Download 2013 Recitals from the Schwetzinger Festspiele – Die Konzerte zum Nachhören

Michael Nagy

Nearly all of the Schwetzinger Festspiele concerts are available at SWR2 for about a year. Recently, I noticed that in addition to streaming the 2013 concerts, you can download them as mp3s. 

This is especially handy for mobile listening; listening at work or other locations where streaming is restricted/verboten; and just for listening over and over. The really good news is now we can step away from our computers for a few minutes and still hear great live performances!

Die Zauberflöte aus Baden Baden 2013 – Review Part 2: It Takes a Village

Blindfolds. I'm tired of 'em.
Someone else can explain 'em this time.

The only characters who remain distinguishable from the crowd throughout this Zauberflöte are Pamina, Tamino, and Papageno, who wanders in from the lobby, as if from another show. Like Tamino, Pamina is literally thrown into the action. Several choristers grab her and plop her on the ground for her first scene with Monostatos.

Everyone else steps in from the chorus to be or do whatever is needed to move the story along and get the two couples united in the end; then they meld back into the ensemble. 

Die Zauberflöte in Baden-Baden – Preview

The Berliner Philharmoniker established 
a new Festival at Baden-Baden. The main focus of the Easter Festival 2013 is four performances of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute” conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, in a production by a director well-known to readers of this blog. 

The Berliner Philharmonker Digital Concert Hall site says:

The Canadian Robert Carsen has directed productions for almost every major opera house. He is fascinated by the complexities in the Magic Flute: "It is completely designed around opposites. Day and night, love and hate, man and woman, the hero Tamino and the simple Papageno." Musically, too, the Magic Flute has an infinite variety - and given the immense popularity of the opera, this wealth is often overlooked.

Holy Saturday – Bach's Saint Matthew Passion from Munich

This performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is available for viewing (and listening) on Arte Live for about 45 more days. The Evangelist, tenor Julian Prégardien has a notable pedigree: he's the son of tenor Christoph Prégardien. He has inherited his father's clear light voice and sensitivity to the sung texts; he's an engaging and effective narrator. Bass Karl-Magnus Fredriksson sings the role of Jesus, and he sounds appropriately full-voiced and Christ-like. About the only think I would recommend to enhance their performances is complete memorization of their roles.