Ernst Haefliger, Josef Greindl, Maria Stader, Martin Vantin, Rita Streich & Walter Franck [w/The RIAS Symphony Orchestra Of Berlin & Chamber Choir] - Mozart's "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" (1954 Deutsche Grammophon Album Set)

Most people will know, or at least have heard of in passing, the "big" Mozart (1756-1791) operas like The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni if they are asked about them. But how many of those same people will also mention The Abduction from the Seraglio (or, in its original German, Die Entführung aus dem Serail) in the same breath? Likely very few, for this challenging and vibrant opera has always taken an ill-deserved back seat to Mozart's more publicized works.

Composed in 1782 at the bequest of Austrian emperor Joseph II (1741-1790), it was initially designed as an entertaining Turkish/Ottoman Empire comic opera. However, what sets it apart from many of his other operas is the fact that it is an unexpected work of fantastic exuberance. The characters all develop surprising emotional complexities as the opera goes on, and Mozart always considered it among his best works. The story is based on the libretto of the 1781 operetta Belmont und Constanze by Christoph Bretzner (1748-1807), but Mozart, with the help of fellow librettist Gottlieb Stephanie (1741-1800), tweaked the material to turn it into a masterpiece.

Contrary to conventional former belief among musical scholars, Joseph II did not complain to Mozart after the opera's premiere performance that he thought it had "too many notes!" What is now generally accepted is that Joseph II instead told Mozart he thought it had "an extraordinary amount of notes"; in other words, he was surprised at how well the performers sang the difficult arias (in particular, "Martern aller arten" and "O, wie will ich triumphieren"), which Mozart specifically wrote to take advantage of the talent possessed by many great singers of the era specially commissioned to premiere the opera. Regardless of the emperor's take on it, the opera was a great success among audiences and is still being performed to this day, albeit much less commonly than when it was new.

This 1954 studio album set (originally released on a double vinyl LP set, here presented in its reissued CD set from the mid-1990s) is one of the best - if not, the best - recording of The Abduction from the Seraglio. Under the baton of conductor Ferenc Fricsay (1914-1963), the album has an all-star case consisting of sopranos Maria Stader (1911-1999) and Rita Streich (1920-1987), tenors Ernst Haefliger (1919-2007) and Martin Vantin (1919-), basso Josef Greindl (1912-1993) and voice actor Walter Franck (1896-1961). They are accompanied by the RIAS Symphony Orchestra of Berlin and its chamber choir, which to this day remain a pinnacle among European classical musicians and singers.

I was first exposed to this album set in high school by a former music teacher, and have greatly enjoyed listening to it since! The only drawbacks of it is that not all the arias present in the opera were recorded on this set, and voice actors speak most of the libretto instead of the singers themselves (perhaps this was a cost-saving measure on the part of Deutsche Grammophon?) Even with these drawbacks, the album is still a very enjoyable listen! I insist that all fans of Mozart give it a listen, especially those only familiar with his "big" operas.

Check out these clips from YouTube to hear it for yourself! (Ignore the puppets in the first clip...)

The tracks on this album are as follows:

1. "Ouvertüre"
2. "Hier soll ich dich denn sehen...Aber wie soll ich in den Palast kommen?"
3. "Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden"
4. "Solche hergelauf'ne Laffen"
5. "O wie angstlich"
6. "Versteckt euch, Herr...Singt dem grossen Bassa Lieder"
7. "Ach ich liebte, war so glücklich"
8. "Marsch! Trollt euch fort!"
9. "Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln"
10. "Ich gehe, doch rate ich dir"
11. "Welcher Kummer herrscht in meiner Seele"
12. "Martern aller arten"
13. "Vivat Bacchus! Bacchus lebe!"
14. "So, gnädiger Herr, jetzt schnell"
15. "Das Fenster geht auf, Herr!"
16. "Bassa Selim lebe lange"
17. "Welche Wonne, welche Lust"
18. "Frisch zum Kampfe! Frisch zum Streite!"
19. "Wenn der Freude Tränen fließen"
20. "Ach! Belmonte! Ach, mein Leben!"
21. "Ich baue ganz auf deine Stärke"
22. "O, wie will ich triumphieren"
23. "Welch ein geschick!"/"Ha, du solltest für mich sterben!"
24. "Nie werd' ich deine Huld verkennen"
25. "Alleluja"*
26. "Tu virginum corona"*
27. "Exsultate, jubilate"*
28. "Fulget amica dies"*

*From Exsultate, jubilate (K. 165) sung by Maria Stader

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