MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - Operetta Arias

"Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was always at her most enchanting in Viennese operetta, and this recording was made in 1959 when her voice was in prime condition. (There are) 13 delightful arias on this beautifully recorded disc, and how superb she is in all of them."
* * * * * 5 Stars - BBC Music Magazine

This wonderful recital of operetta favourites was recorded in London in 1957 and demonstrates how perfectly Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, better known for her singing of more serious repertoire, had mastered the idiom and style of this popular entertainment.

No less remarkable is the equally idiomatic response the brilliant Romanian-born conductor Otto Ackermann coaxes from a British (and not a Viennese) orchestra, the Philharmonia at the peak of its form.

Predictably, the repertoire covers Lehár, Johann Strauss (the enormously popular Nuns' Chorus from Casanova), Heuberger (the seductive 'Im chambre séparée'), Suppé, Millöcker and Zeller. The recital ends with Rudolf Sieczysky's waltz-hymn in praise of 'Vienna, city of my dreams' which, though so much in the spirit of operetta, is actually a single song, the composer's first published work.

For this reissue the original tapes of this irresistible music-making have been newly remastered at Abbey Road Studios. The booklet contains the German sung texts, which also appear in newly commissioned English and French translation.

"Schwarzkopf does this kind of thing superbly... How can this recital, beautifully recorded and accompanied, fail to give pleasure?"
(Gramophone)

Award: Edison Stichting, Netherlands

For further titles in this excellent series type "great recordings of the century" into search

Review on this series by one of our customers:
"Just a little feedback on this outstandingly superior set of reissues. Of all the recent remastered performances coming out, this set is easilly the best. There is a very definite improvement in detail, dynamics and openess. But the most notable improvement is in sound stage presentation where there is very good transparency of sound. This is especially good with the EMI GR's. The others, Decca Legends and Philips 50 seem to achieve good transparency but at the expense of depth (there is a more shallow soundstage front to back image). I have been able to compare a couple of them with older ADD reissues and also the original vinyl records. The best of the series are the Rachmaninov symphony 2, the Mahler # 2 and especially the Mahler # 5 you just sent me.....awesome performance and recording. I presume the Abbey Rd engineers are using 24 bit, 96K technology like the other companies. If only we could "playback" with this technology. Maybe we will one day. Anyway Guys, just pass this on to your classical people so they get some feedback. I will be geting some more of these GR's in due course." Regards, Graeme York

All 100 great performances in the new Great Recordings series have enjoyed the application of ART - an acronym for Abbey Road Technology - and means that they have all been remastered at the music world's most famous studio, a subtle modification that enhances each and every one with a stronger sense of presence and realism to bring out the best sound quality.

"EMI's Great Recordings of the Century is exactly what it says: these classic interpretations warrant a place in everybody's collection."
The Times (October 1998)

Other EMI Great Recordings of the Century:
Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (German Requiem): Elisabeth Schwarkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Otto Klemperer

Chopin - Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2: Samson Francois, Louis Fremaux

Dvorak - Piano Concerto (with the Schubert Wanderer fantasy): Sviatoslav Richter

Faure - Requiem: Victoria de los Angeles, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Cluytens

Humperdinck - Hansel & Gretel: Elisabeth Grummer, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, von Karajan

Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde: Christa Ludwig, Fritz Wunderlich, Klemperer

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, von Karajan

Paganini - 24 Caprices: Itzak Perlman

Satie - Gymnopedies & other piano works: Aldo Ciccolini

Schubert - Symphonies 3, 5 & 6 - Sir Thomas Beecham

Johann Strauss - Die Fledermaus: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicolai Gedda, Rita Streich, von Karajan

Verdi - Don Carlos: Placido Domingo, Montserrat Caballe, Carlo Maria Giulini

Verdi - Falstaff: Tito Gobbi, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Herbert von Karajan

Wagner - Lohengrin: Jess Thomas, Elisabeth Grummer, Christa Ludwig, Kempe