Search - Johann II [Junior] Strauss, Franz Lehar, Emmerich Kalman :: The Best of Operetta, Vol. 1

A Great Introduction to Operetta

Timothy Kearney | Hull, MA United States | 03/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"An analogy describing operetta music could be as follows: operetta is to serious classical music as bubble gum pop tunes are to the music of the Beatles. While many opera fans enjoy operetta, it is not seen as all that serious, yet the musicianship that is required to perform many of the showpieces of operetta is the same as that of more serious opera. For this reason, when a full orchestra with competent singers performs operetta music, it is usually worth listening to, and this disc is certainly well worth listening to over and over again.The disc contains showpieces from many of the great operettas including Strauss' GYPSY BARON, Lehar's GUIDETTA, THE LAND OF SMILES, and MERRY WIDOW, and Kalman's GRAFIN MARIZA among others. The Hungarian Operetta Orchestra is conducted by Laszlo Kovacs and the soloists are sopranos Ingrid Kertesi, Zsuzsu Csonka and tenor Janos Berkes. Perhaps the best pieces on the recording are "Fruhlingsstimmen", "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" and the duet from Grafin Mariza. The disc does not give credit to the individual performers, so it we do not know which soprano is performing, but in all cases the voices are strong and beautiful. Berkes' tracks are well performed, but "O Madchen mein Madchen" is not as strong as other pieces he performs, but then again, he has great competition from other tenor greats who have attempted many of these pieces. In most cases, he performs admirably.Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of this disc is the authenticity. Many operetta recordings include excerpts from studio recordings of the entire work. This recording seems to be a studio recording where the pieces are performed individually, but the listener would not know this from the overall quality. The disc also contains liner notes that provide the lyrics of the pieces performed, which is an added benefit to this disc."

Terrific value!

Timothy Kearney | 01/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought all three discs in this series and heartily recommend them. At the price, you can't go wrong. My favorite is the first volume--after the opening waltz and two OK numbers, you'll find one lovely tune after another. I listen to this in my car and it shortens my perception of the commute.The recording is very good and the artists are pleasing to listen to. I don't care as much for the Fledermaus songs in the third volume, as the voices don't stand up to the caliber of Kiri Te Kanawa and others on the Previn Fledermaus disc--but they are still nice renditions."

A Great Pleasure

Stanley Hauer | Hattiesburg, MS USA | 07/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Treat yourself to these wonderful records (this one, plus the other two volumes). It's the best collection of Viennese operetta I know. The voices aren't the best--the tenor especially can be squally at times. No, this isn't Tauber or Schwarzkopf, but enjoy it for what it is: three hours of sheer pleasure."