Der schlimm-heilige Vitalis (which can be translated roughly as ‘Lustful Brother Vitalis’) was the last of the four operas by the Swiss composer Richard Flury (1896–1967). It was premiered in 1963, the year after its completion and then remained unheard until this recording. The plot, based on a novella by Flury’s fellow Swiss, Gottfried Keller, sets jolly village life against religious intolerance and sexual politics in an unsettling blend of the sentimental and the cynical – although love, of course, triumphs in the end. Flury’s late-Romantic music redeems the libretto with a steady flow of memorable melodies, engaging solo and choral numbers, and colourful orchestration – and with a sense of fun never far from the surface.

“…Flury’s soundworld is lavish and his orchestration virtuosic. There’s a lyricism to his vocal lines, too... Impressive standards from both chorus and orchestra, and Paul Mann’s conducting has vitality.” – BBC Music, Feb 2022, *****5/5 stars (performance), ****4/5 stars (recording) (TOCC0580: Flury - Die helle Nacht)

“The composer was greatly inspired by the text, composing some of his most ardent music...Mann employs an impressive cast of singers. I would particularly single out the wonderful Julia Sophie Wagner for her expressive portrayal of Solange. The chorus is equally splendid and admirable in diction. Mann’s viscerally alive conducting adds to the success and allure of the performance, aided by a warm and vital recording.” – MusicWeb International, July 2022 (TOCC0580: Flury - Die helle Nacht)

“Flury’s version [of A Florentine Tragedy] has an almost verismo feel to it: brassy declarations seem to echo the fanfares in Turandot; vocal lines have Italianate fluidity to them. Paul Mann conducts the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra in a pulsating account...Toccata’s rich recording allows both works to bloom and this disc is well worth exploring.” – Gramophone, September 2019 (TOCC0427: Flury - A Florentine Tragedy and The Death of Sappho)

“Paul Mann, a conductor adept at dealing with little known music, is completely on top of these scores. Never for a moment do they drag or sound dull, and the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra does a terrific job. This is certainly a release of interest, and I hope it leads to recordings of Flury’s concertos and symphonies.” – Fanfare, July–August 2020 (TOCC0552: Flury - Der magische Spiegel and Kleine Ballettmusik)

“A suite drawn from an early Festspiel – a community pageant – opens with a march of Elgarian swagger and continues with a mix of charm and substance. Flury was a gifted violinist, and his Third Violin Concerto, written at the height of the Second World War (1943-43), is virtuosic and lyrical in equal measure, its unashamed Romanticism perhaps an escape from troubled times. The four late Caprices for violin and orchestra (1966-67) form a concertante serenade in all but name; and one of his very last pieces, an Andante sostenuto of 1967, was a dark and moving tribute to a musician friend, the slow movement of a suite he did not live to finish.” – Records International, August 2021 (TOCC0601: Flury - Orchestral Music Vo.2)

Cast:
- Vitalis, a monk: Matthias Stier (tenor)
- The Merchant: Kay Stiefermann (baritone)
- Jole, his daughter: Rebecca Nelsen (soprano)
- Jucunda, a prostitute: Marlene Gassner (contralto)
- The Soldier: Markus Eiche (baritone)
- The Landlord: Christian Tschelebiew (bass)
- The Abbot, The Night Watchman: Tijl Faveyts (bass)
- Maidservant: Stephanie Bühlmann (soprano)
- A Monk: Daniel Ochoa (baritone)
- A Craftsman: Roman Poboinyi (tenor)
- The Constable: Hinrich Horn (baritone)
- A Citizen: Ferdinand Keller (tenor)
- Another Soldier: Pascal Herington (tenor)
- A Girl: Hayoung Ra (soprano)
- A Woman: Paula Meisinger (mezzo-soprano)