The Alchemist has been recorded by Spohr champion, Christian Frohlich, with the Braunschweig State Orchestra, on the Oehms label. Herr Frohlich must be one of us! Hooray for this elegant, noble composer. Due for release April 15. Happy Spring!
If this is the recording I think it is, it was taped May 24, 2009 and broadcast on German radio. It has been floating around privately since then.
The production was planned for the 150th anniversary of Spohr's death in 1859. The cast is solid, led by the veteran Berd Weikl, and Frohlich's vivacious way with Spohr's theatre music is well-known to the faithful from his overtures disc for cpo. He doesn't disappoint here. The piece is a strong one and self-recommending to just about everyone but D. Hurwitz. Now we need Pietro von Albano, so admired by Meyerbeer.
David
Had to say Happy Birthday to Spohr. It's fun, even sweet how this release was timed for his Birthday. Some of the excerpts may display what he was criticized for, others are elegiac, deeply-felt, wistfully lyrical, aristocratic. Even with drawbacks, it can't be doubted that he was sincere, erudite, and, at his best, suavely polished. Not in form or architecture, but in intent, atmosphere, and paradigm, he was surely a harbinger of what we call quintessentially Romantic.