MENOTTI - THE CONSUL John Sorel - Eberhard WächterMagda Sorel - Melitta MuszelyMother - Res FischerPolice Agent - Willy FerenzVera Boronel - Hilde KonetzniMagician - László SzeméreSecretary - Gloria Lane Orchestra of The Wiener VolksoperFranz Bauer-Theussl "Directed by Rudolph Cartier, it's shot in relentless close-ups that give neither the performers nor the viewers anywhere to hide. Melitta Muszely charts Magda's progress from desperation to hope to suicidal despair with uncompromising veracity. There are equally impressive performances from Eberhard Waechter as her husband and Gloria Lane as the consular secretary." (The Guardian) "Gian Carlo Menotti was one of the most important 20th-century composers of opera working in the United States. For his opera The Consul he won the Pulitzer Prize for Music and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. This unique studio recording from the early years of television is performed by an extraordinary cast featuring Melitta Muszely, Eberhard Waechter, Res Fischer and Hilde Konetzni. The plot of the politically charged drama takes place in Europe of the 1950s. The Orchestra of the Wiener Volksoper is conducted by Franz Bauer-Theussl. An important document of operatic and film history, this restored recording is available on DVD for the first time." (Art Haus)
