The Dutchman Arnold van Mill (1921–1996) never enjoyed the international fame of his German contemporary Gottlob Frick or the younger Martti Talvela and Nicolai Ghiaurov. Yet at the height of his formidable powers in the 1950s and 60s, he had few rivals for rotund depth and sonority of tone (with what Hope-Wallace called ‘double bass tug’) and versatility in a repertoire that stretched from Mozart’s surly Harem overseer Osmin, via Verdi to Wagner.

In this, one of his all-too-rare recital discs, he displays that typical amplitude and generosity of voice, and shows how seamlessly he can move from geniality and humour to baleful and black-voiced.

Like Van Mill, Otto Edelmann sealed his international reputation at the 1951 Bayreuth Festival, where his Hans Sachs was admired for its robustness and authority, flecked with mischievous humour. Edelmann’s resonant, cleanly focused bass (without woolliness or ‘spread’) lay a tone or so higher than Van Mill’s. His extremely rare 1951 recital disc for Decca here forms a coupling to Van Mill’s recital for Philips.

‘fine musical oratory [in the Wagner] … Edelmann sings this quite enchanting music [Cornelius] with a superb legato, and I would buy the disc of this aria alone.’ - (Edelmann) Gramophone, May 1952

‘one of the most magnificent bass voices I know’ - Philip Hope-Wallace, Gramophone, June 1963

Track listing:

Otto Nicolai (1810–1849)
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor: Als Büblein klein an der Mutterbrust

Gustav Lortzing (1801–1851)
Zar und Zimmermann:
- O sancta justitia!
- Den hohen Herrscher würdig
Der Wildschütz: Fünftausend Taler!
Der Waffenschmeid: Auch ich war ein Jüngling

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Fidelio: Hat man nicht auch Gold beineben

Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826)
Der Freischütz:
- Hier im ird’schen Jammertal
- Schweig – damit dich niemand warnt!

Peter Cornelius (1824–1874)
Der Barbier von Bagdad:
- O wüssest du, Vererhter – bin Akad
- Heil diesem Hause – Salaamaleikum!

Arnold van Mill (bass)
Opera Orchestra & Chorus/Robert Wagner

Ludwig van Beethoven
Fidelio: Ha! Welch ein Augenblick!

Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
Tannhäuser: Gar viel und schön

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)
Falstaff: He! Holla! Wirtschaft!

Peter Cornelius
Der Barbier von Bagdad: Salaamaleikum!

Otto Edelmann (bass)
Wiener Philharmoniker/Rudolf Moralt

Recording locations:
- Grossersaal, Musikverein, Vienna, Austria, 23 May 1951 (Edelmann)
- Stadtsaal, Innsbruck, Austria, 1962 (Van Mill)