Enna: Kleopatra

[mikehopf]

On Danish Radio DR P2 Saturday evening

Opera nights: Kleopatra

The Danish composer August Enna's opera Kleopatra as it sounded when The Jutland Opera set it up in the spring as the introduction to a series of Danish unknown operas.
Elsebeth Dreisig, Kleopatra.
Magnus Vigilius, Harmaki.
Lars Møller, Sepa.
Ruslana Koval, Charmion.
Jens Bové, Schafra.
Kirsten Grønfeldt, Iras.
Den Jyske Operas Kor.
Odense Symfoniorkester.
Dirigent: Joachim Gustafsson. (2 hfrs., 40 min.)

[Alan Howe]

First published in 1893.

[M. Yaskovsky]

I hope a DaCapo release on (SA)CD will be available soon!

[BerlinExpat]

Did anyone record this? I was away when it was broadcast.

[regriba]

According to the website of the Jutland Opera (unfortunately only in Danish), there will be a Dacapo release:

https://jyske-opera.dk/arkiv/saeson-18-19/kleopatra

[Alan Howe]

Translated from the Danish:
"The recording and later publication on CD has been done in a collaboration between The Danish Opera, Dacapo, DR P2 and Odense Symphony Orchestra."

[DK]

It's still available on DR.dk:
https://www.dr.dk/radio/p2/p2-operaaften/p2-operaaften-kleopatra

[BerlinExpat]

Many thanks DK. I tried that as the obvious place to go but couldn't master the Danish enough to locate it.

[Mark Thomas]

My thanks for the link too, DK. A recording of the broadcast is now available in our Downloads Board here. It will be deleted when the commercial recording is published. At first sampling it promises to be a delightful listen: dramatic, full of melody, and sumptuously, if anonymously orchestrated. Apparently, the Danish of some of the non-native principals is suspect, but that's not something on which I could pass judgement and I have no criticisms of their efforts, although I'm happy to bow to our experts Alan and Hadrianus if my standards are too low.  According to a review of the performances which preceded the recording, it's cut here and there and the most obvious casualty is the impressive Overture, but that's available already on a cpo CD. The ballet, though, is included. The vocal score (from which the Overture is also absent) is available at IMSLP if you want to check what else is missing. Highly recommended for lovers of full-blooded romantic opera.

[Alan Howe]

Ironic, isn't it, that Domingo gets criticised for his poor German and yet I'll bet hardly a mention is made of the poor Danish on offer here. Not that I can tell...

[Gareth Vaughan]

According to a review of the performances which preceded the recording, it's cut here and there and the most obvious casualty is the impressive Overture

I wonder if the overture will be added for the CD release. One can hope! I should add that I do have that CPO disk of the VC which includes the "Cleopatra" overture (and it is indeed a fine work IMHO), but it would be good to have it as part of the opera package.

[Mark Thomas]

Interestingly, the cpo booklet describes the Overture as being played in the "concert version", but perhaps that just reflects the fact that Breitkopf & Härtel published the Overture at the opera proper in separate editions. That may also explain why the opera performance omitted the Overture.

[M. Yaskovsky]

Cd release announced at prestoclassical, october 30, 2020

[Alan Howe]

Should I be interested in this, though? Nothing by Enna has really hit the mark with me. Yet.

A few more details here:
https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.226708-09

[Mark Thomas]

I remember enjoying the recording of the radio broadcast when I listened to it 14 months ago, but I haven't listened to it since and have retained nothing of the music itself, which maybe tells you all you need to know.