Richard Strauss Georg Solti Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - Strauss Der Rosenkavalier (43 tracks) +Album Reviews

Solti ROSENKAVALIER: Magnificent, Uncut Remastered Recording

Jaime J. Weinman | Canada | 09/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At the time I write this, Amazon.com has little information about this recording, almost ensuring that it won't sell. Too bad, because this is one of the finest if not *the* finest recordings of this opera ever made. Unlike the famous Karajan version, this recording is uncut (and much of what is usually cut is valuable, either for the music or the words). Among the shockingly few uncut recordings of ROSENKAVALIER, it really has only one rival, the Erich Kleiber set (also on Decca), and that is in so-so mono sound while this is in excellent stereo sound. Moreover, the remastering (by Jimmy Lock, one of the original engineers) is a big improvement over the last CD incarnation, free of most of the harshness that afflicted that earlier remastering. This recording has it all: great sound, splendid conducting (Solti rises to the big schmaltzy moments but is also alert and imaginative in the conversational sections, with the result that they never get boring), beautiful orchestral playing. Above all, it has a perfect cast: Regine Crespin in one of her greatest roles (even if she was in slightly better voice for a highlights disc recorded three years earlier), Yvonne Minton as a convincingly boyish Octavian, the young Helen Donath as Sophie, Manfred Jungwirth as a convincingly brutish and loutish Ochs. All these singers characterize so well with their voices that you can practically picture their facial expressions as they sing, so brilliantly does the story come to life. The supporting cast is also great, including the young Luciano Pavarotti in his first appearance in the cameo role of the Italian Tenor. Don't miss this recording."

Fabulous Crespin

Good Stuff | 03/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is probably a good idea to remember Solti came along roughly at the time stereo sound was being introduced (not exactly, but close enough for my argument). I've always felt Decca wanted a conductor capable of demonstrating to one and all why the improvements stereo offered over mono were worth spending money on. Solti was just what they were looking for. Hair trigger climaxes, louder than loud fortissimi, often brisk tempi to the point of being brusk, etc. The thing is, as people got used to stereo sound, the need for "sound demonstration" decreased. Unfortunately, Decca and Solti never figured that out. So, Solti remained Solti. Don't misunderstand me. Decca and Solti have given us a legacy of wonderful recordings (not including, in my opinion, The Ring, but that's another story). This "Rosenkavalier" is one of them. Yes, Solti is still Solti. Overemphatic to a fault. Decca is still Decca. Every small detail in the clearest relief, whether Strauss intended it to be so or not.But it has Crespin. That would be Regine Crespin, to the younger amongst us. One of the great soprani of the 20th Century. And, arguably, in the finest recording she ever made. Those of us who were lucky enough to have heard her in the house on a good night (she had bad ones from time to time) will forever be grateful this recording, the best document we have of her fabulous voice, exists. The rest of the cast is good, although perhaps not quite up to her standard. Yvonne Minton had a distinguised career, and every note she sings her is just about perfect. But she was always, at least to me, a bit too reserved. I always wanted her to just let loose. So far as I know, she never did. At least not in the recording studio. Helen Donath is as lovely here as she was in the house. A great artist. Manfred Jungwirth is teriffic here. He presents a vivid image of Ochs. Pavarotti doesn't have a clue about the satirical nature of what he is singing, of course. You need a Gedda for that. But he sure does sing it!I know I'm not being terribly critical, but I can't help it. Regine Crespin was a force of nature and I cherish my memories of her. And this recording.By-the-way, although the new cover art is abysmal (the original LP box set's cover was silver with a beautiful embossed silver rose in relief) the new mastering actually makes what was already good even better. I marvel at the untiring technical wizards in their endless quest to make something just a little better."

Cut vs. Uncut - a comment

Jaime J. Weinman | Canada | 06/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't want to argue about the merits of one performance vs. another, because that's obviously purely a matter of taste (I don't share the general high opinion of the Karajan/Schwartzkopf version; I much prefer the Solti, the Kleiber, and even the recently-reissued Bohm version). What I do want to argue about is the statement that the uncut version is a "disappointment" compared to the cut version recorded by Karajan. While I don't have time to go through this in detail, every traditionally-cut passage is one that has an important dramatic or structural function. Take the Baron's monologue. Yes, the usually-cut section has crude lyrics. That's part of the point. More importantly, in the full version of this monologue, we can hear the development of Marschallin's attitude towards Baron Ochs; she starts by being amused by the Baron's anecdotes and is obviously disgusted with him by the end of the passage (Crespin conveys this very well). It's a long opera, and cuts may be necessary in the theatre, but there's simply no excuse for it on a recording where you can always fast-forward through the bits you don't like. So I would say that anyone's first ROSENKAVALIER should be an uncut version -- if you're absolutely allergic to Solti, then get the Bohm version recently reissued on DG (with stereo sound and a cast that's about as good as Karajan's, though not up to Solti or Kleiber)."

A great Strauss recording salvaged by remastering

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The CD revolution of the 80s sent record companies scrambling to transfer their LP treasures into digital sound. Ironically, Decca at first came up with shrill, metallic transfers that betrayed their famous analog sound. And so matters stood for over a decaade with such indispensable recordings as Solti's Ring cycle and renowned Strauss operas. Der Ronsenkavalier was severely harmed given that the LP version was already a birght recording with x-ray detail.

But here it is sounding, if not mellow, at least not ear-piercing. The loudest tuttis from the ever-magnificent Vienna Phil. still cause some ear burn, but the voices no longer do, thank God. It's a joy to hear Crespin, Minton, and Donath soar on high without having to wince. As for the performance itself, I agree with almost every reviewer here. Solti drives a bit hard and is prone to over-emphasis, but he lowers the sugar content considerably, a great thing in Rosenkavalier. His aim is pointed drama, not luscious Viennese schlag. His singers follow suit, especially Yvonne Minton, who gives us an impetuous, headstrong Oktavian shorn of feminine nuance--this boy strides the stage like a man.

Manfred Jungwirth abolishes the stereotype of Ochs as a buffoon; his characterization is full of sharp personality and shrewd detail; he's capable of being boorish and snappish, proud and brutal, without turning those attitudes into jokes. This Baron would run right over you if you stepped in his way. Helen Donath sings with complete ease and girlish charm as Sophie,. In my mind, Regine Crespin is probably Schwarzkopf's only rival in the modern era as the Marschallin. Solti never stops moving things along, so Crespin isn't given the proper setting for an inward, reflective performance of the kind Schwarzkopf had mastered. Instead, this Marschallin is restless, at times panicky, alert, and seductively young--a great portrayal full of womanly warmth as well.

In sum, I will turn to the famed Karajan/Schwarzkopf set on EMI for wisdom and the Solti for thrills. Highly recommended.

P.S. - A mid-riced 'Originals' version was issued in 2008 that mmight be softer still in the remastering -- I haven't heard it yet."

The Finest of the Der Rosenkavaliers

The Cultural Observer | 01/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are a few recordings of Strauss where the singing, the conducting, the orchestra, and all other elements of the production and engineering work together to create a recording that is definitive across all standards. This is one such recording, and even as great and brilliant Rosenkavaliers by eminent conductors like Carlos Kleiber, Bernard Haitink and Christian Thielemann come with their own sets of strengths, Solti still trumps them all in a reading of the opera that not only sets the tone for the music but also for Strauss and Hofmannsthal's delightful Viennese drama. More so than Karajan and Erich Kleiber, Solti sets the music on a kind of propulsion and pulse that never flags, allowing the multiple scenes that usually substitute well for melatonin to capture the listener's attention.

Solti himself once consulted Strauss on the ideal baton technique for this opera, and the composer remarked as a matter of fact that one should look no further than the text to find the rhythmic pulse on which this Viennese clock runs. Solti took this to heart and produces a reading of the Straussian score that is clearly intertwined into the humor and comedy of the text. It is not nearly as indulgent as Karajan's classic Philharmonia interpretation, but this is for the better. The exchanges during the more placid and contemplative episodes of the opera are paced so naturally that any student of German can tune his ears to the sometimes witty, sometimes philosophical, and oftentimes intimate gabfest. In keeping with the majority of the work in his Straussian operas, Solti conducts this opera with the Vienna Philharmonic. The orchestra's assets have never been put in greater display than in this opera where the gossamer strings, the mellifluously dovetailed woodwinds, and the burnished, bronzen brass sections are balanced so create a perfect sound picture of the bygone Viennese epoch.

The cast couldn't be bettered. While Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Maria Reining have been passed down by history as the definitive Marschallins, I would say that Regine Crespin betters them both by combining a naturally regal, feminine, beautiful, and sympathetic tone with a sense of expression that is always sensitive to the text without overtly focusing on too many details. This is a Marschallin of poise and elegance, of wisdom and refinement. Passionate and funny in Act I, she comes to her own in Act III and creates a portrait of the character that is described by a graciousness unparalleled by Schwarzkopf's cool interpretation. All the wisdom of the Marschallin in the first Act is played to a tee, with that deep and contemplative scene about time never sung better as it is in this recording. Only Reining could equal Crespin in her assumption of the part, and the French soprano betters her due to her security of voice. Crespin's Marschallin was thankfully captured at the prime of her instrument, producing the most sonorous sounds that truly define the grace and elegance of the Princess von Wurdenburg. A class act, if there were any other.

Yvonne Minton plays the Count Octavian di Rofrano in this recording. While many listeners consider Christa Ludwig to be the ultimate German mezzo, the Australian singer Minton in a way betters Ludwig's assumption by creating a count more boyish and more alive in comparison to the former's Octavian. Ludwig was never particularly fond of the role either, and in the end, even if her vocalism is memorable, Minton creates a character that is more alive, more youthful and vibrant, and more in keeping with the qualities of a callow youth in love. Along with Helen Donath's gorgeous and unparalleled bell-like Sophie, Minton sings the finest presentation of the Rose on disc. The glorious, lush orchestral backdrop is simply perfect and creates the ideal foil for these two talented singers to soar in one of the most beautiful scenes in the opera. But ultimate doesn't get better than when the two singers are joined by Crespin's Marschallin in what must be the best closing trio in recordings--sung with refulgent tone and intimately expressed to end a most memorable recording.

Manfred Jungwirth is delightful and vocally resplendent as Ochs, and he creates a dumb, funny, and comic relief of a character that plays into the irony of the opera. Luciano Pavarotti is perfect as the Italian tenor, and the rest of the cast rounds out what I deem as the finest Rosenkavalier of all time."

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