Richard WAGNER
(1813-1883)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1868)
Friedrich Schorr (bass-baritone) Hans Sachs; Elisabeth Rethberg (soprano) Eva;
Rene Maison (tenor) Walther; Eduard Habich (bass) Beckmesser; Karin Branzell
(contralto) Magdalene; Emanuel List (bass) Pogner; Hans Clemens (tenor) David;
Arnold Gabor (bass) Night Watchman; Julius Huehn (baritone) Kothner;
Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York/Artur Bodanzky.
‘Schorr as Hans Sach’s:
Was duftet der Fliedera; Wahn! Wahn!b; Abendlich Glühendc;
Sieh, Evchen!d; Aha! Streicht die lenee; Selig wie die
Sonne meines glückes lachtf.
aLondon
Symphony Orchestra/Albert Coates; bBerlin Symphony Orchestra/Leo
Blech; cfLauritz Melchior (tenor); cefLondon Symphony
Orchestra/cRobert Heger, eAlbert Coates, fSir
John Barbirolli; dElisabeth Rethberg (soprano); dorchestra;
fElisabeth Schumann (soprano); fBen Williams (); fGladys
Parr ().
Rec. Metropolitan Opera House, New York on February 22nd, 1936
(complete Meistersinger); aMay 1930, b1925,
cMay 1931, dDecember 1925, eMay 1930, fMay
1929.
GUILD
IMMORTAL PERFORMANCES GHCD2244/7 [4CDs: 263’00: 71’04 + 50’15 +69’41 +
72’00 ]
No
doubting whom the star is here. The booklet cover declares this is ‘FRIEDRICH
SCHORR in Richard Wagner’s …’. Note the capitals, here faithfully reproduced.
Although Bodanzky’s name is there on the box cover, it is completely absent
from the booklet cover. All of this is indicative of ‘Meistersinger as
the Friedrich Schorr Show’; 36 minutes of tacked-on excerpts with other
conductors under the umbrella heading of ‘Schorr as Hans Sachs’ kind of
confirm impressions. Sure, there is no doubting Schorr’s stature, but let us
not forget that the great Elisabeth Rethberg is there as Eva, not to mention
Emanuel List (Pogner) …
Whilst
Schorr’s Sachs was preserved in recorded excerpts, no complete opera was
recorded in the studios, so it is to the broadcast archives we must go. Schorr
sang at the Met for a full twenty seasons (taking 19 different roles). This
Meistersinger was recorded with a single mike pick-up so perspectives can
be mobile as characters move around the stage. There are also some cuts to the
score, including the second verse of Sachs’ ‘Jerum’. Guild have ‘slid in’ much
of Sachs’ response to the crowds’ acclaim (‘Euch macht ihr’s leicht’) from
Schorr’s 1931 commercially-available Victor 7682, altering the acoustic space
to fit the present performance. All this shows remarkable care on the side of
Guild, and the result is a glowing Meistersinger, not least because of
Herr Schorr himself.
It does
take the ear a while to adjust, though. The overture is shrouded in the mists
of time, but it becomes clear there is much dedication at work here. The
woodwind peck away nicely and in the main there is a serene lyricism. A pity
Bodanzky spoils the close of the overture, rushing in the final pages and in
the process spoiling the ‘surprise’ choral entry. Perhaps this was in an
attempt to foreground the lighter side of Wagner, but it takes away the
triumphant feel of the climactic fanfares, and their pre-echoes of the close
of the opera.
Schorr
is magnificent, especially in the second act. He is gripping right from the
outset; the ‘Flieder monologue’ is exquisitely fragranced; and he is nice and
lusty at ‘Jerum! Jerum!’. The Eva, Elisabeth Rethberg, sounds tremulous at
this point (‘Guten Abend, Meister!’), but nevertheless remains touching and
delicate. If there remain finer documents of Rethberg’s art, she nevertheless
remains the epitome of youthful freshness.
But
whatever Schorr’s strengths in the first two acts, his art reaches its zenith
in Act 3. The warm, dark tone speaks of an all-knowing compassion in the ‘Wahn
monologue’; he remains the mainstay of this performance. Perhaps that design
was right after all …
Rene
Maison takes the part of Walther. In Act 2 he sounds rather unfortunately like
Mime, throwing Rethberg’s lyricism into high relief, but the advantage is that
both of them sound youthful, as is entirely appropriate. The Act 3
‘Morgenlied’ is confident and inspiring, as of course it should be. Eduard
Habich is Beckmesser, and very funny he can be, too. Emanuel List is another
famous name, here taking Pogner. Impressive as he is, he can ‘crack’ at
critical moments.
Julius
Huehn is a powerful Kothner, if sometimes a little approximate. Hans Clemens
takes the part of David, a role he was particularly associated with at the
Met, and it shows. This performance is six years into his Met career, and his
confidence is most impressive. Magdalene (contralto Karin Branzell, who also
sang Fricka and Waltraute at Bayreuth) is rich of tone and clear.
Bodanzky
provides a reading which is always fluent if not of entirely exalted nature.
Not for him the heights of a Karajan or a Jochum. There are memorable
passages, however. The Prelude to Act 3 is rapt and sonorous of utterance,
attaining a dignity and breadth that makes one wish the entire performance
were like this. The greatest shame is that the finale is not as apocalyptic as
it could be, a direct result of Bodanzky’s somewhat limited vision. Despite
many insights along the way, and many pleasures (chiefly from Schorr), one
does not emerge uplifted at the end, and this is surely an acid test of a
performance’s effectiveness.
The
Schorresque appendix is fascinating, even if only approximate dates and only
one source number is the sum total of discographical information (is the
Malchior/Heger excerpt DA1227, for example?).
It is
always good to be reminded of conductor Albert Coates’ prowess as a Wagnerian,
and his strong conducting of another ‘Flieder monologue’ is welcome. Rethberg
is on excellent form in ‘Sieh’ Evchen!’ (VIC8195, December 1925). Coates’
direction again triumphs in ‘Aha! Streicht die lene’ (May 1930), which is
lovely, and expansive in conception (if not necessarily in tempo). How better
to finish this ‘Meistersinger experience’ off, but with the quintet ,
‘Selig, wie die Sonne meines Glückes lacht’, conducted by the miraculous John
Barbirolli with a line up that includes Elisabeth Schumann and Melchior. Here
is miraculous music-making, hushed and guaranteed to transfix.
Colin Clarke
Friedrich Schorr
