Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), opera, WWV 63
Is it or isn't it a great Dutchman? It's hard to tell from the reviews. When first released in 1955, this Die fliegende Holländer with Astrid Varnay as Senta, Ludwig Weber as Daland, and Hermann Uhde in the title role plus Joseph Keilberth leading the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus was praised for its singing and slighted for its conducting. When re-released in the early '70s, it was still praised, though with some reservations for its singing, nearly panned for its conducting, and thoroughly condemned for being ...
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Is it or isn't it a great Dutchman? It's hard to tell from the reviews. When first released in 1955, this Die fliegende Holländer with Astrid Varnay as Senta, Ludwig Weber as Daland, and Hermann Uhde in the title role plus Joseph Keilberth leading the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus was praised for its singing and slighted for its conducting. When re-released in the early '70s, it was still praised, though with some reservations for its singing, nearly panned for its conducting, and thoroughly condemned for being recorded live instead of in the studio as had become the norm. So how did it sound reissued for the first time in stereo in 2006? The singing sounded better than ever, although clearly of its time. Uhde was a powerful and sympathetic Dutchman, Weber a warm and lyrical Daland, and Varnay, like no later singer who took the part, was a full-bodied, full-throated, and full-throttled Senta. The conducting, however, sounded more unsatisfying than ever. Although his overture was exciting...
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