Credits:

Einem (1918-1996)

Description:

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Einem's birth. The world premiere live performance of "The Visit of the Old Lady" is now available! The story begins when Claire, the widow of a billionaire, suddenly returns to her hometown of Gülen, a city on the verge of financial ruin. Gülen is a town on the verge of bankruptcy with no industry. The people of Gülen approach her former lover, Alfredo Il, to ask for financial assistance. Claire promises to donate a large sum of money "on condition" that Gottfried von Einem's opera "The Visit of the Old Lady" (stage director: Otto Schenck), which had its world premiere at the Vienna State Opera on May 23, 1971, will be performed at the Vienna Opera House. Based on a tragedy by the Swiss mystery writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt, who was also von Einem, the opera received great critical acclaim when it premiered, and the following October it was given its American premiere by the San Francisco Opera (English libretto by Norman Tucker) under the stage direction of Francis Ford Coppola. The world premiere recording of the opera was made by the San Francisco Opera in 1976. In this recording of the world premiere, the excellent singers Ludwig, Wechter, and Zednik, along with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra conducted by Stein, clearly convey the tense progress of the story. Naxos Japan