DER ROSENKAVALIER : Strauss
Original Air Date: 02/18/1956
Cast: Kempe; Stevens, Della Casa; Edelmann, Güden, Herbert
Media: MOD Audio SID.18400103 Tags: Archive; 2018, Strauss
RWW-Sadly, we lost Della Casa this past week [December 2012]. No more
beautiful woman ever trod the operatic stage. With Kempe in the pit
for his final Met broadcast, this is a wonderful all-around performance. This performance has been on, but not frequently. I found a reference to my hearing it in January 2010, but Met Database does not show it has having been on Sirius. In any case I give the performance an absolute rave. If maybe a little late for Stevens, Della Casa and Guden are in absolute prime. Kempe appeared too little and we certainly need his Arabella (in English) with Steber, Guden and London to appear on Sirius. Don’t miss
SR-This broadcast featured Della Casa’ second Marschallin at the Met. She had done it for the first time in Vienna after doing both Sophie and Octavian.. and she was equally splendid as the Marschallin. Hilde Gueden is the delightful Sophie, while Rise Stevens sings her justly admired Octavian. Otto Edelmann is the boorish but charming Baron Ochs, one of his signature roles. Combine this with the elegant conducting of Rudolf Kempe, and this a fine Straussian broadcast. As a side note, the Marschallin’s Major Domo is James McCracken before his later fame.