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The Spohr Society of the United States

Carl Heinrich Arnold: String Quartett in Spohr's home (after 1835)

DISCOGRAPHY (selection)

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Louis Spohr's Symphonies, many of his Concertos, String-Quartetts and Chamber Music have been recorded. His Discography shows more than 300 titles, among them there are until now 5 operas available on Compact Discs: Faust - in two versions, Zemire und Azor (including the engl. version The Beauty and the Beast), Jessonda, Der Berggeist and Der Alchymist.

His complete Lieder (German Art songs) are hardly to be found. Dietrich-Fischer Dieskau and his wife Julia Varady produced a CD in 1985 ; with selected Lieder for baritone and piano as well as op.154 and op. 103 (Sechs deutsche Lieder für Sopran, Klarinette und Klavier). Label: Orfeo.
Other recordings can be found, most often on collected Lieder CDs among other composers, for example Olaf Bär with Frühlingsglaube; Der erste Kuss; Schlaflied; Getrennte Liebe; Beruhigung (Label: Musicaphon) or Helen Donath with op.103 (Label: Arts, 1981). Ernst Gerold Schramm sings 6 Gesänge op.154 (Label: Melisma); Hermann Prey performs Spohr-Lieder; also Peter Schreier and Christoph Pregardian (CD "Lieder von Liebe und Tod", Label: Signum, 1997).

Marjorie Patterson (Daniel Sarge, piano) produced a Spohr - Lieder CD with op.25; op.37; op.41; op.72 and WoO 90 Lied des verlassenen Mädchens und WoO 91 Nachgefühl (Label: MARCO POLO). Soprano Lucia Rizzi recorded 6 Deutsche Lieder op.37; op.41; op.72; and Rose wie bist Du reizend und mild from Zemire und Azor. Frederic Zigante, piano. Label: Stradivarius.

Andrea Meláth sings Erlkönig (violin: Katalin Kokas) ; Label: Hugaroton Collection JANUS.
Susan Owen-Leinert (Highwater Classics), Renée Morloc (ARS), Cornelia Wulkopf (ARS), Matthias Eisenberg (RAM), Antje Perschollka (POOL), Kirstin Theisen (Tho), Christina Högmann (BIS), Anne Sofie von Otter (DGG), Eberhard Büchner (ETERNA), Annelises Rothenberger (EMI), Marilyn Horne, among other singers who have recorded Spohr-Lieder in combination with works of other composers.

Note: The Label Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft produced an outstanding CD with Fritz Wunderlich: "The Last Recital - Der letzte Liederabend".
Track 29 on this CD is "Ungeduld", stated with Louis Spohr's opus 94, No. 4. But Wunderlich's recording of "Ungeduld" is Franz Schubert's composition of this poem!
Hermann Prey has recorded Spohr's "Ungeduld" op. 94 No. 4 (Label: Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft).
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Available complete recordings of Spohr’s operas
 

Faust   (WoO 51 / 51a)
Among the cast are such well known singers as Hillevi Martinpelto, Franz Hawlata and Bo Skovhus. Klaus Arp conducting the SWR Radio Orchestra, Kaiserslautern.Audio CD (December 1, 1995)

·         SPARS Code: DDD

·         Number of Discs: 2

·         Label: Capriccio

·         ASIN: B00008EWM1

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Faust  (recitative version of 1852)
In 1852 Spohr received a commission from the Royal Italian Opera of Covent Garden to
prepare a version of FAUST to suit its performance practice: a through-composed version
rounded off into a grand opera.

The recording is a live production of the Bielefeld opera house from June 17/18, 1993. Geoffrey Moull conducting the Bielefelder Philharmonie, Chorus of the Bielefeld opera house.

·         Audio CD (March 22, 1994)

·         SPARS Code: DDD

·         Number of Discs: 2

·         Label: Cpo Records

·         ASIN: B000001RXN

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Zemire und Azor (WoO 52) The Beauty and the Beast

After discarding plans for an adaptation of the medieval story The Black Huntsman (Carl Maria von Weber had “beaten him to the punch” by adapting it as Der Freischütz), Spohr tackled the famous legend of Beauty and the Beast, as written by poet Johan Jakob Ihlee based on a four-decade-old French libretto, Zemire et Azor, originally meant for French composer André Gretry. In his score, Spohr aimed at something lighter and more winsome than Faust, a melodically attractive opera with some fashionable Rossinian elements. The opera is cast in two acts, divided into seventeen numbers. The first performance was given under his direction on April 4, 1819. Needless to say, here is a story which has been passed down through many forms and to many audiences over the years, whether we speak of the classic French film based on Jean Cocteau’s adaptation or the wildly popular Disney animated movie. Spohr’s wonderfully melodic score combines with this beloved tale to provide a memorable listening experience for both aficionados of Romantic Opera and those who love the sheer fantasy of Beauty and the Beast.

A production with singers of the Manhattan School of Music, New York,
Christopher Larkin conducting. English spoken dialogues.

·         Audio CD (July 1, 2005)

·         SPARS Code: DDD

·         Number of Discs: 2

·         Label: Albany Records

·         ASIN: B0009Y26FE  

Zemire und Azor (WoO 52)________________________________________________________________

Anton Kolar conducting the Max Bruch Philharmonie,
a production of the Theater Nordhausen.

·         Audio CD (11. März 2003)

·         Number of Discs: 2

·         Label: Ds (Pool Music und Media)

·         ASIN: B0000288EE   

Jessonda  (WoO 53)  _____________________________________________________________________

Gerd Albrecht conducting the Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra., with
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Julia Varady, Renate Behle, Kurt Moll a.o.
The Chorus of the Hamburgische Staatsoper.

·         Audio CD (April 20, 1994)

·         SPARS Code: DDD

·         Label: Orfeo

·         ASIN: B0000059BV

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Der Berggeist  (WoO 54)         First recording
 

Wykonawca: Camerata Silesia , Polska Orkiestra

 Radiowa , Chór Polskiego Radia w Krakowie ,

 Susanne Bernhard , Agnieszka Piass , Dan Karlstrom 

 , 
 Szabolcs Brickner

 Dyrygent: Łukasz Borowicz

 Nośnik: 2 CDs

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Der Alchymist (WoO 57) Oper in drei Akten

3 CDs  OehmsClassics

Ersteinspielung - First recording (Release date: 26. April 2011)

Bernd Weikl, Moran Abauloff, Jörg Dürmüller, Jan Zinkler,
Susanna Pütters, Mike Garling,
Linda Foerster, Romuald Jasinski, Stantcho Velitchkov
Staatsorchester Braunschweig
Chor des Staatstheaters Braunschweig
Christian Fröhlich

Bei der hier vorliegenden Erstaufnahmevon Spohrs Oper DER ALCHYMIST handelt es sich um einen Mitschnitt der Aufführung am Staatstheater Braunschweig am 24. Mai 2009. Die Oper kam dort zum ersten Mal nach ihrer letzten Aufführung
in Prag im Jahre 1838 wieder auf die Bühne.

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Famous singers performing Spohr (some selected examples):
 

Anne Sofie von Otter

Louis Spohr  Sechs Lieder op.154

for mezzo-soprano, violin and piano
DGG

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  Lily Pons sings "La Fauvette" from Zemire et Azor. Andre Kostelanetz conducting the
  Columbia Concert Orchestra.

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Joan Sutherland recorded a song from Zemire und Azor in the English translation
„Rose softly blooming“. Richard Bonynge conducting.

·         Audio CD (November 23, 2004)

·         SPARS Code: ADD

·         Number of Discs: 1  Label: Pearl    ASIN: B00065MJ76

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Evelyn Lear recorded an aria of Jessonda, WoO 53:
 

"Als in mitternächt'ger Stunde...Als darauf im Morgengold"
 Heinrich Hollreiser conducting.

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  Hermann Prey

  Die Lieder meines Vaters
  ausgewählt von Florian Prey
 

  Louis Spohr: op.94  Nr.4

  Ungeduld
  Ich schnitt es gern in alle Rinden ein (W. Müller)

                                                           

  Hermann Prey  Lied Edition Vol. 1 Disc 3
   Vom Minnegesang bis zu Beethoven und Löwe

   Sechs deutsche Lieder op. 25
    Nr. 5 Zigeunerlied (J. W. v. Goethe)

   Sechs deutsche Lieder  für Alt oder Bariton  op. 94 
    Nr.4 Ungeduld (W. Müller)
    Nr.5 Schwermut (A. Mahlmann)

   EMI

   Hermann Prey   10 Discs 
   Lieder von Schubert, Schumann, Beethoven, Loewe, Zelter, Reichardt, Spohr u.a.
   Disc No. 6:
   Sechs deutsche Lieder op. 41
   Nr. 3  An Mignon (J. W. v. Goethe)

    [Das EMI Booklet gibt fälschlicherweise den Titel an: Ah! Mignon!]

    Chen Reiss
     Andy Miles, Klarinette
     WDR Radioorchester, Pietro Rizzo

     Louis Spohr op. 103

     Zwei Orchesterlieder (instrumentiert von Jürgen Hinz)
     Nr. 2  Zwiegesang (Robert Reinick)

     Nr. 3  Wiegenlied in drei Tönen (A. H. Hoffmann v. Fallersleben)

     Schubert  Spohr  Schoeck

    Eberhard Büchner
    Louis SPOHR op. 103
    LP
    Michael Simm, Klarinette
    Norman Shetler, Klavier

     ETERNA  8 27 427

     Available on CD from The Spohr Society of the United States

 Anneliese Rothenberger
 LIEDER DER ROMANTIK
 Schubert  Meyerbeer Spohr
 Louis Spohr op. 103

 LP

 Gerd Starke, Klarinette
 Günther Weissenborn, Klavier

 EMI C 063-29 072

 Available on CD from: The Spohr Society of the United States

  Songs for Voice and Guitar

  Louis Spohr

  Lieder (18)
 

  Antonia Brown, soprano
  Adriano Sebastiani, guitar

  Brilliant Classics [release date: 11/4/2011]

  Bonus: 6 Lieder by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Thomas Hampson recorded an aria from Faust 
WoO 51a, Act I: „Der Hölle selbst will ich...Liebe ist die zarte Blüte“
Fabio Luisi conducting the Munich Radio Orchestra.

·         Audio CD (June 13, 1995)

·         SPARS Code: DDD

·         Number of Discs: 1

·         Label: Capitol

·         ASIN: B000002RUN

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ORATORIO

Die Letzten Dinge  WoO 61 (1825/26)

Oratorium nach Worten der Heiligen Schrift
von Friedrich Rochlitz

Mitsuko Shirai, Marjana Lopovsek, Josef Protschka and Matthias Hölle are among of the prominent cast of this recording. Conductor: Gustav Kuhn; Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart; Südfunk-Chor. (live recording: October 6, 1984. With kindly support of Internationale Louis Spohr Gesellschaft, Kassel. Coproduction: Süddeutscher Rundfunk). Label: Philips

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   DIE LETZTEN DINGE  WoO 61 (1826)
   Apocalypse
 

  Text von Friedrich Rochlitz
   First Recording in German language (1977 / 1981)
   Label: JUBILATE (1983) 2 LPs

  Gerda Hagner, Sopran    Angelika Nowski, Alt
  Alejandro Ramirez, Tenor   Cornelius Hauptmann, Baß

  Frankfurter Symphoniker, Musikalische Leitung.: Siegfried Heinrich
  Hersfelder Festspielchor, Frankfurter u. Marburger Konzertchor

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Die Letzten Dinge  WoO 61

Bruno Weil conducting the CAPELLA COLONIENSIS

  ChorWERK RUHR.
  Anna Korondi, Vanessa Barkowski, Jörg Dürmüller, Vladimir Baykov.
  Live recording at Kulturzentrum Herne: November 10, 2006 in cooperation with WDR Köln and the I  
  Internationale Spohr Gesellschaft e.V., Kassel.

Audio CD (September 20, 2007)  Label: Capriccio (DELTA MUSIC) ASIN: B000W4E3PC

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  Die Letzten Dinge WoO 61
  (The last judgement)

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Des Heilands letzte Stunden     WoO 62  (1834/1835)
Oratorium in zwei Teilen
Text von Friedrich Rochlitz 
                                                            
                                                                                                                                                         

Katharina Wollitz, Vera Borowsky-Reimann,
Henner Leyhe, Ulrich Wand,
Bach-Chor & Bach - Orchester Wiesbaden, Klaus Uwe Ludwig
Label: Melisma (2 CDs; May 2006)

DES HEILANDS LETZTE STUNDEN   Label: Mottete  DCD 50201 (1990)
Bach-Chor & Bach - Orchester Wiesbaden, Klaus Uwe Ludwig
Gerda Hagner, Sopran  Tsuyako Mitsui, Alt    Alejandro Ramirez, Tenor,
Michael Schopper, Baß

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Messe op.54  +  3 Psalmen op.85  Label: Praga (October 1998)
Rundfunkchor Berlin, Michael Glaeser,                                    Prague Philharmonic Choir; Jaroslav Brych.
Dietrich Knothe. Label: cpo (November 2006)                          + Mendelssohn: 3 Psalmen, op.78

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