Albert Lortzing - Undine (Victor Reinshagen)

Information

Composer: Albert Lortzing

1. Undine: Overture
2. Undine, Act II: No. 7, Duet. Was seh ich! Ihr seid glücklich wieder da?
3. Undine, Act II: No. 8, Recit. & Aria. So wisse, dass in allen Elementen
4. Undine, Act III: No. 14, Lied. Vater, Mutter, Schwestern, Brüder
5. Undine, Act III: No. 15c, Finale. Nun ist's vollbracht!
6. Undine, Act II: Ballet music

Anny Schlemm

Walther Ludwig

Hans Braun

Toni Blankenheim

Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper

Bamberger Symphoniker

Victor Reinshagen, conductor

Date: 1954 / 2026

Label: Deutsche Grammophon (DG)

_____________________

Commemorating the 225th anniversary of Albert Lortzing’s birth and the 175th anniversary of his death, this first digital release presents the historic 1953 recording of his romantic opera Undine. Widely considered Lortzing's most ambitious work, the opera adapts Fouqué’s tale of the water nymph Undine and Knight Hugo, blending dramatic scenes and masterly ensembles with popular song elements and ballet music. The Bamberger Symphoniker’s signature warm sound and rich strings perfectly elevate the fateful narrative, while 24-year-old Anny Schlemm delivers an impressive title role marked by technical precision, emotional power, and pristine diction, capturing the score's full dramatic and lyric scope.

German composer Albert Lortzing (1801–1851) pioneered 19th-century light German opera, establishing a popular style that endured well into the mid-20th century. Largely self-taught due to his upbringing in an acting family, Lortzing built a career as both a tenor in Leipzig and a prolific creator of stage works. Drawing musical inspiration from German Singspiel and French opéra comique, his oeuvre includes early vaudevilles, dramatic plays, and acclaimed comic and romantic operas such as Zar und Zimmermann (1837), Undine (1845), and Der Waffenschmied (1846). His accessible melodic charm and theatrical ingenuity solidified his enduring legacy within classical music history.

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz