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Wien

10/11/2019, 19 Tracks, 1:17:57

Jonas Kaufmann's personal tribute to Vienna's glorious tradition of waltzes and operettas is accompanied by Ádám Fischer and – of course – the Wiener Philharmoniker. This lovingly compiled collection includes extracts from operettas including Die Fledermaus, Wiener Blut and Die lustige Witwe, as well as many classic Viennese songs. Kaufmann is joined for several numbers by soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen.

Featuring

  • Ádám Fischer
  • Jonas Kaufmann
  • Rachel Willis-Sørensen
  • Michael Rot
  • Wiener Philharmoniker
  • Robert Stolz
  • Rudolf Sieczyński
  • Hans May
  • Johann Strauss II (Jr.)
  • Franz Lehár
  • Emmerich Kálmán
  • Carl Zeller
  • Jaromír Weinberger
  • Hermann Leopoldi
  • Ralph Benatzky
  • Peter Kreuder
  • Georg Kreisler

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

Jonas Kaufmann, the tenor on this album, spent much of his childhood on his grandparents' farm in Tyrol, where he watched Austrian TV and absorbed the Viennese dialect.

Source: Booklet

Composer's Artistic Vision

Jonas Kaufmann suggests that operetta, beyond comedy, also contains essential elements of unfulfilled dreams and yearning for the unattainable.

Source: Booklet

Performer Biography

Jonas Kaufmann's grandmother introduced him to operetta, as she loved the catchy tunes and singers like Rudolf Schock and Anneliese Rothenberger.

Source: Booklet

Historical Context

The album includes two songs from the 1935 Austrian film 'Heut ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben,' starring Joseph Schmidt, which deliberately contrasted themes of joy and resignation.

Source: Booklet

Compositional Technique

The album features a diverse range of Viennese chansons, from richly orchestrated pieces to those for smaller ensembles like a salon orchestra, with vocal styles ranging from operatic to cabaret.

Source: Booklet

Interpretation

Jonas Kaufmann believes that the effort of singing, which can be effective in opera, is completely out of place in operetta; it must always sound relaxed and easy.

Source: Booklet

Cultural Impact

Jonas Kaufmann considers the album a 'cultural history of Vienna in notes,' showcasing the evolution of Viennese operetta and chanson.

Source: Booklet

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