Notes and Editorial Reviews
OPERETTE
•
Julia Migenes (sop); Manfred Schmidt (ten);
1
Elisabeth Glauser (alt);
2
Curt Cremer, cond; Cologne R Ch
3
& O
•
ACANTA 233673 (57: 58)
LÉHAR
3
Guiditta:
Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiß;
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class="SUPER12">3
In einem Meer von Liebe.
Der Zarewitsch:
1
Warum hat jeder Frühling, ach, nur einen Mai; Einer wird kommen, der wird mich begehren.
Friederike:
Kleine Blumen, kleine Blätter; Warum hast du mich wachgeküsst.
Schön ist die Welt:
Sag, armes Herzchen, sag.
FALL
Die Rose von Stambul:
3
Rosig strahle heut dein Angesicht.
Die Dollarprinzessin:
3
Schreibmaschinenmädel muss schnell die Hände rühren.
EYSLER
Bruder Straubinger:
3
Es blühn im Liebesgarten wohl zu viel schöne Frau’n.
KÜNNEKE
Die große Sünderin:
1
Immerzu singt dein Herz meinem Herzen zu.
Der Vetter aus Dingsda:
Strahlender Mond.
VON SUPPÉ
Boccaccio:
2
Die Glocken läuten hell und rein;
1
Florenz hat schöne Frauen
This is one of those CDs that bring a smile to the face and put joy in one’s heart. Julia Migenes, at one time (actually for a fairly long time) known as Migenes-Johnson, had sung Maria in
West Side Story
and was Hodel in the original
Fiddler on the Roof
with Zero Mostel, but her early classical career was in Europe where she won a stream of “golden” awards: the Golden Camera, Rose, Lion, and Bambi (the latter two years in succession). It was during this period, in 1978, that she recorded this operetta album, and despite the fact that her voice is recorded exceptionally forward, which gives it an occasionally brittle edge that was not always apparent in her live performances, it is a lively and infectious recital of operetta arias and duets.
If I bring particular attention to the aria from Leo Fall’s
Die Rose von Stambul
it is only to illustrate what was missing in the complete recording of this operetta on Naxos. It’s not merely vocal quality—soprano Kimberly McCord had a pleasant voice—but sheer enthusiasm in delivery and especially the conducting. There are also four duets on this disc, three with tenor Manfred Schmidt and one with contralto Elisabeth Glauser, and all are excellent, Schmidt in particular having a lovely tenor voice and the kind of energetic style (though not quite as fine a voice) one normally associates in this music with such singers as Fritz Wunderlich.
As noted above, one must give equal credit for the success of this disc to conductor Cremer, and also kudos to the Cologne Radio Chorus, which sings in a real no-holds-barred style. It’s not often that an American soprano is able to identify so completely with operetta, but in this case it works splendidly. Indeed, as an example of true multiculturalism, she is an American of Greek-Puerto Rican-Irish descent! If operetta is one of your interests, then, you’ll certainly want this disc on your shelf!
FANFARE: Lynn René Bayley
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Works on This Recording
1.
Giuditta: Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss by Franz Lehár
Performer:
Julia Migenes ()
Conductor:
Godfried Ritter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cologne Radio Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1934; Vienna, Austria
Length: 5 Minutes 14 Secs.
4.
Giuditta: In einem Meer von Liebe by Franz Lehár
Performer:
Julia Migenes ()
Conductor:
Godfried Ritter
Period: Romantic
Written: 1934; Vienna, Austria
Length: 5 Minutes 20 Secs.
14.
Boccaccio: Florenz hat schöne Frauen by Franz v. Suppé
Performer:
Manfred [Tenor Vocal] Schmidt (),
Julia Migenes ()
Conductor:
Curt Cemer
Period: Romantic
Written: 1879
Length: 4 Minutes 53 Secs.
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