Franz Lehar Otto Ackermann Philharmonia Orchestra of London - Lehr The Merry Widow (21 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Franz Lehar, Otto Ackermann, Philharmonia Orchestra of London
Lehár: The Merry Widow
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (21) - Disc #1
1. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Overture
2. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 1. Verehrteste Damen und Herren
3. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 1. So kommen Sie! 's ist niemand hier!... Ich bin eine anständ'ge Frau
4. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 1. Bitte, meine Herrn!... Hab' in Paris
5. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 1. O Vaterland, du machst bei Tag... Da geh' ich zu Maxim
6. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 1. Damenwahl!
7. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 1. O kommet doch, o kommt, ihr Ballsirenen
8. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 1. Der junge Mann tanzt Polka
9. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Ich bitte, hier jetzt zu verweilen
10. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Nun laßt uns aber wie daheim... Vilja, o Vilja, du Waldmägdelein
11. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Heia, Mädel, aufgeschaut
12. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Wie die Weiber... Ja das Studium der Weiber ist schwer
13. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Mein Freund, Vernunft!... Wie eine Rosenknospe
14. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Sieh dort den kleinen Pavilon
15. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Ha! Ha!
16. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Ein flotter Ehestand soll's sein
17. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Es waren zwei Königskinder
18. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 2. Ich gehe zu Mazim
19. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 3. Njegus, was is das... Ja, wir sind es, die Grisetten
20. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 3. Bei jedem Walzerschritt
21. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act 3. Ja, das Studium der Weiber ist schwer

CD Details

All Artists: Franz Lehar, Otto Ackermann, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Anton Niessner, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Emmy Loose, Erich Kunz, Josef Schmidinger, Nicolai Gedda, Otakar Kraus
Title: Lehár: The Merry Widow
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Opera D'oro
Release Date: 3/23/2004
Genre: Classical
Styles: Opera & Classical Vocal, Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 723724653825

CD Reviews

The most joyous Merry Widow of all

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 03/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although I could easily live or die by Schwarzkopf's version of The Merry Widow made in stereo with von Matacic as conductor, this earlier mono recording from 1953 exudes sheer joy. For naturalness and the true Viennese style, many prefer it. In her prime Schwarzkopf's ability to communicate a silvery ecstasy through her voice was unique. Opera d'Oro has seized upon the fact that EMI's classic Viennese operettas are steadily going out of copyright; I have no idea what source they used, but the sonics are good, with the orchestra clear and the solo voices close up; only a bit of microphone shatter betrays that this isn't a first-rate copy.

The secondary couple of Emmy Loose and Nicolai Gedda are delightful, quite the best I've ever heard, and Otto Ackermann's conducting is to the manner born. As for the widow's lover, Count Danilo, both of Schwarzkopf's recordings employ a baritone rather than a tenor--in the stereo version it's the rather fierce Eberhardt Wachter, here the more amiable Erich Kunz. His main flaw is a certain boisterous coarseness when he should be romantic and urbane, but Teutonic humor isn't easy to export. In sum, there are more smiles on this disc than in any half dozen other operetta recordings."