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Operetta concert
7 October 2007
Herkulessaal in the Residenz, Munich
Angelika Kirchschlager
Simon Keenlyside
Neue Philharmonie Westfalen
Heiko Förster, conductor
Programme
Franz von Suppé:
Overture from Boccaccio.
Franz von Suppé:
“Hab’ ich nur deine Liebe” from Boccaccio. [AK & SK]
Franz von Suppé:
“Mia bella fiorentina” from Boccaccio. [AK & SK]
Johann Strauß:
Roses from the South (Waltz) op. 388
Emmerich Kálmán:
“Heut’ nacht hab’ ich geträumt von dir” from Das Veilchen vom Montmartre. [SK]
Johann Strauß:
“Draußen in Sievering” from Die Tänzerin Fanny Elssler. [AK]
Johann Strauß:
Thunder and Lighting Polka, op. 324
Franz Lehár:
Overture from Das Land des Lächelns
Franz Lehár:
“ Meine Lippen, die küssen so heiß” from Giuditta [AK]
Emmerich Kálmán:
“Wieder hinaus ins strahlende Licht” from Die Zirkusprinzessin [SK]
Franz Lehár:
Zwanzinette from Eva [orchestral]
Franz Lehár:
“Nur die Liebe macht uns jung” from Ziguenerliebe [AK & SK]
Franz Lehár:
Gold and Silver (Waltz) op. 79
Emmerich Kálmán:
“Weißt du es noch” from Die Csardasfürstin. [AK & SK]
Encores
Robert Stolz:
“Du sollst der Kaiser meiner Seele sein” from Der Favorit [AK]
Franz Lehár:
“Dein ist mein ganzes Herz” from Das Land des Lächelns [SK]
Emmerich Kálmán:
“Tanzen möcht' ich” from Die Csardasfürstin. [AK & SK]
What the critics say
TZ, October 2007 (Thomas Willmann)
Elegant flirt
Operetta has to come across like utopia, not like a lie. Then this often disparaged genre half-way between „Magic Flute“ and Broadway-musical shows how much it deserves a reappraisal.
For this first of all the right singers are needed – and we got them with Angelika Kirchschlager and Simon Keenlyside. The marketing trick of “Operetta’s perfect couple” is not really popular yet, it is true: The Herkulessaal was half empty – Kasarova with Offenbach at the same time. But on the artistic level it is right: From “great” opera both of them do not only bring a vocal training that can win some refinement from Suppé, Kálmán, Lehár. But also a truthful and multilayered emotion that does not only cheaply play an “ideal world”. That Kirchschlager is elegantly flirting, that Keenlyside does not slam home his charm, is only beneficial to this fact. But: The concept needs inevitably an equal orchestra. However, the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen scintillated as much Viennese Schmäh [humour], mellifluousness, tipsiness, drive as its name promises – which was only partly the fault of its chief Heiko Mathias Förster.
It was only during the last two numbers that everything began to tune. Before this it was like a tough dough that had not risen around the best Strudel-stuffing from a Royal pastry cook. How could you dream yourself into a better world like this?
Der Neue Merker December 2007 (Gerhard Ottinger)
Translated by Ursula Tureck
When there are at least 2 “dream couples of opera” a “dream couple of operetta” has to be pulled out of a hat, hasn’t it? That’s at least what the resourceful Berliner DEAG Classics AG thought and teamed a good Austrian mezzo soprano of whom in terms of operetta only Valencienne and Prince Orlofsky are known to me and a prominent British baritone for whom operetta was unchartered territory, and sent both of them on a little tour through Germany (after Munich it’s Cologne’s, Berlin’s and Hamburg’s turn) in autumn that served as promotion for an operetta CD that was recorded in summer in Vienna. Of the 16 numbers contained on it 11 – including 3 encores – were performed and I did not regret the lack of “Fledermaus” but very much that of “Die lustige Witwe” and “Gasparone” (“Dunkelrote Rosen” is a real baritone-hit after all).
That it did not work out – at least in Munich – said much for the audience who really does not let itself be talked into everything any longer. Anyway, the Herkulessaal was not exactly well attended, which on one hand was probably due to the horrendous ticket fees that have to be called an impertinence, but certainly also to the “competing” Philharmonie where Vesselina Kasarova was singing Offenbach at the same time. But maybe the reason was also the already released CD that falls short of expectations – for me at least – because on it everything sounds enjoyable but too sterile. Beauty can also wear out.
However, “miracles” happen now and then. And those who absented themselves from this performance really missed something. It was less Angelika Kirschschlager who was responsible for this, she made no mistakes but came across as reserved and – which may be also partly due to the programme selection that was not ideal – did not convey anything. An evening gown and a to a great extent well employed voice alone do not make an operetta diva, even on the concert platform. Completely different Simon Keenlyside who like in his operatic roles tried successfully to assume the respective characters, acted credibly on the podium and sang incredibly with his soft, melting baritone. He came completely out of his shell – in contrast to the CD where everything comes across as too controlled – and positively exploded at the top notes. The two songs from “Die Zirkunsprinzessin” and (as encore) “Das Land des Lächelns” were fantastic highlights where it was presumably not only I who did not miss a tenor.
The Neue Philharmonie Westfalen under the conductor Heiko Mathias Förster (in Berlin and Hamburg “our” Alfred Eschwé took over) sounded too “Prussian”, but this was almost a trifle this time because the singers could completely live it up. And the too extensive orchestral pieces (the ouvertures for “Boccaccio” and “Das Land des Lächelns”, the waltzes “Rosen aus dem Süden” and “Gold und Silber”, the polka “Unter Donner und Blitz” and “Zwanzinette” from “Eva”) had to be accepted. But in a programme of good 2 hours (including interval and encores) I would have preferred to hear more of the soloists than only about 56 minutes.
After all, the atmosphere in the thinly filled hall that was far from entrancing at the beginning developed in the course of the evening to a very good one.
