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111007 bk Lehar EU 13/01/2005 10:06am Page 12 FRANZ LEHÁR Also available: The Merry Widow SCHW TH AR BE Z A K S O I P L F E 1 953 Recording Elisabeth Schwarzkopf • Erich Kunz 8.110857 Nicolai Gedda • Emmy Loose Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra Otto Ackermann 8.111007 12 111007 bk Lehar EU 13/01/2005 10:06am Page 2 Mark Obert-Thorn Mark Obert-Thorn is one of the world’s most respected transfer artist/engineers. He has worked for a number of specialist labels, including Pearl, Biddulph, Romophone and Music & Arts. Three of his transfers have been Great Operetta Recordings nominated for Gramophone Awards. A pianist by training, his passions are music, history and working on projects. He has found a way to combine all three in the transfer of historical recordings. Franz Obert-Thorn describes himself as a ‘moderate interventionist’ rather than a ‘purist’ or ‘re-processor,’ unlike those who apply significant additions and make major changes to the acoustical qualities of old recordings. His LEHÁR philosophy is that a good transfer should not call attention to itself, but rather allow the performances to be heard (1870 – 1948) with the greatest clarity. There is no over-reverberant ‘cathedral sound’ in an Obert-Thorn restoration, nor is there the tinny bass and piercing mid-range of many ‘authorised’ commercial issues. He works with the cleanest available 78s, and The Merry Widow consistently achieves better results than restoration engineers working with the metal parts from the archives of the modern corporate owners of the original recordings. His transfers preserve the original tone of the old recordings, (Die lustige Witwe) maximising the details in critical upper mid-range and lower frequencies to achieve a musical integrity that is Operetta in Three Acts absent from many other commercially released restorations. Libretto by Victor Léon and Leo Stein after Henri Meilhac Hanna Glawari . Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) Count Danilo Danilowitsch . Erich Kunz (baritone) Camille de Rosillon . Nicolai Gedda (tenor) Valencienne . Emmy Loose (soprano) Baron Mirko Zeta . Anton Niessner (baritone) Raoul de Saint-Brioche . Josef Schmidinger (bass) Vicomte Cascada . Otakar Kraus (baritone) Speaking parts: Valencienne . Hella Kurty Vicomte Cascada . André Mattoni Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus Otto Ackermann Recorded 16th-18th and 21st April 1953 in Kingsway Hall, London First issued on Columbia 33CX 1051 and 1052 Reissue Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn The Naxos historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the best Special thanks to Maynard F. Bertolet for providing source material for this release and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings. 8.111007 2 11 8.111007 111007 bk Lehar EU 13/01/2005 10:06am Page 10 Producer’s Note 1 Overture 8:30 ! Hilfe kommt zur rechten Zeit! … 1:57 (Orchestra) O kommet doch, oh kommt, ihr Ballsirenen Recent EMI CD reissues of this classic recording have omitted the overture on the grounds that Lehár wrote it in (Danilo, A Woman, Women’s Chorus, All) 1940, some 35 years after the operetta, in a grandiose style at odds with the earlier work. However, one may Act I 26:03 suspect that the length of the overture was also a factor in this decision, since The Merry Widow was being @ O Vaterland, du machst bei Tag … 1:19 included as a second-CD “filler” for The Land of Smiles. In addition, in order to fit in the allotted time, some of 2 Verehrteste Damen und Herren 2:44 Der junge Mann tanzt Polka the dialogue from the original recording was cut, including the short exchange between Hanna and Zeta that begins (Cascada, Chorus, Zeta) (Danilo, Cascada, Saint-Brioche, Hanna, Track 7 of this disc. Valencienne, Men’s Chorus) This reissue presents the complete recording as originally intended by producer Walter Legge, Otto 3 Dialogue: Und jetzt, meine Herrschaften 0:47 Ackermann and the other artists, and allows the listener the option to skip the overture or hear it. Additionally, I (Zeta, Valencienne, Camille) # Pardon, Madame, zuviel Reklam’! 1:49 have corrected the slightly flat pitch heard on EMI’s LPs and CDs, bringing it up to the international concert (Camille, Hanna, Danilo, Valencienne, standard of A = 440 Hz. The name of the actor who takes the speaking part of Njegus is given neither in the 4 So kommen Sie! ’s ist niemand hier! 1:10 Saint-Brioche, Cascada, Men’s Chorus) original LP issue nor in subsequent CD reissues; however, Malcolm Walker’s research reveals that Karel Stepanek (Valencienne, Camille) is listed in the ledgers for this recording but not credited anywhere, so he may be the mystery cast member here. $ Der Letzte ging, Sie sind befreit 1:47 The present transfer was made from German EMI LP pressings. Some electronic clicks are present in the 5 Ich bin eine anständ’ge Frau 3:09 (Danilo, Hanna) original tape master, and can also be heard in EMI’s own CD editions. (Valencienne, Camille) Mark Obert-Thorn 6 Dialogue: Exzellenz, Exzellenz, 3:27 Act II 37:25 die Glawari kommt … Bitte, meine Herrn! (Njegus, Zeta, Hanna, Cascada, Saint-Brioche, % Ich bitte, hier jetzt zu verweilen 2:54 Men’s Chorus) (Hanna, Chorus) 7 Dialogue: Gnaedige Frau, 0:58 ^ Nun laßt uns aber wie daheim … 5:36 ich rechne es mir zu hohen Es lebt’ eine Vilja (Vilja-Lied) (Zeta, Hanna, Njegus) (Hanna, Chorus) 8 Also bitte, ich bin hier. Wo ist Vaterland? 2:18 & Dialogue: Was sagen Sie, Njegus 1:39 O Vaterland, du machst bei Tag … (Zeta, Njegus, Hanna, Danilo) Da geh’ ich zu Maxim (Danilo) * Heia, Mädel, aufgeschaut … 2:56 Dummer, dummer Reitersmann 9 Dialogue: Njegus, Geliebter, wo ist Vaterland? (Hanna, Danilo) (Danilo, Njegus, Hanna, Valencienne, Zeta) 3:45 ( Dialogue: Herr von Cascada, 3:02 0 Mein Herrschaften, es ist Damenwahl … 2:40 verzichten Sie auf die Witwe! …Wie die Weiber … Damenwahl! … Es gibt keine größ’re Beleidigung Ja, das Studium der Weiber ist schwer (Zeta, Men’s Chorus, Hanna, Danilo, Cascada, (Saint-Brioche, Cascada, Danilo, Zeta) Saint-Brioche) 8.111007 10 3 8.111007 111007 bk Lehar EU 13/01/2005 10:06am Page 4 ) Dialogue: Valencienne, bitte geben … 1:55 Act III 7:08 & There is a rumour that Camille is to marry Hanna, ∞ Hanna now declares that Camille has proposed to Mein Freund, Vernunft! but Njegus tells Baron Zeta that Camille is in fact in her, looking at Danilo as she makes the claim, hoping (Camille, Valencienne) • Dialogue: Njegus, was ist das mit der Musik? 0:52 love with a married woman. The Baron thinks that the that this will induce Camille to admit the truth. Danilo (Zeta, Njegus) woman’s husband is a fool and should accept patriotic adds his belief in women’s policy of open doors and ¡ Wie eine Rosenknospe 2:21 duty and give his wife up. infidelity. (Camille, Valencienne) ª Ja, wir sind es, die Grisetten 2:32 (Valencienne, Grisettes) * Hanna has her eye on Danilo, who claims to be § Hanna accepts the Parisian idea of marriage without ™ Sieh dort den kleinen Pavilion 2:18 carrying out initial reconnaissance, like the cavalry fidelity. Danilo is aghast. (Valencienne, Camille) º Dialogue: Gospodina Glawari 0:44 officer he is. She makes fun of him. (Danilo, Hanna) ¶ He tells the story of two royal children. The prince £ Dialogue: Die Baronin und 1:20 ( Cascada and Saint-Brioche are still pursuing remained silent, and the princess provoked him by Herr Rosillon sind im Pavilion ⁄ Bei jedem Walzerschritt 1:59 Hanna, and Danilo, intriguing further, discusses the giving her hand to another; that was too much for him. (Njegus, Zeta, Danilo) [The Merry Widow Waltz] problems of dealing with women, joined by Baron Zeta. The prince then went away, and he will do the same, (Hanna, Danilo) and return to his girls Lolo, Dodo, Jou-jou and the rest. ¢ Ha! Ha! … Wie eine Rosenknospe 3:09 ) Camille is still addressing his attentions to (Danilo, Zeta, Hanna, Valencienne, Camille, ¤ Dialogue: Exzellenz, man hat 0:20 Valencienne, begging a token from her. She gives him Act III Njegus) im Pavilion diesen Fächer gefunden her fan, inscribed with the words ‘I am a respectable (Njegus, Zeta, Valencienne) married woman’. • Hanna’s palace has been transformed into a cabaret ∞ Dialogue: Nun wissen Sie, meine Herschaften … for Danilo. Njegus explains to the Baron what is Den Herrschaften hab’ ich was zu erzählen … ‹ Ja, das Studium der Weiber ist schwer 0:41 ¡ Camille tells her of his love, comparing his loving happening. Verlieb dich oft 2:36 (Hanna, Zeta, Danilo, All) heart to a rosebud, coming into bloom. Valencienne is (Hanna, Chorus, Camille, Valencienne, Danilo, tempted by his protestations. ª Valencienne dances a can-can with Lolo, Dodo, Zeta) Jou-jou, and the other cabaret girls. ™ He begs her to join him in the little pavilion in the § Ein flotter Ehestand soll’s sein 2:30 garden, where surely a secret can be kept. º Danilo tackles Hanna over her supposed match with (Hanna, Camille, Zeta, Valencienne, Chorus, Camille, but she assures him that she had no meeting Danilo) £ They are seen by Njegus, who tells the Baron, as he with Camille in the pavilion. approaches, that the pavilion is occupied by Camille ¶ Es waren zwei Königskinder 3:23 and a married woman. The Baron insists on looking ⁄ He realises that Hanna loves him, and she goes on (Danilo, Hanna, the Others) through the keyhole and is horrified to see his wife.