Dvorák - Rusalka / Fleming ˇ Heppner ˇ Zajick ˇ Hawlata ˇ Urbanová ˇ Czech Phil ˇ Sir Charles Mackerras

Dvorák - Rusalka / Fleming ˇ Heppner ˇ Zajick ˇ Hawlata ˇ Urbanová ˇ Czech Phil ˇ Sir Charles Mackerras

Dvorák - Rusalka / Fleming · Heppner · Zajick · Hawlata · Urbanová · Czech Phil · Sir Charles Mackerras
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CD Details

Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1998-10-20
Music Label: Decca
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. Rusalka: Act One: Predehra - Prelude - A. Dvorak
  2. Rusalka: Act One: Hou, hou, hou, stoji mesic nad vodou! (Wood Nymphs) - A. Dvorak
  3. Rusalka: Act One: I pekne vitam, pekne vitam (Water Goblin) - A. Dvorak
  4. Rusalka: Act One: Hastrmanku, taticku! (Rusalka) - A. Dvorak
  5. Rusalka: Act One: Sem casto prichazi a v objeti me stoupa (Rusalka) - A. Dvorak
  6. Rusalka: Act One: Mesicku na nebi hlubokem (Rusalka) - A. Dvorak
  7. Rusalka: Act One: Ta voda studi, studi! Jezibabo! Jezibabo! (Rusalka) - A. Dvorak
  8. Rusalka: Act One: Staleta moudrost tva vsechno vi (Rusalka) - A. Dvorak
  9. Rusalka: Act One: Tvoje moudrost vsechno tusi (Rusalka) - A. Dvorak
  10. Rusalka: Act One: Cury mury fuk (Jezibaba) - A. Dvorak
  11. Rusalka: Act One: Jel mlady lovec, jel a jel (A Huntsman) - A. Dvorak
  12. Rusalka: Act One: Ustante v lovu, na hrad vrafte se (The Prince) - A. Dvorak
  13. Rusalka: Act One: Sestry, jedna schazi z nas! (Water Nymphs) - A. Dvorak
Music CD 2
  1. Rusalka: Act Two: Jarku, jarku, klouce mile (Gamekeeper) - Antonin Dvorak
  2. Rusalka: Act Two: U nas v lese strasi (Gamekeeper) - Antonin Dvorak
  3. Rusalka: Act Two: Jiz tyden dlis po boku (Princ) - Antonin Dvorak
  4. Rusalka: Act Two: Zda na chvili princ vzpomene si prec (Princess) - Antonin Dvorak
  5. Rusalka: Act Two: Slavnostni hudba - balet, Festive Music - Ballet - Antonin Dvorak
  6. Rusalka: Act Two: Cely svet neda ti, neda (Water Goblin) - Antonin Dvorak
  7. Rusalka: Act Two: Kvetiny bile po ceste - Antonin Dvorak
  8. Rusalka: Act Two: Rusalko, znas mne, znas? (Water Goblin) - Antonin Dvorak
  9. Rusalka: Act Two: Vidis je, vidis? Jsou tu zas (Rusalka) - Antonin Dvorak
Music CD 3
  1. Rusalka: Act Three: Necitelna vodni moci (Rusalka) - Antonin Dvorak
  2. Rusalka: Act Three: Aj, aj? Uz jsi se navratila? (Jezibaba) - Antonin Dvorak
  3. Rusalka: Act Three: Vyrvana zivotu v hlubokou samotu (Rusalka) - Antonin Dvorak
  4. Rusalka: Act Three: Ze se bojis? Tresky, plesky (Gamekeeper) - Antonin Dvorak
  5. Rusalka: Act Three: Mam, zlate vlasky mam (First Wood Nymph) - Antonin Dvorak
  6. Rusalka: Act Three: Bila moje lani! Bila moje lani! (The Prince) - Antonin Dvorak
  7. Rusalka: Act Three: Milacku, znas mne, znas? (Rusalka) - Antonin Dvorak
  8. Rusalka: Act Three: Libej mne, libej, mir mi prej (The Prince) - Antonin Dvorak

Music reviews of Dvorák - Rusalka / Fleming ˇ Heppner ˇ Zajick ˇ Hawlata ˇ Urbanová ˇ Czech Phil ˇ Sir Charles Mackerras

Music Review: I'd rather give it two and a half stars...
Rating: 3 Stars

I've been avoiding this recording for about six months, for a few reasons. The first was the presence of Renée Fleming on it, a singer I'm only intermittently fond of. The second was the conducting of Charles Mackerras, whose Janacek is occasionally impressive but sometimes (IMO) boring. Then there's the fact that this is "Rusalka" we're talking about--the opera that kicked off my obsession related to all things Czech almost a year ago. (Incidentally: it was the Chalabala/Subrtova recording from 1961 that did that; see below for a product link.) Still, the reviews are glowingly positive for this recording, and it's getting a reputation for being the "benchmark" recording of "Rusalka," at least in this country, so I finally broke down and bought it.

I'm not sorry that I did. At least, I'm *mostly* not sorry. "Rusalka" is a beautiful, tuneful and (despite some people who say otherwise) interesting opera, and it's had a number of distinct interpretations on disc, all brilliant in their own way: Chalabala's warmly sensitive reading, Krombholc's vividly dramatic one, Neumann's silver-tinged majestic one, etc. This recording of "Rusalka" is my slowest one--slower than Neumann's by seven minutes--and there are times when I wish Mackerras would hurry up. Perhaps he loves the score too much; certain scenes ("Mesícku na nebi hlubokém," and "Milácku, znás mne, znás?" chief among them) are shaped with special loving care. Unfortunately, I can't say the same of the entire interpretation; there is a frustrating feeling that he changed his conception of the work at certain points, and things as a whole get jumbled as a result. Listen, for example, to the scene between the Gamekeeper and the Turnspit at the start of Act 2 with the scene that introduces the Foreign Princess to us "in person"--the semi-comedic and the majestic should mesh between these two scenes, but for whatever reason (again IMO) they don't. Scene and mood transitions aren't always as smooth as they should be, and I think a little more speed would have made that less evident.

The Czech Philharmonic makes some lovely sounds, though--indeed they do, and the sound quality of this recording is excellent. The singers, though...eh...almost every singer in this has serious trouble with the Czech language, so much so that I almost wished they'd sung it in German once or twice. (After all, the Keilberth recording's (Dvorák: Rusalka) not half-bad.) As it is, inflections are off; emphases are strange; Renée Fleming has a gorgeous voice, but trips up on almost every other word, and puts in `r' where there should be no `r' (where's the `r' in clovekem?) Her consonants (when she pronounces any) are incurably American. It's a shame, because the voice (light, girlish, and plush enough for a bean-bag seat) is almost ideally suited to the part. Another reviewer said that as the Watersprite Hawlata's voice sounds "leathery," which it does--that is, it's not flexible and turns ugly when pushed even slightly. He also doesn't sound very committed to his part (listen to Act 1, with Fleming seemingly overdoing it with vocal histrionics and mispronunciations as he comments passively on her sadness). Zajick as the Witch Jezibaba sounds more comfortable with the language than most of the others here, but her voice is no great shakes. Perhaps seeing her would help? Audio-only she's not terrible, but she's not that good either. And isn't the hunter (a bit part, I know) supposed to sound, well, young? Or at least not ancient, like he does here. Ben Heppner *breath* has *breath* breathing problems *breath* which quickly get distracting *breath*. (I tease, but it's true.) And, though the role is sung prettily enough, Heppner doesn't offer much by way of characterization, presenting the Prince as your typical womanizing prick and nothing more. (You want someone who *does* offer more? Beno Blachut in the Krombholc recording's your best bet.) Eva Urbanova's Foreign Princess is more than good enough, but personally, I prefer a more mezzo-ish voice in the role. Again, that is entirely a personal preference and there is absolutely nothing wrong with Urbanova's (strong, bitingly sarcastic) interpretation.

The nymphs sound kind of confused and (common for non-Czech recordings) aren't even close to singing together. They aren't even always in tune, employing (why?) somewhat covered tones I don't much care for. The wedding scene is somewhat better, but the sound (which is echo-y) seems more than usually manufactured, making me think uncomfortably strongly of church. (Those who "get" the red blossom/white blossom thing know why that would make me uncomfortable.)

As to more practical details: the recording comes with both liner notes and libretto, but they are contained in the same book, which doesn't fit inside the CD case (there's a flimsy cardboard cover holding it all together). Decca, take a lesson from Supraphon and package more efficiently. The opera is, though, completely uncut (for once), which is nice.

In short, this is a thoroughly Westernized recording of this opera, a fact which is not necessarily bad but which makes this recording unsatisfying in a lot of ways. In the Chalabala (Dvorak: Rusalka) and Krombholc (Dvorák: Rusalka) recordings I especially like the feeling that the singers are "at home" with the words, the story, and the music; I really don't get that sense here. It's all presented as pretty music--which it is--but it's presented pretty much *only* as pretty music, and that's a problem.
More Dvorák - Rusalka / Fleming ˇ Heppner ˇ Zajick ˇ Hawlata ˇ Urbanová ˇ Czech Phil ˇ Sir Charles Mackerras free music reviews:
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Description of Dvorák - Rusalka / Fleming ˇ Heppner ˇ Zajick ˇ Hawlata ˇ Urbanová ˇ Czech Phil ˇ Sir Charles Mackerras

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Though Czech opera has often had questionable export value due to linguistic barriers, this first truly international recording of Dvorák's most viable opera--inspired by Wagner's love of mythology and Verdi's melodic drama--suggests that non-Czech artists can be more than just credible. As a water sprite who becomes human for love of a prince, Renée Fleming gives her best recorded performance so far with a dramatic heat and theatrical dimension (plus her customary vocal luster) that her Czech predecessors haven't always mustered. Ben Heppner is a robust-voiced prince, though this one- dimensional role doesn't inspire any special affinity from him. Dolora Zajick is a vivid, vocally commanding witch. The one substantial disappointment is Franz Hawiata as the leathery-voiced water goblin. Conductor Sir Charles Mackerras is less interested in creating surface excitement than in bringing out subtleties that help compensate for the composer's occasional lack of melodic precision, though the big moments are by no means slighted. --David Patrick Stearns

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