Korngold Das Wunder der Heliane

[Alan Howe]

I assume this is referring to yourself. Surely the repertoire and public exposure is more important, can you do better yourself?

No, your assumption is wrong: I'm referring to such writer-critics as John Steane...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/J.-B.-Steane/e/B001HO8ULO/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
...and Ralph Moore (at MusicWeb) who care about these things and aren't afraid to challenge received opinions about singers. What they would tell you is that public exposure of any given operatic work is only of value if it is well sung. These days the emphasis is so much on directors and their clever production concepts that the singing is pushed into the background.

Have you ever read Steane's 'The Grand Tradition' on the art of singing? If not, do give it a go...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grand-Tradition-Seventy-Singing-Record/dp/0684136341

What I will concede, however, is that new Heliane/Naxos release is likely to be superlatively conducted and played under Marc Albrecht. I'm simply pointing out, though, that the singing from the likes of Jagde isn't really good enough and that there are other tenors who could have done a much better job.

I will send a recording team to your home...

And I'll gladly send you a copy of John Steane's magnum opus by return 

[der79sebas]

By the way, I bought the new DVD from the Berlin Heliane and it is great. Conductor and singers do a great job (expecially in comparison with the sloppy Decca recording), especially Jagde - one never would have believed that ANYBODY could sing this terrible part in such a magnificent way.

[Alan Howe]

It's worth hunting out examples of the singing of Carl Günther, who sang the role of The Stranger in the premiere of Heliane in 1927. I doubt whether many today even know the name. His was a beautiful voice...

[Kevin]

Is this only on DVD? what a shame if so, I don't know why the current trend of opera recordings don't come out on CD anymore(was hoping to get the new Vanessa too...but only on DVD I see...sigh). I'll just stick to the Decca release then.

[adriano]

Too many live operas today are being released only on DVD, alas! The same goes for Respighi's "La Campana Sommersa" (Naxos). I am not at all interested in some often silly and misleading stagings. The Respighi, however, makes an exception: the staging is extremely beautiful and stylistically conform.

As far as "Heliane" is concerned, I still find this "old" Decca recording a super achievement. Before I would share the opinion that it is "sloppy", I should have to compare it with a score...

Apropos Carl Günther (a superb voice!):
http://vocal-classics.com/product_info.php?info=p1227_Carl-G-nther--2-CD-.html

[Alan Howe]

This MusicWeb review indicates that Mauceri's conducting is anything but sloppy:

Decca's state-of-the-art recording in the grateful acoustics of the Jesus-Christus-Kirche in Dahlem catches all this to perfection and with a good amplifier and a set of first class speakers one can wallow in the rich sonorities of the orchestra, held on a tight rein by John Mauceri...
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/June07/Korngold_Heliane_4758271.htm

[Alan Howe]

For a blisteringly negative, but honest view of Heliane, try this:
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/l/lon75827a.php

[adriano]

Thanks, Alan! Very interesting.
As already mentioned in earlier postings, I have a (personal) problem with this opera because I find it too long, its music too turgid and its libretto quite awful :-)
I will re-listen to this particular recording these days - alas wihtout a full score... A piano reduction alone (see IMSLP) won't do to to establish exact judgements about the performance. Dynamics etc. in piano reductions are often different than those in the full score.
Korngold considered "Heliane" as "his most significant work"...

[Gareth Vaughan]

It's not often that I take issue with you, Alan, but you say the review for which you provide a link is "blisteringly negative", but "honest". That it is negative is beyond argument and clear enough to anyone who reads it, but how can one possibly know whether it is honest or not (I'm sure it is, by the way; I just don't know how you can state that)? I should perhaps add that I like Das Wunder der Heliane, whilst being keenly aware of its shortcomings, as, indeed, exposed very fairly IMHO in the cited review.

[Alan Howe]

All I meant by 'honest' was that there is no pretence on the part of Steve Schwartz to go along with what currently seems to be the dominant view of Heliane, i.e. as a masterpiece. In recent times I have read review after review lauding Heliane to the skies. Frankly, I don't buy this view, for the reasons Mr Schwartz and Adriano have given.

I too like the opera - well, parts of it. Perhaps if it were sung by the likes of Lotte Lehmann and Carl Günther I'd enjoy it more...

...or perhaps not.

[Gareth Vaughan]

In that case, I have no issue with what you wrote. I certainly wish I could have heard Carl Günther sing the part of The Stranger. The libretto is a terrible problem with Heliane. I think there was a period in German culture when 'drama' in which most of the players were symbols or archetypes became very popular (or fashionable) - perhaps it is something that appealed to the Teutonic psyche. I'm afraid that dramatically it is rarely very successful, even in an opera like Die Frau ohne Schatten where Strauss has a much better stab at making it work. Successful dramatic works, it seems to me, are almost always about real people in real situations, or at least situations the audience can relate to. Musically I think Heliane is better than you give it credit for - but as opera it is hamstrung by the libretto.

[Alan Howe]

Musically I think Heliane is better than you give it credit for - but as opera it is hamstrung by the libretto.

Perhaps we can agree, then, that it's a bit of a mixed bag.

With Die Frau ohne Schatten we at least have some well-sung performances on record to choose from. And, I think, a much more varied musical experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLW14CEAf70[url]

[der79sebas]

Oh no, do not come up with Domingo/Solti - that is possibly the worst available recording of "Die Frau ohne Schatten". Domingo's voice is totally inappropriate for this role and his German is unbearable.

[Alan Howe]

I disagree totally. Domingo sings with a beauty of tone and ease of vocal production that have never been matched on record. I agree that his German is poor - I speak the language myself - but I'll accept that shortcoming any day when the singing itself is so glorious.

Anyway, I'm aware that this is a controversial subject; I probably shouldn't have brought it up in this thread, for which I apologise.

And with that, back to Heliane.

[adriano]

I am also of the opinion that Domingo should never have sung German repertoire - for his latin pronounciation only - not for his voice. His "old" recording of Weber's "Oberon" is, still, quite acceptable - and respectable.
I can't listen anymore to his "Lohengrin", but for the same reason - but Solti is splendid (as in his "Frau ohne Schatten").
I had been rather furious to learn that Decca and Solti were also planning a "Tristan" with Domingo and Jessye Norman - and felt very happy that this never could be realized.

Yesterday I struggled myself through the first act of Mauceri's "Heliane". So far I have listened to this recording only once. I find it very well sung and conducted. But musically it's a boring affair and the orchestration is always so typically Korngold with an overactive Celesta etc. and those Wiener strings...

In my opinion, "Die Tote Stadt" is perfectly working - and a masterwork, compared to "Heliane". Everything is tight, it's theatre, it's diversified, plenty of dramatism and coming over like real fresh music.
"Violanta" is a similar good throw. Personally I consider "Heliane" an over-extended re-display of Korngoldian déjà-entendus. This, at least, is the impression I get after listening to the 1st act, but I am ready for suprises :-)
I am glad Kortngold later tried out new paths with "Die Kathrin" - but there (what a pity!) he failed as far as its third act is concerned - and this not only because of a disastrous libretto...