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PUCCINI: Madama Butterfly GILBERT & SULLIVAN: HMS PINAFORE / THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat, Op. 73 "Emeror." Viennese composer/conductor Alexander Von Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942) was a contemporary of Richard Strauss and Erich Wolfgang Korngold both of whom influenced Zemlinsky's style. He composed profusely including seven operas, symphonies, symphonic poems, chamber music and works for voice. One of his best known works is Lyric Symphony scored for soprano, baritone and orchestra. He was a famous conductor of hiss time and led orchestras in P{Prague Berlin and Vienna. This fascinating new disk commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the composer's birth. Zemlinsky was highly respected as a conductor. CD notes mention that Stravinsky said in 1964 that a Prague Zimlinsky performance of The Marriage of Figaro was "the most satisfying operatic experience of his life" This disk offers all of the comductor's commercial recordings. We have overtures by Mozart, Weber Beethoven, , Rossini Flotow and Maillart and Johann Strauss. Also Smetana's The Moldau, the Polka from Weinberger's Schwanda the Bagpiper Excerpts from Verdi's Il trovatore and Puccini;s Tosca feature tenor Rudolf Gerlack-Rusna. Baritone Gerhard Husch, bass Eugene Fuchs,and tenor Charles Kullmann are heard in arias from from Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor and Smetana's The Bartered Bride. Soprano Jarmila Novotna sings Fibich's Poeme and Dvorak's Humoresque. Orchestras are the Berlin State Opera, Berlin Philharmonic, and vienna concert Orchestra. 1927 - 1933, and the audio is remarkable considering the vintage.Mark Obert-Thorn's transfers are superb; one would never think that these recordings were made almost a century ago, and MOT's program notes are excellent. A great release for collectors indeed! Pristine continues their admirable series of historic Gilbert & Sullivan operettas - already they have issued The Mikado (PACO 0871) and The Pirates of Penzance(PACO 081). This 2-dik set offering H.M.S Pinafore and and The Pirates of Penzance Famous Gilbert & Sullivan singers of the D'Oyly Carte Opera are featured. Pinafore features Sir Malcolm Sargent with the London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra recorded in 1930; Penzance features Sargent with the Chorus and Light Opera Orchestra, recorded in 1929. These are classic recordings sounding better than ever in Andrew Rose;s superb XR remastering. Recommended! Pristine also continues their Wilhelm Kempff Beethoven series. Already they have issued all of the sonatas and the first four Piano concertos. Now they complete the latter series with this disk that contains two recordings of Concerto No, 5. The earliest dates from June 1936 with the Berlin Philharmonic under a relatively unknown but important conductor, Peter Raabe (1872 - 1945). Raabe unfortunately worked with the Nazis in singling out Jewish musicians. He is best remember today for his work in creating the first complete chronology of works of Franz Liszt. The other Emperor performance is conducted by Paul Van Kempen, part of the now complete series Andrew Rose has remastered all of these and they sound better than ever. Another important release from Pristine! R.E.B. (October 2021)
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