Search - Richard Wagner, Herbert von Karajan, René Kollo :: Wagner: Lohengrin

NEW RE-MASTERING...done in 1997!

Ryan Kouroukis | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 09/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite the problems "santa fe listener" has with Karajan's Lohengrin, I can't disagree more! Karajan's Lohengrin is continually my reference recording, and also my favorite among the ones I've heard and own.



Let me put it into perspective...I've been studying Lohengrin on record for years and have heard all major available sets: Leinsdorf, Kubelik, Davis, Solti, Kempe, Barenboim and a few historical sets. Upon comparison, each one has its own positive points, but ALL of them lack something different.



The only one that has satisfied me the most is Karajan's...even though it was recorded in 3 different sessions at the Berlin Philharmonie (Dec.1975/Mar.1976/May.1981).



One thing that I do want to mention is, in its first CD incarnation the sound levels were quite extreme and somewhat off balance. That first CD release was in 1988, but this CD release (part of the EMI budget opera series) was produced in 1997 with a brand new remastering of the original sound recording by Paul Baily at Abbey Road Studios. He has fixed and balanced everything properly, and I must say he has done a spectacular job!



Mind you, the wide ranging aspect of the original recording has been maintained (ie: the offstage effects etc...) because Karajan had a wonderful artistic vision about this opera.



I own both CD incarnations of Karajan's Lohengrin and have compared them thoroughly. It seems that "santa fe listener" only listened to the previous release and not the new remastered version and judged accordingly. He should delete his review on this page which he "copied and pasted" from his review of the older release...and should actually listen to this one.



Now some details concerning the actual performace. Kollo is a sweet toned and splendid Lohengrin, full of inflamed compassion and full of nobility, Tomawa-Sintow is a radiant and absolutely beautiful Elsa. Nimsgern and Vejzovic, as Friedrich and Ortrud are powerfully evil as they should be, and Ridderbusch as the King is almost Hans Hotter-like in his magnificense!



You get a real lifelike sense of drama throughout the recording, and all the characters keep their intensity very high. Really great teamwork.



In regards to the "spirituality" of Lohengrin, it is not suppose to be (in the highest sense). It is in fact "a fairy-tale opera", "a grand romantic opera"...It is not Parsifal! Which many people want it to be!



The choral work by the Deutch Oper Berlin its director Walter Hagen-Groll is extremely passionate, beautiful, clear and powerful.



But the real praise goes to Karajan and the Berlin forces. They really give their all in this recording. It is as fierce as it is sensitive, it is the best orchestral playing I've heard alongside Leinsdorf's recording on RCA.



Although I'm not a fan AT ALL of Karajan late EMI recordings, THIS ONE IS AN EXCEPTION. It is perhaps the Best that has come from EMI producer Michel Glotz from this period. I'm very happy that EMI decided to re-master this recording in 1997 which now puts it into direct competition with all existing Lohengrin's.



I hope this review clarifies things about this recording and hope that it becomes appreciated again.





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Very dramatic account of this great opera!

Daniel G. Madigan | Redmond, WA United States | 04/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The sopranos are very good, and blaze above the big big orchestra of Von Karajan's

s Vienna forces. The Lohengrin, Rene Kollo is, as always, a bit hard on the ears; he has his best moments in the light passages, but, for the part of Lohengrin, the high notes are numerous, and he does not have them.



However, the overall effect is very stirring, and all other principles are excellent.



Von Karajan with any opera takes the reins and away you go."

One of Karajan's few disappointments in Wagner

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 07/17/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is the latest bargain reissue of a star-crossed opera project that took Karajan years to complete. The final result isn'st satisfactory. Everything sounds cobbled together, and despite Karajan's great mastery of Wagner, he sounds out of sorts throughout. The general approach is overblown, with expansive tempos tending toward the lethargic, to quote the Gramophone reviewer. This is also a poor recording job, as often happened with Karajan's late EMI efforts -- volume varies so widely that you can't find a suitable level that isn't either too soft or annoyingly loud. Distant miking hurts the intimacy of the singing as well.



But the real damage is done by weak casting. Kollo blares constantly and has no feeling for the role of Lohengrin. He is in rough, at times harsh voice, having lost whatever gleam his timbre had in youth, and the absence of tender legato is painful. Compared to Konya, Jerusalem, and Domingo in rival sets, Kollo comes off badly. Tomowa-Sintow was a Karajan favorite in roles like the Marschallin in Rosenkavalier, and the fact that she sounds too mature for Elsa isn't fatal. But her big voice sounds unwieldy, and the singer seems to be influened by Karajan's grand conception to make poor Elsa into an also-ran Brunnhilde.



In other respects, such as the secondary roles and the orchestral execution, one can find enjoyment in this checkered recording, but I am baffled by anyone who could possibly give it five stars."