Goldmark: Merlin / Kunzli, Gabler, Schaller

$32.99
Label
Profil
Release Date
January 26, 2010
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      GOLDMARK, CARL
    • PERFORMER
      Schaller, Philharmonischer Chor München, Philharmonie Festiva
    Product Details ⌄
    Works ⌄

    1. Act I: Prelude

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    2. Act I Scene 1: Heda! Glendower aufgemacht! (Lancelot, Glendower, Merlin)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Brian Davis, In-Sung Sim

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    3. Act I Scene 2: Damon!… Hier bin ich! (Merlin, Demon, Chorus)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Frank van Hove

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    4. Act I Scene 3: Wer ruft mir? (Morgana, Demon)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Frank van Hove, Gabriela Popescu

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    5. Act I Scene 4: Hort ihr es klingen? Der Konig naht! (Chorus, Lancelot)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Brian Davis

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    6. Act I Scene 5: Gruss euch, ihr Guten, und frohen Dank (Arthur, Lancelot, Glendower, Chorus, Bedwyr)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Brian Davis, Sebastian Holecek, In-Sung Sim, Werner Rollenmüller

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    7. Act I Scene 6: Das Fraulein von der Quelle, die wilde Jagerin (Chorus, Viviane, Merlin)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    8. Act I Scene 6: Sei uns gegrusst, du holder Gast! (Arthur, Lancelot, Glendower, Gawain, Modred, Viviane, Merlin, Chorus)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Anna Gabler, Brian Davis, Daniel Behle, Sebastian Holecek, In-Sung Sim, Michael Mantaj

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    9. Act I Scene 6: Hinweg! Welch Dunkel bricht herein! (Merlin, Viviane)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    10. Act I Scene 6: Leb'wohl, Merlin! (Viviane, Modred, Lancelot, Gawain, Glendower, Chorus, Arthur)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

    11. Act II: Prelude

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    12. Act II Scene 1: So wisst ihr Alles: Artus zieht ins Feld (Modred, Chorus, Bedwyr)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Daniel Behle, Werner Rollenmüller

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    13. Act II Scene 2: Von dieser Statte sel'ger Einsamkeit (Arthur, Modred, Lancelot, Chorus)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Brian Davis, Daniel Behle, Sebastian Holecek

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    14. Act II Scene 3: Mein Konig!…Gruss dir, Edler! (Merlin, Arthur, Modred, Lancelot, Chorus)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Brian Davis, Daniel Behle, Sebastian Holecek

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    15. Act II Scene 4: Mein Heiligtum! O statte sel'ger Ruh (Merlin)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    16. Act II Scene 5: Sie kommt! Sie irrt umher in dumpfem Sinnen (Demon, Viviane, Chorus)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Anna Gabler, Frank van Hove

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    17. Act II Scene 5: Geisterreigen

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    18. Act II Scene 6: Du? Du? Was willst du, was suchst du hier? (Merlin, Viviane)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    19. Act II Scene 6: Ich liebe dich (Merlin, Viviane)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    20. Act II Scene 7: Merlin! Merlin! (Glendower, Merlin, Modred, Chorus)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Daniel Behle, In-Sung Sim

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    21. Act II Scene 8: Weh! Betrogen! (Merlin, Viviane)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    22. Act III: Prelude

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    23. Act III Scene 1: Graut schon der Morgen? (Viviane)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    24. Act III Scene 2: Aus heil ger Ruh weckt mich die tiefste Klage (Morgana, Viviane)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Anna Gabler, Gabriela Popescu

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    25. Act III Scene 2: Hast Du am felsen so lang gewacht? (Chorus, Viviane)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    26. Act III Scene 3: Nun steigst du herauf, du goldene Pracht! (Merlin, Chorus, Lancelot)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Brian Davis

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    27. Act III Scene 4: Bluht auf, ihr Felsen! (Viviane, Chorus)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    28. Act III Scene 4: Kommt herab, ihr Engelscharen (Viviane)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Anna Gabler

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    29. Act III Scene 4: Trauermarsch

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller

    30. Act III Scene 5: Hier haltet still an seinem Heiligthum (Arthur, Merlin, Viviane, Demon, Chorus)

      Composer: Karl Goldmark

      Ensemble: Munich Philharmonic Chorus, Philharmonie Festiva

      Performer: Robert Künzli, Anna Gabler, Frank van Hove, Sebastian Holecek

      Conductor: Gerd Schaller


Brahms’s friend Carl Goldmark completed Merlin in 1886, when it was premiered at the Vienna Hofoper. Fairly successful on both sides of the Atlantic before the Great War but hardly heard since, it’s representative of an almost-forgotten genre of 19th-century operas on aspects of the Arthurian mythos. (Chausson’s Le Roi Arthus and Albéniz’s Merlin are other examples).

The libretto by Siegfried Lipiner concentrates on Merlin’s fatal love for the wild child Viviane, which dims the magical powers with which he had served King Arthur, so that he falls victim to the Demon he had previously enslaved.

This spirited revival reveals a beautifully-scored and theatrically quite sure-footed piece fascinatingly poised between Brahms and Wagner: chromatic, Tristan-esque motifs contrast with choral writing more out of Rinaldo and the Triumphlied.

Between these extremes there is a supple, late-Romantic middle-ground where Goldmark’s declamatory vocal writing rises to occasional eloquence, with some noble orchestral passages that seem to anticipate Elgar.

The piece was certainly worth revival, but actual greatness eludes it. Luckily this production is vocally strong, with Robert Künzli as a noble-voiced Merlin, Frank van Hove as the scheming Demon and Anna Gabler a touching Viviane being the clear stars of the show.

-- Calum MacDonald, BBC Music Magazine