Korngold Das Wunder der Heliane

[M. Yaskovsky]

It pains my ears, both singers! Add to that the unforgiven writing for voices by mr. Strauss............... Long live vibrato, which 'school' is that?

[Alan Howe]

Vibrato isn't the issue here, but control. All singers (unless they're early music specialists) employ vibrato, but Jagde's gets wider, slower and throatier the more pressure he puts on it. I tell you this: he'll ruin his voice if he pursues the path he's on at present. He's half-way there already.

Another horror show can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0a8fsxp-rc
Here's Bryan Hymel showing proper vocal control:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW0yIa7uOQ8

[brendangcarroll]

Last year's accalimed production of Korngold's 'Das Wunder der Heliane' in Berlin was recorded and filmed and is about to be released in High Definition Blu-ray and DVD editions by Naxos. See link:

https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=2.110584-85

It is also available for pre order at Amazon at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Korngold-Heliane-Jakubiak-Albrecht-2110584-85/dp/B07QQHM7YS/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Korngold&qid=1556899071&s=dvd&sr=1-2

The street date is June 14.

[Alan Howe]

Sara Jakubiak soars magnetically in this production - which is 'orrible, by the way.

[adriano]

As mentioned earlier, the biggest problem for me of this opera is it's painful libretto...

[brendangcarroll]

The first review of the new Bluray/DVD is just published, here:-


https://onlinemerker.com/blu-ray-disc-dvd-korngold-das-wunder-der-heliane-mitschnitt-aus-der-deutschen-oper-berlin-vom-maerz-april-2018-inszenierung-von-christof-loy-naxos/


BRENDAN G CARROLL

[adriano]

Yeah, but this is a review about the staging. The muscial performance and the singers are reviewed more in detail here:
https://onlinemerker.com/berlin-deutsche-oper-das-wunder-der-heliane/

[Alan Howe]

For the purposes of objectivity I think Mr Carroll should make clear his involvement in this project.

The above review (in Mr Carroll's post) is typical of most modern examples of the genre, with no mention of the quality of the singing apart from that of Sara Jakubiak (who, as I have indicated, is excellent). By contrast, the recent series of opera recording reviews by Ralph Moore published at MusicWeb are a model of their kind, with proper attention given to the quality of the singing on offer.

[brendangcarroll]

I don't think there is any secret about my "involvement" - I wrote the notes and supplied some archive materials. I did not direct the opera, conduct it, hire the singers or have any involvement whatsoever in the production at the Deutsche Oper.

There was no ulterior motive in my post, in spite of the inference give by Mr Howe.

I posted the review because I love this oera and thought it might be of interest for those who might be wondering whether to invest in the Bluray - which is very good, compared to most opera recordings IMO.

And just for the record - if this Bluray sells well, I won't be getting any royalties or a little brown envelope from Naxos either.

[Alan Howe]

Amidst the interest (quite rightly) generated by the new recording, I would caution against writing off the classic Mauceri/Decca performance. Much has been made of Tomowa-Sintow being somewhat over the hill by the time she recorded Heliane; however, she is a great singer and her singing in alt is lustrous in the extreme. Her rendering of 'Ich ging zu ihm' is that of a truly great Strauss soprano and remains hard to beat.

[Alan Howe]

There was no ulterior motive in my post, in spite of the inference give by Mr Howe.

I think Mr Carroll means 'implication' - but there was none. I was simply seeking clarification. I didn't know, for example, that Mr Carroll had written the notes and supplied some archive materials (how would I?). Whether he likes it or not, that counts as involvement - although in this respect we should probably be grateful that, as President of the International Korngold Society, he has given us the benefit of his expertise.

[Alan Howe]

OK, I'm going to say it: I find certain sections of this opera glorious, but the remainder a terrible bore. It's too long, too self-indulgent and the composer could have done with the stage nous of a Puccini, i.e. musical scissors. I hardly ever listen to it and certainly won't be buying the DVD having seen excerpts from the dire production it perpetuates.

[brendangcarroll]

For those who may be interested :

http://operajournal.blogspot.com/2019/06/korngold-das-wunder-der-heliane-berlin.html

[Alan Howe]

Sorry: it's not a masterpiece. It contains some fine music, but that's not sufficient to justify the claim; and then, as Adriano has pointed out, there's that painful libretto.

I see no reason - musically speaking - to purchase this if one already has the Mauceri/Decca recording.

Finally, I do not take on trust what critics say about the quality of singing on offer. Very few care about even vocal production and beauty of tone; one has to distinguish those who understand and appreciate good vocal technique from those who do not.

[Alan Howe]

Again, this silly, irrelevant question of "masterpiece". Who cares? it's an enjoyable score which will pleasure many listeners. Alan, your arrogant dismissal again brings you into disrepute.

Well, it was the OperaJournal article referred to by Korngold expert Brendan Carroll that made the claim:

So too it transpires is Das Wunder der Heliane (Heliane's Miracle), another Korngold masterpiece that has been largely neglected...

I simply disagree with this. Disagreement is NOT the same as 'arrogant dismissal'. In any case, I didn't dismiss the opera: in fact I said that it contains 'some fine music' and that some sections are 'glorious'. That would make it more of a mixed bag, which I believe is nearer the truth...

Please do read what I actually wrote.