September 2, 2014

  • Jessel's Finest Operetta Reissued

     Leon Jessel: The Black Forest Maiden
    Benno Kusche, Brigitte Lindner, Adolf Dallapozza, Dagmar Koller, Martin Finke
    Stuttgart Liderkranz, Stuttgart Philharmonic/Willy Mattes
    Warner Classics 25646 28922
    Total Time:  61:58
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    Viennese operetta is one of several sources for what would become American musical theater, led by immigrants like Victor Herbert and Rudolf Friml with the work of Jerome Kern and the Gershwins still about to reshape this into a distinctly American art form.  Back in Austria, a number of composers continued in a tradition that comes out of the Johann Strauss family.  One of these composers was Leon Jessel (1871-1942) who is best known today for his “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” that tends to appear on Christmas programs.  Jessel, Jewish by birth, converted to Christianity in his 20s but it was not enough to save him from the Nazi pogroms when he was arrested by the Gestapo, tortured, and subsequently died.  One of his greatest successes was Schwarzwaldenmadel (The Black Forest Maiden) which would go on to some 6000 performances in the decade after its initial run of 900 in 1917 at the Berlin Comic opera.  Jessel’s success in operetta and light comic pieces would amount to some two dozen works in similar vein.

    Schwarzwaldenmadel is perhaps one of the best examples of early 20th Century Viennese operetta.  It is filled with wonderful character pieces, engaging waltzes, and very tuneful sections which would have often separate lives of their own beyond the concert hall.  The story set in a Black Forest village in 1815 follows a romantic exploits of Hans and Richard.  Hans already has a girlfriend in Malwine, but the orphaned maid of the forest, Barbele, holds a certain attraction.  There is even an old organ master, Barbele’s employer, who is equally attracted to her.  Centered around these various love interests, the operetta of course moves to positive outcomes for the young lovers.  The music itself is an interesting exploration of tradition and aspects of a modern age in light of WWI perhaps.

    Warner Classics is now in the process of reissuing a number of Viennese operettas.  Many of them are led by Willy Mattes, one of the great interpreters of this genre.  This 1976 recording (which appeared briefly in 1997) is now part of a “Cologne Collection” that returns to explore the many recordings made at Marweg 149.  The present release includes some stills, a very brief essay (which does not seem to know what is on the disc), and some 14 selections.  Unfortunately, there are no texts available either in German or translated so that will already cause many to be a bit frustrated.  It is a bit odd to think that if you are going to the trouble to reissue a text-dependent work that the libretto needs to be included, but this practice is no longer a standard.  What we have then is a simple repackaging of one of the classic Jessel recordings that deserves a spot in any collection of audiofiles interested in musical theater and operetta development.

    The performances are already legendary.  Some will find the ambient sound a bit unusual at first with its echo, but once things really take off it is rather fine and adds a sort of “live” feel.  The wonderful music though is really at the heart of why one should consider this release.  At the reduced price it makes for a great bargain.  Take a chance on hearing what Jessel was really known for in his day deservedly so!