Dallapiccola: Il Prigionerio (In German) - Wächter, Werth, Krebs; Rosbaud. Berlin, 1955

$2.97



Listen to a Sample:

Listen to a Sample

 

Luigi Dallapiccola’s one-act masterpiece, a bone-chilling study in hopelessness and cruelty, actually gains from being delivered in translation. This set, which includes not only a complete 1955 performance of the work in German but also extended excerpts from a 1960 performance in English, speaks to Dallapiccola’s power to deliver his bleak message in any language. In the Berlin performance, Hans Rosbaud ratchets up the tension incrementally, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat. Eberhard Wächter’s noble baritone is an ideal fit for the anguished prisoner. Helmut Krebs’ wheedling jailer and Helene Werth’s mother give strong support to what can often be a one-man show. In the English excerpts, Norman Treigle brings his customary dramatic intensity to a role that fits him like a glove, and Richard Cassilly is a beguiling, incongruously sweet-toned villain. The sound in both selections is excellent.

OD 11311-1