Fierrabras

Although Franz Schubert's lieder are regarded as the pinnacle of romantic song, his stage works have long been dismissed as fatally lacking in drama, resulting in few performances. But his final full opera—completed in 1823 but not staged before the composer's death in 1828—is here given an elaborate mounting at the 2014 Salzburg Festival. A monumental piece set during Charlemagne's campaigns against the Moors in Iberia, Fierrabras admittedly has a rather silly plot involving two couples that cross religious lines, with multiple captures and escapes of knights on both sides of the war, and an ending featuring weddings and Christian conversion. But the music's lyricism proves enticing, especially when performed so well. The strong cast is headed by tenor Michael Schade as Fierrabras—son of the Moorish prince and a prisoner of the Franks—who pines for Charlemagne's daughter, Emma (Julia Kleiter), while Frankish knight Roland (Markus Werba) falls for Fierrabras' sister, Florinda (Dorothea Röschmann). Conductor Ingo Metzmacher and the Vienna Philharmonic play the score with great warmth, and Peter Stein's staging is true to the spirit of the piece, with sets and costumes bleached of color so that the tableaux mimic the look of early-19th-century engravings. Although unlikely to enter the standard repertory, Fierrabras is well worth investigating. Presented in DTS 5.0 (DTS-HD 5.0 on the Blu-ray release) and PCM stereo, extras include a behind-the scenes featurette. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)