Fritz Wunderlich und I. Hallstein mit dem Symphonieorchester des BR Szenen aus Die schweigsame Frau

ENGLISH:
To mark the 75th anniversary of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) in 2024, the BR-KLASSIK label is now making previously unreleased recordings of concerts worth listening to available for the first time on CD and as a stream. - Excerpts from Richard Strauss's comic opera "Die schweigsame Frau" (“The Silent Woman”) were pre-produced as studio recordings for a television programme in November 1960. The impressive cast was almost identical to that of the opera production at the Salzburg Festival in 1959 under the premiere conductor Karl Böhm: Hans Hotter (Sir Morosus), Hermann Prey (Barber), Fritz Wunderlich (Henry) as well as Ingeborg Hallstein (Aminta) and many others sang. Here, Heinz Wallberg conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and in contrast to the live recording from Salzburg, which is marred by the clearly audible stage noises of a turbulent production, the outstanding cast of singers in this recording is more effective. The BR-KLASSIK label is now marking the 75th anniversary of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) in 2024 by making this previously unreleased studio production available for the first time on CD and as a stream. After the death of Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Strauss thought he had reached the end of his operatic career – but then he found a librettist of equal calibre in Stefan Zweig, who provided him with "the best libretto for an opéra comique since Figaro" (Strauss). The comic opera was written between 1932 and 1935 and, despite the fact that Zweig was a Jewish librettist (who had since emigrated), Strauss managed to have the opera premiered in Dresden on June 24, 1935, conducted by Karl Böhm. Strauss endowed "Die schweigsame Frau" with an overabundance of musical ideas, turbulent ensembles and individual tone colours; light comedy and grand arias alternate. He casually quotes himself and a dozen other composers, including Rossini, whose "Barber of Seville" was the model for his talkative and manipulative barber. Music connoisseurs appreciate the many musical allusions in the work.
Hans Hotter, Bass (Sir Morosus)
Lilian Benningsen, Alt (seine Haushälterin)
Hermann Prey, Bariton (Barbier)
Fritz Wunderlich, Tenor (Henry Morosus)
Ingeborg Hallstein, Sopran (Aminta)
Eva Maria Rogner, Sopran (Isotta)
Marianna Radev, Sopran (Carlotta)
Josef Knapp, Bariton (Morbio)
Karl Christian Kohn, Bass (Vanuzzi)
Karl Hoppe, Bass (Farfallo)
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Heinz Wallberg, Dirigent