Simon Keenlyside and Angelika Kirchschlager sings operetta

Angelika Kirchschlager and Simon Keenlyside: Dein is mein ganzes herz. Alfred Eschwé conducts the Austrian Tonkünstler Orchestra. Further information here.

This is simply a wonderful disc of operetta highlights, including a couple of rarities, from Austrian mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager and British barytone Simon Keenlyside. A programme, with which they have toured several European cities, including London this fall.

There are more opinions on how this music should be interpreted than there are tracks on this disc, and in brief, what these two do simply works. Angelika Kirchschlager adapts excellently to the operetta quasi-sprech-gesang style with straigth-forward, and most importantly, unsentimental delivery. Which also applies to Simon Keenlyside, whose rather dry, firm barytone seems very well suited to this repertoire. Vividly accompanied by Alfred Eschwé and the Austrian Tonkünstler Orchestra.

Clearly recommended.

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

5