Es War Einmal (1990)

"So, who was Alexander von Zemlinsky? Born in Vienna in 1871, as a composer he won the support of both Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler, although he is best known perhaps for being Schoenberg's brother-in-law. His music is emphatically late (very late) Romantic. The story is based on a Hans Christian Andersen story, "A Princess rejects a suitor". Disguised as a gipsy, the rejected lover returns, this time capturing her heart while also extricating her from the sheltered environs of her palace. The soprano Eva Johansson is radiant as the Princess, while Kurt Westi is a fine, strong Prince. Graf captures Zemlinsky's emotional shadings perfectly; although a fairy tale, Graf realises that dark fairy tale is very much a real thing, and it's right here in Zemlinsky's writing. "Es war einmal" is the perfect place to start one's explorations of Zemlinsky's operas." (classicalexplorer.com)