Germania

Written by Alberto Franchetti—an Italian Jew who was both a Germanophile and Wagnerite (and is now most remembered as having turned down the libretto for Tosca)—Germania is a “lyrical drama” in two acts (with a prologue, intermezzo, and epilogue) that tells the story of student resistance to Napoleonic rule in 19th-century Germany. Toscanini conducted and Enrique Caruso sang at the La Scala premiere in 1902, after which Germania was also performed at the Metropolitan Opera in 1910, before disappearing from the repertory—the theme of German nationalism and references to the glory of the fatherland rendering it unacceptable to most audiences. Germania is an example of the Italian verismo opera, with a melodious score featuring folk tunes and student songs, rendered beautifully here by the orchestra of the Deutschen Oper Berlin under the baton of Renato Palumbo. The plot features a love triangle involving two leaders of the resistance who vie for the affections of the same woman. Both die in battle, leaving her alone, but Germany (Gemania! Germania!) free. Filmed live at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 2006, this attractively mounted production features a solid cast, including Carlo Ventre in the tenor role of Federico Loewe and Bruno Caproni as his rival Worms, with American newcomer Lisa Lindstrom shining as Ricke. While the performance itself is fine, the DVD extras here disappoint: an unbilled German-language special lacks subtitles, and the absence of a synopsis and cast gallery are a real deficit, given the obscurity of the work. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, this is still definitely recommended for larger music collections. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)