LEHAR: Der Sterngucker

Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, Goritzki, Johannes

CPO 999872

The distinguished, cultivated musician speaks from every number of this score; it is probably the finest and most delightful that Lehár has written so far. Above all, the careful, thoroughly personal, colorful instrumentation is masterful, artistically and richly developed the polyphonic leading of the voices, where it only concerns. It blossoms and sounds in his orchestra. This was the enthusiastic comment in a review of the premiere of Franz Lehár's operetta "Der Sterngucker" in Vienna in January 1916.

Nevertheless, today it is one of his most forgotten works, and even during his lifetime this musical comedy did not give his producer too much pleasure, as evidenced by two extensive reworkings (including La danza delle Libellule). The reason for this disappearance is quickly found this time: The extraordinary quality of the composition, which did not quite meet the expectations of contemporary audiences for a new Lehár.

It is a delightful lyrical chamber play, full of the most tender music Lehár wrote. Our premiere recording -also as SACD in surround sound (but of course also playable as a normal CD)- awakens a true Sleeping Beauty. Johannes Goritzki, who already presented Lehár's "Frühling" on cpo, conducts the Deutsche Kammerakademie. Lothar Odinius is our stargazer, Claudia Rohrbach his sister Kitty, Robert Wörle the Baron von Rainer and Hanna Dora Sturludottir his fiancée Lilly.

SACD x 2

CPO

12/11/2004

761203987221