Happy New Year from all of us here at DWT!

by Ken

For this new year, I thought I'd bring back a Sunday Classics triple toast (with trimmings) I whipped up for last New Year's, with assists from assorted participants in that greatest of operettas, Johann Strauss Jr.'s Die Fledermaus, beginning with this immortal (if hard to translate-in-song) pearl of wisdom:

Richard Leech (t), Alfred; Kiri Te Kanawa (s), Rosalinde; Vienna Philharmonic, André Previn, cond. Philips, recorded November 1990

[in English] Richard Tucker (t), Alfred; Marguerite Piazza (s), Rosalinde; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, cond. Live performance, Jan. 20, 1951
[Note that the English translation doesn't even attempt to retain the sense of the original. But just listen to the sounds being made by the young Richard Tucker! Note that he's also the Alfred of American Columbia's recording of Fledermaus based on this Met production.]


NOW ON TO OUR TOASTS, OR ALMOST

Three New Year's toasts from Die Fledermaus, starting with the one in Act I that's excerpted above, with this invaluable lesson taught by the Alfred, a tenor (yes, in "real" life) who never lets anything get him down. But first, in accordance with what was common Sunday Classics practice, we start at the beginning, with the Overture.

J. STRAUSS Jr.: Die Fledermaus: Overture


Vienna Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, cond. Decca, recorded June 1960

Vienna Philharmonic, André Previn, cond. Philips, recorded, November 1990

Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann, cond. EMI, recorded June 1959

Bavarian State Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber, cond. Live performance, Dec. 31, 1974

We've heard all of these performances before, but let me say again -- as I do each time the Karajan-Decca Fledermaus comes up -- that it's one of the handful of recordings I would offer in evidence of Karajan's greatness as a conductor, along with, I think, his first DG Beethoven symphony cycle (you can hear how hard he worked on that set, not in the effort but in the results), the DG Ring cycle, and the EMI Fidelio.


NOW WE SKIP TO THE FINALE OF ACT I . . .

. . . as Alfred, the former flame of Rosalinde von Eisenstein, takes advantage of the departure of her husband -- who has just set off with his, er, friend Dr. Falke to drop in on Prince Orlovsky's ball -- to rewoo his ex-beloved. (Alfred will wind up being carted off to jail to serve the sentence that Eisenstein himself is supposed to turn himself in to serve. But, as I said, nothing gets Alfred down. He entertains himself just fine in lockup.)

Die Fledermaus: Act I, Alfred and Rosalinde, "Trinke, Liebchen, trinke schnell!" ("Drink, my darling, drink up quick!")

ALFRED: Drink, my darling, drink up quick!
Drinking makes the eyes go bright!
When your pretty eyes are clear,
you'll see things truly for what they are.
You'll see that passionate love
is just a dream that fools us,
vows plighted for eternity mere froth and spume --
such things no longer exist!
Though many an illusion flies away,
that once your heart delighted in,
wine soon brings you consolation
in oblivion!
Happy is he who forgets
what anyway can't be altered.
Ting-a-ling, sing, sing, sing,
drink with me, sing with me.
La la la . . .
Sing, sing sing, drink with me
sing, sing, sing!
ROSALINDE [overlapping]: Oh, whatever does one do now?
ALFRED and ROSALINDE: Happy is he who forgets etc.
ROSALINDE [to herself, ALFRED having meanwhile donned EISENSTEIN's dressing gown and fez]: He's no intention of going,
he'll probably fall asleep here!
Whatever shall I do?
ALFRED: Drink, my darling, drink up quick!
Drinking makes the eyes grow bright!
Don't pull an ugly face, now,
be mery and bright -- don't grumble!
Suppose you did break your troth once,
that's forgiven!
Plight it me once more afresh,
and I'll believe it quite brazenly!
Illusion makes us happy,
though all hapiness be short too!
Don't worry, I believe you,
and am happy today!
ALFRED and ROSALINDE: Happy is he who forgets etc.

-- English translations by Peggie Cochrane

Richard Leech (t), Alfred; Kiri Te Kanawa (s), Rosalinde; Vienna Philharmonic, André Previn, cond. Philips, recorded November 1990

Giuseppe Zampieri (t), Alfred; Hilde Gueden (s), Rosalinde; Vienna Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, cond. Decca, recorded June 1960

[in English] Richard Tucker (t), Alfred; Marguerite Piazza (s), Rosalinde; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, cond. Live performance, Jan. 20, 1951

[in English] Sergio Franchi (t), Alfred; Anna Moffo (s), Rosalinde; Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Oskar Danon, cond. RCA, recorded June 1963


NOW WE ADVANCE TO ACT II . . .

. . . and a tribute led off by the otherwise blasé Prince Orlofsky -- a tribute to King Champagne.

Die Fledermaus: Act II, Champagne Trio
(Prince Orlofsky, Adele, Eisenstein, and company)

PRINCE ORLOFSKY [rising, with his glass in hand]:
And now let us drink to Champagne,
king of all wines. Champagne!
ALL. Champagne!
PRINCE ORLOFSKY: In the fiery sap of the vine,
tra la la,
there sparkles a life divine,
tra la la!
Kings and emperors all
love the sprig of the laurel.
They also love besides
the sweet juice of the grape!
A toast! A toast!
And pay homage all together
to the king of all wines!
ALL: A toast! A toast! A toast!
PRINCE ORLOFSKY: Its majesty is acknowledged
and acclaimed throughout the land!
Jubilantly it is named
Champagne the First!
ALL: Its majesty is acknowledged!
Long live Champagne the First!
ADELE: The nations all pay homage,
tra la la,
right down to the remotest regions,
tra la la,
and sometimes champagne drowns
all manner of cares --
wise princes, therefore, never let
their peoples go thirsty!
A toast!
ALL: A toast!
ADELE: Its majesty is acknowledged!
ALL: Its majesty is acknowledged!
EISENSTEIN: The monk in his quiet cell,
tra la la,
partakes of refreshment at this spring,
tra la la!
To moisten his lips,
he has to sip often and much,
and from lifting the glass
he acquires a ruby nose!
A toast!
ALL: A toast!
EISENSTEIN: Its majesty is acknowledged!
ALL: Its majesty is acknowledged!

Regina Resnik (ms), Prince Orlofsky; Erika Köth (s), Adele; Waldemar Kmentt (t), Gabriel von Eisenstein; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, cond. Decca, recorded June 1960

Brigitte Fassbaender (ms), Prince Orlofsky; Renate Holm (s), Adele; Nicolai Gedda (t), Gabriel von Eisenstein; Vienna Volksoper Chorus, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Willi Boskovsky, cond. EMI, recorded 1971

Christa Ludwig (ms), Prince Orlofsky; Wilma Lipp (s), Adele; Karl Terkal (t), Gabriel von Eisenstein; Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra, Otto Ackermann, cond. EMI, recorded June 1959

[in English] Risë Stevens (ms), Prince Orlofsky; James Melton (t), Eisenstein; Patrice Munsel (s), Adele; Robert Shaw Chorale, RCA Victor Orchestra, Fritz Reiner, cond. RCA, recorded c1950


THEN LATER IN ACT II . . .

. . . by which time Prince Orlofsky's guests seem pretty safely under the influence of King Champagne, and they're led by a boozy Dr. Falke . . .

Die Fledermaus: Act II, "Brüderlein, Brüderlein und Schwesterlein"

DR. FALKE: Follow my example. With a glass in your hand,
everyone turn to his neighbor and sing:
Dear brothers, brothers and sisters
we all want to be --
join in with me!
Dear brothers, brothers and sisters
let's get on intimate terms, be closest of friends
for all eternity,
just exactly as we are tonight,
when we think of it still tomorrow!
First a kiss -- then, hand in glove,
bosom pals for ever and a day!
First a kiss etc.
ALL: Dear brothers, brothers and sisters etc.
Dui-du, dui-du, la la la.

Olaf Bär (b), Dr. Falke; et al.; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic, André Previn, cond. Philips, recorded November 1990

Eberhard Wächter (b), Dr. Falke; et al.; Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra, Otto Ackermann, cond. EMI, recorded June 1959

[in English] George London (bs-b), Dr. Falke; et al.; Vienna Volksoper Chorus, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Oskar Danon, cond. RCA, recorded June 1963

DOESN'T THAT SAY "HAPPY NEW YEAR"?

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