Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: RIAS Kammerchor
Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: DSD64 (iso)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 5.91 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Tamino: Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Pamina: Evelyn Lear (soprano)
Papageno: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Papagena: Lisa Otto (soprano)
Queen of the Night: Roberta Peters (soprano)
Monostatus: Friedrich Lenz (tenor)
Sarastro: Franz Crass (baritone)
3 ladies: Hildegard Hillebrecht, Cvetka Ahlin & Sieglinde Wagner (soprano & mezzo-sopranos)
3 boys: Rosl Schwaiger, Antonia Fahberg, Raili Kostia (sopranos & contralto)
CD 01
01. Ouverture
Die Zauberflöte. K.620. Erster Aufzug
02. No.1 Introduktion: “Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!”
03. No.1 Introduktion: “Wo Bin Ich?”
04. Die Zauberflöte. K.620. Erster Aufzug No.2 Arie: “Der Vogelfanger Bin Ich Ja”
05. No.2 “He Da!” – “Was Da?”
06. No.3 Arie: “Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon”
07. No.3 “Ruste Dich Mit Mut Und Standhaftigkeit”
08. No.4 Rezitativ Und Arie: “O Zittre Nicht. Mein Lieber Sohn!”
09. No.4 “Ist Es Denn Wirklichkeit. Was Ich Sah?”
10. No.5 Quintett: “Hm. Hm. Hm.”
11. No.6 Terzett: “Du Feines Taubchen. Nur Herein!”
12. No.6 “Bin Ich Nicht Ein Narr”
13. No.7 Duett: “Bei Mannern. Welche Liebe Fuhlen”
14. No.8 Finale: “Zum Ziele Fuhrt Dich Diese Bahn”
15. No.8 Finale: “Wie Stark Ist Nicht Dein Zauberton”
16. No.8 Finale: “Schnelle Fusse. Rascher Mut”
17. No.8 Finale: “Es Lebe Sarastro. Sarastro Soll Leben!”
CD 02
Die Zauberflöte. K.620. Zweiter Aufzug
01. No.9 Marsch Der Priester
02. No.9 “Ihr Eingeweihten Diener Der Gotter Osiris Und Isis!”
03. No.10 Arie Mit Chor: “O Isis Und Osiris”
04. No.10 “Eine Schreckliche Nacht!”
05. No.11 Duett: “Bewahret Euch Vor Weibertucken”
06. No.11 “He. Lichter Her!”
07. No.12 Quintett: “Wie? Wie? Wie? Ihr An Diesem Schreckensort?”
08. No.12 “Tamino! Dein Standhaft Mannliches Betragen Hat Gesiegt”
09. No.13 Arie: “Alles Fuhlt Der Liebe Freuden”
10. No.13 “Meine Mutter!”
11. No.14 Arie: “Der Holle Rache Kocht In Meinem Herzen”
12. No.14 “Morden Soll Ich?”
13. No.15 Arie: “In Diesen Heil’Gen Hallen”
14. No.15 “Hier Seid Ihr Euch Beide Allein Uberlassen”
15. No.16 Terzett: “Seid Uns Zum Zweitenmal Willkommen”
16. No.16 “Tamino. Wollen Wir Nicht Speisen?”
17. No.17 Arie: “Ach. Ich Fuhl’S. Es Ist Verschwunden”
18. No.18 Chor Der Priester: “O Isis Und Osiris”
19. No.18 “Tamino. Dein Betragen War Bisher Mannlich”
20. No.19 Terzett: “Soll Ich Dich. Teurer. Nicht Mehr Sehn?”
21. No.19 “Tamino! Tamino!”
22. No.20 Arie: “Ein Madchen Oder Weibchen Wunscht Papageno Sich”
23. No.20 “Da Bin Ich Schon. Mein Engel!”
24. No.21 Finale: “Bald Prangt. Den Morgen Zu Verkunden”
25. No.21 Finale: “Der. Welcher Wandert Diese Strasse Voll
26. No.21 Finale: “Tamino Mein! O Welch Ein Gluck!”
27. No.21 Finale: “Papagena. Papagena. Papagena! Weibchen.”
28. No.21 Finale: “Nur Stille. Stille. Stille. Stille!”
29. No.21 Finale: “Die Strahlen Der Sonne Vertreiben Die Nacht”
This is a very satisfying account of ‘Die Zauberflöte‘, principally on account of Böhm’s handling of the score. He inspires the Berlin Philharmonic to convey a Masonic ‘gravitas’ which is in keeping with the philosophy of Enlightenment Reason which lurks behind the pantomime elements of this unusual work. You will certainly find deliberate speeds here, which may not be to your taste if you like fleet, revisionist, original-instrument Mozart. Vocally it’s the women in this recording that have had a bad press: but Evelyn Lear has some lovely tones in her voice even if there are occasions when Pamina’s music presents her with challenges. If you want perfection in this part, go for Janowitz on the Klemperer recording (but be warned, that has no dialogue). Similarly you may feel that Klemperer’s young Lucia Popp easily outclasses Roberta Peters as Queen of the Night. But Peters still has pin-point accuracy and presents Pamina’s mother as an icy, calculating customer. It’s all a matter of taste.
Klemperer’s Sarastro on the other hand, Gottlob Frick (well-known for his brilliant Hagen in Solti’s Gotterdammerung) is really having an off day, fluffing one of his lower notes in Act 1 seriously. Franz Crass on this recording, sounding younger than the average Sarastro, has all the notes and the firmness too.
Wunderlich’s Tamino for Böhm has been praised to the skies and rightly so; Fischer-Dieskau’s delightful Papageno is a winner as is his destined partner Lisa Otto as Papagena. Admittedly Böhm’s Three Ladies are adequate rather than distinguished and it is a disappointment having female singers as the Three Boys (though they make a fair stab at it). Much depends on the kind of approach which suits you in this opera. For overall vision however this recording is still hard to beat. The sound is excellent and you are drawn into the semi-secret rituals of Mozart’s late masterpiece in the German singspiel style.