HÄFNER Berg: Lulu (1951) - PACO049
overviewfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fBERG Lulu Studio recording, 1949 or 1951Total duration: 121:22 Ilona Steingruber - LuluMaria Cerny - Gräfin GeschwitzOtto Wiener - Dr. Schön Hans Libert - AlwaEmil Sieger - SchigolchWaldemar Kmentt - MalerVienna Symphony Orchestraconducted by Herbert Häfner578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_titlefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_quotefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_bodyfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9main_samplefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fsamples/PACO049.mp3578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fProducer's Note578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fThe first recording of Berg's Lulu was made either in 1949 or in the spring of 1951, either way, the original shows its age and was rightly criticised for sonic shortcomings when eventually reviewed in its Philips release in Britain in 1962 (the reviewer also lamented that the opera was unlikely to receive another recording, let alone in stereo, in 'our lifetimes' - I hope he lived another 6 years and long enough to listen to the follow-up!).Well it turns out that this is one of those happy occasions where XR remastering can utterly transform a recording, not only cleaning up the murk of the original (and fortunately we had near-mint Philips pressings to work from), but doing away completely with the dim and ill-balanced original tone to reveal a wonderful, multi-faceted, well-balanced and exceptionally listenable recording underneath. It is also as if one were to take a murky brown canvas of indeterminate origins and, through appropriately careful restoration, reveal a fine and vivid Van Gogh beneath.The reminders of vintage are few and far between - a very occasional edge to the louder vocal notes may be perceived by the careful listener, for example. Other than this, the obvious shortcoming of this, as with any other recording of this opera before 1979, is the lack of a complete third act. Berg's failure to complete the sketches he'd made for the final act prior to his death, and his wife's insistence that (after an abortive effort by Schoenberg) nobody else should do so, means that the recording here presents merely the orchestral music which would have finished the opera.Overall, a powerful rehabilitation of this first recording - and one which, as a result, deserves hearing again with fresh ears!Andrew Rose578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fFull Track Listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5ftrack_listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fHÄFNER Berg: Lulu (1951)BERG - Lulu1. Prologue (4:15)2. Act I Scene 1 (13:40)3. Act I Scene 2 (20:51)4. Interlude (3:13)5. Act I Scene 3 (15:51)6. Act II Scene 1 (25:35)7. Interlude — Film Music (3:18)8. Act II Scene 2 (23:01)Act III9. Finale (orchestral music from Scene 2) (11:40) Cast (in order of singing) Karl Loida, bass – Animal trainerHans Libert, tenor – AlwaOtto Wiener, baritone – Dr. SchönIlona Steingruber, soprano – LuluWaldemar Kmentt, tenor – The PainterClaus Logau, speaker – The DoctorEmil Siegert, bass – SchigolchWaldemar Kmentt, tenor – The PrinceHilde Matheis, contralto – Dressing-room attendantHans Wild, bass – ManagerMaria Cerny, mezzo-soprano – Countess GeschitzKarl Loida, bass – RodrigoFriedl Riegler, contralto – SchoolboyWilly Bacher, tenor – Servant Vienna Symphony Orchestraconducted by Herbert Häfner This is the original unfinished version of the opera, with the orchestral music Berg had written for the finale. A "completion" of the opera by Friedrich Cerha was published in 1979, following the death in 1976 of Berg's widow, Helene, who had forbidden a completion during her lifetime. Source information: World première recording, Vienna, Spring 1951 (some sources suggest 1949) Originally issued as Columbia Masterworks SL-121 Transfer from Philips Modern Music Series LPs A01496L - A01498L XR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, August 2010Cover artwork based on a photograph of Alban Berg Total duration: 121:22578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fCover Art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcover_art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers/thumbs/PACO049.jpg578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers/PACO049.pdf578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f