|
Weber's last opera was a problem. Commissioned by Covent Garden when Weber was already ill with TB, he chose Oberon as the subject (the other option was Faust) but was always uncomfortable with the libretto, which included extensive linking sections spoken by actors, in the English style of the time.
James Robinson Planché wrote the text in English, based on a translation of Oberon by the German poet Christoph Wieland, defended his work: 'Ballads, duets, choruses, and glees, provided they occupy no more than the fewest number of minutes possible, were all the play going public of that day would endure. A dramatic situation in music was '... inevitably received with cries of "cut it short!" from the gallery and obstinate coughing or other signs of impatience from the pit.' (James Robertson Planché, Recollections and Reflections, Vol. 1)
Weber intended to rewrite the spoken sections as recitative but died less than a month after the premiere in 1826. There are also problems with the setting (although Weber took English lessons, his unfamiliarity with the language meant some of the lines were virtually unsingable).
Then there's the plot, which goes nowhere: there are elements of Shakespeare, notably Puck, but the basic story introduces new characters and takes as the theme the age-old rivalry between Christian knights (Huon of Bordeaux) and the Muslim Caliph of Baghdad (who happens to have a beautiful daughter, Rezia).
And so we have an opera that is rarely performed, but contains some of the loveliest music Weber wrote: thanks goodness for the recording, and for the chance to hear again this classic from 1971, featuring the glorious sound of Birgit Nilsson as Rezia and the young Plácido Domingo as Huon. And the fact that it's been translated into German is probably a blessing.
Re-released by Deutsche Grammophon in their mid-price range, The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Rafael Kubelik. The pace is rather slow: it's as if he is conducting Brahms - one wonders if this is to accommodate Nilsson - but every phrase is beautiful, and her crystal-clear tones make it worth the occasional languor.
Nilsson was in her fifties when this recording was made (she retired in 1984) and although she may not have had quite the vocal agility of her younger days, this is a great example of both the power and the tenderness of her voice. They just don't make sopranos like this today.
Domingo was just 30 - this was the year of his Covent Garden debut - and is faultless, at the height of his powers, though his voice lacks the wonderful fullness it gained with age and experience.
The great German bass-baritone Hermann Prey takes the role of Scherasmin, Arleen Auger sings the mermaids(!) and the title role goes to German tenor Donald Grobe, a lovely soft-toned performance.
 | 
