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bashing ofthe orchestralion and the vo-cal linę. all loo often declamatory and loud. The quiet moments do provide conirast. but never balance the rema i n-der.

The linest single scene in the opera is not that belween Lear and Cordelia (Act II. Scene vi. ofthe opera), lhough it benefits from Julia Varady*s pure tonę in her aImost unaccompanied singing as Cordelia. Nor does it eonie in the finał moments. when Lear appears with the dead Cordelia: again. the lamous five-fold *‘never“ is set with a nuindane ob-viousness. Rather. it is Act I. Scene iv. where Edgar's feigned madness is con-trasted with the insightful madness of the Tool and the distracted anguish of Lear. Here Reimann comes to grips w ith his materiał and creales the interaction of character plus interaction of word and musie that are notably lacking else-where. (As recorded, David Knutson. the Edgar, is first-rate in this scene. al-though apparently his voice was smali in the oper.i house.) That single scene dem-onstrates that Reimann is no journey-man. but a talented composer who is fi-nally unequal to the task he has set.

The recording is. as the notes say. “an absolutely faithful reproduction of the opera's musical and dramatic quali-ties.*’ yet I suspect that in an opera house the balance belween the voices and the orchestra was never as favorable to the form er. Here all the wordscan beclearly heard. and Fischer-Dieskau animates the lead role as much as possible within its musical context. Included is the pro-grani booklet from the original performance. with yards of materiał on Lear (poems. illustrations. and articles). and on Reimann and his opera, along with the libretto. It’s all in German, however. and the inadequate supplementars leaf-let gives only a synopsis in English.

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Clrcle 21 on Reader-Serwlce Card

REIMANN: Lear.

c\st:

Goncril    Helga Dcrnesch (s)

Regan    Colctte Lorand (s)

Cordelia    Julia Varady(s)

Edgar    David Knutson (ci)

DukeofCornwall    Georg    Paskuda(t)

EarlofKcnl    Richard Holm (i)

Edmund    Werner Gótz(i)

Altendant    Markus Gorit/ki (t)

Lear    Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (b)

Duke of Albany    Hans Wilbrink (b)

King ot France    Karl Heim (bs-b)

Earl ot Gloucester

Hans Gunthcr Noeker (bs-b) Fool    Rolf Roysen (spkr)

Knight    Gerhard    Auer(spkr)

Bavarian State Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Gerd Albrecht, eond. |Werner Mayer and Hans llirsch. prod.| Deuisciie Grammo-rilON 2709089. S32.94 (three dises. manuał se-quence).

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