Berg: Wozzeck (In English) - Evans, Horne, Kraus, MaCDonald, Kraus; Pritchard. London, 1964

$8.95

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I can't tell you how excited I was to get a Wozzeck featuring Sir Geraint Evans and Marilyn Horne. You can't imagine my delight to find out this recording was in English (regulars to my site already know the fetish I have towards opera in English.) I am happy to say that the enormous promise of this recording paid off and I will even go as far to say that if you are an English speaker and think you know this opera well, this recording will change the way you hear it forever. All of the performers are excellent actors with excellent diction and at times you can even convince yourself that you are listening to a play that happens to have music (I suppose that was the whole idea behind "Sprechstimme.") Horne is wonderful as Marie and brings a earthiness that works very well. Sir Geraint Evans is one of the most elegant Wozzecks I have come across which makes his violent outburst seem all the more desperate. The rest of the supporting cast is equally excellent particularly the Doctor of Otakar Krauss. Sir John Pritchard draws beautiful and savage colors from Berg's masterpiece and I am delighted to report that the sound is very good.

OD 10736-2