Gertrud Bindernagel - Ozean, du Ungeheuer from Oberon (Weber)

Gertrud Bindernagel singing Ozean, du Ungeheuer (Ocean, thou mighty monster) from Weber's opera Oberon. Bindernagel (1894-1932) was a highly regarded German soprano, member of the Berlin and Vienna State Operas. Her career was limited to central Europe. She made only 11 recordings. She was shot and killed by her estranged husband in 1932. This is one of my favorite pieces and is very difficult piece to sing, thus not often performed. I have posted impressive versions by Lehmann and Austral as well. There is a 1964 recording by Callas posted on YT which is also impressive despite trouble with the high notes. Bindernagel is accompanied by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Selmar Meyrowitz (1875-1941), recorded for Telefunken in 1932. Meyrowitz was very busy during this period, conducting orchestras all over the world. He also accompanied many singers on record. His recording of Liszt's Faust Symphony is considered the best ever by some (available as a download from Pristine Audio). Meyrowitz fled Germany in 1933, settling in Paris. After the German invasion in 1940, he fled again, going into hiding in the south of France. He died soon after as a result of the hardships he endured. In Germany, his recordings continued to be issued up to his death - they just didn't list him as the conductor on the discs - what incredible hypocracy.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bindernagel
• Meyrowitz
• Oberon
• Weber
• Telefunken

[1920sbuff]

Impresssive, this is an amazing version and Telefunken's excellent recording quality can be fully appreciated here. I wonder what you did to reduce the motor hum or is it just another microphone position?

[merrihew]

@1920sbuff Actually, I replaced the motor and lowered the microphone placement.

[jozefsterkens2]

great!!!!!!

[78Maniac]

These both recordings: Gertrud Bindernagel's and Florence Austral's, are beautiful. This aria is indeed very difficult to sing, and its style seems to have influenced Wagner: chromatisms in the vocal part and the trumpet-solo on he 2nd side looks like the future sword-motive of the Ring.

[1920sbuff]

@merrihew The result is remarkably better although it already was amazing before :-)

[Zva26]

merrihrew: Thanks so much for posting this. It sounds awesome. I've downloaded it and I will play it often. I'm beginning to think of this as my favorite aria for Dramatic Soprano. Being a musician, I can tell you that this aria is a monster in itself. Weber really asked a lot. Small wonder that only the giants of the giants (Nilsson, Callas, Lehmann, Flagstad) even attempted it. We don't hear this aria performed anywhere today because none of today's top sopranos can sing the thing.

[Turkeydoodlers]

Nice orthophonic machine and selection

[transformingArt]

So this is the recording you talked about during our last conversation - It is surely very impressive and beautiful, also the Orthophonic sounds perfect for this record. (The motor noise is definitely reduced, it seems.) I heard somewhere that this piece would be the most difficult one to sing among any German Operatic airs - it seems that even most of the Wagnerian singers stayed away from this piece because this would literally wear out their vocal chords immediately.