Lortzing: Opera Overtures

Malmö Opera Orchestra, Märkl, Jun

8.573824

For 150 years Albert Lortzing was, after Mozart and Verdi, the most performed composer on German stages. He was a multifaceted man of the theatre who wrote his own libretti, and his works follow in the tradition of Mozart and Weber but explore a variety of subjects, from romantic fairy tales to heroic calls for political freedom, which inevitably led to bans on performance. His opera overtures reflect the liveliness of his imagination and orchestration, and the exceptionally tuneful nature of his writing, as the music traverses imposing grandeur and lighter motifs alike. ● With the exception of recordings of the complete operas, of which there are very few, these opera overtures are exceptionally rare on disc – the Marco Polo disc (8.220310), released in 1992, offers the only comparable coverage. ● Conductor Jun Märkl’s disc of Richard Wagner’s concert overtures (8.573414) could also be promoted here. These German overtures were written at approximately the same time as the Lortzing works (‘The performances are vigorous, enthusiastic, and well played’ – American Record Guide). ● The Malmö Opera Orchestra has appeared before on Naxos in a Choral album – 8.572871.

CD x 1

Naxos

2/4/19

0747313382477