Credits:

Gerd Schaller

Description:

A World-First Recording! Merlin by Goldmark, a Popular Composer of Fin-de-Sicle Vienna!Karl Goldmark (18301915) was a composer born in Keszthely (now in Hungary) who was active in Vienna. His opera *The Queen of Sheba*, which premiered at the Vienna Court Opera in 1875, was a huge success, and he enjoyed great fame during his lifetime; however, he was subsequently forgotten, and today only his Symphony No. 1, A Country Wedding, and Violin Concerto No. 1 are relatively well known. Merlin is an opera that premiered in Vienna in 1886. The premiere, featuring a star-studded cast of singers from the Court Opera at the time, was a resounding success; the opera was so popular that it was performed not only at major opera houses across Europe but also overseas in New York. The story is based on the legend of King Arthur, and Merlin refers to the wizard Merlin. Kntzli, who sings the title role, is a me