Barbara Bonney "Im Chambre Separee: the Operetta album".(Sound Recording Review)

Arias by Benatzky, Dostal, Heuberger, Kunneke, Lehar, Millocker, Sieczynski, Stolz, Johann Strauss, Zeller. Schneider, piano. Texts and translations. London/Decca B0000474

Think of it as Kaffee with low-cal Schlag. In this collection of Viennese operetta highlights, Barbara Bonney scuttles the original, cholesterol-laden orchestral arrangements in favor of Ronald Schneider's piano accompaniment. The results are by no means unpleasing: what the recital loses in schmaltz it gains in intimacy. The tactic accentuates the Schubertian simplicity of Carl Zeller's "Als gebluht der Kirschenbaum" (Der Vogelhandler). The recitative-like introduction to Lehar's "Sah ein Knab' ein Roslein stehn" (Friederike) displays the rhythmic and harmonic freedom of a Wolf song. Throughout, Schneider proves himself a master of schwung--the rhythmic suppleness this repertory demands.

The surroundings may be stripped-down, but there's nothing austere about Bonney's voice. This is one of the world's great lyric instruments, especially in its delectably fresh top. The lower notes don't ring out with the same brilliance, but she compensates with an accomplished lieder-singer's gift for binding the musical line. The one problem area is the passaggio to the head voice, which tends to sound ...