The Merry Widow
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Free Music Notes for The Merry Widow
Free Music Review: Need more stars!
Hit: 5 Stars
For such a work of art like The Merry Widow, we actually need more stars - 5 seems not quite enough. It's one of the greatest Operetta's ever written, the music is great, the libretto is lots of fun and the recording is amazing. I totally recomend this CD to anybody who is interested in Operetta, Franz Lehar, great performances of the Vienna Philarmonic Orchestra and probably the true sound of the beginning of the 20th century.Free Music Review: Review of CD:"The Merry Widow"
Hit: 5 Stars
My favorite operetta performed brilliantly: Superb voices! It just about has a permanent place in my car's CD player. I loaned it to a friend. The booklet containing the dialoge has been misplaced. Is a relacement possible? Your loyal account, Jack FindlanFree Music Review: witty, wonderful "Widow"
Hit: 4 Stars
THE MERRY WIDOW happily returns to it's Viennese origins with this lovely recording. Although most prefer the English-translated version of the score, I do love the original Franz Lehar "pure version".
The cast is very good, with Cheryl Studer a vocally-capable Hanna; and Boje Skovhus makes the one-dimensional Count Danilo spring to life with a cheeky perfomance. Barbara Bonney and Rainer Trost come across very well too (with the subplot of Valencienne and her erstwhile lover Camille). The musical direction of John Eliot Gardner and the Wiener Philharmonic is sensational.
This studio recording presents the score complete with copious amounts of dialogue, so it's almost like attending a stage performance. Included is a large booklet containing the libretto, singer biographies, and a history of the show and it's composer.
[Deutsche Grammophon 439 911-2]
Free Music Review: A Merry Widwo with everything but laughter, smiles, and style
Hit: 2 Stars
This is very competitive if all you care about is the Vienna Phil. Despite Gardiner's unstylish conducting, they sound marvelous. And for pure voice, the leads sung by Studer and Skovhus are excellent, too. But throwing together an English conductor, an American soprano-of-all-trades, and a Swedish baaritone doesn't exactly make things very gemutlich. This is a proficient, unsmiling Widow that I don't want to meet again.Free Music Review: Sparkling, Brilliant Production
Hit: 5 Stars
First a disclaimer: I am a teenage music student and not a "qualified," per se, music critic. I think, though, that I fairly represent many lay opera fans in my opinions, so I hope my review will be worthwhile.
The only recording I have compared this to is the Schwarzkopf recording & the video with Joan Sutherland. I prefer this to both because, although I am aware that the Schwarzkopf version is acclaimed, I found the comic aspect of it overdone...it seemed they focused more on that than the beauty of the voices. John Eliot Gardener's productions (at least, the many I have heard) always seem to be compiled of the most gorgeous voices of the century. The Sutherland performance was good, but I thought that the lack of the charm of the original German made it sparkle less. So onto the pros and cons of this recording.
Bryn Terfel as Zita! Usually the Gilbertian, patter-baritone comic man gets this role; now we have it with someone who can actually sing! I never realized how beautiful his first solo is...Terfel can make any tune attractive. His acting is admittedly, a little over-the-top, but isn't that expected in an operetta?
Barbara Bonney as Valancienne! Bonney is not suited for every role, but she is flawless in this one. Her pristine, light voice brings out all the flirtasiousness of her character, and she plays off a lovely Camille.
Cheryl Studer...I have utmost respect for this great singer, but, let's face it, she can be annoying as Hanna. Her vocal acting seems to consist mainly (in this role) of reaching high notes and getting quieter, almost whiney, on them. It makes me want Joan Sutherland to get back on the scene. She's not bad, and the voice itself is lovely, but she can get monotinous in the comical aspects.
Bo Skovhus...a good, in-character Danilo...I was never really a big Danilo fan, so I'm no real crtitic. His aria ("Lolo, Dodo, Jou-jou, Clou-clou, Margot, Frou-Frou") was entertaining if not brilliant.
Aside from the cast - and they are all good, though Valancienne, Camille, and Zita will likely be most memorable - I adore Gardener's conducting. The tempos, to my unqualified ear, are never too fast or two slow, and the orchestra and chorus are clear and clean. The chorus number before "Viljia" is just chilling in its loveliness.
Personally, I wouldn't own any other recording! Highly recomended.
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