Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Die Zauberflöte by Sir Thomas Beecham 🎧 Qobuz bit.ly/40Wv1Y3 Tidal bit.ly/3AMahrj 🎧 Amazon Music amzn.to/3Vr2yIE Deezer bit.ly/3LOnEhg 🎧 Spotify spoti.fi/3Vnl04W UA-cam Music bit.ly/3HTskA7 🎧 Apple Music - SoundCloud -- 🎧 Naspter, Pandora, Anghami, QQ音乐, LineMusic日本, Awa日本... 00:00 I. Overture - Die Zauberflöte, K. 620 07:43 II. Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe! (Tamino, Damen) 13:31 III. Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja (Papageno) 16:13 IV. Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön (Tamino) 19:59 V. O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn! (Königin;Queen of the Night) 24:29 VI. Hm! hm! hm! hm! (Papageno, Tamino, Damen) 30:43 VII. Du feines Täubchen, nur herein! (Monostatos, Pamina, Papageno) 32:26 VIII. Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen (Pamina, Papageno) 35:19 IX. Zum Ziele führt dich diese Bahn (Knaben, Tamino, Stimme, Sprecher, Chor) 46:08 X. Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton! (Tamino) 49:24 XI. Schnelle Füße, rascher Mut (Pamina, Papageno, Monostatos, Die Sklaven) 51:43 XII. Könnte jeder brave Mann (Pamina, Papageno, Chor) 52:41 XIII. Es lebe Sarastro (Chor, Pamina, Sarastro) 57:39 XIV. Nun, stolzer Jüngling, nur hierher! (Monostatos, Pamina, Tamino, Chor, Sarastro) 1:01:06 XV. March of the Priests - Act 2 - Die Zauberflöte, K. 620 1:05:00 XVI. O Isis und Osiris (Sarastro, Chor) 1:08:36 XVII. Bewahret euch vor Weibertücken (Zwei Priester) 1:09:54 XVIII. Wie? wie? wie? (Damen, Papageno, Tamino, Chor) 1:12:54 XIX. Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden (Monostatos) 1:14:11 XX. Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (Königin;Queen of the Night) 1:17:03 XXI. ln diesen heil'gen Hallen (Sarastro) 1:21:37 XXII. Seid uns zum zweiten mal willkommen (Knaben) 1:23:08 XXIII. Ach, ich fühl's... (Pamina) 1:27:57 XXIV. O Isis und Osiris! (Chor) 1:30:56 XXV. Soll ich dich, Teurer! (Pamina, Sarastro, Tamino) 1:34:29 XXVI. Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen (Papageno) 1:38:22 XXVII. Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkünden (Knaben, Pamina) 1:44:53 XXVIII. Der, welcher wandelt diese Straße voll Beschwerden (Zwei Geharnisschten, Tamino, Pamina) 1:49:26 XXIX. Tamino mein! O welch ein Glück! (Pamina, Tamino, Zwei Geharnisschten, Chor) 1:56:37 XXX. Papagena! (Papageno, Knaben) 2:01:52 XXXI. Pa-pa-gena! Pa-pa-geno! (Papageno, Papagena) 2:04:17 XXXII. Nur stille.... (Chor, Monostatos, Königin;Queen of the Night, Damen) 2:06:17 XXXIII. Die Strahlen der Sonne... (Sarastro, Chor) SARASTRO, priest of the sun: WILHELM STRIENZ, bass TAMINO, a prince: HELGE ROSWAENGE,tenor SPEAKER: WALTER GROSSMAN PRIEST: ERNST FABBRY, tenor QUEEN OF THE NIGHT: ERNA BERGER, soprano PAMlNA, her daughter: TIANA LEMNITZ, soprano FIRST LADY: HILDE SCHEPPAN, soprano SECOND LADY: ELFRIDE MARHERR, soprano THIRD LADY: RUT BERGLUND, soprano PAPAGENO, a birdcatcher: GERHARD HUSCH, baritone An Old Woman (later PAPAGENA): IRMA BEI, soprano MONOSTATOS, a Moor: HEINRICH TESSMER, tenor FIRST BOY: IRMA BEILKE, soprano SECOND BOY: CARLA SPLETTER, soprano THIRD BOY: RUT BERGLUND, soprano FIRST ARMED MAN: HEINRICH TESSMER, tenor SECOND ARMED MAN: WALTER GROSSMAN, bass Chorus of the Berlin State Opera Berliner Philharmoniker Conductor: THOMAS BEECHAM Recorded in 1937-38 New mastering in 2023 by AB for CMRR 🔊 FOLLOW US on SPOTIFY (Profil: CMRR) : spoti.fi/3016eVr 🔊 Download CMRR's recordings in High fidelity audio (QOBUZ) : bit.ly/370zcMg ❤ If you like CMRR content, please consider membership at our Patreon or Tipeee page. Thank you :) www.patreon.com/cmrr // en.tipeee.com/cmrr The short playing-time of 78 rpm records together with the restricted range of frequency response dictated by the acoustic process had, from the earliest days of recording, militated against the perpetuation on disc of major works, especially anything as long as an opera. With the advent of electrical recording in 1925 however and the enhanced quality of reproduction which this provided, public pressure began to grow for more complete recordings of major works. By the late 'twenties some fruits of this demand had begun to become visible, one instance being the complete Columbia recording of Rigoletto, which starred such major soloists as Riccardo Stracciari and Dino Borgioli. If Verdi must have seemed to the record companies to be sound commercial fare, Mozart who had not at the time achieved the semideified status which he enjoys today - did not. However the establishment in 1934 of the wealthy philanthropist John Christie's new opera house in his home at Glyndebourne, set in the rolling Sussex downs, with its initial policy of performing Mozart operas using only musicians of impeccable international reputation, opened up new horizons. A tentative move was made in the setting up of sessions to record concerted numbers from Le Nozze di Figaro, to be issued under the 'Society' (perhaps more accurately described as 'subscription') system. This initial release proved so successful that the remainder of the opera was recorded the next year, swiftly followed by Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte. Sir Thomas Beecham, Covent Garden's permanent Musical Director between 1932 and 1939 and a highly esteemed Mozartean, is engaged to conduct for recording purposes ensembles of no less repute than The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chorus of the Berlin State Opera in a recording of Die Zauberflöte. This, made in Berlin during the last months of 1937 and the earliest ones of 1938, under the increasing menace of war, featured possibly the finest cast that could have been assembled at the time; it stands as a landmark in the history ofMozart opera on record, the more so because the quality of recorded sound is particularly good for its day and still sounds uncommonly well to modem ears. In this most Gemanic of all Mozart's operas the assemblage of a largely German cast for the recording was no bad thing and, given the political climate of the time, probably inevitable. Yet one must regret most strongly the (obviously unavoidable) absence of Richard Tauber (admirable though is Roswaenge's Tamino) and Roy Henderson, whose Papageno is considered by many to have been his best stage assumption (though again, we can have no cause to complain of the excellent Gerhard Husch). The cast which actually preserved its interpretations for posterity on this occasion was distinguished indeed. The Danish Helge Roswaenge (1897-1972) had been principal tenor of the Berlin State Opera since 1930, and had sung the rôle of Tamino at Salzburg Festivals since 1932. Roswaenge's Mozart was generally acclaimed as, indeed, was his Verdi; but he intended to avoid the Wagnerian repertory, possibly for fear of competition from his compatriot Lauritz Melchior. Roswaege's Tamino is partnered by the Pamina of Tiana Lemnitz (b. 1897), an appealing soprano whose rôles included also Aida, Desdemona and Octavian. After junior appearances at the smaller German opera houses, she became soloist at the Berlin State Opera in 1934, retaining this position until 1955. Lemnitz was heard at Covent Garden in 1936 and again in 1938. The delightfully humorous Papageno in this recording is no less than Gerhard Husch, still in his thirties and exhibiting that gift of character portrayal which made him ideal for the part and which also stood him in such good stead as an interpreter of classical Lieder. Husch (1901-1984), first trained as an actor, but soon turned to singing. He was very popular at the Berlin opera, where he sang between 1930 and 1944, and at Bayreuth. It is easy to hear why Fritz Busch was so keen to engage Erna Berger (b. 1900) as the Queen or Night; her vocal dexterity is assured, her intonation spot-on. Well-known also in many other parts (especially Gilda), Berger enjoyed great popularity at Bayreuth, Salzburg, Berlin and at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. The fine bass Wilhelm Strienz is the impressive Sarastro in the present recording. Bom in 1900, Strienz made his début in 1922, at Berlin, as the Hermit in Weber's Der Freischütz. His subsequent career was passed largely in Germany and Holland, and he was also an industrious broadcaster. Strienz first appeared at Covent Garden in 1938. Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) is scarcely in need of introduction. A member of the family which controlled a prosperous pharmaceutical company and which had generally little interest in music- he was largely self-taught. Evincing an early interest in opera, he directed a Covent Garden season in 1910. During the inter-war years, Beecham introduced many new operas to Britain, and championed the works of Delius, Sibelius, Haydn and Mozart. He founded the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1946. Famed for his wit and outspokenness, he is said to have remarked very audibly to his orchestra during an opera performance in Berlin (Hitler being in the box): "I do believe the bugger's actually enjoying himself!" Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart PLAYLIST (reference recordings): ua-cam.com/video/gIgg_QUVV04/v-deo.html
Wunderschöne und lebhafte Interpretation dieser großartigen und perfekt komponierten Oper mit gut vereinigten und perfekt entsprechenden Tönen aller Instrumente sowie herrlichen Stimmen aller genialen Solisten und gut harmonisierten Stimmen des ausgezeicheten Chors. Der intelligente und unvergleichliche britische Dirigent leitet das weltklassige deutsche Orchester im relativ schnellen Tempo und mit dramatischer Dynamik. Die verbesserte Tonqualität ist auch erstaunlich hoch als Originalaufnahmen von Vorkriegsjahren 1937-38. Alles ist wunderbar!
Sir Thomas Beecham signed a legendary performance of The Magic Flute over 80 years ago. His direction has a disconcertingly natural momentum and dynamics, and the singers are all in tune with excellence, not to mention the orchestra and choirs. Although the sound quality is far from current standards, this is a must-see. One does not feel the work, but rather an obviousness, a spontaneity that characterizes so well the genius of Mozart. The short playing-time of 78 rpm records together with the restricted range of frequency response dictated by the acoustic process had, from the earliest days of recording, militated against the perpetuation on disc of major works, especially anything as long as an opera. With the advent of electrical recording in 1925 however and the enhanced quality of reproduction which this provided, public pressure began to grow for more complete recordings of major works. By the late 'twenties some fruits of this demand had begun to become visible, one instance being the complete Columbia recording of Rigoletto, which starred such major soloists as Riccardo Stracciari and Dino Borgioli. If Verdi must have seemed to the record companies to be sound commercial fare, Mozart who had not at the time achieved the semideified status which he enjoys today - did not. However the establishment in 1934 of the wealthy philanthropist John Christie's new opera house in his home at Glyndebourne, set in the rolling Sussex downs, with its initial policy of performing Mozart operas using only musicians of impeccable international reputation, opened up new horizons. A tentative move was made in the setting up of sessions to record concerted numbers from Le Nozze di Figaro, to be issued under the 'Society' (perhaps more accurately described as 'subscription') system. This initial release proved so successful that the remainder of the opera was recorded the next year, swiftly followed by Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte. Sir Thomas Beecham, Covent Garden's permanent Musical Director between 1932 and 1939 and a highly esteemed Mozartean, is engaged to conduct for recording purposes ensembles of no less repute than The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chorus of the Berlin State Opera in a recording of Die Zauberflöte. This, made in Berlin during the last months of 1937 and the earliest ones of 1938, under the increasing menace of war, featured possibly the finest cast that could have been assembled at the time; it stands as a landmark in the history ofMozart opera on record, the more so because the quality of recorded sound is particularly good for its day and still sounds uncommonly well to modem ears. In this most Gemanic of all Mozart's operas the assemblage of a largely German cast for the recording was no bad thing and, given the political climate of the time, probably inevitable. Yet one must regret most strongly the (obviously unavoidable) absence of Richard Tauber (admirable though is Roswaenge's Tamino) and Roy Henderson, whose Papageno is considered by many to have been his best stage assumption (though again, we can have no cause to complain of the excellent Gerhard Husch). The cast which actually preserved its interpretations for posterity on this occasion was distinguished indeed. The Danish Helge Roswaenge (1897-1972) had been principal tenor of the Berlin State Opera since 1930, and had sung the rôle of Tamino at Salzburg Festivals since 1932. Roswaenge's Mozart was generally acclaimed as, indeed, was his Verdi; but he intended to avoid the Wagnerian repertory, possibly for fear of competition from his compatriot Lauritz Melchior. Roswaege's Tamino is partnered by the Pamina of Tiana Lemnitz (b. 1897), an appealing soprano whose rôles included also Aida, Desdemona and Octavian. After junior appearances at the smaller German opera houses, she became soloist at the Berlin State Opera in 1934, retaining this position until 1955. Lemnitz was heard at Covent Garden in 1936 and again in 1938. The delightfully humorous Papageno in this recording is no less than Gerhard Husch, still in his thirties and exhibiting that gift of character portrayal which made him ideal for the part and which also stood him in such good stead as an interpreter of classical Lieder. Husch (1901-1984), first trained as an actor, but soon turned to singing. He was very popular at the Berlin opera, where he sang between 1930 and 1944, and at Bayreuth. It is easy to hear why Fritz Busch was so keen to engage Erna Berger (b. 1900) as the Queen or Night; her vocal dexterity is assured, her intonation spot-on. Well-known also in many other parts (especially Gilda), Berger enjoyed great popularity at Bayreuth, Salzburg, Berlin and at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. The fine bass Wilhelm Strienz is the impressive Sarastro in the present recording. Bom in 1900, Strienz made his début in 1922, at Berlin, as the Hermit in Weber's Der Freischütz. His subsequent career was passed largely in Germany and Holland, and he was also an industrious broadcaster. Strienz first appeared at Covent Garden in 1938. Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) is scarcely in need of introduction. A member of the family which controlled a prosperous pharmaceutical company and which had generally little interest in music- he was largely self-taught. Evincing an early interest in opera, he directed a Covent Garden season in 1910. During the inter-war years, Beecham introduced many new operas to Britain, and championed the works of Delius, Sibelius, Haydn and Mozart. He founded the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1946. Famed for his wit and outspokenness, he is said to have remarked very audibly to his orchestra during an opera performance in Berlin (Hitler being in the box): "I do believe the bugger's actually enjoying himself!" 🔊 FOLLOW US on SPOTIFY (Profil: CMRR) : spoti.fi/3016eVr 🔊 Download CMRR's recordings in High fidelity audio (QOBUZ) : bit.ly/370zcMg ❤ If you like CMRR content, please consider membership at our Patreon or Tipeee page. Thank you :) www.patreon.com/cmrr // en.tipeee.com/cmrr
"he is said to have remarked very audibly to his orchestra during an opera performance in Berlin (Hitler being in the box): "I do believe the bugger's actually enjoying himself!"... Unbelievable (and in any case truly bad) anecdote. Joe Fallisi
Thank you for uploading this brilliant recording -- a gem of its time. Certainly a Century 's recording. I will admit that I find some comments here made about Beecham absurd. Perhaps some should not rehash old tropes that are now over used and tired. Just listen to the music and the beautiful performance by all involved. Nothing political about that.
To some of us, Nazism is not a dead issue, and cowardice in the face of evil (especially from a supposed superpatriot like Beecham) not easy to forget. I admit he could conduct. He still was a shit.
Yes! Thanks a lot for this! And please never make the sound too polished... age is also a part of the greatness and it should be felt. Besides, it's a pleasure, from time to time, to listen to sounds without the oppressive pneumatic perfection of some supermarket pop music.
Thank you for The Magic Flute,l have never heard it before even when my father played in the NZ orchestra,years ago ⭐👏✨🎶🎶💞🎶🎶 9:20am @classicalmreference
That's a fair question. In short, you need to have the best possible source. Often the first digital editions benefit from a better digital transfer. Frequency processing is the most time consuming and delicate part. Strings and certain vocal ranges can quickly sound artificial in digital compared to analog. You don't want a long listening time to tire your ears because of some unpleasant frequencies and at the same time you don't want to distort the original recording. The dynamics must also be natural as on an analog tape. The transfer in the highest possible resolution is important for the listening to be passable on youtube which is a compressed format. We appreciate platforms like Qobuz (lossless audio definition and Hi-Res), tidal, deezer and apple music can be set for lossless listening too.
Beecham performed this for a Nazi audience, at a time when dozens of musicians were in exile and Toscanini was fighting Nazism and Fascism in every way he could. When the war started in 1939, Beecham found a way to have an appointment in the USA. He did not return until 1945, at which point his own orchestra, the London Philharmonic, who had spent six years in London with the hunger and the bombs, made him understand that he was NOT welcome back. He had to find a different position. In short, this may have been a great musician, but his record is otherwise not better than those of Cortot or Mengelberg or Karajan.
The story is more complex than that, no one could presume in 1937 the horrors that would follow a few years later. We invite you to read the pinned comment.
@@classicalmusicreference Sure it's more complicated I suggest, however, that the SIMPLE things speak by themselves. by 1940, while his country is fighting for their lives and for the freedom of the world, Beecham is in Australia. Not long after, he is in the USA, where he stays (in spite of his well known disdain for anything that is that not British) until the war is well and truly over. When he comes back, the orchestra HE had founded finds a way to force him out. Any kind of subtlety does not escape from the iron grip of these simple, simple, true facts.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Die Zauberflöte by Sir Thomas Beecham
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🎧 Naspter, Pandora, Anghami, QQ音乐, LineMusic日本, Awa日本...
00:00 I. Overture - Die Zauberflöte, K. 620
07:43 II. Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe! (Tamino, Damen)
13:31 III. Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja (Papageno)
16:13 IV. Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön (Tamino)
19:59 V. O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn! (Königin;Queen of the Night)
24:29 VI. Hm! hm! hm! hm! (Papageno, Tamino, Damen)
30:43 VII. Du feines Täubchen, nur herein! (Monostatos, Pamina, Papageno)
32:26 VIII. Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen (Pamina, Papageno)
35:19 IX. Zum Ziele führt dich diese Bahn (Knaben, Tamino, Stimme, Sprecher, Chor)
46:08 X. Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton! (Tamino)
49:24 XI. Schnelle Füße, rascher Mut (Pamina, Papageno, Monostatos, Die Sklaven)
51:43 XII. Könnte jeder brave Mann (Pamina, Papageno, Chor)
52:41 XIII. Es lebe Sarastro (Chor, Pamina, Sarastro)
57:39 XIV. Nun, stolzer Jüngling, nur hierher! (Monostatos, Pamina, Tamino, Chor, Sarastro)
1:01:06 XV. March of the Priests - Act 2 - Die Zauberflöte, K. 620
1:05:00 XVI. O Isis und Osiris (Sarastro, Chor)
1:08:36 XVII. Bewahret euch vor Weibertücken (Zwei Priester)
1:09:54 XVIII. Wie? wie? wie? (Damen, Papageno, Tamino, Chor)
1:12:54 XIX. Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden (Monostatos)
1:14:11 XX. Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (Königin;Queen of the Night)
1:17:03 XXI. ln diesen heil'gen Hallen (Sarastro)
1:21:37 XXII. Seid uns zum zweiten mal willkommen (Knaben)
1:23:08 XXIII. Ach, ich fühl's... (Pamina)
1:27:57 XXIV. O Isis und Osiris! (Chor)
1:30:56 XXV. Soll ich dich, Teurer! (Pamina, Sarastro, Tamino)
1:34:29 XXVI. Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen (Papageno)
1:38:22 XXVII. Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkünden (Knaben, Pamina)
1:44:53 XXVIII. Der, welcher wandelt diese Straße voll Beschwerden (Zwei Geharnisschten, Tamino, Pamina)
1:49:26 XXIX. Tamino mein! O welch ein Glück! (Pamina, Tamino, Zwei Geharnisschten, Chor)
1:56:37 XXX. Papagena! (Papageno, Knaben)
2:01:52 XXXI. Pa-pa-gena! Pa-pa-geno! (Papageno, Papagena)
2:04:17 XXXII. Nur stille.... (Chor, Monostatos, Königin;Queen of the Night, Damen)
2:06:17 XXXIII. Die Strahlen der Sonne... (Sarastro, Chor)
SARASTRO, priest of the sun: WILHELM STRIENZ, bass
TAMINO, a prince: HELGE ROSWAENGE,tenor
SPEAKER: WALTER GROSSMAN
PRIEST: ERNST FABBRY, tenor
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT: ERNA BERGER, soprano
PAMlNA, her daughter: TIANA LEMNITZ, soprano
FIRST LADY: HILDE SCHEPPAN, soprano
SECOND LADY: ELFRIDE MARHERR, soprano
THIRD LADY: RUT BERGLUND, soprano
PAPAGENO, a birdcatcher: GERHARD HUSCH, baritone
An Old Woman (later PAPAGENA): IRMA BEI, soprano
MONOSTATOS, a Moor: HEINRICH TESSMER, tenor
FIRST BOY: IRMA BEILKE, soprano
SECOND BOY: CARLA SPLETTER, soprano
THIRD BOY: RUT BERGLUND, soprano
FIRST ARMED MAN: HEINRICH TESSMER, tenor
SECOND ARMED MAN: WALTER GROSSMAN, bass
Chorus of the Berlin State Opera
Berliner Philharmoniker
Conductor: THOMAS BEECHAM
Recorded in 1937-38
New mastering in 2023 by AB for CMRR
🔊 FOLLOW US on SPOTIFY (Profil: CMRR) : spoti.fi/3016eVr
🔊 Download CMRR's recordings in High fidelity audio (QOBUZ) : bit.ly/370zcMg
❤ If you like CMRR content, please consider membership at our Patreon or Tipeee page.
Thank you :) www.patreon.com/cmrr // en.tipeee.com/cmrr
The short playing-time of 78 rpm records together with the restricted range of frequency response dictated by the acoustic process had, from the earliest days of recording, militated against the perpetuation on disc of major works, especially anything as long as an opera. With the advent of electrical recording in 1925 however and the enhanced quality of reproduction which this provided, public pressure began to grow for more complete recordings of major works. By the late 'twenties some fruits of this demand had begun to become visible, one instance being the complete Columbia recording of Rigoletto, which starred such major soloists as Riccardo Stracciari and Dino Borgioli.
If Verdi must have seemed to the record companies to be sound commercial fare, Mozart who had not at the time achieved the semideified status which he enjoys today - did not. However the establishment in 1934 of the wealthy philanthropist John Christie's new opera house in his home at Glyndebourne, set in the rolling Sussex downs, with its initial policy of performing Mozart operas using only musicians of impeccable international reputation, opened up new horizons. A tentative move was made in the setting up of sessions to record concerted numbers from Le Nozze di Figaro, to be issued under the 'Society' (perhaps more accurately described as 'subscription') system. This initial release proved so successful that the remainder of the opera was recorded the next year, swiftly followed by Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte.
Sir Thomas Beecham, Covent Garden's permanent Musical Director between 1932 and 1939 and a highly esteemed Mozartean, is engaged to conduct for recording purposes ensembles of no less repute than The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chorus of the Berlin State Opera in a recording of Die Zauberflöte. This, made in Berlin during the last months of 1937 and the earliest ones of 1938, under the increasing menace of war, featured possibly the finest cast that could have been assembled at the time; it stands as a landmark in the history ofMozart opera on record, the more so because the quality of recorded sound is particularly good for its day and still sounds uncommonly well to modem ears.
In this most Gemanic of all Mozart's operas the assemblage of a largely German cast for the recording was no bad thing and, given the political climate of the time, probably inevitable. Yet one must regret most strongly the (obviously unavoidable) absence of Richard Tauber (admirable though is Roswaenge's Tamino) and Roy Henderson, whose Papageno is considered by many to have been his best stage assumption (though again, we can have no cause to complain of the excellent Gerhard Husch).
The cast which actually preserved its interpretations for posterity on this occasion was distinguished indeed. The Danish Helge Roswaenge (1897-1972) had been principal tenor of the Berlin State Opera since 1930, and had sung the rôle of Tamino at Salzburg Festivals since 1932. Roswaenge's Mozart was generally acclaimed as, indeed, was his Verdi; but he intended to avoid the Wagnerian repertory, possibly for fear of competition from his compatriot Lauritz Melchior.
Roswaege's Tamino is partnered by the Pamina of Tiana Lemnitz (b. 1897), an appealing soprano whose rôles included also Aida, Desdemona and Octavian. After junior appearances at the smaller German opera houses, she became soloist at the Berlin State Opera in 1934, retaining this position until 1955. Lemnitz was heard at Covent Garden in 1936 and again in 1938.
The delightfully humorous Papageno in this recording is no less than Gerhard Husch, still in his thirties and exhibiting that gift of character portrayal which made him ideal for the part and which also stood him in such good stead as an interpreter of classical Lieder. Husch (1901-1984), first trained as an actor, but soon turned to singing. He was very popular at the Berlin opera, where he sang between 1930 and 1944, and at Bayreuth.
It is easy to hear why Fritz Busch was so keen to engage Erna Berger (b. 1900) as the Queen or Night; her vocal dexterity is assured, her intonation spot-on. Well-known also in many other parts (especially Gilda), Berger enjoyed great popularity at Bayreuth, Salzburg, Berlin and at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
The fine bass Wilhelm Strienz is the impressive Sarastro in the present recording. Bom in 1900, Strienz made his début in 1922, at Berlin, as the Hermit in Weber's Der Freischütz. His subsequent career was passed largely in Germany and Holland, and he was also an industrious broadcaster. Strienz first appeared at Covent Garden in 1938.
Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) is scarcely in need of introduction. A member of the family which controlled a prosperous pharmaceutical company and which had generally little interest in music- he was largely self-taught. Evincing an early interest in opera, he directed a Covent Garden season in 1910. During the inter-war years, Beecham introduced many new operas to Britain, and championed the works of Delius, Sibelius, Haydn and Mozart. He founded the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1946. Famed for his wit and outspokenness, he is said to have remarked very audibly to his orchestra during an opera performance in Berlin (Hitler being in the box): "I do believe the bugger's actually enjoying himself!"
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart PLAYLIST (reference recordings): ua-cam.com/video/gIgg_QUVV04/v-deo.html
Wunderschöne und lebhafte Interpretation dieser großartigen und perfekt komponierten Oper mit gut vereinigten und perfekt entsprechenden Tönen aller Instrumente sowie herrlichen Stimmen aller genialen Solisten und gut harmonisierten Stimmen des ausgezeicheten Chors. Der intelligente und unvergleichliche britische Dirigent leitet das weltklassige deutsche Orchester im relativ schnellen Tempo und mit dramatischer Dynamik. Die verbesserte Tonqualität ist auch erstaunlich hoch als Originalaufnahmen von Vorkriegsjahren 1937-38. Alles ist wunderbar!
Sir Thomas Beecham signed a legendary performance of The Magic Flute over 80 years ago. His direction has a disconcertingly natural momentum and dynamics, and the singers are all in tune with excellence, not to mention the orchestra and choirs. Although the sound quality is far from current standards, this is a must-see. One does not feel the work, but rather an obviousness, a spontaneity that characterizes so well the genius of Mozart.
The short playing-time of 78 rpm records together with the restricted range of frequency response dictated by the acoustic process had, from the earliest days of recording, militated against the perpetuation on disc of major works, especially anything as long as an opera. With the advent of electrical recording in 1925 however and the enhanced quality of reproduction which this provided, public pressure began to grow for more complete recordings of major works. By the late 'twenties some fruits of this demand had begun to become visible, one instance being the complete Columbia recording of Rigoletto, which starred such major soloists as Riccardo Stracciari and Dino Borgioli.
If Verdi must have seemed to the record companies to be sound commercial fare, Mozart who had not at the time achieved the semideified status which he enjoys today - did not. However the establishment in 1934 of the wealthy philanthropist John Christie's new opera house in his home at Glyndebourne, set in the rolling Sussex downs, with its initial policy of performing Mozart operas using only musicians of impeccable international reputation, opened up new horizons. A tentative move was made in the setting up of sessions to record concerted numbers from Le Nozze di Figaro, to be issued under the 'Society' (perhaps more accurately described as 'subscription') system. This initial release proved so successful that the remainder of the opera was recorded the next year, swiftly followed by Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte.
Sir Thomas Beecham, Covent Garden's permanent Musical Director between 1932 and 1939 and a highly esteemed Mozartean, is engaged to conduct for recording purposes ensembles of no less repute than The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chorus of the Berlin State Opera in a recording of Die Zauberflöte. This, made in Berlin during the last months of 1937 and the earliest ones of 1938, under the increasing menace of war, featured possibly the finest cast that could have been assembled at the time; it stands as a landmark in the history ofMozart opera on record, the more so because the quality of recorded sound is particularly good for its day and still sounds uncommonly well to modem ears.
In this most Gemanic of all Mozart's operas the assemblage of a largely German cast for the recording was no bad thing and, given the political climate of the time, probably inevitable. Yet one must regret most strongly the (obviously unavoidable) absence of Richard Tauber (admirable though is Roswaenge's Tamino) and Roy Henderson, whose Papageno is considered by many to have been his best stage assumption (though again, we can have no cause to complain of the excellent Gerhard Husch).
The cast which actually preserved its interpretations for posterity on this occasion was distinguished indeed. The Danish Helge Roswaenge (1897-1972) had been principal tenor of the Berlin State Opera since 1930, and had sung the rôle of Tamino at Salzburg Festivals since 1932. Roswaenge's Mozart was generally acclaimed as, indeed, was his Verdi; but he intended to avoid the Wagnerian repertory, possibly for fear of competition from his compatriot Lauritz Melchior.
Roswaege's Tamino is partnered by the Pamina of Tiana Lemnitz (b. 1897), an appealing soprano whose rôles included also Aida, Desdemona and Octavian. After junior appearances at the smaller German opera houses, she became soloist at the Berlin State Opera in 1934, retaining this position until 1955. Lemnitz was heard at Covent Garden in 1936 and again in 1938.
The delightfully humorous Papageno in this recording is no less than Gerhard Husch, still in his thirties and exhibiting that gift of character portrayal which made him ideal for the part and which also stood him in such good stead as an interpreter of classical Lieder. Husch (1901-1984), first trained as an actor, but soon turned to singing. He was very popular at the Berlin opera, where he sang between 1930 and 1944, and at Bayreuth.
It is easy to hear why Fritz Busch was so keen to engage Erna Berger (b. 1900) as the Queen or Night; her vocal dexterity is assured, her intonation spot-on. Well-known also in many other parts (especially Gilda), Berger enjoyed great popularity at Bayreuth, Salzburg, Berlin and at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
The fine bass Wilhelm Strienz is the impressive Sarastro in the present recording. Bom in 1900, Strienz made his début in 1922, at Berlin, as the Hermit in Weber's Der Freischütz. His subsequent career was passed largely in Germany and Holland, and he was also an industrious broadcaster. Strienz first appeared at Covent Garden in 1938.
Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) is scarcely in need of introduction. A member of the family which controlled a prosperous pharmaceutical company and which had generally little interest in music- he was largely self-taught. Evincing an early interest in opera, he directed a Covent Garden season in 1910. During the inter-war years, Beecham introduced many new operas to Britain, and championed the works of Delius, Sibelius, Haydn and Mozart. He founded the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1946. Famed for his wit and outspokenness, he is said to have remarked very audibly to his orchestra during an opera performance in Berlin (Hitler being in the box): "I do believe the bugger's actually enjoying himself!"
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Had it not been for Hitler, we would have had Tauber as Tamino and Kipnis as Sarastro.
MUCH better the wonderful tenor Roswaenge and the excellent bass Wilhelm Strienz.
Joe Fallisi
"he is said to have remarked very audibly to his orchestra during an opera performance in Berlin (Hitler being in the box): "I do believe the bugger's actually enjoying himself!"... Unbelievable (and in any case truly bad) anecdote.
Joe Fallisi
Thanks so much for remastering this classic recording.
The overture for "The Magic Flute" is a very beautiful thing.
Thank you for uploading this brilliant recording -- a gem of its time. Certainly a Century 's recording. I will admit that I find some comments here made about Beecham absurd. Perhaps some should not rehash old tropes that are now over used and tired. Just listen to the music and the beautiful performance by all involved. Nothing political about that.
To some of us, Nazism is not a dead issue, and cowardice in the face of evil (especially from a supposed superpatriot like Beecham) not easy to forget. I admit he could conduct. He still was a shit.
Great Sir Thomas ! Thank you.
Congratulations , Danke Sir Thomas Beechham , Conductor , Philarmony Orchestra Berlin , Die Zauberflute , .......tots els cantants excellent ❤❤
I can't stop coming back to this recording. Astounding remastered quality from 1937.
Yes, this is the One! Thank you so much CM/RR.
^^
From the best era!
thanks....
Yes! Thanks a lot for this! And please never make the sound too polished... age is also a part of the greatness and it should be felt. Besides, it's a pleasure, from time to time, to listen to sounds without the oppressive pneumatic perfection of some supermarket pop music.
MARAVILLOSO
Thank you for The Magic Flute,l have never heard it before even when my father played in the NZ orchestra,years ago ⭐👏✨🎶🎶💞🎶🎶 9:20am @classicalmreference
you're welcome :)
A German and British collaboration 2 years before the outbreak of war spare a thought for how they must have felt
How do you restore the music ?
That's a fair question. In short, you need to have the best possible source. Often the first digital editions benefit from a better digital transfer. Frequency processing is the most time consuming and delicate part. Strings and certain vocal ranges can quickly sound artificial in digital compared to analog. You don't want a long listening time to tire your ears because of some unpleasant frequencies and at the same time you don't want to distort the original recording. The dynamics must also be natural as on an analog tape. The transfer in the highest possible resolution is important for the listening to be passable on youtube which is a compressed format. We appreciate platforms like Qobuz (lossless audio definition and Hi-Res), tidal, deezer and apple music can be set for lossless listening too.
@@classicalmusicreference incredible ! Your recordings sound new ! Do you use a particulary plugin ?
I don't recall the overture beginning on the dominant! Is it a Beechanism?
1:05:00
1:23:08
1:34:29
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is one of the choral sopranos on this set.
good, that's where she would have stayed if technical ability hadn't been disappearing xD
@@operaforlife6551 [facepalm]
@@operaforlife6551 😵💫
@@operaforlife6551 Ignorant, tone-deaf, barbaric troll alert
@@teddyofparis Christ, you’re _very_ polite. 😂😊
Beecham performed this for a Nazi audience, at a time when dozens of musicians were in exile and Toscanini was fighting Nazism and Fascism in every way he could. When the war started in 1939, Beecham found a way to have an appointment in the USA. He did not return until 1945, at which point his own orchestra, the London Philharmonic, who had spent six years in London with the hunger and the bombs, made him understand that he was NOT welcome back. He had to find a different position. In short, this may have been a great musician, but his record is otherwise not better than those of Cortot or Mengelberg or Karajan.
"Nazi"
Lemnitz was a fanatical Nazi and could only sing in Germany after the war. A lovely singer but her views spoil it for me.
The story is more complex than that, no one could presume in 1937 the horrors that would follow a few years later. We invite you to read the pinned comment.
@@classicalmusicreference Sure it's more complicated I suggest, however, that the SIMPLE things speak by themselves. by 1940, while his country is fighting for their lives and for the freedom of the world, Beecham is in Australia. Not long after, he is in the USA, where he stays (in spite of his well known disdain for anything that is that not British) until the war is well and truly over. When he comes back, the orchestra HE had founded finds a way to force him out. Any kind of subtlety does not escape from the iron grip of these simple, simple, true facts.
@@fabiopaolobarbieri2286 Does your remarks prevent you from listening to his version of the Magic Flute?