Search - Franz Lehar, Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra :: Lehár Conducts Lehár

Lehar from the Source

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 10/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Dutton label has done a wonderful service to the classical music buying public by making available historical recordings of composers conducting or performing their own works -- first Prokofiev, Milhaud and Strauss, and now Franz Lehar. These performances, of surprisingly good recording quality from 1947 (a year before the composer's death), of course showcase Lehar's signature compositions the "Gold and Silver" Waltz and "The Merry Widow" Overture. (There are actually two versions of the Overture featured here, with the second being the disc's only selection from a 1940 recording session.) But also presented here are lesser-known works, Waltzes and Overtures, which are equally first-rate. Because these are mono recordings, serious Lehar fans will probably want to find another CD in stereo. I recommend Boskovsky's accounts in the budget-priced EMI Encore series. However, those same Lehar fans would be remiss in not getting renditions directly from the source."