Lucia Popp; Reiner Goldberg; Peter Schreier; Kurt Moll; Ortrun Wenkel; "DAPHNE"; Richard Strauss

Описание: Lucia Popp---Daphne
Reiner Goldberg---Apollo
Ortrun Wenkel---Gaea
Kurt Moll---Peneios
Peter Schreier---Leukippos
Sinfonieorchester und Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks,
Bernard Haitink---conductor
1982
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Presto MusicApril 2014
Not one of Strauss's best-known operas, but I wanted to include this for the ravishing singing of Lucia Popp in the title role. The final scene, as Daphne is transformed into a tree, includes some of Strauss's most beautiful music, and the strings of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Bernard Haitink excel themselves.
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The setting in legendary classical Greece. On Mount Olympus the community is preparing for the feast of Dionysus, for which the shepherds and herders are summoned by Peneios. Daphne thinks only of her love of nature, though her mother thinks she needs to grow up and prepare for the feast. One of the shepherds, her childhood friend Leukippos, is rejected by her and her maids suggest that he disguise himself as a girl to try again.

Amid thunder and lightning, a cowherd arrives and pays court to Daphne. He kisses her passionately and she is horrified. The disguised Leukippos recognises that something is also amiss with the visitor. He is in fact Apollo in disguise, and infuriated at being challenged, he kills Leukippos.

Daphne now realises her error in rejecting Leukippos. Apollo admits he has been in the wrong in killing a mortal, and giving an apology to Dionysus he begs Zeus to grant Daphne's desire to be at one with nature. Her wish is rewarded, and she is gradually converted into a laurel tree.