The complete recordings of the globally celebrated tenor Karel Burian in the year marking the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Three decades since the release of the boxset of the complete Emmy Destinn recordings, Supraphon is now presenting a similarly precious landmark, made up of three hours featuring Karel Burian (1870-1924), a celebrated Czech tenor, a Metropolitan Opera star, who also dazzled audiences in London, Paris, Zurich, Munich, Bayreuth, Dresden, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and elsewhere.
His champions included Gustav Mahler and Arturo Toscanini, who invited him to perform in their MET productions. When asked why he did not appear in German operas, Enrico Caruso answered: "I can sing something, whereas Burian can sing everything." Burian was feted as an exemplary interpreter of Wagner roles (Tristan, Parsifal, Siegfried, Stolzing), yet he also performed to great acclaim in Italian, French and Russian operas. He portrayed Smetana's Jeník and Dalibor in Czech and German alike.
As an artist, Karel Burian enjoyed global renown, as a person, he lived a turbulent life, plagued by ill-fated love and spite. Seventy-two Burian gramophone recordings of arias and songs dating from between 1906 and 1913 have survived. The present set has been compiled thanks to the generous support provided by institutions and private collectors from all over the world, who lent Supraphon the original shellac records. For the very first time, the listener has the unique opportunity to savour all the recordings made at the beginning of the gramophone era by one of the greatest opera singers of his time. © Supraphon