Elektra, Op. 58.T and the Vienna Philharmonic, to Discover CAST: Quite a Different Piece
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the harmonic lushness is further enhancedracy of digital sound? D. H. by the Berliners' tonal splendor: The open- ing ofSphdrenkkingerises to a sumptuous STRAUSS, R.: Salome, Op. 54.* orgasm indeed, following which the stiffly CAST: articulated waltzes are charmless and anti- Salome Ljuba Welitsch (s) climactic. A Slave Paula Lenchner (s) The shorter pieces are turned into little Herodias Elisabeth Hongen (ms) Page of Herodias Herta Glaz (ms) more than orchestral showpieces, their indi- Herod Set Svanholm (t) viduality consequently suppressed. Narraboth Brian Sullivan (t) Leichtes Blur, afast polka common to all Jews Gabor Carelli (t), Thomas Hayward (t), three new releases, is typical: Boskovsky Alessio de Paolis (t), Paul Franke (t), gives it a big, boomy, energetic ride, Maa- Gerhard Pechner (bs) zel makes itfaster and lighter, Karajan Jokanaan Hans Hotter (b) takes it more stiffly-but all three offer Nazarenes Alois Pernerstorfer (b), minor variants of essentially the same unin- Emery Darcy (t) flected gallop down the homestretch, a star A Cappadocian Osie Hawkins (bs) Soldiers Norman Scott (bs), turn, an athletic feat. For comparison, I dug Lubomir Vichegonov (bs) out a 1929 recording by Clemens KraussSTRAUSS, R.: Elektra, Op. 58.t and the Vienna Philharmonic, to discover CAST: quite a different piece. There's more here Elektra Astrid Vamay (s) than a whip -cracking top line and pounding Chrysothemis Walburga Wegner (s) percussion: for example, the principal epi- The Trainbearer Paula Lenchner (s) sode has an upbeat -to -downbeat figure in Klytamnestra Elisabeth Hongen (ms) Astrid Varnav as the Met Elektra, 1952 the bass that can interplay and intersect The Confidante Jean Madeira (ms) engagingly with the tune and its stress pat- The Overseer Thelma Votipka (ms) terns. Even the briefest suggestion of tempo Serving Maids Martha Lipton (ms), Herta subsidiary textural detail, orchestral nicety, Glaz (ms), Mildred Miller (ms), Lucine that would be supererogatory in the ball- relaxation can give point to a structural Amara (s), Genevieve Warner (s) room. To be sure,the bigger Straussjuncture and fresh impetus to the revived Aegisth Set Svanholm (t) waltzes, with their atmospheric, dreamy, or tempo. A variety of orchestral attack and A Young Servant Paul Franke (t) ceremonial (and often nonwaltzing) intro- accent can be heard that seems undreamt -of Orest Paul Schoeffler (b) ductions and codas, already imply this kind by the modern conductors. Krauss takes us Guardian of Orest Alois Pernerstorfer (b) of performance. They are in fact already on on a roller -coaster ride rather than a flat An Old Servant Lubomir Vichegonov (bs) the way to being symphonic poemsabout race, making precise the individuality of Metropolitan Opera Chorust and Orches- the dance, rather than dances themselves, this particular piece and at the same time tra, Fritz Reiner, cond. MET 9 (mono; four evoking the unpredictability that should be discs, automatic sequence) [recorded in perfor- and substantially all modern performances mance, January 19* and February 23t, 1952]. by symphony orchestras implicitly com- a valid part of any spontaneous dance expe- Available with a donation of $125 or more to the plete this transformation. rience. Metropolitan Opera Fund, P.O. Box 930, New The problem with Karajan's perfor- Regrettably, none of Krauss's Johann York, N.Y. 10023. mances is thus not that they are "symphon-Strauss recordings, not even his postwar STRAUSS, R.: Elektra, Op. 58 (ex- ic," for as I have suggested, that is inevi-Decca/London series from Vienna, seem to cerpts). table. What matters is that, over the years,be available right now, and his particular CAST: all sense of the dance as subject matter has craft seems to have been lost in the decades Elektra Inge Borkh (s) been refined out of them. This isn't basical- since his death. Boskovsky's performances Chrysothemis Francis Yeend (s) ly a matter of the much-discussed "Vien- have none of the specificity or refinement Orest Paul Schoeffler (b) nese style" per se, though that style didof Krauss's; hislatest recordisrather Chicago Lyric Theater Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, cond. RCA entail a kind of phrasing and rhythmic flex- relentless and stodgy, and the novelties of interesting. GOLD SEAL. AGL 1-3879, $5.98. Tape: AGK 1- ibility that have a good deal to do with the repertory are not especially 3879, $5.98 (cassette). [From RCA LM 6047, music's dance origins (and its gradual wan- Maazel benefits from the Vienna Philhar- mono, 1956.] ing must have something to do with the dis- monic's apparently still direct and sponta- appearance of the waltz as an actuallyneous feeling for the style (compare their Both Met performances start promisingly. danced dance). In truth, one of the trying Rosen aus dem Siiden withthe Berlin's InSalome,we hear Narraboth's obsession features of the Berlin Philharmonic's play- woozy sliding), but his own militaristic ten- with the princess given bright, ringing ing is the self-conscious attention to the tra- dencies sometimes overcome the orches- voice by Brian Sullivan and interrupted by ditional Viennese string portamento, which tra's innate discretion (e.g., the brassy, nas-the strikingly firm Page of Herta Glaz. In often becomes a steely, oppressive glissan- ty climactic tune of the same waltz's coda). Elektra,hearing the scene of the Serving do instead of the gracious -to -erotic glide of Liketraditional New Year's Concert Maids actuallysungsuggests how accus- years gone by. This sort of stylistic feature recordings, this one offers two waltzes per tomed we've become to hearing it yawped. is,I fear, very difficult to apply from theside and an assortment of shorter works, The lower -voiced Maids are especially outside; if it isn't done spontaneously, bysome familiar and some novelties (losers impressive; the Met would appear to have second nature,itwillprobably sound Frauenherz,a gracious polka -mazurka, is been abundantly supplied in those years wrong. the prize among these). The applause, with comprimario mezzos-and tenors, as The Berlin performances of Strauss along with some incidental banging -around witness the Jews inSalome,not to mention are sculpted rather than experienced. Much between pieces, is not too distracting. Paul Franke's robust turn as the Young Ser- as one can admire the discipline of the exe- All three of these are digital record- vant inElektra.Not to slight the lower male cution,thetextural and tonalartifice, ings. I find the Karajan, with its explosive voices, the opening scene ofSalomeis there's little contact here with what I take to timpani detonations, the least attractive; the graced by the nappy First Soldier of Nor- have been the music's original impulse. Not Boskovsky is clamorous but tolerable, the man Scott, solidly seconded by Lubomir surprisingly, the most enjoyable passages Maazel almost natural. Does the correspon- Vichegonov (also a solid Old Servant in arethe"symphonic" ones,especially dence between the performances and the Elektra). those in the Josef Strauss waltzes, where sound qualities argue in favor of the accu- Unfortunatelyboth performances DECEMBER 1982 75.