Mayr: Fedra / Schaller

Fedra was Mayr's penultimate opera. It is a fascinating work, marked by a wide assortment of differently paced pieces, from the majestic to (almost) patter pieces. There is a lot of imagination and innovation his writing. Though he has come a long way from his classical roots and now is clearly part of early romantic music, Mayr remains remarkable for the comparatively rich orchestration and pronounced use of the orchestra, especially the wood winds, as part of the drama rather than just accompaniment. Mayr clearly continued to learn from his contemporaries and incorporates some of their best tricks in his music, but he also seems to have been a solid influence on many of his contemporaries, so that a passage you might suppose is derived from another composer suggests on comparing dates that Mayr is the influence rather than the influenced. It seems to me indicative that the score of this opera was found in Verdi's estate. Overall, this is exciting, fascinating music that repays repeated listening richly; it is not just of academic interest. It is full of tunes and motifs that run through one's head long after the end of the last disc. This is first-class music and deserves to be much better known. ~ John Cragg