Atterberg: Aladin

[mikehopf]

   
128K (VBR) OGG VORBIS
128 MP3

64K MP3

Tonight on DRK
1805
1:05PM
Oper (Starts at 1805/1:05PM): Live aus dem Staatstheater Braunschweig

Kurt Atterberg "Aladin", Märchenoper für Erwachsene in drei Akten op. 43

Libretto: Bruno Hardt-Warden

Michael Ha, Tenor - Aladin
Frank Blees, Bass - Nazzredin, Sultan von Samarkand
Solen Mainguené, Sopran - Laila, seine Tochter
Oleksandr Pushniak, Bariton - Muluk, Großwesir Selçuk
Hakan Tiraşoğlu, Bass - Der blinder Bettler / Dschababirah
Andreas Sebastian Mulik, Tenor - Balab, Muluks Freund / 1. Ausrufer
Patrick Ruyters, Bariton - Derim, Muluks Freund / 2. Ausrufer
Yuedong Guan, Bariton - 1. Muslim
Tadeusz Nowakowski, Bariton - 2. Muslim
Chor und Orchester des Staatstheaters Braunschweig
Leitung: Jonas Alber

[adriano]

Yes yes, I know :-)
My 3 different recording devices are already set up 

[Alan Howe]

Belt, braces and a piece of string, eh? 

[Aragion]

Hope it will be recorded, I've forgotten to put the radio on...

Actually the opera is close in style to late romantics, like Wagner and R.Strauss, with oriental colouring similar to late XIX-century french operas.

[Mark Thomas]

Sounds right up my street.

[adriano]

My recording came out very well :-)
Tomorrow I will offer downloads. Could not listen to the whole yet, so my subdivision in tracks may be provisory, but I suppose:
Overture 6 min.
Act 1 36 min.
Act 2  14 min. (?)
Act 3  60 min.
(Which means I have no score at hand)
Looking at some productions photos: once more one of those typical modern Deutsches Regietheater "modern". Can't bear them anymore...
The bits I could listen to are absolutely beautiful!

[Aragion]

I think 1 act - 60 min, 2 act - 36 min and 3 act - 14 min))

[adriano]

I have a first section with big applauses after 40 minutes. As for the first act, you may have calculated with the long introduction with musical examples from his Symphonies.
Then follows another big applause after 14 minutes aready and a long last piece of an hour, ending the whole. Will listen tomorrow.

[britishcomposer]

My cable recording failed once more because I took the playing time as provided by Deutschlandradio for granted.
However, this was a live broadcast and it took longer than planned.
There was a 28 min introduction.
The Overture, later published separately as "Perpetuum mobile orientale" Op. 44, takes 6 min.
Act I: 51 min
Interval talk: 33 min
Act II: 38 min
Act III: my recording ended after 17 min.

Maybe some of your recordings have dropouts?
Nevertheless, I would be happy to get a "full" 3rd Act!

[mikehopf]

How strange to me are these timings.

Mine were:
Act 1 & 2: 59 minutes
Interval talk: 30 mins
Act 3: cut out after 57 mins

[mikehopf]

Amendment:
Act 1:          59 mins
Interval talk 30 mins
Act 2 & 3  : no interval my recording cut out at 57 mins

[adriano]

Thanks, mikehopf; in other words, Act 1 (50 minutes besides overture) has two scenes with an applause in-between.
In this case I suppose not being in need to offer my download and give the way free to your own.

[BerlinExpat]

I was there and despite the "regietheater" the opera was a real joy from beginning to end. I didn't think about timing the production but act 1 (2 scenes) before the interval was about one hour as was act 2 (2 scenes) and act 3 thereafter. I really hope that Hadrianus' recording succeeded, but if not we can look forward to it later (much?) as the broadcast was a co-production with CPO.
Given present events in the Middle East I wasn't at all surprised that "updating" took place. On this occasion I felt it worked because it reflected present reality rather than a romanticised notion of the well-known tale.
IMHO the "regietheater" of the provincial stages here in Germany is generally more successful than those of the major stages. For instance Gera/Altenburg's Rübezahl (Hans Somer) was presented in four different sets, modern yet effective, while the recent Les Huguenots (producer David Alden) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin was presented in one basic set with a handful of moveable props (including 3 large white horses on wheels?!), most of which made no sense. There was some wonderful singing but mostly nothing for the eyes to feast on in a generally static production that I at least won't return to. I often closed my eyes and let the music swamp over me.
The "Kubus" in Braunschweig made sense because it represented the "Kaaba" and it rotated and opened up to give us the changing scenes.
I am looking forward to Braunschweig's production of Zandonai's Giulietta e Romeo in the late spring, but the representative from Deutschlandradio who I spoke to, didn't know if it will be broadcast. One can only hope so as it would be the perfect addition to CPO's Zandonai series and as far as I know there is no modern recording of this unjustly (again, IMHO) neglected opera.

[BerlinExpat]

I don't know how it's happened, Mike, but the details are incorrect. Listed in DRK here is:

Kurt Atterberg
"Aladin", Märchenoper für Erwachsene in drei Akten op. 43
Libretto: Bruno Hardt-Warden und Ignaz Michael Welleminsky

Michael Ha, Tenor - Aladin
Frank Blees, Bass - Nazzredin, Sultan von Samarkand
Solen Mainguené, Sopran - Laila, seine Tochter
Oleksandr Pushniak, Bariton - Muluk, Großwesir
Selçuk Hakan Tiraşoğlu, Bass - Der blinder Bettler / Dschababirah
Justin Moore, Tenor - Balab, Muluks Freund / 1. Ausrufer
Patrick Ruyters, Bariton - Derim, Muluks Freund / 2. Ausrufer
Yuedong Guan, Bariton - 1. Muslim
Franz Reichetseder, Bariton - 2. Muslim
Chor und Orchester des Staatstheaters Braunschweig
Leitung: Jonas Alber

Note that the Staatstheater Braunschweig have restored the co-librettist's name.  Ignaz Michael Welleminsky was a Jew, and, before the German première in Chemnitz in 1941, he requested that Atterberg should withdraw his name from the programme. Welleminsky was deported to Bohemia in 1941 and Atterberg unsuccessfully attempted to get him to Sweden. It is not known precisely where Welleminsky died. One version suggests Bohemia 1941, the other Poland Springs, Maine, in 1942. 

[adriano]

Have found the break between acts 2 and 3, so there will be a nice subdivision.
Will place the download (with cover artwork) within 30 minutes or so. Anybody wanting .wav files instead of MP3 can contact me via messenger asking to send this other option.