Der Magendarmkranke

When this recording of Der fliegende Holländer first appeared in 1968, Gramophone magazine declared it “as perfect as we have any right to demand”. Otto Klemperer conceives the score on an epic scale, and Theo Adam, reaching deep into the heart of the world-weary Dutchman, meets his match in the young and incandescent Senta of Anja Silja.

This remastering comes from the original analogue tapes and has been transferred at high resolution digital quality to capture the very best sound from the tapes. In consultation with the original engineer Chris Parker, we have slightly adjusted the balance of the Trio (in Act 3) to reflect the quality of sound that was desired but not achieved at the time of recording. This recording was originally made as a mono recording by Douglas Larter, with a stereo test version engineered by Chris Parker. It is this stereo test version which has been used for this remastering. Despite the early experimental nature of this new ‘stereo’ technology, this recording is captured in astonishingly vivid sound and is a testament to the experience, understanding and skill of both the musicians and engineers of the time.’ Simon Gibson, Remastering Engineer at Abbey Road Studios.

‘This performance is as perfect as we have any right to demand. Klemperer’s magisterial interpretation of the opera has a blazing intensity, the orchestra plays superbly and the cast give of their considerable best.’ - Gramophone

Hamburg marked an important year in its history in 1762. The city’s large St. Michael’s Church had been destroyed by fire in 1760, and two years later the magnificent new Baroque structure (as yet without a tower) was dedicated. This event was celebrated as an official state ceremony, and of course Georg Philipp Telemann, the city’s music director, who by then was eighty-one years old, had to supply the music for it.

Maurice Maeterlinck completed his play The Blue Bird ("L’Oiseau bleu") in 1908. Several of his previous works had proved popular as operatic subjects (Pelléas et Mélisande and Ariane et Barbe-Bleue) so it's no wonder that composers jumped at the opportunity to set his latest creation to music.French composer Albert Wolff based an opera on the story, which premiered at the New York Met but subsequently fell into oblivion. Prior to that, in 1912, Max Reinhardt adapted it as a Christmas play and staged a production in Berlin, inviting no less a person than Engelbert Humperdinck to write the incidental music for it. The music was never published, but Steffen Tast eventually located the score and salvaged it for us all to enjoy. A sweet story and newly discovered music by Humperdinck that's sweeter still? Truly a recipe for a fairy-tale ending!

Maurice Maeterlinck completed his play The Blue Bird ("L’Oiseau bleu") in 1908. Several of his previous works had proved popular as operatic subjects (Pelléas et Mélisande and Ariane et Barbe-Bleue) so it's no wonder that composers jumped at the opportunity to set his latest creation to music.French composer Albert Wolff based an opera on the story, which premiered at the New York Met but subsequently fell into oblivion. Prior to that, in 1912, Max Reinhardt adapted it as a Christmas play and staged a production in Berlin, inviting no less a person than Engelbert Humperdinck to write the incidental music for it. The music was never published, but Steffen Tast eventually located the score and salvaged it for us all to enjoy. A sweet story and newly discovered music by Humperdinck that's sweeter still? Truly a recipe for a fairy-tale ending!

The Ensemble Hofkapelle München under the direction of expert Rüdiger Lotter presents the first excellent and historically informed recording of the opera "Der Stein der Weisen oder: die Zauberinsel". The opera is regarded as the forerunner of W. A. Mozart's celebrated masterpiece "The Magic Flute", with a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder, who would later also write the libretto for "The Magic Flute".

Das Ensemble Hofkapelle München unter der Leitung von Experte Rüdiger Lotter präsentiert die erste exzellente und historisch fundierte Einspielung der Oper "Der Stein der Weisen oder: die Zauberinsel". Die Oper gilt als Vorläufer von W.A. Mozarts gefeiertem Meisterwerk "Die Zauberflöte", mit einem Libretto von Emanuel Schikaneder, der später auch das Libretto für "Die Zauberflöte" schreiben sollte. Diese Oper ist nicht von einem, sondern von gleich vier Komponisten geschrieben worden, darunter Mozart.