Marlene Gassner

Rebecca Nelsen, Marlene Gassner, Matthias Stier, Markus Eiche, Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, Paul Mann – Flury: Der schlimm-heilige Vitalis (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 02:00:38 minutes | 1,92 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Toccata Classics

The bad-saintly Vitalis is the last of the four operas by Swiss composer Richard Flury (1896-1967). It was premiered in 1963, a year after its completion, and then went unheard until this recording. The plot, based on a novella by Flury’s Swiss compatriot Gottfried Keller, pits cheerful village life against religious intolerance and sexual politics in a disturbing blend of sentimentality and cynicism – though, of course, love triumphs in the end. Flury’s late-Romantic music makes up for the libretto with a steady flow of memorable melodies, engaging solo and choral numbers, and colorful orchestration – and a sense of fun that is never far from the surface.
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