Everyone has heard the story of the Trapp Family, as dramatized in the beloved musical, "The Sound of Music." After their discovery by German opera singer Lotte Lehmann in 1936, they became a sensation in their native Austria. Hitler's invasion in 1938 caused them to accept the offer of an American tour, and they became exiles from their native land. The recordings preserved on this CD were made upon their arrival in New York, continuing into 1941. The Trapp family repetoire consisted of folk songs, madrigals, motets and classical chorales. Later, they began a tradition of annual Christmas concerts, and several of those carols are included in this collection. The recorder is a featured instrument on "Intrade, Sarabande and Gigue," a series of lively dances from the baroque era, and "Two Old Netherland Dances." The remaining twenty selections are a cappella and show that the Trapp Family was no novelty act. With the aid of their conductor and arranger Dr. Franz Wasner, their technique became consummately professional, their intonation and blend first-rate, and their performances confident and assured. Incomparable. |
