COMPOSERS: Schubert
LABELS: Berlin Classics
WORKS: Alfonso und Estrella
PERFORMER: Hermann Prey, Edith Mathis, Theo Adam, Peter Schreier; Berlin Radio Chorus, Berlin Staatskapelle/Otmar Suitner
CATALOGUE NO: BC 2156-2 ADD Reissue
Much ink has been spilt over the performability of Schubert’s operas, but there’s more than enough to admire in Alfonso und Estrella: Schubert seems incapable of writing a duff melody, and at its best the instrumentation is exquisite. Furthermore, it’s hard to imagine a stronger cast than is assembled here – Fischer-Dieskau and Prey are especially memorable – and Suitner has the measure of Schubert’s preternatural lyricism. William Humphreys-Jones
Schubert: Alfonso und Estrella
Much ink has been spilt over the performability of Schubert’s operas, but there’s more than enough to admire in Alfonso und Estrella: Schubert seems incapable of writing a duff melody, and at its best the instrumentation is exquisite. Furthermore, it’s hard to imagine a stronger cast than is assembled here – Fischer-Dieskau and Prey are especially memorable – and Suitner has the measure of Schubert’s preternatural lyricism. William Humphreys-Jones
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:13 pm