Classical Works Spotlight #361--A Rare Schubert Opera

[erik]

One of the first-ever recordings of an opera by Franz Schubert makes its way into the Classical Works Spotlight, illustrating paradoxically why those operas were never staged during the composer's lifetime, but also how they can be made to work in ours.

Schubert: ALFONSO UND ESTRELLA, D. 732

Perhaps no other major composer in history, not even Gustav Mahler, was as unable to get his own music performed within his own lifetime as Franz Schubert. Though he very much set the standard for German lieder, and though he wrote symphonies that were very much in the Haydn/Mozart/Beethoven vein, many of his other endeavors were considered much too radical for even the early years of the 19th century. One field where his luck was practically absent was in the field of opera. No one doubted his ability to compose great melodies in any field; but in opera, solid librettos such as the ones Mozart had for many of his operas are what are most required. Schubert had almost no luck in that respect; and it was a very long time before any of his operas were even staged. One case in point was the composer’s 1822 opera “Alfonso Und Estrella”. But while it can be said that many of Schubert’s operas failed on the basis of weak librettos, this opera had a fairly good one: a love story set amidst a palace coup in the Leon region of France. This libretto was designed by Schubert’s close friend Franz von Schober. Unfortunately, many critics then (and until fairly recently) had criticized the work for its lack of dramatic action and pacing, as well as the lack of any spoken dialogue in-between, as had been the case even with Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” Franz Liszt gave the opera its world premiere in Weimar in 1854, twenty-six years after the composer’s death; but its U.K. didn’t come until Reading University’s Opera Company staged it on February 27, 1977. Even in other more recent realizations, including those made by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, cuts had to be made in places. The first complete recording, showing an opera that ran two hours and forty-five minutes, however, did come in 1978 at the Berlin State Opera, giving “Alfonso Und Estrella” a well-prepared going-over.



Alfonso: PETER SCHREIER
Estrella: EDITH MATHIS
Mauregatto: HERMANN PREY
Adolfo: THEO ADAM
Froila: DIETRICH FISCHER-DIESKAU
Maiden: MAGDALENA FALEWICZ
Youth: EBERHARD BUCHNER
Chief Bodyguard: HORST GEBHARDT
Soloist #1 In Act 1: CLAUDIA GRASWURM
Soloist #2 In Act 1: JOACHIM VOGT

Berlin Radio Chorus

Berlin State Orchestra/OTMAR SUITNER (Berlin Classics)

[egoodstein]

Schubert's operas, few as they are, are an interesting chapter in his career. I think they show in varying ways promise, if not of course fully realized. But nevertheless some fine moments as I recall (if awhile since I heard this record). I think it has interesting examples of reconciling German opera/'singspiel' and influences from contemporaries like Rossini which, if musically intriguing, may not have sat so well with contemporary German audiences. Recently, some scholars/writers have noted the general difficulty of theatrical production in Vienna after the Napoleanic era. Metternich and his regime were very quick to 'spot,' discourage, or actively squelch/censor what they thought might be subversive/'revolutionary,' or undermine respect for the Emperor/regime. So in that atmosphere there too, it is perhaps less surprising that Schubert found producing operas difficult. In any case, this is yet another area in which we can speculate what he might have accomplished had he lived longer and had better 'breaks' in terms of patronage or acceptance. But anyway what he did accomplish is amazing, and his vocal writing for lieder alone is outstanding anyway.

[erik]

Although I can't necessarily vouch for it, it's possible that this was the first recording that "Alfonso Und Estrella" ever got anywhere; and this was back in 1978. There is still some doubt as to the legitimacy of many of Schubert's theatrical efforts, hobbled by terrible librettos as they were (though "Rosamunde" survives quite well in terms of recording value); but recent stagings of this opera, and "Fierrabras", seem to also be indications that Schubert's operas can be prepared with the utmost care and be made to work. They may not quite ever get to that level of Mozart's operas, or Beethoven's one operatic effort "Fidelio", but that there are efforts to get them performed is a good sign for Schubert as a composer (IMHO).

[egoodstein]

Dec 6, 2015 14:07:36 GMT -5 erik said:

Although I can't necessarily vouch for it, it's possible that this was the first recording that "Alfonso Und Estrella" ever got anywhere; and this was back in 1978. There is still some doubt as to the legitimacy of many of Schubert's theatrical efforts, hobbled by terrible librettos as they were (though "Rosamunde" survives quite well in terms of recording value); but recent stagings of this opera, and "Fierrabras", seem to also be indications that Schubert's operas can be prepared with the utmost care and be made to work. They may not quite ever get to that level of Mozart's operas, or Beethoven's one operatic effort "Fidelio", but that there are efforts to get them performed is a good sign for Schubert as a composer (IMHO).

** I believe this was the 1st complete recording of Alfonso und Estrella. As I've noted before, I like too a lot 'realization/completion' of Schubert's c1820/21 opera 'fragment' Sakontala done a few years ago on German SWR/Carus Records. Some really nice music. And a fascinating musical project in general really. At least an interesting comparison/contrast with his near contemporary German composer Weber in any case. & yes, I agree that whatever the staging issues, it's good to have more recordings of these 'problematical' works lately. Despite his short life, it seems even recently just more revelations of FS's talents seem to come to light.