Operetta in two acts & one intermezzo by Leo Stein & Bela Jenbach
Johanna Stojkovic Julia Bauer Johan Weigel Jan Kobow Hans Christoph Begemann Kammerchor der Singakademie Frankfurt, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, Frank Beermann
Die Blaue Mazur (The Blue Mazurka) was a celebrated success for Franz Lehár (1870-1948) after its premiere. Musically it is one of his greatest masterpieces.
The successful factors were, firstly, the libretto’s humorous vein; secondly, the mixture of musical styles; and thirdly the dramaturgical role played by dance. The opera is light hearted even in dramatic passages and is peppered throughout by waltzes, dances, the mazurka and the three large scale finales.
“The performance is very capably done…it remains a piece of beautiful lyrical writing, brilliant orchestral colouring and impassioned melody. On CD there’s no reason at all why it should not add to the growing appreciation of Lehár as far more than a composer of brilliant popular melodies.” Gramophone
