Berg: Lulu

Lear is a model of corrupting and decaying glamour...As a version of the original version of Lulu this is unique in the catalogue...It has another advantage, too: unlike many of the modern issues,... — MusicWeb International, 16th September 2013 More…

Release Date: 1st Jul 2013
Catalogue No: 101687
Label: Arthaus Musik

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Berg: Lulu

Live Recording from The Theater An Der Wien, Vienna, Austrian Premiere 1962
Evelyn Lear (Lulu), Rudolf Schock (Alwa), Paul Schöffler (Dr. Schön), Josef Knapp (Schigolch) & Gisela Litz (Gräfin Geschwitz)
Wiener Symphoniker
Karl Böhm (conductor) & Otto Schenk (stage director)

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Alban Berg’s second opera Lulu was premiered in 1937 in Zurich, incomplete, because Berg had died unexpectedly during the composition process. The scandalous story of Lulu was taken from two dramas by Frank Wedekind, “Die Büchse der Pandora” and “Der Erdgeist”, which greatly inspired Berg in his adaptation of the libretto. Due to the controversial material and the exceedingly diffi cult vocal parts Lulu was not performed regularly for a long time – and the Austrian premiere took place 25 years after the world premiere.

Evelyn Lear, already then a renowned star, gives a breathtaking performance of Lulu – her contemporary colleague Elisabeth Schwarzkopf called Lear’s performance in Vienna “one of the supreme achievements of the operatic stage anywhere in the world”. At her side the German baritone Paul Schöffl er and heroic tenor Rudolf Schock give highly appraised interpretations of Dr. Schön and his son Alwa.

Conducting this Austrian premiere is the distinguished maestro Karl Böhm. The young Otto Schenk took over not only the stage, but also the TV direction for this programme.

Sound Format: PCM Mono

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 9 / NTSC

Subtitle Languages: DE (Original Language), GB, FR, ES, IT

Running Time: 135 mins

FSK: 0

Reviews

16th September 2013

Lear is a model of corrupting and decaying glamour...As a version of the original version of Lulu this is unique in the catalogue...It has another advantage, too: unlike many of the modern issues, it adheres to Berg’s original scenario without the superfluous addition of any layers of confusing ‘conception’.

28th November 2013

its lyrical sensuality [is] admirably offset by an expressionist hardness of edge...[Lear is] spine-tingling in her blend of sexual knowingness and lack of moral awareness...Schenk's production shows its age a bit, but is still sexier than many recent, more explicit stagings.

Berg: Lulu

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