[.ca] Der Fliegende Hollander Comp

Amazon.com essential recording:
Recorded evidence preserves a regretfully skewed view of Otto Klemperer's Wagner. Happily, this 1968 recording of Der fliegende Holländer captures the aged Otto Klemperer at his inspired and disciplined best. The vivid detail and expressive intensity of the orchestra playing begs description, and Suvi Raj Grubb's resplendent production sounds as fresh as today's best digital engineering, especially in EMI's 20-bit remastering. Anja Silja's Senta is arguably her most absorbing major Wagnerian portrayal on disc, in terms of both singing and acting. Likewise, Theo Adam, in excellent form, inflects the title role with unusual care for words. Ernst Kozub is as brash and brazen an Erik as they come (which is good!), and Martti Talvela's weighty yet flexible Daland hardly has been bettered, past or present. Yet the individual contributions yield to the remarkable sense of ensemble give and take--not just between the singers themselves, but in the way the orchestra leads, supports, and comments upon the sung text. Full texts and translations plus excellent annotations clinch this set's essential status as both the basic Flying Dutchman on disc and Otto Klemperer's finest recording of an opera. --Jed Distler

White Hot Wagner:
Buy this recording and you won't be disappointed. EMI has re-released this in a series called "Great Recordings of the Century". Although it is debatable if some of the others in this series deserve such a lofty designation, this one truly, truly does. This is simply a searing, white hot performance. Klemperer is at his very best. Many of his tempi seem slow in comparison to other conductors, but Klemperer's tempi feel right, and, upon returning to the other recordings, the others feel a bit rushed. But despite the slower tempi, the performance is driven from its opening chords to its finale, constantly propelled forward as if - like the characters in the opera - compelled by fate. Klemperer achieves a wide spectrum of orchestral colors that are well captured by the microphones. This 1968 recording is sonically pleasing and wears its age well. The excellent cast members all inhabit their characters. Combined with Klemperer, the result is amazing. The drama of this opera leaps out of the speakers, an experience akin to hearing a great radio play; the act of simply listening to this recording is a theatrical experience. Anja Silja may be the greatest recorded Senta (other than Leonie Rysanek), and she is able to sound youthful while being every bit the dramatic soprano. Senta's ballad is riveting - her inflections leave no doubt as to the state of this girl's haunted soul and her impending fate. Theo Adam is full of dark mystery as the Dutchman and sounds fantastic. Ernst Kozub is a cocky and impulsive Erik, and the tension in his scenes with Silja is deliciously thick. Marti Talvela makes a wonderful Daland. Even though it preceeds digital technology, this is preferable to the more recent versions. This recording is the standard by which all others should be measured, and the others simply don't measure up.

Searingly dramatic and intense:
"Der Fliegende Holländer" is the first real Wagner opera; the first opera in which his real voice comes through. It is also perhaps the most unrelentingly dramatic and intense of the three masterpieces he wrote during the 1840's ("Tannhäuser" and "Lohengrin" being the other two). As the string tremolo opens the overture, we are drawn into a world washed with sea salt and stormy spray: the world of the Flying Dutchman. A good recording needs to keep us in that world and not release us until the final chord has died away. This recording does that overwhelmingly. The great German conductor Otto Klemperer (1885-1973) was nearing the end of his career and his life when this recording was made in 1968, but this is arguably his finest recording (his Beethoven 6, Fidelio and Bruckner 6 are my other candidates). Klemperer is admirably well matched to this work: when he was at his best, as he is here, his work was elemental, a force of nature, which is exactly the type of conducting required in this opera. Helped by magnificent playing from his New Philharmonia Orchestra, he gives us a blazingly intense overture, carrying that elemental intensity through to the final scene. He is also aided by the BBC Chorus. The chorus, as in most of Wagner's other operas, has an essential part in the plot and music, particularly in Act 3. The BBC Chorus produces a wonderful sound but is also dramatic. Klemperer's cast is not flawless, but is almost certainly the best at that time, and the flaws are not very large. Theo Adam is the Dutchman. He has the vocal power necessary for the role, as well as the intelligence and insight. He has a resonant voice, but it grows a bit wobbly and gritty under pressure. Compare him to Hans Hotter at his peak (on a 1944 broadcast recording available on Gramofono 2000), and Adam's sizable achievement shrinks. Under the baton of Clemens Krauss, Hotter is at least as insightful as Adam, and also has a glorious, sumptuously warm, enormous voice that Adam simply does not have. But then again, no one else has a voice like that, either. Adam is on a much higher level than competence, and his performance here shows him to be the finest Dutchman of the last 35 years. His Senta is Anja Silja, whose performance is for the most part stunning. She is a simply astounding actress. There is no doubt that she IS Senta, bringing her to life in a wholly believable way (and for this slightly insane character, that's unbelievable!), and she also possesses a large, beacon-like voice. She does wobble a bit on sustained high notes, but this can be overlooked. I think she may be the greatest Senta on record. The rest of the cast is superb. The great Finnish bass Martti Talvela is a satisfyingly straightforward, gloriously sung Daland. His is one of those very rare voices you just want to drink. Ernst Kozub (Erik) has a dark, heroically ringing yet beautiful voice that reminds me a lot of James King. (Klemperer actually wanted King for the role, but King couldn't get out of a contract with another company.) Kozub sings ardently, but he has a choppy way with the vocal line and doesn't really characterize. It feels like nit-picking to be criticizing a singer with such a glorious voice, but on consideration, I don't really think he's a complete artist. (Kozub was originally cast in the title role of "Siegfried" on the superb Solti recording, but despite his excellent voice, he had to be abandoned for the veteran Wolfgang Windgassen. Kozub simply failed to learn the role, being too busy giving guest performances all over Europe. It's an interesting "might-have-been.") The excellent Gerhard Unger (Steuermann) and Annelies Burmeister (Mary) round out the cast. By the time this recording was made, EMI had adopted the methods of producing an opera for records pioneered by Decca's John Culshaw, and this production is well done. For instance, in Act 1, Daland's ship and, later, the Dutchman's ship have definite, separate positions; in Act 2, the sound of spinning wheels is unobtrusively and sensibly added to the opening chorus; and in Act 3, the two ships and their contrasting crews and moods are given suitably contrasting positions. The sound itself, however, is not nearly as satisfying. Despite the new remastering at Abbey Road for this release as a "Great Recording of the Century," the sound retains a disturbing amount of hiss and roughness. It is no worse, though, than for instance Karajan's Tristan und Isolde (with none of the excruciating balances that disfigure the latter), and whatever roughness the sound can't take away from the glories of the performance. I recommend this Klemperer version as the best all-around recording of Der Fliegende Holländer, with the 1944 Krauss/Hotter as a supplement. Happy listening!

Klemperer proves his ability as a Wagner conductor.:
When people think of great interpreters of Richard Wagner, the two most common names that are usually mentioned are Furtwangler and Solti. Otto Klemperer, however, is seldom mentioned in the same breath as those two and that is ashame. Not only is he in their class, but in some ways exceeds them. This recording of Holländer proves it. It has all of the characteristics of Klemperer: slow, methodical, and very powerful. In slowing the tempos down, the singers and orchestra produce a sound that is very full and developed. What is unique here is the sense of emotion one gets when listening to this performance. At first that might seem odd given the fact that Klemperer was not a conductor that went for emotion or color. The standout cast member is Anja Silja as Senta. When one hears her sing, one gets the absolute sense of destiny and pity that the character feels throughout the opera. She plays the role to perfection. Theo Adam gives a very fine performance as the Dutchman, the cursed sailor who made a foolish bet with the Devil. Like Silja, Adam portrays the emotions of his character very well: the sorrow, the frustration, and the helplessness. Needless to say, Silja and Adam perform beautifully together in Act II. Kozub and Talvela are very good additions to the cast and sing and act well. This recording is an excellent introduction to Wagner and seasoned veterans will enjoy it very much as well.

Klemperer is great, not the others:
Otto Klemperer was a great wagner conductor, though his only complete wagner opera recording was this one. His conducting is fabulous, broad (some say impossibly slow) tempos, yet never at the sacrifice of the structure or drama of the piece. His overture is marvellous, but unfortunately the principals let us down. Theo Adam as the Dutchman has an unlikable gritty and wobbly tone that simply doesn't work as the tortured dutchman. Yes, the dutchman is a weird character for not having set foot on land for seven years, but he still shouldn't sound wobbly! Anja Silja ain't great either, merely too shrill and off-pitch in many places. Martti Talvela's Daland is better than the other two, though i don't find him very interesting. C'mon, he'd have to be an interesting guy to let some guy he'd just met marry his daughter! The smaller roles, by comparison, are much better cast, such as gerhard unger's lovely steersman, or anneliese burmeister's mary. ernst kozub is not a bad singer, but like the others, not inspiring. Alas, those who would like to hear Klemperer conducting great wagner have deal with insufficient singers. Some may live with it, but I can't.

Best Flying Dutchman:
This is the best Flying Dutchman ever!! The fantastically intense Otto Klemperer brings his famed intensity to this masterpiece. Klemperer was performing the Flying Dutchman at Convent Garden at about the same time this recording was made. The stage experience and intensity of the 'live' performances has obviously carried over into this recording. This is the top recommended version by Gramophone, and it is indeed worthy of the Great Recording of the Century series. The Philharmonia plays superbly intense. Wind, sea and storm all come across vividly. Anja Silja is the personification of Senta's obsession with the Dutchman. From her entry, you KNOW what is the conclusion of the story - that she is so obsessed about the Dutchman that she will finally jump over the cliff for him. That last high B is fantastic!! Ernst Kozub as Erik is interesting for 2 reasons. One is that he really makes a great Heldentenor in the freakishly difficult role of Erik. The second reason is that he was the original Siegfried for Solti's Ring. So this recordings is valuable in preserving a 'what-might-have-been' for us to hear. Marti Talvela as usual is never less than fantastic - I need say no further. Theo Adam is the Dutchman to the core!! Very highly recommended!! Don't pass by the chance to hear Klemperer's last great recording!!

• Ov - New Philharmonia Orch/Otto Klemperer
• Act One, Scene One. I. Intro: Hojohe! Hallojo! - BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Martti Talvela/Gerhard Unger
• Act One, Scene One. Lied Des Steuermanns: Mit Gewitter Und Sturm Aus Fernem Meer - Gerhard Unger
• Act One, Scene Two. II. Rezitativ & Arie: Die Frist Ist Um - Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Two. II. Rezitativ & Arie: Wie Oft In Meeres Tiefsten Schlund - Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Two. II. Rezitativ & Arie: Dich Frage Ich, Gepries'ner Engel Gottes - Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Two. II. Rezitativ & Arie: Nur Eine Hoffnung Soll Mir Bleiben - Theo Adam/BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: He! Holla! Steuermann! - Martti Talvela/Gerhard Unger
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: Weit Komm' Ich Her - Theo Adam/Martti Talvela
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: Durch Sturm Und Bosen Wind Verschlagen - Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: Wie Wunderbar! Soll Deinem Wort Ich Glauben? - Martti Talvela/Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: Was Muss Ich Horen?...Hast Du Eine Tochter? - Martti Talvela/Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: Wohl, Fremdling, Hab' Ich Eine Schone Tochter - Martti Talvela/Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: Wenn Aus Der Qualen Schreckgewalten - Martti Talvela/Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: Sudwind! Sudwind! - Gerhard Unger/BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Martti Talvela/Theo Adam
• Act One, Scene Three. III. Szene, Duett & Chor: Mit Gewitter Und Sturm Aus Fernem Meer - BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn
• Act Two: Intro - New Philharmonia Orch/Otto Klemperer
• Act Two, Scene One. IV. Lied (Chor Der Spinnerinnen), Szene, Ballade & Chor: Summ Und Brumm, Du... - BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Annelies Burmeister
• Act Two, Scene One. IV. Lied (Chor Der Spinnerinnen), Szene, Ballade & Chor: Du Boses Kind... - Annelies Burmeister/BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene One. IV. Lied (Chor Der Spinnerinnen), Szene, Ballade & Chor: O Macht Dem... - Annelies Burmeister/BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene One. Sentas Ballade. I: Johohoe! ...Traft Ihr Das Schiff Im Meere An - Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene One. Sentas Ballade. II: Bei Bosem Wind Und Sturmes Wut - Anja Silja/BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn
• Act Two, Scene One. Sentas Ballade. III: Vor Anker Alle Sieben Jahr' - Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene One. Sentas Ballade: Ach! Wo Weilt Sie - BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Anja Silja/Annelies Burmeister/Ernst Kozub
• Act Two, Scene Two. V. Duett: Bleib, Senta! Bleib Nur Einen Augenblick! - Ernst Kozub/Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene Two. V. Duett: Mein Herz, Voll Treue Bis Zum Sterben - Ernst Kozub/Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene Two. V. Duett: Wie? Zweifelst Du An Meinem Herzen? - Ernst Kozub/Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene Two. V. Duett: Fuhlst Du Den Schmerz, Den Tiefen Gram - Ernst Kozub/Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene Two. V. Duett: Auf Hohem Felsen Lag Ich Traumend - Ernst Kozub/Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene Two. V. Duett: Ach Mochtest Du, Bleicher Seemann - Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale: Mein Kind, Du Siehst Mich Auf Der Schwelle - Martti Talvela/Anja Silja
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale. Arie: Mogst Du, Mein Kind, Den Fremden Mann - Martti Talvela
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale. Arie: Doch Keines Spricht - Martti Talvela
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale. Duett: Wie Aus Der Ferne Langst Vergangner Zeiten - Theo Adam
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale. Duett: Versank Ich Jetzt In Wunderbares Traumen - Anja Silja/Theo Adam
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale. Duett: Wirst Du Des Vaters Wahl Nicht Schelten? - Anja Silja/Theo Adam
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale. Duett: Du Bist Ein Engel! - Anja Silja/Theo Adam
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale. Duett: Ein Heil'ger Balsam Meinen Wunden - Anja Silja/Theo Adam
• Act Two, Scene Three. VI. Finale. Terzett: Verzeiht! Mein Volk Halt Draussen Sich Nicht Mehr - Martti Talvela/Anja Silja/Theo Adam
• Act Three, Scene One. VII. Chor Der Norwegischen & Ensemble: Zwischenspiel/Steuermann, Lass Die... - New Philharmonia Orch/Otto Klemperer/BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn
• Act Three, Scene One. VII. Chor Der Norwegischen & Ensemble: Mein! Seht Doch An! Sie Tanzen Gar! - BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Gerhard Unger
• Act Three, Scene One. VII. Chor Der Norwegischen & Ensemble: Juchhe! Juchhe! Da Gibt's Die Fulle! - BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Gerhard Unger
• Act Three, Scene One. VII. Chor Der Norwegischen & Ensemble: Johohoe! Johohoe! - BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn
• Act Three, Scene Two. VIII. Finale. Duett: Was Muss Ich Horen! Gott, Was Muss Ich Sehn! - Ernst Kozub/Anja Silja
• Act Three, Scene Two. VIII. Finale. Cavatine: Willst Jenes Tags Du Nicht Dich Mehr Entsinnen - Ernst Kozub
• Act Three, Scene Two. VIII. Finale. Cavatine: Verloren! Ach, Verloren! - Theo Adam/Ernst Kozub/Anja Silja
• Act Three, Scene Two. VIII. Finale. Cavatine: Erfahre Das Geschick, Vor Dem Ich Dich Bewahr'! - Theo Adam
• Act Three, Scene Two. VIII. Finale. Cavatine: Zu Hilfe! Rettet, Rettet Sie! - Ernst Kozub/Anja Silja/Martti Talvela/Annelies Burmeister/BBC Chor/Peter Gellhorn/Theo Adam