Joseph Beer was the operetta’s rising star during the early 1930s, and his Polish Wedding promised to bring him a major breakthrough. However, Nazi rule abruptly and tragically ended his career. All the characteristics of the operetta genre are united in concentrated form in Beer’s music: buffo duets of folk character in the manner of Kálmán, operatic finales à la Lehár, and »Abrahamic« dance hits with rhythmic pep. An Austrian magazine wrote in 1934, »Surprises in the field of the operetta have become rare. The successes of recent years have been associated with a few names that one can count on the fingers of one hand. And now a young man of twenty-four by the name of Joseph Beer suddenly comes along and presents a work with an extraordinary musical appeal, sumptuous and personal invention, firm execution, and an instrumentation that is a delight to hear.

Artists

Nikolai Schukoff (tenor), Alexander Kiechle (bass), Martina Rüping (soprano), Mathias Hausmann (baritone), Susanne Bernhard (soprano), Michael Kupfer-Radecky (baritone), Florence Losseau (mezzo-soprano), Friedemann Röhlig (bass), Bernhard Spingler (baritone)

Chor des Staatstheaters am Gärtnerplatz, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Ulf Schirmer