Wolf-Ferrari: Die vier Grobiane (Live)

“… The music is tuneful, attractively harmonized, and exquisitely orchestrated, as record collectors know from a few orchestral excerpts that have been often recorded — notably the intermezzo (i.e., prelude) before Act 2… The work is extremely attractive and poised, not least through its conscious evocation of style elements from operetta and from Mozart-era opera…Particularly delightful is Wolf-Ferrari’s skill at differentiating the characters, and their shifting moods, from sneaky and suspicious to grandiose or elated. The main “father” character (Lunardo) has a tendency to repeat a word or phrase several times, as if comically sputtering in annoyance. There is also much amusing unison and chordal singing for the fathers or other groupings of characters …The singers here are fully as professional and even at times as eloquent as those in previous (Italian-language) recordings, and, because most of them are native German-speakers, … The recording comes from performances in 2014, when Ulf Schirmer, the first-rate conductor, was artistic director of the (superbly responsive here) Munich Radio Orchestra. The performances took place in the acoustically superb Prinzregenten Theater and, by the aural evidence, were unstaged: the singers all sound as if they are standing near each other without moving. As a result, quick exchanges are always clearly audible…I am thrilled to have gotten to know this amazing light opera now in a second language (German) …”

“--- it’s a pleasure to report that Die vier Grobiane could hardly be better served than it is here. The cast is strong, with enough tonal variety to help us tell the characters apart. Christine Buffle triumphs in Felice’s breathless, high-lying ‘patter’ number, and the young lovers (Christina Landshamer and Markus Francke) are ideally fresh. Zoryana Kushpler’s sonorous contralto makes hay as Lunardo’s young9ish) new wife; Margarita’s exhanges with her stepdaughter have a subtly competitive edge that means they scratch a little deeper than the rest of this genial score. Ulf Schirmer’s operatic releases from CPO are always worth hearing, and this – his second Wolf-Ferrari project for the company, following Die neugierigen Frauen a decade ago – adds another jewel to his crown. Such a dainty confection needs everything to fall into place, and Schirmer’s impeccable timing, added to his care for vocal and instrumental balance, manages the trick to perfection. Given demonstration-quality recording, minimal audience noise, good notes, and even a full libretto and translation, here is a set to cherish, of an unassuming but gracious entertainment.”