Act One, No.2: So Kommen Sie! 'S Ist Niemand Hier! - Hanny Steffek/Nicolai Gedda
4.
Act One, No.2: Ich Bin Eine Anstand'ge Frau - Hanny Steffek/Nicolai Gedda
5.
Act One, No.2. Dialog: Nun, Njegus, Waren Sie Beim Grafen Danilo? - Josef Knapp/Franz Boheim/Kurt Equiluz/Hans Strohbauer
6.
Act One, No.3. Dialog: Frau Glawari Darf Keinen Pariser Heiraten/Bitte, Meine Herrn - Josef Knapp/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Kurt Equiluz/Hans Strohbauer/Philharmonia Chor/Reinhold Schmid
7.
Act One, No.3. Dialog: Gnadige Frau, Ich Rechne Es Mir Zur Hohen Ehre An - Josef Knapp/Nicolai Gedda/Hanny Steffek/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Hans Strohbauer/Kurt Equiluz...
8.
Act One, No.3. Dialog: Also Bitte, Njegus, Ich Bin Hier/O Vaterland, Du Machst Bei Tag...Da Geh'... - Eberhard Wachter
9.
Act One, No.4. Dialog: Njegus, Geliebter, Ich Bin Hier - Eberhard Wachter/Franz Boheim
10.
Act One, No.4. Dialog: Bitte Noch, Bitte Noch - Hans Strohbauer/Kurt Equiluz/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Eberhard Wachter
11.
Act One, No.4. Dialog: Na Endlich, Graf Danilo, Sind Sie Da!/No.6. Dialog: Weil - Weil - Mein... - Josef Knapp/Eberhard Wachter/Philharmonia Chor/Reinhold Schmid
12.
Act One, No.6: Damenwahl! Hort Man Rufen Rings Im Saal! - Philharmonia Chor/Reinhold Schmid/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Eberhard Wachter/Kurt Equiluz...
13.
Act One, No.6: Hilfe Kommt Zur Rechten Zeit! O Kommet Doch, O Kommt, Ihr Ballsirenen - Eberhard Wachter/Philharmonia Chor/Reinhold Schmid
14.
Act One, No.6: O Vaterland, Du Machst Bei Tag...Der Junge Mann Tanzt Polka - Eberhard Wachter/Kurt Equiluz/Hans Strohbauer/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Hanny Steffek...
Act Two, No.7: Nun Lasst Uns Aber Wie Daheim...Es Lebt' Eine Vilja (Vilja-Lied)/Tanz: Mi Velimo... - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Philharmonia Chor/Reinhold Schmid
4.
Act Two, No.7. Dialog: Was Sagen Sie, Njegus - Josef Knapp/Franz Boheim/Eberhard Wachter
5.
Act Two, No.8. Dialog: Graf Danilo, Ich Wundere Mich/Heia, Madel, Aufgeschaut...Dummer, Dummer... - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Eberhard Wachter
6.
Act Two, No.9. Dialog: Herr Von Cascada, Verzichten Sie Auf Die Witwe! Wie Die Weiber...Ja, Das... - Hans Strohbauer/Kurt Equiluz/Eberhard Wachter/Josef Knapp
Act Three, No.15. Dialog: Oh, Ich Furchte, Wir Storen! - Josef Knapp/Eberhard Wachter/Hanny Steffek/Franz Boheim
24.
Act Three, No.16: Ja, Das Studium Der Weiber Ist Schwer - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Josef Knapp/Eberhard Wachter/Nicolai Gedda/Hanny Steffek/Hans Strohbauer...
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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
I wish I'd read the Amazon reviews more carefullyMay 30, 2008 I wish I'd read the Amazon reviews more carefully before buying this, particularly "A terrible abridgement". This recording may have sonic and vocal performance virtues, but the third act in particular has been hacked to incomprehensibility. Lehár is pretty fluffy stuff to begin with, but it's not as utterly scatterbrained as one would be led to conclude from this recording.
Excellent quality, but lots of talking!Jun 09, 2007 I actually bought this for my mom, who has the original recording on an LP. She said that this recording seems to have more talking than the original, and thus the magic and tempo of the original is compromised. It could be that she never heard the entire operetta since she is strictly an opera buff, but that said, she understands musicality and she didn't feel this particular CD captured the original integrity (even if this is one is actually more complete!).
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
IT'S "ABRIDGED', BUT WHAT A PERFORMANCE!!!!!!!!Aug 04, 2006 I've heard more recordings of "The Merry Widow" than I can count, and many of them are enjoyable. None, however, has the infectious charm and elegance of this 1962 EMI version. True, the performance could probably have been accommodated on a single CD (with very few seconds to spare!), and yes, there are some cuts, but what is presented here constitutes something so special, so illuminating, and so magical that it hardly matters. Von Matacic shapes this cream puff of an operetta with even more verve that Otto Ackermann did on the previous 1953 EMI recording (also with Schwarzkopf), and one can almost "feel" the fizz of the champagne throughout the entire performance. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was born to sing the title role, and in my humble opinion, no other soprano comes within miles of what she accomplishes here. Her idiomatic dialogue, her vocal shadings, and her musical instincts are balm to the ear. She easily surpasses her previous monophonic EMI performance of nine years earlier (and that was a great one!). Nicolai Gedda also surpasses his earlier work on that legendary 1953 recording, offering singing of very great lyricism and beauty. Eberhart Wachter was a very fine baritone, and made some wonderful recordings. His singing here, however, seems to me to be a little gruff, a little crude, and peppered with too much "speak singing", especially when heard in close proximity to Schwarzkopf and Gedda. Still, this was/is one of the greatest recordings EMI ever made, (truly a worthy entry to the "Great Recordings of the Century" series), and it showcases the artistry of Schwarzkopf magnificently. This would definitely be one of my "desert-island" recordings.
With the announcement this morning that Elisabeth Schwarzkopf passed away, this recording becomes even more legendary. It's a beautiful memorial to one of the greatest sopranos of the last century.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Champagne all around--a great recordingSep 24, 2005 This classic recording doesn't need any more accolades, but I wanted to say how much joy it has brought me over the years. I have bought several modern Widows, too, but thrown them all away. This gem will be remembered as long as the work itself, and it's all the more amazing since Schwarzkopf never performed in a staged operetta of any kind.
P.S. - I came late to Schwarzkopf's mono Merry Widow under Otto Ackermann, from the early Fifties, which finds her in even more ecstatic voice. Many listeners may prefer Erich Kunz, whose Danilo is mellower and less fiercely temperamental than that of Wachter in the later set. No one should miss either recording, given the shortfall of joy these days.
8 of 10 found the following review helpful:
ALERT !!!Jul 06, 2005 After owning this CD for more than a decade, the goose bumps it instills have not diminished. Simply, this is one of the greatest operetta recordings of all time and should definitely not be missed.
Concerning it's limited minutes, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps those with a burgeoning interest in opera would look to this "short" recording as a introduction to the art form. My personal belief is that this recording is THE PERFECT recording to provide an introduction to opera. And, as those in the opera world know, we need more NEW fans for opera's future.
Although there is an enormous depth of beauty in Wager's Ring music to be heard, for example, one needs a proper introduction to opera in order to "hear" it. In music schools around the world, students are required to have many, many ear training courses before graduation. The simplicity in this recording of Die Lustige Witwe provides just the right amount of "ear training" for someone wanting to learn opera from the beginning.
This is not to suggest, however, that this recording IS simplex. It compares very nicely to Mozart. His music seems simple too ... yet those who know Mozart's music very well (and I refer to pianists Horowitz and Schnabel, among others) there is a sublime beauty that reveals itself upon years of study. This beauty is evident after years of listening to this recording. Hence, I still get goose bumps.
On a different note, every time I listen to Elisabeth Scwarzkopf on this CD there's a certain sadness that strikes me. Her vocal abilities coupled with her operatic personality are unmatched in today's opera world and they come through so clearly on this CD. True, the sound here isn't always perfect and it's sometimes too loud, but why be so picky. There is so much charm in her art form on this CD that it's simply amazing - and wonderful.
Lastly, Hanny Steffek and Nicolai Gedda (one of the most tender of tenors ever) share a chemistry that leaps off the CD.
based on 11 reviews
