D. Fischer-Dieskau & J. Greindl "The Commendatore Scene"

[Jextxadore]

Greindl sounds a bit unsteady on his high notes here.

[anzolettilino]

i prefer this in italian, but is amazing too.

[RCKCreatEnt]

@amberlight91, Walter Berry is the Leporello.

[amberlight91]

Walter Berry, maybe?

[ah332]

who is the leporello?

[luisiege2]

Wow My God!!!

[Vincenzo2010an]

is this avabille on dvd?

[ElisabettaVS]

Why are people so stunned about it being in German? Germans do not translate many operas into German, at least not nowadays. Other countries do that way more often!

[supersupercucciolino]

Grande grandissimo Ferenc Fricsay, smise di dirigere un mese dopo e morì nel febbraio 1963 a 49 anni. Era molto malato da tanti anni. Ricordatevi sempre di questo direttore. Chi non lo conosce ascolti le altre incisioni delle opere di Mozart e tanto altro repertorio sinfonico.

[johan52312]

Greindl ist grossartig, die richtige Stimme für diese Szene!

[flippert0]

Greindl's metallic stentorian voice is very fitting here for the Commendatore role (after all he's a statue come to life). Very convincing interpretation, one of the best I've seen yet on YouTube.

It's interesting to hear it in German, but I like the original version better.

[ildodici]

I must agree

[egymagyar1111111]

yes, Greindl, Frick and Moll are the best Commendatore and DFD here is perfect, scenery is original

[ijrupahsinosub]

i think your missing the forest for the trees here, which seems to be an epidemic. this is an extremely powerful performance, and fricsay was one of the best in mozart and beethoven.

[OlDoinyo]

Greindl was impressive. I also like the unusual staging--The Commendatore actually releases Giovanni's hand, and then we hear, but do not see, the chorus of furies dragging Giovanni down at the end. I've never seen it done like that.

[PPchopin]

misery is in german

[isabelle070209]

Dans cette scène Mozart nous montre combien il était en avance sur son temps.

[filibertoZZ]

Beautiful performance, regardless of the language. The recent phenomenon of the jet setting opera star is the reason most operas are done in their original languages now -- singers refuse to learn them in multiple languages for multiple venues. Everywhere but the US, it has been the custom to present in the vernacular of the country. In the past, even regional companies in the US often performed in English, as did traveling companies, such as the Goldovsky.

[cga2000]

Don't know who to think for posting one of the very rare Josef Greindl's peformances on youtube. Best Hagen ever and one of the best commanders as well. Maybe one problem with operas is that a vast majority of the public is tone-deaf. If you can't hear the difference betwixt Greindl and Moll .. I can't help you.

:-)

[itsgud2bdking]

i love how laparello hiding under that tiny table

[Abebe345]

Different, but interesting effect in German. Beowulf comes to mind.

[citibank82]

Fischer Dieskau ist unerreicht ! geniales Trio !!! mille Gracie for posting !

[VKatze]

I couldn't help but laughhhh the singing was still fantastic XD Heeeeeheee german.

[SpCmT]

the lenguage of mozart

[rumbidzai]

Not the language of Opera Buffa however and Mozart was no stranger to writing music to italian librettos at this point. I can't really see any reason why Da Ponte being italian of birth would write the libretto in german for Mozart to translate back and have to admit I haven't come across anyone claiming so.

[SpCmT]

that's not truth

[piratzrule]

who plays the commendatore

he cant sing D's

[piratzrule]

AND WHY IS THIS IN GERMAN!!!!!!!!! wtf? this opera is in Italian. who directed this. hes probably already dead, but i'll KILL him

[Roam665]

Mw dear so competent friend - try singing this and then komment. For an educated guy like you might not needet to mention, that Mozart himself translated the libretto..... Read some books please....

[vully70]

This was a great performance with a legendary cast: In addition to Fi-Die, Berry, Greindl there were Elisabeth Grümmer (Anna), Pilar Lorengar (Elvira), Donald Grobe (Ottavio), Erika Köth (Zerlina). Wonderful!

Unfortunately, since it was the Opening Night of "Deutsche Oper Berlin" it had to be sung in german. Still great.

[piratzrule]

If the wanted the opera for the opening night to be in german then they should have done another opera. Die Zauberflotte by Mozart (Magic Flute), or In the Seralio by mozart. and all the german composers they have to choose from

[34fgsfgsdtu48w7qtaqt]

Bello!

[Killerproff]

O_O IN TEDESCO???

[robertwbecker]

Thanks for a great post!!!! Dieskau,Greindal,Berry,,, MAGNIFICENT!!!!! regardless of the language this is great. Thanks!!!!!!

[catman351]

I like it. I'm hooked on the Italian version to be sure but I really like this Teutonic twist.

[Sieglinde84]

Greindl, where is your Deadly Spear? :D

Oops, wrong opera.

Well, this is how Commendatore shall sound.

[3fGilchrist]

"Don Giovanni, ich bin gekommen" haha

[xav71176]

Greindl is huge, as usual.

DFD not bad at all either; who sings Leporello by the way ?

funny to hear this in German

[siegmund80]

Walter Berry, great singer too!

[b1sII6]

It seems that the high note (D?) of Commandatore is pretty poor....

[rumbidzai]

It often is. It's a nasty range for a lot of basses as it's around where you'd break into falsetto and you can't really do that in this part..

[jacquesurlus]

Très bien, mais il faut absolument avoir entendu

Martti Talvela dans cette scène, TERRIFIANT.

[wotan20]

I have to agree with the critics about the language issue. Something is lost in the translation-so to speak. Although German may suit well the commandatore's, dreadfully haunting role, and also for the final cry of terror by the castigated unrepentant sinner, still the unified harshness of the language is unwanted, specially if it is comapared to Italian, with its unsurpassed flexibility to be good for all roles and mood not just those which describe Eternal Damnation.

[Hilarion]

You mean Fricsay

[Debby99999]

I really don't like this scene. German is not adapted for this ...

[JohnFoti]

amazing fantastic, what strong and precise voice. one of the bests presentations ever

[Emlomor]

Oula... Don Giovanni en allemand dur dur...

[Fanart24]

I find it very beautiful, the tempo is respected ! The voices are wonderful... Curiously I don't find that the use of German spoils anything. On the contrary, it gives a certain aspect of the scene, the Commander seems more cold and terrible speaking German ! :-D

[pjkorab]

my God.. it sounds terrible in German...

[donfelice1]

didn't know the Don was a lyric tenor

[kevray85]

lol

[DECBAR]

Actually, he isn't. Most baritones who sing Don Giovanni's role do sing the tenor "A" as an dramatic indicator of his final impenitent cry.

[Selkaen]

Actually, I've read somewhere that prior to the 1950's-1960's there were a lot of adaptations in different languages, but they had reverted to the original Da Ponte libretto since, so you don't hear Don Giovanni any more in another language.

" well it doesn't especially... It could be in turkish if you really want"

Lol, don't you like "Amadeus"?

[norcalrobbie2]

That's true. Even in the states the Metropolitan Opera adapted operas into English. My guess is that it changed when they started using supertitles above the stage.

[Selkaen]

Why does it have to be in German? Especially when both Dieskau and Berry have been known to sing in Italian as well!

[DECBAR]

Perhaps it was planned to perform Don Giovanni in German. This may be highly unlikely, but I wonder if anyone is planning to perform Don Giovanni in English.

[patrickbateman7]

well it doesn't especially... It could be in turkish if you really want(8) hahAHAHAA

[pyriel987]

If it was performed in a German house, they usualy translated everything into german.

[JuanDiegooooo]

Greindl's technique sounds very very approximate...

[DVB1984]

It sounds very interesting in German.

[primobaritono]

I've never liked Greindl, although German critics tend to praise him to the highest degree....

Dieskau and Berry are superb

[nnmakowska]

Besten Dank!

[hightenor123]

Well, the Commendatore, to me, can make or break a Giovanni. A good one can send you to hell with the Don, and having seen the piece several times, a truly solid, black-toned Bass can change the scene from somewhat silly to mind blowing. This is why it was entrusted to Kurt Moll so often at the Met and people of his (awesome) ilk.

[nnmakowska]

You can`t even imagine how glad I am to read that there are people who do not underestimate the Commendatore; although as for sending to Hell, I personally believe that the Commendatore is neither judge nor executioner of DG, no more than Dona Elvira... (see Luke 16,31 if you are Christian, as I happen to be).

[hightenor123]

It is always somewhat frustrating when the Commendatore struggles to hold the pitch up, although it is something often heard. I think the Commendatore of all people should have complete control as well as the dark color. Dieskau sounds just fantastic.

[nnmakowska]

I think (but I`m not a musician, so that I admit that I may be wrong)the reason is that in fact hardly anybody cares about the Commendatore. This role is cast more often than not with young, inexperienced basses who seem not to understand the character - since his part takes up so little place in the score...