# Pfitzner's 'Palestrina', anyone?



## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Don't see a lot of references to Pfitzner's Palestrina on this sub-forum. I'm sure it has its devotees here, but I still think it's rather overlooked outside of Germany. Obviously don't shy away from it just because Pfitzner was a bit of a twit (Nazi sucker-upper, resentful of R. Strauss, generally grumpy bugger). This is just a marvellous opera, and really unlike anything else in the canon, I think. Highly original, and really rather beautiful, in that wonderful late-German-romanticism way. He doesn't seem to have composed anything else as good as this - the rest of his output is just 'competent'. I think you can still get Kubelik's version (regarded my many as definitive) which I was chuffed to pick up second-hand recently. 
- T


----------



## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

Scary, its 21 years since I saw it live.

http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/production.aspx?production=4332

The ROH didn't stimp on the production and it created a powerful impression. Sadly as you say it's overlooked here and I can't recall R3 or Classic FM ever playing any excerpts. I would welcome another chance to see it.


----------



## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I watched _Palestrina_ in Vienna, around fifteen years ago. For some strange reason my main recollection is a long scene in Act 2, with Heinz Zednik (Cardinal Novagerio) talking to Bernd Weikl (Cardinal Morone), while eating some grapes.

This is a long and dense piece. The libretto is interesting, but lacking a bit of drama, and difficult to stage. In my mind, the music is of uneven quality, with some very beautiful moments, and others rather dull. This prelude is a wonder, though:


----------



## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

schigolch said:


> I watched _Palestrina_ in Vienna, around fifteen years ago. For some strange reason my main recollection is a long scene in Act 2, with Heinz Zednik (Cardinal Novagerio) talking to Bernd Weikl (Cardinal Morone), while eating some grapes.
> 
> This is a long and dense piece. The libretto is interesting, but lacking a bit of drama, and difficult to stage. In my mind, the music is of uneven quality, with some very beautiful moments, and others rather dull. This prelude is a wonder, though:


Yes, I suppose one of the things I rather like about it is that it lacks any real drama. It's more a rumination on artists and creation.


----------



## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

I want to do a recording challenge of this opera among other 20th century ones. I hope I can one day post all my thoughts. My first experience of this opera was the Kubelík recording. I do have a positive memory of it.


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Granate said:


> I want to do a recording challenge of this opera among other 20th century ones. I hope I can one day post all my thoughts. My first experience of this opera was the Kubelík recording. I do have a positive memory of it.


It's not my favorite opera, but I've been sort of obsessive about it since seeing the ROH production when they brought it to the Met 20 or so years ago (Thielemann conducted, with Thomas Moser singing the title role). The Kubelik is probably the best all-around choice, but the two main roles - Palestrina and Borromeo - are better sung elsewhere. There are three live performance on Myto; two of them have Patzak and Hotter in these two roles, and the third has Wunderlich in the title role (unfortunately, it has Otto Wiener as Borromeo).

The recording I listen to most often is the 1952 performance conducted by Richard Kraus - very well cast, but not particularly well conducted or played by the orchestra, alas.


----------



## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

There is an excellent live recording on Berlin Classics which I have . It's conducted by the late Otmar Suitner with the forces of the Berlin State opera and dates from around the mid 80s before the fall of the Berlin Wall .
Peter Schreier sings Palestrina beautifully and the other singers , though not particularly well known outside of what used to beEast Germany , were stalwarts of the company . I don't know if it's still available, but it's well worth looking for .


----------



## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)




----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

superhorn said:


> There is an excellent live recording on Berlin Classics which I have . It's conducted by the late Otmar Suitner with the forces of the Berlin State opera and dates from around the mid 80s before the fall of the Berlin Wall .
> Peter Schreier sings Palestrina beautifully and the other singers , though not particularly well known outside of what used to beEast Germany , were stalwarts of the company . I don't know if it's still available, but it's well worth looking for .


I think that it was reissued by Brilliant.


----------



## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

It's one of those pieces that doesn't travel well -- like Peleas et Melisande outside of France or Elgar symphonies outside of England. Nevertheless, to conduct it is the lifelong dream of many German conductors -- and to see a production the dream of many a Deutsch-o-phile (to coin a word).


----------



## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Actually Mark W , Pelleas is not rarely performed at all outside of France . Virtually every major opera company has it in its repertoire sometimes .


----------

