PENTATONE releases Eine florentinische Tragödie, together with Dutch National Opera and Marc Albrecht, in June 2024.
A Glowing Rendition Of A Suspenseful, Opulent Score
The Dutch National Opera presents Alexander von Zemlinsky’s Eine florentinische Tragödie (1917), with Marc Albrecht conducting the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Ausrine Stundyte (Bianca), Nikolai Schukoff (Guido Bardi) and John Lundgren (Simone) as soloists.
Eine florentinische Tragödie (1917) fully adheres to George Bernard Shaw’s famous dictum that every opera is “when a tenor and soprano want to make love, but are prevented from doing so by a baritone”. Yet Zemlinsky’s piece presents this core narrative in its most condensed form, and its conclusion is one of the most original and enigmatic in opera history. This suspenseful, opulent score is in good hands with Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, whose proficiency in late-Romantic repertoire was crowned with a 2021 Opus Klassik Award for their recording of Zemlinsky’s symphonic poem Die Seejungfrau. The three soloists are all seasoned in Wagnerian and late-Romantic repertoire, having appeared on the world’s greatest opera stages.
Oper! Magazine has crowned Dutch National Opera as Opera House of the Year 2024, an accolade that the company also received from the International Opera Awards in 2016.
“I vividly recall the dense, charged atmosphere during the performances of ‘Eine florentinische Tragödie’ at Dutch National Opera & Ballet, and I’m thrilled that we can now present this live recording featuring a formidable cast of singers and the wonderful Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.
All seven performances of the run were recorded for this CD, allowing us to aim for extended takes to capture much of the genuine theater atmosphere.
Zemlinsky’s intoxicating and often painfully beautiful music thus embodies the truthfulness of the musical drama.”
Marc Albrecht
Digital Release Date: 14 JUNE 2024
Physical Release: JUNE 2024
Released as 1 standard CD and in digital formats for streaming and high-resolution downloads.
