Editorial Reviews

While there is much for fans of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to admire in this set of both the operas of Alban Berg, it is impossible to recommend these recordings. Fischer-Dieskau is a commanding presence in "Wozzeck": powerfully sung and deeply affecting, his portrayal of the doomed everyman still stands with the best ever recorded. And Fischer-Dieskau is equally affecting in the smaller role of Dr. Schon in "Lulu," a subtly nuanced performance of a man doomed by his own overpowering passions. If the rest of the performances were up to Fischer-Dieskau's level, these would be among the very best recordings of the operas ever made. But for all that he was a superb technician and a wonderful conductor of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss, Karl Böhm was too lucid for Berg's volcanic scores and while one can hear everything in the scores, one is rarely overwhelmed. And for all that she was a hot soprano in the '60s with a sensual and passionate voice, Evelyn Lear was not all that accurate and her performances of Maria in "Wozzeck" and as the title character in "Lulu" are more heat than light. The remainder of the casts range from the wonderful Fritz Wunderlich as Anders in "Wozzeck" to the wobbly Patricia Johnson as the Countess Geschwitz in "Lulu." The Orchestra of the German Opera of Berlin plays precisely and powerfully, but with no more than the required dedication. Deutsche Grammophon's stereo sound is as clean and clear as the latest digital sound. James Leonard, All Music Guide

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