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Hermann Prey: A Life in Song

Hermann Prey (baritone), Gerald Moore (piano), Martin Mälzer (piano), Karl Engel (piano), Leonard Hokanson (piano), Alexis Weissenberg (piano), Siegfried Arnold (cello), Heinz Morawietz (double bass), Willy Gerlach (oboe), Hannes Kästner (organ), Gunther Weissenborn (piano), Erika Köth (Zerlina),...

Hermann Prey: A Life in Song

Hermann Prey (baritone), Gerald Moore (piano), Martin Mälzer (piano), Karl Engel (piano), Leonard Hokanson (piano), Alexis Weissenberg (piano), Siegfried Arnold (cello), Heinz Morawietz (double bass), Willy Gerlach (oboe), Hannes Kästner (organ), Gunther Weissenborn (piano), Erika Köth (Zerlina),...

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About

The German baritone Hermann Prey was born in Berlin in 1929. In a career that spanned some 48 years, he became one of the most popular singers of his time and formed a great bond with his audiences through his unaffected and natural style of singing and his personal charm and acting ability. His repertoire was extremely wide and encompassed all the classic German Lieder, as well as a whole range of operatic roles from the lively Figaro of both Mozart and Rossini to more serious baritone parts in Verdi and Wagner, although it is in the lighter roles that he is most affectionately remembered. He enjoyed great success in the world’s major opera houses including Vienna, Bayreuth, Salzburg, Munich, Milan and New York, and also appeared frequently on German TV and in opera films. He died in 1998.

CD 1 begins with two groups of Lieder by Schubert to words by Schiller and Goethe, followed by a selection of 12 Deutsche Volkslieder by Brahms, while CD 2 contains a complete performance of Schubert’s great song cycle Winterreise. CD 3 is devoted to Schumann, including Dichterliebe and songs with words by Kerner, and CD 4 opens with Schumann’s Liederkreis before going on to a collection of songs by Weber.

CD 5 presents six songs by Beethoven, starting with the popular ‘Adelaide’, and these are followed by a group of songs by Liszt, concluding with his setting of Three Sonnets by Petrarch. CD 6 begins with a group of songs by various composers all to words by Goethe that were recorded in 1974 but issued for the first time in 1998 as a tribute to Prey at the time of his death. These are followed by a very attractive selection of German Folk and Wayfarer songs that show Prey in lighter mood.

In CD7 we have a group of ten descriptive ballads by Loewe including his setting of Goethe’s ‘Erlkönig’ and the traditional Scottish poem ‘Tom der Reimer’ (Tom the

Rhymer). This CD ends with a magnificent performance of Bach’s Cantata Ich habe genug with the Orchestra of the Leipzig Gewandhaus conducted by Kurt Thomas that illustrates Prey ‘s talent for German liturgical music and oratorio.

With CD 8 we move to opera in a wide range of repertoire from Baroque and Classical works by Keiser, Gluck and Mozart to the Romantic music of Wagner and Humperdinck. All the arias from French and Italian operas are sung in German, as was the practice in German opera houses at the time these recordings were made.

CD 9 brings us to some more modern operatic items by Leoncavallo Richard Strauss and Korngold and then two powerful arias by Tchaikovsky, after which the mood lifts with extracts from the operettas Gasparone by Millöcker and Boccaccio by Suppé. Finally we have four romantic songs from American musicals that Prey sings in fine idiomatic style. On this CD we also hear Prey’s frequent partner in both opera and operetta, the much loved soprano Anneliese Rothenberger, in several duets.

The final CD begins with arias from a number of German so-called ‘Spielopern’ by Kreutzer, Nessler and Lortzing before concluding in high spirits with items from operettas by those two masters of the genre, Johann Strauss II and Carl Millöcker.

Artists

Hermann Prey (baritone), Gerald Moore (piano), Martin Mälzer (piano), Karl Engel (piano), Leonard Hokanson (piano), Alexis Weissenberg (piano), Siegfried Arnold (cello), Heinz Morawietz (double bass), Willy Gerlach (oboe), Hannes Kästner (organ), Gunther Weissenborn (piano), Erika Köth (Zerlina), Richard Holm (Almaviva), Erika Köth (Rosina), Ursula Schirrmacher (Frasquita), Ursula Gust (Mercedes), Christa Ludwig (Carmen), Anneliese Rothenberger (Nedda), Anneliese Rothenberger (Arabella), Sylvia Geszty (Zerbinetta), Anneliese Rothenberger (Carlotta), Anneliese Rothenberger (Fiametta), Heinz Hoppe (Pietro), Hans Günther Grimm (Lambertuccio)

Gewandhaus-Orchester Leipzig, Berliner Philharmoniker, Berliner Symphoniker, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Berliner Mozartchor, Symphonie-Orchester Graunk, Staatskapelle Dresden, Symphonie-Orchester Graunke, Chor des Theaters am Gärtnerplatz, München, ymphonie-Orchester Graunke, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, RIAS-Kammerchor, Kurt Thomas, Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggerberg, Horst Stein, Hans Zanotelli, Berislav Klobucar, Wilhelm Schüchter, Robert Heger, Kurt Graunke, Rudolf Kempe, Meinhard von Zallinger, Carl Michalski, Franz Allers

Contents and tracklist

No. 1, Harfenspieler I
Track length4:12
No. 2, Harfenspieler III
Track length4:51
No. 3, Harfenspieler II
Track length2:25
No. 16, Wach auf, mein Herzensschöne (Anmutig bewegt)
Track length2:22
No. 2, Erlaube mir, feins Mädchen (Zart)
Track length1:17
No. 12, Feinsliebchen, du sollst mir nicht barfuss gehn (Heimlich und zierlich bewegt)
Track length2:37
No. 30, All mein Gedanken (Lebhaft und herzlich)
Track length3:41
No. 41, Es steht ein Lind (Zart und ausdrucksvoll)
Track length3:41
No. 25, Mein Mädel hat einen Rosenmund (Sehr lebhaft, herz und ungeduldig)
Track length1:44
No. 5, Die Sonne scheint nicht mehr (Gehalten und empfindungsvoll)
Track length1:10
No. 36, Es wohnet ein Fiedler (Lebhaft doch nicht zu rasch)
Track length1:14
No. 6, Da unten im Tale (Sanft bewegt)
Track length1:52
No. 39, Schöner Augen, schöne Strahlen (Gehend und mit lebhaftem Ausdruck)
Track length1:30
No. 8, Ach, englische Schäferin
Track length2:12
No. 42, In stiller Nacht, zur ersten Wacht (Langsam)
Track length3:29
No. 1, Gute Nacht
Track length5:10
No. 2, Die Wetterfahne
Track length1:39
No. 3, Gefror'ne Tränen
Track length2:29
No. 4, Erstarrung
Track length3:00
No. 5, Der Lindenbaum
Track length4:30
No. 6, Wasserflut
Track length4:14
No. 7, Auf dem Flusse
Track length3:34
No. 8, Rückblick
Track length2:22
No. 9, Irrlicht
Track length2:54
No. 10, Rast
Track length2:56
No. 11, Frühlingstraum
Track length4:20
No. 12, Einsamkeit
Track length2:46
No. 13, Die Post
Track length2:21
No. 14, Der greise Kopf
Track length2:53
No. 15, Die Krähe
Track length1:54
No. 16, Letzte Hoffnung
Track length2:11
No. 17, Im Dorfe
Track length3:07
No. 18, Der stürmische Morgen
Track length0:52
No. 19, Täuschung
Track length1:29
No. 20, Der Wegweiser
Track length3:45
No. 21, Das Wirtshaus
Track length4:37
No. 22, Mut!
Track length1:19
No. 23, Die Nebensonnen
Track length2:59
No. 24, Der Leiermann
Track length3:35
No. 1, Im wunderschönen Monat Mai
Track length1:42
No. 2, Aus meinen Tränen sprießen
Track length0:55
No. 3, Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne
Track length0:35
No. 4, Wenn ich in deine Augen seh'
Track length1:37
No. 5, Ich will meine Seele tauchen
Track length0:55
No. 6, Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome
Track length2:19
No. 7, Ich grolle nicht
Track length1:50
No. 8, Und wüßten's die Blumen
Track length1:13
No. 9, Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen
Track length1:21
No. 10, Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen
Track length2:01
No. 11, Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen
Track length1:07
No. 12, Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen
Track length2:24
No. 13, Ich hab' im Traum geweinet
Track length2:31
No. 14, Allnächtlich im Traume
Track length1:27
No. 15, Aus alten Märchen winkt es
Track length2:28
No. 16, Die alten bösen Lieder
Track length4:43
No. 1, Lust der Sturmnacht
Track length1:32
No. 2, Stirb, Lieb' und Freud'
Track length6:38
No. 3, Wanderlied
Track length2:46
No. 4, Erstes Grün
Track length2:20
No. 5, Sehnsucht nach der Waldgegend
Track length2:30
No. 6, Auf das Trinkglas eines verstorbenen Freundes
Track length4:13
No. 7, Wanderung
Track length1:13
No. 8, Stille Liebe
Track length3:51
No. 9, Frage
Track length1:07
No. 10, Stille Tränen
Track length3:27
No. 11, Wer machte dich so krank?
Track length2:16
No. 12, Alte Laute
Track length2:21
No. 1, In der Fremde
Track length2:04
No. 2, Intermezzo
Track length1:55
No. 3, Waldesgespräch
Track length1:57
No. 4, Die Stille
Track length1:32
No. 5, Mondnacht
Track length3:29
No. 6, Schöne Fremde
Track length1:18
No. 7, Auf einer Burg
Track length2:51
No. 8, In der Fremde
Track length1:36
No. 9, Wehmut
Track length2:33
No. 10, Zwielicht
Track length3:02
No. 11, Im Walde
Track length1:26
No. 12, Frühlingsnacht
Track length1:19
No. 1, Meine Lieder, meine Sänge, J. 73
Track length2:29
No. 2, Klage, J. 62
Track length2:21
No. 4, Was zieht zu deinem Zauberkreise, J. 68
Track length3:19
No. 5, Das Röschen, J. 67
Track length1:57
No. 6, Er an Sie, J. 57
Track length3:12
No. 1, Der Leichtmütige, J. 200, "Lust entfloh und hin ist hin" (Vivace giojoso)
Track length3:35
No. 2, Der Schwermütige, J. 201, "Seel'ge Zeiten sah ich prangen" (Sostenuto)
Track length3:46
No. 3, Der Liebewütige, J. 202, "Verraten! Verschmähet!" (Allegro furioso)
Track length2:47
No. 4, Der Gleichmütige, J. 203, "Nun, ich bin befreit" (Molto tranquillo ed assai semplice)
Track length2:50
No. 1, Die gefangenen Sänger, J. 197, "Vöglein einsam in dem Bauer" (Andante con moto)
Track length1:29
No. 2, Die freien Sänger, J. 198, "Vöglein hüpfet in dem Haine" (Allegretto)
Track length0:56
No. 1, Volkslied, J. 234, "Mein Schatzerl is hübsch" (Sehr lebendig)
Track length1:08
No. 5, Abendsegen, J. 255, "Der Tag hat seinen Schmuck"
Track length3:45
No. 3, Ich denke dein!, J. 48 (Adagio ma non troppo)
Track length1:58
No. 4, Wunsch und Entsagung, J. 213, "Wenn ich die Blümlein schau" (Allegro mit Laune)
Track length1:39
II. "Benedetto sia 'l giorno"
Track length4:58
I. "Pace non trovo"
Track length4:31
III. "I' vidi in terra angelici costumi"
Track length4:56
No. 3, Die wandelnde Glocke, "Es war ein Kind"
Track length1:56
No. 1, Hochzeitlied, "Wir singen und sagen vom Grafen so gern"
Track length5:05
No. 1, Aria. "Ich habe genug"
Track length8:57
No. 2, Rezitativ. "Ich habe genug"
Track length1:34
No. 3, Aria. "Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen"
Track length11:03
This track is only available as an album download.
No. 4, Rezitativ. "Mein Gott! Wenn kömmt das schöne: Nun!"
Track length0:55
No. 5, Aria. "Ich freue mich auf meinen Tod"
Track length4:25
No. 5, Romanze, "Hab' ich nur deine Liebe" (Fiametta, Boccaccio)
Track length2:58
No. 7, Arie, "Rosen für Dich" (Boccaccio, Fiametta)
Track length3:51
No. 27, Serenade, "Stadt der Liebe, Stadt der Freuden" (Casanova)
Track length2:50
No. 11, Spanisches Tanzlied, "In Hispaniens heissem Sonnenland" (Casanova)
Track length2:19
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