The "
Wien, Berlin, Paris
" subtitle of this release by soprano
Diana Damrau
suggests that even operetta fans will find some unfamiliar items here; casual listeners know some Viennese operetta, but the varieties from Berlin and Paris are a good deal less common.
Damrau
offers just a few favorites, such as
Hör ich Cymbalklänge
from
Franz Léhar
's
Zigeunerliebe
, and composers like
Richard Heuberger
and
Henri Christiné
will be new for many. This being so, translations of the texts in the booklet would have been more useful than a lengthy and not particularly enlightening interview-format commentary.
, however, is an expressive singer who, by and large, is having fun with the material, and the music is listenable even for those who don't speak German and/or French. She seems a bit looser, naturally enough, in the German pieces, but she scores with
Francis Lopez
Andalousie
, a sangria-drinking song for a change.
's duet partners are major attractions; tenor
Jonas Kaufmann
joins her on a trio of numbers (sample "Ein kleiner Flirt" from
Das Lied der Liebe
, originally by
Johann Strauss II
). Note also the presence of up-and-comer
Emily Sierra
(an Operalia winner) in an aria from
Strauss II
Das Spitzentuch der Königin
. Another worthy partner is the
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
under the baton of
Ernst Theis
, which delivers charming instrumental solos that would have drawn audiences back in the day. This album made classical best-seller lists in late 2023, and it will find its way onto many operetta shelves. ~ James Manheim