19. The “Russian Hour” Opera Studio

[Detailed catalog text in german]

After the Second World War, four opera studios were founded in Vienna between 1946 and 1950 to support young singers and musicians: one by the State Opera in 1947, another by the Verband der geistig Schaffenden in Österreich - the Association of Intellectual Creators in Austria - in 1950, and two by Österreichische Radio-Verkehrs AG - The Austrian Radio Communication Company, Austria’s first public broadcaster - in 1946 and 1950. The fourth opera studio was initiated by the Soviet occupying forces and was known as the “Russian Hour.”

All existing recordings from the “Russian Hour” Opera Studio are housed in the archives of the Institute for Musicology and Interpretation Research at mdw. These sources offer insights into post-war cultural policies influenced by the Soviets and Austrian Communists. The studio was initiated and led by Anneliese Fritz Eulau (1918–1981), who had studied at mdw* in the 1930s. However, because of her Jewish origins, she was forced to discontinue her studies in 1938 and emigrate to Switzerland. She was not to return until 1946. The musical direction was taken over by the conductor and instructor of the master conductor class at the mdw*, Gottfried Kassowitz (1897–1969).

Example 1

The “Russian Hour” radio series aimed to present a positive image of the Soviet Union to the Austrian populace, primarily by showcasing superior Soviet/Russian musical culture. In the realm of opera, the works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and especially Modest Mussorgsky prevailed. An entire programme was dedicated to Mussorgsky’s musical folk drama “Khovanshchina.” From its third act, we hear the aria of the Boyar Shaklovity, sung by mdw* student Franz Xaver Zach.

Example 2

Young singers were also given the opportunity to present music from composers considered canonical at the time. Among the recordings are arias from Italian composers like Puccini and Donizetti, as well, of course, as those from Austria. However, Gottfried Kassowitz had a preference for lesser-known works, such as “Mozart’s early operas and Schubert’s dramatic experiments”. This is evident in the recording of the aria of Timon (Gomatz) from the singspiel fragment “Zaide” by Mozart, adapted by Robert Hirschfeld. The singer is mdw* student Waldemar Kmentt, who, in 1951 – the year of this recording – became a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble.

Example 3

The leadership of the opera studio placed value not only on broadcasting contributions from the opera repertoire but on covering a broad musical spectrum – from opera and operetta to folk songs. Even among the songs labelled as “folk songs,” those from the Soviet Union or ‘friendly’ countries tended to dominate. This is evident in the “Cossack Lullaby,” sung in 1951 by Tamara Drechsler-Dragan, who enrolled at mdw* in 1949, with piano accompaniment by the studio’s head, Anneliese Fritz Eulau.