Eugen d'Albert: Der Golem

[Revilod]

A live recording of d'Albert's opera "Der Golem" is due out from Dabringhaus and Grimm very soon.

http://www.crotchet.co.uk/MDG9371637

In fact, it's already listed on Amazon.de.  If it's anywhere near as good musically as "Die Toten Augen", it should be well worth investigating.

[Alan Howe]

Not sure these excerpts sound particularly inviting...
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Eugene-d-Albert-Der-Golem/hnum/4300316
...but hope I'm wrong!

[Revilod]

Oh, I dunno! It's impossible to gain any idea of quality from those little snatches...just as it would be from tiny excerpts from established masterpieces such as the Wagner operas.

[Alan Howe]

Well, they don't sound inviting - but, as I said, I hope I'm wrong...

[Mark Thomas]

Is Der Golem a late work by D'Albert? His vocal writing changed substantially in later years, away from the full-blooded romanticism of his early works.

[Alan Howe]

Yes, apparently it was premiered in 1926.

[Mark Thomas]

Not for me then, I imagine.... 

[Revilod]

There are a couple of very enthusuastic reviews of the music by German critics here:

http://www.luetjeartist.com/212.0.html

"great playing of appealing melodies"..."the sound ...becomes so captivating that it becomes incomprehensible why this piece is played as rarely as it is"  "resplendent and absolutely appealing piece"

I'll definitely give it a go!

[Alan Howe]

Do post your reactions when you receive the CDs!

[Mark Thomas]

Yes please. Always happy to have my prejudices confounded.

[Gareth Vaughan]

This is wonderful news. The score is very powerful IMHO - almost Schreker-like in places.

[Revilod]

I've just published a review of "Der Golem" on Amazon.co.uk  here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Golem-DAlbert/dp/B0040VJU5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1288974548&sr=8-1
If anyone else has taken the plunge (it'll set you back the best part of £30) I'd like to hear their impressions.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

On the assumption that Revilod is identical with 'someonewhocares2' I'd like to express thanks for that Amazon review.

But how deeply, deeply disappointing that the set does not contain an English translation of the libretto. It is, as you say, a music-drama and thus being able to follow the sung text is crucial (blame it on language provision in British schools but whilst I can just about cope with written German if I have time enough and a dictionary to hand, with sung German then as far as my sad linguistic skills go they might well be singing out shopping lists).

Doubly disappointing given that the marketing and the price suggest quite a sumptuous package in which provision of a multi-language set of notes would be a natural expectation. Sadly a question mark is now placed on my wants list.

Peter

[Revilod]

Yes, "someonewhocares2" is one of my aliases.
It is a pity that the libretto is in German only. This is bound to affect sales though, to be realistic, I don't suppose  "Der Golem" would sell well outside Germany in any case. I suppose the problem was that it would have been necessary to commission a translation. CPO managed it, though. They provided an English libretto for "Die Toten Augen". Some days ago I sent Dabringhaus and Grimm an email asking if an English libretto is available anywhere.  They haven't replied yet and I'm not at all hopeful.