Lachner: Catharina Cornaro
Soloists
München Rundfunkorchestra
Ralf Weikert
Lachner is now remembered, if at all, for writing the recitatives for the version of Cherubini's Medea that until recently was the only version of the opera that was ever hear - the famous Callas recordings of the work all use Lachner's recitatives.
This opera is a fascinating example of the way that opera was developing in Germany in the middle part third of the century. It is a curious mixture of styles both forward and backward looking. Some of it could would not have been out of place in Lohengrin whereas other parts were reminiscent of some of the cruder and noises moments in the operas of Spontini. There were episodes that could have come from Singspiel, some parts which were dangerously near to kitch and an apotheosis which seemed like a pre-echo of the end of Faust. Altogether a curious mixture which was certainly did not amount to more than a sum of its parts. There was some pleasing music here in places as well as some very ordinary material. Grove is pretty dismissive of Lachner, saying' contemporary opinion undoubtedly overestimated Lachner as a composer, misled by his abilities as a conductor and above all as the trainer and developer of an orchestra without whose preparation Wagner's works could not have been fully realised in Munich'. On the basis of this opera I couldn't disagree with that verdict.
