Das Land des Lächelns

"No singer today can shift from playing Lohengrin to Prince Sou-Chong so outstandingly and seamlessly as Piotr Beczała ... Clearly relishing the leading role of Sou-Chong which could have been written especially for him, the handsome Polish tenor, such a splendid actor, does suave and romantic so convincingly. Beczała's voice is in outstanding condition ... Making a significant impression assured maestro Fabio Luisi draws warm and compelling playing from the impressive Philharmonia Zürich ... Entertaining from start to finish, Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns (The Land of Smiles) in Andreas Homoki's colourful staging is imbued with dream-like escapism with Piotr Beczała in magnificent form".

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"Editor's choice: This is a magnificent achievement: a staging that lets the piece speak eloquently for itself, performed with a sense of style that's faithful without being patronising ... Kleiter's singing has a really glamorous gleam throughout; together with Beczała the pair articulate their emotional conflict as painfully and as persuasively as if they're singing Puccini ... Of course, much credit has to go to Fabio Luisi, who brings out textures ranging from Straussian lushness to Ravel-like chinoiserie".

"So geht in Wolfgang Gussmanns nüchtern-leerem Art-deco-Raum alles steif und schnell über die ein Revuetheater darstellende Bühne ... Musikalisch freilich wird das zur Gala-Operette vom metiersicheren Fabio Luisi am Pult des Philharmonia Zürich".