Lied von der Erde 1972Edinburgh International Festival
Read more about the opera Song of the Earth
Karajan had not brought his orchestra to Edinburgh for some time - perhaps this honour was to celebrate Britain's entry to the European Economic Community. Perhaps not. A blue spotlight tracked him from his entrance as he marched to the podium - his hair was startlingly bright as a result.
The first concert, the previous evening, had concentrated on Beethoven, but Song of the Earth had just been recorded with the same singers. With Kollo, in particular, in superb form for his British debut, it made a fitting second programme.
At least by playing the work on its own there was no argument about what to partner it with.
Opera at the Edinburgh Festival - 1972
The Festival 's opening week contained Scottish Opera's 1969 staging of The Trojans, revived with Janet Baker as Dido and Helga Dernesch as Cassandra.
There was a guest company - an unfamiliar German team, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein from Düsseldorf and Duisberg. They brought two highly contrasted pieces. Die Soldaten, by the late Bernd Alois Zimmermann, was a large-scale modern piece of music theatre. Their other work was a complete contrast - a very early example of opera, or perhaps staged oratorio, Emilio de' Cavalieri's Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo.
The second team of visitors was the Teatro Massimo from Palermo. Three rarities from the Italian ottocento repertoire were presented. The Rossini was the recently-revived first of his important Naples commissions, Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra. The Verdi was the early Attila. It was also essential that this company should feature a work by a Sicilian composer. The obvious candidate, Bellini, was represented by an unknown early work, La straniera.
In sum, the operas were by Cavalieri (Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo); Rossini (Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra); Bellini (La straniera); Berlioz (The Trojans); Verdi (Attila); Zimmermann (Die Soldaten).
Among the concerts at the Usher Hall, Daniel Barenboim conducted the London Philharmonic in two performances of the Brahms German Requiem. Mahler's vocal symphony Das Lied von der Erde was presented by the Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan.
The opera schedule was as follows:
Week commencing 21 August: Mon 21 Die Soldaten; Tue 22 Die Soldaten; Wed 23 np; Thu 24 Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo & The Trojans; 25 Rappresentatione; 26 The Trojans.
Week commencing 28 August: Mon 28 Attila; Tue 29 np; Wed 30 Attila; Thu 31 La straniera; Fri 1 Sep Attila; Sat 2 La straniera.
Week commencing 4 September: Mon 4 Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra; Tue 5 La straniera; Wed 6 The Trojans; Thus 7 Elisabetta; Fri 8 La straniera; Sat 9 Elisabetta.
