for him Lauritz Melchior, tenor Wanderer can no longer stand in Siegfried’s way, and that she struggled and strove, but Siegfried cannot yet % Haha! Da hätte mein Lied 4:23 Nora Grubn, soprano suddenly disappears. The light of the flames becomes understand. She looks at her horse and her weapons that (Fafner, Siegfried, Waldvogel) London Symphony Orchestra more evident and Siegfried goes on, blowing his horn, no longer protect her. Burning with love, Siegfried tries Albert Coates, conductor the fire soon engulfing the whole scene. Siegfried to embrace her, but she leaps away from him, a maiden Scene 3 climbs the rocky height. untouched by gods. ^ Wohin schleichst du eilig und schlau 3:53 (Alberich, Mime, Siegfried) Act III 64:21 Scene 3 # Reminded of her love for him, she understands that she will lose her wisdom.