Richard Strauss: Die Schweigsame Frau (Scenes) (Remastered) Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks & Heinz Wallberg

• Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949): Euer Liebden haben, ich fuerchte, schlecht geschlafen:
• 1 Strauss: Euer Liebden haben, ich fuerchte, schlecht geschlafen 13:19
• Piano, piano! Und ich sage euch, er ist ein kreuzbraver Kerl:
• 2 Strauss: Piano, piano! Und ich sage euch, er ist ein kreuzbraver Kerl 03:01
• Hah! Mir faellt etwas ein!:
• 3 Strauss: Hah! Mir faellt etwas ein! 02:47
• Nicht viel schwaetzen, nicht parlieren:
• 4 Strauss: Nicht viel schwaetzen, nicht parlieren 03:09
• Anhiero gestatte ich mir, hochverehrliche Herren:
• 5 Strauss: Anhiero gestatte ich mir, hochverehrliche Herren 07:40
• Du bist so still:
• 6 Strauss: Du bist so still 05:29
• Was geht hier vor?:
• 7 Strauss: Was geht hier vor? 03:18
• Siehst du, Ohm:
• 8 Strauss: Siehst du, Ohm 03:18
• Du suessester Engel:
• 9 Strauss: Du suessester Engel 08:26
• Total Runtime 50:27

Info for Richard Strauss: Die Schweigsame Frau (Scenes) (Remastered)

The BR-KLASSIK label is taking the 75th anniversary of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) in 2024 as an opportunity to release this previously unreleased, historical archive recording with scenes from Richard Strauss' opera Die schweigsame Frau.

The excerpts from Richard Strauss' comic opera Die schweigsame Frau were pre-produced as studio recordings for a television programme in November 1960. The impressive cast was almost identical to that of the opera production that the premiere conductor Karl Böhm had conducted at the Salzburg Festival in 1959: Hans Hotter (Sir Morosus), Hermann Prey (Barber), Fritz Wunderlich (Henry), Ingeborg Hallstein (Aminta) and many others sang. Heinz Wallberg conducts; the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra plays. In contrast to the live recording from Salzburg, which is disturbed by the clearly audible stage noises of a turbulent production, the outstanding cast of singers is more effective in this recording.

After the death of Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Strauss believed he had reached the end of his operatic career. However, he was able to find a librettist of equal calibre in Stefan Zweig, who provided him with "the best libretto for an opera comique since Figaro" (Strauss). The comic opera was written between 1932 and 1935 and the composer was able to push through its premiere on 24 June 1935 in Dresden, conducted by Karl Böhm, despite the fact that Zweig was a Jewish librettist who had emigrated in the meantime. However, as he insisted on printing Zweig's name on the posters and evening programme, the Nazi bigwigs boycotted the performance. And after the Gestapo intercepted a letter that Strauss had written to Zweig in his joy at the successful premiere, he finally fell out of favour.

The play disappeared from the repertoire after only three repetitions and was not performed at any other theatre in Germany until 1946. Strauss resigned from the chairmanship of the Reich Chamber of Music "for health reasons".

Strauss endowed Die schweigsame Frau with an overabundance of musical ideas, with turbulent ensembles and individual sound paintings; light comedy and grand arias alternate. He unconcernedly quotes himself and a dozen other composers, including Rossini - whose Barber of Seville was the model for his talkative, strip-pulling barber. Music connoisseurs in particular appreciate the opera for its numerous musical allusions.

Hans Hotter, bass (Sir Morosus)
Lilian Benningsen, alto (his housekeeper)
Hermann Prey, baritone (Barber)
Fritz Wunderlich, tenor (Henry Morosus)
Ingeborg Hallstein, soprano (Aminta)
Eva Maria Rogner, soprano (Isotta)
Marianna Radev, soprano (Carlotta)
Josef Knapp, baritone (Morbio)
Karl Christian Kohn, Bass (Vanuzzi)
Karl Hoppe, bass (Farfallo)
Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio
Heinz Wallberg, conductor

Studio recording from the Ausstellungspark-Bayernhalle, Munich, recorded on 4 and 5 November 1960

Digitally remastered

No biography found.

Booklet for Richard Strauss: Die Schweigsame Frau (Scenes) (Remastered)