Albert Lortzing (1801-1851):Overtures

[terry martyn]

Some of us may still possess an old LP of Lortzing's Zar und Zimmermann (Opera Excerpts) with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. And one of the last LP's I bought was the Marco Polo disc of Lortzing Overtures.

cpo issued in August a very well-filled CD, supposedly of Lortzing Overtures.  Indeed,there are plenty of them,and only one duplication from the old Marco Polo recording ("Der Pole und sein Kind"). But about half the CD contains ballet music from a couple of his operas,Undine and Hans Sachs (their overtures appear on the old LP.but aren't duplicated),and two Concert pieces,the first for horn,and the second,a more lively affair,for trumpet.

This CD arrived ,together with the one of van Bree and the second volume of Potter. Personally, I think that the quality of music is superior to the Bree and (at least for the most part) to the Potter. Lortzing has a lighter touch than,say,Marschner, and ,I reckon ,even than Weber. He is obviously a consummate orchestrator and the works recorded here have a spring-heeled character.

I thoroughly recommend it,although,like many other CDs filled with overtures, I wouldn't necessarily want to listen to all of it in one go. But,if you dip in, I think you will be rewarded.

[Alan Howe]

This is the CD:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/albert-lortzing-ouvertueren-konzertante-werke/hnum/11475778

It's undoubtedly a fun recording, but it's a bit of a miscellany - five overtures, two Konzertstücks, two pieces of ballet music, i.e. not really comparable in terms of contents with the van Bree and Potter CDs (there's nothing of symphonic scope), but highly enjoyable nevertheless.

[terry martyn]

Of course,you are right,Alan, that the content of this disc bears no comparison with the van Bree or the Potter. However,the fact that these three discs arrived together,and I have now played them often,led me to the conclusion that the quality of Lortzing's composition was superior.  I stress that this is a purely personal impression, and,I may add, an unexpected one, because I expected much more of the Potter and much less from the Lortzing.

[Alan Howe]

There's a huge difference, though, between writing symphonies and operatic overtures. The only comparison that makes sense would be between the same type of composition by each composer. Lortzing was writing for the theatre; Potter was engaged in something rather more serious...

[terry martyn]

I take your point,Alan.

There are,of course, two concert-pieces in the Lortzing CD.  The second one,for trumpet and orchestra, is lively,concise, and I feel that its quality is far superior to Potter's concertante offering.

[Alan Howe]

That's entirely possible, but I sense that straws are being clutched at. The main point of the Potter CD is, after all, the two symphonies - of which Lortzing, as far as I'm aware, wrote none (for comparison purposes). Might it not be better to compare apples with other apples, rather than apples with pears?

[semloh]

Terry, do you feel it is worth purchasing this new CD, if you already have a digital version of the Marco Polo disc? I have to count the pennies! 

[terry martyn]

I certainly do, as,out of the nine items on this disc, there is only the one duplication ("Der Pole und sein Kind"). I personally feel that the orchestra has a better sense of Lortzing's light touch as an orchestrator than the one on the Marco Polo. It's a well-filled disc of joyous music. I can understand why,back in the day, he was accounted one of the top 100 composers,although I doubt that remained the view much after Edwardian times.

[semloh]

Thanks, Terry. That's pretty conclusive.