Lehar: Sterngucker (Der) [Operetta] / Overture to Rosenstock

REVIEWS:

The appearance of this rarity has been eagerly awaited and now enthusiastically discussed on the Operetta website. Although there is a certain amount of doubling up of characters, this does not detract from the enjoyment of the work.

The operetta opens with an atmospheric introduction. Trembling upper octave notes on piano and violins give a simple yet appropriate sound-picture of the heavens. It serves as texture for Kitty's opening number and Franz's ballad, A summer's day on the shining sea where it obviously depicts the shimmering sea.

The story is slight and takes place in a girls' finishing school. A school ball with a Damselfly dance is an occasion for the girls to parade their charm to prospective admirers. One of the girls, Lily, is engaged but already her fiancé has his eyes on a girl in the opera! The commonsense Lily decides that he must find her another man if they are to break off the engagement. So commences an involved yet trivial plot. An innocent Franz becomes involved with Lily. Kitty's father, an astronomer, considers that Franz is a stargazer who needs to wake up to the realities of life, hence the title.

Quite a few musical numbers are set in waltz time, but one in particular appears with regular monotony throughout the operetta.

The performance has merit. The singers are confident in their roles and sing with true tenderness in their lovey-dovey relationships. This is a 'Surround Sound' disc and the effect of enhanced realism works successfully. The recording is superb with mellow orchestra and voices not too forwardly positioned. The bonus track is the Overture from a one act Viennese singspiel love story. Here Lehár contrasts Alpine mountain tones with a dab of exotic colour.

The booklet is provided in German, English and French with good background notes by Stefan Frey as well as a synopsis for each of the vocal numbers to help you follow the plot.

-- MusicWeb International