Johann Strauss II: Jabuka / Pollack, Johann Strauss Orchestra

Notes and Editorial Reviews

Buy it for the dance arrangements: you’ll be whistling them long past New Year.

Our thoughts naturally turn to Johann Strauss II at this time. Thanks to the New Year’s Day concert in Vienna, his waltzes have helped to see in the New Year for generations. This world premiere recording from Naxos gives an airing to an extremely rare Strauss operetta. It’s certainly worth a listen for parts of the disc, though ironically not for the operetta itself.

Jabuka (The Apple Festival) had a rather tortured birth. It is set in a fictional Slavic town, and the very informative booklet notes suggest that Strauss was influenced in this direction by the staging of Smetana’s Bartered Bride in Vienna in 1892. However, the Read more two librettists had different ideas about what form the piece should take: one wanted a classical operetta while the other wanted a more serious operatic setting. As a result the plot is pretty see-through and this probably contributed to its lapse into obscurity after its successful first performance. It’s all about disguise, mistakes and a haughty heroine gaining her comeuppance, but what operetta isn’t?

The conductor, Christian Pollack, is a professor at the Vienna Conservatory. He prepared the score and assembled the orchestra, and some of his students sing in the lesser roles. This seems very much a labour of love for him, and this is apparent in his conducting. He has an instinctive feel for the natural swing of Strauss’s rhythms, and he brings out the colour in the sparkling orchestration beautifully. This is clearly music that he lives and breathes. The European Johann Strauss Orchestra was assembled specially for this recording (most come from the Brno Symphony Orchestra) and they are the best reason for buying this set. They are especially attractive in the Dance Arrangements which Strauss made from the Operetta, included as an appendix on Disc 2. The chorus are composed of university and high school students, and unfortunately it shows. They seem remarkably bound to their seats and their performance never catches fire or taps into the energy of the piece. They are far too serious for this light score, and it is almost as if they were singing in a requiem rather than an operetta.

The solo singing is too variable. Mirko and Vasil, the two brothers who act as heroes (sung by Thomas Tischler and Wolfgang Veith), get into the spirit very well and sing ringingly throughout. Elisabeth Wolfbauer is also attractive as Annita. In some cases, however, the sound made by the singers is just plain unpleasant. Veronika Groiss, who sings the heroine, Jelka, is squally and insecure throughout, and Franz Födinger, who sings Joschko, is out of tune almost throughout. He acts in the comic role of the court bailiff, and no doubt Strauss experts would tell me that he is merely using the Sprechstimme style expected in operettas of Strauss’s time, but I’d rather have tuneful singing, thank-you very much. While it’s normal Naxos practice, it doesn’t help that there are no texts or translations, just a cued plot summary.

It says something that the best element of this set is the orchestral dances derived from the operetta. Jabuka is diverting, but it isn’t a patch on Strauss’s more famous operettas. Stick to Die Fledermaus and The Gipsy Baron if you want Strauss on the stage. This recording plugs a gap, however, and we should be grateful to Naxos for continuing to do such excellent work in expanding the repertory. Buy it for the dance arrangements: you’ll be whistling them long past New Year.

-- Simon Thompson, MusicWeb International
Read less

Works on This Recording

1. Jabuka "Das Apfelfest" by Johann Strauss Jr.

Performer: Helmut Josef Ettl (Baritone), Franz Födinger (Tenor), Wolfgang Veith (Tenor),
Thomas Tischler (Tenor), Michael Schober (Bass), Veronika Groiss (Soprano),
Elisabeth Wolfbauer (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Christian Pollack
Orchestra/Ensemble: Johann Strauss Orchestra Vienna, Gaudeamus
Period: Romantic
Written: 1894; Vienna, Austria
Language: German

2. Jabuka "Das Apfelfest": Potpourri by Johann Strauss Jr.

Orchestra/Ensemble: Johann Strauss Orchestra Vienna
Period: Romantic
Written: 1894; Vienna, Austria

Sound Samples

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act I: Prelude - Introduction: Jabuka wird gefeiert heut'! (Staklo, Chorus)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act I: Trio with Chorus: Ihr Burschen und Diener (Mirko, Vasil, Staklo, Chorus)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act I: Entree-Couplet: Im ganzen Land bin ich bekannt (Joschko)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act I: Sextet: Zivio! Zivio! Lasst die Glaser erklingen! (Mirko, Joschko, Franjo, Anitta, Vasil, Bambora)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act I: Ensemble: Zu Hilfe, zu Hilfe, Ihr Leute, herbei! (Jelka, Petrija, Mischa, Staklo)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act I: Ensemble: Was seh' ich? (Jelka, Petrija, Mirko, Mischa, Joschko, Staklo)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act I: Duet: Vergebens, dass ich spahe, verlassen liegt der Ort (Jelka, Mirko)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act I: Finale: Heraus da! Heraus! Naher, Weib und Mann! (Jelka, Petrija, Mirko, Joschko, Mischa, Staklo, Chorus)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act II: Introduction - Draussen gibt es weit und breit Jubel Tanz (Sava, Mirko, Chorus)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act II: Duet: Es war einmal, es war einmal im Marchen nur (Annita, Vasil)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act II: Quintet: So, ich bitte, nur herein! (Joschko, Jelka, Sava, Petrija, Mirko)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act II: Couplet: Wie die Chroniken vermelden (Joschko, Annita, Mirko, Vasil, Bambora)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act II: Finale: Naher, naher, nur herbei! (Jelka, Annita, Petrija, Mirko, Vasil, Joschko, Bambora, Mischa, Chorus)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act III: Entr'acte

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act III: Ensemble and Ariette: So frech uns zu storen unser Plaisir! (Bambora, Mischa, Chorus)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act III: Couplet: Mit den schlechten Zeiten ist es jetzt vorbei (Joschko)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act III: Mocking-Chorus: Sag' doch (Jelka, Ladies Chorus)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act III: Quartet: Siehe die Sonne vergluh'n in Pracht (Jelka, Mirko, Annita, Vasil)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest): Act III: Finale: Ob auch das Gluck uns warten lasst (Jelka, Annita, Mirko, Sava, Joschko)

Ich bin dir gut!, Walzer, Op. 455

Zivio!, Marsch, Op. 456 (orch. G. Fischer)

Das Comitat geht in die Hoh'!, Polka schnell, Op. 457 (arr. L. Roth, orch. C. Pollack): Das Comitat geht in die Hoh'! Polka schnell, Op. 457 (arr. L. Roth, orch. C. Pollack)

Tanze mit dem Besenstiel!, Polka francaise, Op. 458 (arr. L. Roth, orch. C. Pollack)

Sonnenblume, Polka mazur, Op. 459 (arr. L. Roth, orch. C. Pollack)

Jabuka-Quadrille, Op. 460 (orch. C. Pollack)

Jabuka (Das Apfelfest), Potpourri (arr. anon., orch C. Pollack)

Customer Reviews

Be the first to review this title

Review This Title

Featured Popular Composers

Featured Popular Conductors

Featured Popular Performers

Featured Popular Ensembles

Featured Popular Labels

Johann Strauss II: Jabuka / Pollack, Johann Strauss Orchestra

Notes and Editorial Reviews

Works on This Recording

Sound Samples

Customer Reviews