Great Opera Recordings

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Ward Marston

In 1997 Ward Marston was nominated for the Best Historical Album Grammy Award for his production work onBMG’s Fritz Kreisler collection. According to the Chicago Tribune, Marston’s name is ‘synonymous with tenderloving care to collectors of historical CDs’. Opera News calls his work ‘revelatory’, and Fanfare deems him‘miraculous’. In 1996 Ward Marston received the Gramophone award for Historical Vocal Recording of the Year,honouring his production and engineering work on Romophone’s complete recordings of Lucrezia Bori. He alsoserved as re-recording engineer for the Franklin Mint’s Arturo Toscanini issue and BMG’s Sergey Rachmaninovrecordings, both winners of the Best Historical Album Grammy.

Born blind in 1952, Ward Marston has amassed tens of thousands of opera classical records over the past fourdecades. Following a stint in radio while a student at Williams College, he became well-known as a reissue producerin 1979, when he restored the earliest known stereo recording made by the Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1932.

In the past, Ward Marston has produced records for a number of major and specialist record companies. Now heis bringing his distinctive sonic vision to bear on works released on the Naxos Historical label. Ultimately his goal isto make the music he remasters sound as natural as possible and true to life by ‘lifting the voices’ off his old 78 rpmrecordings. His aim is to promote the importance of preserving old recordings and make available the works of greatmusicians who need to be heard.

The Naxos historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the bestand truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number ofrespected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standardsin the field of historical recordings.

Great Opera Recordings ADD

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MOZARTCosì fan tutte

Souez • Helletsgruber • Nash • Domgraf-FassbänderChorus and Orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival

Fritz Busch(Recorded 1934-35)

2 CDs

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lawyer, Despina in disguise, with the marriage contractswhich she intones through her nose. At this moment thesoldiers’ chorus of the first act is heard off-stage andDon Alfonso announces the imminent return of thelovers from the war. The “Albanians” are hustled out,with Despina, ) and the two men quickly return asthemselves, while Despina comes in again, without herlawyer’s hat, explaining that her costume was intendedfor a masked ball. Don Alfonso allows the marriagecontracts that the girls, but not the men, had signed, to

fall to the floor. Ferrando and Guglielmo pretend to findthe papers and reproach their faithless partners. DonAlfonso then reveals the plot, as Ferrando andGuglielmo retire for a moment and return wearingsomething of their old disguise. ¡ The girls realise atlast what has happened and seek forgiveness, which isreadily granted, and all ends happily.

Keith Anderson

Producer’s Note

This first recording of Mozart’s Così fan tutte was originally released by HMV on English pressings which werewidely distributed during the late 1930s. These pressings usually contain a high crackle content making themunsuitable for remastering purposes. Occasionally, however, one can locate HMV pressings that yield quieter thanaverage surfaces with almost no crackle. The present transfer was made from two sets of such pressings. Twoperfect condition sets of RCA Victor pressings were auditioned but were not used since they proved to be inferiorin all respects.

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Great Opera Recordings

Wolfgang Amadeus

MOZART(1756-1791)

Così fan tutteOpera in 2 Acts

Fiordiligi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ina SouezDorabella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luise HelletsgruberFerrando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heddle NashGuglielmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willi Domgraf-FassbänderDon Alfonso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John BrownleeDespina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Irene Eisinger

Chorus and Orchestra of the Glyndebourne FestivalConducted by Fritz Busch

Recorded by HMV on 40 sides at The Glyndebourne Theatre, Sussex

on 6th June 1934 and 25th-28th June 1935

Matrices: 2BR 318/330 (6th June 1934), 2ER 40/47 (25th June 1935), 2ER 86, 89/99 (28th June 1935)

Issued as Mozart Opera Society, vols. 1-3: DB 2474/9, DB 2583/93S

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( The scene changes to the garden, whereFiordiligi and Dorabella still lament the departure oftheir lovers. ) Ferrando and Guglielmo come in,apparently resolved to poison themselves for love; theydrink and fall down prostrate on the grass. Despina issummoned to he1p, recommends a doctor, ¡ and re-appears shortly afterwards so disguised, offering thelatest remedy with a large magnet to draw out thepoison, a reference to the Mozarts’ friend AntonMesmer and his theories of animal magnetism.

CD 2

1 The two men are revived 2 and beg a kiss, but areagain rejected. Nevertheless the plotters see success insight.

Act II

3 The second act opens in a room in the house,where Despina reasons with her two mistresses 4 andexpresses her philosophy, explaining that any girl offifteen ought to know how to handle men. Little by littlethe two girls decide that there is no harm in an innocentflirtation 5 and in a duet declare their preference,Dorabella claiming the dark one and Fiordiligi the fair-haired one. Don Alfonso calls them into the garden. 6By the landing-stage there is a boat decked with flowersand the two lovers have arranged a serenade, played bya wind band, while Ferrando and Guglielmo ask thefriendly breezes to convey their message of love. 7

Don Alfonso urges the reluctant young men on, takingDorabella’s hand as Despina takes Fiordiligi’s, leadingthem forward. The lovers are now left alone. 8

Fiordiligi and Ferrando walk off together, andGuglielmo protests further his love for Dorabella. Hereplaces Ferrando’s miniature that she wears with alocket of his own.

9 As Guglielmo and Dorabella walk away, arm inarm, the other couple returns, Ferrando still pleadingwith Fiordiligi, and threatening suicide. 0 As he leaves,

she expresses her changing feelings, ! begging pardonof the absent Guglielmo. @ She walks away, andFerrando and Guglielmo re-appear. The former delightsGuglielmo with news of Fiordiligi’s apparentconstancy, but is dismayed at what he learns of hisDorabella, who has evidently given away his portrait,which Guglielmo now shows him. # Guglielmo nowexpresses his doubts, [while Ferrando, returning, singsof his disillusionment, betrayed, scorned]. Don Alfonsoapplauds his misery and tells the relatively complacentGuglielmo to wait a little longer.

$ The next scene is set in a room with a number ofdoors, a looking-glass and a little table. Despina tellsDorabella that she has acted sensibly, when Fiordiligibursts in and announces that she loves her new wooer,but will still resist the temptation. [Dorabella tells of thepower of love], but Fiordiligi still will not give way, andtells Despina to bring down the young men’s uniformsand swords from upstairs, where they are stored, and toorder horses so that she and her sister may join their oldlovers at war. Guglielmo, overhearing all this, is full ofadmiration. % She tells of her hope to join Guglielmo,but is interrupted by Ferrando, who threatens to die oflove, if she deserts him. She gives in, and the two go outtogether, while Don Alfonso restrains Guglielmo withdifficulty. ^ When Ferrando retums, Don Alfonsosuggests that the best thing to do is to marry the girlsthat very evening. Women are fickle but they cannothe1p it; in fact Così fan tutte, they are all alike, a verdictheartily endorsed by the two young heroes. Despina re-appears to say that the girls have agreed to the marriage.

& The scene is now a richly decorated room. Thereis an orchestra in attendance. There is a table set forfour, with silver candlesticks, and four servants, richlydressed. Despina is giving orders for the candies to belit, while Don Alfonso expresses his delight. * Thechorus welcomes the couples, accompanied by theorchestra, as they come in and take their places at thetable and start to eat. ( Don Alfonso ushers in the

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CD 1 76:58

1 Overture 4:11Orchestra

Act One 72:47

2 No. 1 Terzetto: La mia Dorabella - 3:06(Recitativo) Fuor la spada(Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Guglielmo)

3 No. 2 Terzetto: È la fede delle femmine - 2:34(Recitativo) Scioccherie di poeti!(Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Guglielmo)

4 No. 3 Terzetto: Una bella serenata 2:14(Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Guglielmo)

5 No. 4 Duetto: Ah, guarda, sorella - 5:57(Recitativo) Mi par che stamattina(Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

6 No. 5 Aria: Vorrei dir, e cor non ho - 1:53(Recitativo) Stelle! Per carità, signor Alfonso(Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

7 No. 6 Quintetto: Sento, o dio, che questo piede - *{(Recitativo) Non piangere, idol mio} - 5:05(Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Don Alfonso,Guglielmo)

*{No. 7 Duettino: Al fato dan legge} (Ferrando, Guglielmo)

(Abridged Recitativo) Oh ciel! quest’è il tamburo funesto(Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

8 No. 8 Coro: Bella vita militar! - 2:10(Recitativo) Non v’è più tempo(Chorus - Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo)

9 No. 9 Quintetto: Di scrivermi ogni giorno - 3:41(Coro) Bella vita militar! -(Recitativo) Dove son?(Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Chorus)

0 No. 10 Terzettino: Soave sia il vento - 4:05(Recitativo) Non son cattivo comico!(Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Don Alfonso)

! Recitativo: Che vita maldetta… 0:47Madame, ecco la vostra collazione(Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi)

@ Recitativo: Ah! scostati, paventa il tristo effetto -No. 11 Aria: Smanie implacabili, che m’agitate -Recitativo: Signora Dorabella 3:57(Dorabella - Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi)

# No. 12 Aria: In uomini, in soldati - 3:50(abridged Recitativo) Despinetta! Chi batte? Oh!(Despina - Don Alfonso)

$ No. 13 Sestetto: Alla bella Despinetta - 6:41(Recitativo) Che sussurro! Che strepito!(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina,Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

% Recitativo: Stelle! Che ardir! - 6:51(Dorabella, Fiordiligi)No. 14 Aria: Come scoglio - Recitativo: Ah, non partite!(Fiordiligi - Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso,Dorabella, Fiordiligi)

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Synopsis

CD 1

Act 1

After the Overture 1 the first act opens in a coffee-house in Naples, 2 where Ferrando and Guglielmo arein dispute with Don Alfonso. Ferrando claims that hisDorabella would never be untrue, a protest in whichGuglielmo joins in defence of the honour of hisFiordiligi, while Don Alfonso maintains the contrary,which his experience of life has taught him. 3 Theynearly come to blows but Don Alfonso calms the twoyoung men, and goes on to proclaim his own view, thefidelity of women is as rare as the phoenix. Theargument continues, until Don Alfonso suggests awager to test the constancy of the two sisters. 4 In thefollowing Terzetto Ferrando promises to pay for a fineserenade, from his winnings, while Guglielmo will givea banquet.

5 The second scene is set in the garden of the twosisters, leading down with a view of the Bay of Naplesin the distance. The gir1s sing to the gentle murmur ofthe music, gazing at the miniatures they hold in theirhands. In livelier music they swear to be true, and thenseem ironically ready for some frivolity. 6 DonAlfonso comes in, apparently with bad news, that theyoung men have been called to war. 7 A quintetfollows, as Ferrando and Guglielmo come in, in evidentdespair, while the girls declare that death is preferableto parting. The young men, in a brief aside to DonAlfonso, think they are winning the bet, but he remainsconfident. The quintet ends with a declaration of thebitterness of parting, and after a brief declaration oflove, [there follows a short duet for the two lovers,claiming that love will he1p them]. A drum is heard andthe approaching march of soldiers, 8 praising the gloryof battle. A boat sai1s to the landing-stage and to thetears of the sisters, the two young men embark. 9 Write

to me every day !, sings Fiordiligi, and twice a day tome, echoes Dorabella. 0 The sisters wave goodbye andwith Don Alfonso speed them on their way in a briefensemble. Left alone, Don Alfonso can vent hiscynicism.

! The scene changes to a room in the house.Despina is preparing chocolate and complaining aboutthe drudgery of her life, lightened by an illicit sip of thedrink she is making. @ Fiordiligli and Dorabella enterin evident despair, expressed in dramatic accompaniedrecitative. Dorabella, in an aria, longs histrionically fordeath. # Despina, when the matter is explained to her,offers her own common sense answer, that there areother men, echoing Don Alfonso’s view of women. $They go out, and Don Alfonso comes in, declaring hisintention of bribing Despina to further the plot he hasdevised. Her agreement assured, he ushers in Ferrandoand Guglielmo, disguised as Albanians. Despina doesnot recognise them but finds their foreign appearancegrotesque, as Don Alfonso presents them, to the fairlittle Despina. He stands aside, as Fiordiligi andDorabella enter and tell Despina to dismiss theunwanted visitors, who now protest their love. DonAlfonso and Despina are sure that the girls will give in,while the young men are equally certain of theirconstancy, and now Don Alfonso comes forward, as ifnewly arrived, and greets the two disguised lovers asold friends. % As they urge their love, Fiordiligidramatically proclaims her steadfastness, as firm as arock in her loyalty. The girls try to leave but the lovers,supported by Don Alfonso, beg them to stay, ^ andGuglielmo, whose attentions are directed to Dorabella,protests his love in an aria, going on to advertise hisown good points. & The girls withdraw and DonAlfonso asks the young men what they are laughing at,as the comedy is not yet over. * Ferrando, nowconfident, sings of his love for Dorabella. [NowDespina takes a hand in the plot, and assures DonAlfonso that she can bring about the desired result].

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^ No. 15 Aria: Non siate ritrosi 1:27(Guglielmo)

& No. 16 Terzetto: E voi ridete? - 1:47(Recitativo) Si può sapere un poco(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo)

* No. 17 Aria: Un’aura amorosa 4:18(Ferrando){*(Recitativo) Oh, la faria da ridere!}

( No. 18 Finale: Ah, che tutta in un momento 3:25(Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

) No. 18 Finale: Si mora, sì, si mora 5:37(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi,Dorabella, Despina)

¡ No. 18 Finale: Eccovi il medico 3:22(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella

CD 2 77:23

Act One (conclusion) 6:08

1 No. 18 Finale: Dove son? 2:56(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Don Alfonso,Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

2 No. 18 Finale: Dammi un bacio 3:13(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Fiordiligi, Dorabella,Despina, Don Alfonso)

Act Two 71:15

3 (Abridged Recitativo): Andate là 1:04(Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

4 No. 19 Aria: Una donna a quindici anni - 4:26(Recitativo) Sorella, cosa dici?(Despina - Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

5 No. 20 Duetto: Prenderò quell brunettino - 3:12(Recitativo) Ah, correte al giardino(Dorabella, Fiordiligi - Don Alfonso)

6 No. 21 Duetto con coro: 4:11Secondate aurette amiche -(abridged Recitativo) Cos’è tal mascherata?(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Chorus - Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Despina, Don Alfonso)

7 No. 22 Quartetto: La mano a me date - 5:07(Recitativo) Oh che bella giornata!(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina -Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

8 No. 23 Duetto: Il core vi dono 4:36(Guglielmo, Dorabella)

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1947-48 where his Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni wasconsidered the finest since John McCormack. He sangat Glyndebourne between 1934 and 1938, his rôles thereincluding Ferrando, Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro,and Pedrillo in Die Entführung. Nash sang with thetouring Carl Rosa company during the Second WorldWar and his final stage appearances were with the NewOpera Company in 1957-58. He was also a muchadmired oratorio singer.

Guglielmo was performed by the German baritoneWilli Domgraf-Fassbänder (1897-1978). Born inAachen he studied in Berlin and later in Milan withGiuseppe Borgatti (as had Heddle Nash). Returning tohis home city he made his début in 1922 as the Count inLe nozze di Figaro. In 1928 he became a member of theBerlin State Opera where he would remain until 1946.He also sang Papageno in Die Zauberflöte underToscanini at the 1937 Salzburg Festival. Domgraf-Fassbänder’s Glyndebourne years were 1934-35 and1937, and his rôles there included Papageno, Figaro andGuglielmo, his admirable stage presence greatlyadmired. His post-war career was spent in Hanover,Vienna, Munich and Nuremberg. After 1954 he taughtat the Nuremberg Conservatory where his pupilsincluded his daughter, the much admired BrigitteFassbaender.

As the wily, cynical schemer Don Alfonso we havethe Australian-born John Brownlee (1900-1969). Bornin Geelong, he was initially encouraged by NellieMelba while studying in Melbourne, before moving toParis to work with Dinh Gilly. Following his Parisdébut in Lakmé in 1926, Melba selected him for herCovent Garden farewell on 8th June that same yearwhen he appeared as Marcello in Acts 3 and 4 of LaBohème. His success on this occasion resulted in hiscontinuing at the house for a number of years, his rôlesthere including Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande, Scarpiain Tosca and Renato in Un ballo in maschera .Concurrently Brownlee sang at the Paris Opéra from1927 until 1936. His début at the Metropolitan Opera inNew York was in the title-rôle of Rigoletto in February1937 and it was in this house that he would remain,giving in total 348 performances of 33 rôles. HisGlyndebourne years were from 1935 until 1939, and hisrôles there included Almaviva in Figaro, the title-rôlein Don Giovanni (which he recorded) and Don Alfonso.After retiring from the stage he became Director of theManhattan School of Music in 1956, and the President adecade later. He was a fine actor and excellent linguist.

Malcolm Walker

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9 Recitativo: Barbara! Perchè fuggi? 1:39(Ferrando, Fiordiligi)No. 24 Aria {*Ah, lo veggio}(Ferrando)

0 Recitativo: Ei parte…senti…ah no! 2:03(Fiordiligi)

! No. 25 Rondo: Per pietà, ben mio, perdona 7:39(Fiordiligi)

@ Recitativo: Amico, Abbiamo vinto! 2:43(Ferrando, Guglielmo)

# No. 26 Aria: Donne mie, la fate a tanti 4:02(Guglielmo){*(Recitativo) In qual fiero contrasto} -No. 27 Aria Cavatina {*Tradito, schernito} -(abridged Recitativo): Bravo, questa è constanza(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo)

$ Recitativo: Ora vedo che siete 1:33{No. 28 Aria: *È amore un ladroncello} - (abridged Recitativo) - L’abito de Ferrando(Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi)

% No. 29 Duetto: Fra gli amplessi in pochi stanti -(Recitativo): Ah poveretto me 7:14(Fiordiligi, Ferrando - Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)

^ No. 30 Andante: Tutti accusan le donne - 1:36(Recitativo) Vittoria, padroncini(Don Alfonso, Ferrando - Despina, Guglielmo)

& No. 31 Finale: Fate presto, o cari amici 1:57(Despina, Chorus, Don Alfonso)

* No. 31 Finale: Benedetti i doppi coniugi 4:47(Chorus, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando,Guglielmo)

( No. 31 Finale: Miei signori, tutto è fatto 3:38(Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando,Guglielmo, Despina)

) No. 31 Finale: Sani e salvi 3:36(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi,Dorabella, Despina)

¡ No. 30 Finale: Ah, Signor, son rea di morte 6:11(Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Despina)

* Omitted from the recording

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Overseeing the musical performance was FritzBusch (1890-1951). He was born in Siegen,Westphalia, Germany, studied first locally and later inCologne with Fritz Steinbach. After appointments inRiga (1909), Aachen (1921), Stuttgart (1918-22) asGeneral Music Director, he was appointed to DresdenState Opera, where for a decade he raised the musicalstandards to a high level. Busch, who was vehementlyopposed to the ethos of Hitler and the Nazi Party,resigned in 1933. He then worked in Buenos Aires(1934-36 and 1941-45) and the Metropolitan Opera inNew York (1945-49). It was his achievements atGlyndebourne from 1934 to 1939 and 1950-51,however, which have kept his name alive. His testamentas an outstanding Mozartian is exemplified in hisrecordings of the three Da Ponte operas, allied tomemorable performances of both Verdi and Wagner.He was also much admired as a symphonic conductor.He was the brother of the violinist Adolf Busch.

The rôle of Fiordiligi is sung by the Canadiansoprano Ina Souez (1908-1992). Born in Windsor,Ontario, she studied first in Denver, Colorado, and thenin Milan. She made her début in Ivrea as Mimì inPuccini’s La Bohème. The following year she sang amemorable Liù in Turandot at Covent Garden, whereshe would also appear as Micaëla in Carmen in 1935. In1929 she married an Englishman and lived in Londonuntil 1938. She appeared between 1934 and 1936 atGlyndebourne, where she sang Fiordiligi and DonnaAnna in Don Giovanni. Souez sang at the StockholmOpera in 1939 and at the New York City Opera in 1941.During the Second World War she was a member of theUS Army’s Women Auxiliary Corps. After 1945 shesang for a number of years as a vocalist with SpikeJones and the City Slickers, before retiring and teachingin California. Her recorded performance of Fiordiligi iswidely regarded as the yardstick by which allsubsequent interpretations have been measured.

The Dorabella was the Austrian-born sopranoLuise Helletsgruber (1898-1967). Trained in hernative city of Vienna, she joined the State Opera,

remaining a member until 1942. Between 1928 and1937 she appeared regularly at the Salzburg Festival,where she sang Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro andDonna Anna in Don Giovanni. Her Glyndebourne yearswere between 1934 and 1938, where she sangCherubino in addition to Donna Elvira in DonGiovanni, the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte andDorabella. She possessed a vibrant vocal quality alliedwith an attractive stage presence. She died as a result ofa car accident in Vienna.

The vivacious Irene Eisinger (1903-1994) is thevibrant Despina in this recording. Born in Kosel,Silesia, Austria, she studied in Vienna before makingher début in Basel in 1926. She joined the Vienna StateOpera in 1930 and also appeared at the SalzburgFestival between 1930 and 1933. Forced to leaveGermany, she sang at the German Opera in Pragueduring the 1933-34 season. She appeared atGlyndebourne between 1934 and 1939 and again inEdinburgh with the company in 1949. Her rôlesincluded Despina, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte,Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail andSusanna in Le nozze di Figaro. Additionally, she sangthe rôle of Polly in the 1940 London production of TheBeggar’s Opera. Eisinger was a fine coloratura sopranoand an excellent soubrette, as was witnessed by herGretel, and Adele in Die Fledermaus (both sung inEnglish) during the 1936 Winter Season at CoventGarden. From 1938 onwards she lived in London.

Heddle Nash (1894-1961) was certainly the finestEnglish lyric tenor of his generation as can be witnessedthough his recordings. As a Mozartian he was certainlymore elegant and stylistically accomplished than hisItalian contemporaries and on a par with any German orAustrian tenor of his time. He was also a vocalist ofconsiderable vocal charm and fluency. Nash firststudied in London and later Milan where he made hisdébut before appearing in Genoa, Bologna and Turin.His London appearance was as the Duke in Rigoletto forLilian Baylis’s Old Vic/Sadler’s Wells company. HisCovent Garden years covered the years 1928-39 and

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The Glyndebourne Festival Opera House opened itsdoors to the public on 28th May 1934 with aperformance of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro conductedby Fritz Busch. Two months earlier, however, membersof HMV’s International Artists’ Department had visitedthe new house near Lewes in Sussex to evaluate theacoustics of the auditorium. They were sufficientlyimpressed by both the sound and musical performanceto undertake test recordings of an actual performance inlate May 1934.

HMV’s Record Testing Committee immediatelylistened to these processed recordings, moving quicklyto undertake commercial studio recordings of thevarious ensembles from the Mozart opera on 6th June1934. Fourteen 78 rpm sides were made on that singledate, one unidentified side being damaged at the factoryduring processing. This event marked the first occasionon which any attempt had been made to record a Mozartopera.

As HMV’s Fred Gaisberg later recalled: “When Iread of John Christie’s project to found a MozartFestival at Glyndebourne, I thought it a pipe dream, butwhen I learned that Fritz Busch and Carl Ebert were tohave full artistic control I realised it was a serious effort.Their standing and names were a guarantee that it wouldnot be tarred with the brush of an amateur. I saw enoughof the careful groundwork and personal attention todetail to convince me that this success would be beyonddispute. With enthusiasm I signed with Christie anengagement for the exclusive right of making discs. Wedid our recording with a mobile van at the end of theseason, when the company were well soaked in theirparts and their teamwork perfect”.

The following summer the balance of Figaro wasrecorded, excepting the recitatives and three arias in Act4, on 24th and 28th June in the Opera House atGlyndebourne. Additionally, in between these dates, itwas also planned to record the whole of Così fan tutte in

three days. This was slightly over-ambitious, however,and the recording had to be finished on the 28th.Nevertheless, it was a remarkable achievement torecord forty sides comprising the whole opera in soshort a time. As Gaisberg so rightly predicted, thiswould not have been possible without earliermeticulous and thorough musical preparation.Following the accepted norm of the time, the duettino inAct 1 between Ferrando and Guglielmo ‘Al fato danlegge’, and three arias in Act 2, ‘Tradito, schernito dalperfido cor’, ‘Ah, lo veggio’ (both for Ferrando) and ‘Eamore un ladroncell’ (Dorabella) were all omitted, withtwo small cuts, one being in the Finale to the opera.Fritz Busch was adamantly opposed to the use ofharpsichord in the secco recitatives and it is this morethan anything else which dates the style of performance.Although HMV had planned to publish the newrecording for Christmas 1935, it was eventuallypublished in spring the following year, just prior to theGlyndebourne season.

The critical response to the recording was positivefrom the start. “One of the most enchanting sets evermade. The cast contains no weak spots and the manyensemble movements are ideally balanced, both inperformance and recording. It is a triumph for allconcerned.” Two decades later, critics would comment:“It is the best balanced in casting of all the pre-warGlyndebourne operas, because the cast is a compactunit. Furthermore, since the opera is essentially a seriesof ensembles, this is the prime excellence of therecording”. Time and again, it is the splendid sense ofteam-work which is commented upon in this recording,captured splendidly by the excellent recorded sound.What is also remarkable is that the members of thisensemble comprised a Canadian, two Austrians, anEnglishman, a German and an Australian – veryinternational.

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)Così fan tutte

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8.110280-817

Overseeing the musical performance was FritzBusch (1890-1951). He was born in Siegen,Westphalia, Germany, studied first locally and later inCologne with Fritz Steinbach. After appointments inRiga (1909), Aachen (1921), Stuttgart (1918-22) asGeneral Music Director, he was appointed to DresdenState Opera, where for a decade he raised the musicalstandards to a high level. Busch, who was vehementlyopposed to the ethos of Hitler and the Nazi Party,resigned in 1933. He then worked in Buenos Aires(1934-36 and 1941-45) and the Metropolitan Opera inNew York (1945-49). It was his achievements atGlyndebourne from 1934 to 1939 and 1950-51,however, which have kept his name alive. His testamentas an outstanding Mozartian is exemplified in hisrecordings of the three Da Ponte operas, allied tomemorable performances of both Verdi and Wagner.He was also much admired as a symphonic conductor.He was the brother of the violinist Adolf Busch.

The rôle of Fiordiligi is sung by the Canadiansoprano Ina Souez (1908-1992). Born in Windsor,Ontario, she studied first in Denver, Colorado, and thenin Milan. She made her début in Ivrea as Mimì inPuccini’s La Bohème. The following year she sang amemorable Liù in Turandot at Covent Garden, whereshe would also appear as Micaëla in Carmen in 1935. In1929 she married an Englishman and lived in Londonuntil 1938. She appeared between 1934 and 1936 atGlyndebourne, where she sang Fiordiligi and DonnaAnna in Don Giovanni. Souez sang at the StockholmOpera in 1939 and at the New York City Opera in 1941.During the Second World War she was a member of theUS Army’s Women Auxiliary Corps. After 1945 shesang for a number of years as a vocalist with SpikeJones and the City Slickers, before retiring and teachingin California. Her recorded performance of Fiordiligi iswidely regarded as the yardstick by which allsubsequent interpretations have been measured.

The Dorabella was the Austrian-born sopranoLuise Helletsgruber (1898-1967). Trained in hernative city of Vienna, she joined the State Opera,

remaining a member until 1942. Between 1928 and1937 she appeared regularly at the Salzburg Festival,where she sang Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro andDonna Anna in Don Giovanni. Her Glyndebourne yearswere between 1934 and 1938, where she sangCherubino in addition to Donna Elvira in DonGiovanni, the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte andDorabella. She possessed a vibrant vocal quality alliedwith an attractive stage presence. She died as a result ofa car accident in Vienna.

The vivacious Irene Eisinger (1903-1994) is thevibrant Despina in this recording. Born in Kosel,Silesia, Austria, she studied in Vienna before makingher début in Basel in 1926. She joined the Vienna StateOpera in 1930 and also appeared at the SalzburgFestival between 1930 and 1933. Forced to leaveGermany, she sang at the German Opera in Pragueduring the 1933-34 season. She appeared atGlyndebourne between 1934 and 1939 and again inEdinburgh with the company in 1949. Her rôlesincluded Despina, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte,Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail andSusanna in Le nozze di Figaro. Additionally, she sangthe rôle of Polly in the 1940 London production of TheBeggar’s Opera. Eisinger was a fine coloratura sopranoand an excellent soubrette, as was witnessed by herGretel, and Adele in Die Fledermaus (both sung inEnglish) during the 1936 Winter Season at CoventGarden. From 1938 onwards she lived in London.

Heddle Nash (1894-1961) was certainly the finestEnglish lyric tenor of his generation as can be witnessedthough his recordings. As a Mozartian he was certainlymore elegant and stylistically accomplished than hisItalian contemporaries and on a par with any German orAustrian tenor of his time. He was also a vocalist ofconsiderable vocal charm and fluency. Nash firststudied in London and later Milan where he made hisdébut before appearing in Genoa, Bologna and Turin.His London appearance was as the Duke in Rigoletto forLilian Baylis’s Old Vic/Sadler’s Wells company. HisCovent Garden years covered the years 1928-39 and

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The Glyndebourne Festival Opera House opened itsdoors to the public on 28th May 1934 with aperformance of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro conductedby Fritz Busch. Two months earlier, however, membersof HMV’s International Artists’ Department had visitedthe new house near Lewes in Sussex to evaluate theacoustics of the auditorium. They were sufficientlyimpressed by both the sound and musical performanceto undertake test recordings of an actual performance inlate May 1934.

HMV’s Record Testing Committee immediatelylistened to these processed recordings, moving quicklyto undertake commercial studio recordings of thevarious ensembles from the Mozart opera on 6th June1934. Fourteen 78 rpm sides were made on that singledate, one unidentified side being damaged at the factoryduring processing. This event marked the first occasionon which any attempt had been made to record a Mozartopera.

As HMV’s Fred Gaisberg later recalled: “When Iread of John Christie’s project to found a MozartFestival at Glyndebourne, I thought it a pipe dream, butwhen I learned that Fritz Busch and Carl Ebert were tohave full artistic control I realised it was a serious effort.Their standing and names were a guarantee that it wouldnot be tarred with the brush of an amateur. I saw enoughof the careful groundwork and personal attention todetail to convince me that this success would be beyonddispute. With enthusiasm I signed with Christie anengagement for the exclusive right of making discs. Wedid our recording with a mobile van at the end of theseason, when the company were well soaked in theirparts and their teamwork perfect”.

The following summer the balance of Figaro wasrecorded, excepting the recitatives and three arias in Act4, on 24th and 28th June in the Opera House atGlyndebourne. Additionally, in between these dates, itwas also planned to record the whole of Così fan tutte in

three days. This was slightly over-ambitious, however,and the recording had to be finished on the 28th.Nevertheless, it was a remarkable achievement torecord forty sides comprising the whole opera in soshort a time. As Gaisberg so rightly predicted, thiswould not have been possible without earliermeticulous and thorough musical preparation.Following the accepted norm of the time, the duettino inAct 1 between Ferrando and Guglielmo ‘Al fato danlegge’, and three arias in Act 2, ‘Tradito, schernito dalperfido cor’, ‘Ah, lo veggio’ (both for Ferrando) and ‘Eamore un ladroncell’ (Dorabella) were all omitted, withtwo small cuts, one being in the Finale to the opera.Fritz Busch was adamantly opposed to the use ofharpsichord in the secco recitatives and it is this morethan anything else which dates the style of performance.Although HMV had planned to publish the newrecording for Christmas 1935, it was eventuallypublished in spring the following year, just prior to theGlyndebourne season.

The critical response to the recording was positivefrom the start. “One of the most enchanting sets evermade. The cast contains no weak spots and the manyensemble movements are ideally balanced, both inperformance and recording. It is a triumph for allconcerned.” Two decades later, critics would comment:“It is the best balanced in casting of all the pre-warGlyndebourne operas, because the cast is a compactunit. Furthermore, since the opera is essentially a seriesof ensembles, this is the prime excellence of therecording”. Time and again, it is the splendid sense ofteam-work which is commented upon in this recording,captured splendidly by the excellent recorded sound.What is also remarkable is that the members of thisensemble comprised a Canadian, two Austrians, anEnglishman, a German and an Australian – veryinternational.

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)Così fan tutte

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1947-48 where his Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni wasconsidered the finest since John McCormack. He sangat Glyndebourne between 1934 and 1938, his rôles thereincluding Ferrando, Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro,and Pedrillo in Die Entführung. Nash sang with thetouring Carl Rosa company during the Second WorldWar and his final stage appearances were with the NewOpera Company in 1957-58. He was also a muchadmired oratorio singer.

Guglielmo was performed by the German baritoneWilli Domgraf-Fassbänder (1897-1978). Born inAachen he studied in Berlin and later in Milan withGiuseppe Borgatti (as had Heddle Nash). Returning tohis home city he made his début in 1922 as the Count inLe nozze di Figaro. In 1928 he became a member of theBerlin State Opera where he would remain until 1946.He also sang Papageno in Die Zauberflöte underToscanini at the 1937 Salzburg Festival. Domgraf-Fassbänder’s Glyndebourne years were 1934-35 and1937, and his rôles there included Papageno, Figaro andGuglielmo, his admirable stage presence greatlyadmired. His post-war career was spent in Hanover,Vienna, Munich and Nuremberg. After 1954 he taughtat the Nuremberg Conservatory where his pupilsincluded his daughter, the much admired BrigitteFassbaender.

As the wily, cynical schemer Don Alfonso we havethe Australian-born John Brownlee (1900-1969). Bornin Geelong, he was initially encouraged by NellieMelba while studying in Melbourne, before moving toParis to work with Dinh Gilly. Following his Parisdébut in Lakmé in 1926, Melba selected him for herCovent Garden farewell on 8th June that same yearwhen he appeared as Marcello in Acts 3 and 4 of LaBohème. His success on this occasion resulted in hiscontinuing at the house for a number of years, his rôlesthere including Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande, Scarpiain Tosca and Renato in Un ballo in maschera .Concurrently Brownlee sang at the Paris Opéra from1927 until 1936. His début at the Metropolitan Opera inNew York was in the title-rôle of Rigoletto in February1937 and it was in this house that he would remain,giving in total 348 performances of 33 rôles. HisGlyndebourne years were from 1935 until 1939, and hisrôles there included Almaviva in Figaro, the title-rôlein Don Giovanni (which he recorded) and Don Alfonso.After retiring from the stage he became Director of theManhattan School of Music in 1956, and the President adecade later. He was a fine actor and excellent linguist.

Malcolm Walker

8.110280-815

9 Recitativo: Barbara! Perchè fuggi? 1:39(Ferrando, Fiordiligi)No. 24 Aria {*Ah, lo veggio}(Ferrando)

0 Recitativo: Ei parte…senti…ah no! 2:03(Fiordiligi)

! No. 25 Rondo: Per pietà, ben mio, perdona 7:39(Fiordiligi)

@ Recitativo: Amico, Abbiamo vinto! 2:43(Ferrando, Guglielmo)

# No. 26 Aria: Donne mie, la fate a tanti 4:02(Guglielmo){*(Recitativo) In qual fiero contrasto} -No. 27 Aria Cavatina {*Tradito, schernito} -(abridged Recitativo): Bravo, questa è constanza(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo)

$ Recitativo: Ora vedo che siete 1:33{No. 28 Aria: *È amore un ladroncello} - (abridged Recitativo) - L’abito de Ferrando(Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi)

% No. 29 Duetto: Fra gli amplessi in pochi stanti -(Recitativo): Ah poveretto me 7:14(Fiordiligi, Ferrando - Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)

^ No. 30 Andante: Tutti accusan le donne - 1:36(Recitativo) Vittoria, padroncini(Don Alfonso, Ferrando - Despina, Guglielmo)

& No. 31 Finale: Fate presto, o cari amici 1:57(Despina, Chorus, Don Alfonso)

* No. 31 Finale: Benedetti i doppi coniugi 4:47(Chorus, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando,Guglielmo)

( No. 31 Finale: Miei signori, tutto è fatto 3:38(Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando,Guglielmo, Despina)

) No. 31 Finale: Sani e salvi 3:36(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi,Dorabella, Despina)

¡ No. 30 Finale: Ah, Signor, son rea di morte 6:11(Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Despina)

* Omitted from the recording

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8.110280-819

Synopsis

CD 1

Act 1

After the Overture 1 the first act opens in a coffee-house in Naples, 2 where Ferrando and Guglielmo arein dispute with Don Alfonso. Ferrando claims that hisDorabella would never be untrue, a protest in whichGuglielmo joins in defence of the honour of hisFiordiligi, while Don Alfonso maintains the contrary,which his experience of life has taught him. 3 Theynearly come to blows but Don Alfonso calms the twoyoung men, and goes on to proclaim his own view, thefidelity of women is as rare as the phoenix. Theargument continues, until Don Alfonso suggests awager to test the constancy of the two sisters. 4 In thefollowing Terzetto Ferrando promises to pay for a fineserenade, from his winnings, while Guglielmo will givea banquet.

5 The second scene is set in the garden of the twosisters, leading down with a view of the Bay of Naplesin the distance. The gir1s sing to the gentle murmur ofthe music, gazing at the miniatures they hold in theirhands. In livelier music they swear to be true, and thenseem ironically ready for some frivolity. 6 DonAlfonso comes in, apparently with bad news, that theyoung men have been called to war. 7 A quintetfollows, as Ferrando and Guglielmo come in, in evidentdespair, while the girls declare that death is preferableto parting. The young men, in a brief aside to DonAlfonso, think they are winning the bet, but he remainsconfident. The quintet ends with a declaration of thebitterness of parting, and after a brief declaration oflove, [there follows a short duet for the two lovers,claiming that love will he1p them]. A drum is heard andthe approaching march of soldiers, 8 praising the gloryof battle. A boat sai1s to the landing-stage and to thetears of the sisters, the two young men embark. 9 Write

to me every day !, sings Fiordiligi, and twice a day tome, echoes Dorabella. 0 The sisters wave goodbye andwith Don Alfonso speed them on their way in a briefensemble. Left alone, Don Alfonso can vent hiscynicism.

! The scene changes to a room in the house.Despina is preparing chocolate and complaining aboutthe drudgery of her life, lightened by an illicit sip of thedrink she is making. @ Fiordiligli and Dorabella enterin evident despair, expressed in dramatic accompaniedrecitative. Dorabella, in an aria, longs histrionically fordeath. # Despina, when the matter is explained to her,offers her own common sense answer, that there areother men, echoing Don Alfonso’s view of women. $They go out, and Don Alfonso comes in, declaring hisintention of bribing Despina to further the plot he hasdevised. Her agreement assured, he ushers in Ferrandoand Guglielmo, disguised as Albanians. Despina doesnot recognise them but finds their foreign appearancegrotesque, as Don Alfonso presents them, to the fairlittle Despina. He stands aside, as Fiordiligi andDorabella enter and tell Despina to dismiss theunwanted visitors, who now protest their love. DonAlfonso and Despina are sure that the girls will give in,while the young men are equally certain of theirconstancy, and now Don Alfonso comes forward, as ifnewly arrived, and greets the two disguised lovers asold friends. % As they urge their love, Fiordiligidramatically proclaims her steadfastness, as firm as arock in her loyalty. The girls try to leave but the lovers,supported by Don Alfonso, beg them to stay, ^ andGuglielmo, whose attentions are directed to Dorabella,protests his love in an aria, going on to advertise hisown good points. & The girls withdraw and DonAlfonso asks the young men what they are laughing at,as the comedy is not yet over. * Ferrando, nowconfident, sings of his love for Dorabella. [NowDespina takes a hand in the plot, and assures DonAlfonso that she can bring about the desired result].

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^ No. 15 Aria: Non siate ritrosi 1:27(Guglielmo)

& No. 16 Terzetto: E voi ridete? - 1:47(Recitativo) Si può sapere un poco(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo)

* No. 17 Aria: Un’aura amorosa 4:18(Ferrando){*(Recitativo) Oh, la faria da ridere!}

( No. 18 Finale: Ah, che tutta in un momento 3:25(Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

) No. 18 Finale: Si mora, sì, si mora 5:37(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi,Dorabella, Despina)

¡ No. 18 Finale: Eccovi il medico 3:22(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella

CD 2 77:23

Act One (conclusion) 6:08

1 No. 18 Finale: Dove son? 2:56(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Don Alfonso,Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

2 No. 18 Finale: Dammi un bacio 3:13(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Fiordiligi, Dorabella,Despina, Don Alfonso)

Act Two 71:15

3 (Abridged Recitativo): Andate là 1:04(Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

4 No. 19 Aria: Una donna a quindici anni - 4:26(Recitativo) Sorella, cosa dici?(Despina - Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

5 No. 20 Duetto: Prenderò quell brunettino - 3:12(Recitativo) Ah, correte al giardino(Dorabella, Fiordiligi - Don Alfonso)

6 No. 21 Duetto con coro: 4:11Secondate aurette amiche -(abridged Recitativo) Cos’è tal mascherata?(Ferrando, Guglielmo, Chorus - Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Despina, Don Alfonso)

7 No. 22 Quartetto: La mano a me date - 5:07(Recitativo) Oh che bella giornata!(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina -Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

8 No. 23 Duetto: Il core vi dono 4:36(Guglielmo, Dorabella)

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( The scene changes to the garden, whereFiordiligi and Dorabella still lament the departure oftheir lovers. ) Ferrando and Guglielmo come in,apparently resolved to poison themselves for love; theydrink and fall down prostrate on the grass. Despina issummoned to he1p, recommends a doctor, ¡ and re-appears shortly afterwards so disguised, offering thelatest remedy with a large magnet to draw out thepoison, a reference to the Mozarts’ friend AntonMesmer and his theories of animal magnetism.

CD 2

1 The two men are revived 2 and beg a kiss, but areagain rejected. Nevertheless the plotters see success insight.

Act II

3 The second act opens in a room in the house,where Despina reasons with her two mistresses 4 andexpresses her philosophy, explaining that any girl offifteen ought to know how to handle men. Little by littlethe two girls decide that there is no harm in an innocentflirtation 5 and in a duet declare their preference,Dorabella claiming the dark one and Fiordiligi the fair-haired one. Don Alfonso calls them into the garden. 6By the landing-stage there is a boat decked with flowersand the two lovers have arranged a serenade, played bya wind band, while Ferrando and Guglielmo ask thefriendly breezes to convey their message of love. 7

Don Alfonso urges the reluctant young men on, takingDorabella’s hand as Despina takes Fiordiligi’s, leadingthem forward. The lovers are now left alone. 8

Fiordiligi and Ferrando walk off together, andGuglielmo protests further his love for Dorabella. Hereplaces Ferrando’s miniature that she wears with alocket of his own.

9 As Guglielmo and Dorabella walk away, arm inarm, the other couple returns, Ferrando still pleadingwith Fiordiligi, and threatening suicide. 0 As he leaves,

she expresses her changing feelings, ! begging pardonof the absent Guglielmo. @ She walks away, andFerrando and Guglielmo re-appear. The former delightsGuglielmo with news of Fiordiligi’s apparentconstancy, but is dismayed at what he learns of hisDorabella, who has evidently given away his portrait,which Guglielmo now shows him. # Guglielmo nowexpresses his doubts, [while Ferrando, returning, singsof his disillusionment, betrayed, scorned]. Don Alfonsoapplauds his misery and tells the relatively complacentGuglielmo to wait a little longer.

$ The next scene is set in a room with a number ofdoors, a looking-glass and a little table. Despina tellsDorabella that she has acted sensibly, when Fiordiligibursts in and announces that she loves her new wooer,but will still resist the temptation. [Dorabella tells of thepower of love], but Fiordiligi still will not give way, andtells Despina to bring down the young men’s uniformsand swords from upstairs, where they are stored, and toorder horses so that she and her sister may join their oldlovers at war. Guglielmo, overhearing all this, is full ofadmiration. % She tells of her hope to join Guglielmo,but is interrupted by Ferrando, who threatens to die oflove, if she deserts him. She gives in, and the two go outtogether, while Don Alfonso restrains Guglielmo withdifficulty. ^ When Ferrando retums, Don Alfonsosuggests that the best thing to do is to marry the girlsthat very evening. Women are fickle but they cannothe1p it; in fact Così fan tutte, they are all alike, a verdictheartily endorsed by the two young heroes. Despina re-appears to say that the girls have agreed to the marriage.

& The scene is now a richly decorated room. Thereis an orchestra in attendance. There is a table set forfour, with silver candlesticks, and four servants, richlydressed. Despina is giving orders for the candies to belit, while Don Alfonso expresses his delight. * Thechorus welcomes the couples, accompanied by theorchestra, as they come in and take their places at thetable and start to eat. ( Don Alfonso ushers in the

8.110280-813

CD 1 76:58

1 Overture 4:11Orchestra

Act One 72:47

2 No. 1 Terzetto: La mia Dorabella - 3:06(Recitativo) Fuor la spada(Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Guglielmo)

3 No. 2 Terzetto: È la fede delle femmine - 2:34(Recitativo) Scioccherie di poeti!(Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Guglielmo)

4 No. 3 Terzetto: Una bella serenata 2:14(Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Guglielmo)

5 No. 4 Duetto: Ah, guarda, sorella - 5:57(Recitativo) Mi par che stamattina(Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

6 No. 5 Aria: Vorrei dir, e cor non ho - 1:53(Recitativo) Stelle! Per carità, signor Alfonso(Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

7 No. 6 Quintetto: Sento, o dio, che questo piede - *{(Recitativo) Non piangere, idol mio} - 5:05(Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Don Alfonso,Guglielmo)

*{No. 7 Duettino: Al fato dan legge} (Ferrando, Guglielmo)

(Abridged Recitativo) Oh ciel! quest’è il tamburo funesto(Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

8 No. 8 Coro: Bella vita militar! - 2:10(Recitativo) Non v’è più tempo(Chorus - Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo)

9 No. 9 Quintetto: Di scrivermi ogni giorno - 3:41(Coro) Bella vita militar! -(Recitativo) Dove son?(Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Chorus)

0 No. 10 Terzettino: Soave sia il vento - 4:05(Recitativo) Non son cattivo comico!(Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Don Alfonso)

! Recitativo: Che vita maldetta… 0:47Madame, ecco la vostra collazione(Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi)

@ Recitativo: Ah! scostati, paventa il tristo effetto -No. 11 Aria: Smanie implacabili, che m’agitate -Recitativo: Signora Dorabella 3:57(Dorabella - Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi)

# No. 12 Aria: In uomini, in soldati - 3:50(abridged Recitativo) Despinetta! Chi batte? Oh!(Despina - Don Alfonso)

$ No. 13 Sestetto: Alla bella Despinetta - 6:41(Recitativo) Che sussurro! Che strepito!(Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina,Fiordiligi, Dorabella)

% Recitativo: Stelle! Che ardir! - 6:51(Dorabella, Fiordiligi)No. 14 Aria: Come scoglio - Recitativo: Ah, non partite!(Fiordiligi - Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso,Dorabella, Fiordiligi)

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8.110280-8111

lawyer, Despina in disguise, with the marriage contractswhich she intones through her nose. At this moment thesoldiers’ chorus of the first act is heard off-stage andDon Alfonso announces the imminent return of thelovers from the war. The “Albanians” are hustled out,with Despina, ) and the two men quickly return asthemselves, while Despina comes in again, without herlawyer’s hat, explaining that her costume was intendedfor a masked ball. Don Alfonso allows the marriagecontracts that the girls, but not the men, had signed, to

fall to the floor. Ferrando and Guglielmo pretend to findthe papers and reproach their faithless partners. DonAlfonso then reveals the plot, as Ferrando andGuglielmo retire for a moment and return wearingsomething of their old disguise. ¡ The girls realise atlast what has happened and seek forgiveness, which isreadily granted, and all ends happily.

Keith Anderson

Producer’s Note

This first recording of Mozart’s Così fan tutte was originally released by HMV on English pressings which werewidely distributed during the late 1930s. These pressings usually contain a high crackle content making themunsuitable for remastering purposes. Occasionally, however, one can locate HMV pressings that yield quieter thanaverage surfaces with almost no crackle. The present transfer was made from two sets of such pressings. Twoperfect condition sets of RCA Victor pressings were auditioned but were not used since they proved to be inferiorin all respects.

8.110280-81 2

Great Opera Recordings

Wolfgang Amadeus

MOZART(1756-1791)

Così fan tutteOpera in 2 Acts

Fiordiligi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ina SouezDorabella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luise HelletsgruberFerrando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heddle NashGuglielmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willi Domgraf-FassbänderDon Alfonso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John BrownleeDespina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Irene Eisinger

Chorus and Orchestra of the Glyndebourne FestivalConducted by Fritz Busch

Recorded by HMV on 40 sides at The Glyndebourne Theatre, Sussex

on 6th June 1934 and 25th-28th June 1935

Matrices: 2BR 318/330 (6th June 1934), 2ER 40/47 (25th June 1935), 2ER 86, 89/99 (28th June 1935)

Issued as Mozart Opera Society, vols. 1-3: DB 2474/9, DB 2583/93S

110280-81 bk Cosi US 11/12/2003 13:56 pm Page 2

8.110280-81 12

Ward Marston

In 1997 Ward Marston was nominated for the Best Historical Album Grammy Award for his production work onBMG’s Fritz Kreisler collection. According to the Chicago Tribune, Marston’s name is ‘synonymous with tenderloving care to collectors of historical CDs’. Opera News calls his work ‘revelatory’, and Fanfare deems him‘miraculous’. In 1996 Ward Marston received the Gramophone award for Historical Vocal Recording of the Year,honouring his production and engineering work on Romophone’s complete recordings of Lucrezia Bori. He alsoserved as re-recording engineer for the Franklin Mint’s Arturo Toscanini issue and BMG’s Sergey Rachmaninovrecordings, both winners of the Best Historical Album Grammy.

Born blind in 1952, Ward Marston has amassed tens of thousands of opera classical records over the past fourdecades. Following a stint in radio while a student at Williams College, he became well-known as a reissue producerin 1979, when he restored the earliest known stereo recording made by the Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1932.

In the past, Ward Marston has produced records for a number of major and specialist record companies. Now heis bringing his distinctive sonic vision to bear on works released on the Naxos Historical label. Ultimately his goal isto make the music he remasters sound as natural as possible and true to life by ‘lifting the voices’ off his old 78 rpmrecordings. His aim is to promote the importance of preserving old recordings and make available the works of greatmusicians who need to be heard.

The Naxos historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the bestand truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number ofrespected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standardsin the field of historical recordings.

Great Opera Recordings ADD

8.110280-81

MOZARTCosì fan tutte

Souez • Helletsgruber • Nash • Domgraf-FassbänderChorus and Orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival

Fritz Busch(Recorded 1934-35)

2 CDs

110280-81 bk Cosi US 11/12/2003 13:56 pm Page 12

CD 1 76:58

1 Overture 4:112-¡ Act I 72:47

CD 2 77:23

1-2 Act I (continued) 6:083-¡ Act II 71:15

Wolfgang Amadeus

MOZART(1756-1791)

Così fan tutte

Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Ward Marston

A complete track list can be found in the bookletCover Image: Stage design for Così fan tutte by A. Brioschi(Art Archive / Mozarteum, Salzburg / Dagli Orti (A))

ADDPlaying

Time2:34:21

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2 CDs

Fiordiligi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ina Souez Dorabella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luise HelletsgruberFerrando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heddle Nash Guglielmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willi Domgraf-FassbänderDon Alfonso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Brownlee Despina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Irene Eisinger

Chorus and Orchestra of the Glyndebourne FestivalConducted by Fritz Busch

Recorded by HMV on 40 sides at The Glyndebourne Theatre, Sussex

on 6th June 1934 and from 25th-28th June 1935

Matrices: 2BR 318/330 (6th June 1934), 2ER 40/47 (25th June 1935), 2ER 86, 89/99 (28th June 1935)

Issued as Mozart Opera Society, vols. 1-3: DB 2474/9, DB 2583/93S

“One of the most enchanting sets evermade. The cast contains no weakspots... It is a triumph for allconcerned.” (Gramophone). This firstever recording of Così fan tutte, albeitslightly abridged according to theaccepted norm of the time, was begunjust one month after theGlyndebourne Festival Opera Househad opened its doors to the public inMay 1934. Conducted by thelegendary Mozartian, Fritz Busch, itwas released in the Spring of 1936 towide acclaim and is now considered tobe the finest of the Glyndebourneoperas recorded pre-war, not least forthe ideal balance of the manyensemble movements both inperformance and in recording.

All rights in this sound recording, artw

ork, texts and translations reserved. U

nauthorised public performance,

broadcasting and copying of this compact disc prohibited.

h2004 &

g2004 N

axos Rights International Ltd.

Distributed by: N

axos of Am

erica Inc., 416 Mary Lindsay P

olk Drive,

(Suite 509) F

ranklin, Tennessee, 37067, US

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