Strauss (Johann): Die Fledermaus - Prey, Te Kanawa, Heichele, Luxon, Tear, Langdon; Mehta. London, 1977

$12.95

Listen to a Sample:

Die Fledermaus is more than an opera, it is a celebration. Although musically it is devilishly difficult to pull off - requiring laser attention from the cast and a rock-solid technique from the conductor - it only really works if there is a sense of fun. And this performance has that in spades.
Hermann Prey is the gold-standard for all Eisensteins. He brings an effortless charm to the role which goes a long way in helping you forget that the character is basically a narcissist.
Kiri Te Kanawa brings starpower to the role of Rosalinde.
Hildegard Heichele's voice has a little more heft than your garden variety Adele.
The rest of the cast rises to the occasion, particularly Benjamin Luxon as Falke, and Robert Tear as Orlofsky.
There are some special guests during the Act II party scene, including Daniel Barenboim who plays Chopin's G-minor Ballade and Isaac Stern who plays the third movement of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.

There is definitely more dialogue than music in this performance, and although the audience seems engaged throughout, for much of it I have to assume that "you had to be there."

In Mono

OD 12037-3