Lortzing: Der Waffenschmied
Soloists
Munich Radio Orchestra
Leopold Hager
This was a complete delight from beginning to end. I was fortunate to be able to conduct performances of Lortzing’s Undine at University and I have heard Tsar und Zimmerman but this opera was new to me. It is a lighthearted work in the Singspiel tradition - a love story of the rich man disguising himself as a poor blacksmith to win the lady of his love. It gives Lortzing the opportunity to use anvils in a way which prefigures their use in Il trovatore.
The whole opera has a lightness of touch with both looks back to Mozart and Weber but also forward to the lighter operas of Johann Strauss and Lehár. But there are also passages which could have come from the Savoy operas and some which reminded me of Cornelius and Humperdinck. Lortzing has a great melodic gift and a real sense of fun. The whole thing passed by without any longuers and left me wanting to explore the remain Lortzing recordings on my shelves.
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