Wagner: Lohengrin - Thomas, Silja, Varnay, Vinay, Crass, Krause; Sawallisch. Bayreuth, 1962
$24.95
Description:
Pros:
- The cast of this performance of Lohengrin is the very definition of "all-star."
- Captured here at the height of his vocal powers, Jess Thomas sings the title role with refinement and power.
- Most sopranos stay away from Wagner at age 22, but Anja Silja was (and is) like no other soprano. Silja brings youthful optimisim, purity of tone, and surprising power especially at the top of her voice. And despite her age she paces the role deftly, never pushing or trying to make her voice something that it isn't.
- Veteran soprano, Astrid Varnay, once a fine Elsa herself, sings the role of Ortrud. She manages to deliver oversized Wagnerian sentiment without going over the top into camp. In my opinion Varnay's true brilliance was never truly realized until she started taking on "character parts" and in many ways this performance is more remarkable than her legendary Met debut as Sieglinde opposite Melchoir's Siegmund.
- Ramón Vinay was embarking on a similar downward shift into baritone territory and, unlike other tenors who have made the switch in recent years, Vinay is completely credible as a baritone. You will be hard-pressed to find a more beautifully sung Telramund.
- Tom Krause as the Herald and Franz Crass are the two cherries on this delectable Wagnerian Sundae.
- Unlike the commercial release which was pieced together from the whole run, this recording is the broadcast of the performance on August 3, 1962.
Cons:
- None to mention.
In Mono
OD 11724-3
Listen to a Sample:
Best SUNG Lohengrin
This is a wonderful account of an opera that looks ahead to the narrative style of the Ring and Parsifal but still sits comfortably in the world of traditional opera--choruses, quartets, arias. This is the BEST SUNG Lohengrin I have ever heard, based on 60 years of listening. Every role, and they are each one studded with difficulties, is consistently and accurately sung with bel canto musicianship--something rare in Wagner performances. Listen to the young Franz Crass sing the King--commanding, authoritative, meaningful, and musical. This is a role that has defeated many significant character basses but is SUNG beautifully here. Similar praise for Tom Krause as the Heerrufer, In fact, this cast in 1962 is blend of New Bayreuth (Crass, Krause, Silja, Thomas) and Old Bayreuth (Varnay and Vinay), and the casting absolutely fits the delegated roles. Varnay is a great and terrifying Ortrud and ever the impeccable musician (Ortruds are usually one or the other; Varnay is both). This is truly a great performance in the opera house.
Minority report
Splendid overall, I’d agree. Sawallisch, the orchestra, the chorus, Varnay, Vinay, Crass, and Krause all first-rate on all vectors. I have certain reservations about Thomas, whose low-lying passages are so baritonal as to seem phoned in by another singer. The deal-breaker for me is Silja, girlish and bright in timbre, yes, but shallow in tone and inconsistent in projection. Based on this performance, a suitable assignment for her that summer would have been the Eliza of My Fair Lady.
Excellent Alternative to a Classic Commercial Recording!
Everyone in the cast of this Lohengrin is extremely good and in Varnay's case, spectacular. Silja's tone is sweet and girlish here, adjectives that one doesn't normally associate with her voice. She sounds the young, naive Elsa to the life. Thomas sounds firm and beautiful - a pity that all the Wagner singing led to his early vocal decline. He made a handsome, hairy-chested stage presence as well. This was Vinay's first season back in the baritone trenches and he is an distinguished Telramund. Crass and Krause spoil us in their roles as the King and Herald respectively; rarely are these roles sung this well. Varnay's ferocious, frightening Ortrud is second to none. She meets all the vocal demands with ease and colors every phrase with meaning. She was terrific in just about everything; here she is transcendent. Aspiring Ortruds should study her portrayal closely. Sawallisch conducts his great orchestra and chorus with excellent pacing. A few minor radio crackles aside, the sound is from a very clear mono broadcast source. In this performance Elsa does not sing her final phrases after Lohengrin's "In fernem Land", a difference from the recording issued by Philips which was a synthesis of several performances in the run. If you have the Philips set, you probably don't need this. If, however, you love Lohengrin, this is a necessary purchase.
Ideal Cast
My favorite Lohengrin has long been the commercial recording with the same cast and conductor. This one is much the same, with some coughs and bumps but the added frisson of a live performance. I am a Silja fan; her girlish voice was perfect for Elsa, and she even displays some tenderness here that I hadn't noticed before. The rest of the cast is also spot-on, and Sawallisch knew his Wagner. Very good recording.
