Falk Struckmann - SACD

“The studio atmosphere means that there are no obvious theatrical effects… But Semyon Bychkov's impassioned conducting ensures that there's no serious loss of theatricality; and even in ordinary stereo the big ensembles sound immensely imposing (the end of Act 2 overwhelming)... Although none of the cast surpasses the work's best exponents elsewhere, all are well worth hearing. Not the best Lohengrin ever then, but its good to have such a well characterised and sumptuously recorded new version.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2009

“This is a gloriously played and sung account of Wagner's first unqualified masterpiece...Semyon Bychkov's handling of the huge score takes pride of place on these discs, for its dramatic sweep and power, the delicacy and finesse with which the more lyrical passages are teased out, and for the superlative performances he extracts from the Cologne Radio Orchestra and its chorus...You have to go back quite a few years to find a new Lohengrin as accomplished as this on disc.” The Guardian, 15th May 2009

“This recording of Semyon Bychkov's slow-burning interpretation is a gift...the cast sings intelligently and subtly, while the orchestral performance combines gravity, ethereality and immaculate chording.” The Independent on Sunday, 10th May 2009

“For the magnificent choral singing — the joint North and West German Radio choirs and the Prague Chamber Choir — and orchestral playing alone, this studio version of Wagner’s great “romantic opera” ranks with the best released on disc.” Sunday Times, 26th April 2009 ****

“Semyon Bychkov conducts a robustly powerful yet airily textured performance, keenly dramatic yet finely detailed. His Cologne orchestra and various choruses, focused and involved, sound tremendous in surround-sound, and his cast is similarly strong. Johan Botha's clear, bright tone and unforced power embody the title role splendidly...” BBC Music Magazine, July 2009 *****

“Bychkov's study of the score is evident from the start of the Prelude, voiced as Wagner's own programme notes suggest...Pieczonka has all of Elsa's strangeness, her misapprehension, her doubts and her naivety...Botha sings and phrases the music beautifully.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2010

“As a studio recording, this new Profil release can claim a degree of rarity value. Also rare is its inclusion of a segment of Lohengrin's 'In fernem Land' monologue which Wagner cut at the time of the premiere, though this has previously appeared in two of the best earlier recordings (from Leinsdorf and Barenboim – see below).
The studio atmosphere means that there are no obvious theatrical effects: no thumps and bumps during fights, for example. But Semyon Bychkov's impassioned conducting ensures that there's no serious loss of theatricality; and even in ordinary stereo the big ensembles sound immensely imposing (the end of Act 2 overwhelming), which compensates to a degree for a wide dynamic range that makes it difficult to set a single suitable volume level throughout.
It can be argued that Wagner never settled on a definitive version of Act 3. He was surely right to cut the anticlimactic episode after Lohengrin reveals his and his father's names, but despite its inclusion here, Profil has failed to include the text in a libretto whose usefulness is already compromised by not having German, French and English in parallel, as well as by a fusty English translation.
Fortunately, there are many positive factors too. Bychkov's reading is admirable, with only occasional exaggerations (including slowing up towards the end of the Act 1 Prayer). Although none of the cast surpasses the work's best exponents elsewhere, all are well worth hearing.
Johan Botha is ardent and mellifluous, lacking only that finely spun, silvery thread of tone that distinguished Jess Thomas in the role; nor does Petra Lang – for all her sensitivity to the text – quite set the stage ablaze as Astrid Varnay did.
Adrianne Pieczonka is occasionally shrill in more strenuous passages, but there's an attractive tonal brightness that brings extra weight to her Elsa. Underpinning it all are the excellent Cologne forces, with Bychkov in the Act 1 Prelude conveying the 'awesome sweetness' that has to be brought to life if the drama is to work its magic. Not the best Lohengrin ever then, but it's good to have such a well characterised and sumptuously recorded new version.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“[the] string playing in the Act III prelude is world-class in its depth of beauty of tone and emotional intensity...the Dutchman Robert Holl is probably the great Gurnemanz of our time, declaiming every word with feeling and singing gloriously for a man with a 40-year career behind him. Kundry is probably Katarina Dalayman’s most congenial Wagner role, feminine and voluptuous but with a high C to make you sit up in your seat.” Sunday Times, 7th August 2011 ****

“This new recording of Wagner's last work is in most respects very fine...Perhaps the main glory here is the superb playing of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. It responds to every demand of the score, under the inspiring baton of Jaap van Zweden, who seems to be the ideal man to conduct this incredible score...He has a mainly good set of soloists, with the veteran Robert Holl as a strong, moving Gurnemanz” BBC Music Magazine, November 2011 ****

“It's hard to describe this live recording without descending into hyperbole...Jaap van Zweden retains magisterial control over the epic sweep of the piece. A uniformly excellent cast are on top form too: Klaus Florian Vogt (Parsifal) is powerful, shining and easy of voice, and he's matched by Katarina Dalayman (Kundry) on fiery form and the superb Robert Holl (Gurnemanz). Wagner performances don't often come more intense, epic or beautiful than this” Classic FM Magazine, November 2011 *****

“It's obvious that [van Zweden] has consciously opted to play down the story's pomp and stress the piety...We get playing of amazing warmth - a soothing bath of sound that implies godliness, devotion and tranquillity...[Holl's Gurnemanz] is a wonder of wisdom and insights...[Dalayman's] Kundry is a towering performance. Falk Struckmann's Amfortas is a truly damaged soul, his anguish the work of a truly great singing actor” International Record Review, November 2011

“This set is, I presume, the result of a single, concert-hall performance...Katarina Dalayman, Falk Struckmann and Klaus Florian Vogt do much to transcend the performance's oratorio-like ambience...the combined forces of the Netherlands Radio Choir and Latvian State Male Choir bring an appropriate weight of tone to a performance that certainly can't be accused of skating blithely over the great work's surface.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2011