# Strauss Arabella



## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

Last night, I payed the Keilberth Arabella, the 1957 version with the Vienna Philharmonic and the exquisite Lisa Dell Casa in the title role. To say that I "floated" though the music would be an understatement. The feeling of drifting on a cloud of sublime sound might be the best way to describe the sensation.

Am I alone or do others have the same reaction?

It would probably be a long shot to claim any scientific commonality between the Alpha wave biofeedback stimulated by Baroque music- Bach in particular and the effect of the harmonics within Strauss's operatic works - (maybe someone with greater knowledge that I can explain) but for me, there is something about Strauss' music that satisfies so deeply and creates feelings of wellbeing.

There have of course been many notable recordings of Arabella and the Wiki list is worth visiting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabella_discography

There is an excellent extract from the 57 performance here:





Almost incidentally. I have formerly made less-than-flattering comments on TC about Fischer-Dieskau but his Mandryka in this performance is superb

Anyone wanting a very detailed evaluation of the performance can do no better than John Quinn's account here:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Nov05/Strauss_Arabella_C651053D.htm


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

if you would like modern sound try the Tate recording. Gorgeous sound.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

aussiebushman said:


> It would probably be a long shot to claim any scientific commonality between the Alpha wave biofeedback stimulated by Baroque music- Bach in particular and the effect of the harmonics within Strauss's operatic works - (maybe someone with greater knowledge that I can explain) but for me, there is something about Strauss' music that satisfies so deeply and creates feelings of wellbeing.


Wow, this is fascinating to me & something I'd never considered, but YES I absolutely feel this!

I don't know this opera as well as I do others just yet, but I have learned the role of Mandryka & he has some incredibly beautiful music to sing. This duet is one such moment imo...


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I like Strauss, but I could probably live without his operas (whereas I wouldn't give up either Wagner or Verdi).

Arabella is one of the ones I like, however I really don't like Lisa della Casa. I understand her importance as Strauss himself approved of her singing the role (after hearing her in the part of Zdenka), but I find her phrasing underwhelming. The recording I have of Arabella is the Sawallisch one with Varady and Fischer-Dieskau past his best. It's a good recording despite the conducting not quite getting off the ground, however I don't like the singers in other recordings.

N.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

I love Strauss's operas but I have a blind spot for Arabella. Of all the mature operas it's the one I like least. Can't explain it as I adore all the rest. Weird, but it is what it is.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

The Conte said:


> I like Strauss, but I could probably live without his operas (whereas I wouldn't give up either Wagner or Verdi).
> 
> Arabella is one of the ones I like, however I really don't like Lisa della Casa. I understand her importance as Strauss himself approved of her singing the role (after hearing her in the part of Zdenka), but I find her phrasing underwhelming. The recording I have of Arabella is the Sawallisch one with Varady and Fischer-Dieskau past his best. It's a good recording despite the conducting not quite getting off the ground, however I don't like the singers in other recordings.
> 
> N.


I don't get on with it either really. I also have that Sawallisch recording, and it serves its purpose. That said, I prefer the excerpts disc Schwarzkopf did with Josef Metternich as Mandryka. It's just about all I need of the opera, and Schwarzkopf is sublime.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Yep. I have multiple versions of everything except Arabella. I have the Keilberth and that's yer lot for me.


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

Barbebleu said:


> I love Strauss's operas but I have a blind spot for Arabella. Of all the mature operas it's the one I like least. Can't explain it as I adore all the rest. Weird, but it is what it is.


Interesting comment Barbebleu. It is a mystery how some works appeal strongly, while others do not, despite a fondness for others of much the same character. Arabella was initially criticized as being not much more than a rework of Rosenkavalier - not that I agree with that but there are strong similarities. My tastes fluctuate all of the time and I once would not have raked Arabella at the top of my Strauss favorites. Now I do,


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

The Conte said:


> I like Strauss, but I could probably live without his operas (whereas I wouldn't give up either Wagner or Verdi).
> 
> Arabella is one of the ones I like, however I really don't like Lisa della Casa. I understand her importance as Strauss himself approved of her singing the role (after hearing her in the part of Zdenka), but I find her phrasing underwhelming. The recording I have of Arabella is the Sawallisch one with Varady and Fischer-Dieskau past his best. It's a good recording despite the conducting not quite getting off the ground, however I don't like the singers in other recordings.
> 
> N.


It is a very personal choice, but I respectfully suggest you do not give up on Della Casa. Remember she was Swiss - not German and if you are familiar with the sound of the Swiss rendition of German, it can sound quite strange to anyone more comfortable with the latter.

Have you heard her recording of the final scene from Capriccio?


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

Let's not forget Maria Reining, the Austrian soprano who was the successor to Lotte Lehmann at the Vienna State Opera before eventually moving on to Munich to join Knappertsbusch.

As one of the most favored exponents of Strauss's operas, she sang as the Marschallin in the Kleiber Rosenkavalier as Ariadne and as Arabella with Hans Hotter. Her glorious Arabella performance is available here:






By the way, the Kristel Goltz Arabella is also available on YouTube - IMHO it is not in the same class as either Reining or Della Casa.

I shall be interested to get TC member's comments on Reining versus Della Casa in particular.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Speaking of the 1947 Bohm recording with Maria Reining & Hans Hotter...Hotter apparently didn't feel like singing what Strauss wrote & omitted almost all of the high notes. I would say there were 15+ times he transposed high notes. Is this common for a singer to sing a role that is too high (or low) for them & repeatedly change what is written? I've never encountered it, but perhaps you more experienced listeners have...


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Bonetan said:


> Speaking of the 1947 Bohm recording with Maria Reining & Hans Hotter...Hotter apparently didn't feel like singing what Strauss wrote & omitted almost all of the high notes. I would say there were 15+ times he transposed high notes. Is this common for a singer to sing a role that is too high (or low) for them & repeatedly change what is written? I've never encountered it, but perhaps you more experienced listeners have...


Sometimes composers actually write in lower (or higher) options for singers with range issues. Is that a possibility here? Since Strauss was still alive in 1947 and Bohm knew him, Hotter's changes may have been composer-sanctioned.


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Woodduck said:


> Sometimes composers actually write in lower (or higher) options for singers with range issues. Is that a possibility here? Since Strauss was still alive in 1947 and Bohm knew him, Hotter's changes may have been composer-sanctioned.


Interesting! I hadn't considered that, but since Bohn knew Strauss as you say, & Hotter also had a close relationship with Strauss, what you suggest seems very possible...even likely


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

For me,the old Decca recording with Della Casa , Gueden and George London with Solti and the VPO remains uneaten .


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

superhorn said:


> For me,the old Decca recording with Della Casa , Gueden and George London with Solti and the VPO remains uneaten .


Maybe a little soy sauce would help?


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

OOPS ! "Unbeaten ". My bad .


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Putting the Della Casa/George London recording aside, what's the best uncut Arabella on disc?


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Bonetan said:


> Putting the Della Casa/George London recording aside, what's the best uncut Arabella on disc?


I think the Sawallisch is uncut, and I actually prefer it to the Della Casa/London, which is ruined by Solti's haste. Sawallisch understands the score so much better. That said, Fischer-Dieskau was by this time a bit too old for Mandryka, and sounds it. Varady and Donath are lovely and Dallapozza makes a sympathetic Matteo, a character I always feel rather more sorry for than I'm assuming I am supposed to.

On the other hand, for me the opera rather outstays its welcome and I can get just about as much as I need from the disc of excerpts conducted by Lovro von Matacic, with an ideal Schwarzkopf and Metternich as Arabella and Mandryka.


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