Opera Intermezzi: Karajan / Berlin Philharmoniker

Karajan Master Recodings
Opera Intermezzi

Universally acknowledged as one of the greatest conductors of both Italian opera and orchestral showpieces, Herbert von Karajan was uniquely qualified to undertake this varied and entertaining programme of interludes and other orchestral music from operas.

“The conductor shows his mastery of phrase and idiom immediately in the opening La Traviata Prelude which is beautifully done, and the same poise gives distinction to the famous Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo and indeed the Puccini items. Where high drama is called for, as in the music of the verismo school, Karajan rises to the occasion and one can hear the resin sizzle as those Berlin string bows bite”: Stereo Record Guide

Verdi: La Traviata - Prelude to Act III
Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana - Intermezzo sinfonico
Puccini: Suor Angelica - Intermezzo
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci - Intermzzo
Mussorgsky arr. Rimsky Korsakov: Khowantschina - Intermezzo, Act IV
Puccini - Manon Lescaut - Intermezzo, Act III
Franz Schimdt: Notre Dame - Intermezo
Massenet: Thais - Meditation (Intermezzo, Act II)
Giordano: Fedora - Intermezzo, Act II
Francesco Cilea: Adriana Lecuouvreur - Intermezzo, Act II
Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari - I Gioielli della Madonna - Intermezzo, Act III
Mascagni: L'amico Fritz - Intermezzo

Wolfgang Mexer, organ (Cavalleria)
Michel Schwalbe, violin (Thais)

Berlin Philharmoniker
Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Stereo Recording: Berlin, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, 1967
New Remastering (OIBP)