Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Carl Maria von Weber, Richard [Classical] Wagner :: Lebendige Vergangenheit: Tiana Lemnitz

Glorious voice, troubling past

Michael K. Halloran | 12/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Have you ever eaten something truly delicious, or had a good wine, only to find later that it left an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth? Perhaps the next time you were offered the offending item you thought twice: "Should I indulge and regret it later, or should avoid it altogether?"Forgive this tangent, but listening to the voice of Tiana Lemnitz is an experience similar to the one I described above. The voice itself is ravishing, but the knowledge of Lemnitz's Nazi associations (ardent support, really) becomes analogous to the unpleasant aftertaste and almost ruins the experience.I know aestheticians say that an artist's personal life should have no bearing on whether their work is of a high quality or not, and for that reason I give this particular disc five stars. For the voice itself is exquisite, and the technical expertise assured. Lemnitz falls into that category of German soprano who sings with creamy tone, unfailing musicality, and an almost ethereal purity (think Janowitz, Della Casa, or Gruemmer) and who makes a marvelous Agathe, Elsa, and Eva. Lemnitz's pianissimo is on a par with Caballe -- indeed, it was her specialty. Her Mozart arias are breathtaking, her Wagner otherworldly, and her "Freischuetz" arias masterfully sung. Everything is marked by a coolness and reserve (compare her Verdi to the passionate and committed Italians Maria Caniglia or Gina Cigna), but the vocalism is superb.This disc is an excellent introduction to the artistry of one of the finest German sopranos of the inter-war years. If one could only ignore that aftertaste . . ."