LORTZING - Der Wildschütz
Amongst the number of comic operas there are those which contain a character whose antics are funny and whose music reflects it. In general this character was given the lowest voice, i.e. bass who had great clarity of diction so that his amusing words could be clearly heard by the audience. In German opera two such characters stand out as remarkable creations, they are van Bett in Zar und Zimmermann and Baculus in Der Wildschütz, both by Albert Lortzing (1801-1851). Lortzing must have had great fun lampooning small-time officialdom as whereas van Bett is a pedantic Burgomaster, Baculus is a schoolmaster who has been caught poaching game on his employer’s estate in order to provide his fiancé with a good roast for their engagement celebration! Robert Heger conducts a first rate team of German soloists, the chorus and orchestra of the Bavarian State opera of Munich in this classic recording made in 1963.

0946 3 81837 2 3 (2 CDs)
0946 3 81837 5 4 (Digital Download)