Die Alte Jungfer und Der Dieb and Das Medium

Although Gian Carlo Menotti (1911–2007) was one of the most prolific operatic composers of the last century, his accessible works are often dismissed as old-fashioned because he courted the wider public, not only with his musical style but also through the media for which he wrote (radio and television, as well as the stage). But Menotti's melodious, traditionalist pieces—the best known being Amahl and the Night Visitors—continue to be enjoyed by many, and this disc compiles two pieces nicely staged by Otto Schenk and filmed for TV during the early ‘60s. The 1964-mounted Die Alte Jungfer und Der Dieb (1939) tells the comic story of a haughty spinster who hides a handsome drifter in her house, even though she believes he's an escaped murderer. It turns out the man is just a beggar, with whom her maidservant runs off—taking much of the woman's riches with her. The 1961-aired Das Medium (1946) focuses on a charlatan spiritualist who suffers a breakdown when she thinks she feels a ghostly presence during a séance. Mezzo Elisabeth Höngen is superb—both vocally and dramatically—first as the old maid and then as the medium, while the remaining singers are excellent as well. But these are vintage programs, with murky black-and-white visuals and thin mono sound (the voices come through clearly but the Viennese orchestra is tinny). Nevertheless, this has value both as a historical document of early televised opera and as solid performances of two artful scores. DVD extras include an interview with Schenk. Recommended. (F. Swietek)