Search - Wagner, Kirchhoff, Berger :: Second Act of Tannhauser: Bridal Scene Lohengrin

Ancient Historical Recordings of Lyric Wagner

Doug - Haydn Fan | California | 12/11/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This Cd combines two historical recordings of selections from Wagner opera at the very beginnings of sound recordings, Act II of Wagner's Tannhäuser, and a few scenes from Lohengrin with the great Emmy Destinn.



The Tannhäuser selections here run about an hour long, and contain almost all of the second act. Made in 1909 this was done on twenty - yes, 20! - '78 shellac records. (1) The original volumes of records would have filled nearly a foot or so of shelf-space! How we've progressed! Soprano Annie Krull, who had just created the role of Richard Strauss's Elektra that same year in Dresden, sings a full voiced noble Elisabeth. Her voice sounds out reasonably well, the early acoustic process showing her a genuine Wagnerian soprano. Tenor Fritz Vogelstrom doesn't strike me as bad so much as just not the tip-top, he's simply not in the same league with such superb contemporary Wagnerian tenors as Urlus or Paul Franz. The lower ranges among the men record better, and they all sound veterans of their parts, and the lyric stage. Conductor Künneke and the engineers keep the important singers front and forward and the music moves along at a good if not rushed pace. In the background can be heard the muted sounds of the backup orchestra, a pathetic and silly acoustic haze created by a baker's dozen instrumentalists. As a mark of the seriousness of the endeavor, the choir - or at least members - of Berlin's Königlichen Hofoper makes ghostly appearances - even the distant recording cannot hide their quality; sadly we're miles away from the post World War II sound given Wilhelm Pitz's splendid Bayreuth choruses.



This Preiser recording also offers some selections of the great Emmy Destinn as Elsa in Lohengrin; hers is the most majestic and impressive singing on this recording.



Brave pioneering recordings of Wagner, with better singing than I imagined to hear. But again, only for those who are used to acoustic recordings of opera! The Tannhäuser selections can also be found on a Minerva Cd - not the version to get.



(1) One site says the Tannhäuser was recorded originally on Edison cylinders. Will check and see.



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