World premiere. Directed by Günther Rennert. BR rec. at Bayerische Staatsoper, Nationaltheater, Munich, 1963-11-27. See also rehearsal extracts and interview video.
Cast: Fritz Wunderlich (Christoph von Ried), Evelyn Lear (Jeanne), Margarete Bence (Babekan), Hans Günter Nöcker (Hoango), Hamid Nasseri (Nanky), Mino Yahia (Gottfried von Ried), Richard Holm (Herr Schwarz),
Karl Christian Kohn (Herr Weiß), Bayerisches Staatsorchester, cond. Werner Egk
Photograph of Fritz Wunderlich in the role of Christoph von Ried.
Helmut Schmidt-Garres in "Neue Zeitschrift für Musik" vol. 125/1, 1964: "The cast is again worthy of the Festival: seven first-class singers! Evelyn Lear as Jeanne possesses the intimate flexibility that this role enquires, Margarete Bence as Babekan sweetens the tone of falsehood with colourful contralto euphony, Fritz Wunderlich, at present Munich's number one lyric wonder tenor, sings Christoph, Hans Günter Nöcker gives Hoango ferocity in voice and appearance, Mino Yahia is the despairing Père noble at the end, and Richard Holm and Karl Christian Kohn characterise Mr. Black and Mr. White with terse pungency. Werner Egk, as ever the most expert Egk conductor, was heartily acclaimed, along all who launched the work." [translated by Lionel Salter, quoted from the Orfeo CD booklet, with corrections by AP]
Arnold Whittall in "Gramophone", 9/1994: "Given that it is the first performance, the entire cast sing with great confidence and polish, and admirers of Fritz Wunderlich will find him on fine form, lyrically tender and dramatically powerful in equal measure. The other principal, Evelyn Lear, is also heard at her best. At the very least, then, this recording is a vivid reminder of an outstanding German operatic ensemble in the early 1960s, and of a stage in the history of German opera when works of all kinds - relatively conservative as well as distinctly radical - could gain a hearing."
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