As I've mentioned previously, as part of the Raff bicentenary celebrations two operas by Raff are receiving their premieres in the next few weeks. Firstly there's the Zurich Opera Collective's production of Raff's final opera Die Eifersüchtigen in the Theater Arth (https://www.theaterarth.ch/), Switzerland on 3 and 4 September, followed by performances in Zurich itself on 16 and 17 September. Full details here (https://www.opernkollektiv.ch/) - tickets bookable now. The poster promises an appropriately light-hearted staging, though clearly not 16th century Florence as intended by Raff.
(http://www.raff.org/otherpix/die_eifers%C3%BCchtigen.jpg)
That's followed a week later by Raff's second opera, the five act music drama Samson, which will premiere at the National Theatre (https://www.nationaltheater-weimar.de/de/index.php) in Weimar, Germany on 11 September, followed by a further eight performances. Full details here (https://www.nationaltheater-weimar.de/de/programm/stueck-detail.php?SID=3123) - tickets bookable now. Weimar has been one of those venues which in the past has indulged in some controversial Regietheater (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regietheater) stagings, so all bets are off as regards the production itself, but judging from this publicity shot it does at least look as if Samson's hair loss will feature:
(http://www.raff.org/otherpix/samson.jpg)
For any Raff enthusiast this is a dizzying prospect and I'm delighted to be going to both first performances, following each of which I'll post a report here. Samson (but not this production) will definitely be recorded next year by the Schweizer Fonogramm label as reported in this thread (http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,8462.0.html). I believe that a recording will be made of the Die Eifersüchtigen production, but it's not yet clear whether this will be a commercial release or just for private circulation. Interest has also been shown in recording Dame Kobold, Raff's most successful opera, but I've nothing concrete to report unfortunately.
...which is all terrifically exciting. Thanks for the report, Mark.
Yesterday, I got to know that Finnish conductor Joonas Pitkänen stepped in last-minute for Die Eifersüchtigen (don't know what happened to the original conductor, though). Funny how small the world of classical music is – Pitkänen is, among others, the conductor of an orchestra I played in until recently.
What might be of more interest to you – he reported that the music of ,,Die Eifersüchtigen" is very good, only the libretto "could use some retouching". Well, it's a comic opera after all, they seldomly have reasonable plots.
A shame that I can't make it to the performances. However, I read that there will be a recording and it sounded as it might be not only for private purposes (though I can't find the citation anymore – I might ask the conductor).
One of the later, Zurich performances will definitely be recorded but as far as I know it's not being made for any particular label to issue - that may depend on the quality of the recording. As for the libretto, even Raff's actress wife described it as "innocuous", and it is indeed more than a bit silly but as you say that's pretty much par for the course when it comes to comic operas.
Mr. Pitkänen could not tell more than this, either – but he will notify me as soon as he knows anything about the publishing.
I went to the well-attended premiere of Die Eifersüchtigen last night at the cosy theatre in the little lakeside town of Arth. Hearing a "new" Raff piece is always a pleasure, of course, but a staged opera lasting over two hours throws up so many fleeting impressions and distractions that it's very difficult to give more than a general view of the piece in advance of getting to know it better.
Firstly the music: This is late Raff, so one is treated to a kaleidoscope of orchestral colour, melody, mood and tempo. I certainly heard echoes of Welt Ende and the Shakespeare Preludes. Vocally the lines are unfailingly lyrical, as they are in Benedetto Marcello. The tenor Don Claudio in particular has a couple of splendidly melodic set pieces, while the servant Beppino has more dramatic or comedic material to work with. Beppino's is perhaps the largest role, with the rest of the cast having a roughly equal share. Overall, this opera is Raff in relaxed and inventive mode and anyone who enjoys the music of Benedetto Marcello will savour Die Eifersüchtigen.
I'm less sure of its dramatic success. Structurally it's unbalanced, with a very long first act in which Raff (his own librettist) introduces the seven characters and indulges in extensive exposition to set up the, not very complicated, plot. Musically it is full of incident, but on stage it did have its longeurs. I was told that some of the tempi may have been slowed down during rehearsals to make the orchestra's job less challenging, but the piece was played in full. In contrast, the second and third acts, when the plot gets underway, fairly flew by and were great successes.
The staging was minimal but effective - mainly umbrellas, lights and 20th century costume - but little more was needed and it worked. We were spared Raff's setting of 1500s Florence. The seven singers (there is no chorus) were all young professionals who generally did an excellent job with the wordy libretto, only being taxed on a couple of occassions. Despite an earlier idea that Raff's orchestration be pared down, that was not the case and a full orchestra was used, although a modestly-sized one of 36 players. This was certainly adequate in a theatre of this size, more would be needed in a larger venue.
Overall, then, a very welcome and successful debut for Die Eifersüchtigen and it's to be hoped that the planned recording will be generally available.
Very, very interesting, Mark. Now for the recording...
Having had a day to think about it, I do feel very positive about Die Eifersüchtigen. It really is a sunny piece. Anyone who knows the Overture from the various recordings will get a fair idea of the atmosphere of the whole work, even though that doesn't draw on material from the opera itself. The plot is slight (three couples with obstacles to their marriages, all of which are overcome) but doesn't seem any sillier than many others once it's on stage, and my German friends assure me that Raff's libretto, although clunky in places, is also quite witty and amusing. Certainly there were chuckles in the audience, and you can't say that about Wagner's "comedy" Die Miestersinger! The length of Act I is undoubtedly a weakness, one acknowledged by the Company who debated whether to prune it before deciding not to, but it does have some lovely music and I doubt that it will drag quite so much with familiarity. No such problem with the other two acts, which fairly sped along. Considering Raff's delicate health near the end of his life and the problems he was grappling with running the Hoch Conservatory, it's a minor miracle that he could pen such sparkling music.
I do hope that the planned recording will be generally available, but that's a decision for the Zurich Opera Collective, for whom it's being made.
This coming weekend sees the premiere in Weimar of Raff's music drama Samson, a fully-fledged five-act epic with many principals, full chorus and on-stage band, given by one of Germany's prestigeous provincial companies. It's a very different prospect and one I can hardly wait to see.
We await your report with bated breath...
Thanks so much for your report and thoughts, Mark. Was the non-inclusion of a chorus a decision applied to this particular performance, or does the work come with no chorus at all?
QuoteConsidering Raff's delicate health near the end of his life and the problems he was grappling with running the Hoch Conservatory, it's a minor miracle that he could pen such sparkling music.
Indeed that it was. We are thankful that music came to him as a gift and that he was such a workhorse throughout his very productive career.
Looking forward to the weekend very much. Raff's had a long time to wait for
Samson, but I'm sure it's going to be worth it. I was not happy I couldn't make it to that performance myself.
Thanks Tuomas. Die Eifersuchtigen has no chorus, just seven soloists and a couple of silent parts. If it wasn't for its length it could almost be a chamber opera.
Also, congratulations. This is a sure sign that Raff is increasingly getting the attention he deserves. Opera productions are complex even at modest scale, and the mere fact that people decided to perform these works says something about the fact that they consider the music worthy of that time and energy investment. I think you should consider this something of a personal triumph of your long dedication to Raff's cause.
I agree wholeheartedly, Ilja.
Take a bow, Mark.
Agreed.
My only observation would be that there would need to be more than one-off operatic productions for a proper recognition of Raff's genius to be taking place. And there haven't exactly been many concert performances of his other major compositions in this, his bicentenary year. This is, of course, an absolute scandal.
Huge thanks for the plaudits, chaps, but in this case they're undeserved. I'll certainly take my fair share of the credit for lifting Raff's profile over the years and getting recordings made, but when it comes to these two opera productions I've merely been a very enthusiastic bystander. All credit for Samson must got to Volker Tosta, proprietor of Edition Nordstern, who not only created the modern edition of the score, but also lobbied unceasingly for its production. He has also produced the critical edition of Die Eifersüchtigen, but in this instance the heavy lifting of getting it staged is down to Res Marty, president of the Swiss Joachim Raff Gesellschaft.
I must take mild issue with Alan's comment. In neither case are these one-off productions - there will be four performances in all of Die Eifersüchtigen and no less than nine of Samson, the final one on Christmas Day. Particularly in the later case, such a run in the prestigious venue of the Weimar German National Theatre is big, ground-breaking stuff. During the bicentenary year there will be 122 concerts featuring, or wholly comprising, music by Raff, including several performances of the symphonies and of Im Walde in particular. I think that's a very substantial achievement. Where I do agree with Alan, though, is that they're almost wholly confined to Germany and particularly Switzerland. A breakthrough there has happened, I believe, but Switzerland is only a small corner of the classical music world and there's still a long way to go before we see the Philadelphia Orchestra playing Raff at all, never mind as often as they're currently playing Florence Price!!
My point, as Mark rightly says, was that, for a more significant Raff revival to take place, there would need to be a wider recognition of his genius. While applauding the stage productions and greatly looking forward to the forthcoming recordings, my fear is that the revival will be confined to his bicentenary year and then lost in the mists of time.
What Raff needs is a number of high-profile advocates who will keep his music before the public in the coming years. That, I suppose, is the need of all the composers whose work is discussed at UC.
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Tuesday 06 September 2022, 07:42[...] I'll certainly take my fair share of the credit for lifting Raff's profile over the years [...]
This was my point, to be honest. It's very difficult to get any "new" works performed even occasionally, but I think your work (and by others, obviously) to promote Raff's music shows how it can be done. It's a long game, though.
:) 45 years so far...
In advance of Samson's premiere, I've just learned that the Weimar premiere on Sunday will be recorded by Deutschland Radio and broadcast on, I think, 8 October. A full report on the premiere itself follows in due course...
Wowee!
Everyone will be able to judge for themselves the quality of Samson when the recording of last night's premiere in Weimar is broadcast by Deutschland Radio Kultur on 8 October, but in the meantime here are my initial impressions.
This is a Raff we've never heard before, highly dramatic music imbued with a youthful energy and passion and composed on a large scale - five acts lasting just over three hours, including a brief interval between III and IV. There are all the lushly beautiful melodies one could hope for: stand outs being a tender duet between Delilah and her father Abimilech, the long love scene between her and Samson (of course), and one of the Act V ballet dances is Raff at his most raptly lyrical, but there is also a lot of declamation. Not Wagnerian sprechgesang, but Raff's own powerful, melodic but forceful version of recitative. The pace never flags, the orchestra is never merely an accessory to the voices but drives the action forward and, of course, Raff's writing for it is masterful and transparent even in the fullest passages. Stylistically, this is music which was modern in the mid-1850s, so there are certainly echoes of Lohengrin and Berlioz, not because Raff is copying Wagner in particular, but because this music was "in the air" amongst Raff and his contemporaries. That said, it is in no way derivative and you would never mistake Samson for one of Wagner's earlier operas. It is undoubtedly one of the pinnacles of Raff's oeuvre, clearly the high opinion which many of his colleagues, like Liszt, von Bülow and Schnorr von Carolsfeld (the first Tristan) had of the piece was not misplaced. It is such a contrast with last week's elegant Die Eifersüchtigen of 30 years later, much greater in ambition, if not in length.
What of the performance itself? The German National Theatre did the opera justice with a pre-performance discussion and a party afterwards. They obviously have high hopes for the piece, which will run for another eight performances between now and Christmas. The work isn't an easy sing for any of the five principals, and they all acquitted themselves well, I thought, although I did find Delilah's constant vibrato rather wearing. The chorus, which plays a major part in the outer acts, was large and made a fabulous sound, and what wonderful sonorities Raff conjures from it - absolutely thrilling. The orchestra, the full strength Staatskapelle Weimar under Dominik Beykirch, was equally impressive and his musical direction seemed to me at first hearing to be spot on.
On a personal note, I was so pleased to see my friend Volker Tosta, who was beating Raff's drum long before I came on the scene, receive due and enthusiastic credit, both before and after the performance, for creating a modern score from the manuscript and then lobbying long and hard for its production.
Unfortunately the staging, for me at least, detracted more and more from the performance as the evening wore on. One doesn't expect, or need, a traditional, historically accurate scenario, but a Samson spending most of his time in his underpants, Delilah's father being graphically beaten up, stripped to his waist and periodically pleasured by a silent female who seemed to spend the rest of the evening wheeling a bicycle around the set didn't do much for me, any more than the absence of dancers in the final act's ballet sequence was made up for by the elephantine antics of that splendid chorus. It probably wasn't regietheater at its most extreme, but I do look forward to hearing the broadcast without having to sit there wondering what on earth is it all supposed to mean? Still, the director was cheered at the party afterwards, so what do I know? But the music - wow!
I should have added that one of the best moments to listen out for in the broadcast is a magnificent quartet for four men (three of them principals) which is at the end of Act II. It is a really powerful passage, sung with strength and conviction. Samson isn't a "numbers opera" as such, of course, but it does have a clear structure in which duos, trios etc. crop up as the plot dictates.
Thank you for the review! I simply hate Calixto Bieito, as he already ruined Die Gezeichneten in Berlin and Flammen in Prague, but I'll try to go anyway.
Please do. You can always close your eyes, and the music is a real revelation.
Quotethe director was cheered at the party afterwards, so what do I know?
You know an unclothed Emperor when you see one!
This is really exciting. Will someone be able to capture the upcoming broadcast?
Some of your description reminds me of a videotape of Strauss' Electra (Bohm? Karajan?) played in 20th-century music class in college...
Ah, another Eurotrash production! What else these days? I've walked out of my share, unwilling to sit there eyes closed act after act. But at least a recording will be different.
Now, I'm dying to know: what did you think of the overture? Did they use the one composed by our mutual friend?
No, the Prelude which Volker Tosta and I commissioned from Avrohom Leichtling wasn't used, but we knew that it wouldn't be. The conductor now has the score, I believe, so we'll see what he thinks. My view is that Avrohom made a very convincing job, basing it on three or so themes from the opera, employing the orchestra Raff specified, and creating the same atmosphere as the opening choral scenes convey. His Prelude would be a more effective beginning to the work than the abrupt chords Raff employed, especially as this staging is more or less bare, so quite literally the stage is not set before the singing begins. A few minutes establishing the gloomy musical mood would have helped a lot. Raff himself recognised this and did apparently compose his own Prelude for the staging planned for 1865, but it hasn't survived, hence our attempt to replace it.
That's too bad. I, too, found it very convincing.
When I return home from Weimar I'll upload Avrohom's digital realisation of his score. It's good,
Calixo Bieito seems to have a serious personal problem with nudity; in his producions naked boys and men (generally more than women) alway have to appear. I think this has become, in the meantime, a rather cheap and worn-out tardemark for a stage director.
http://musicalsonline.com/calixto-bieito-naked-operas/
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/sep/03/calixto-bieito-shakespeare-mashup-forests
https://www.goodmantheatre.org/articles/a-journey-into-bieitoland/
Oh, dear. I'll be avoiding him for sure. This is shock-jock territory.
This very positive review in Die Deutsche Bühne (https://www.die-deutsche-buehne.de/kritiken/dem-vergessen-entrissen) (in German) also offers some clues as to what director Bieito may have had in mind, most of which escaped me at the time, I'll admit. It seems to me that Raff's take on the Samson & Delilah story is sufficiently subtle, and in particular very different to Saint-Saëns' in it's treatment of Delilah, that there's enough for an audience to take in seeing Samson for the first time (as they all will be) without having also to decipher Bieito's views on a whole load of modern-day issues which are aired in any medium day in, day out.
Yes, it's a very positive review.
I did wonder how Mark would react to this statement: 'Da wagnert ein Könner, was das Zeug hält!' Translated, the meaning is: 'An expert is 'wagnerising' (i.e. composing like Wagner) for all he's worth!' The critic mentions Lohengrin in terms of the choral writing, so I'm sort of wondering whether we'll find that this was as far as Raff went in being influenced by Wagner - i.e. this far and no further.
Any comments, Mark?
I'd have to listen to the recording to be sure, but my memory is that Samson does indeed come closer in places to being "Wagnerian" than anything else I've heard by Raff, but it's far from copying Wagner. It's quite consciously epic in scale and in places heroic in content, and I guess that the model for that style current in Weimar at the time was Wagner's newly-premiered Lohengrin. But Samson is much more lively, more varied in orchestral colour and more lyrical than Lohengrin, although I can see why a critic, hitherto ignorant of Raff, might think otherwise.
Quotea critic, hitherto ignorant of Raff
...and there lies our problem in a nutshell. It's all about the composer the critic already knows (Wagner) and making comparisons instead of taking Raff on his own terms.
As promised, our Downloads Board here (https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,8882.0.html) now has a copy of Avrohom Leichtling's own digital realisation of his Overture to Raff's Samson, which was conceived as a replacement for the Prelude which Raff had intended for the work, but which he never actually committed to paper. It employs themes from the opera in their original orchestration and I must say, listening to it again having just heard the whole opera for the first time, what an excellent job Avrohom made of it. I am even more impressed now by its faithfulness to the atmosphere of Raff's original and its appropriateness as an introduction to the work. It would be wonderful if Swiss Fonogramm could be persuaded to add it to the planned recording next year, maybe as an appendix? I shall certainly be suggesting that they do.
Another very positive review, from one of Germany's leading newspapers (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung):
https://m.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/buehne-und-konzert/urauffuehrung-in-weimar-joachim-raffs-oper-samson-18316425.html
(in German)
Wow! That gladdens the heart. Thanks.
This is the most interesting section of the FAZ review:
Äußerlich gibt sich ,,Samson" zwar als deutsche Version einer ,,Tragédie lyrique" mit Chören und Ballett in der Nachfolge von Meyerbeers Grand Opéra, doch die Partitur zielt unverkennbar auf die Verwirklichung eines durchkomponierten Musikdramas. Raff kam diesem Ideal sogar näher als Wagner selbst, zumindest in dessen bis dahin aufgeführten Bühnenwerken. Am ,,Lohengrin" hatte Raff in seinem Buch nicht nur kompositorische Mängel schonungslos analysiert, sondern auch fehlende Übereinstimmung mit Postulaten Wagners moniert, die dieser dann erst in seinem ,,Tristan" einlösen sollte.
Translation:
Although outwardly Samson purports to be a German version of a 'tragédie lyrique' with choruses and ballet as in a Meyebeer grand opera, the unmistakable aim of the score is the realisation of a through-composed music drama. Raff came closer to this ideal than Wagner himself, at least as regards the operas the latter had composed up to that point. As far as Lohengrin is concerned Raff in his book had not only pointed out compositional failings, and unsparingly at that, but had also complained that the opera didn't accord with Wagner's theories – theories which the latter wouldn't realise until later in Tristan und Isolde.
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Wednesday 14 September 2022, 15:00As promised, our Downloads Board here (https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,8882.0.html) now has a copy of Avrohom Leichtling's own digital realisation of his Overture to Raff's Samson, which was conceived as a replacement for the Prelude which Raff had intended for the work, but which he never actually committed to paper.
Thank you Mark – not only this but all the positive and indepth commentary about past Sunday's premiere. I can only wish more reviews and analysis were available in English for the international audience as well. Maybe those will be forthcoming later.
I had no idea Raff meant to amend the opening for the planned 1865 performance. I must say I like Leichtling's treatment quite a lot, it's very faithful to Raff's style and obviously put together with great respect towards Raff and his music. My only issue is that I'd still prefer the opening to remain relatively short and sweet, given it was Raff's original instinct to write it that way. 10 minutes for this prelude is stretching it for me. But that's just my personal preference in this case.
For comparison here is Raff's original opening, reproduced from his manuscript (which I agree is more than a bit abrupt): Opening of Samson (Noteperformer) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSesj2n6ruM). The sudden chords that Mark had mentioned strike at 0:35 in conjunction with the start of
Oberpreisterin's part.
Thanks for the thanks, Tuomas, and thanks also for the digital realisation of Samson's opening. As regards Raff's intended Prelude for the aborted 1865 premiere, we don't know much about his intention, beyond the fact that it was to have been based on a march in Act I, which strikes me as a potentially difficult trick to pull off effectively given the downbeat and anxious atmosphere in which the opera proper starts. Still, Raff knew what he was doing, or maybe he changed his mind and then the prospect of a performance receded and he just gave up. We'll probably never know.
Yesterday I attended the first Zurich performance of "Die Eifersüchtigen".
I share Mark's opinion that this work is a rather unbalanced affair - and consider it a disappointment.
The performance was rather good, but the staging is amateurish, clumsy and silly. A conceptional and effective "Personenregie" was missing, making thus the work more boring that it already is. And centurie's-old cliché singer's gestures prevailed...
The problem of this opera is that Raff tried to write a Musikdrama with continuously flowing music, with an endless coming-up of nice tunes, but the result is a incessant meandering between two - or even more - operatic genres like comic "number" opera, symphonic melodrama and others.
The introductory notes of the program booklet affirm that the work is based on the lightweight Italian tradition of Rossini and Donizetti: what nonsense! This is a typically German thing. And Raff too, as practically all German composers of the 19th century, were unable to produce comic operas as the Italian did! Furthermore, compared to what happened in Germany at that time, Raff's "Die Eifersüchtigen" come up as a rather old-fashioned thing.
I think the composer should have first decided to what he really wanted and in my personal opinion, he should have written instead a Singspiel, with separate arias, accompagnato recitatives, duets and ensembles - simply bound together by spoken dialogues. In fact, the arias, duets and ensembles are very beautiful, but one forgets them because of all the music binding them together, and there is just too much of it, so that one gets drowned.
The short overture and the two short intermezzi are very nice, but nothing new in Raff's catalogue.
The work is definitely too long (2 hours and 45 minutes): already at the end of the first act I felt bored and missed a musical-dramatic impact - and guessed that there was nothing more exciting to come. Raff's own fussy libretto, written in rimes - would have been ideal for a Singspiel or an Operetta - or a typical "number" opera in the Italian style. Of course, one gets incessantly impressioned by the composer's usual orchestral skills and nice tunes, and there are many dramatic and "in-between" lyric moments which can be considered as jewels - but they just fly by and get lost.
Even though the work is conceived for a reduced orchestra of 36 players, it is heavily scored, needing singers with rather powerful voices.
In other words, I fear that Raff's "Die Eifersüchtigen" will not be performed frequently in the future - and not find its way into opera house repertoire. It's a curiosity for smaller private opera companies, like this Zurich "Opern-Kollektiv" - who, musically, did a good job. But I bet its 2023 production of "Viva la Mamma" will be a more appropriate and successful production.
Incidentally, its instrumental ensemble bears the bold name of "Orchestra of Europe"!
Thanks, Adriano, it's always good to hear from you and get an expert opinion. As you recognise, I too think that the work is flawed dramatically but maybe I was more positive about the overall experience and focused more on the quality of all the music because, unlike you, I am no "man of the theatre". I suspect you're right in saying that, unlike Samson, Die Eifersüchtigen doesn't have much of a future on the stage but it will be interesting to see whether listening to the promised recording, enabling us to concentrate on the music alone, will be a more rewarding experience - I hope and believe it will, because as you point out there are some real gems in the score.
So: while Die Eifersüchtigen is probably for Raffians only, could Samson be for the world?
Will tell you this after listening to the October broadcast :-)
That's fair, but I don't think that Die Eifersüchtigen is for Raff enthusiasts only. As Adriano has written, much of the music is lovely and I'm sure will make rewarding listening but as a stage work it is obviously flawed. Clearly Samson impressed Germany's critics, which is surely a very encouraging sign?
I'll certainly want to hear the recording.
Die Eifersüchtigen: A recent Facebook post by the Zurich Opera Collective seems to confirm that that the recording made this weekend of the final pair of peformances will be generally available: "If you missed us, you can look forward to a live recording that will be available soon."
That's encouraging. Please keep us informed if you can, Mark.
I've seen micriphones in place: Hope they will record both performances and edit them into a mix (or do some post-performance corrections), since in the show I've attended there were a few shaky moments in the singer's and the orchestra's "being togheter". :-)
Both Zurich performances were recorded live, and also there were some non-audience "takes" to correct errors either by the performers or in the recording, so it should be the best that could be achieved.
So will this be an 'in-house' recording or is a particular label involved?
I have absolutely no idea. I know the sound engineer, and when we last spoke he didn't know to what use the recording would be put, but the Opera Collective's recent Facebook post implies that it will be made available to the public. If I find out anymore, I'll post it, of course.
Here's a taste of the tenor who sang Samson in Weimar, Peter Sonn (here in Die Walküre):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgSh_f3nKi0
He's robust and has an attractive timbre, but a rather slow vibrato lower down. Impressive, but not world-class.
And here's the soprano, Emma Moore, who sang Delilah - a big, rather over-vibrant voice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IdW5P2RZD4
Of course, we might all have wanted the world's best for such a 'big sing', but they clearly did a fine job.
Returning to Die Eifersüchtigen, I'm told that the recording sessions were successful and that editing is now underway. Certainly, judging from the Overture, which I've just heard, the recording quality seems to be first rate.
Great! Thanks, Mark.
Don't forget tonight on Deutschlandfunk Kultur:
19:05 Uhr
Oper
Nationaltheater Weimar
Aufzeichnung vom 11.09.2022
Uraufführung nach 170 Jahren
Joachim Raff
,,Samson"
Musikdrama in drei Abteilungen auf ein Libretto des Komponisten
Samson – Peter Sonn, Tenor
Oberpriester des Dagon – Avtandil Kaspeli, Bass
Abimelech – Uwe Schenker-Primus, Bariton
Delilah – Emma Moore, Sopran
Gefangenenwärter – Jörn Eichler, Tenor
Micha – Taejun Sun, Tenor
Oberpriesterin der Astarte – Sayaka Shigeshima, Mezzosopran
Frau aus dem Volke – Franziska Löber, Sopran
Opernchor des Deutschen Nationaltheaters
Extrachor aus Studierenden der Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt
Staatskapelle Weimar
Leitung: Dominik Beykirch
Thnaks, Adriano. Is anyone able to record this, please?
I certainly will be, but won't uploading it in here.
But suppose other members will too.
To members I have already corresponded privately or know me, I will send a download link - in case no one else will upload.
I'll give it a shot tomorrow.
Thanks!
Listening to yesterday's Weimar broadcast of "Samson" was a pleasure. I do not bother to criticise the singers, but the conducting and overall playing was quite excellent.
This will be a great pleasure for all Raff fans - and you will discuss all this more in detail. It's an over 3-hour's, immensly rich and felicitous score!
Disturbing extra stage noises, including, groaning, weeping, coughing, vomiting - and particularly a heavy panting after the opera's very last chords (so the audience has to wait for the final applause) belong, of course, to Mr. Bieito's usual scenic effect's catalogue. Hope the CD recording will take out at least this last rubbish.
As usual, recording from the Radio was an adventure. I have three sources at disposal, two of them were cut out already at 35 minutes and the third was OK, except for a second's fraction break during the final ballet (which I could tentatively repair). Suppose they will produce a podcast or somebody else in here was more lucky.
Deutschlandfunk's online player (with programming and recording facilities) is totally unrealiable, as well as internet Radio and digital cable radio - after all we are in the 21st century!
So let's wait until another download appears... Mine is, except as far as that little "repair" is concerned) excellent, with extra editing, as fade ins and -outs and without all the blablah's in-between the acts.
Incidentally, Mr. Bieito is rehearsing here in Zurich a production of Cavalli's opera "Eliogabalo". No better subject for him, I already imagine what all kind of perverse things are going to happen on stage!
QuoteI do not bother to criticise the singers
The tenor was awful. By the end he was virtually hoarse.
This is a symptom of a much broader problem, i.e. that we simply don't have the tenors capable of singing this repertoire. Remember: Raff intended the part of Samson to be sung by the great tenor Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld who created the role of Tristan in Wagner's opera. Today, we would need a Vickers, Domingo or Kaufmann to fill the role adequately. Instead we have provincial tenors who have no business singing this repertoire. Sad.
Yes, Alan! A real, robust (and good) Wagner tenor would have been appropriate!
In the meantime I could find another recording of the 3rd act, which had landed on a different chapter of my Sound Card. In other words, my sound files should be mint now. Those who want to burn CDRs from all this, a break during the first act is necessary, since it goes for 82 minutes...
QuoteThose who want to burn CDRs from all this, a break during the first act is necessary, since it goes for 82 minutes...
I use 90 minute CDs for this kind of thing! I have a copy albeit with mini repairs that are practically unnoticeable. I can't upload as I'm ikn Scotland and only have mobile internet with limited capacity.
Act 3 runs to 38 minutes and acts 4 & 5 to 72 minutes.
The recording of Die Eifersüchtigen (to be issued on CD by Stille Liebe) is mentioned here:
https://stille-liebe.de/rafflieder.html#header13-3s (click on Projects > title of opera)
Raff's "Samson" in Berne:
https://buehnenbern.ch/spielplan/programm/soko-01-samson/
https://wemakeit.com/projects/opera-samson-by-joachim-raff?locale=de
Mark, will you travel?
They also say it will be published on CD (Label: Schweizer Fonogramm), calling it a "world premier recording" - so what about last year's cpo Weimar production? Do they still intend to issue it in spite of those horrible staged extra noises?
Quote from: adriano on Wednesday 30 August 2023, 22:15Do they still intend to issue it in spite of those horrible staged extra noises?
I hope not. It was difficult to listen to.
Quote from: adriano on Wednesday 30 August 2023, 22:15Mark, will you travel?
Unfortunately not, Adriano, I've way too much going on at home at present. To the best of my knowledge there's no prospect of a commercial release of the broadcast recording of the Weimar premiere, although "horrible staged extra noises" doesn't seem to prevent labels issuing other opera recordings. On the other hand, I have now been lucky enough to hear the recording stitched together from the various
Die Eifersüchtigen performances in Switzerland last year and it's first rate, so I do hope that'll be available at some stage, though I've no idea which label might issue it
Here's a very encouraging review (https://www.oper-aktuell.info/kritiken/details/bern-samson-raff-08092023.html) (in German) of last week's concert performance of Samson in Bern featuring the cast of the Swiss Fonogramm recording finished just days before.