“Forgetting forms a part of all actions,” Nietsche wrote in one of his pamphlets. “To (over)live, one must sometimes destroy one’s past.” Korngold should know, because with those very words you can sum up the real themes of his most famous opera, Die Tote Stadt.
“A scene from the original 1920 Hamburg production of Die tote Stadt. From left to right: Walter Diehl (Graf Albert); Josef Degler (Fritz) Anny Münchow (Marietta); Felix Rodemund (Gaston); and Paul Schwartz (Victorin).”
Die Tote Stadt had its world premiere simultaneously in Cologne (directed by Otto Klemperer) and Hamburg on 4 December 1920, after which the whole world followed. Before the war, it was the most played of all contemporary operas.
RENÉ KOLLO (once RCA, now Sony)
“After 1938, Die Tote Stadt was no longer performed. Only in the 1970s did a cautious comeback begin. The first studio recording of the opera dates from that time (1975).
Unfortunately, the text booklet (which is otherwise well cared for with the well reproduced synopsis and the complete libretto in two languages) does not tell the ‘why’ of that release. I would have liked to know who exactly conceived the idea of recording Die Tote Stadt, all the more so since the work was still considered inferior at the time.
Even Leinsdorf never concealed the fact that he did hold the work in high esteem. And yet he conducts it as if it were a masterpiece. Perhaps he gradually came to believe in it? He gives the opera the grandeur of a monument and the lustre of gold. Particularly exciting and energetic, he leads the brilliantly playing Munich Radio Orchestra through the score. At the end of the first act, when Marie’s portrait comes to life, you imagine yourself in the middle of the dream scene from Hitchckock’s ‘Spellbound’, and even without the image the tension is up for grabs.
There is also excellent singing, although I have a bit of trouble with Kollo in his demanding role of Paul. During the recording he shuttled between Munich and Bayreuth, where he was singing Parsifal at the time, so his voice sounds a bit tired.
Moreover, I prefer a more lyrical tenor in that role, but one with enough power to rise above the orchestra. Fritz Wunderlich could have been ideal, but he had been dead for almost a decade by then, and no one had thought of Gösta Winbergh at the time.
Carol Neblett is a fantastic Marie/Marietta, her creamy soprano possesses many colours and is well-stabilised in height. Benjamin Luxon portrays a warm and fatherly Frank and Herman Prey (Fritz) brings paradise closer with his sweetly sung Tanzlied.
Below, Herman Prey sings “Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen”
The small role of Brigitte is also phenomenally sung by Rose Wagemann, perhaps the best Brigitte I have heard so far.
THOMAS SUNNEGÅRDH (Naxos 8660060-1)
In 1996, Die Tote Stadt was put on the repertoire at the Royal Swedish Opera House in Stockholm. Two of the performances were recorded live by Naxos and released on CD. The result is definitely not bad, one feels the excitement of the theatre which in fact is always a plus. The stage noise is audible, it does not bother me, quite the contrary. Leif Segerstam conducts calmly and it is due to a few cuts that the whole thing is almost 15 minutes shorter with him than with Leinsdorf.
Paul is sung by Thomas Sunnegårdh, a Wagner tenor who impresses mainly by his volume: occasionally he degenerates into sprechgesang and the lyricism is nowhere to be seen. Superbly, on the other hand, Katarina Dalayman as Marie/Mariette and Anders Bergström (Frank) and Per-Arne Wahlgren (Fritz) also portray their roles convincingly.
TORSTEN KERL
DVD
Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg staged Die Tote Stadt in April 2001. The highly controversial production by Inga Levant was released on DVD by Arthaus Musik (100 342).
If you thought the story of Die Tote Stadt is set in Bruges in the late nineteenth century, you are wrong. True, Korngold based his masterpiece on Rodenbach’s ‘Bruges-la-morte’ and that medieval city, with its fog and symbolism, put its stamp on both the libretto and the music, but Inga Levant knows better. So we end up in Hollywood where anything is possible and Marietta resembles not only Marie but also Marylin Monroe.
The whole thing is loaded with quotes from Fellini’s films, but fusion is in and anything goes. So I resignedly accept that ‘Mein Sehnen, mein Wänen’ is not sung by Pierrot but by the barman – played brilliantly and with a sufficient dose of schmalz by Stephan Genz
But if the libretto is violated, my patience and tolerance end. So I don’t accept Paul’s suicide because not only does he commit suicide, but also the entire opera.
Torsten Kerl (Paul) and Angela Denoke (Marie/Mariette) sing well, but the latter convinces mainly through her overwhelming stage presence and acting ability
CD Orfeo C 634 042
In the summer of 2003, this opera was performed at the Salzburg Festival. It was directed by Willy Decker and the leading roles were sung by Torsten Kerl, Angela Denoke (they seemed to have a patent on it) and Bo Skovhus. The performances were received with enormous enthusiasm by both the audience and the press, and the entire cast was rewarded with a standing ovation.
The 18 August performance was recorded live by ORF and released on CD. Why not DVD? The lack of images misses an important aspect of the performance, all the more so as the director had the roles of Frank and Fritz performed by the same singer which may have worked optically in the directorial concept, but is particularly confusing without images.
Torsten Kerl is clearly at his vocal limits, which manifests itself mainly in his pinched height. But he also has many beautiful and lyrical moments, something that cannot be said of Angela Denoke: without visuals, nothing remains of her.
The opera can also be heard on You Tube:
But I can’t get excited about Bo Skovhus either, something that is particularly hard for me: he was once one of my beloved baritones. He sings matte, without soul and his reading of “Mein Sehnen, mein Wänen” is downright pale. Too bad, because that he can do better he already showed at the beginning of his career on one of his first CD recordings:
Maria Jeritza who created the role of Marie/Mariette:
Basia con fuoco 