Lehar: Kraina uśmiechu

Beczała, Piotr;
Münchner Rundfunkorchester;
Schirmer, Ulf

CPO 777303

Our magnificent Lehár edition has now reached a special milestone. So far we have focused on rarities and wrongly neglected scores by this master (and will continue to do so – of that you can be sure), but this month I have a genuine hit in store for you: Das Land des Laechelns (The Land of Smiles). It too is something of a rarity, since here it is being released in complete and unabridged form (really and truly so!) for the first time – with its splendid ballet music, wedding procession reminiscent of Ravel, and full three operatic finales. It is now for the first time that Lehár’s close relation to Puccini comes into view, exposing Tucholsky’s quip that Lehár was »the little man’s Puccini« as a nasty remark without any basis in fact. In this »great romantic operetta« (thus the original title) Lehár reveals his mastery of dramaturgy and orchestral colors – and precisely those passages in which he demonstrates this most impressively are the ones that are usually omitted. What you hear here is a masterpiece delivered from oblivion and restored in full – featuring a performance by today’s most captivating Sou-Chong: Piotr Beczala.

CD x 2

Muzyka klasyczna

CPO

21-08-2007

761203730322