So a real radio play, it is not really easy because there is the added with a narrator soundtrack of the German dubbed version of the movie, and unfortunately greatly reduced. I do not know how it is when you do not know the whole story. I practically know by heart the book, the movie and the other two radio plays I can difficult to assess, for me everything was conclusive but the cuts are really serious. Some scenes (like the address to the inhabitants of the thorn Rose Valley when Jonathan disguised) are completely absent, other scenes (like the first visit to the Golden Rooster) are just briefly summarized by the narrator. Thus Jossi is not inserted correctly and the listener has not the ability to connect it to the heart. Hubert was even completely eliminated.
Why these cuts? The play was allowed of course a length of twice not exceed 30 minutes to adjust the time (late 70) on two sides of a music cassette or LP. Beautiful it would have been you would have just made two tapes / disks from it. The other two radio plays were distributed on two CDs (respectively cassettes). Thus, at least for runtime reasons had to be made no compromises. There is still a longer television version of the feature film, which was then shown as a mini-series and together with the material one would loose can fill two cassettes.
Technically this version is a bit questionable. The film was produced naturally only in mono. Thus, so only a mono track exists. Too little for a radio play. Even the late 70s have been produced in stereo radio plays. Without further ado, you have a few tricks spiced up the soundscape by having added some sounds in stereo to generate a little bit of space. Most notably are the ambient sounds like birds chirping, chirping of crickets or rustle of grasses. The latter interferes in some cases properly because it is too intrusive. Unfortunately, the fact remains that the voices come exclusively from the Center and also the great music only mono "sounds". A huge qualitative disadvantage, the fact that the film sound was used: individuals who unfortunately sound are not directly in front of the camera quite incomprehensible and quiet because away. Typical Synchro. You could probably pick out not much of the material here.
Positive I have to mention that the voices are just terrific and especially the passages from the play by Kurt Vethake 1975 with ease in the shade. Above all is here the living legend Oliver Rohrbeck mention of any radio play and synchronous interested is a term, but its voice has also every German heard that before, albeit subconsciously. He is still very young and still sounds bad to Grisu. A better candidate for crumbs there will probably never again. Sensational. The other speakers (Jonathan, Matthias, Sofia) are excellent voice actors. The only reason I give four stars. For the technical implementation this sham would have deserved more than two stars.
I can only advise strongly from the radio play from 1975, which gave it a long time just as cassettes. Complete miscast the speaker, almost embarrassing vocal performances, moderate noise, stiff dramaturgy.
I can recommend especially the re-recording of 2011 Tom Schilling. Everything is just right: Great speaker, polyphonic music, modern staging, excellent soundscape, very close to the book, no unnecessary compromises in the runtime.
