Wagner: Lohengrin: Act 1; Sawallisch; Munich (1978) Kollo, Ligendza, Randová, Roar [Improved Sound] 

Wolfgang Sawallisch, Bavarian State Orchestra
(Recorded 28th July, 1978, National Theatre, Munich)
King Heinrich - Karl Ridderbusch
Lohengrin - René Kollo
Elsa von Brabant - Catarina Ligendza
Friedrich von Telramund - Leif Roar
Ortrud - Eva Randová
King's Herald - Wolfgang Brendel
First Noble - Friedrich Lenz
Second Noble - Hermann Sapell
Third Noble - Hans Wilbrink
Fourth Noble - Gerhard Auer
The production was by August Everding. The stage designs and costumes were by Ernst Fuchs.
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I have synchronised the existing video of this performance with a superior audio source.
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Charles Pitt in "Opera" magazine wrote:
"This production was important in that it was August Everding's first since he became intendant. One wished it had been more successful, but it had been dogged by cancellations. On August 3rd Harald Stamm was the third Henry in three performances (the others had been Karl Ridderbusch and Kurt Moll). He was not really integrated into the production, but then Everding's King is an oddly democratic fellow. People walk in front of him without paying much attention, and in the bridal chamber he is rather insignificantly presenting flowers and taking second place. Kings ain't what they used to be! Ortrud was originally planned for Ursula Schröder-Feinen, who also cancelled, and Eva Randová was called back from holiday in Italy. Miss Randová has an undeniably individual and beautiful voice, but malevolence is not her strong suit and her small-scale invocation to the gods was hardly tempered by hate, and somehow she was always getting herself into awkward positions on stage.
Leif Roar (Telramund) was not on form and had trouble with the high tessitura. One would have had difficulty believing that this was a Wotan voice, which it certainly is on other days. René Kollo was unwise, I feel, to sing both Siegfried at Bayreuth and Lohengrin in the same period, but he could not afford to miss this production, which was televised. He sounded tired, and indeed only mimed his role at Bayreuth several days later. He looks handsome, though in a very modern way, and the finely spun line was there but it often hardened. Catarina Ligendza sang well enough, with real body to a voice that floats easily over the chorus, but the production made her into a silly little ninny, an eye-fluttering actress from the silent movie period. It was difficult to sympathise with her plight. It was left to Wolfgang Brendel as the Herald to be the most satisfactory member of the cast, something he often is at Munich.
Everding's production began promisingly with a real river bank and a tree. We were back to realism, with Brabantines and Saxons suitably placed. The swan, a dancer in an art-nouveau creation, was beautiful enough, as were the ladies' costumes, but the subtle colours were killed by the green background. For the second act, Ernst Fuchs had designed an odd ensemble of Italian renaissance building, medieval tower and a Gaudi-like church, Barcelona-style, obviously a fun interpretation of some earlier designs. The wedding scene was not much better-an art-nouveau chamber but very poorly proportioned. It was left to the last scene to provide the only really beautiful tableau. When Lohengrin summoned the King and the nobles, the whole river bank with them standing on it moved forward into the light-a wonderful touch. Wolfgang Sawallisch's conducting deserved, if not a better cast, then at least one that was in better form, for the lyrical passages were played with a translucent sound and the climaxes at the end of the acts were excitingly rendered."
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00:00 - Applause
00:27 - Prelude
08:19 - Scene 1: "Hört, Grafen, Edle, Freie von Brabant!"
13:06 - Scene 1: "Dank, König, dir, dass du zu richten kamst!"
19:21 - Scene 2: "Seht hin! Sie naht, die hart Beklagte!"
23:03 - Scene 2: "Einsam in trüben Tagen"
26:51 - Scene 2: "Mich irret nicht ihr träumerischer Mut"
31:35 - Scene 2: "Wer hier im Gotteskampf zu streiten kam"
36:40 - Scene 3: "Nun sei bedankt, mein lieber Schwan"
41:30 - Scene 3: "Wenn ich im Kampfe für dich siege"
46:28 - Scene 3: "Nun hört! Euch, Volk und Edlen, mach' ich kund"
48:58 - Scene 3: "Nun höret mich, und achtet wohl"
50:57 - Scene 3: "Mein Herr und Gott, nun ruf' ich dich"
56:35 - Scene 3: "Durch Gottes Sieg ist jetzt dein Leben mein!"
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"Lohengrin" is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner, with a German libretto by the composer. The libretto is based on the legend of the Swan Knight Lohengrin, which first appears in the medieval romance "Parzifal" by Wolfram von Eschenbach. It was first performed at the Grand Ducal Court Theatre in Weimar on 28th August, 1850.

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