Heia

Australia's Favourite Soprano™ heads into the studio with Richard Bonynge and the MSO this week, to record the long-promised disc of operetta favorites. In different circumstances I might be bored and/or scathing about this. As it is, of course, I'm elated. And present herewith my own predicted/desired tracklisting.

Kalman
"Heia, in den Bergen ist mein Heimatland"
"O, jag dem Glück nicht nach"

Lehar
"Vilja-Lied"
"Hör ich Cymbalklänge"
"Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss"
"Warum hast du mich wachgeküsst?"
"In einem Meer von Liebe"
"Einer wird kommen"

Zeller
"Schenkt man sich Rosen im Tyrol"

Stolz
"Wien wird schön erst bei Nacht"
"Mein Liebeslied muss ein Walzer sein"

Strauss
"Klänge der Heimat"
"Draussen in Sievering"

Sieczynski
"Wien, du Stadt meine Träume"

Gershwin
"By Strauss"

Half of these are easy to predict — they're the arias included in the free concert which Maestro Bonynge and AFS™ will give later this month. "Vilja" is a given, though frankly I'd be happy never ever to hear it again. I wouldn't have included "Klänge der Heimat" except that, unless I've misunderstood, it appears she's to sing Rosalinde at West Park Green this year, which, if true, is a bit of a surprise. Rosalinde is one of my all time favourite operatic women; I wouldn't necessarily have thought she was on the horizon of AFS™, however. Most of the others are selected from Lucia Popp's operetta disc, the most wonderful operetta album of all time. "By Strauss" is just a wild guess. Of all the arias listed above, the one I'd love most for her to sing — and one I suspect shan't be on the CD — is "Warum hast du mich wachgeküsst", which has a bit less schmalz and a bit more genuine allure than most of the others. If she can pull off Rosalinde's Csardas, though, it will likely automatically become my favourite track. "In einem Meer von Liebe" would also be a lot of fun. As it's pretty certain "Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume" will be included, I'm also looking forward to that, as it's just the right kind of gorgeousness for her voice as is.

I've listen fifteen arias above but I'm sure the real thing shan't be so generous. Besides, as it's an ABC Classics release, and as ABC Classics seems unable to conceive of anyone putting up with a vocal recital which features the singer on every single track, we have to leave room for two or three overtures, ballets, intermezzi etc. (Yawn.) The title, I imagine, will either be something totally left field like "Sings Operetta" or "Operetta Favorites" or else will be, like the Music Bowl concert, "Operetta Magic". Or else something incorporating Vienna. I fear the cover will involve a seriously extravagant frock and a glass of champagne, but hope springs eternal for something a little subtler. And now all I have to do is wait until it's released, some time later this year, to find out just how wrong I am.   

Comments

[operalover]

I doubt anyone will ever surpass this Csardas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnL_fYG1SjQ

[Barbara]

Rosen in Tyrol is for a man, baritone to be specific. Oh well. I know this for the reason that I was in about 40 performances of this.... Ah nostalgia.
I have a feeling I am supposed to guess who AFS is. Is it obvious? I leave out the name to get the entries not to Google.

[Sarah]

Well it may well be for a man but it has been appropriated by at least a couple of generations of sopranos — I have Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Pilar Lorengar singing it auf Deutsch, and Yvonne singing it in English — which is part of the reason I predicted it for this CD (she's good at repeating herself; likewise Vilja). Also it's on the programme for the concert she's giving in a couple of weeks in Melbourne.
Which answers the question of whether "Australia's Favourite Soprano" is obvious. She tends to be packaged that way by ABC Classics. Much as I love her, I'm not entirely sure that it's TRUE.

[Margaret]

The MSO's website says they're recording the concert programme. ABC Classics doesn't usually pad out YK's CDs, except for the Handel, and I suspect that was to give the Brandies a chance to shine on their own. I'm glad "Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume" is there, it was an encore for her BBC Proms Vienna concert a few years back and the best bit, for my money.

[Sarah]

I guess that means it will be broadcast at some point, which is good news, since I decided to be all restrained and sensible and not fly to Melbourne six arias sung by a dot in the distance.
You are right, of course, that the Handel is the only of hers with instrumental tracks. But all the same I have my suspicions that it will happen again here, if for no other reason than to appease/indulge the maestro, who must surely be nine hundred years old by now. Anyway I don't really mind that; my major concern is the potential for cheesy cover design inherent in producing an operetta CD.
All of my quibbling aside, I really am looking forward to hearing her sing all this stuff (including the gorgeous "Wien, etc."). She obviously loves it, and I love the way she sounds singing it. And if her Csardasfurstin on Naxos is anything to judge by, Bonynge obviously knows how to get the best out of her.