Description
Walter Berry reflected in an interview in 1985, ‘we played in the Theater an der Wien (during the rebuilding of the Vienna State Opera) and we developed a certain style, a Mozart style which was connected very much to the singers of that time … this was an incredible ensemble’. Harold Rosenthal, Editor of Opera magazine, described the staged performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 13 September 1954 as ‘a sheer delight’, highlighting the performances of Erich Kunz (Figaro) and Sena Jurinac (Cherubino), while Irmgard Seefried (Susanna) was ‘one of the joys of this recording’ (George Hall). These Richard Itter tapes of the live broadcast have never been released before, and the superb recording fully captures the atmosphere in this light-footed performance in a packed Royal Festival Hall to perfection.
This release has been sourced from the Richard Itter archive. The collection is very important for collectors because it has never been released before onto the market. Harold Rosenthal, editor of Opera Magazine, described the staged performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall in September 1954 as ‘sheer delight’ and went on to praise an exceptionally strong Viennese cast, many of whose members had long associations not just with the Vienna State Opera but with the city itself.
Il Conte di Almaviva Paul Schöffler
La Contessa di Almaviva Lisa Della Casa
Susanne Irmgard Seefried
Figaro Erich Kunz
Cherubino Sena Jurinac
Marcellina Rosette Anday
Bartolo Oskar Czerwenka
Basilio Murray Dickie
Don Curzio William Wernigh
Barbarina Anny Felbermayer
Antonio Walter Berry
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Wiener Philharmoniker
Conductor Karl Böhm