Tomorrow morning I will have the honor of keeping the chair warm for Sandy Steiglitz, who will be taking the week off from her long-running show, “Sunday Morning Opera,” at WPRB. That’s a large bill to fill, so I’ll be bringing along not one, but two operas.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold wrote “Violanta” at the age of 17. Already his second opera, composed in 1914, the work demonstrates the composer’s early mastery of large orchestral forces, rich, heroic vocal writing, and compelling stagecraft. It’s small wonder that 20 years later Korngold would revolutionize the Hollywood film score. He would be recognized for his efforts with two Academy Awards, for his work on “Anthony Adverse” (1936) and “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938). A good choice, then, for Academy Awards Sunday!
The story of “Violanta,” set in 15th century Venice against the backdrop of Carnival, involves seduction, suicide, thirst for revenge, dawning compassion, and sacrifice. The music is intoxicating, and the recording, led by Marek Janowski – with Eva Marton in the title role, Siegfried Jerusalem as a sympathetic lothario, and Walter Berry as an insecure husband – is fabulous. Bruno Walter conducted the world premiere in Munich, so the choice of the Munich Radio Orchestra is an idiomatic one.
We’ll follow up the opulent tragedy of “Violanta” with Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s fun and frothy comedy of marital misunderstanding, “Il segreto di Susanna” (“Susanna’s Secret”), composed in 1909. A man suspects his wife is having an affair when he smells cigarette smoke on her clothes. He attempts to get to the bottom of her “secret,” with amusing results. Renato Scotto is Susanna, Renata Bruson her husand, Count Gil, and John Pritchard conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra.
In the process, we’ll inadvertently be observing the birthdays of Scotto (Feb. 24), Pritchard (Feb. 5) and Janowski (Feb. 18), along with those of Leontyne Price (Feb. 10), and Lotte Lehmann (Feb. 27).
My choices are somewhat limited due to the requirements of WPRB’s All Vinyl Week. Still, I think I’ve managed to come up with some good material. I hope you’ll join me as I kick back with some caffeine and some good music, on “Sunday Morning Opera,” tomorrow from 7 to 10 ET, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com.
PHOTO: Massive spoiler alert!
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