Der Schmied von Marienburg
(The Blacksmith of Marienburg)
Opera in Three Acts
Muthart, Blacksmith of Marienburg . . . . . Karl Schneider
Friedelind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rebecca Broberg
Willekin . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . Ralf Sauerbrey
Frau Madaldrut . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anne Wieben
The lame wanderer . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . Johann Winzer
Wanhilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . Maacha Deubner
Heinrich Reuß von Plauen . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Marek Kalbus
Martin . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johannes Föttinger
Helwich von Hartenstein . . . . . . . .Christoph von Weitzel
PPP Music Theatre Ensemble, Munich
Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, Gdansk, Frank Strobel
The operas of Siegfried Wagner, first son of Richard Wagner and grandson of Liszt, are gaining recognition as important works in their own right, as this new recording of his thirteenth opera, Der Schmeid von Marienburg (composed in 1920 and premièred in Rostock in 1923), shows.
It ranks alongside Der Bärenhäuter (8.223713-14) and Der Kobold (CD 8.225329-31, DVD 2.220003-04) as one of his most accomplished.
Like his father, albeit in a highly individual way, Siegfried Wagner was a master orchestrator and compelling theatrical storyteller.
“An attractive, warm-hearted… work which gives away the place and time of its composition in every bar. It is saturated with the ‘feel’ of Humperdinck, who was Siegfried’s composition teacher [and of] Weber [and] Marschner.”
