GMG Classical Music Forum

The Music Room => Opera and Vocal => Topic started by: Tsaraslondon on April 10, 2017, 04:29:04 AM

Title: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 10, 2017, 04:29:04 AM
As the opera posts tend to get lost on the What Are You Listening to Now thread, it being something of a minority pursuit on this site, I thought I'd add one for opera in this sub forum.

Today I have been listening to Verdi's I due Foscari.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ZxT4bn7XL.jpg)

A splendid recording of one of Verdi's more interesting galley operas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 10, 2017, 06:38:26 AM
Here is another rare Verdi opera, which I havent seen yet, but plan to sometime this week.
It is Jerusalem, an opera in french composed by Giuseppe Verdi on a libretto by Alphonse Royer for the opera Le Peletier in 1847.  It is a reworking of "I Lombardi alla prima crociata" given at La Scala in 1843.  A new production by the Opera royal de Wallonie has just been made available for all of us to see (for the time being on Culturebox)

http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/opera-classique/opera/opera-royal-de-wallonie-liege/jerusalem-de-verdi-a-l-opera-royal-de-wallonie-253987 (http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/opera-classique/opera/opera-royal-de-wallonie-liege/jerusalem-de-verdi-a-l-opera-royal-de-wallonie-253987)

The youtube link went dead. This should be a fun moment for all the GMG Verdi's fans (This video may not last real long).

Edit: Just watched the first act during my lunch break.  It is quite nice: the production is very pleaseant, the singers diction is clear and the music has Verdi's golden touch.   I prefer it to Giovanna d'Arco (Joan of Arc) composed just before in 1845, which is the only Verdi's opera which I considered (almost) as a flop.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Drasko on April 10, 2017, 08:57:01 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 10, 2017, 04:29:04 AM
As the opera posts tend to get lost on the What Are You Listening to Now thread, it being something of a minority pursuit on this site, I thought I'd add one for opera in this sub forum.

That's a good idea. Maybe one of the moderators could pin the thread, so it doesn't slip down?

on topic:

(https://s10.postimg.org/4zy4vcqvd/originalslika_klasika_koplet_111966147.jpg)

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - The Maid of Pskov

In a very good, and surprisingly clean and clear for its age and provenance, 1947 recording from Bolshoi forces conducted by Simon Sakharov. With Elisabeta Shumilova excellent as the eponymous maiden, strong clear ringing Slavic soprano (never heard her in anything else and any info seems scarce), Georgi Nelepp reliably stentorian as her love interest and Alexander Pirogov imposing, and quite touching in father-daughter scenes, as tsar Ivan Grozny. Until 90s and Gergiev this, I believe, was the only recording of the opera, and it holds up rather well in my opinion. Don't think it was released on CD by Melodiya, but it was available on Aquarius or Great Hall or some other Russian semi-pirate label. It can be heard on youtube in its entirety:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AzkZnOArU0
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 11, 2017, 01:18:53 AM
Quote from: Draško on April 10, 2017, 08:57:01 AM
That's a good idea. Maybe one of the moderators could pin the thread, so it doesn't slip down?

on topic:


Looks as though they've already done so  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 11, 2017, 01:33:09 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wrMlR-PfL.jpg)

Sticking with Verdi, I move on to Ernani, in this 1967 recording, which still stands up pretty well, though the upper voices make more of an impression than the lower ones. Sereni and Flagello have agreeable voices, but both lack authority. Bergonzi is possibly a little light of voice, but he compensates with phrasing of distinction and singing of great beauty. Price also sings with great beauty of tone, her voice at its early career best. Is it a little churlish of me to point out that a little more flexibility would be desirable in this early Verdi role? One only has to listen to Ponselle, Callas or Sutherland in Elvira's Act I aria and cabaletta to hear what real trills and staccati sound like. It is none the less one of her best recorded roles.

Schippers conducts with clarity and rhythmic vitality.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on April 11, 2017, 01:49:56 AM
Great tread idea. Yesterday I listened to this, on the Met's Sirius/XM channel:

Peter Grimes {22}

Metropolitan Opera House
April 5, 1969 Matinee Broadcast

Peter Grimes............Jon Vickers
Ellen Orford............Lucine Amara
Captain Balstrode.......Geraint Evans
Mrs. Sedley.............Jean Madeira
Auntie..................Lili Chookasian
Niece...................Mary Ellen Pracht
Niece...................Lilian Sukis
Hobson..................Paul Plishka
Swallow.................Raymond Michalski
Bob Boles...............Paul Franke
Rev. Horace Adams.......Robert Schmorr
Ned Keene...............Gene Boucher
Lawyer..................William Mellow
Fisherwoman.............Gail Leonard
Fisherman...............Edward Ghazal
John....................John Allan

Conductor...............Colin Davis
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 11, 2017, 10:28:53 AM
Listening to acts 3&4 of  Offenbach Die Rheinnixen"

[asin]B004MBP7HY[/asin]

This opera is Offenbach at his best.  A lot of melodic and harmonic creativity in this work.  Because Offenbach was in part an autodidact (as Mussorsky) there is a great deal of freshness in the musical writing.  There are some influence but they seem to evolve as the opera proceeds: in the first two acts I thought of Mendelssohn music while in the second part Verdi influences seem quite percertible.  It is also a profoundly European work were pan-european love triumphs over the german nationalism.   :-*


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on April 11, 2017, 06:08:00 PM
Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini

Sir Colin Davis conducting the London Symphony & Chorus

Kunde, Claycomb, Jeffery, Coleman-Wright, Relyea, Cals, etc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on April 11, 2017, 09:57:10 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 10, 2017, 04:29:04 AM
As the opera posts tend to get lost on the What Are You Listening to Now thread, it being something of a minority pursuit on this site, I thought I'd add one for opera in this sub forum.

Today I have been listening to Verdi's I due Foscari.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ZxT4bn7XL.jpg)

A splendid recording of one of Verdi's more interesting galley operas.

I think this thread is a wonderful idea! :)

And though I am by no means an opera buff, this recording of Verdi's I Due Foscari is actually one of the first opera recordings I ever bought after attending a live performance as a teenager.

Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 11, 2017, 10:54:26 PM
Ha, this thread popped up at a rather appropriate time as I'm having a bit of an opera phase right now.

Last night, a favourite of mine and a brilliant production

(http://operalively.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8049&d=1438047147)

Very funny and very moving
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on April 12, 2017, 02:50:25 AM
Again on the Met's Sirius/XM channel, a 1985 Idomeneo with David Rendall, Benita Valente, Frederica von Stade, and Hildegard Behrens, Jeffrey Tate conducting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on April 12, 2017, 10:51:26 AM
Love having this thread as well, thanks for starting it!  :)

Saw Massenet's "Werther" on stage at Zurich opera last night, was exhausted after work, but wow, this was a near-epiphany! Juan Diego Flórez IS Werther, really! The moment he enters is amazing, he really owns the part! The production is great as well, really working in a way that the whole thing is great theatre (not just great music in a - more or less - appealing setting). Anna Stéphany gives her role debut as Charlotte, and both her and Mélissa Petit's Sophie were up to the challenge that Flórez presents, and Audun Iversen's Albert was more than adequate. The orchestra, conducted by Cornelius Meister, was wonderful - transparent to the point of reaching a chamber-like lightness often. And did I mention how amazing Juan Diego Flórez was - seriously!
Details here: http://www.opernhaus.ch/en/activity/detail/werther-02-04-2017-18667/
Some thoughts in German: http://forum.rollingstone.de/foren/reply/10143577/

--

Now listening to this for the very first time (some controversy arose last week when I mentioned listening to the somewhat glossy Sutherland/Pavarotti recording two days before catching the opera live at Zurich with the great Nello Santi on the podium, or rather: behind the piano) to this recording that just arrived:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Bqz6yXw9L._SL1500_.jpg)

First impression, half an hour in, is that quite possibly I will not need to look for another recording (the Sutherland/Pavarotti is the only other complete one I have). The music is wonderful indeed, there's enough melancholy and brooding in the comedy so it really does appeal to me, and the orchestration is so varied and colourful and so well done that I really love listening to it just for the thrill of discovering this little detail here and that nice touch there.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 12, 2017, 02:10:22 PM
Quote from: king ubu on April 12, 2017, 10:51:26 AM
Love having this thread as well, thanks for starting it!  :)



(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Bqz6yXw9L._SL1500_.jpg)

First impression, half an hour in, is that quite possibly I will not need to look for another recording (the Sutherland/Pavarotti is the only other complete one I have). The music is wonderful indeed, there's enough melancholy and brooding in the comedy so it really does appeal to me, and the orchestration is so varied and colourful and so well done that I really love listening to it just for the thrill of discovering this little detail here and that nice touch there.

Pavarotti was always good as Nemorino, but I find Sutherland a bit po-faced as Adina.

My personal favourite has always been the Pritchard, based on highly successful performances at Covent Garden, except that at Covent Garden Carreras was the Nemorino. Domingo almost convinces he has the right voice for the role (he hasn't), but Carreras would have been better. Cotrubas is delightful as Adina. Worth a listen

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SCHARFKZL._SY355_.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on April 12, 2017, 02:44:18 PM
Was going to pin this, but another mod beat me to the punch!

Looking forward to a rare Milhaud opera, La mère coupable ("The Guilty Mother"), produced by On Site Opera here in June.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 12, 2017, 02:54:01 PM
I've been listening to this quite a bit over the last week

(https://i.scdn.co/image/7f36bc834e999a8c8b1dba50389db8b13cbf1592)

And also this

(https://i.scdn.co/image/39925ac33a86aaad3ebf71a8b6e1262e1d2952d1)

Both are amazing, but at the moment I prefer the former slightly more. Still, the latter's cast and sound is unsurpassed and similar to the really just perfect version I have on DVD....although I got no time to watch that one again just yet! Tonight I will actually see if I have time to watch Lohengrin.......(maybe just one or two acts haha)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on April 12, 2017, 02:54:57 PM
Quote from: jessop on April 11, 2017, 10:54:26 PM
Ha, this thread popped up at a rather appropriate time as I'm having a bit of an opera phase right now.

Last night, a favourite of mine and a brilliant production

(http://operalively.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8049&d=1438047147)

Very funny and very moving

Saw this live! Great opera, great production, and the orchestra...just fantastic.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on April 13, 2017, 12:12:13 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 12, 2017, 02:10:22 PM
Pavarotti was always good as Nemorino, but I find Sutherland a bit po-faced as Adina.

My personal favourite has always been the Pritchard, based on highly successful performances at Covent Garden, except that at Covent Garden Carreras was the Nemorino. Domingo almost convinces he has the right voice for the role (he hasn't), but Carreras would have been better. Cotrubas is delightful as Adina. Worth a listen

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SCHARFKZL._SY355_.jpg)

Yes, Pavarotti is wonderful! But Sutherland, based on what rather little I've heard so far (there's lots more to explore in the Pavarotti first decade box of course), will not likely ever become a favourite of mine.

Thanks for the Pritchard recommendation. If I ever feel like buying one more recording, I'll try to remember  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: timh1 on April 13, 2017, 12:17:47 AM
Britten Peter Grimes Haitink 1992.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on April 13, 2017, 07:10:01 AM
Quote from: king ubu on April 13, 2017, 12:12:13 AM
Yes, Pavarotti is wonderful! But Sutherland, based on what rather little I've heard so far (there's lots more to explore in the Pavarotti first decade box of course), will not likely ever become a favourite of mine.

Thanks for the Pritchard recommendation. If I ever feel like buying one more recording, I'll try to remember  :)
With Sutherland, it can matter at what age you hear her. Her voice did not always age well, and you can hear it on some recordings more than others. When she was young though, she was as good as anyone (though diction was often an issue even then) and sometimes better.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2017, 07:33:34 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 13, 2017, 07:10:01 AM
With Sutherland, it can matter at what age you hear her. Her voice did not always age well, and you can hear it on some recordings more than others. When she was young though, she was as good as anyone (though diction was often an issue even then) and sometimes better.

The voice and technique were stunning, that is true, and I do enjoy her Art of the Prima Donna set, for instance, but she is a singer who never really "speaks" to me, and even that recital I can only take piecemeal. I've tried and tried, but I can think of very few of the operas she sang that I don't actually prefer sung by someone else. Even in La Fille de Regiment which is brim full of breath taking vocal feats, the mushy diction drives me potty. Pavarotti, on the same recording, sings with a terrible French accent, but his diction is so good, you can hear just how bad hers is. I know it bothers most people a lot less than me, but it irritates me terribly and consequently I have very few of her recordings.

Incidentally, on the live 1959 Lucia di Lammermoor from Covent Garden which made her a star, her diction is pretty good. Tullio Serafin was in the pit, so maybe that had something to do with it. He actually thought she should go on to sing more dramatic fare, and said he thought she'd have made an excellent Lady Macbeth. The voice was huge. Maybe she would have.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on April 13, 2017, 08:00:10 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 12, 2017, 02:54:01 PM
I've been listening to this quite a bit over the last week

(https://i.scdn.co/image/7f36bc834e999a8c8b1dba50389db8b13cbf1592)

I have said this before, but Kleiber's recording of Tristan is quite possibly my favorite Tristan recording of all time. I find Price's light timbre extremely fascinating and I think it actually fits Isolde, especially the raptured Isolde of Acts 2 and 3. Funny how it is pretty much only with operas where I pay attention in specific recordings, with everything else anything goes.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on April 13, 2017, 10:46:29 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2017, 07:33:34 AM
The voice and technique were stunning, that is true, and I do enjoy her Art of the Prima Donna set, for instance, but she is a singer who never really "speaks" to me, and even that recital I can only take piecemeal. I've tried and tried, but I can think of very few of the operas she sang that I don't actually prefer sung by someone else. Even in La Fille de Regiment which is brim full of breath taking vocal feats, the mushy diction drives me potty. Pavarotti, on the same recording, sings with a terrible French accent, but his diction is so good, you can hear just how bad hers is. I know it bothers most people a lot less than me, but it irritates me terribly and consequently I have very few of her recordings.

Incidentally, on the live 1959 Lucia di Lammermoor from Covent Garden which made her a star, her diction is pretty good. Tullio Serafin was in the pit, so maybe that had something to do with it. He actually thought she should go on to sing more dramatic fare, and said he thought she'd have made an excellent Lady Macbeth. The voice was huge. Maybe she would have.


All fair comments. Since I don't understand Italian, it doesn't bother so much and that is where it would be felt most I think. Have you heard her Norma?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2017, 02:38:22 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 13, 2017, 10:46:29 AM
All fair comments. Since I don't understand Italian, it doesn't bother so much and that is where it would be felt most I think. Have you heard her Norma?

Yes, and it's probably better than anything we're likely to hear today, but still disappoints. Callas is my yardstick, and I don't think anyone has bettered her. Her hegemony in the role remains unchallenged. She's heard best in live recordings from Covent Garden in 1952 and from La Scala in 1955, but the two studio recordings (1954 and 1960) still head the field, despite declining vocal resources in the 1960 recording. For me Caballe is the closest challenger in a live performance from the Orange Festival, which I have on DVD.

With Sutherland it's not just the diction that bothers me, it's a sort of generalised response to the bel canto repertoire. Amina sounds much like Norma, sounds much like Lucia, sounds much like Anna Bolena. Callas made these characters all into living, breathing creatures, all clearly different one from the other.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 13, 2017, 03:17:30 PM
Quote from: Alberich on April 13, 2017, 08:00:10 AM
I have said this before, but Kleiber's recording of Tristan is quite possibly my favorite Tristan recording of all time. I find Price's light timbre extremely fascinating and I think it actually fits Isolde, especially the raptured Isolde of Acts 2 and 3. Funny how it is pretty much only with operas where I pay attention in specific recordings, with everything else anything goes.
Yes, actually I only really got into it this year after having listened to other recordings for a long time. Kleiber is fantastic and Price really adds some magic with her Isolde. Personally I tend to gravitate towards singers like Nilsson and Stemme for Isolde, but Price is certainly giving me something different and just as good!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 01:13:52 AM
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/d2/08/a864b2c008a0634bd7f79010.L.jpg)

More Verdi, and this time to the miracle that is Falstaff, that late, great, youthful, masterpiece of Verdi's old age. Not a wasted note in the whole, joyful score.

The Karajan/Philharmonia recording has been my go to recording for well nigh fifty years now, and I can't see that changing any time soon. There isn't a weak link in the whole cast. Some find Gobbi's voice not quite fat enough, whatever that may mean, but no one matches him in verbal acuity, in tonal variety, and in detailed characterisation, his diction so good you can almost taste the words. Panerai's high baritone is exactly the right voice for Ford, singing his jealousy monologue with an intensity akin to Otello's.

The women are superb too, Barbieri's cavernous tones perfectly suited to the slightly more plebeian Quickly. I know there have been cavils about Schwarzkopf's Alice, but I simply cannot understand the objections. For me she is the perfect Alice, with that delicious half-laugh evident in almost every one of her utterances. It is a role she evidently enjoyed, as it is one of the few (the others being the Marschallin, Fiordiligi, the Countess, Donna Elvira and Countess Madeleine) that she kept in her active repertoire, when she took a conscious decision to limit her operatic appearances, and I find it pure joy. Nan Merriman is perfect casting as Meg too.

The young lovers, Moffo and Alva, are a delight. Verdi sprinkles their love music over the score like fairy dust, and they both have a delicious lightness of touch which is just perfect.

Karajan's pacing of the score is spot on, and the score sparkles and fizzes like a good champagne. The Philharmonia play like virtuosi, which indeed they were at that time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: cilgwyn on April 14, 2017, 01:30:24 AM
Quote from: king ubu on April 12, 2017, 10:51:26 AM
Love having this thread as well, thanks for starting it!  :)

Saw Massenet's "Werther" on stage at Zurich opera last night, was exhausted after work, but wow, this was a near-epiphany! Juan Diego Flórez IS Werther, really! The moment he enters is amazing, he really owns the part! The production is great as well, really working in a way that the whole thing is great theatre (not just great music in a - more or less - appealing setting). Anna Stéphany gives her role debut as Charlotte, and both her and Mélissa Petit's Sophie were up to the challenge that Flórez presents, and Audun Iversen's Albert was more than adequate. The orchestra, conducted by Cornelius Meister, was wonderful - transparent to the point of reaching a chamber-like lightness often. And did I mention how amazing Juan Diego Flórez was - seriously!
Details here: http://www.opernhaus.ch/en/activity/detail/werther-02-04-2017-18667/
Some thoughts in German: http://forum.rollingstone.de/foren/reply/10143577/

--

Now listening to this for the very first time (some controversy arose last week when I mentioned listening to the somewhat glossy Sutherland/Pavarotti recording two days before catching the opera live at Zurich with the great Nello Santi on the podium, or rather: behind the piano) to this recording that just arrived:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Bqz6yXw9L._SL1500_.jpg)

First impression, half an hour in, is that quite possibly I will not need to look for another recording (the Sutherland/Pavarotti is the only other complete one I have). The music is wonderful indeed, there's enough melancholy and brooding in the comedy so it really does appeal to me, and the orchestration is so varied and colourful and so well done that I really love listening to it just for the thrill of discovering this little detail here and that nice touch there.
I bought the slimline reissue of this recording,after reading these posts and the review on Musicweb. I'm unfamiliar with Donizetti's operas,but I like Hilde Gueden,so I had to hear this! Also,I'm a fan of the singing you get on these old,classic studio recordings from the once great,big labels. This one sounds deserving of my attention. Early stereo deficiencies really don't worry me. Only £2.19,post free! (I do hope it doesn't smell like an ashtray,though;like the Koch cd I'm sending back! ???) The lack of a libretto doesn't bother me. When I listen to opera I'm more interested in the music,than the wobbly plotting!! ::)
I must admit Joan Sutherland has never done much for me. Not that she isn't a great singer. I've just never felt particularly thrilled or moved by her singing. Pavarotti? Can't stand anything about him,I'm afraid!!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: cilgwyn on April 14, 2017, 01:34:28 AM
The Pritchard sounds very tempting,if I like this! Still,mustn't break the bank!! I haven't received the Francesco Molinarri-Pradelli recording,yet!! ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 01:40:32 AM
Quote from: cilgwyn on April 14, 2017, 01:34:28 AM
The Pritchard sounds very tempting,if I like this! Still,mustn't break the bank!! I haven't received the Francesco Molinarri-Pradelli recording,yet!! ;D

Well you can't really go wrong at £2.19, but be aware that there are a few cuts in the Molinari-Pradelli, and if you find the Pritchard cheap somewhere, I'd recommend it highly.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: cilgwyn on April 14, 2017, 02:35:21 AM
I should point out;that I don't dislike Joan Sutherland's singing;I just haven't been particularly moved by her singing,to date. This is partly because of here repertoire,which hasn't really appealed to me. But times move on,and your tastes developd,and I've often been tempted to explore some Donizetti. I think part of the problem is the sheer profusion of operas. He composed so many. Not being a wealthy man,I tend to concentrate on certain core areas,and unfortunately some composers get left out!! :(
Having a recording without cuts does make sense,though. You can enjoy a score with cuts if the performance is particularly good;but if you're an intelligent music lover you obviously need to hear what's been left out. My shelf is groaning with the weight of multiple Mozart opera recordings (not many compared to some here,no doubt) so I don't think I'll be able to resist for very long!! ;D I need to know!!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: cilgwyn on April 14, 2017, 03:00:05 AM
Bought it!! ::) ;D The clincher was Geraint Evans. Living in Wales,it was an obvious incentive! I also (sort of) met him a long time ago. I was sitting in my fathers rustbucket (literally) waiting for him to ccome out of school. Suddenly Geraint Evans,who was at a concert there appeared. As he was about to get into his Rolls Royce,which was parked next to my fathers car,he saw me looking at him. He did a sort of double take,and smiled. "Sorry,I thought you were waiting for me!",he said;then got in his Roller!
The review on Musicweb was another incentive. I do like to have more than one recording of an opera,though (generally speaking).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on April 14, 2017, 03:23:47 AM
How is the later Molinari-Pradelli with Freni/Gedda? I love Freni (and I guess the same applies to Gedda, though I haven't heard that much by him yet), so this would possibly be of interest as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 03:25:18 AM
Quote from: cilgwyn on April 14, 2017, 02:35:21 AM
I should point out;that I don't dislike Joan Sutherland's singing;I just haven't been particularly moved by her singing,to date. This is partly because of here repertoire,which hasn't really appealed to me. But times move on,and your tastes developd,and I've often been tempted to explore some Donizetti. I think part of the problem is the sheer profusion of operas. He composed so many. Not being a wealthy man,I tend to concentrate on certain core areas,and unfortunately some composers get left out!! :(
Having a recording without cuts does make sense,though. You can enjoy a score with cuts if the performance is particularly good;but if you're an intelligent music lover you obviously need to hear what's been left out. My shelf is groaning with the weight of multiple Mozart opera recordings (not many compared to some here,no doubt) so I don't think I'll be able to resist for very long!! ;D I need to know!!

I don't dislike Sutherland either, but, as I pointed out in an earlier post, she is not a singer who really "speaks" to me. I have very few recordings of hers, but I do have a lot of recordings of bel canto operas, which of course include the operas of Donizetti.

I do have her recording of La Fille du Regiment, which is delightful, though, even here, her mushy diction bothers me somewhat. Pavarotti is superb, even if his French isn't that good. I think it's one of his best recordings.

Other than that, the bel canto operas I have are.

Bellini: I Capuleti e I Montecchi Sills, Baker, Gedda; Patane
Bellini: Norma Callas, Stignani, Filipeschi, Rossi-Lemeni; Serafin
Bellini: Norma Callas, Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria; Serafin
Bellini: Norma Callas, Stignani, Picchi, Neri: Gui (Live from Covent Garden 1952)
Bellini: Norma Callas, Simionato, Del Monaco, Zaccaria (Live from La Scala 1955)
Bellini: Il Pirata Callas, Ferraro, Ego; Rescigno (Live New York, 1959)
Bellini: I Puritani Callas, Di Stefano, Panerai, Rossi-Lemeni; Serafin
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Valletti, Modesti: Bernstein (Live La Scala 1955)
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto (Live Cologne 1957)
Donizetti: Anna Bolena Callas, Simionato, Raimondi, Rossi-Lemeni; Gavazzeni (Live La Scala 1957)
Donizetti: Don Pasquale Saraceni, Schipa, Poli, Badini; Sabjano
Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell, Evans; Pritchard
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi, Arie; Serafin
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Tagliavini, Cappuccilli, Ladysz; Serafin
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Di Stefano, Raimondi, Zaccaria; Karajan (Live Berlin 1955)
Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia Caballe, Berbie, Vanzo, Paskalis; Perlea (Live New York 1965)
Donizetti: Maria Stuarda Caballe, Verrett, Garaventa, Arie; Cillario (Live La Scala 1971)
Donizetti: Maria Stuarda Baker, Tinsley, Erwen, Garrard; Mackerras (Live in English ENO 1973)
Donizetti: Poliuto Callas, Corelli, Bastianini, Zaccaria; Votto (Live La Scala 1960)
Donizetti: Roberto Devereux Caballe, Carreras, Sardinero, Furlanetto (Live Toulouse 1977)
Rossini: Armida Callas, Albanese, Filipeschi, Ziliani, Raimondi; Serafin (Live Florence 1952)
Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia Callas, Alva, Gobbi, Ollendorff, Zaccaria; Galliera
Rossini: La Cenerentola Baltsa, Araiza, Alaimo, Raimondi; Marriner
Rossini: Guillaume Tell Caballe, Mesple, Gedda, Bacquier; Gardelli
Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri Baltsa, Pace, Lopardo, Corbelli, Raimondi; Abbado
Rossini: Semiramide Penda, Pizzolato, Osborn, Regazo; Fogliani
Rossini: Il Turco in Italia Callas, Gardino, Gedda, Stabile, Calabrese; Gavazzeni

There are cuts in many of these too, particularly the older recordings, but I'll put up with them for the exceptional performances.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 03:26:29 AM
Quote from: cilgwyn on April 14, 2017, 03:00:05 AM
Bought it!! ::) ;D The clincher was Geraint Evans. Living in Wales,it was an obvious incentive! I also (sort of) met him a long time ago. I was sitting in my fathers rustbucket (literally) waiting for him to ccome out of school. Suddenly Geraint Evans,who was at a concert there appeared. As he was about to get into his Rolls Royce,which was parked next to my fathers car,he saw me looking at him. He did a sort of double take,and smiled. "Sorry,I thought you were waiting for me!",he said;then got in his Roller!
The review on Musicweb was another incentive. I do like to have more than one recording of an opera,though (generally speaking).

I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 03:29:20 AM
Quote from: king ubu on April 14, 2017, 03:23:47 AM
How is the later Molinari-Pradelli with Freni/Gedda? I love Freni (and I guess the same applies to Gedda, though I haven't heard that much by him yet), so this would possibly be of interest as well.

Freni and Gedda are both singers I like, but it's a bit dull to be honest. It's an early recording for Freni, and I don't think she had yet learned the ability to project personality through sound alone, or maybe the producer didn't know how to get the best out of her. Conducting is a bit routine too, to be honest.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on April 14, 2017, 03:50:28 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 03:29:20 AM
Freni and Gedda are both singers I like, but it's a bit dull to be honest. It's an early recording for Freni, and I don't think she had yet learned the ability to project personality through sound alone, or maybe the producer didn't know how to get the best out of her. Conducting is a bit routine too, to be honest.
Thanks! I think I've read something similar about it before deciding to buy the earlier one ... will put the Pritchard on my list as well, but that'll do as far as "L'elisir" goes, I think.

Btw, as I have read many of your insightful posts here, even before becoming a member, let me use the occasion to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights and opinions, much appreciated!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 04:13:52 AM
Quote from: king ubu on April 14, 2017, 03:50:28 AM

Btw, as I have read many of your insightful posts here, even before becoming a member, let me use the occasion to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights and opinions, much appreciated!

Thank you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 14, 2017, 05:30:29 AM
Just watched the first act of this, a little more on the silly side for Wagner but still good

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71N6jlBVUXL._SY606_.jpg)

I will probably go listen to a CD recording of Lohengrin now I guess
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 05:47:18 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/4170FENSEZL.jpg)

This one would be a good choice. Considered by many to still be the best recording of the piece.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 14, 2017, 06:05:27 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 05:47:18 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/4170FENSEZL.jpg)

This one would be a good choice. Considered by many to still be the best recording of the piece.
I've heard that one, I do like it! Checking out a recent recording though......Vogt is the PERFECT Lohengrin and he's in this aaaa <3

(https://i.scdn.co/image/be98bd85f2be263da3c87f8de665c8a3b05c3787)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on April 14, 2017, 06:08:15 AM
My favorite recordings just keep popping up in this thread! Karajan's Falstaff and Kempe's Lohengrin are my favorites of those operas. Guess I'm a bit predictable with recordings, eh?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 06:12:00 AM
Quote from: Alberich on April 14, 2017, 06:08:15 AM
My favorite recordings just keep popping up in this thread! Karajan's Falstaff and Kempe's Lohengrin are my favorites of those operas. Guess I'm a bit predictable with recordings, eh?

No. You just have good taste  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on April 14, 2017, 06:16:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 06:12:00 AM
No. You just have good taste  ;D

Thanks! Likewise!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 14, 2017, 10:24:47 AM
Massenet Werther.  This is a very nice production on DVD/Blu-ray with Jonas Kaufmann as Werther and Sophie Koch as Charlotte.  The staging proposed by the (famous) film director Benoit Jacquot is very effective, and Michel Plasson a la baguette is hard to beat in this repertoire.  The only annoying thing is the excess in camera movement.  This unfortunately is often the case in filmed opera.

Kaufmann who has been criticized at times on GMG is an excellent Werther.  He has the physique, a certain fragility in the voice that fits the character perfectly.  I also find Sophie Koch perfect in Charlotte.  Sweet & tender.

[asin]B003ZWTGKU[/asin]



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 14, 2017, 11:18:41 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 03:25:18 AM
I don't dislike Sutherland either, but, as I pointed out in an earlier post, she is not a singer who really "speaks" to me. I have very few recordings of hers, but I do have a lot of recordings of bel canto operas, which of course include the operas of Donizetti.

I do have her recording of La Fille du Regiment, which is delightful, though, even here, her mushy diction bothers me somewhat. Pavarotti is superb, even if his French isn't that good. I think it's one of his best recordings.

Other than that, the bel canto operas I have are.

Bellini: I Capuleti e I Montecchi Sills, Baker, Gedda; Patane
Bellini: Norma Callas, Stignani, Filipeschi, Rossi-Lemeni; Serafin
Bellini: Norma Callas, Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria; Serafin
Bellini: Norma Callas, Stignani, Picchi, Neri: Gui (Live from Covent Garden 1952)
Bellini: Norma Callas, Simionato, Del Monaco, Zaccaria (Live from La Scala 1955)
Bellini: Il Pirata Callas, Ferraro, Ego; Rescigno (Live New York, 1959)
Bellini: I Puritani Callas, Di Stefano, Panerai, Rossi-Lemeni; Serafin
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Valletti, Modesti: Bernstein (Live La Scala 1955)
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto (Live Cologne 1957)
Donizetti: Anna Bolena Callas, Simionato, Raimondi, Rossi-Lemeni; Gavazzeni (Live La Scala 1957)
Donizetti: Don Pasquale Saraceni, Schipa, Poli, Badini; Sabjano
Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell, Evans; Pritchard
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi, Arie; Serafin
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Tagliavini, Cappuccilli, Ladysz; Serafin
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Di Stefano, Raimondi, Zaccaria; Karajan (Live Berlin 1955)
Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia Caballe, Berbie, Vanzo, Paskalis; Perlea (Live New York 1965)
Donizetti: Maria Stuarda Caballe, Verrett, Garaventa, Arie; Cillario (Live La Scala 1971)
Donizetti: Maria Stuarda Baker, Tinsley, Erwen, Garrard; Mackerras (Live in English ENO 1973)
Donizetti: Poliuto Callas, Corelli, Bastianini, Zaccaria; Votto (Live La Scala 1960)
Donizetti: Roberto Devereux Caballe, Carreras, Sardinero, Furlanetto (Live Toulouse 1977)
Rossini: Armida Callas, Albanese, Filipeschi, Ziliani, Raimondi; Serafin (Live Florence 1952)
Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia Callas, Alva, Gobbi, Ollendorff, Zaccaria; Galliera
Rossini: La Cenerentola Baltsa, Araiza, Alaimo, Raimondi; Marriner
Rossini: Guillaume Tell Caballe, Mesple, Gedda, Bacquier; Gardelli
Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri Baltsa, Pace, Lopardo, Corbelli, Raimondi; Abbado
Rossini: Semiramide Penda, Pizzolato, Osborn, Regazo; Fogliani
Rossini: Il Turco in Italia Callas, Gardino, Gedda, Stabile, Calabrese; Gavazzeni

There are cuts in many of these too, particularly the older recordings, but I'll put up with them for the exceptional performances.

I know Callas is Callas, but you should go for at least one more Norma, etc with someone else. If only to see how much better Callas was.😋

(In seriousness, that Turco in Italia is so cut up a more modern recording is pretty necessary. Same thing can probably be said for Puritani.)

BTW, you may remember I asked about the Callas Remastered box some months ago on TC.  You will be happy to know I did get it, although, the vagaries of listening being what they are, I have yet to listen to any of it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 14, 2017, 11:28:59 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 14, 2017, 11:18:41 AM
You will be happy to know I did get it, although, the vagaries of listening being what they are, I have yet to listen to any of it.
I did not get the full box, just a couple hires CDs in digital form.  As far as I can tell, there is no improvement over the Callas CDs I have.  Marketing does wonders !!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 14, 2017, 11:35:29 AM
Quote from: Spineur on April 14, 2017, 11:28:59 AM
I did not get the full box, just a couple hires CDs in digital form.  As far as I can tell, there is no improvement over the Callas CDs I have.  Marketing does wonders !!

There were enough Callas studio recordings I did not have, that for me it was justifiable.  The library did get a number of donated Callas CDs, I must admit.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 11:45:14 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 14, 2017, 11:18:41 AM
I know Callas is Callas, but you should go for at least one more Norma, etc with someone else. If only to see how much better Callas was.😋

(In seriousness, that Turco in Italia is so cut up a more modern recording is pretty necessary. Same thing can probably be said for Puritani.)

BTW, you may remember I asked about the Callas Remastered box some months ago on TC.  You will be happy to know I did get it, although, the vagaries of listening being what they are, I have yet to listen to any of it.

Well. I have heard both Sutherland recordings, the (abridged) Suliotis, the Scotto, the Caballe and the Bartoli (please never again), but have never felt the need to own any of them.

Caballe's Norma is best represented by a DVD, which I do have, of the Orange production (with Jon Vickers). She was on fantastic form that night, and I really enjoy it, even if it is a rather old fashioned production.

Again, I've also heard some of the more complete, more modern versions of "Turco" , but, set beside the effervescently light Callas version, they all sound a bit po faced, which is why I've never felt the need to actually buy one. The same with the more modern versions of Lucia and I Puritani (I quite like the Caballe versions), and I can always listen to them on Spotify.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on April 14, 2017, 12:26:52 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 03:25:18 AM
I don't dislike Sutherland either, but, as I pointed out in an earlier post, she is not a singer who really "speaks" to me. I have very few recordings of hers, but I do have a lot of recordings of bel canto operas, which of course include the operas of Donizetti.

I do have her recording of La Fille du Regiment, which is delightful, though, even here, her mushy diction bothers me somewhat. Pavarotti is superb, even if his French isn't that good. I think it's one of his best recordings.

Other than that, the bel canto operas I have are.

Bellini: I Capuleti e I Montecchi Sills, Baker, Gedda; Patane
Bellini: Norma Callas, Stignani, Filipeschi, Rossi-Lemeni; Serafin
Bellini: Norma Callas, Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria; Serafin
Bellini: Norma Callas, Stignani, Picchi, Neri: Gui (Live from Covent Garden 1952)
Bellini: Norma Callas, Simionato, Del Monaco, Zaccaria (Live from La Scala 1955)
Bellini: Il Pirata Callas, Ferraro, Ego; Rescigno (Live New York, 1959)
Bellini: I Puritani Callas, Di Stefano, Panerai, Rossi-Lemeni; Serafin
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Valletti, Modesti: Bernstein (Live La Scala 1955)
Bellini: La Sonnambula Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto (Live Cologne 1957)
Donizetti: Anna Bolena Callas, Simionato, Raimondi, Rossi-Lemeni; Gavazzeni (Live La Scala 1957)
Donizetti: Don Pasquale Saraceni, Schipa, Poli, Badini; Sabjano
Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell, Evans; Pritchard
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi, Arie; Serafin
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Tagliavini, Cappuccilli, Ladysz; Serafin
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Callas, Di Stefano, Raimondi, Zaccaria; Karajan (Live Berlin 1955)
Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia Caballe, Berbie, Vanzo, Paskalis; Perlea (Live New York 1965)
Donizetti: Maria Stuarda Caballe, Verrett, Garaventa, Arie; Cillario (Live La Scala 1971)
Donizetti: Maria Stuarda Baker, Tinsley, Erwen, Garrard; Mackerras (Live in English ENO 1973)
Donizetti: Poliuto Callas, Corelli, Bastianini, Zaccaria; Votto (Live La Scala 1960)
Donizetti: Roberto Devereux Caballe, Carreras, Sardinero, Furlanetto (Live Toulouse 1977)
Rossini: Armida Callas, Albanese, Filipeschi, Ziliani, Raimondi; Serafin (Live Florence 1952)
Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia Callas, Alva, Gobbi, Ollendorff, Zaccaria; Galliera
Rossini: La Cenerentola Baltsa, Araiza, Alaimo, Raimondi; Marriner
Rossini: Guillaume Tell Caballe, Mesple, Gedda, Bacquier; Gardelli
Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri Baltsa, Pace, Lopardo, Corbelli, Raimondi; Abbado
Rossini: Semiramide Penda, Pizzolato, Osborn, Regazo; Fogliani
Rossini: Il Turco in Italia Callas, Gardino, Gedda, Stabile, Calabrese; Gavazzeni

There are cuts in many of these too, particularly the older recordings, but I'll put up with them for the exceptional performances.


Too much Callas! :) But then, you knew I'd say that. How do you like the Algiers on that list? It's a hole on my list.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 14, 2017, 12:33:48 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 11:45:14 AM
Well. I have heard both Sutherland recordings, the (abridged) Suliotis, the Scotto, the Caballe and the Bartoli (please never again), but have never felt the need to own any of them.

Caballe's Norma is best represented by a DVD, which I do have, of the Orange production (with Jon Vickers). She was on fantastic form that night, and I really enjoy it, even if it is a rather old fashioned production.

Again, I've also heard some of the more complete, more modern versions of some of "Turco" , but, set beside the effervescently light Callas version, they all sound a bit po faced, which is why I've never felt the need to actually buy one. The same with the more modern versions of Lucia and I Puritani (I quite like the Caballe versions), and I can always listen to them on Spotify.

I quite understand how you feel about Bartoli.  She seems good only on recital discs, although her Sonnambula was  fairly good (it helps that JDF is the tenor), but definitely not comparable to Callas. Did you ever try Sills's Norma? Or the Garanca Capuleti e Montecchi?

And there is DiDonato's Cenerentola, which I have on CD (Naxos!) and DVD (a Barcelona production that ends on a sour and stupid note, but again JDF helps make it better).

And on another entry in that list, did you ever give Netrebko's  Anna Bolena DVD a try? Netrebko seemed better than usual in that one, I think, and the production is a rational one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on April 14, 2017, 12:39:49 PM
Currently can't listen to a whole opera, but here's an aria that helped launch my interest. I credit Tom and Jerry for much of my love of opera (and classical in general). Pavarotti helped cement it on a live broadcast from Lincoln Center many years ago. But this aria is one I've known since I was a kid from various sources. Here is a more modern performance that I have enjoyed and still enjoy (not perfect, but then nearly impossible to be that, especially live). I usually have to listen to it more than once! :)
https://www.youtube.com/v/sDH288wnHjE
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on April 14, 2017, 01:57:28 PM
Quote from: Spineur on April 14, 2017, 11:28:59 AM
I did not get the full box, just a couple hires CDs in digital form.  As far as I can tell, there is no improvement over the Callas CDs I have.  Marketing does wonders !!
What's considered an improvement depends on many factors, but I did replace the old EMI box with the new one and definitely don't regret having spent the money ...

Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 14, 2017, 12:26:52 PM
Too much Callas! :)
... impossible!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 02:35:27 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 14, 2017, 12:26:52 PM
Too much Callas! :) But then, you knew I'd say that. How do you like the Algiers on that list? It's a hole on my list.

There can never be too much Callas! But then, you knew I'd say that.  :)

The Algieri was a bit disappointing, to be honest. I saw Baltsa in the role at Covent Garden, and she was hilarious, but this Abbado set is a bit dull.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 02:51:06 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 14, 2017, 12:33:48 PM
I quite understand how you feel about Bartoli.  She seems good only on recital discs, although her Sonnambula was  fairly good (it helps that JDF is the tenor), but definitely not comparable to Callas. Did you ever try Sills's Norma? Or the Garanca Capuleti e Montecchi?

And there is DiDonato's Cenerentola, which I have on CD (Naxos!) and DVD (a Barcelona production that ends on a sour and stupid note, but again JDF helps make it better).

And on another entry in that list, did you ever give Netrebko's  Anna Bolena DVD a try? Netrebko seemed better than usual in that one, I think, and the production is a rational one.

Yes I have heard Sills as Norma, and she lacks grandeur for me. I have the same problem with the Donizetti Tudor operas. Intelligent artist though she was, the voice was just too pallid and soubrettish for much of the repertoire she sang. Personally, I think one of her most successful recorded roles was Manon, which suited her voice much better.

DiDonato I like better in the flesh than on records, so I'd probably prefer the DVD. She is a superb actress with an electrifying presence, and has a tremendously solid technique. I just don't find the voice itself that interesting. I do think she's one of the most exciting performers in opera at the moment though.

I'm not a fan of Netrebko, and I don't like  her in the bel canto repertoire at all. She simply hasn't got the technique to get round the notes. I've seen bits of her Anna Bolena, and I just can't get on with all that scrabbling on the floor that passes for good operatic acting these days. Anna is a queen, for heaven's sake, and should have more dignity.

I also prefer Sills's Giulietta to Netrebko's. If I were looking for an alternative to the Patane recording, then I would no doubt go with Gruberova and Baltsa under Muti. Both Baker and Baltsa make more of an impression as Romeo than Garanca, whom I find rather uncommunicative.





Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on April 14, 2017, 09:01:56 PM
Just started to listen to this new acquisition

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81y47h9joGL._SL1500_.jpg)

Das Rheingold

The E flat major comes out seamlessly from the initial audience's noise. A very promising incipit.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 14, 2017, 10:38:38 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 02:51:06 PM
I've seen bits of her Anna Bolena, and I just can't get on with all that scrabbling on the floor that passes for good operatic acting these days. Anna is a queen, for heaven's sake, and should have more dignity.
This is what a british person, especially one who lived with Queen Elisabeth II, would say.  But Donizetti's british queens are outragious women, reaching full dementia at times.  Watch this DVD of Roberto Devereux

[asin]B001716J38[/asin]

Dimitria Theodossiu (who has the technique to go with the notes, and is a true heir of your beloved Callas) camps a totally mad Elisabeth I, which is the exact vision of Donizetti's british royalty.  Devereux is probably the least successful of Donizetti british-inspired opera.  But if you like Callas, try Dimitria Theodossiu, she is quite something.

Anna Netrebko is fantastic in the russian repertoire.  True she sings all her heroin in the same Netrebko way, but can said  of many, if not all, opera singers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2017, 11:45:25 PM
Quote from: Spineur on April 14, 2017, 10:38:38 PM
This is what a british person, especially one who lived with Queen Elisabeth II, would say.  But Donizetti's british queens are outragious women, reaching full dementia at times.  Watch this DVD of Roberto Devereux

[asin]B001716J38[/asin]

Dimitria Theodossiu (who has the technique to go with the notes, and is a true heir of your beloved Callas) camps a totally mad Elisabeth I, which is the exact vision of Donizetti's british royalty.  Devereux is probably the least successful of Donizetti british-inspired opera.  But if you like Callas, try Dimitria Theodossiu, she is quite something.

Anna Netrebko is fantastic in the russian repertoire.  True she sings all her heroin in the same Netrebko way, but can said  of many, if not all, opera singers.

I don't think it has anything to do with being British. It's just remembering a simple truth about a character. Callas's outburst at Giudice ad Anna is a million times more intense than Netrebko's, well a million times more intense than anyone's really, and the miracle is, she achieves that by singing exactly what Donizetti wrote. If photographs are anything to go by, she also didn't have to resort to rolling around on the floor. Callas's genius lay in her superb musicianship (she was probably one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century) and her ability to reveal character just through the notes on the printed page.

I just watched some of Theodossiou's Elizabeth I on youtube, from two different productions. I'd say that, however mad she plays her, she never forgets she is a queen either. Netrebko's Anna is altogether too modern, too vulgar. I had similar misgivings about her Violetta. In an interview somewhere she spouted some nonsense about playing a more assertive, more modern Violetta, pushing people around in the first act, which is all very well, but it goes against the music, and has nothing to do with the Violetta Verdi wrote. Would an assertive, powerful woman give in so easily to Germont's parochial morality? I very much doubt it.

Too many producers these days do all sorts to impose their vision onto a piece, without considering the composer's vision. I have no objection to updatings or drawing parallels with different ages from the one the opera is set in, as long as it doesn't go against what the music is telling them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 15, 2017, 12:05:11 AM
Quote from: GioCar on April 14, 2017, 09:01:56 PM
Just started to listen to this new acquisition

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81y47h9joGL._SL1500_.jpg)

Das Rheingold

The E flat major comes out seamlessly from the initial audience's noise. A very promising incipit.
What's the sound like on this, considering it's an old one?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 15, 2017, 03:10:34 AM
(https://www.hbdirect.com/coverm/thumbnails/825646340002.jpg)

Still on my Verdi binge, I move to Verdi's sprawling, uneven masterpiece, La Forza del Destino. The Preziosilla scenes tend to outstay their welcome for me, but they do add a sort of Shakespearean sweep to the opera, which, though mostly tragic in vein, also introduces us to the comic figure of Fra Melitone, brilliantly played by Renato Capecchi on this recording.

The great virtues of this set are Serafin's masterful conducting of the score and Callas's peerless Leonora. Others (Leontyne Price in her earlier recording, for instance) may have sung the score with more consistent beauty of tone, but none have peered so deeply into Leonora's psyche, nor rendered the score with such uncanny accuracy, perfectly executing all the little graces, with which the score abounds, but which are usually ignored by less technically accomplished sopranos. But, as usual with Callas, she goes beyond accurate observation of the score to reveal the meaning behind the notes. Her very first words (oh angosica) tell us of the conflict in Leonora's heart, her voice suffused with melancholy. Other sopranos may have given us a more beautifully poised sustained pianissimo top Bb in Pace pace, or drawn a firmer line in La vergine degli angeli, and those for whom such vocal niceties are paramount should probably look elsewhere, but that would be a pity for they would miss

Quotean unparalleled musical sensibility and imagination, subtle changes of tonal weight through the wonderfully shaped set-pieces, and a grasp of the musico-dramatic picture which is unique.
(Lord Harewood in Opera on Record).

Rossi-Lemeni is a sympathetic and authoritative, but woolly voiced Padre Guardiano, Tagliabue a bit over the hill as Carlo and Tucker a forthright, virile presence, though he has a tendency to sob and aspirate in, one assumes, what he thought was the Italian manner.

No matter, the great moments are all with Callas and Serafin, the whole scene from Madre pietosa vergine to La vergine degli angeli a locus classicus of her incomparable art.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 15, 2017, 04:25:46 AM
I think I'd like to buy all of Janowski's Wagner recordings. Brilliant modern recordings with great casts

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51DutVNq6-L._SS500.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on April 15, 2017, 07:14:52 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 15, 2017, 12:05:11 AM
What's the sound like on this, considering it's an old one?
Quite good, I'd say. It's a mono recording from the Bavarian radio broadcast archives, recently remastered.
In terms of sound, I've heard much worse things from the Green Hill than this one. And also in terms of performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 16, 2017, 02:58:31 AM
If this counts in this thread, I'm listening to this

(https://i.scdn.co/image/54ac0dda579befe5ddc1d326d5133ae81592baa3)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on April 16, 2017, 03:30:17 AM
Donizetti's Imelda de' Lambertazzi. A delight. This is an odd opera in the canon. Like others, it was a failure at it's premiere and has been rarely performed. No, it's not a happy opera (he's stabbed and she tries to suck out the poison and dies too). What it does have though, is a reversal of male voices. The father (and his brother) are played by tenors, while the lover (and son) is sung by a baritone! For me, it did make for a constant surprise, but the singing is quite good overall from the men (and the chorus, which is excellent). The title role is the only real female role and is sung well.  The orchestra is superb.
[asin]B0012Y1I2M[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 16, 2017, 02:45:12 PM
Quote from: Thatfabulousalien on April 16, 2017, 03:10:10 AM
I'm thinking of doing a complete run of The Ring Cycle while I'm still on short holiday, for now; thinking  ::)



(it's so long, that's also why I haven't stepped into Stockhausen's Licht again either in my current listening cycle)
DO IT! ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 17, 2017, 01:21:24 AM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/ba2d5f53c02d2f1270b48b8e1a2afd52dbe7bcec)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 17, 2017, 04:16:22 AM
(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/063/MI0001063159.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

I move from late middle period Verdi to his second opera Un Giorno di Regno, an attempt at Donizettian comedy, which is actually quite enjoyable, though it doesn't bear many of the hallmarks of later Verdian style. the opera was not a success and Verdi wasn't to attempt comedy again, until his last, great masterpiece Falstaff, though he does introduce comic elements into Un Ballo in Maschera and La Forza del Destino.

I have two recordings of the opera, the other being the Philips/Gardelli recording, which I will listen to for comparison after this one, which was recorded in 1951. This one uses generally lighter voices than Philips version, with singers adept at Rossinian and Donziettian comedy. The female roles are both taken by light sopranos (Lina Pagliughi and Laura Cozzi), which seems to me more apposite casting than the mezzo Fiorenza Cossoto and dramatic soprano Jessye Norman on the Philips set. Juan Oncina, who was well known as a Rossini and Mozart tenor, makes an excellent Edoardo, though, if memory serves me correctly, the young Carreras also gives a terrific performance on the Philips set. The lower buffo roles are in the safe hands of Sesto Bruscantini and Renato Capecchi and Alfredo Simonetto conducts a jaunty, fleet and effervescent account of the score.

A very enjoyable set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 18, 2017, 12:39:35 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 17, 2017, 01:21:24 AM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/ba2d5f53c02d2f1270b48b8e1a2afd52dbe7bcec)

I listened just to act 2 of this today. It truly is something.....I guess in the hands of good performers it can evoke more emotion than almost any other single act of Wagner's music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 18, 2017, 03:52:43 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41zF3DWaifL._SY400_.jpg)

A lesser known Massenet, much, much better than I expected:  I was a little disappointed by Le Mage, (in the same collection), an orientalist opera composed between Manon and Werther.  This is a late Massenet (1907) composed just before his don Quichotte (1910).

The story is reminiscent of Umberto Giordano, Andrea Chenier, as it takes place during the french revolution and Thérèse, the heroin is caught between her husband, a Girondin and Armand an aristocrat who offers her escape as her husband is to be guillotined when the Girondins camp fell against the Montagnards.  Instead, she decided to follow her husband to the scaffold.

The melodramatic libretto is told very simply in a very naturalistic way with much musical reference to the XVII musical style (already perceptible in Manon and Werther).

It's beautifully recorded, Nora Gubisch is a touching Thérèse and Charles Castronovo an ardent Armand, the self centered aristocrat.

It is a very condensed opera with a more modern and more refined musical writing than Manon and prefigures all the 20th century innovation.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 18, 2017, 07:28:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rXyMB5syL.jpg)

Unlike the Cetra version, which I was listening to a couple of days ago, this one is note complete. It also enjoys excellent 1970s Philips stereo sound.

Other than that, I'm not sure I'd prefer it to the Cetra set, which has a greater sense of fun.

Though the Philips has a starry cast, role for role I'd take the Cetra cast in preference, save perhaps for Carreras's youthfully charming, honey- toned Edoardo. Cossotto sounds, to my ears at least, uncomfortable in the light soprano role of the Marchesa, and she lacks Pagliughi's natural charm. Norman too sounds miscast as Giulietta.

All in all, I'd have to say the Simonetto was a more joyous experience, not that the Gardelli is bad, but, next to the Simonetto, it all sounds a bit po faced.

I compare the two recordings on my blog

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/verdis-un-giorno-di-regno-2-recordings/?frame-nonce=2ac6a0730d
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 18, 2017, 01:00:24 PM
Having finally found time to watch act 2 last night, I now feel like enjoying this recording again.

(https://i.scdn.co/image/be98bd85f2be263da3c87f8de665c8a3b05c3787)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 18, 2017, 06:02:41 PM
Finally got around to finishing this. Reaction: :'( :'( :'(  waaaah why can't things just work out happily......I guess sad endings are even better anyway! (well, I tend to enjoy a good sad ending, and this has the perfect music to fit, perhaps not as well paced as Tristan though........Lohengrin is rather on the fast side!!!!)

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71N6jlBVUXL._SY606_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 18, 2017, 09:41:29 PM
Quote from: jessop on April 18, 2017, 06:02:41 PM
(well, I tend to enjoy a good sad ending, and this has the perfect music to fit, perhaps not as well paced as Tristan though........Lohengrin is rather on the fast side!!!!)
You can think of Lohengrin as a prelude to Parsifal.  Lohengrin+Parsifal that take a while, no longer a fast paced affair.
By the way, I rather like this DVD which I watched prior to seing the live performance at Paris-Bastille.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 19, 2017, 12:15:20 AM
Quote from: Spineur on April 18, 2017, 09:41:29 PM
You can think of Lohengrin as a prelude to Parsifal.  Lohengrin+Parsifal that take a while, no longer a fast paced affair.
By the way, I rather like this DVD which I watched prior to seing the live performance at Paris-Bastille.
That is an iteresting perspective and I can see how that definitely works.....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on April 20, 2017, 03:23:23 AM
Quote from: Thatfabulousalien on April 20, 2017, 02:38:17 AM
Olga Neuwirth - Lost Highway  8)


(https://www.kairos-music.com/sites/default/files/cds/0012542KAI_Neuwirth_webcover_0.jpg)

Found some video footage of a Lost Highway performance online. Looked fascinating with its use of several large video screens in back of the stage.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 20, 2017, 03:27:18 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/ZT099PpfvB_VYZMqzfvncdp6_F0=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-7763576-1448282700-1724.jpeg.jpg)

Verdi's seventh opera is patchily distinguished and no doubt holds a peripheral hold on the repertoire, because of his sympathetic treatment of the heroine, a character more well drawn than any of his previous leading ladies. Like all his early operas, it is brim full of wonderful tunes, and well worth hearing in a good performance such as this.

Caballe makes a superb Giovanna, singing with purity, beauty and, when required, strength, brilliantly supported by Domingo and Milnes, the star trio of the day. Levine's conducting tends to the loud and barnstorming, and consequently we lose some of the lyricism in Verdi's score. I prefer Gardelli's approach to early Verdi, EMI recorded the set before Philips had got round to recording it for their early Verdi project, meaning that it is missing from the series. Nonetheless, like the Orfeo recordings of Oberto and Alzira (both conducted by Gardelli) it makes a worthy adjunct to the Philips series.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 20, 2017, 03:27:40 AM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/f85e4a850e8482efbbcecf9bf10baea43fcb620d)

Seeing as there is a DVD available of this, I really really feel the urge to watch this. An incredible score; the vocal writing certainly feels highly emotive, and the instrumental wiring of the ensemble seems to match quite well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 20, 2017, 03:31:10 AM
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on April 20, 2017, 03:23:23 AM
Found some video footage of a Lost Highway performance online. Looked fascinating with its use of several large video screens in back of the stage.

Is it from a production available on DVD or anything like that? Yet to be released? I really hope to watch this one day rather than just listen......
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on April 20, 2017, 03:33:48 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 20, 2017, 03:31:10 AM
Is it from a production available on DVD or anything like that? Yet to be released? I really hope to watch this one day rather than just listen......

Not sure, jessop. Just did a Google search and found a few clips. Here's one I found...


https://vimeo.com/184604214

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 20, 2017, 03:42:22 AM
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on April 20, 2017, 03:33:48 AM
Not sure, jessop. Just did a Google search and found a few clips. Here's one I found...


https://vimeo.com/184604214



Thanks for this :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 20, 2017, 03:46:38 AM
Quote from: Thatfabulousalien on April 20, 2017, 03:40:36 AM
I must add it seems like such an odd choice from Lynch's catalogue to choose to adapt for a movie. Like everything Lynch has done, it has evocative imagery that stays with you and themes that cut deep but an opera would be the last thing I'd have on my mind, considering too that the movie already has it's own excellent score by Angelo Badalamenti and a bunch of soundtracks from different bands/artists.

Olga created a magnificent score though, I really enjoyed it but it really has to be consumed as a separate identity, in my own opinion.

I suppose the worst thing that an adaptation could do is not add any new perspective on the original work....I'm fond of loose adaptations, or adaptations that really show a unique perspective on what it is based, but if an opera follows very closely to the original story but just with different or added music I feel it can be a bit of a wasted opportunity (e.g. Previn's 'A Streetcar Named Desire'). I don't know the story to 'Lost Highway' but I think Neuwirth writes music which is interesting enough on its own anyway. I'd like to see both the film and the opera for a comparison though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on April 20, 2017, 04:40:11 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 20, 2017, 03:46:38 AM
I suppose the worst thing that an adaptation could do is not add any new perspective on the original work....I'm fond of loose adaptations, or adaptations that really show a unique perspective on what it is based, but if an opera follows very closely to the original story but just with different or added music I feel it can be a bit of a wasted opportunity (e.g. Previn's 'A Streetcar Named Desire'). I don't know the story to 'Lost Highway' but I think Neuwirth writes music which is interesting enough on its own anyway. I'd like to see both the film and the opera for a comparison though.


I listened to a clip from the opera where the Mystery Man (played by Robert Blake in the film) tells Fred (Bill Pullman in the film) that he's at his house and hands him a (large) cell phone to call him there. It's a great scene in the movie. The opera used the same dialogue from the film word for word. There were even a few other snippets I listened to that similarly took the dialogue straight from the film script. Perhaps the adaptation doesn't sway too far from the original source?

Also, David Lynch is in my pantheon of filmmakers. I've always really loved Lost Highway, and think the story has all the great elements of a mysterious-tragic operatic tale. However, I think Twin Peaks has the potential to become the contemporary Ring Cycle with all its story lines and characters. Now we need to decide which composer gets the job?  8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 20, 2017, 05:08:57 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 20, 2017, 03:27:18 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/ZT099PpfvB_VYZMqzfvncdp6_F0=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-7763576-1448282700-1724.jpeg.jpg)

Verdi's seventh opera is patchily distinguished and no doubt holds a peripheral hold on the repertoire, because of his sympathetic treatment of the heroine, a character more well drawn than any of his previous leading ladies. Like all his early operas, it is brim full of wonderful tunes, and well worth hearing in a good performance such as this.

Caballe makes a superb Giovanna, singing with purity, beauty and, when required, strength, brilliantly supported by Domingo and Milnes, the star trio of the day. Levine's conducting tends to the loud and barnstorming, and consequently we lose some of the lyricism in Verdi's score. I prefer Gardelli's approach to early Verdi, EMI recorded the set before Philips had got round to recording it for their early Verdi project, meaning that it is missing from the series. Nonetheless, like the Orfeo recordings of Oberto and Alzira (both conducted by Gardelli) it makes a worthy adjunct to the Philips series.

It's an opera in which you can compare Domingo tenor vs Domingo baritone, but only at the cost of having to listen in Netrebko in the title role....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 20, 2017, 05:11:28 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 20, 2017, 05:08:57 AM
It's an opera in which you can compare Domingo tenor vs Domingo baritone, but only at the cost of having to listen in Netrebko in the title role....

I happy enough with Domingo as tenor, so I'll probably stick with this one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 20, 2017, 05:18:39 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 20, 2017, 05:11:28 AM
I happy enough with Domingo as tenor, so I'll probably stick with this one.

Wise decision :P
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on April 20, 2017, 06:22:18 AM
Listening to the less well known Victor Hugo opera, Ernani, by Verdi.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on April 20, 2017, 07:03:37 AM
Quote from: Thatfabulousalien on April 20, 2017, 05:13:47 AM
Sorry, I'm busy working on Inland Empire..... :laugh:

Nice!  8)  Just watched that film again last month, crazy good!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 20, 2017, 07:40:12 AM
Revisiting Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten:

[asin]B000BUCW7S[/asin]
As a teenager, I was obsessed for a while with this opera, which I got to know throgh Böhm's studio recording on Decca (more or less simultaneous with this live performance, and with a similar cast). Nowadays, I see this work as embodying some of the very best traits of Strauss's art (a superb orchestration, a real talent for theatrical effect, and some of the most effective and touching writing for the soprano voice ever penned by a composer), but also--at moments--some of the worst (some empty-sounding bombast). But overall, this is a very enjoyable work and perfomance. Much of the music harks back to the "expressionistic" Strauss of Elektra, but with some really lovely lyrical moments present as well. I'd say Die Frau ohne Schatten, and not Der Rosenkavalier, is the real turning point in the composer's career; the cool public recpetion of this ambitious work in 1919 may have been the ultimate cause for Strauss abandoning any further experiments in "modernism", and retreating into the more apprachable and ultimately "autumnal" style of the last 30 years of his long life.

The sound is decent for a 1955 broadcast, albeit slightly congested at moments. The 29 year old Leonie Rysanek is simply superb as the Empress, beautifully fresh but vulnerable at the same time, and with her full soprano soaring over the orchestra. No wonder she virtually owned the rôle for over two decades. Hans Hopf's tenor (never the most beautiful of voices, but quite a robust one) is stretched to the limit in his fiendish rôle (something I do not recall from the studio version), Elisabeth Höngen is suitably nasty-sounding as the nurse, and Barak and his wife are very well portayed by Ludwig Weber and Christel Goltz (the major difference in casting with the studio effort is Paul Schöffler instead of Weber as the dyer).

Karl Böhm, the score's greatest champion after WW2, is also excellent here, and get's a wonderful response from his Viennese orchestra. The perfomance stems from the legendary season in which the rebuilt Vienna State Opera was reopened in 1955, and the festive feeling surrounding the whole affair can almost be sensed. The (at the time) standard cuts in the score do not really detract from the enjoyment.

Highly recommended!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 22, 2017, 05:08:19 AM
Prompted by André's recent purchase, revisiting Catel's Sémiramis:

[asin]B008SBY7Q6[/asin]
This is a curious piece. The blurb on the back of the hardcover book (I have the original "deluxe" edition, which was available at ca. 5€ some time ago on jpc) mentions that this very late tragédie lyrique incorporates the heritage of Gluck, but I do not really hear much connection with that German reformer of opera. Rather, I find this piece to be very interesting--and innovative--on the orchestral side (a great overture, and some very effective interludes and marches in the acts), but the vocal lines seem to hark back to a much earlier French style, one in which dramatic situations are treated with poised emotional detachment (pushing it to the extreme, in much 18th century French opera, if yo do not pay attention to the words, you would not be able to know whether a character is singing about a placid pique-nique on a sunny day in the country, or about the bloody slaughter of widows and orphans after a year-long siege of a city  :D ). When I realize that this Sémiramis was premièred five years after Cherubini's Medée), I can only think that Catel was essentially a conservative and really disregarded the Gluckian reforms (except, as mentioned before, in the imaginative use of the orchestra). But very pleasant and worthwhile, in any case.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 22, 2017, 05:30:13 AM
I actually read mixt reviews on this Catel opera.  Some people didnt like the declamatory style and the lack of arias.  The press was on the other hand glowing.  You sound positive.  I guess I will wait and see what André says.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 22, 2017, 06:01:57 AM
There is no french music between Rameau and Berlioz, so said a famous critic.  There is in fact a lot, but it stuck to a more classical form while the romantic stampete left them in musical oblivion.  This lovely recital takes arias from, Salieri Danaides, Rodolphe Kreuter Ipsiboé, Christoph Gluck, Alceste, Iphigénie en Tauride, Orphée et Euridice, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Phèdre, Etienne Méhul, Valentine de Milan, Johann Christian Bach Amadis de Gaule, Louis Ferdinand Hérold, Lastenie, Symphonie no 2 , Gaspare Spontini, Olympie

Besides the repertoire, I got this CD also for Jennifer Borghi, an Italo-American mezzo with killer eyes, which is starting to make a name for herself.

(http://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/03/15/5400439001503_600.jpg)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 22, 2017, 12:49:07 PM
Went slumming to the farther reaches of the operatic repertoire this afternoon:

[asin]B003T68VY4[/asin]
Franco Leoni's L'Oracolo is so bad, it's good  ;D. All the clichés of verismo opera are there: a sordid story of lust, greed and murder among the "common folk" in a an exotic setting (San Francisco's Chinatown, which justifies the chinoiserie of the score--and sounds quite faux to me), lot's of effective choruses, a colourful orchestration and many bustling street scenes, alternating with sentimental outbursts (often underscored by a violin solo, of course  ;)), etc. When you've think you've heard it all, then the children's chorus enters (literally singing "la, la, la-la" at one point  ::) ). It all reminds me of some Puccini and, particularly, of Umberto Giordano. Compared to this opera, Cavalleria Rusticana appears as refined as Webern's Das Augenlicht.  0:)

But...it's all great fun. Its 60+ minutes made my drive to a sports center in the outskirts of Madrid and back go in a flash. It must be a riot to see L'Oracolo fully staged. :D

The live performance from Frankfurt a. M. is perfectly serviceable, despite the slight germanic accent of the chorus and the fact that tenor Carlo Ventre must have not been having a good day (sounding slightly hoarse at moments).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on April 23, 2017, 03:16:04 AM
I can't even think about the word "oracolo" without instantly being reminded of that wonderful ensemble Ogni cura si doni al diletto, from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. I have listened so much to that incredible opera that almost all uses of "oracolo" make me think of that particular oracle, Ulrica.

"Dunque, signori, aspettovi
Signori, aspettovi, aspettovi,
Incognito, incognito, alle tre
Nell'antro dell'oracolo,
Nell'antro dell'oracolo,
Della gran maga al piè,
Della gran maga al piè."

Maybe I should listen to it right now!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 23, 2017, 03:24:31 AM
Quote from: Alberich on April 23, 2017, 03:16:04 AM
I can't even think about the word "oracolo" without instantly being reminded of that wonderful ensemble Ogni cura si doni al diletto, from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. I have listened so much to that incredible opera that almost all uses of "oracolo" make me think of that particular oracle, Ulrica.

"Dunque, signori, aspettovi
Signori, aspettovi, aspettovi,
Incognito, incognito, alle tre
Nell'antro dell'oracolo,
Nell'antro dell'oracolo,
Della gran maga al piè,
Della gran maga al piè."

Maybe I should listen to it right now!

Go for it.

Either of the Callas sets would be my choice.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pAV2bK83L._SL1428_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wmpBfEhWL.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 24, 2017, 01:56:24 AM
(http://boxset.ru/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Verdi-I-Lombardi-alla-Prima-Crociata-2-CD-APE.jpg)

Another one of Verdi's early "galley" operas, which experienced something of a rebirth in the 1970s. Alternatively inventive, inspired and conventional, it is certainly worthwhile reviving.

This set, if I remember correctly, was the first in Philips early Verdi series, conducted by Gardelli. Domingo and Raimondi are both excellent, but Deutekom makes a pallid Giselda, lacking the range of colour and dramatic bite the role really requires. She was only to sing on one more of the series (Attila), so maybe the creative team also had their doubts.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 25, 2017, 01:31:44 AM
(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/084/MI0001084942.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

I'm putting my Verdi listening on hold for the moment to listen to something completely different; Delius's gorgeous, but rarely performed, opera A Village Romeo and Juliet.

Excellent performance of the work under Sir Charles Mackerras, though I hear the old Meredith Davies on EMI is also very good.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 25, 2017, 04:43:30 AM
Just watched the first act of this delightful production

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81fgK9L1fFL._SY500_.jpg)

Wagner always manages to be far speedier than I expect in his storytelling. This is captivating through and through. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 25, 2017, 05:13:58 AM
Another very moving and evocative score from Sciarrino

(https://i.scdn.co/image/007105fc88df46ff72dd300acec2c9c3e563631b)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on April 25, 2017, 07:06:06 PM
Hard to read, but it's Janacek's Katya Kabanova, Prague National Theatre, Krombholc. Wonderful singing throughout, including stellar contributions from the leads, Tikalova and Blachut. Great sound for 1959.




(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Xgd%2B05TpL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 26, 2017, 01:51:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51s3R9qxebL._SY355_.jpg)

Continuing my Verdi marathon.

Luisa Miller has always been considered as one of the best of Verdi's early operas, and shows Verdi increasingly in command of his craft. It was followed by Stiffelio, which was only recently rediscovered, and the first great masterpiece of his middle period Rigoletto.

Of the three recordings I know quite well (Caballe and Pavarotti under Maag, Ricciarelli and Domingo under Maazel being the others) this, the earliest, is on balance my favourite, though they are all excellent in their own way.

Moffo makes a most affecting heroine, not quite as inside the role as Ricciarelli, but more reliable vocally, though she should probably cede points to Caballe, who, however, can sound a tad too regal. Hard to choose between the three tenors, as all of them are excellent in their own way, but it is always a pleasure to hear Bergonzi's stylish singing of Verdi.

Cornell MacNeil is an excellent Miller and Tozzi and Flagello well in the picture in the two bass roles. Verrett is possibly slight overkill in the role of Federica, but not so disastrous as Obrasztsova on the Maazel and better than the under-cast Reynolds on the Maag.

Cleva is reliable, rather than inspired, but his conducting is in the best Italian tradition.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on April 26, 2017, 02:49:54 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 26, 2017, 01:51:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51s3R9qxebL._SY355_.jpg)

Continuing my Verdi marathon.

Luisa Miller has always been considered as one of the best of Verdi's early operas, and shows Verdi increasingly in command of his craft. It was followed by Stiffelio, which was only recently rediscovered, and the first great masterpiece of his middle period Rigoletto.

Of the three recordings I know quite well (Caballe and Pavarotti under Maag, Ricciarelli and Domingo under Maazel being the others) this, the earliest, is on balance my favourite, though they are all excellent in their own way.

Moffo makes a most affecting heroine, not quite as inside the role as Ricciarelli, but more reliable vocally, though she should probably cede points to Caballe, who, however, can sound a tad too regal. Hard to choose between the three tenors, as all of them are excellent in their own way, but it is always a pleasure to hear Bergonzi's stylish singing of Verdi.

Cornell MacNeil is an excellent Miller and Tozzi and Flagello well in the picture in the two bass roles. Verrett is possibly slight overkill in the role of Federica, but not so disastrous as Obrasztsova on the Maazel and better than the under-cast Reynolds on the Maag.

Cleva is reliable, rather than inspired, but his conducting is in the best Italian tradition.
I was just thinking of this opera the other day when you posted your favorite Ballos. I was thinking of recommending one of the Bergonzi Ballos, which led me to thinking about what other Verdi operas I had with Bergonzi or that I had heard with him. And this Luisa Miller was one of those. And then I forgot I had meant to post some alternative recommendations! lol!  ???

MacNeil is not a favorite, but he's pretty good here, I agree. Amazing to think he had Asthma until his early 20s...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 26, 2017, 04:52:51 AM
Enjoying this a lot. Neuwirth is a fantastic composer.....

(https://www.kairos-music.com/sites/default/files/cds/0012542KAI_Neuwirth_webcover_0.jpg)

I really hope there's a full DVD recording of this one day.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 27, 2017, 01:29:51 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719v-j8sIyL._SL1417_.jpg)

One of the great tragedies of the gramophone is that Walter Legge never had the foresight to record Macbeth with Callas and Gobbi in the lead roles. If De Sabata could not have been lured into the studio, then Karajan might well have been the man for the job, and with Di Stefano as MacDuff and Zaccaria as Banquo, EMI would no doubt have ended up with a winner.

As it is, all Callas got to record of the role is Lady Macbeth's three great solos, setting the standard for all Lady Macbeths who followed.

At least we have the live version from La Scala, recorded in 1952 when Callas was at her vocal peak. The sound is not great, apt to crumble in places, but for such a performance its worth persevering.

First off we have De Sabata's symphonic approach to the score. What a shame some of the Act I finale was lost in transmission, for De Sabata's pacing is spot on and absolutely thrilling. Aside from Callas, the cast is a fine one. Some have found Mascherini's Macbeth a relatively weak presence next to his wife, but that is surely the point. Macbeth is a weak character. It is Lady Macbeth who drives the drama, both in Shakespeare, but even more so in Verdi. Italo Tajo and Gino Penno are excellent as Banquo and MacDuff, but it is Callas who dominates the performance and the opera. No other Lady Macbeth has so acutely observed  Verdi's meticulous markings, no other Lady Macbeth has sung with such power and force, and yet with such a range of colour and expression, no other Lady Macbeth has executed the fiendishly difficult fioriture with such uncanny accuracy. This is the stuff of genius, no doubt about it, and anyone who has ever doubted Callas's pre-eminence in the field should listen to it, preferably with score in hand.

Were it not for the sound, there is no doubt in my mind that it would be a top recommendation for the opera. It should be noted however that this Myto transfer is a great deal clearer than the murky EMI version.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 27, 2017, 01:39:28 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 26, 2017, 02:49:54 AM
MacNeil is not a favorite, but he's pretty good here, I agree. Amazing to think he had Asthma until his early 20s...

Not a favourite of mine either, but very good as Miller. I didn't know about the asthma.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 27, 2017, 01:50:03 AM
Going to see this next month and I've never heard the whole thing before so I may as well listen to it. It's stunning!

(https://i.scdn.co/image/e82f890a9ce51be4edf45095d7d99e0369718599)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 27, 2017, 02:01:59 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 27, 2017, 01:50:03 AM
Going to see this next month and I've never heard the whole thing before so I may as well listen to it. It's stunning!

(https://i.scdn.co/image/e82f890a9ce51be4edf45095d7d99e0369718599)

It's a fairly recent acquisition of mine. Gorgeous score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 27, 2017, 07:09:39 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 27, 2017, 02:01:59 AM
It's a fairly recent acquisition of mine. Gorgeous score.
Couldn't agree more!

TD

(https://i.scdn.co/image/ffcec94ef484e6a7c86dc6dc1e6b69e193fae67d)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 27, 2017, 07:18:54 PM
Quote from: jessop on April 27, 2017, 07:09:39 PM
Couldn't agree more!

TD

(https://i.scdn.co/image/ffcec94ef484e6a7c86dc6dc1e6b69e193fae67d)

Thanks to PBS, many moons ago, that was the first Britten opera I saw: they showed the Glyndebourne production
[asin]B0009WIDXA[/asin]
I snagged the DVD, and found it matched my memory.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 27, 2017, 07:25:00 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 27, 2017, 07:18:54 PM
Thanks to PBS, many moons ago, that was the first Britten opera I saw: they showed the Glyndebourne production
[asin]B0009WIDXA[/asin]
I snagged the DVD, and found it matched my memory.
Oh it really is wonderful isn't it! It's the only Britten opera I've seen live, and I watched that production afterwards. It's very funny. ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 27, 2017, 11:39:53 PM
Quote from: jessop on April 27, 2017, 07:25:00 PM
Oh it really is wonderful isn't it! It's the only Britten opera I've seen live, and I watched that production afterwards. It's very funny. ;D

Oddly enough, it's one Britten opera I've never really taken to, though I agree this Glyndebourne production is very good.

I have recordings of Billy Budd, Peter Grimes, The Turn of the Screw, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Gloriana and The Rape of Lucretia, and enjoy them all very much, but have never felt tempted to add Albert Herring. Owen Wingrave is a bit of a blind spot too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 28, 2017, 12:25:35 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 27, 2017, 11:39:53 PM
Oddly enough, it's one Britten opera I've never really taken to, though I agree this Glyndebourne production is very good.

I have recordings of Billy Budd, Peter Grimes, The Turn of the Screw, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Gloriana and The Rape of Lucretia, and enjoy them all very much, but have never felt tempted to add Albert Herring. Owen Wingrave is a bit of a blind spot too.

Hmmm, well Albert Herring certainly seems brighter than many of his others and perhaps just a little bit closer to reality somehow. I think Turn of the Screw, Peter Grimes, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Rape of Lucretia and others to be fantastic but somewhat more removed from a happy kind of 'reality' (opera is probably one of the least naturalistic forms of theatre, so any attempts to represent 'reality' in a realistic way would be futile) that you get with Albert Herring, if that makes sense....

Actually you know what, I think it just has some kind of charm throughout it that makes it stand out as unique in his output. And I like that, just as I like his other operas for different reasons.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2017, 01:35:45 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 28, 2017, 12:25:35 AM
Hmmm, well Albert Herring certainly seems brighter than many of his others and perhaps just a little bit closer to reality somehow. I think Turn of the Screw, Peter Grimes, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Rape of Lucretia and others to be fantastic but somewhat more removed from a happy kind of 'reality' (opera is probably one of the least naturalistic forms of theatre, so any attempts to represent 'reality' in a realistic way would be futile) that you get with Albert Herring, if that makes sense....

Actually you know what, I think it just has some kind of charm throughout it that makes it stand out as unique in his output. And I like that, just as I like his other operas for different reasons.

I can't argue with any of that, but for some reason I never find it as funny as I'm supposed to. A personal blind spot no doubt.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 28, 2017, 04:07:46 AM
This is like a blast of fresh air wow I love this

(http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/imgs/s500x500/4357182.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 28, 2017, 05:43:39 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2017, 01:35:45 AM
I can't argue with any of that, but for some reason I never find it as funny as I'm supposed to. A personal blind spot no doubt.

I don't think Albert Herring is funny, per se.  I don't think you suffer from a blind spot there. (And not all "comic" operas have laugh out loud moments.  Think of Elisir d'Amore, Meistersinger, Falstaff, and how limited their use of farce actually is.  Nozze di Figaro is replete with laugh-out-loud moments and comic dialogues, but it's the emotional moments like the Countess's aria which usually stand out.) AH is light toned, sarcastic, small scaled: a sharp look at British country town society (for all that the original source was Maupassant) that induces smiles and an occasional chuckle but no hilarity.  It's the same sort of background that we see in Peter Grimes, but here with no tragedy or emotional angst.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 28, 2017, 05:45:27 AM
I must revisit Die Meistersinger relatively often, as this marvelous opera helps me reconcile with the world  ;) :

[asin]B0000ARNET[/asin]
This is a wonderful performance, with Kubelik getting the most out of his Bavarian orchestra (even if the tempi appear rather relaxed at times). The individual lines in the orchestra (so important in this "apotheosis of counterpoint") are perfectly drawn, and one gets to appreciate all the details of this miraculous score. The cast includes many long-time favourites of mine: Thomas Stewart as a very human and well-rounded Sachs (neither too much the philosopher, nor too much the cobbler), Gundula Janowitz a crystalline Evchen, Sandor Kónya a sweet-toned Walter (one of the few on record to manage his lines in the quintet to fit in nicely with the other singers), Fassbaender excellent as Magadelena, and Gerhard Unger a David that almost steals the show whenever he's onstage. And every single word is understood!

The sound is very good for its vintage (1967), but I do believe the technicians at the Bavarian Radio might have over-engineered this, in an apparent effort to reproduce some sort of stage action. Thus, in the opening chorale of Act 1, the chorus sounds rather far away (at the back of the church?), while the violin solo is right in your face. Also, after the quintet, Sachs suddenly seems to have moved away several feet when he sings "Jetzt all' am Fleck! Den Vater grüss!..." All very interesting, but perhaps not that "natural".

In any case, this is one of the great Meistersinger on record (of those I know, which are quite a few). Still, I have a special fondness for one version that has never really been that admired by critics, Silvio Varviso's live recording from Bayreuth in 1974. I cannot think of any other recording that so vividly captures the town of Nuremberg as one more character in the opera, and it has a wonderful folksy feeling to it. 

This clip is not from either the Kubelik or the Varviso, but in that succession of musical marvels which unfolds from the quintet to the end of Act III, this bit always brings a smile to my face:

https://www.youtube.com/v/yQOJoU4gq4g
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 28, 2017, 05:56:17 AM
David is actually my favorite character in Meistersinger.  So I am glad he steals the show!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2017, 06:25:00 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719v-j8sIyL._SL1417_.jpg)

A fuller review of the Callas/De Sabata Macbeth I've been listening to.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 28, 2017, 07:33:50 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2017, 06:25:00 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719v-j8sIyL._SL1417_.jpg)

A fuller review of the Callas/De Sabata Macbeth I've been listening to.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/)

Great review. But.. that typo! And of all the places to have it, it had to be the URL!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2017, 08:29:44 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 28, 2017, 07:33:50 AM
Great review. But.. that typo! And of all the places to have it, it had to be the URL!

As far as I know I can't change the URL, which simply uses my title, but eliminates the apostrophe.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 29, 2017, 02:28:47 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 25, 2017, 04:43:30 AM
Just watched the first act of this delightful production

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81fgK9L1fFL._SY500_.jpg)

Wagner always manages to be far speedier than I expect in his storytelling. This is captivating through and through. :)

Finally got a chance to watch Act 2 haha. I might listen to some more Wagner tonight as well..........probably Boulez's Ring


And so I have chosen this

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51K48tdsZxL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 29, 2017, 06:02:21 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 27, 2017, 01:50:03 AM
Going to see this next month and I've never heard the whole thing before so I may as well listen to it. It's stunning!

(https://i.scdn.co/image/e82f890a9ce51be4edf45095d7d99e0369718599)

Indeed it is, but do check out the Kaspszyk performance as, for me, it's much more emotionally satisfying than Rattle's.

[asin]B0006FGH10[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 29, 2017, 04:55:37 PM
I will check that out once I am done with Boulez Ring :)

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0000/985/MI0000985254.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 30, 2017, 10:16:58 PM
Live performance of Snegurochka / Snow flower / Opéra de Paris

Nikolaï Rimski-Korsakov
Libretto Nikolaï Rimski-Korsakov/Alexandre Ostrovski

Opera with prologue and 4 acts (1882)

Direction musicale
    Mikhail Tatarnikov
Mise en scène
    Dmitri Tcherniakov

Snegourotchka (La Fille de neige)
    Aida Garifullina
Lel
    Yuriy Mynenko
Kupava
    Martina Serafin
Le Tzar Berendeï
    Maxim Paster
Mizguir
    Thomas Johannes Mayer
La Fée Printemps
    Elena Manistina
Le Bonhomme Hiver
    Vladimir Ognovenko

I spent a wonderful evening attending this opera.  It is an allegoric tale, not unlike Miyasaki anime movies, of love and spring as "snow flower" the daughter of "Spring Dame" and "Mr Frost" lands in a community as spring is coming.  Every young man and girl fall in love except her as she is not a human.  So she begs her mother to give her the ability to fall in love which happens, but then she melts as a consequence.  Somewhat of a folkloric opera, but the transposition by Dimiti Tcherniakov with some unreal scenes such as the forest tree which start moving around on stage provide a nice adaptation for contemporary audiences.

Aida Garifullina, 28yo, who sung the title role was the star of the evening.  A very fine and delicate voice, the perfect girl physique and a diaphanous skin, she was the perfect singer for this  role
Yuriy Mynenko, a countertenor plays the role of the sheperd.  A football player frame with this alto voice, this is quite something
Dame Spring (alto) was really poor, Tsar Berendeï (tenor) was a bit better but not very impessive.

Here are a few photos



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 30, 2017, 10:18:49 PM
And a couple more

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on April 30, 2017, 11:29:26 PM
Spineur, that looks amazing! What a wonderful evening that must have been. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 01, 2017, 12:31:19 AM
Quote from: jessop on April 30, 2017, 11:29:26 PM
Spineur, that looks amazing! What a wonderful evening that must have been. :)
Next: La Cenerentola in june
Don Carlos with Kaufmann and Yoncheva in the Fall
Fastaff in November
La Clemenza di Tito in Jan 2018
Pelleas et Melisande in April 2018
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 02, 2017, 03:33:11 AM
(http://backtovinyls.fr/5598-thickbox/claudio-abbado-verdi-macbeth.jpg)

Abbado's recording of Macbeth came out round about the same time as Muti's, and I have always preferred it. As in the Abbado Simon Boccanegra Cappuccilli is inspired to give one of his best performances on disc, and Verrett, though vocally more fallible than Cossotto on the Muti, is a psychologically more complex and interesting Lady Macbeth. I also prefer Abbado's more symphonic approach to the score, his La Scala forces playing brilliantly for him.

Sonically, of course, it is in a different league from the De Sabata live performance with Callas, and this would be my studio choice, but Callas is unbeatable in the role of Lady Macbeth, so the De Sabata is still the one I listen to most often.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 02, 2017, 04:39:53 PM
I listened to act 1 of this a couple of days ago so now I guess I'll do acts 2 and 3

(https://i.scdn.co/image/b84dbaf24cc84962c9fa4afe02e79cf823cfebcb)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Turner on May 02, 2017, 10:21:56 PM
Mozart - Idomeneo / Adam Fischer & soloists, Danish Radio Sinfonietta

First listen to this recording.
Haven´t paid much attention to the work before, but recently I got very fond of Lucio Silla/Harnoncourt.

Bought the Fischer recording second hand via a gift card, and I also have the Davis and Harnoncourt versions as LPs.

Once again, an attractive work & a fine recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 02, 2017, 10:46:28 PM
next up on stage:

Haydn - Orlando Paladino (Riccardo Minasi)
http://www.opernhaus.ch/en/activity/detail/orlando-paladino-16-05-2017-18724/

Verdi - Macbeth (Gianandrea Noseda)
http://www.opernhaus.ch/en/activity/detail/macbeth-05-05-2017-18702/

Prokofiev - The Fiery Angel (Gianandrea Noseda)
http://www.opernhaus.ch/en/activity/detail/der-feurige-engel-07-05-2017-18710/

So far have heard none of them, looking forward a lot!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 04, 2017, 12:32:50 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Nw_itLI9tUue_mhCtUKYKlJUQL4=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-7357595-1439718358-9405.jpeg.jpg)

Verdi's I Masnadieri was a commission for London's Her Majesty's Theatre, the leading soprano role, Amalia written specifically for the talents of the Swedish nightingale, Jenny Lind. Though written after Macbeth, it was conceived before and consequently lives more in the world of Attila, with few of the original touches we find in even the first version of Macbeth. You will look in vain for anything as startling as Lady Macbeth's Sleepwalking Scene. There are of course some wonderful moments, prefiguring what we will hear in the middle period masterpieces, but they are just moments, less bound into the whole than they are in Macbeth.

Another excellent performance in the Philips series, with Caballe perfectly fulfilling the gentle coloratura requirements of Lind's role. Bergonzi is as stylish as ever as Carlo, Cappuccilli a fine Francesco and Raimondi excellent in the Lablache role of Massimiliano. Gardelli conducts as ever with a fine appreciation of early Verdian style.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 05, 2017, 01:23:20 AM
The final stretch!

(https://img.discogs.com/VXlpfkAvt53KdfQwTHm_zzHbgC4=/fit-in/500x434/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4409320-1465017795-1679.jpeg.jpg)

Also, my favourite of the four but just by a tiny little bit ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 05, 2017, 06:03:52 AM
Antonio Salieri "Les Danaides"

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/713TMfevNdL._SL1500_.jpg)

This is what Berlioz wrote after attending this opera
One evening I paid a visit to the Opéra. There I saw Les Danaïdes, by Salieri. The gorgeous splendor of the spectacle, the rich fullness of the orchestra and the chorus, the wonderful voice and pathetic charm of Madame Branchu, rugged power [] filled me with an excitement and enthusiasm that I cannot attempt to describe.

Les Talens Lyriques under Christophe Rousset give here a very convincing performance of this blody mythological tale.  Next step: a live performance ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 06, 2017, 11:07:12 AM
Being ill these days I am cutting my listening program to not too demanding pieces.  I chose Rockwell Blake a very light tenor with an extremely agile voice perfectly suited to Rossini.  In this light french repertoire he is adorable.  His aria from "La Dame Blanche" will break the most harden hearts

[asin]B000009KXP[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 09, 2017, 10:03:26 AM
La forza del destino

[asin]B000SSPL0I[/asin]

Such a powerful Verdi !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 10, 2017, 02:13:30 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Uu9UBFByL.jpg)

On balance this is still the best recording of Nabucco out there. Gobbi was nearing the end of his career, but is still superb, bringing the character alive like no other. Souliotis, at the beginning of her brief career, is stupendous as Abigaille, though the seeds of her demise can be heard in the thrilling recklessness of her singing. None of her later recordings is so successful.

None of the other singers is as interesting, but Gardelli's conducting is, as always, first rate, and the 1960s Decca recording wonderfully clear.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 10, 2017, 04:12:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 10, 2017, 02:13:30 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Uu9UBFByL.jpg)
...Souliotis, at the beginning of her brief career, is stupendous as Abigaille, though the seeds of her demise can be heard in the thrilling recklessness of her singing....
Very true! Her "Salgo già nel trono aurato...", in its sheer recklessness (as you rghtly point out), always sends shivers down my spine...  :)

I must say that Sinopoli's Berlin version on DG (with another fantastic Abigaille in Ghena Dimitrova , and with the recklessness--in a good way--coming from the conductor's handling of the orchestra) is also quite good IMHO.

Regards,



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 10, 2017, 12:49:41 PM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/d0eb33b92af2ac50dec36391b78f2e25bfa8410c)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 12, 2017, 01:39:05 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Ke56HYdAVxv9oWRDfgTTc85htjE=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7746346-1526378513-1273.jpeg.jpg)

On balance, this is probably my favourite recording of Otello, though I don't much care for Leonie Rysanek's Desdemona. It was recorded before Vickers had stage experience of the role, but he is still a great Otello and Gobbi arguably the best Iago on disc. Serafin conducts in the central Italian tradition; no great surprises, but unfailingly and unobtrusively right.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2017, 04:44:10 AM
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5fOEk_kbLi4/maxresdefault.jpg)

There is little doubt in my mind that Vickers and Domingo were the two greatest Otellos of the latter part of the twentieth century, so it is only right that I should follow Vickers with Domingo. Though Domingo probes deeper in his later recordings (and in the many visual documents we have of his portrayal), I value this first one for the imaginative and musical singing of Scotto as Desdemona. Others (Tebaldi, for instance) may have sung the role with more beauty of tone, but few make the character come alive so well. Milnes is also in fine form, and, I think, better than any of the Iagos on Domingo's other recordings (Leiferkus is also interesting, but less vocally entitled). This is also one of Levine's best Verdi recordings, a lot less bombastic than he was apt to be in early Verdi.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on May 14, 2017, 06:59:53 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2017, 04:44:10 AM
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5fOEk_kbLi4/maxresdefault.jpg)

There is little doubt in my mind that Vickers and Domingo were the two greatest Otellos of the latter part of the twentieth century, so it is only right that I should follow Vickers with Domingo. Though Domingo probes deeper in his later recordings (and in the many visual documents we have of his portrayal), I value this first one for the imaginative and musical singing of Scotto as Desdemona. Others (Tebaldi, for instance) may have sung the role with more beauty of tone, but few make the character come alive so well. Milnes is also in fine form, and, I think, better than any of the Iagos on Domingo's other recordings (Leiferkus is also interesting, but less vocally entitled). This is also one of Levine's best Verdi recordings, a lot less bombastic than he was apt to be in early Verdi.

Given how easy it is to be bombastic in early Verdi....

I saw Milnes do Iago live when the Met toured the Zeffirelli production in 1979.   Richard Cassilly sang Otello: a substitute for Vickers, who claimed illness (rumor said he did this so often that the announcement before the performance was no surprise to most of the audience), and Gilda Cruz-Romo sang Desdemona.  Levine conducted, but I don't remember anything beyond the general feeling the man knew what he was doing.

When I say Milnes did Iago, I mean that he did more than just sing it, he also acted it, and to get the full impact of his performance one would need the video record.

I think I have this recording in a set not yet listened to....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2017, 10:07:33 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on May 14, 2017, 06:59:53 AM
Given how easy it is to be bombastic in early Verdi....


Well that rather depends on the conductor. Gardelli mostly avoids it in his Philips series, whereas Levine, in Giovanna d'Arco for instance, which he recorded for EMI, doesn't.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on May 14, 2017, 10:44:52 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2017, 10:07:33 AM
Well that rather depends on the conductor. Gardelli mostly avoids it in his Philips series, whereas Levine, in Giovanna d'Arco for instance, which he recorded for EMI, doesn't.


I disagree. I have both of those Levine recordings and I think the generalization doesn't really fit. Of course, I like the Arco/Levine, but still, it isn't a characterization that strikes me as apt. Levine partners rather well. While listening to it, I was even struck by how much it reminds me of certain parts of other Verdi operas that were to come later. 

The Otello, on the other hand, is probably my favorite of any Otello (though the congestion in the recording can be maddening at times). It certainly ranks up there....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 15, 2017, 01:20:55 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on May 14, 2017, 10:44:52 PM
I disagree. I have both of those Levine recordings and I think the generalization doesn't really fit. Of course, I like the Arco/Levine, but still, it isn't a characterization that strikes me as apt. Levine partners rather well. While listening to it, I was even struck by how much it reminds me of certain parts of other Verdi operas that were to come later. 

The Otello, on the other hand, is probably my favorite of any Otello (though the congestion in the recording can be maddening at times). It certainly ranks up there....

It's also one of my favourites, though, as I intimated, Domingo's Otello is not yet the towering creation it was to become. Shame about the congested recording, though, which is not even as good as the earlier Serafin (also RCA) and nowhere near as good as the Karajan for Decca.

But I stand by my comments on Levine's Giovanna d'Arco. I just find that, in comparison to Gardelli, his conducting can be a bit too loud and over emphatic.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on May 15, 2017, 02:39:02 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on May 14, 2017, 06:59:53 AM
When I say Milnes did Iago, I mean that he did more than just sing it, he also acted it, and to get the full impact of his performance one would need the video record.



Though it was never released commercially, the 1979 Met telecast with Milnes, Domingo, and Cruz-Romo, Levine conducting, is available from the Met's "On Demand" service:

http://www.metopera.org/Season/On-Demand/opera/?upc=811357012833

You do have to pay to "rent" it, or subscribe, though they do have a seven day free trial offer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 15, 2017, 04:28:16 AM
This is a little off-topic, but I got this brand-new guide to russian opera

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511tHVCn6TL._SY400_.jpg)

which is already one of the best selling book on amazon.fr
It gives a lot of valuable informations of the relationship with litterature.  Of course Pushkin is omipresent.  It will be translated to english.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 16, 2017, 12:47:38 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ylhlzAvdL.jpg)

Despite the cuts (traditional at the time) this recording, made in 1955, has managed to hold sway for over sixty years, and remains one of most regularly recommended. No other Rigoletto sings with such tonal variety, nor created a character of such psychological complexity; no other Gilda has so successfully captured the touch of wilfulness in the Gilda, nor managed the transition from virginal innocence to shame and self sacrifice with such truthfulness; no other tenor (though some have sung more stylishly) creates a Duke of such carefree charm. The opera can seem like a long series of duets for father and daughter, and here Gobbi and Callas are in perfect empathy with one another. Serafin's pacing of the score is absolutely spot on, and the La Scala forces play brilliantly.

Nothing is perfect in life, of course. There are the aforementioned cuts, and the recording is mono, though the voices come through well. Still this remains my favourite recording of Rigoletto. For a more detailed review of it, please take a look at my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on May 16, 2017, 06:46:38 PM
Strictly speaking, this should go on the New Releases thread, but of relevance here.
1)Sony is reissuing Toscanini's Verdi recordings as part of its Classical Masters series
[asin]B00GZHRG3Q[/asin]
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81DviZ%2B79UL.jpg)
2) Warner/EMI is adding some titles to its budget "Home of Opera". That's the series without librettos.  Among the more interesting items:
Pretre conducting Samson et Delila
Rostropovich conducting War and Peace
Christie conducting Zauberflote
Less exciting but may be of interest.
Harnoncourt conducting Aida and Entfuhrung aus dem Serail
Dessay's Sonnambula
Sills in Barber of Seville (Levine) and Thais (Maazel)
Gruberova and Kraus in Lucia di Lammermoor (Rescigno)
Barenboim conducting Nozze di Figaro
3) DVD releases:
Moses und Aron from Paris National Opera
Floyd's Susannah from St Petersburg FLORIDA (on Naxos)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 17, 2017, 02:11:58 AM
I'm curious to know what is so particularly good about Verdi's music that he is one of the most recorded composer of operas in history. I love Verdi and I believe his own dramatic approach to structure based on existing forms worked brilliantly for him, but I've never felt his music interests me quite so much as Wagner, Bizet, Berlioz and composers after them on into the twentieth century.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 17, 2017, 03:04:54 AM
I will be seeing Rossini la Cenerentola, at Paris opera in a new staging by film director Benoit Jacquot.

So I picked the last MET dvd to get a good feel of this opera considering that the libretto differs significantly from Cinderella story.

The MET staging is a cold and unimaginative transposition to 1920 NYC, stripping the opera from its magic.  Fortunately, Elina Garanca in the title role carries the whole production with flying colors.  The rest of the cast is just OK.  The chorus assembled for this production is quite good.


[asin]B002YH6FME[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 19, 2017, 02:21:51 AM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/53dc4c77dee42fbee3a607f8ea4b019d80f0296a)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 19, 2017, 10:07:41 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61lh7ii9ZHL._SL1063_.jpg)

Terrific! - my kind of thing as far as Operas go.. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 20, 2017, 02:41:43 AM
Quote from: jessop on May 17, 2017, 02:11:58 AM
I'm curious to know what is so particularly good about Verdi's music that he is one of the most recorded composer of operas in history. I love Verdi and I believe his own dramatic approach to structure based on existing forms worked brilliantly for him, but I've never felt his music interests me quite so much as Wagner, Bizet, Berlioz and composers after them on into the twentieth century.

It's a rather large topic to discuss here, which is really just a listeners' thread. If his music doesn't interest you, then that might just be down to personal taste.

As it happens, I also love Berlioz (Wagner not so much, though I appreciate his greatness), and I think his Les Troyens is one of the greatest masterpieces of opera ever written. That said, I know others who just think it's one long bore and no pleading on my part will make the slightest difference.

Verdi has his own thread, by the way, so you could start by taking a look at that and maybe posting your question there.
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,425.0.html (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,425.0.html)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 20, 2017, 02:46:36 AM
Les Troyens is so far pretty much the only work from Berlioz I've heard that I don't like.  :-[
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 20, 2017, 02:52:12 AM
Quote from: Alberich on May 20, 2017, 02:46:36 AM
Les Troyens is so far pretty much the only work from Berlioz I've heard that I don't like.  :-[
The problem with Les Troyens is that it is way too long and the second half (the Didon an Enée part) is much better than the first part.  Next time start at act III, and see if you feel the same way.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 20, 2017, 02:52:52 AM
Quote from: Alberich on May 20, 2017, 02:46:36 AM
Les Troyens is so far pretty much the only work from Berlioz I've heard that I don't like.  :-[

There you go then.

I love pretty much all Berlioz's music, and Les Troyens seems to me like the summation of his life's work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 20, 2017, 03:00:47 AM
Quote from: Spineur on May 20, 2017, 02:52:12 AM
The problem with Les Troyens is that it is way too long and the second half (the Didon an Enée part) is much better than the first part.  Next time start at act III, and see if you feel the same way.

People often say that, but it's shorter than Gotterdammerung.

There is some great music in the first two acts. It would be a shame to miss out on that. It does need careful handing, though, and, so far, I haven't heard anyone who paces the opera as well as Colin Davis in both of his recordings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 20, 2017, 03:28:45 AM
Yeah, the length is not an issue to me, after all Wagner is my favorite composer. I just find that the music is uninteresting and the orchestration is way too thin, based on what I heard about Les Troyens before I listened to it, I expected typical Berliozian bombing, instead it sounded almost like a chamber orchestra, especially the opening. I have no issue with refined and subdued sound, if it is combined with interesting music. To me, it was not. Admittedly I have heard it only a couple of times. Also, with Berlioz something like that was unexpected.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 20, 2017, 05:02:46 AM
Quote from: Alberich on May 20, 2017, 03:28:45 AM
Yeah, the length is not an issue to me, after all Wagner is my favorite composer. I just find that the music is uninteresting and the orchestration is way too thin, based on what I heard about Les Troyens before I listened to it, I expected typical Berliozian bombing, instead it sounded almost like a chamber orchestra, especially the opening. I have no issue with refined and subdued sound, if it is combined with interesting music. To me, it was not. Admittedly I have heard it only a couple of times. Also, with Berlioz something like that was unexpected.

This is where the conductor is so important. It doesn't sound thin in either of the two Davis recordings, quite the reverse in fact.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 20, 2017, 03:37:31 PM
Quote from: Spineur on May 20, 2017, 02:52:12 AM
The problem with Les Troyens is that it is way too long and the second half (the Didon an Enée part) is much better than the first part.  Next time start at act III, and see if you feel the same way.
No way the whole thing is amazing!!! :o
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 20, 2017, 03:39:05 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 20, 2017, 03:00:47 AM
People often say that, but it's shorter than Gotterdammerung.

There is some great music in the first two acts. It would be a shame to miss out on that. It does need careful handing, though, and, so far, I haven't heard anyone who paces the opera as well as Colin Davis in both of his recordings.
Götterdämmerung is really fast paced though.....

And I agree, Colin Davis is excellent for Les Troyens.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 20, 2017, 08:58:01 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719robrmDzL._SL1286_.jpg)

Top stuff - almost finished now but may give it another spin when it has ended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on May 20, 2017, 09:30:04 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 20, 2017, 02:41:43 AM
It's a rather large topic to discuss here, which is really just a listeners' thread. If his music doesn't interest you, then that might just be down to personal taste.

As it happens, I also love Berlioz (Wagner not so much, though I appreciate his greatness), and I think his Les Troyens is one of the greatest masterpieces of opera ever written. That said, I know others who just think it's one long bore and no pleading on my part will make the slightest difference.

Verdi has his own thread, by the way, so you could start by taking a look at that and maybe posting your question there.
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,425.0.html (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,425.0.html)

And the best one can get, stunning cast and recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 21, 2017, 12:00:00 AM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71UNGdjDobL._SL1200_.jpg)

Another Bergonzi recording - like his work (may have to seek out more of his recordings in future).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 21, 2017, 06:55:38 PM
Recent listening:

(http://img.cdandlp.com/2013/06/imgL/115988284.jpg) (http://pictures1.kyozou.com/pictures/_20/19927/19926000.jpg)

From:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rVS1DNaNL.jpg)

I was listening to Solti's Rheingold on the weekend so I thought I'd give this one a try too and I was really suprised by how good it was (it does'nt seem to be a top pick for this work on the internet AFAIK..).
Enjoyed the Janowski Rheingold so now continuing with Die Walkure.




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 21, 2017, 08:48:53 PM
Janowski is such a fantastic Wagner conductor. Brilliant, but not given a great deal of praise for his truly excellent recordings.....his more recent ones on Pentatone are some of my favourite recordings of Wagner ever made.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 22, 2017, 01:09:20 AM
Re: "Les Troyens", "the two" Colin Davis recordings are the two studio/official ones, I assume? There are more by him that seem to be bootleg:
http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLBZTROY.HTM
Haven't listened to any recording of this opera (nor to a live performance), but I have Dutoit (1993) and Davis (LSO live 2002) on my shelves. Should I look for the earlier Davis as well?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2017, 06:37:05 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 22, 2017, 01:09:20 AM
Haven't listened to any recording of this opera (nor to a live performance), but I have Dutoit (1993) and Davis (LSO live 2002) on my shelves. Should I look for the earlier Davis as well?

Both the earlier studio Davis recordings are, I think, superb, but I marginally prefer his studio cast, Vickers and Veasey in particular, though Janet Baker would have been even better (to judge from her EMI recording of the final scenes).

Dutoit isn't in the same league, I'm afraid.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 22, 2017, 10:56:29 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2017, 06:37:05 AM
Both the earlier studio Davis recordings are, I think, superb, but I marginally prefer his studio cast, Vickers and Veasey in particular, though Janet Baker would have been even better (to judge from her EMI recording of the final scenes).

Dutoit isn't in the same league, I'm afraid.
Philips 1969 and ...?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on May 22, 2017, 03:01:22 PM
Quote from: king ubu on May 22, 2017, 01:09:20 AM
Re: "Les Troyens", "the two" Colin Davis recordings are the two studio/official ones, I assume? There are more by him that seem to be bootleg:
http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLBZTROY.HTM
Haven't listened to any recording of this opera (nor to a live performance), but I have Dutoit (1993) and Davis (LSO live 2002) on my shelves. Should I look for the earlier Davis as well?

Of Davis' two commercial recordings, only one is studio (Philips). The 2002 is live (LSO Live). As far as Dutoit's, I have it and love it. It's a fine achievement, as is all of Dutoit's Berlioz. That said, Davis' Philips studio effort is a solid first choice. Great "Berlioz" feel, great cast, and fantastic sound, eclipsing that of LSO Live's (the Barbican is a dud, acoustics-wise).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 22, 2017, 09:18:16 PM
Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on May 22, 2017, 03:01:22 PM
Of Davis' two commercial recordings, only one is studio (Philips). The 2002 is live (LSO Live). As far as Dutoit's, I have it and love it. It's a fine achievement, as is all of Dutoit's Berlioz. That said, Davis' Philips studio effort is a solid first choice. Great "Berlioz" feel, great cast, and fantastic sound, eclipsing that of LSO Live's (the Barbican is a dud, acoustics-wise).
Okay, thanks - let's see if Universal will reissue the Philips one eventually ...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 22, 2017, 09:29:42 PM
Quote from: king ubu on May 22, 2017, 09:18:16 PM
Okay, thanks - let's see if Universal will reissue the Philips one eventually ...

Perhaps in a box set of other Colin Davis Berlioz recordings? Somehow I think that is much more of a possibility than a reissue of that Les Troyens alone, in a nice box and with a printed libretto.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 22, 2017, 10:06:06 PM
Quote from: jessop on May 22, 2017, 09:29:42 PM
Perhaps in a box set of other Colin Davis Berlioz recordings? Somehow I think that is much more of a possibility than a reissue of that Les Troyens alone, in a nice box and with a printed libretto.

Not sure, as single operas in cheapo editions are still popping up regularly ... but a reissue of this would be an option I guess:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41FPP76SHJL.jpg)

(They could also add the bits they left off the "complete" orchestral & sacred box.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 23, 2017, 05:20:21 AM
Listening to one of my favourite things at the moment

(https://i.scdn.co/image/048c1002caf3986706711af598e45603438b67de)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 26, 2017, 12:48:54 PM
I had this dvd in its sealed box for close to a year.  After seeing the snow maiden also staged by Tcherniakov, I started to watch this production, which is a bit on the dark side.

The cast is dominated by Tatania Monogarova in the key role of Fevronia

[asin]B005RY7NBS[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 26, 2017, 08:38:44 PM
Quote from: jessop on May 21, 2017, 08:48:53 PM
Janowski is such a fantastic Wagner conductor. Brilliant, but not given a great deal of praise for his truly excellent recordings.....his more recent ones on Pentatone are some of my favourite recordings of Wagner ever made.

Managed to listen to Janowski's ring this week and I was very impressed - agree he's a great Wagner conductor! :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 26, 2017, 08:44:57 PM
Today's listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71UNGdjDobL._SL1200_.jpg)

Listening to this work again - think this is one of the best Karajan recordings in my collection (really like his Cavalleria Rusticana too).

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/7164QF3z6BL._SL1200_.jpg)

Good good :)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 04:45:57 AM
Caught the final night of the repeat of "Macbeth", done last season with Teodor Currentzis conducting (he chickened out from this year's gig and had Maxim Emenchyalev jump in (a local newspaper review that didn't like it at all created the rumour that Currentzis didn't conduct because of the silly production ... I wasn't of that same opinion). For the repeat, Gianandrea Noseda took over and did a very good job. Never saw the opera before, and with this amazing production got a perfect start, I think. Minimalist stage setting, lots of off voices (witches, most of the choir, except for the lame scene in the fourth act that has to be staged of course), very little "action", as the director, Barrie Kosky, read the piece as taking place mostly in the heads of the Macbeths ... Tatiana Serjan and Dalibor Jenis were magnificient in the main roles, the rest kept up well, but of course is of much less importance to this opera. Serjan was part of the original production already, but Jenis obviously owned his part just as much. Some more impressions in German over here, as usual:
http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/2017/05/verdi-macbeth-jenis-serjan-noseda-kosky.html

Now playing the recording of "Macbeth" to be found in here:

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0003/469/MI0003469841.jpg)

Callas and Mascherini at La Scala in 1952, cond. Victor de Sabata. Have the Leinsdorf, Gardelli, Abbado and Muti lined up, too, for later.

When I got home last night, I needed a break, then watched a short portrait of ... Teodor Currentzis' (of course) that had been lying on our TV box for months (I'm being scolded for that all the time, but the mood has to be right for all things music, no?) - fascinating of course, in both positive and negative ways - guess he ranks with the most extreme dictator=conductors, there's even a scene where Vito Priante who voiced his opinion while they were recording "Don Giovanni", had to publicly apologize ... kinda practiced Stalinism, but of course dressed in - you may say disguised as - nowadays cloth of true bondism and friendship and all that fake "social" crap ... either way, as the "Macbeth" from the set above will be over in a few minutes, watching that documentary, which was shot the time that Currentzis and his forces re-did "Don Giovanni" (the first production a year before was left in the can as Currentzis felt it wasn't right - so finally I got to hear what caused that delay), has me curious to finally listen to this a first time, it has been on the pile since its release:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81zX62-0AtL._SL1500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 27, 2017, 05:10:56 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 04:45:57 AM
Caught the final night of the repeat of "Macbeth", done last season with Teodor Currentzis conducting (he chickened out from this year's gig and had Maxim Emenchyalev jump in (a local newspaper review that didn't like it at all created the rumour that Currentzis didn't conduct because of the silly production ... I wasn't of that same opinion). For the repeat, Gianandrea Noseda took over and did a very good job. Never saw the opera before, and with this amazing production got a perfect start, I think. Minimalist stage setting, lots of off voices (witches, most of the choir, except for the lame scene in the fourth act that has to be staged of course), very little "action", as the director, Barrie Kosky, read the piece as taking place mostly in the heads of the Macbeths ... Tatiana Serjan and Dalibor Jenis were magnificient in the main roles, the rest kept up well, but of course is of much less importance to this opera. Serjan was part of the original production already, but Jenis obviously owned his part just as much. Some more impressions in German over here, as usual:
http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/2017/05/verdi-macbeth-jenis-serjan-noseda-kosky.html

Now playing the recording of "Macbeth" to be found in here:

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0003/469/MI0003469841.jpg)

Callas and Mascherini at La Scala in 1952, cond. Victor de Sabata. Have the Leinsdorf, Gardelli, Abbado and Muti lined up, too, for later.

Good stuff KU :) - I've listened to Macbeth a couple of times but Im not really familiar with it at all: I must try and re-visit this one at some stage.

Listening to some Verdi tonight too:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719robrmDzL._SL1286_.jpg)

Sublime recording - I would dearly love to get that big Karajan Opera box on DG but it is beyond my budget at the moment.. :'(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Drasko on May 27, 2017, 05:39:45 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 04:45:57 AM
Caught the final night of the repeat of "Macbeth", done last season with Teodor Currentzis conducting (he chickened out from this year's gig and had Maxim Emenchyalev jump in

Maybe he just fancied better another gig? Don't know exactly what days was that Macbeth run but Currentzis is at the moment conducting the finale of Diaghilev Festival in Perm with super starry cast - Natalia Osipova as the Firebird and Diana Vishneva as Petrushka (would love to see that!)

http://diaghilevfest.ru/en/programme/detail/4824

on topic:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Rw8pcglsL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 07:47:07 AM
Quote from: Draško on May 27, 2017, 05:39:45 AM
Maybe he just fancied better another gig? Don't know exactly what days was that Macbeth run ...

It was "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" that he let go (official version was he fell ill, I don't know anything more, but you never really know anyway). He did the first run of this "Macbeth" production and got great reviews.

Serail was this here:
http://www.opernhaus.ch/vorstellung/detail/die-entfuehrung-aus-dem-serail-06-11-2016-18491/

I enjoyed it a lot, but then I love Olga Peretyatko, and the whole ensemble was pretty fine. On top of that the stage production made sense to me as a whole, even if I didn't consider every aspect of it to be good.

Reaching the end of the "Don Giovanni" now ... not going to be my favourite recording by a stretch, but there's lovely playing and some mighty fine singing here. I've always liked Karina Gauvin, and I think Kenneth Tarver as Don Ottavio is stunning!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 08:01:59 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on May 27, 2017, 05:10:56 AM
Listening to some Verdi tonight too:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719robrmDzL._SL1286_.jpg)

Sublime recording - I would dearly love to get that big Karajan Opera box on DG but it is beyond my budget at the moment.. :'(

That's a recording I've not yet heard ... but one of the Verdi operas I'm quite familiar with (the others being: Don Carlo, La Traviata, Rigoletto, and to a somewhat lesser extent La forza del destino, Nabucco, Il Trovatore ... and yes, that means I've never yet heard Un ballo in maschera - I actually might have, live 20 years back, can't say for sure -, Otello and Simon Boccanegra ... Falstaff I've heard live 20 years ago, I know, but somehow that opera so far doesn't do a lot for me ... also got recordings of a few lesser known ones ready: Il Corsaro, I Due Foscari, Ernani, Giovanna d'Arco, I Lombardi, Luisa Miller, I Masniaderi, I Vespri Siciliani, though I guess that one may be one of the better knowns, all things considered? And the French Don Carlos by Abbado has been waiting for a while, too) ... and actually I just realise the Leinsdorf recordings of "Macbeth" from the "Great Recordings" and the "Verdi at the Met" boxes don't seem to be identical ... the former lacks to provide recording dates, lousily, but the timings differ quite a bit, provided we have the same cast and forces and probably within a year or so.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: marvinbrown on May 27, 2017, 08:59:27 AM


  One fateful day, Alberich that wretched lascivious troll shall lust after 3 voluptuous maidens and set into motion a series of events that shall bring the end of the gods and usher in a new, and hopefully better world.

  [asin] B003Y3MYYU[/asin]

  This ring cycle MUST be in every opera fan's collection. Fast, gripping and utterly electrifying!

  marvin

 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on May 27, 2017, 10:13:21 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 08:01:59 AM
and actually I just realise the Leinsdorf recordings of "Macbeth" from the "Great Recordings" and the "Verdi at the Met" boxes don't seem to be identical ... the former lacks to provide recording dates, lousily, but the timings differ quite a bit, provided we have the same cast and forces and probably within a year or so.

RCA make the studio recording (in the "Great Recordings" box) in Feb. 1959, the month of the opera's first Met performances (including the broadcast in the "Verdi at the Met" box). IIRC, the studio recording makes fewer cuts than the live Met performances did, accounting for the difference in timings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 12:11:33 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on May 27, 2017, 10:13:21 AM
RCA make the studio recording (in the "Great Recordings" box) in Feb. 1959, the month of the opera's first Met performances (including the broadcast in the "Verdi at the Met" box). IIRC, the studio recording makes fewer cuts than the live Met performances did, accounting for the difference in timings.

So they're even from the same month ... that *is* confusing. But thanks for confirming my new finding!

Btw, next up, next week:
http://www.opernhaus.ch/en/activity/detail/der-feurige-engel-07-05-2017-18710/

Never yet heard any Prokofiev opera, and the reviews are very positive. And I like the "2 hours without break" ... I guess by skipping the lame parts of acts III and IV, you could do the same with "Macbeth" (though you'd need to find a way to explain the end, but I'm sure that would be quite feasible with the right stage production ... just have them suckers go insane, they don't even need outside force to go bonkers).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 27, 2017, 05:45:17 PM
Quote from: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 08:01:59 AM
That's a recording I've not yet heard ... but one of the Verdi operas I'm quite familiar with (the others being: Don Carlo, La Traviata, Rigoletto, and to a somewhat lesser extent La forza del destino, Nabucco, Il Trovatore ... and yes, that means I've never yet heard Un ballo in maschera - I actually might have, live 20 years back, can't say for sure -, Otello and Simon Boccanegra ... Falstaff I've heard live 20 years ago, I know, but somehow that opera so far doesn't do a lot for me ... also got recordings of a few lesser known ones ready: Il Corsaro, I Due Foscari, Ernani, Giovanna d'Arco, I Lombardi, Luisa Miller, I Masniaderi, I Vespri Siciliani, though I guess that one may be one of the better knowns, all things considered? And the French Don Carlos by Abbado has been waiting for a while, too) ... and actually I just realise the Leinsdorf recordings of "Macbeth" from the "Great Recordings" and the "Verdi at the Met" boxes don't seem to be identical ... the former lacks to provide recording dates, lousily, but the timings differ quite a bit, provided we have the same cast and forces and probably within a year or so.

The only Verdi Operas I know to any extent are Aida, Rigoletto and La Traviata - I own the box of "Great Opera" recordings on EMI/Warner but have not gotten to it yet.. So much Verdi to listen to - Opera is one area of my collection where my buying has gotten far ahead of my listening :-[.
Its been a pretty long time since I listened to any Opera but I am feeling enthusiastic about it now - hopefully I can get to some of that unheard stuff in my pile (and Im sure there are some good discoveries to be made!) :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 27, 2017, 05:55:20 PM
Quote from: marvinbrown on May 27, 2017, 08:59:27 AM

  One fateful day, Alberich that wretched lascivious troll shall lust after 3 voluptuous maidens and set into motion a series of events that shall bring the end of the gods and usher in a new, and hopefully better world.

  [asin] B003Y3MYYU[/asin]

  This ring cycle MUST be in every opera fan's collection. Fast, gripping and utterly electrifying!

  marvin



Another recording (as part of the big Wagner live "cube") thats in my pile at the moment - Soon I hope... :o

Now listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91hHJwvdGnL._SL1500_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rVS1DNaNL.jpg)

Been listening to Janowski and Solti's Ring Cycles this week - good stuff! :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on May 27, 2017, 06:08:19 PM
Quote from: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 08:01:59 AM
That's a recording I've not yet heard ... but one of the Verdi operas I'm quite familiar with (the others being: Don Carlo, La Traviata, Rigoletto, and to a somewhat lesser extent La forza del destino, Nabucco, Il Trovatore ... and yes, that means I've never yet heard Un ballo in maschera - I actually might have, live 20 years back, can't say for sure -, Otello and Simon Boccanegra ... Falstaff I've heard live 20 years ago, I know, but somehow that opera so far doesn't do a lot for me ... also got recordings of a few lesser known ones ready: Il Corsaro, I Due Foscari, Ernani, Giovanna d'Arco, I Lombardi, Luisa Miller, I Masniaderi, I Vespri Siciliani, though I guess that one may be one of the better knowns, all things considered? And the French Don Carlos by Abbado has been waiting for a while, too) ... and actually I just realise the Leinsdorf recordings of "Macbeth" from the "Great Recordings" and the "Verdi at the Met" boxes don't seem to be identical ... the former lacks to provide recording dates, lousily, but the timings differ quite a bit, provided we have the same cast and forces and probably within a year or so.

Not yet heard Otello? That does need fixing. Since you have the MET box you can try the one there. It's from 1940. I have no idea of how good it is. (I have a hard time getting past sonics on anything recorded, say, 1948 or before. And even past that date in some cases, especially in orchestral choral and opera.) Beyond that you have your pick of several modern recordings.

BTW, checking on that MET box brought this to my attention.
[asin]B01LYTT7LP[/asin]
Going by the casting, there should be several great performances there.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 28, 2017, 07:08:24 AM
Pelleas et Mélisande, Claude Debussy

Inghelbrecht 1962 live recording at the Theatre des Champs Elysées.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51KD6F12H0L._SY400_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 28, 2017, 07:23:34 AM
Quote from: marvinbrown on May 27, 2017, 08:59:27 AM

  One fateful day, Alberich that wretched lascivious troll shall lust after 3 voluptuous maidens and set into motion a series of events that shall bring the end of the gods and usher in a new, and hopefully better world.

  [asin] B003Y3MYYU[/asin]

  This ring cycle MUST be in every opera fan's collection. Fast, gripping and utterly electrifying!

  marvin



Böhm's Götterdämmerung is disappointing. Gutrune sounds like an old woman.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 28, 2017, 11:59:03 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on May 27, 2017, 06:08:19 PM
Not yet heard Otello? That does need fixing. Since you have the MET box you can try the one there. It's from 1940. I have no idea of how good it is. (I have a hard time getting past sonics on anything recorded, say, 1948 or before. And even past that date in some cases, especially in orchestral choral and opera.) Beyond that you have your pick of several modern recordings.

BTW, checking on that MET box brought this to my attention.
[asin]B01LYTT7LP[/asin]
Going by the casting, there should be several great performances there.

Not heard in this case just means: all of this needs time, and time for "Otello" will certainly come   :)

I have plenty of recordings ready for that time!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 29, 2017, 05:50:14 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71GwzMPZe8L._SL1500_.jpg)

Das Rheingold, WWV 86A
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 30, 2017, 05:01:11 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61z9pByEjRL.jpg)

Listening to this new recording for the first time - sounds great so far.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on May 30, 2017, 08:44:49 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on May 30, 2017, 05:01:11 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61z9pByEjRL.jpg)

Listening to this new recording for the first time - sounds great so far.

Dream cast made in heaven.  :-*
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Contemporaryclassical on May 30, 2017, 09:08:32 PM
Quote from: Don Carlo on May 30, 2017, 08:44:49 PM
Dream cast made in heaven.  :-*

Do you recommend this recording?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 31, 2017, 12:38:24 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on May 29, 2017, 05:50:14 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71GwzMPZe8L._SL1500_.jpg)

Das Rheingold, WWV 86A

My first (and favorite) Ring!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 31, 2017, 12:39:43 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on May 30, 2017, 05:01:11 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61z9pByEjRL.jpg)

Listening to this new recording for the first time - sounds great so far.

My first (and favorite) rigoletto!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2017, 01:54:56 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 08:01:59 AM
That's a recording I've not yet heard ... but one of the Verdi operas I'm quite familiar with (the others being: Don Carlo, La Traviata, Rigoletto, and to a somewhat lesser extent La forza del destino, Nabucco, Il Trovatore ... and yes, that means I've never yet heard Un ballo in maschera - I actually might have, live 20 years back, can't say for sure -, Otello and Simon Boccanegra ... Falstaff I've heard live 20 years ago, I know, but somehow that opera so far doesn't do a lot for me ... also got recordings of a few lesser known ones ready: Il Corsaro, I Due Foscari, Ernani, Giovanna d'Arco, I Lombardi, Luisa Miller, I Masniaderi, I Vespri Siciliani, though I guess that one may be one of the better knowns, all things considered? And the French Don Carlos by Abbado has been waiting for a while, too) ... and actually I just realise the Leinsdorf recordings of "Macbeth" from the "Great Recordings" and the "Verdi at the Met" boxes don't seem to be identical ... the former lacks to provide recording dates, lousily, but the timings differ quite a bit, provided we have the same cast and forces and probably within a year or so.

I review 5 different recordings of Aida here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/verdis-aida-a-comparative-review-of-5-different-recordings/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/verdis-aida-a-comparative-review-of-5-different-recordings/), though not the above Solti recording, which, for me anyway, is ruined by Solti's over loud, bombastic conducting; nor do I really join in with the general round of praise for Gorr's Amneris, though Price and Vickers are excellent.

I have recordings (sometimes more than one) of all Verdi's operas except, Oberto, Jerusalem (his re-working of I Lombardi and Aroldo (the re-working of Stiffelio.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2017, 02:01:26 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 27, 2017, 04:45:57 AM
Now playing the recording of "Macbeth" to be found in here:

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0003/469/MI0003469841.jpg)

Callas and Mascherini at La Scala in 1952, cond. Victor de Sabata. Have the Leinsdorf, Gardelli, Abbado and Muti lined up, too, for later.



Shame that EMI did such a bad job of the transfer, which is just a copy of one of the pirates. EMI didn't even notice that the copy they had splices in (from a performance with Leyla Gencer) part of the Act I finale which was lost in transmission.

The best sound I've heard is on Myto and it's a hundred times clearer than the EMI.

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/719v-j8siyl-_sl1417_.jpg?w=1024)

I review the Callas version here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 31, 2017, 12:41:15 PM
@Tsaraslondon: thanks a lot - crazy times here and off for a short vacation (I really do need it!) from tomorrow on ... will read upon my return! And hopefully the recently announced Callas live box will improve that situation, that Callas Verdi box was dirt-cheap anyway (but I've amassed so many live recordings, not sure how attractive the upcoming box really is, had no time to run against what I already have, and I guess in many cases we're talking of improving sound from extremely poor to very poor, so the question is: how much does it really matter?)

On top of the crazy times, btw, just did attend a show of Profokofiev's "The Fiery Angel" (and fought sleep a few times, I'm afraid) - musically excellent I found, very dense and intense and dissonant and most though-provoking, with an amazing Ausrine Stundyte in the main role (and an excellent Leigh Melrose in the male main role) and Gianandrea Noseda conducting - all very good, but I still found it lacking as far as theater goes. And I'm okay with that quite often in opera, but this time after the good reviews I had somewhat higher expectations and found the whole action just to be mostly make-believe, movement that had no connection to the plot really, which is a story, not a play. But either way, I guess I need to investigate some recordings of Prokofiev operas, of which I have none. This was my very first exposure, and as such it was mighty good for sure! Any recommendations?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 31, 2017, 01:11:01 PM
Quote from: king ubu on May 31, 2017, 12:41:15 PM

... This was my very first exposure, and as such it was mighty good for sure! Any recommendations?

I attended the Fiery angel in Lyon opera house last fall and also found it to be a difficult work.  The supertitle were not quite enough to follow the action.

I have quite a few Prokofiev opera on dvd.  I would definitively recommend this one (if you can find a copy).

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51K0QKJPH4L._SY400_.jpg)

great singers, very intelligent staging and extraordinary ballets.  It is much more accesdible than the Fiery angel.  It is a very convincing opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 31, 2017, 01:24:57 PM
Quote from: Spineur on May 31, 2017, 01:11:01 PM
I attended the Fiery angel in Lyon opera house last fall and also found it to be a difficult work.  The supertitle were not quite enough to follow the action.

I have quite a few Prokofiev opera on dvd.  I would definitively recommend this one (if you can find a copy).

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51K0QKJPH4L._SY400_.jpg)

great singers, very intelligent staging and extraordinary ballets.  It is much more accesdible than the Fiery angel.  It is a very convincing opera.
This here seems to be the same, but different cover?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zyQ8k3PpL.jpg)

Will make a note, thanks!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 31, 2017, 05:16:06 PM
Quote from: Don Carlo on May 30, 2017, 08:44:49 PM
Dream cast made in heaven.  :-*

Thanks - yes I really enjoyed this one (ended up listening to it several times!) :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on May 31, 2017, 05:22:01 PM
Quote from: Alberich on May 31, 2017, 12:38:24 AM
My first (and favorite) Ring!

I made the mistake of collecting Haitink's Ring as my first recording (it wasn't too bad in most respects but I agree with the people who thought Eva Marton's Brunnhilde was horrible).
I bought this Solti ring a couple of years back (although I only listened to it last week) and I think it's brilliant! - I can see how this could be a favourite recording :).

Quote from: Alberich on May 31, 2017, 12:39:43 AM
My first (and favorite) rigoletto!

Good stuff haha - yes this one is great for sure! :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 01, 2017, 12:07:09 AM
Quote from: Webernian on May 30, 2017, 09:08:32 PM
Do you recommend this recording?

It depends on what you want from an opera recording. If it's chiefly beautiful singing, then it might be the one for you.

However if you want something a little more dramatically truthful, then I'd go for Serafin with Gobbi, Callas and Di Stefano (unfortunately in mono with the cuts traditional at the time),

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ylhlzAvdL.jpg)

or Giulini, with Cappuccilli, Cotrubas and Domingo.

(http://www.paminasopera.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/51H-gi1-WKL.jpg)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 01, 2017, 12:15:56 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 31, 2017, 12:41:15 PM
@Tsaraslondon: thanks a lot - crazy times here and off for a short vacation (I really do need it!) from tomorrow on ... will read upon my return! And hopefully the recently announced Callas live box will improve that situation, that Callas Verdi box was dirt-cheap anyway (but I've amassed so many live recordings, not sure how attractive the upcoming box really is, had no time to run against what I already have, and I guess in many cases we're talking of improving sound from extremely poor to very poor, so the question is: how much does it really matter?)

On top of the crazy times, btw, just did attend a show of Profokofiev's "The Fiery Angel" (and fought sleep a few times, I'm afraid) - musically excellent I found, very dense and intense and dissonant and most though-provoking, with an amazing Ausrine Stundyte in the main role (and an excellent Leigh Melrose in the male main role) and Gianandrea Noseda conducting - all very good, but I still found it lacking as far as theater goes. And I'm okay with that quite often in opera, but this time after the good reviews I had somewhat higher expectations and found the whole action just to be mostly make-believe, movement that had no connection to the plot really, which is a story, not a play. But either way, I guess I need to investigate some recordings of Prokofiev operas, of which I have none. This was my very first exposure, and as such it was mighty good for sure! Any recommendations?

Well it remains to be seen what the sound on the Warner box will be like, and what sources they used. I heard that they approached Pablo Berruti at Divina Records, who goes to great lengths to find the very best sources and transfers them painstakingly, but Warner weren't prepared to pay him a reasonable fee, so I fear we will just get a re-hash of the EMI, where there is one, and copies of whatever CD issue they can get their hands on.

I can't really help with Prokoviev operas. Years ago I saw the ENO production of War and Peace, which was excellent and a Sendak designed production of The Love for Three Oranges at Glyndebourne, also excellent and also a long time ago. The only recording I have any real knowledge of is the Bolshoi War and Peace, with a starry cast under Melik-Pashayev.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517W65054SL.jpg)

Well worth investigating.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 02, 2017, 01:13:15 PM
A nice recital with arias ranging from the sort of familiar to the totally unknown.  All phases of Mayerbeer's career are represented.  Two arias are marked "world premiere recording".
[asin]B06XKGJD2H[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 02, 2017, 05:33:06 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71J40tA0N-L._SL1200_.jpg)

Another work Im not especially familiar with - quite an old recording but it sounds good in this incarnation.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on June 03, 2017, 02:33:30 AM
I hate to sound like a broken record but Don Giovanni is IMO Mozart's greatest opera. I am not familiar with that recording but with Fischer-Dieskau in the lead role you can't go wrong. Hope you enjoy it!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on June 03, 2017, 06:23:56 AM
Earlier this morning Act 1 & 2

[asin]B000001G6N[/asin]
Now just finished Act 3. It makes me shiver all the times.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on June 03, 2017, 10:08:48 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 02, 2017, 01:13:15 PM
A nice recital with arias ranging from the sort of familiar to the totally unknown.  All phases of Mayerbeer's career are represented.  Two arias are marked "world premiere recording".
[asin]B06XKGJD2H[/asin]
This is indeed a very nice album, with some of the finest music Meyerbeer composed.  Half of the operas (2 in German-Alimek - Ein Feldlager in Schlesien, 2 in italien-Il crociato in Egitto-Emma di Resburgo) were unknown to me.

Veronique Gens just recorded also a Grand Opera album
[asin]B071CFJYZM[/asin], with 100% obscure french operas.  In spite of the very strong presence of Veronique Gens, I have to admit that there are here good reasons why some of these operas have been forgotten.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on June 03, 2017, 10:42:40 AM
Quote from: GioCar on June 03, 2017, 06:23:56 AM
Earlier this morning Act 1 & 2

[asin]B000001G6N[/asin]
Now just finished Act 3. It makes me shiver all the times.

After reading about Jeffrey Tate's death, I decided to give this another listen:

[asin]B00127ISEK[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 03, 2017, 06:18:20 PM
Quote from: Spineur on June 03, 2017, 10:08:48 AM
This is indeed a very nice album, with some of the finest music Meyerbeer composed.  Half of the operas (2 in German-Alimek - Ein Feldlager in Schlesien, 2 in italien-Il crociato in Egitto-Emma di Resburgo) were unknown to me.


Meyerbeer's Crociato is available in at least one CD version from Naxos, but I think there are other recordings, including a DVD.  Beyond this Damrau CD I haven't heard a note of it, however.

TD
Doing two operas today.  It's time to get serious with my Opera Pile.
This afternoon starting Karajan's Ring with Rheingold
[asin]B000009CMV[/asin]
There seems to be a budget reissue from last year btw
[asin]B01GUKLJJO[/asin]

Then tonight, after some other CDs, the first opera, Armida, in this set, which I have had for eight years or more but never played until tonight.
[asin]B002EPLGWU[/asin]
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81fJZ3xINbL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 03, 2017, 07:50:06 PM
Quote from: Alberich on June 03, 2017, 02:33:30 AM
I hate to sound like a broken record but Don Giovanni is IMO Mozart's greatest opera. I am not familiar with that recording but with Fischer-Dieskau in the lead role you can't go wrong. Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks very much for your reply - I really enjoyed the recording of Don Giovanni and am listening to it again now :):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71J40tA0N-L._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71XedbCZp2L._SL1374_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 03, 2017, 10:31:01 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vVyz1DKcL._SL1200_.jpg)

I wasn't sure if I liked this work at first but I am enjoying it now - the vocal cast in this version is superb! :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 04, 2017, 11:42:07 PM
Current listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Jn7VpG67L._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 04, 2017, 11:54:07 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 04, 2017, 11:42:07 PM
Current listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Jn7VpG67L._SL1200_.jpg)
Wonderful recording IMHO. My go-to Figaro...Karl Böhm at his best, and a wonderful cast (Janowitz & Mathis!  :) )
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 05, 2017, 12:38:37 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 04, 2017, 11:54:07 PM
Wonderful recording IMHO. My go-to Figaro...Karl Böhm at his best, and a wonderful cast (Janowitz & Mathis!  :) )

Thank you :) - I can't fault this one and think it's my kind of thing.
Up till last weekend this was the only version of the work that I owned (I hope the new versions I bought measure up to this though perhaps that might be a bit difficult..).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on June 05, 2017, 06:15:02 AM
Wagner: Das Rheingold
John Wenger (Wotan), Oleg Bryjak (Alberich), Simon Yang (Fasolt), Malcolm Smith (Fafner), Hans-Jorg Weinschenk (Loge)
Badische Staatskapelle/Neuhold
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 05, 2017, 11:41:22 AM
Two days ahead of you
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81-wHSeD6nL.jpg)
Yesterday I did Walkure, tomorrow I hope to do at least the first half of Gotterdammerung.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on June 06, 2017, 06:43:17 AM
I must point out that right now this is no conscious intention to listen to the entire Ring cycle. Not long after I got the set, I listened to Götterdämmerung, and while I enjoyed it, I was mentally exhausted at the end of it. I probably couldn't do the whole thing in 4 days, or even in a week. I'm effectively treating them as four separate operas. This may well end up being the time where I listen to it in order, but maybe one a week. I am not committing myself to anything rn.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 06, 2017, 03:13:59 PM
Quote from: Maestro267 on June 06, 2017, 06:43:17 AM
I must point out that right now this is no conscious intention to listen to the entire Ring cycle. Not long after I got the set, I listened to Götterdämmerung, and while I enjoyed it, I was mentally exhausted at the end of it. I probably couldn't do the whole thing in 4 days, or even in a week. I'm effectively treating them as four separate operas. This may well end up being the time where I listen to it in order, but maybe one a week. I am not committing myself to anything rn.

I don't blame you. I have extra time on my hands, and decided to give it a try.  In fact, I am listening to Act II of Gotterdammerung right now, and will listen to it all the way through. But I didn't try to listen to it all in one go. I listened to the first two hours (Prologue and Act I) this morning, then ate, did errands, ate supper. So a long break between the two halves.  And all the other music I listened to this week, with one exception, was by Rameau, Bach, and Haydn. On purpose.  (The exception was Richter playing the Diabelli Variations.)

And I will give Wagner a bit if a rest, but not a long one.  This was a first listen to the Karajan. But I also have four other Rings (Solti, Barenboim, Janowski, and a mono hotchpotch) and a number of the non Ring operas sitting in a pile....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 06, 2017, 05:39:17 PM
How do you balance a heavy Wagner diet?
With this
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41TVERSHRVL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 06, 2017, 10:45:16 PM
Aribert Reimann: Medea

A more recent work of his (premiered in 2010 at Vienna State Opera) and I have only heard Lear out of everything he has composed, so it's nice to explore his works more.

(https://i.scdn.co/image/30238c7d93c4206b4cd7656c6a814e4449a345a9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 07, 2017, 02:37:05 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51k2e%2BmRQjL._SS500.jpg)

Sound isn't great of course, but the coruscating brilliance of Callas's performance burst through like a scorching blaze of fire.

Fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: James on June 07, 2017, 03:06:00 AM
this over the last few wks, and will continue for many, many more ..

[asin]B000GYI2U0[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 07, 2017, 04:26:45 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 07, 2017, 02:37:05 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51k2e%2BmRQjL._SS500.jpg)

Sound isn't great of course, but the coruscating brilliance of Callas's performance burst through like a scorching blaze of fire.

Fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/)
Ah, a different Medea to the one I listened to....how is the treatment to the plot? Which source is this opera based on mostly?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 07, 2017, 07:13:08 AM
Quote from: jessop on June 07, 2017, 04:26:45 AM
Ah, a different Medea to the one I listened to....how is the treatment to the plot? Which source is this opera based on mostly?

I'm not sure whether you meant a different composer or a different performance.

Callas only ever sang Cherubini's Medea, which is based on Euripides. It starts from when Medea arrives in Corinth and follows Euripides pretty closely after that.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on June 07, 2017, 11:27:37 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 07, 2017, 02:37:05 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51k2e%2BmRQjL._SS500.jpg)

Sound isn't great of course, but the coruscating brilliance of Callas's performance burst through like a scorching blaze of fire.

Fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/)
Do you know these Callas recordings with Bernstein and Tulio Serafin?

[asin]B0009S2FP6[/asin]

[asin]B00KTQD836[/asin]

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 07, 2017, 12:11:41 PM
Spineur, note his avatar.

You are addressing THE Callas Expert of GMG.

I think the only way he could increase his devotion to her would be to travel back in time and become her lover.  >:D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on June 07, 2017, 12:36:47 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 07, 2017, 12:11:41 PM
Spineur, note his avatar.

You are addressing THE Callas Expert of GMG.

I think the only way he could increase his devotion to her would be to travel back in time and become her lover.  >:D
I know !! This is why I am kindly asking Tsaras to make a comparison between these recordings. Actually, I would be really interested in a good recording of the french version which has all the recitative.  The compiegne version is OOP and not that good from what I have heared.  The modern adaptation on DVD from La monnaie is more interesting, although judging from the cover it may not be my cup of tea (the inked arm among other things).

[asin]B009ETI48S[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 07, 2017, 12:50:44 PM
Quote from: Spineur on June 07, 2017, 12:36:47 PM
...Actually, I would be really interested in a good recording of the french version which has all the recitative. 

Well, there's this one...

[asin]B0015XQKF0[/asin]
...but sadly, it's not really any good.  :(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 07, 2017, 12:59:46 PM
Quote from: Spineur on June 07, 2017, 11:27:37 AM
Do you know these Callas recordings with Bernstein and Tulio Serafin?

[asin]B0009S2FP6[/asin]

[asin]B00KTQD836[/asin]

The Bernstein performance, once issued by EMI and to be included in the Warner Live Opera Box out in September, is a justly famous one. Callas is in terrific voice, and interest lies in the different textual choices taken by Gui and Bernstein, and the differences in their approach, Gui more Classical, Bernstein verging on the Romantic. Gui also gives us more of the score. The sound is better on the Bernstein, and is best sampled on Ars Vocalis (if you can find it) or Myto.

The Serafin is a studio performance, recorded in stereo in 1957, and, for that reason, enjoys the best sound of all. Serafin's conducting is disappointingly staid, and Callas is not in her best voice. However she is incapable of being dull, and I was happy enough with this performance until I heard some of the live versions.

My favourite of all is from Dallas in 1958, with Rescigno conducting, Vickers as Giasone, Berganza as Neris and Zaccaria as Creon. Though Callas's voice doesn't have the heft it had in Florence under Gui, and at La Scala under Bernstein, her concept of the part is more subtle, and it was recorded on a night when she was on top form. Some say that the vitriol she poured out was aimed at Bing, who had just cancelled her Met contract. Whatever it was, it finds her singing with more security than at any other time in 1958. Again. it's best to look for Ars Vocalis or Myto.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on June 07, 2017, 01:28:16 PM
Thank you Tsaras !   This really finished convincing me that the warner live box was really worth getting.  Her mexico city performance of Aida is quite famous as is her Lisbon Traviata.  I have her Visi d'Arte from this performance on a CD but that's it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 07, 2017, 03:55:40 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 07, 2017, 07:13:08 AM
I'm not sure whether you meant a different composer or a different performance.

Callas only ever sang Cherubini's Medea, which is based on Euripides. It starts from when Medea arrives in Corinth and follows Euripides pretty closely after that.

A different opera, the post I made right above yours is Medea by Aribert Reimann. The Reimann one is based on a play by Franz Grillparzer which I think is just another version of the same story. Reimann adapted the work for his opera and retold it in a contemporary setting. The opera is only seven or eight years old by now, but I would be interested to know what you think if you have found the time to hear it or see it since then. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 07, 2017, 06:31:50 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71dqWYAE-vL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)

Feeling a little bit tentative about posting this - I get the impression Puccini isn't much liked around GMG? (I enjoy his music a lot so will essentially be posting stuff about him whether it bothers other people or not.. >:D ;D).
Excellent recording - all the cast are in fine form.. :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 07, 2017, 06:37:31 PM
No, no, Puccini gets some respect here
TD
Haydn
La Vera Constanza
Dorati conducting Jessye Norman et al.

A very Mozartean tinge to this one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 07, 2017, 06:42:37 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 07, 2017, 06:37:31 PM
No, no, Puccini gets some respect here

Ahhh thats great Jeffrey, thanks for letting me know (feeling better already!) :D.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 07, 2017, 08:37:29 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 07, 2017, 06:31:50 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71dqWYAE-vL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)

Feeling a little bit tentative about posting this - I get the impression Puccini isn't much liked around GMG? (I enjoy his music a lot so will essentially be posting stuff about him whether it bothers other people or not.. >:D ;D).
Excellent recording - all the cast are in fine form.. :).

That is putting it mild, the best around .
full stop.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on June 07, 2017, 08:57:10 PM
Quote from: Don Carlo on June 07, 2017, 08:37:29 PM
That is putting it mild, the best around .
full stop.
It's my favorite too, but there are some other quite outstanding ones.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Contemporaryclassical on June 07, 2017, 09:03:49 PM
Quote from: Don Carlo on June 07, 2017, 08:37:29 PM
That is putting it mild, the best around .
full stop.

Would you recommend it to a seasoned listener getting into Puccini's music?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 07, 2017, 11:12:07 PM
Quote from: Webernian on June 07, 2017, 09:03:49 PM
Would you recommend it to a seasoned listener getting into Puccini's music?

I do, together with the outstanding Butterfly recording ( same principal singers), I would say: go for it
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 08, 2017, 01:42:16 AM
Quote from: Webernian on June 07, 2017, 09:03:49 PM
Would you recommend it to a seasoned listener getting into Puccini's music?

It's certainly one of the best around, and the sound is excellent, but I would not want to be without this one

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61EwVwiOFaL.jpg)

or this one

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51u85HRXaNL.jpg)

Both are in mono only, but the sound is very acceptable, if not in the demonstration class (like the Karajan).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Cato on June 08, 2017, 03:47:54 AM
Taneyev's The Oresteia, from the Bard Festival of 2013, Leon Botstein conducting the American Symphony Orchestra:


Available here:

https://www.amazon.com/Taneyev-Botstein-American-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B00FOTT6TS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1496922285&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=taneyev+oresteia (https://www.amazon.com/Taneyev-Botstein-American-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B00FOTT6TS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1496922285&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=taneyev+oresteia)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 08, 2017, 04:43:37 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Vw0%2BUt0LL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)

Der Fliegende Holländer, WWV 63

First listen Fridays :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 09, 2017, 05:53:40 AM
Great fun. A remarkable score, a bizarre and rather funny plot with excellent music to match.

(https://i.scdn.co/image/26e2b4f40fbe87e785dd9a0cac7777706ac0fc2e)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 09, 2017, 08:29:43 AM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YLvfMKQcL._SX425_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)

Another first listen..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 09, 2017, 10:25:23 AM
Quote from: jessop on June 09, 2017, 05:53:40 AM
Great fun. A remarkable score, a bizarre and rather funny plot with excellent music to match.

(https://i.scdn.co/image/26e2b4f40fbe87e785dd9a0cac7777706ac0fc2e)

I keep getting tempted by a used DVD of that in the local used CD store. I think it was filmed during the original​ production.  Problem is, what I have heard by Henze has not appealed to me.   You might be more interested.

TD
First Listen Friday
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oX6Wmzi7L.jpg)
My set came used (from that same CD store, in fact) with no booklet, so I am relying on Wikipedia to follow the storyline.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 09, 2017, 10:33:34 AM
Re Henze
I don't see the DVD on Amazon. But this LP issue had the same cover image.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91nKuiujnLL.jpg)
I would guess your CD is the reissue of this, and the DVD is the film version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 09, 2017, 02:38:19 PM
Well I guess no music is for everyone. Der junge Lord has a rather large range of styles that Henze used for the purpose of the drama whilst still being remarkably true to his own style of writing. Perhaps it could be this mixture of neo-classical, neo-romantic and other styles that people might not be so fond of?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 09, 2017, 04:01:53 PM
Quote from: jessop on June 09, 2017, 02:38:19 PM
Well I guess no music is for everyone. Der junge Lord has a rather large range of styles that Henze used for the purpose of the drama whilst still being remarkably true to his own style of writing. Perhaps it could be this mixture of neo-classical, neo-romantic and other styles that people might not be so fond of?

It was the violin concertos that I tried and didn't like.  Whichever style(s) he used there.

To be honest, I was chiefly concerned that if I got the DVD, it would simply join the unwatched pile of DVDs.

But I thought you might be interested in it, if you ever come across it. (It's obviously long OOP.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 09, 2017, 05:45:57 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 09, 2017, 04:01:53 PM
It was the violin concertos that I tried and didn't like.  Whichever style(s) he used there.

To be honest, I was chiefly concerned that if I got the DVD, it would simply join the unwatched pile of DVDs.

But I thought you might be interested in it, if you ever come across it. (It's obviously long OOP.)
Ah I do like the violin concertos haha. And yes I think a Henze DVD would be something I'd seek out. 8) the one I'd most like to see is The Bassarids, but with the original libretto by Auden. I think the German translation is more often performed but I don't know for sure....anyway it's one of those Apollonian vs Dionysian plots which I love so much. I don't know if it's on DVD...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 09, 2017, 05:47:13 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 09, 2017, 10:33:34 AM
Re Henze
I don't see the DVD on Amazon. But this LP issue had the same cover image.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91nKuiujnLL.jpg)
I would guess your CD is the reissue of this, and the DVD is the film version.
Just noticed that this cover has a huge spoiler in the image that points out the twist ending. :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 09, 2017, 06:20:26 PM
Now playing:

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/062/MI0001062869.jpg?partner=allrovi.com) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)

First time listening to Böhm's Ring Cycle - sounds pretty good for an old live recording!.
Edit: Just listened to the first couple of Discs today (I'll finish it off later as after taking a break I felt like continuing with something different) but I was essentially impressed with what I heard so far and thought it was a strong version..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 09, 2017, 11:43:38 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Mc8avxh1L._SL1200_.jpg)

Been listening to excerpts from this recording the last few days - I really like this (Cotrubas and Domingo are wonderful!)..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 10, 2017, 01:32:12 AM
Haven't heard this one before so now would be the time to check it out I think

(http://s.mxmcdn.net/images-storage/albums4/5/6/2/5/8/8/32885265_500_500.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 10, 2017, 01:51:22 AM
Quote from: α | ì Æ ñ on June 10, 2017, 01:37:39 AM
I haven't heard that but Kurt Weill's works are always excellent  8)
For someone who has such mixed feelings about opera in general you should read up about what he was doing here. You might like it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 10, 2017, 02:03:27 AM
Quote from: α | ì Æ ñ on June 10, 2017, 01:59:13 AM
Of course I know the Alabama Song  ;) but just the opera as a whole. Kurt Weill's music (like Gershwin) is very close to my heart, I'm surprised I haven't heard the whole thing yet  ???

What do you think of it?  :)
Well I am only listening to it for the first time on spotify and I find the music quite enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 10, 2017, 02:16:34 AM
Quote from: α | ì Æ ñ on June 10, 2017, 02:09:21 AM
Alright  :) I think I'm gonna put it on my to-do list  ;D

Btw, have you ever heard his symphonies?

I have but not since 2013 when I was was listening to a lot of Krenek, Weill, Hindemith, Eisler etc
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on June 10, 2017, 01:36:06 PM
Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier
Carlos Kleiber Bayerischen Staatsoper.

Production director Otto Schenk

[asin]B0009I8PHI[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 10, 2017, 07:13:32 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51X0QFQTVTL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)

Listening to this again - terrific recording ( theres essentially nothing to complain about!).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 10, 2017, 08:54:09 PM
(http://s6.postimg.org/5wxuhx4sx/81_Ns_POa_F_a_L_SL1400.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)

Just purchased this set, starting with: La Boheme.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 10, 2017, 09:13:52 PM
Quote from: Don Carlo on June 10, 2017, 08:54:09 PM
(http://s6.postimg.org/5wxuhx4sx/81_Ns_POa_F_a_L_SL1400.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)

Just purchased this set, starting with: La Boheme.

Good stuff that looks like a nice set (I noticed it may have gone OOP as it is now very expensive..).
Do you think "Webernian" will ask you for a recommendation about this one? (j/k sort of.. ;)).
I purchased the Stereo version of Tebaldi's La Boheme on Decca earlier in the week - is that the one you are listening to?.
Anyway would love to know what you think of it..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on June 10, 2017, 09:31:03 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 10, 2017, 09:13:52 PM
Good stuff that looks like a nice set (I noticed it may have gone OOP as it is now very expensive..).
Do you think "Webernian" will ask you for a recommendation about this one? (j/k sort of.. ;)).
I purchased the Stereo version of Tebaldi's La Boheme on Decca earlier in the week - is that the one you are listening to?.
Anyway would love to know what you think of it..
You didn't ask me but it's a very fine version with Tebaldi and Bergonzi. I very much like the contrast of Bergonzi with Pavarotti/Bjorling. Bergonzi has such a sweet voice here. Sound isn't ideal, but Serafin does a wonderful job with the orchestra and crafting the ideal atmosphere. It does have a very Italian feel, full of nuance (something I miss from Pav/Freni/Karajan at times, as beautiful as that one is).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 10, 2017, 09:44:30 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on June 10, 2017, 09:31:03 PM
You didn't ask me but it's a very fine version with Tebaldi and Bergonzi. I very much like the contrast of Bergonzi with Pavarotti/Bjorling. Bergonzi has such a sweet voice here. Sound isn't ideal, but Serafin does a wonderful job with the orchestra and crafting the ideal atmosphere. It does have a very Italian feel, full of nuance (something I miss from Pav/Freni/Karajan at times, as beautiful as that one is).

Thanks neal I appreciate your response - I have been trawling this section of the forum lately and I remember you responded (or were the OP?) of the thread about the passing of Bergonzi a few years back.
I have a few of his recordings already and think them to be excellent - I am really looking forward to that recording of La Boheme now! :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 10, 2017, 11:37:55 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61-uRYKOB7L.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)

Listened to Act 1 from this recording for the first time - I loved it! (a predictable response perhaps): At this stage I am saying that it's as good as it's reputation would suggest.

Now playing:

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/062/MI0001062869.jpg?partner=allrovi.com) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)

Picking up (from a little bit before) were I left off yesterday..


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 11, 2017, 03:06:04 AM
Birtwistle's early operatic masterpiece

(http://is4.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music5/v4/42/a1/00/42a10052-b958-1383-d220-2b7a9270b0ba/source/1200x630bb.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 11, 2017, 07:51:42 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Vw0%2BUt0LL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)

Giving this work another listen - enjoying it so far (though I suspect it will take me many more listens to get the most out of it).

Later:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GckFrzYLL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)

Will be listening to this work for the first time (not sure if I will have time for all of it today so possibly to be continued..).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 11, 2017, 08:50:10 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 10, 2017, 09:44:30 PM
Thanks neal I appreciate your response - I have been trawling this section of the forum lately and I remember you responded (or were the OP?) of the thread about the passing of Bergonzi a few years back.
I have a few of his recordings already and think them to be excellent - I am really looking forward to that recording of La Boheme now! :).

As the rest is already be commented  by others, I only can say,buy it, he was one of the best tenors the world ever seen, no matter what anyone else saying.Just remeber one of the Met gala's where he sung in his 70ties, and still as  clears as crystal .
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 11, 2017, 10:03:21 PM
Quote from: Don Carlo on June 11, 2017, 08:50:10 PM
As the rest is already be commented  by others, I only can say,buy it, he was one of the best tenors the world ever seen, no matter what anyone else saying.Just remeber one of the Met gala's where he sung in his 70ties, and still as  clears as crystal .

I purchased the recording already - I was just curious to know what you thought about it (as you are endorsing it that would seem to answer my question however so thanks ;)).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on June 12, 2017, 05:23:39 AM
That Sawallisch recording of Lohengrin was the first one I heard and I'm afraid that it was the reason for my lack of enthusiasm for the opera back then. When I heard Kempe's on the other hand, I fell in love with it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 12, 2017, 06:05:09 AM
I highly recommend Sir Mark Elder's recording of Lohengrin. The best I've heard, particularly the cast.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 12, 2017, 05:15:01 PM
Quote from: Alberich on June 12, 2017, 05:23:39 AM
That Sawallisch recording of Lohengrin was the first one I heard and I'm afraid that it was the reason for my lack of enthusiasm for the opera back then. When I heard Kempe's on the other hand, I fell in love with it.
Quote from: jessop on June 12, 2017, 06:05:09 AM
I highly recommend Sir Mark Elder's recording of Lohengrin. The best I've heard, particularly the cast.

Alright Guys - thanks for your replies and suggestions :).
Im finding the Sawallisch acceptable so far - Im a bit wary of getting more Wagner recordings ATM (as I have a lot unlistened to) but yes, I'll keep your recommendations in mind.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 12, 2017, 05:18:02 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GckFrzYLL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)

Continuing with this recording - now listening to Act 3.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 12, 2017, 05:42:24 PM
Found this in the used CD shop for $5.99.
Never heard of this early Rossini (1812).  But Amazon reveals there are four other recordings, plus a DVD.  This apparently was the first recording, on Vanguard, and includes Jose Carreras.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/21KMD6318PL.jpg).
Initial impression: If you like Rossini, get one of the recordings, although I doubt you need more than one.

Wikipedia article including plot summary
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_pietra_del_paragone
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 12, 2017, 09:13:40 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/QXhgSCR.jpg?1)
I am going to sit down and watch this stunning Rusalka.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 13, 2017, 12:14:06 AM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71oaWFkG8aL._SL1050_.jpg)

This just arrived a couple of hours ago and now listening for the first time.
Almost finished the first Disc and enjoying it so far - Bergonzi and Tebaldi are great! :D.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2017, 02:08:23 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/dvn018_l.jpg)

Fantastic transfer of this famous performance, a performance which changed the face of operatic history. This is absolutely where the bel canto revival started.

Callas is in fabulous form, and, though the opera is heavily cut, none of the Annas in the various studios sets (Sutherland, Sills, Souliotis, Gruberova) comes within a mile of her vocal and dramatic acumen and her supreme musicality. In the words of Richard Fairman in Opera on Record III, "she alone, of latter-day artists, has the power to grasp the emotional crux of every line and put it across."

Without doubt one of the most thrilling nights in Callas's career.

Review on my blog here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 13, 2017, 04:49:36 AM
An oldie but a goody

(https://i.scdn.co/image/1a5ea82bceaa00223e5b155736cc4892153161a8)

The world premiere recording of Lear. I'll compare with a more recent one soon I hope.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 13, 2017, 04:51:15 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 13, 2017, 12:14:06 AM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71oaWFkG8aL._SL1050_.jpg)

This just arrived a couple of hours ago and now listening for the first time.
Almost finished the first Disc and enjoying it so far - Bergonzi and Tebaldi are great! :D.

Did you buy the whole Tebaldi box or separated recordings?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 13, 2017, 05:33:46 PM
Gluck as adapted by Wagner.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/411iLkTNeTL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51E8mST-PML.jpg)

Just beginning, so it's hard to say what changes Wagner made.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 13, 2017, 07:35:17 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71dqWYAE-vL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)

:)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 13, 2017, 07:41:27 PM
Quote from: Don Carlo on June 13, 2017, 04:51:15 AM
Did you buy the whole Tebaldi box or separated recordings?

I bought the individual (stereo) issues of La Boheme and Madama Butterfly from your box.
I commented on the box when you posted it last week and noted that it's now possibly OOP or down to the last few copies (as it's now very expensive).
Basically I couldn't afford the box and was just pointing out that you were lucky to own a copy (as Im sure its got a lot of good stuff in it)..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 13, 2017, 08:04:56 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 13, 2017, 07:41:27 PM
I bought the individual (stereo) issues of La Boheme and Madama Butterfly from your box.
I commented on the box when you posted it last week and noted that it's now possibly OOP or down to the last few copies (as it's now very expensive).
Basically I couldn't afford the box and was just pointing out that you were lucky to own a copy (as Im sure its got a lot of good stuff in it)..

I bought the boc for €99.00 when it came out, on the other hand you better buy them separate, the whole box is a shamble to the artist.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 13, 2017, 08:47:23 PM
Quote from: Don Carlo on June 13, 2017, 08:04:56 PM
I bought the boc for €99.00 when it came out

The box was released in 2014 - why did you say this then?:

Quote from: Don Carlo on June 10, 2017, 08:54:09 PM
(http://s6.postimg.org/5wxuhx4sx/81_Ns_POa_F_a_L_SL1400.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)

Just purchased this set

Just curious? (Im a pretty friendly person in case theres any doubt..)  ;)

Quote from: Don Carlo on June 13, 2017, 08:04:56 PM
on the other hand you better buy them separate, the whole box is a shamble to the artist.

I agree: Univeral Classics boxes are always pretty minimal - Sony and Warners sort of lead the way with their big Artist Commemorative boxes (stuff like the Rubinstein, glenn Gould and Callas boxes come to mind).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 13, 2017, 09:31:12 PM
Not a long one, but very intriguing

(https://i.scdn.co/image/5df32b4d2855f157153798034a5dde72ae1e165f)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 13, 2017, 10:14:02 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71BVy7X-UNL._SL1376_.jpg)

Recieved this recording in the mail this afternoon and now listening to it for the first time.
Edit: Almost finished the final Disc - found this not quite as compelling as Abbado's version but it is quite nice and can't really be faulted on anything other than individual preference.
Only a first listen so not a firm opinion.. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 13, 2017, 10:26:11 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 13, 2017, 08:47:23 PM
The box was released in 2014 - why did you say this then?:

Just curious? (Im a pretty friendly person in case theres any doubt..)  ;)

I agree: Univeral Classics boxes are always pretty minimal - Sony and Warners sort of lead the way with their big Artist Commemorative boxes (stuff like the Rubinstein, glenn Gould and Callas boxes come to mind).

I do think that's a very reasonable price for 66 CD's , no idea how the prices are now, that's why.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 14, 2017, 01:17:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2017, 02:08:23 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/dvn018_l.jpg)

Fantastic transfer of this famous performance, a performance which changed the face of operatic history. This is absolutely where the bel canto revival started.

Callas is in fabulous form, and, though the opera is heavily cut, none of the Annas in the various studios sets (Sutherland, Sills, Souliotis, Gruberova) comes within a mile of her vocal and dramatic acumen and her supreme musicality. In the words of Richard Fairman in Opera on Record III, "she alone, of latter-day artists, has the power to grasp the emotional crux of every line and put it across."

Without doubt one of the most thrilling nights in Callas's career.

Review on my blog here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)

Thanks for this - I visited your Blog today and I was very impressed!.
I appreciate your enthusiasm for Callas - I dont know much about her or her discography yet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2017, 01:36:45 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 13, 2017, 10:14:02 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71BVy7X-UNL._SL1376_.jpg)

Recieved this recording in the mail this afternoon and now listening to it for the first time.
Edit: Almost finished the final Disc - found this not quite as compelling as Abbado's version but it is quite nice and can't really be faulted on anything other than individual preference.
Only a first listen so not a firm opinion.. :)

This is one of the two recordings of Carmen I own (the other is the Callas recording).

I bought it after seeing Baltsa and Carreras in the opera at Covent Garden, one of my most memorable evenings in the opera house. I do like their performances on this set, and also that of Jose Van Dam as Escamillo, but Ricciarelli, a singer I've enjoyed in other repertoire, is woefully miscast as Micaela. I don't like having the spoken dialogue delivered by actors, whose voices bear no relation to the singers', and, beautiful though much of the orchestral playing is, I find the speeds ponderous and slow. This is a heavy, Teutonic Carmen, not really to my taste. I keep it for the performances of the two principals, but that's the only reason really.

My favourites are, predictably, the Callas version, which is very French in feel, having been recorded in Paris with a mostly French cast, conductor, chorus and orchestra; the Abbado, probably the most central recommendation, and the Beecham, which is wonderfully suave and elegant, though De Los Angeles doesn't convince me for one moment that she would pull a knife on a fellow worker in a cat fight. Her singing is of course unfailingly musical.

Of these, Abbado's version uses the original spoken dialogue (spoken by the singers). The Callas and Beecham versions use the Guiraud recitatives, which were traditionally used back then.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 14, 2017, 01:51:44 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2017, 01:36:45 AM
This is one of the two recordings of Carmen I own (the other is the Callas recording).

I bought it after seeing Baltsa and Carreras in the opera at Covent Garden, one of my most memorable evenings in the opera house. I do like their performances on this set, and also that of Jose Van Dam as Escamillo, but Ricciarelli, a singer I've enjoyed in other repertoire, is woefully miscast as Micaela. I don't like having the spoken dialogue delivered by actors, whose voices bear no relation to the singers', and, beautiful though much of the orchestral playing is, I find the speeds ponderous and slow. This is a heavy, Teutonic Carmen, not really to my taste. I keep it for the performances of the two principals, but that's the only reason really.

My favourites are, predictably, the Callas version, which is very French in feel, having been recorded in Paris with a mostly French cast, conductor, chorus and orchestra; the Abbado, probably the most central recommendation, and the Beecham, which is wonderfully suave and elegant, though De Los Angeles doesn't convince me for one moment that she would pull a knife on a fellow worker in a cat fight. Her singing is of course unfailingly musical.

Of these, Abbado's version uses the original spoken dialogue (spoken by the singers). The Callas and Beecham versions use the Guiraud recitatives, which were traditionally used back then.


Thanks for your response - I haven't tried Callas or Beecham's version yet but I'll keep them in mind:
I don't have any experience with Callas' recordings from the 1950's yet - I bought her Madama Butterfly with Karajan/La Scala from 1955 and it's pretty much an experiment to see how I find the sound from this series of recordings.
Im not fully allergic to Mono recordings and have a number of Jazz and Rock recordings from the 50's/60's in Mono which I enjoy a lot but not many Classical recordings in Mono that I would listen to very often.
But I am curious about Callas - If I like the MB I will possibly pick up more of her recordings :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2017, 01:51:51 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 14, 2017, 01:17:51 AM
Thanks for this - I visited your Blog today and I was very impressed!.
I appreciate your enthusiasm for Callas - I dont know much about her or her discography yet.

Thank you.

As you will have noted, Callas is my passion, but there are a couple of blog posts about other opera recordings.

Callas divides opinion to this day. The voice, a magnificent one in her early days, is completely individual and was never conventionally beautiful, and she was never afraid to sacrifice beauty of tone to expressive use of the voice. But even those who dislike her voice would aver her fantastic musicality.There is no doubt she was one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century, something that cannot be said of a lot of singers.

That said, there are those who just don't like the sound of her voice, even when she was at her peak. I accept that. But, if you do get the bug, the rewards are infinite.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2017, 02:00:02 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 14, 2017, 01:51:44 AM
Thanks for your response - I haven't tried Callas or Beecham's version yet but I'll keep them in mind:
I don't have any experience with Callas' recordings from the 1950's yet - I bought her Madama Butterfly with Karajan/La Scala from 1955 and it's pretty much an experiment to see how I find the sound from this series of recordings.
Im not fully allergic to Mono recordings and have a number of Jazz and Rock recordings from the 50's/60's in Mono which I enjoy a lot but not many Classical recordings in Mono that I would listen to very often.
But I am curious about Callas - If I like the MB I will possibly pick up more of her recordings :).

All Callas's recordings up until 1957 are mono, and that year, though the Il Barbiere di Siviglia, recorded in London, is stereo, all the recordings she made in Milan are in mono. It is a great pity that Legge was so wary of mono. Decca were making excellent stereo recordings with Tebaldi at the same time. That said, some are better than others; the famous De Sabata Tosca, recorded in 1953, is particularly good.

The Madama Butterfly is a bit boxy, but sounds well enough to me in the recent Warner pressing, though obviously not as lush as Karajan's second Decca recording. My review of it here

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 14, 2017, 02:02:45 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2017, 02:00:02 AM
All Callas's recordings up until 1957 are mono, and that year, though the Il Barbiere di Siviglia, recorded in London, is stereo, all the recordings she made in Milan are in mono. It is a great pity that Legge was so wary of mono. Decca were making excellent stereo recordings with Tebaldi at the same time. That said, some are better than others; the famous De Sabata Tosca, recorded in 1953, is particularly good.

The Madama Butterfly is a bit boxy, but sounds well enough to me in the recent Warner pressing, though obviously not as lush as Karajan's second Decca recording. My review of it here

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/)

Excellent - thanks for your replies :).
I'll be sure to check out your review of the MB recording soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 14, 2017, 11:08:19 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2017, 02:08:23 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/dvn018_l.jpg)

Fantastic transfer of this famous performance, a performance which changed the face of operatic history. This is absolutely where the bel canto revival started.

Callas is in fabulous form, and, though the opera is heavily cut, none of the Annas in the various studios sets (Sutherland, Sills, Souliotis, Gruberova) comes within a mile of her vocal and dramatic acumen and her supreme musicality. In the words of Richard Fairman in Opera on Record III, "she alone, of latter-day artists, has the power to grasp the emotional crux of every line and put it across."

Without doubt one of the most thrilling nights in Callas's career.

Review on my blog here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)

^ I

*LOVE*

this

review!

- especially the much fuller in extenso exegesis of it at your site.

I couldn't agree more with the analysis and conclusions. . . and of course how- for some of us at any rate- Callas' innate musicality coupled with her ingenious dramatic instincts just sends galvanizing seismic shifts of emotional resonances though us.

For me, her singing may not always be the most beautiful 'singing,' but it is without cavil or question the most beautifully 'expressed,' the most 'moving,' and the most dramatically 'true.'

No artist moves me like she does.

Callas' characterization of Anna Bolena can be so alternately tender and loving- and then shifting gears: so absolutely-and-incandescently 'thrill-ing' at the same time-  that my emotions are just all over the map!

If Aristotle ever needed a more concrete artistic example of how catharsis is attained, the shining exemplar of Callas' Anna Bolena is it.

She's not just the singer of the century, but (I imagine) the Singer of Many Centuries.


(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/de/74/e4/de74e4d9ac7728ab3f08bd0a8d618818.jpg)






Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 14, 2017, 06:10:36 PM
A Marsch sighting! Good to see you.
TD
I may have heard this opera a few decades ago on a Met matinee broadcast, but if  I did I don't remember it. So this was effectively a first listen.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SN5PR8DAL.jpg)

Since it's based on Schiller, the story is a bit convoluted/improbable, and the music sometimes falls into the merely oom pah pad blood and bombast type of Verdi. But much of the music rises above that, anyway.

Besides, sometimes you need oom pah pah blood and bombast Verdi.

The recording is the first of six in this set.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL.jpg)

(The other five: Trovatore, Sicilian Vespers, Forza del Destino, Aida, Otello)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 01:00:38 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 14, 2017, 06:10:36 PM
A Marsch sighting! Good to see you.
TD
I may have heard this opera a few decades ago on a Met matinee broadcast, but if  I did I don't remember it. So this was effectively a first listen.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SN5PR8DAL.jpg)

Since it's based on Schiller, the story is a bit convoluted/improbable, and the music sometimes falls into the merely oom pah pad blood and bombast type of Verdi. But much of the music rises above that, anyway.

Besides, sometimes you need oom pah pah blood and bombast Verdi.

The recording is the first of six in this set.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL.jpg)

(The other five: Trovatore, Sicilian Vespers, Forza del Destino, Aida, Otello)
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 14, 2017, 06:10:36 PM
A Marsch sighting! Good to see you.
TD
I may have heard this opera a few decades ago on a Met matinee broadcast, but if  I did I don't remember it. So this was effectively a first listen.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SN5PR8DAL.jpg)

Since it's based on Schiller, the story is a bit convoluted/improbable, and the music sometimes falls into the merely oom pah pad blood and bombast type of Verdi. But much of the music rises above that, anyway.

Besides, sometimes you need oom pah pah blood and bombast Verdi.

The recording is the first of six in this set.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL.jpg)

(The other five: Trovatore, Sicilian Vespers, Forza del Destino, Aida, Otello)

If these are all Sony recordings, none of them are quite the best representatives of the various operas, despite the presence of Domingo.

For Luisa Miller, I always head for Moffo/Bergonzi on RCA, Caballe/Pavarotti on Decca or Riccciarelli/Domingo on DG.
Caballe sings gloriously, but I don't really believe in her as a village girl, Moffo is also at her best and I find her portrayal a little more sympathetic. Ricciarelli is the most affecting of all, but also the most vocally fallible. All three tenors are superb. Best conducted is probably the Decca under Maag.

It's an important opera in Verdi's development, the duets for father and daughter hunting at what Verdi would eventually achieve in the Violeta/Germont duets in La Traviata.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 02:04:35 AM
Quote from: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 14, 2017, 11:08:19 AM
^ I

*LOVE*

this

review!

- especially the much fuller in extenso exegesis of it at your site.

I couldn't agree more with the analysis and conclusions. . . and of course how- for some of us at any rate- Callas' innate musicality coupled with her ingenious dramatic instincts just sends galvanizing seismic shifts of emotional resonances though us.

For me, her singing may not always be the most beautiful 'singing,' but it is without cavil or question the most beautifully 'expressed,' the most 'moving,' and the most dramatically 'true.'

No artist moves me like she does.

Callas' characterization of Anna Bolena can be so alternately tender and loving- and then shifting gears: so absolutely-and-incandescently 'thrill-ing' at the same time-  that my emotions are just all over the map!

If Aristotle ever needed a more concrete artistic example of how catharsis is attained, the shining exemplar of Callas' Anna Bolena is it.

She's not just the singer of the century, but (I imagine) the Singer of Many Centuries.


(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/de/74/e4/de74e4d9ac7728ab3f08bd0a8d618818.jpg)

How fabulous to have you back!

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 07:20:08 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 14, 2017, 06:10:36 PM
A Marsch sighting! Good to see you.
TD
I may have heard this opera a few decades ago on a Met matinee broadcast, but if  I did I don't remember it. So this was effectively a first listen.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SN5PR8DAL.jpg)

Since it's based on Schiller, the story is a bit convoluted/improbable, and the music sometimes falls into the merely oom pah pad blood and bombast type of Verdi. But much of the music rises above that, anyway.

Besides, sometimes you need oom pah pah blood and bombast Verdi.

The recording is the first of six in this set.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL.jpg)

(The other five: Trovatore, Sicilian Vespers, Forza del Destino, Aida, Otello)

Hi Jeffrey!- the enthusiasm's mutual; especially with 'Verdi' fans ;D . . .

Switching gears from pleasantries: The sometimes repetitive and pedictable "oom-pah-pah" of Verdi's orchestration never really chafes on me because his vocal lines (as opposed to the merely orchestral ones) are just so absolutely dramatically stellar.

I may incline to Wagner and Strauss' 'orchestrations' but I vastly prefer the dramatic finessings of Verdi when it comes to the singing. . . . . . . 'and,' Donizetti, 'and' Bellini, and even Rossini for that matter.

I'll take the dramatic powerhousings of Callas' Armida or Lady Macbeth over Brunnhilde any 'day.'
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 07:22:45 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 02:04:35 AM
How fabulous to have you back!

And how fabulous to bask in such illustrious company.

Cheers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 15, 2017, 07:43:09 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 01:00:38 AM
If these are all Sony recordings, none of them are quite the best representatives of the various operas, despite the presence of Domingo.
I have a few recordings of Aida and Otello already, but the others are ones I will be probably be content with one recording only.   In fact, I don't remember ever hearing Vespri before (unless that too was broadcast by the Met matinee, which it may well have been).  Aida and Otello, on the other hand, I will be soon getting at least one more each.  Such is the way things go, each will have Domingo.  Meaning I will have three Domingo Otellos and two Domingo Radames.

But my liking for Domingo goes well back, since I decided that out of "I Tre Tenori" he seemed to be the best actor.   Watching Luciano can be like watching a large ham walk aimlessly around the stage. (A very very large ham by the time he got to the end of his career.)  Then, a few years ago, I got two recordings of Don Carlo at the same time, and was able to a back to back comparison of the two.  Domingo won.

Quote
For Luisa Miller, I always head for Moffo/Bergonzi on RCA, Caballe/Pavarotti on Decca or Riccciarelli/Domingo on DG.
Caballe sings gloriously, but I don't really believe in her as a village girl, Moffo is also at her best and I find her portrayal a little more sympathetic. Ricciarelli is the most affecting of all, but also the most vocally fallible. All three tenors are superb. Best conducted is probably the Decca under Maag.
I'll keep this in mind if I do ever go for another recordings.
Quote
It's an important opera in Verdi's development, the duets for father and daughter hunting at what Verdi would eventually achieve in the Violeta/Germont duets in La Traviata.

I noticed them.  And the father son scenes between the Count and Rodolfo weren't shabby either.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 15, 2017, 07:44:19 AM
Quote from: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 07:20:08 AM
Hi Jeffrey!- the enthusiasm's mutual; especially with 'Verdi' fans ;D . . .

Switching gears from pleasantries: The sometimes repetitive and pedictable "oom-pah-pah" of Verdi's orchestration never really chafes on me because his vocal lines (as opposed to the merely orchestral ones) are just so absolutely dramatically stellar.

I may incline to Wagner and Strauss' 'orchestrations' but I vastly prefer the dramatic finessings of Verdi when it comes to the singing. . . . . . . 'and,' Donizetti, 'and' Bellini, and even Rossini for that matter.

I'll take the dramatic powerhousings of Callas' Armida or Lady Macbeth over Brunnhilde any 'day.'


Have to disagree with you.  But then I'm the one that just actually did the Ring in four days (last week). :P
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 08:42:25 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 15, 2017, 07:43:09 AM
I have a few recordings of Aida and Otello already, but the others are ones I will be probably be content with one recording only.   In fact, I don't remember ever hearing Vespri before (unless that too was broadcast by the Met matinee, which it may well have been).  Aida and Otello, on the other hand, I will be soon getting at least one more each.  Such is the way things go, each will have Domingo.  Meaning I will have three Domingo Otellos and two Domingo Radames.

I agree with you about Domingo, but you really ought to investigate Vickers in the role of Otello too. I have his earlier performance under Serafin, with Gobbi, the very best of all Iagos, though I don't care much for Rysanek as Desdemona. He also recorded it with Karajan, but Karajan takes a heinous cut in the great Act III ensemble, which puts it out of the running for me, despite Freni's affecting Desdemona. There is also a tremendous video of a Zeffirelli Met production with Scotto as Desdemona and Cornell MacNeil as Iago, with Levine in the pit.

For Aida, predictably, I turn to Callas, for all that I don't think she was ever that suited to the role. She brings the rather placid character of Aida to life more than any other soprano on record. Vocally she is a lot better live in Mexico than she is on the EMI recording, but the sound on the Mexico performance is a stumbling block. Muti's recording with Caballe and Domingo is a good central recommendation, but the new Pappano is definitely worth considering. Kaufmann is superb as Radames, arguably one of the greatest recorded.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 15, 2017, 09:05:05 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 08:42:25 AM
I agree with you about Domingo, but you really ought to investigate Vickers in the role of Otello too. I have his earlier performance under Serafin, with Gobbi, the very best of all Iagos, though I don't care much for Rysanek as Desdemona. He also recorded it with Karajan, but Karajan takes a heinous cut in the great Act III ensemble, which puts it out of the running for me, despite Freni's affecting Desdemona. There is also a tremendous video of a Zeffirelli Met production with Scotto as Desdemona and Cornell MacNeil as Iago, with Levine in the pit.

For Aida, predictably, I turn to Callas, for all that I don't think she was ever that suited to the role. She brings the rather placid character of Aida to life more than any other soprano on record. Vocally she is a lot better live in Mexico than she is on the EMI recording, but the sound on the Mexico performance is a stumbling block. Muti's recording with Caballe and Domingo is a good central recommendation, but the new Pappano is definitely worth considering. Kaufmann is superb as Radames, arguably one of the greatest recorded.

Got almost all of those.
The Vickers/Serafin Otello was among the first opera recordings I ever got, and is still the only Otello I have that's not with Domingo.
Don't have the Karajan or the DVD, but I saw the production (a great one in its own right, no matter who was in the cast) live

QuoteAtlanta, Georgia
May 1, 1979


OTELLO {235}
Giuseppe Verdi--Arrigo Boito

Otello..................Richard Cassilly
Desdemona...............Gilda Cruz-Romo
Iago....................Sherrill Milnes
Emilia..................Jean Kraft
Cassio..................Frank Little
Lodovico................James Morris
Montàno.................Robert Goodloe
Roderigo................Andrea Velis
Herald..................Arthur Thompson

Conductor...............James Levine

Cassilly was a "last minute" sub for a "sick" Vickers.  People were always skeptical about Vickers calling in sick.  Anyone who wanted to be better than Milnes in that role has a very high hurdle to clear....

As for Aida,  I've got the Pappano, am getting ready to order the Muti, and have both Callas recordings (although the studio recording is still unheard, sitting in THE BOX). I've also got the Karajan EMI (the one with Carreras and Freni).

In the Domingo box, the recordings are the Otello with Levine and the Aida with Leinsdorf.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on June 15, 2017, 09:25:25 AM
Mario del Monaco is the legendary otello

[asin]B000VZAV44[/asin]

He recorded it several times, but his prestance is so strong that I keep coming back to this live performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 09:39:16 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 15, 2017, 09:05:05 AM
As for Aida,  I've got the Pappano, am getting ready to order the Muti, and have both Callas recordings (although the studio recording is still unheard, sitting in THE BOX). I've also got the Karajan EMI (the one with Carreras and Freni).

In the Domingo box, the recordings are the Otello with Levine and the Aida with Leinsdorf.

I like that Karajan recordings, especially Baltsa's Amneris, a spoiled young Princes, rather than the harridan she is often portrayed.

I have the Levine Otello too, and I do like it, not least for Scotto's Desdemona.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dee Sharp on June 15, 2017, 09:40:38 AM
Rossini: Semiramide. Studer/Ramey/Larmore Marin/LSO.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51KS92PDnlL._SY355_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 09:40:46 AM
Quote from: Spineur on June 15, 2017, 09:25:25 AM
Mario del Monaco is the legendary otello

[asin]B000VZAV44[/asin]

He recorded it several times, but his prestance is so strong that I keep coming back to this live performance.

He had the perfect voice for the role, and I still have a soft spot for Karajan's first recording, but I think both Vickers and Domingo probe more deeply.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 10:02:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 09:39:16 AM
I like that Karajan recordings, especially Baltsa's Amneris, a spoiled young Princes, rather than the harridan she is often portrayed.

I have the Levine Otello too, and I do like it, not least for Scotto's Desdemona.

Oh my God yeah!

I can't exhaust superlatives on how affecting Scotto's Act I love duet before dawn is with Domingo.

I mean I was just floored with it when I heard it.

It has to be my overall favorite Othello.

- although I'll still take the ferocious majesty of Karajan's opening choruses on the EMI/BPO performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 15, 2017, 12:39:41 PM
Purchases from the local used CD store.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71aUprujtzL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jQIbHQ0BL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/711ojpSUZcL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41DAVNADZTL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/21PTDGP2H3L.jpg)

This means I can now do a Placido threeway with Otello.
I didn't even notice Domingo was in the Cilea until I got home. I got it because I have no recordings of this opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 12:51:49 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 15, 2017, 09:05:05 AM

As for Aida,  I've got the Pappano, am getting ready to order the Muti, and have both Callas recordings (although the studio recording is still unheard, sitting in THE BOX).

You'll never hear a better Nile scene than this one with Callas and Gobbi. Serafin is also at his best here too. No other conductor quite makes the violins weep the way he does as Aida sings that sublimely moving phrase on O patria, patria quanto mi costi.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 12:53:36 PM
Quote from: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 10:02:02 AM
Oh my God yeah!

I can't exhaust superlatives on how affecting Scotto's Act I love duet before dawn is with Domingo.

I mean I was just floored with it when I heard it.

It has to be my overall favorite Othello.

- although I'll still take the ferocious majesty of Karajan's opening choruses on the EMI/BPO performance.

I find it hard to choose between Serafin and Levine. Vickers and Gobbi are a hard act to follow, but Rysanek is nowhere near as affecting as Scotto. I need them both.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 01:02:28 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 15, 2017, 12:39:41 PM
Purchases from the local used CD store.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71aUprujtzL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jQIbHQ0BL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/711ojpSUZcL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41DAVNADZTL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/21PTDGP2H3L.jpg)

This means I can now do a Placido threeway with Otello.
I didn't even notice Domingo was in the Cilea until I got home. I got it because I have no recordings of this opera.

I have the Giulini Il Trovatore and the Cilea.

I like the Trovatore very much, though not as much as the Callas/Karajan, which is one of the great Verdi recordings. Karajan is so alive to its rhythmic vigour, and Giulini can be a tad slow in comparison. That said, Plowright has just the right tinta for Leonora, and Fassbaender is an extremely interesting, if unconventional Azucena.

The Cilea is a load of old hokum, if you ask me, but this recording makes the very best case for it.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 15, 2017, 01:42:03 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 01:02:28 PM


The Cilea is a load of old hokum, if you ask me, but this recording makes the very best case for it.

Yes, that's why I didn't have a recording of it before. This is the one in which she dies from poisoned flowers, isn't it?  Since it came used, there's no libretto book, just the CDs.

I'm hoping this Chenier is better than the Pavarotti, which I have...and was not impressed with. This store also had copies of the Corelli and Carreras recordings. Have you heard either of those?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 02:44:08 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 15, 2017, 01:42:03 PM
Yes, that's why I didn't have a recording of it before. This is the one in which she dies from poisoned flowers, isn't it?  Since it came used, there's no libretto book, just the CDs.

I'm hoping this Chenier is better than the Pavarotti, which I have...and was not impressed with. This store also had copies of the Corelli and Carreras recordings. Have you heard either of those?

I used to have the Chenier on LP many moons ago, but never replaced it on CD. It's not an opera I like much, to be honest, but I think that Domingo/Levine recording is the best I've heard.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 02:50:28 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 15, 2017, 07:44:19 AM

Have to disagree with you.  But then I'm the one that just actually did the Ring in four days (last week). :P

The entire tetraology? In four days?

You're dedicated.

Talk about a Gesamtkunstquirk.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 03:04:10 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 12:53:36 PM
I find it hard to choose between Serafin and Levine. Vickers and Gobbi are a hard act to follow, but Rysanek is nowhere near as affecting as Scotto. I need them both.

Oh sure.

Discernment implies appreciation as well as censure.

But on the other hand, sometimes the very act of choosing is diminishment.

So yeah,  hedge your bet.

Love 'em both. . . I do.

"My name is Blair and I'm a shop-o-holic."


(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/46/54/bc/4654bc9b63ab7fe4b69aecb4bd5c50de.jpg)

Ha.  Ha.  Ha.  Ha.  Ha.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 03:20:28 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 15, 2017, 01:02:28 PM
I have the Giulini Il Trovatore and the Cilea.

I like the Trovatore very much, though not as much as the Callas/Karajan, which is one of the great Verdi recordings. Karajan is so alive to its rhythmic vigour, and Giulini can be a tad slow in comparison. That said, Plowright has just the right tinta for Leonora, and Fassbaender is an extremely interesting, if unconventional Azucena.

The Cilea is a load of old hokum, if you ask me, but this recording makes the very best case for it.

I remember reading some critic saying that the conducting on Karajan's Callas Trovatore was 'vulgar'- as if that floating abstraction was some sort of a demerit.

It's a full-blooded and spirited reading- to be sure.

Italianate and Spanish in flavor definitely.

But 'vulgar'?

Do the corpses who make these feckless indictments even have blood pumping through their veins?

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 15, 2017, 04:45:53 PM
Henze: The Bassarids

https://www.youtube.com/v/uavtwpyBQmU
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 15, 2017, 06:18:26 PM
Quote from: Marsch MacFiercesome on June 15, 2017, 02:50:28 PM
The entire tetraology? In four days?

You're dedicated.

Talk about a Gesamtkunstquirk.

It's not an enterprise I propose to repeat. But I have four more Rings never played in my pile yearning for their day in the sun.

But tonight
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81LfEB4UNHL.jpg)(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51E4xp1VyhL.jpg)
I started in on this set some years ago, but Life Intervened, and I never got back to it until now. So I resume with Ascanio in Alba.
Although the whole thing is fluffy enough to float away on a cloud. Even Mozart didn't actually call it an opera. But it's certainly better than most people can produce at age 15.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 16, 2017, 03:13:04 AM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71oaWFkG8aL._SL1050_.jpg)

Quite delighted with this recording.

Later:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vRqG0IdNL._SL1029_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)

Have listened to everything in the box apart from Turandot - will be playing it tonight for a first listen (the recording and the work - never heard this Opera  before).


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on June 16, 2017, 05:04:43 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 16, 2017, 03:13:04 AM

Later:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vRqG0IdNL._SL1029_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)

Have listened to everything in the box apart from Turandot - will be playing it tonight for a first listen (the recording and the work - never heard this Opera  before).

You'll love it. And this is a stellar performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 16, 2017, 06:56:44 AM
Quote from: GioCar on June 16, 2017, 05:04:43 AM
You'll love it. And this is a stellar performance.

That might well be the best overall (meaning singers, conducting, and sonics combined) recording of Turandot.

TD
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jQIbHQ0BL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: PerfectWagnerite on June 16, 2017, 11:24:30 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 16, 2017, 03:13:04 AM


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vRqG0IdNL._SL1029_.jpg) [img width=300]
Have listened to everything in the box apart from Turandot - will be playing it tonight for a first listen (the recording and the work - never heard this Opera  before).
That recording is famous for Sutherland having never sung that role on stage and for her bewildered consonant-popping next to the natural, florid Italian of Pavarotti and the equally fine contribution of Caballe. It is very comical if you pay attention.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 16, 2017, 03:05:25 PM
Curiously, what do people think of this Turandot?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hs-Cw1kNL.jpg)

My own favourite
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: PerfectWagnerite on June 16, 2017, 03:24:13 PM
Quote from: jessop on June 16, 2017, 03:05:25 PM
Curiously, what do people think of this Turandot?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hs-Cw1kNL.jpg)

My own favourite
Well now you are talking about a role that Nilsson more or less owns, the security of the high notes, the absolute evenness of her registers. Like Sutherland not a very subtle performance but who cares right? Not sure whether that is the exact recording I have but I have some version  of Nilsson. I think both this one and the Mehta are very good.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 16, 2017, 03:36:01 PM
Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on June 16, 2017, 03:24:13 PM
Well now you are talking about a role that Nilsson more or less owns, the security of the high notes, the absolute evenness of her registers. Like Sutherland not a very subtle performance but who cares right? Not sure whether that is the exact recording I have but I have some version  of Nilsson. I think both this one and the Mehta are very good.

There are two studio recordings with Nilsson. The other one is conducted by Leinsdorf, with Bjorling and Tebaldi, using the same orchestra and chorus even though it is on a different label  (RCA). I think both are about equal. There are also several live recordings listed on Amazon. I prefer the Mehta because the sonics are better, and I like the handling of the chorus, which is a very important part of Act I.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: PerfectWagnerite on June 16, 2017, 03:38:36 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 16, 2017, 03:36:01 PM
There are two studio recordings with Nilsson. The other one is conducted by Leinsdorf, with Bjorling and Tebaldi, using the same orchestra and chorus even though it is on a different label  (RCA). I think both are about equal. There are also several live recordings listed on Amazon. I prefer the Mehta because the sonics are better, and I like the handling of the chorus, which is a very important part of Act I.
Yes the DECCA sonics is very fine, demonstration class I think.

Interestingly there aren't THAT many Turandots (not counting all the bootlegs I mean) as compared to something like Butterfly.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 16, 2017, 03:59:39 PM
Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on June 16, 2017, 03:38:36 PM
Yes the DECCA sonics is very fine, demonstration class I think.

Interestingly there aren't THAT many Turandots (not counting all the bootlegs I mean) as compared to something like Butterfly.

OTOH, there are some Turandots on both CD and DVD brought out smaller opera companies with sometimes casts you never heard of.  All my recordings are with big names: the Mehta, the two studio Nilssons,  a bootleg with Nilsson from Opera d'oro,  Lombard (Caballe sings the title role), the Callas,  and one DVD (the Met, with Domingo and (I think) Eva Marton.)

Meanwhile, may as well report the Opera part of my purchase earlier today.
(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/non-muze2/large/2223837.jpg)(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/non-muze2/large/2185236.jpg)(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/non-muze2/large/2167962.jpg)
The Falstaff will join five others plus a DVD, the Aida will join five others (including another Domingo), but the Capriccio will have for company only one DVD I have never gotten around to watching.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 16, 2017, 08:29:19 PM
Quote from: GioCar on June 16, 2017, 05:04:43 AM
You'll love it. And this is a stellar performance.
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 16, 2017, 06:56:44 AM
That might well be the best overall (meaning singers, conducting, and sonics combined) recording of Turandot.
Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on June 16, 2017, 11:24:30 AM
That recording is famous for Sutherland having never sung that role on stage and for her bewildered consonant-popping next to the natural, florid Italian of Pavarotti and the equally fine contribution of Caballe. It is very comical if you pay attention.

Thanks for all your replies - I enjoyed the Turandot enough to listen to it twice.
I cant fault the recording with Pavarotti/Sutherland (although it is only my first experience with the work).

Quote from: jessop on June 16, 2017, 03:05:25 PM
Curiously, what do people think of this Turandot?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hs-Cw1kNL.jpg)

My own favourite

I own this recording (its part of a Puccini box-set from Warner Classics) although I have not listened to it yet.
Hopefully I will get to this next week or thereabouts - thanks for advocating it (I am certainly more interested in hearing it now).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 16, 2017, 09:22:01 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/418BTNB9M1L.jpg)

Enjoying this recording more with successive listens (although I think I have imprinted on Abbado's version of the work somewhat).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 17, 2017, 12:13:14 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 16, 2017, 03:59:39 PM
....
(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/non-muze2/large/2185236.jpg)
... but the Capriccio will have for company only one DVD I have never gotten around to watching.
That Capriccio is considered by many to be the reference recording of the piece. I do not own it (as I have never been a fan of Frau Schwarzkopf's art), but thoroughly enjoy the Böhm on DG (with a wonderful Gundula Janowitz). It's a very conversational opera, but has many outstanding moments, such as a string sextet in lieu of an overture, and the ravishing final scene (Strauss at his considerable best as far as writing for the soprano voice). 

You will be pleasantly surpsrised by a (brief) quote from Gluck's Iphigénie en Aulide that appears in Strauss's operatic swansong... ;)

Regards,

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 17, 2017, 02:32:09 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 17, 2017, 12:13:14 AM
That Capriccio is considered by many to be the reference recording of the piece. I do not own it (as I have never been a fan of Frau Schwarzkopf's art),

And I'd be one of those many. But then I adore Mme Schwarzkopf, and Countess Madeleine might just be her best role. Janowitz sings beautifully with that lovely silvery top, but she makes much less of the words, which, in this of all operas, are so important.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on June 17, 2017, 03:55:58 AM
Quote from: jessop on June 16, 2017, 03:05:25 PM
Curiously, what do people think of this Turandot?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hs-Cw1kNL.jpg)

My own favourite

I haven't heard that many Turandot recordings, but of those that I have heard, that is definitely one of the greatest, maybe even THE greatest. My personal favorite (once again).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 17, 2017, 05:06:19 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 17, 2017, 02:32:09 AM
And I'd be one of those many. But then I adore Mme Schwarzkopf, and Countess Madeleine might just be her best role. Janowitz sings beautifully with that lovely silvery top, but she makes much less of the words, which, in this of all operas, are so important.
I am familiar with Mme. Schwarzkopf's Countess, from this live recording from Vienna (with a rather stellar cast):

(http://russiancdshop.com/velke%20rcd/gm3.0001.jpg)
Unfortunately, it seems as if the microphone was placed under the cushion of one of the bergères of the sets, so it's almost impossible to get a clear picture of her portayal... >:(

Curiously, the only recording by Schwarzkopf I truly like is the exceprts from William Walton's Troilus and Cressida (she had famously refused to perfome the rôle in that opera's world première, and the task fell to Magda László)...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 17, 2017, 10:50:00 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 17, 2017, 12:13:14 AM
That Capriccio is considered by many to be the reference recording of the piece. I do not own it (as I have never been a fan of Frau Schwarzkopf's art), but thoroughly enjoy the Böhm on DG (with a wonderful Gundula Janowitz). It's a very conversational opera, but has many outstanding moments, such as a string sextet in lieu of an overture, and the ravishing final scene (Strauss at his considerable best as far as writing for the soprano voice). 

You will be pleasantly surpsrised by a (brief) quote from Gluck's Iphigénie en Aulide that appears in Strauss's operatic swansong... ;)

Regards,

I figured any recording in which Christa Ludwig gets bottom billing must be of interest....
Thanks for the tip about the Gluck quote.
TD
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gyWvDzKML.jpg)
Continuing with the Mozart opera box.  This one he wrote at age 16.  Next time anyone complains about the length of Wagner's operas, point out this one: 3 1/2 hours long. And, it being an opera seria, the plot is so convoluted, it's best to just sit back and enjoy the music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 17, 2017, 03:28:19 PM
.
[asin]B000001GLM[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 17, 2017, 05:00:45 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81yu%2BZSpDsL._SL1400_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)

I enjoyed listening to Lohengrin last week so I decided to listen to Parsifal for the first time.
Found the work to be an easy listen and thought it was very beautiful - possibly the best Wagner Opera I have heard so far but I am really only in the formative stages of listening to his work.
I don't have any complaints about the live recording with Levine - I think it might be worthwhile to pick up the Wagner: Complete Opera's box on DG at some stage as it collects some interesting studio recordings of Wagner's work.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 17, 2017, 05:38:44 PM
Boulez's Parsifal, though on the fast side, is probably the most refreshingly expressive performance I've heard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 17, 2017, 07:35:53 PM
Quote from: jessop on June 17, 2017, 05:38:44 PM
Boulez's Parsifal, though on the fast side, is probably the most refreshingly expressive performance I've heard.

Hey Jessop,
I was browsing for Alt. recordings of Parsifal and I seen the Boulez for a good price - I've got my heart set on picking up a studio performance of Parsifal at the moment (and will probably buy another box-set for that) but thanks for your input :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 17, 2017, 07:38:40 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GckFrzYLL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 17, 2017, 07:47:57 PM
My zweipfennigen:

I rate the Boulez the worst, precisely because of its speed.
My favorites are Knappertsbusch and Solti. Solti is studio.
Of the other studio recordings I see on Amazon, I only have the Kubelik. It's actually as good as Solti, but pricey. The Barenboim is in the pile of operas not yet listened to.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 17, 2017, 08:00:07 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 17, 2017, 07:47:57 PM
My zweipfennigen:

I rate the Boulez the worst, precisely because of its speed.
My favorites are Knappertsbusch and Solti. Solti is studio.
Of the other studio recordings I see on Amazon, I only have the Kubelik. It's actually as good as Solti, but pricey. The Barenboim is in the pile of operas not yet listened to.

Good stuff Jeffrey - thanks for your thoughts.
It seems to me that Knappersbuch/Philips is the most popular recommendation for Parsifal, and I was tempted by that one because I can get a second-hand copy for a good price, but it is essentially another live/Bayreuth performance (I know its got a different cast and stuff but still..).
Solti's box of Wagner recordings looks good to me but I own his Ring already and that seems like a bit too much duplication - I had considered picking up some of his Wagner recordings seperately though so thanks for vouching for them :).
Not sure what others think but individual Wagner recordings seem a bit pricey to me - thats why I am considering just picking up another box (the DG or Warner's ones both look pretty good IMO).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 18, 2017, 05:56:02 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 17, 2017, 07:47:57 PM
My zweipfennigen:

I rate the Boulez the worst, precisely because of its speed.
My favorites are Knappertsbusch and Solti. Solti is studio.
Of the other studio recordings I see on Amazon, I only have the Kubelik. It's actually as good as Solti, but pricey. The Barenboim is in the pile of operas not yet listened to.
And my deux sous  ;):

I rate Boulez very highly. His fleet tempi, transparent textures and dramatic momentum, eradicating all the (unnecessary) faux-ritual aspects of this astonishing composition, make Parsifal shine in its own right as what it is: one of the greatest artistic creations ever produced by the human mind... :)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 18, 2017, 10:00:35 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 18, 2017, 05:56:02 AM
And my deux sous  ;):

I rate Boulez very highly. His fleet tempi, transparent textures and dramatic momentum, eradicating all the (unnecessary) faux-ritual aspects of this astonishing composition, make Parsifal shine in its own right as what it is: one of the greatest artistic creations ever produced by the human mind... :)

That's may be why I don't like the Boulez: for me the faux ritual is one of the most important elements of the opera, and one reason why it's such a great opera.

As the French don't quite say, chaconne a son gout.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on June 18, 2017, 10:25:00 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 17, 2017, 07:35:53 PMI've got my heart set on picking up a studio performance of Parsifal at the moment....

Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 17, 2017, 07:47:57 PM
The Barenboim is in the pile of operas not yet listened to.

Run, don't walk, to that unlistened-to-pile and crack open the Barenboim. Studio, but not studio-bound, fluid, bracing, grand, multi-layered etc...and, of course, fantastically recorded. Barenboim's inspiration (which doesn't happen all too often for me with him) is infectious, and as a whole, the performance is a definite statement. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: PerfectWagnerite on June 18, 2017, 01:02:19 PM
Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on June 18, 2017, 10:25:00 AM
Run, don't walk, to that unlistened-to-pile and crack open the Barenboim. Studio, but not studio-bound, fluid, bracing, grand, multi-layered etc...and, of course, fantastically recorded. Barenboim's inspiration (which doesn't happen all too often for me with him) is infectious, and as a whole, the performance is a definite statement.
I second the Barenboim recommendation. Besides some great playing and good recorded sound the singing is great also. Siegfried Jerusalem I feel is very underrated as a Wagnerian and what can you say about Waltraut Meier, who owns this role for about 25 yrs.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 18, 2017, 03:40:23 PM
Trouble is, there's a whole bunch of other stuff that's been waiting far longer to be heard and seen, including a DVD Parsifal with Jerusalem (but not Meier) that I couldn't get past the first act*

Meanwhile, a change of pace
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41DAVNADZTL.jpg)

Actually I liked it, but it's hampered by a slightly improbable plot (the poisoned violets actually make sense in symbolic terms) and no memorable "big melody" such as Puccini could bring forth.

*This one
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ziM54jPiL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: PerfectWagnerite on June 18, 2017, 04:55:36 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 18, 2017, 03:40:23 PM
Trouble is, there's a whole bunch of other stuff that's been waiting far longer to be heard and seen, including a DVD Parsifal with Jerusalem (but not Meier) that I couldn't get past the first act*


*This one
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ziM54jPiL.jpg)
Not surprising really as Eva Randova was way past her prime at this point. If you like your Parsifal fast that is is it though at under 4 hrs.

The costumes are so atrocious it is actually funny:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcvXAHjsYyI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcvXAHjsYyI) Scroll over to around the 16 min mark and you see the "knights" dressed as if they share the same closet with the cast of Star Trek the Next Generation...

The one I like with Jerusalem and Meier is this one that I got to know in college:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ogT%2BCPanL._SY445_.jpg)
where you catch a thirty-something year old Waltraud Meier in her vocal prime (before she tried such disastrous stunts like singing Isolde).

I also like the MET brass, much brighter than the more mellow Bayreuth forces.


Interestingly there is a MET CD version from around the same time with Domingo and Jesse Norman (of all people !) which I find interesting because it HAS to be one of the most well-sung Parsifals out there. Who doesn't love Domingo right? That was about the time when he set out to conquer all the Wagner roles.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 18, 2017, 07:33:42 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81yu%2BZSpDsL._SL1400_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61uALVHOszL.jpg)

Very impressed by this work for sure (so dark and solemn.. :o).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 18, 2017, 07:54:27 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510p0YTACxL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vMVW8Cv3L._SL1500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on June 18, 2017, 10:27:16 PM
Parsifal. Barenboim is way better than Boulez here. The orchestra (for Barenboim) is gorgeous and the pacing mostly excellent (and singing also at a high level). If you want a dvd, the Barenboim (with Maier again) is even better (my opinion of course). On CD, I think Barenboim is in the second group (maybe more like 1B) after Kubelik, Knapps, and maybe a couple others. Of more recent recordings, it is probably the most successful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 18, 2017, 10:38:22 PM
HELLLLLLLLLL... is emmpty!  ;D ;D :o :o :o ;D ;D ;D

(https://i.scdn.co/image/1c9865401b029ec61ad40aa0753022848c9ac50b)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 22, 2017, 04:30:31 AM
Been listening to this one this evening

(https://i.scdn.co/image/53dc4c77dee42fbee3a607f8ea4b019d80f0296a)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: PerfectWagnerite on June 22, 2017, 06:36:49 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on June 18, 2017, 10:27:16 PM
Parsifal. Barenboim is way better than Boulez here. The orchestra (for Barenboim) is gorgeous and the pacing mostly excellent (and singing also at a high level). If you want a dvd, the Barenboim (with Maier again) is even better (my opinion of course). On CD, I think Barenboim is in the second group (maybe more like 1B) after Kubelik, Knapps, and maybe a couple others. Of more recent recordings, it is probably the most successful.
Is Kubelik this one?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tZ3uJCg4L._SY355_.jpg)

I like it as well. Nicely paced and everything is very natural. I am not a big fan of Yvonne Minton's Kundry - the voice is a bit small and too shrill for the role I think. One of James King's finer efforts on disc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 22, 2017, 07:49:45 AM
I remember this being suggested for one of the best recordings of Falstaff.  Whoever made the suggestion was correct
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71-e3dD3qQL.jpg)

For some reason, Amazon does not show the reissue I have, which is the most recent iteration of EMI/Warner's budget opera series.

EDIT: Found the version I have at AmazonUK
[asin]B01HU40UBM[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 22, 2017, 08:48:46 AM
Arrived today, and have (casually) listened to Act I:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/411iLkTNeTL._SX355_.jpg)

I must say I find Kurt Eichhorn's conducting sluggish and heavy-handed, robbing the music (particularly the overture) of its dramatic thrust and much of its beauty.  >:( I don't even want to imagine a Parsifal conducted by this man.  ::)  ;D

Fi-Di impressive as Agamemnon, with his trademark attention to the words.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 22, 2017, 09:00:14 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 22, 2017, 07:49:45 AM
I remember this being suggested for one of the best recordings of Falstaff.  Whoever made the suggestion was correct
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71-e3dD3qQL.jpg)



That might have been me. I absolutely love this recording. A superb orchestra and chorus conducted with style, elan and dash by Karajan, with a well-nigh faultless cast. You can't go wrong.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 23, 2017, 09:14:44 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TP8M13txL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL._SL1500_.jpg)

Listened to this version of Aida for the first time.
Quite a good cast for the recording - found this to be an enjoyable one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 23, 2017, 09:17:42 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 22, 2017, 07:49:45 AM
I remember this being suggested for one of the best recordings of Falstaff.  Whoever made the suggestion was correct
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71-e3dD3qQL.jpg)

For some reason, Amazon does not show the reissue I have, which is the most recent iteration of EMI/Warner's budget opera series.

EDIT: Found the version I have at AmazonUK
[asin]B01HU40UBM[/asin]

This recording is in my big Warner Verdi box - pleased to know it's a good one and I look forward to hearing it at some stage.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 24, 2017, 12:03:40 AM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71mKQ6inFzL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81WoFXvv-RL._SL1200_.jpg)

Listened to this for the first time last week and I was knocked out by it - quite a sublime work: there seems to be one beautiful Aria after another.
So far I am rating this as one of Puccini's best Operas..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Drasko on June 24, 2017, 04:27:22 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2015/03/imgL/117438764.jpg)

Rimsky-Korsakov - May Night

Lemeshev, Borisenko, Krasovskiy, Maslennikova, Bolshoi Theatre, Nebolssin

https://www.youtube.com/v/0DJU9cnEpKg

https://www.youtube.com/v/zeNxVR08UkE

https://www.youtube.com/v/UVve8XYfJ98
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on June 24, 2017, 04:55:17 AM
(https://s6.postimg.org/qqglgdwlt/51_CDU05_XYe_L.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/cws8rc40d/)
Verdi : Don Carlo.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 24, 2017, 05:28:26 AM
Quote from: Don Carlo on June 24, 2017, 04:55:17 AM
(https://s6.postimg.org/qqglgdwlt/51_CDU05_XYe_L.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/cws8rc40d/)
Verdi : Don Carlo.

Possibly my favourite Verdi opera, though, aside from Gobbi and Christoff, this set doesn't have much to commend it. I did a comparative review of three off my favourites on my blog.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/)

Gobbi and Christoff are probably best represented on this live recording of the famous Covent Garden Visconti production, if you can get hold of it.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sMOsor2ML.jpg)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 24, 2017, 09:53:44 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 24, 2017, 12:03:40 AM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71mKQ6inFzL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81WoFXvv-RL._SL1200_.jpg)

Listened to this for the first time last week and I was knocked out by it - quite a sublime work: there seems to be one beautiful Aria after another.
So far I am rating this as one of Puccini's best Operas..

I think that's the only mature Puccini opera I have yet to hear. I have the Callas recording, just not yet played it.

TD
First listen to this recording
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61AkKBIwzhL.jpg)
One of the recordings I haven't heard from this box.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/812m%2BXsF1eL.jpg)
Crespin as Marschallin, Minton as Oktavian, Donath as Sophie. And Pavarotti in the tenor cameo (the Italian singer).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 24, 2017, 11:53:51 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 24, 2017, 09:53:44 AM
I think that's the only mature Puccini opera I have yet to hear. I have the Callas recording, just not yet played it.

Not my favourite Puccini by a long chalk, but Callas makes as good a case for it as is possible, even though she's not in her best voice.

Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 24, 2017, 09:53:44 AM

TD
First listen to this recording
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61AkKBIwzhL.jpg)
One of the recordings I haven't heard from this box.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/812m%2BXsF1eL.jpg)
Crespin as Marschallin, Minton as Oktavian, Donath as Sophie. And Pavarotti in the tenor cameo (the Italian singer).

This recording has its devotees, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. I've never really taken to Solti, and find Crespin just a bit too matronly for my taste.

My favourite is still the first Karajan with Schwarzkopf, Ludwig, Stich-Randall, Edelmann and Gedda as the Italian Singer.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on June 24, 2017, 12:26:32 PM
Tsaraslondon, please let me know which are your top 3 La Sonnambula's. TIA.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: PerfectWagnerite on June 24, 2017, 12:39:46 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 24, 2017, 11:53:51 AM
Not my favourite Puccini by a long chalk, but Callas makes as good a case for it as is possible, even though she's not in her best voice.

This recording has its devotees, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. I've never really taken to Solti, and find Crespin just a bit too matronly for my taste.

My favourite is still the first Karajan with Schwarzkopf, Ludwig, Stich-Randall, Edelmann and Gedda as the Italian Singer.
I tend to agree. The HVK recording is one of my favorite opera recordings, of anything. Everything comes together in that. Sound is wonderful also.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 24, 2017, 12:56:39 PM
Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on June 24, 2017, 12:39:46 PM
I tend to agree. The HVK recording is one of my favorite opera recordings, of anything. Everything comes together in that. Sound is wonderful also.

Having heard the full recording, I am inclined to say I also agree.

My first recording was the Haitink, with Te Kanawa and Otter.  Then I got the DVD with Fleming, Koch, and Damrau, and was so taken with that I had no urge to get another recording. It's also available as audio CD if are interested in it (conductor is Theilemann).  I have the film with Schwarzkopf somewhere in my pile of DVDs that have yet to be viewed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 24, 2017, 04:02:03 PM
Quote from: Florestan on June 24, 2017, 12:26:32 PM
Tsaraslondon, please let me know which are your top 3 La Sonnambula's. TIA.

1. Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto (Live La Scala in Cologne 1957)
2. Callas, Valetti, Modesti; Bernstein (Live La Scala 1955)
3. Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto  (Studio 1957).

Well, you did ask!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 24, 2017, 05:39:12 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 24, 2017, 04:02:03 PM
1. Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto (Live La Scala in Cologne 1957)
2. Callas, Valetti, Modesti; Bernstein (Live La Scala 1955)
3. Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto  (Studio 1957).

Well, you did ask!

All right, which three senza Callas!

I will point to the Bartoli, myself--which I mention for Florestan's benefit because I know you don't like it.

TD
Strauss Capriccio
The EMI recording with Schwarzkopf, DFD, Gedda, etc conducted by Sawallisch.
First listen ever to this opera so I will make only two trivial observations

1. Strauss actually had an affinity for one act operas, this merely being the last of a string that started with Salome.
2. I guess I will keep referring these recordings as EMI productions no matter how many years Warner keeps the catalogue.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 24, 2017, 11:19:42 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51OhUbwteOL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81WoFXvv-RL._SL1200_.jpg)

Freni is in good voice here (as she is in her other recording with Pavarotti) and the rest of the principals were great too - enjoyable version (I will certainly be playing it again!).
Quite an old recording I guess but the SQ was acceptable (and it didn't detract from the music in any way).

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71PropGjNhL._SL1500_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL._SL1500_.jpg)

Very good work - lots of nice Aria's as usual.
Domingo was great as would be expected (I love his work!).
I'll be re-visiting this one again for sure.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 25, 2017, 12:38:36 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 24, 2017, 09:53:44 AM
I think that's the only mature Puccini opera I have yet to hear. I have the Callas recording, just not yet played it.

I liked it enough to listen to it several times already - it gets the thumbs up from me! :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on June 25, 2017, 12:51:18 AM
https://www.youtube.com/v/IOxpbOb9hwk
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 25, 2017, 01:51:59 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 24, 2017, 05:39:12 PM
All right, which three senza Callas!

I will point to the Bartoli, myself--which I mention for Florestan's benefit because I know you don't like it.


To be honest, without Callas I find the opera a bit of a bore. Callas is the only singer I know who manages to breathe life into the otherwise somewhat cardboard character of Amina. Bartoli sounds all wrong to me, and not just because she is singing the Malibran mezzo version. Von Stade (also a mezzo) sang it (though, as far as I am aware, there are no recordings) and I would imagine her voice would be more suited to it. Bartoli's style is altogether too vibrant in the wrong way.

I've heard both Sutherland versions. In the first the droopy style and mushy diction drive me mad, and in the second she sounds much too mature. Others tell me the Naxos/Organasova and the Dessay recordings are quite good, but I admit I haven't heard either.

So I'm happy with Callas.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on June 25, 2017, 02:50:40 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 25, 2017, 01:51:59 AM
To be honest, without Callas I find the opera a bit of a bore. Callas is the only singer I know who manages to breathe life into the otherwise somewhat cardboard character of Amina. Bartoli sounds all wrong to me, and not just because she is singing the Malibran mezzo version. Von Stade (also a mezzo) sang it (though, as far as I am aware, there are no recordings) and I would imagine her voice would be more suited to it. Bartoli's style is altogether too vibrant in the wrong way.

I've heard both Sutherland versions. In the first the droopy style and mushy diction drive me mad, and in the second she sounds much too mature. Others tell me the Naxos/Organasova and the Dessay recordings are quite good, but I admit I haven't heard either.

So I'm happy with Callas.
The Naxos is quite good overall, though Organasova is not my personal favorite. Dessay is excellent, though there are other issues with that set. I am sorry to say, that for me (on CD anyway), that none of them really get a full recommendation. I think it's just a matter of which one has more that works for you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 25, 2017, 03:37:35 AM
Enjoying this at the moment. What do people here think of this? Are there other recordings available?

(https://i.scdn.co/image/5a5f9259abfb089604d59036c2690ec1747b93f5)

I can imagine the interchange between Feldman and Beckett

B: I don't like this opera
F: Me neither
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 25, 2017, 06:42:14 AM
Spending Sunday with Solti's Strauss
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81EFrBn8k0L.jpg)
From here
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/812m%2BXsF1eL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 25, 2017, 12:08:08 PM
Morning with Strauss
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41QPvw8G4rL.jpg)
From the Solti Mozart Operas set which was part of the same series as the Strauss set I posted this morning.

This was Solti's first recording of Cosi, and seems to have much less availability than his second one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 25, 2017, 07:08:31 PM
Todays listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71mKQ6inFzL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81WoFXvv-RL._SL1200_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71dqWYAE-vL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HgWS7k41L._SL1050_.jpg)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 25, 2017, 11:13:43 PM
Does anyone know of other recordings of Neither? Despite what its creators think of it, I think it is a very good opera. Interested to hear your thoughts.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on June 25, 2017, 11:27:44 PM
Besides Amina, Callas brought a depth of character, a quality of despair to Manon that is hard to believe coming out of the flighty character of the first two acts:

https://www.youtube.com/v/nRCY18PWv8w

Thank goodness Callas left recordings of Puccini heroines that she did not perform onstage.
I have a German score (no Italian) of Manon Lescaut (honestly don't remember how I acquired it), published by Ricordi in 1893.
There are stamps of "Hofoper" in it. I wonder if it is valuable...

ZB
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 26, 2017, 12:15:21 AM
Quote from: zamyrabyrd on June 25, 2017, 11:27:44 PM

Thank goodness Callas left recordings of Puccini heroines that she did not perform onstage.

ZB

True, but I would rather we had been vouchsafed studio recordings of some of the roles she did sing on stage; Lady Macbeth, Anna Bolena, Armida, Imogene in Il Pirata, Elena I I Vespri Siciliani, Gluck's Alceste and Iphigenie.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 26, 2017, 01:06:12 AM
Quote from: jessop on June 25, 2017, 11:13:43 PM
Does anyone know of other recordings of Neither? Despite what its creators think of it, I think it is a very good opera. Interested to hear your thoughts.

Now that I think of it, it's probably best to simply say it's a very good piece of music. :laugh: it is an opera, but because of its uniqueness amongst the repertoire it is impossible to make any comparative judgement.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 26, 2017, 02:32:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5188N2F2y3L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 26, 2017, 04:00:13 AM
Quote from: jessop on June 26, 2017, 02:32:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5188N2F2y3L.jpg)

Gorgeous opera.

I haven't heard this version, though. I have the Mackerras version in the original Czech

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/615pQN2kNqL.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 26, 2017, 05:36:23 AM
I had a listen to the Mackerras as well, and although I do love the singers it was the sloppy orchestral playing that made me turn it off. :/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 26, 2017, 06:46:43 AM
Quote from: jessop on June 26, 2017, 05:36:23 AM
I had a listen to the Mackerras as well, and although I do love the singers it was the sloppy orchestral playing that made me turn it off. :/

The VPO sloppy? Really?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on June 26, 2017, 10:49:16 AM
This week-end live at the Paris opera, La Cenerentola, Giacomo Rossini, with a staging by the actor Guillaume Gallienne (5 Cesar in the film Guillaume, les garçons, à table)

https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/season-16-17/opera/la-cenerentola (https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/season-16-17/opera/la-cenerentola)

Ottavio Dantone led Paris opéra orchestra

Don Ramiro: Juan José De León
Dandini: Alessio Arduini
Don Magnifico: Maurizio Muraro
Clorinda: Chiara Skerath
Tisbe:  Isabelle Druet
Angelina (La Cenerentola, title role):Teresa Iervolino
Alidoro: Roberto Tagliavini

There are many ensemble singing in this opera, including a septet in the second act.  This require for all the singers to be exactly together, and this was the case with this distribution, which succeded in the most demanding part of the opera.  These ensemble singing are quite amazing, and demonstrate that Rossini is definitively not the "Barber shop" opera composer that some people claim.

Teresa Iervolino, who was making her Paris debut, was just a bit below Elina Garanca in the otherwise disappointing MET production.

Guillaume Gallienne staging was I found quite appropriate to this opera.  Some critics did not like his departure from the "Opera bouffe" style, but this was quite OK with me.

Here are a few pictures from culturebox

Don Magnifico decrepit palace

(http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/voyageur-de-notes/wp-content/blogs.dir/393/files/2017/06/Vincent_Pontet___Opera_national_de_Paris-Repetitions-La-Cenerentola-16.17-Vincent-Pontet-OnP-70-1600-1024x553.jpg)

Baldini, the perfect italian lover between the two sisters

(http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/voyageur-de-notes/wp-content/blogs.dir/393/files/2017/06/Vincent_Pontet___Opera_national_de_Paris-La-Cenerentola-16.17-Vincent-Pontet-OnP-6-1600-1024x637.jpg)

Don Magnifico during the bal scene

(http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/voyageur-de-notes/wp-content/blogs.dir/393/files/2017/06/Vincent_Pontet___Opera_national_de_Paris-Repetitions-La-Cenerentola-16.17-Vincent-Pontet-OnP-37-1600-1024x667.jpg)

The finale, with the triumph of La Cenerentola

(http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/voyageur-de-notes/wp-content/blogs.dir/393/files/2017/06/Vincent_Pontet___Opera_national_de_Paris-Repetitions-La-Cenerentola-16.17-Vincent-Pontet-OnP-81-1600-1024x639.jpg)

For those interested by this performance, it is available online starting today for a period of 6 months on culturebox

http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/opera-classique/opera/la-cenerentola-par-guillaume-gallienne-au-palais-garnier-257789 (http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/opera-classique/opera/la-cenerentola-par-guillaume-gallienne-au-palais-garnier-257789)




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ken B on June 26, 2017, 11:27:27 AM
George Rochberg
Symphony 6
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 26, 2017, 01:29:53 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 26, 2017, 06:46:43 AM
The VPO sloppy? Really?
They tend to be, at least to my ears (whose preference lies in the very tight, secure and synchronised sounds of Royal Concertgebouw, Cleveland, EIC, Klangforum Wien etc).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 26, 2017, 05:30:00 PM
'As One' by Laura Kaminsky

Watching it here where it is available to view in its entirety until the 30th of June for pride month:
http://www.aopopera.org/AsOne/worldpremiere/index.html
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 26, 2017, 06:43:56 PM
Quote from: Ken B on June 26, 2017, 11:27:27 AM
George Rochberg
Symphony 6

Senior moment? :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 26, 2017, 06:45:43 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513dweJeSCL.jpg)

Enjoying this recently arrived recording :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 26, 2017, 08:06:05 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515GqgI%2B8BL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pnA4fqHGL._SL1200_.jpg)

Going to walk to work today - I will be listening to this recording on the way.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 27, 2017, 01:10:03 PM
From the Solti does Strauss box
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/611c6fU3TcL.jpg)
It seems all individual issues of this recording are OOP, which is a shame, because I am enjoying it greatly, and it may be the best thing in the set.  Used copies are available, especially in vinyl.
(Troyanos is the Composer, Gruberova is Zerbinetta, and Price is the Prima Donna/Ariadne.)
[asin]B008H29YYQ[/asin]
After this, I have only the bonus CD to play. I am skipping the Elektra and Arabella recordings, which I already have as individual recordings and don't particularly care for.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ken B on June 27, 2017, 05:53:44 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 26, 2017, 06:43:56 PM
Senior moment? :)

Oops.

I like to imagine the violinists acting  ;)

TODAY: Wagner, Siegfried, Levine. I do like his Ring.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on June 27, 2017, 06:09:08 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91g8EeCc2SL._SX425_.jpg)


Mehta's Salome.  Excellent playing and singing.  Mehta seems content to rely on beautiful, lush Straussian style even sometimes when more bite is called for.  That written, he makes sure to make the massive orchestra generate a massive sound in the last minutes of the work.  I doubt this will be the first version I reach for going forward (that would still be Sinopoli), but it's definitely nice to have.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 28, 2017, 11:18:10 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61QenI47mnL.jpg)
A favorite recording of a favorite opera.
Part of this set.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71846zqJVpL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on June 28, 2017, 10:14:10 PM
I always wondered why this beautiful opera by one of the most celebrated composer is neglected today

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81SYJFEC0OL._SL1000_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61wnLu6cKKL.jpg)

This is also true of so many opera seria.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on June 29, 2017, 12:44:56 AM
Quote from: Spineur on June 28, 2017, 10:14:10 PM
I always wondered why this beautiful opera by one of the most celebrated composer is neglected today
This is also true of so many opera seria.

Opera buffa is more fun.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on June 29, 2017, 02:03:40 AM
Quote from: Spineur on June 28, 2017, 10:14:10 PM
I always wondered why this beautiful opera by one of the most celebrated composer is neglected today

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81SYJFEC0OL._SL1000_.jpg)

This is also true of so many opera seria.

I agree. I know I'm in the minority, but I'll take Tito over Zauberflöte, which was composed at the same time, any day.

My own listening:

[asin]B000EBD872[/asin]

The cast also includes Donald Grobe, Julia Hamari, and Hermann Prey. The dialogues are spoken by actors. Actually, it's often whispered by actors, so occasional volume adjustment is necessary.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 29, 2017, 03:12:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Vd1I9nM7L.jpg)(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91E39PPazfL._SX450_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on June 29, 2017, 08:29:42 AM
In a couple of hours, at La Scala

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Direttore: Zubin Mehta
Regia: Giorgio Strehler
Scene e costumi: Luciano Damiani
Konstanze Lenneke Ruiten
Blonde   Sabine Devieilhe
Belmonte   Mauro Peter
Pedrillo   Maximilian Schmitt
Osmin   Tobias Kehrer
Selim           Cornelius Obonya
Servo Muto   Marco Merlini

A great production of the past (Salzburg 1965) I never had a chance to see it live. Very happy to fill the gap tonight  :)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 29, 2017, 09:00:01 AM
Quote from: GioCar on June 29, 2017, 08:29:42 AM
In a couple of hours, at La Scala

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Direttore: Zubin Mehta
Regia: Giorgio Strehler
Scene e costumi: Luciano Damiani
Konstanze Lenneke Ruiten
Blonde   Sabine Devieilhe
Belmonte   Mauro Peter
Pedrillo   Maximilian Schmitt
Osmin   Tobias Kehrer
Selim           Cornelius Obonya
Servo Muto   Marco Merlini

A great production of the past (Salzburg 1965) I never had a chance to see it live. Very happy to fill the gap tonight  :)
Looks very enticing...I envy you.  ;)

I've seen three Strehler productions; one of a "straight play", Arlecchino servitore di due padroni, and two operas, Così fan tutte and Falstaff (the latter at La Scala), and they ware all memorable. Falstaff, in particular, was breathtakingly beautiful.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on June 30, 2017, 12:09:55 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 29, 2017, 09:00:01 AM
Looks very enticing...I envy you.  ;)

I've seen three Strehler productions; one of a "straight play", Arlecchino servitore di due padroni, and two operas, Così fan tutte and Falstaff (the latter at La Scala), and they ware all memorable. Falstaff, in particular, was breathtakingly beautiful.  :)

Yes, it was. It was a gorgeous performance indeed  :)
Maybe the stage scenery, although very simple, is a bit dated, but the very lively acting, and the idea to alternate the singers' position from the well-lit centre of the stage (spoken parts) to a darker frontstage (where they sang all arias, duets, etc), thus "projecting" their silhouettes on the bright backdrop, were wonderful.
Here's the Bachtrack review https://bachtrack.com/review-entfuhrung-strehler-mehta-peter-ruiten-la-scala-milan-june-2017

Yes, I remember very well that Falstaff, with Lorin Maazel conducting. A true gem.
And from those years I also remember his medieval, dark & glittering Lohengrin, with Claudio Abbado on the podium.

His Arlecchino is staged every year in Milan...we all miss Strehler's genius here.... :(

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 30, 2017, 12:15:28 AM
I don't know too much about American opera, but thanks to our friend nathanb I have become very interested in the very intriguing works of Robert Ashley.

This is an opera called 'Concrete' and from his own website it gives this information:

QuoteConcrete follows from Robert Ashley's preoccupation in two previous operas with the kind of speech that has not been explored in opera — in Dust, the speech of the homeless; in Celestial Excursions, the speech of people living together in a home for old people. The three operas are not a "trilogy" in any sense, but they all come from this preoccupation with or fascination with special kinds of speech and special kinds of states of mind.

"The characters I'm interested in," Ashley explains, "are marginal, because everybody is marginal compared to the stereotypes. I am interested in their profoundly good qualities, and I'm not interested at all in evil. The characters in my work are as bizarre and unreal as the characters in William Faulkner. They just happen to be ordinary people who are spiritually divine." (The Wire, 2003).

Though in Concrete it is not made explicit in any way, the libretto might be considered to be the "musings" of an old man alone. He thinks about strange questions and even as the questions are asked they are answered in various forms of sarcasm, indifference, questions about the questions and explanations. In other words, he is talking to himself.

The opera takes the form of five "discussions" about matters he wonders about: Why do people keep secrets about themselves? Why do the buildings in the city all line up perfectly (vertically) when the surface of the planet is round? Why is it that so many things that people do as recreation are played counter-clockwise? What has happened to the many women friends ("lovers") he has had and "left behind" and why were they left behind? And, finally, the fact that he has recently seen a "flying carpet" (in his bedroom.)

The five "internal" discussions alternate with four reminiscences about people the old man has worked with and loved. The reminiscences are short and detailed biographies of seemingly ordinary people who in the past did extraordinary things — sometimes criminal, sometimes just brave in an unusual way — but will never be recognized for what they did. The stories will never be known, except to the audience. No one is named. These are secret lives.

The singers in the opera are not "characters" in any traditional way. They take part in the very fast "discussions" sections as voices in the old man's musings. Then each of the singers is given one of the "biographies" as a solo aria.

The musical technique of the opera allows the singers, in ensemble and as soloists, complete freedom with regard to vocal pitch, speech nuance and inflection. The opera will be sung differently in every performance. The orchestra, recorded in the computer, is made up of some hundreds of composed, short orchestral "samples" which can be chosen at the moment to make up the accompaniment to the singers' decisions about how to tell the story. In short, every performance, but based on the same libretto, will be different.

Listening on youtube here:

https://www.youtube.com/v/SFWYrAVAXrg


I am sure there are other American opera fans here who know more about his works than I do. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts, especially if you have seen any productions live. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 30, 2017, 03:47:29 AM
The last two operas I listened to, as you can see, were sung with a very definite American accent. One thing I probably have to do to get more into American opera is become used to the way they pronounce things over there. Because I barely hear the accent at all, hardly even spoken, I have to concentrate quite hard to understand what people are saying. This is even more difficult when sung! The Ashley opera is rather easier to understand because the voices are actually closer to speaking than singing quite a bit of the time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 30, 2017, 07:01:30 AM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81m57yhkIaL._SL1500_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL._SL1500_.jpg)

Not long finished work - relaxing for a couple of hours before bed with this excellent recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 30, 2017, 07:04:10 AM
Quote from: Ken B on June 27, 2017, 05:53:44 PM
Oops.

I like to imagine the violinists acting  ;)

TODAY: Wagner, Siegfried, Levine. I do like his Ring.

Haha good stuff :D
I have a number of Levine's (many) Opera recordings and he always pleases my ears - I imagine his Ring Cycle is very good too :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ken B on June 30, 2017, 08:13:29 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 30, 2017, 07:04:10 AM
Haha good stuff :D
I have a number of Levine's (many) Opera recordings and he always pleases my ears - I imagine his Ring Cycle is very good too :).

I'm on to Gotterdamerung today. It is splendid IMO, helped by terrific sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 30, 2017, 12:00:13 PM
Revisiting an all-time favourite opera of mine:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71u238TOD7L._SL1500_.jpg)

Ariadne of Naxos (even if it made good old Igor Feodorovich "want to scream"  ;D ) is a delight from beginning to end. The mix of the buffo and the tragic, the "theatre within theatre", the progression of the plot both in the prologue and the "opera", all these elements are masterfully managed by Strauss and Hofmannsthal (what a great libretto!). And the paired down orchetsration is admirable. 

And as always, Strauss's writing for the soprano voice is stunning. Lines such as Ariadne's "Ein Schönes war"... or "Gibt es kein Hinüber?" are  simply extraordinary. Also, Zerbinetta's tongue-in-cheek self quote "Kommt ein neuer Gott gegangen..." at the very end, never fails to bring a smile to my face.  :)

Excellent performance from all involved. I understand this was Giuseppe Sinopoli's last studio recording...a fine swan song...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 30, 2017, 12:05:05 PM
Quote from: ritter on June 30, 2017, 12:00:13 PM
Revisiting an all-time favourite opera of mine:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71u238TOD7L._SL1500_.jpg)

Ariadne of Naxos (even if it made good old Igor Feodorovich "want to scream"  ;D ) is a delight from beginning to end. The mix of the buffo and the tragic, the "theatre within theatre", the progression of the plot both in the prologue and the "opera", all these elements are masterfully managed by Strauss and Hofmannsthal (what a great libretto!). And the paired down orchetsration is admirable. 

And as always, Strauss's writing for the soprano voice is stunning. Lines such as Ariadne's "Ein Schönes war"... or "Gibt es kein Hinüber?" are  simply extraordinary. Also, Zerbinetta's tongue-in-cheek self quote "Kommt ein neuer Gott gegangen..." at the very end, never fails to bring a smile to my face.  :)

Excellent performance from all involved. I understand this was Giuseppe Sinopoli's last studio recording...a fine swan song...

Having listened to the Solti recording the other day,  I can only say, Du hast recht.

I have Voight in this DVD
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PbrAQEPVL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 30, 2017, 12:12:21 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 30, 2017, 12:05:05 PM
Having listened to the Solti recording the other day,  I can only say, Du hast recht.
:)

I must say that the idea of Leontyne Price in the title role is very appealing! I should look the Solti up...

Cheers,

EDIT:

And now listening to the end of the opera (starting at Bacchus's entrance) in the original 1912 version, in this recording:

[asin]B007SAP7A8[/asin]
Substantial differences (and a lot  more music) compared to the "standard" revised 1916 version...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on June 30, 2017, 01:23:19 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Hif4kGbqL._SS425_.jpg)


Some somewhat distracting background music for the afternoon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2017, 01:31:49 PM
Quote from: ritter on June 30, 2017, 12:12:21 PM
  :)

I must say that the idea of Leontyne Price in the title role is very appealing! I should look the Solti up...

Cheers,

EDIT:

And now listening to the end of the opera (starting at Bacchus's entrance) in the original 1912 version, in this recording:

[asin]B007SAP7A8[/asin]
Substantial differences (and a lot  more music) compared to the "standard" revised 1916 version...

Solti is a bit swift for my taste, and Price was a bit past her best by the time of this recording.

My go to remains the mono Karajan, with Schwarzkopf a soaringly radiant Ariadne, Seefried a glorious Composer and Streich a sparkling, but surprisingly sympathetic Zerbinetta. The men may not all be on the same lofty level of achievement, but none of them lets the side down, and Rudolf Schock is at least as good as any other Bacchus I've heard.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71tw4Z8spgL._SX355_.jpg)

Highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on June 30, 2017, 02:16:29 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 30, 2017, 12:05:05 PM
Having listened to the Solti recording the other day,  I can only say, Du hast recht.

I have Voight in this DVD
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PbrAQEPVL.jpg)

Dessay is truly remarkable here. A fun production, I must say, nothing that makes you think, nothing that brings new ideas to the work, but a delight from beginning to end.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on June 30, 2017, 03:28:40 PM
Quote from: ritter on June 30, 2017, 12:12:21 PM
  :)

I must say that the idea of Leontyne Price in the title role is very appealing! I should look the Solti up...

Cheers,

EDIT:

And now listening to the end of the opera (starting at Bacchus's entrance) in the original 1912 version, in this recording:

[asin]B007SAP7A8[/asin]
Substantial differences (and a lot  more music) compared to the "standard" revised 1916 version...

That looks most interesting...
Warning : the Solti is represented on CD only by the set I have and by this
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81XNZUqnE6L.jpg)
If the Amazon US listings are correct. The other CD issue is marked unavailable. Maybe the situation is better in Europe.

I have never heard the Karajan recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 30, 2017, 06:39:09 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512iphMedNL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pnA4fqHGL._SL1200_.jpg)

Listening to this work for the first time - enjoying it so far.
I've gotten to really like Verdi after initially being a bit put off by some aspects of his style.
I haven't heard a poor Verdi work yet though!.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 30, 2017, 08:12:04 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ThMuUbbaL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81WoFXvv-RL._SL1200_.jpg)

Another first listen.
I'm not sure if I appreciated Birgit's work in the recording of Aida I listened to earlier in the week - She's great in Wagner but perhaps shes a bit much for these Italian roles?.
I haven't listened to her Turandot recording yet (which is also in the Puccini box pictured above)..
Edit: Listened to the first 2 Acts of the work - Pretty much my first experience with the Opera: I liked it (so far). The singing was good as would be expected. I tried to keep an open mind but I still kept thinking that Nillson wouldn't be my ideal choice for this work. I think she is not very "lyrical" if that makes sense? - I realize I'm probably being an idiot and as it was only a first listen Ill probably change my mind later...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 30, 2017, 08:56:54 PM
Quote from: α | ì Æ ñ on June 30, 2017, 08:41:43 PM
Ligeti - Le Grand Macabre

(http://www.audiophileusa.com/covers400water/115377.jpg)

Everything you could ever want from and opera, and then some! IMO  :D

Good stuff! - I really like Ligeti's music but I haven't listened to his Opera yet.
I do have a recording of it though:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71jJWQDhvqL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51IODakFXcL.jpg)

I'll have to check this one out soon - also the recent posts about R. Strauss's Operas got my attention (I may have to listen to these at some stage..) :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on June 30, 2017, 11:10:58 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81AeD0J1UPL._SL1200_.jpg)

Another one of Birgit's - haven't listened to this is yonks.
This is the only R. Strauss Opera I own ATM - I used to have Solti's Rosenkavalier with Crespin (Jeffrey played it earlier this week I remember) but I appear to have deleted it from my library (which was foolish as I wouldn't have minded giving it another spin :-[)..
Edit: I made it as far as the Dance of the seven Veils before having to stop - Maybe it wasn't the right time to listen to this work but I didn't find it very interesting :-X.
At this stage I think I probably prefer the "older" style of Operas with Arias and such to the "through-composed" format.
I'll return to Strauss Operas at a later date perhaps..

TD:

Now listening to Puccini's La Fanciulla Del West with Nillson again - Act 3.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2017, 01:16:25 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on June 30, 2017, 03:28:40 PM
I have never heard the Karajan recording.

You should. It's a classic.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2017, 01:22:26 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 30, 2017, 06:39:09 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512iphMedNL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pnA4fqHGL._SL1200_.jpg)

Listening to this work for the first time - enjoying it so far.
I've gotten to really like Verdi after initially being a bit put off by some aspects of his style.
I haven't heard a poor Verdi work yet though!.

The thing that puts this recording out of the running for me is the heinous cut Karajan makes in the great Act III ensemble (which he didn't do in his earlier Decca set with Del Monaco). Otello is a work of Verdi's mature genius, and there isn't a wasted note. It's a shame because Vickers is definitely one of the greatest Otellos on disc, and Freni is a most affecting Desdemona.

I usually turn to Vickers's earlier recording under Serafin, with Gobbi superb as Iago. Unfortunately Rysanek is not really suited to the role of Desdemona, but the set still ranks very high.

(https://pxhst.co/avaxhome/39/ce/0014ce39_medium.jpeg)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2017, 01:56:09 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 30, 2017, 11:10:58 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81AeD0J1UPL._SL1200_.jpg)

Another one of Birgit's - haven't listened to this is yonks.
This is the only R. Strauss Opera I own ATM - I used to have Solti's Rosenkavalier with Crespin (Jeffrey played it earlier this week I remember) but I appear to have deleted it from my library (which was foolish as I wouldn't have minded giving it another spin :-[)..
Edit: I made it as far as the Dance of the seven Veils before having to stop - Maybe it wasn't the right time to listen to this work but I didn't find it very interesting :-X.
At this stage I think I probably prefer the "older" style of Operas with Arias and such to the "through-composed" format.
I'll return to Strauss Operas at a later date perhaps..

TD:

Now listening to Puccini's La Fanciulla Del West with Nillson again - Act 3.

This set has its fans, and the recording is pretty spectacular, but Nilsson never sounds remotely like the spoiled teenager of Strauss's imaginings. Remember he once stated that Elisabeth Schumann had the ideal voice, though whether she would have been heard above the orchestra is a moot point.

Ljuba Welitsch has always been my yardstick, though she is only represented in distinctly lo-fi live recordings, the best of them being from the Met in 1949 under Reiner. There is a later one from 1952, but her voice was already beginning to show signs of wear by this time. Anyone who loves this opera should also seek out a stunning recording of the Final Scene made for radio in 1944 under Lovro von Matacic.

(http://plade-klassikeren.dk/1452-thickbox_default/ljuba-welitsch-opera-arias-from-salome-tosca-aida-la-boheme-1-cd-emi.jpg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8hCm-M-dI0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8hCm-M-dI0)

Of more modern recordings I tend to prefer the Karajan, with Hildegard Behrens a superbly silvery voiced Salome, and a starry cast that includes Jose Van Dam as Jokanaan and Agnes Baltsa as Herodias.

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0002/909/MI0002909117.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Sinopoli is also an excellent choice, and Studer too is more suited to the role than Nilsson (though hers is a voice I've never quite taken to).

(http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/imgs/s300x300/4318102.jpg)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2017, 02:08:04 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 30, 2017, 08:12:04 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ThMuUbbaL.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81WoFXvv-RL._SL1200_.jpg)

Another first listen.
I'm not sure if I appreciated Birgit's work in the recording of Aida I listened to earlier in the week - She's great in Wagner but perhaps shes a bit much for these Italian roles?.
I haven't listened to her Turandot recording yet (which is also in the Puccini box pictured above)..
Edit: Listened to the first 2 Acts of the work - Pretty much my first experience with the Opera: I liked it (so far). The singing was good as would be expected. I tried to keep an open mind but I still kept thinking that Nillson wouldn't be my ideal choice for this work. I think she is not very "lyrical" if that makes sense? - I realize I'm probably being an idiot and as it was only a first listen Ill probably change my mind later...

You've actually hit on something that I have a problem with too. Except for Turandot, Nilsson just never sounds right in Italian opera to me, not even as Lady Macbeth. Her Turandot was a marvel it is true, but even here I prefer Sutherland under Mehta, or Callas under Serafin.

Fortunately there are two other great recordings of La Fanciulla del West.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oJEhZuJLL.jpg)

and

(https://img.discogs.com/v3g4oVqezjNmLUi-wqyIJ2-tUWY=/fit-in/600x606/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5307618-1558458028-5923.jpeg.jpg)

My preference would be for the latter with Neblett, which actually won the Gramophone Award for Best Opera Recording the year it was released. Neblett has a large lyrical voice, which is never taxed by the upper reaches of the role, where Tebaldi can sound a bit strained. She also has the benefit of Domingo as Johnson, and Milnes as Rance. It's a superb set.




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 01, 2017, 02:50:24 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on June 30, 2017, 11:10:58 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81AeD0J1UPL._SL1200_.jpg)

Another one of Birgit's - haven't listened to this is yonks.
This is the only R. Strauss Opera I own ATM - I used to have Solti's Rosenkavalier with Crespin (Jeffrey played it earlier this week I remember) but I appear to have deleted it from my library (which was foolish as I wouldn't have minded giving it another spin :-[)..
Edit: I made it as far as the Dance of the seven Veils before having to stop - Maybe it wasn't the right time to listen to this work but I didn't find it very interesting :-X.
At this stage I think I probably prefer the "older" style of Operas with Arias and such to the "through-composed" format.
I'll return to Strauss Operas at a later date perhaps..

The french version of Salomé which uses the original Oscar Wilde text has been entirely rewritten by Strauss to match the french text and accentuation.  The result is a less agressive Salomé than in the german version.  In a staged version, it is more easily understandable why Salome is so aggressive.  When I am just listening to the opera, this version is more pleasing to the ear.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51NepkXh9dL._SY400_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on July 01, 2017, 03:07:54 AM
That Neblett recording of Fanciulla is the one I liked the best. And Fanciulla is, in my opinion, Puccini's greatest opera, even greater than Tosca or Turandot. Speaking of Turandot, Nilsson sings her absolutely gorgeously in that recording with her and Corelli.

Solti's Salome recording is a great favorite of mine.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 01, 2017, 03:16:43 AM
Quote from: Spineur on July 01, 2017, 02:50:24 AM
The french version of Salomé which uses the original Oscar Wilde text has been entirely rewritten by Strauss to match the french text and accentuation.  The result is a less agressive Salomé than in the german version.  In a staged version, it is more easily understandable why Salome is so aggressive.  When I am just listening to the opera, this version is more pleasing to the ear.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51NepkXh9dL._SY400_.jpg)
Good day, Spineur!

I've been considering that recording for quite a while now, as this "revised yet original" French Salomé looks very interesting. And (almost ) everything I know by Kent Nagano on his enterprising Lyon years is superb...

THREAD DUTY:

And now for something completely different (or perhaps not so much  ;) ); Manuel de Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro, under the great Pedro de Freitas Branco, from this set:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51iYvZQ%2BE8L.jpg)

I got to know this gem of an opera in this recording (on an Hispavox LP almost 40 years ago), and it remains my favourite. Even if Falla's music is very distant from R. Strauss's sound world, as with Ariadne auf Naxos I was listening to last night, we have a pared-down instrumentation and metatheatrical "play within a play".

Falla resolutely abandons any Andalusion colour and, so to speak, moves north to the much sterner Castillian Weltanschaung. Some very subtle neo-classicism (but with no real direct allusion to any "classical" composers) and a real feel for the folk aspects of Castille and the spirit that imbues Don Quixote (the libretto being based  on an episode of part II of Cervantes's novel). Thus, this work oscillates between folklorism, classiscism and full modernity, and IMHO represents the zenith of Falla's small but extraordinary output. I can understand why a man like Boulez felt inclined to conduct this late in his career (in a triple bill, along Renard and Pierrot Lunaire in Aix-en-Provence in 2006--what an evening that must have been!).

Half an hour of pure joy.  :)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 01, 2017, 04:40:22 AM
I had the pleasure of seeing a performance in Melbourne of El retablo de Maese Pedro (along with Carter's What Next?) several years ago. A wonderful opera! Shame it seems difficult to come by recordings of it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on July 01, 2017, 05:27:18 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2017, 02:08:04 AM
You've actually hit on something that I have a problem with too. Except for Turandot, Nilsson just never sounds right in Italian opera to me, not even as Lady Macbeth. Her Turandot was a marvel it is true, but even here I prefer Sutherland under Mehta, or Callas under Serafin.

Fortunately there are two other great recordings of La Fanciulla del West.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oJEhZuJLL.jpg)

and

(http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/imgs/s300x300/4748402.jpg)

My preference would be for the latter with Neblett, which actually won the Gramophone Award for Best Opera Recording the year it was released. Neblett has a large lyrical voice, which is never taxed by the upper reaches of the role, where Tebaldi can sound a bit strained. She also has the benefit of Domingo as Johnson, and Milnes as Rance. It's a superb set.





Pretty much agree on all points. The DG recording is fabulous.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: cilgwyn on July 01, 2017, 05:39:46 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2017, 01:31:49 PM
Solti is a bit swift for my taste, and Price was a bit past her best by the time of this recording.

My go to remains the mono Karajan, with Schwarzkopf a soaringly radiant Ariadne, Seefried a glorious Composer and Streich a sparkling, but surprisingly sympathetic Zerbinetta. The men may not all be on the same lofty level of achievement, but none of them lets the side down, and Rudolf Schock is at least as good as any other Bacchus I've heard.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71tw4Z8spgL._SX355_.jpg)

Highly recommended.
That would be my choice,too! :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 01, 2017, 09:49:17 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2017, 01:56:09 AM
This set has its fans, and the recording is pretty spectacular, but Nilsson never sounds remotely like the spoiled teenager of Strauss's imaginings. Remember he once stated that Elisabeth Schumann had the ideal voice, though whether she would have been heard above the orchestra is a moot point.

Ljuba Welitsch has always been my yardstick, though she is only represented in distinctly lo-fi live recordings, the best of them being from the Met in 1949 under Reiner. There is a later one from 1952, but her voice was already beginning to show signs of wear by this time. Anyone who loves this opera should also seek out a stunning recording of the Final Scene made for radio in 1944 under Lovro von Matacic.

(http://plade-klassikeren.dk/1452-thickbox_default/ljuba-welitsch-opera-arias-from-salome-tosca-aida-la-boheme-1-cd-emi.jpg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8hCm-M-dI0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8hCm-M-dI0)

Of more modern recordings I tend to prefer the Karajan, with Hildegard Behrens a superbly silvery voiced Salome, and a starry cast that includes Jose Van Dam as Jokanaan and Agnes Baltsa as Herodias.

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0002/909/MI0002909117.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Sinopoli is also an excellent choice, and Studer too is more suited to the role than Nilsson (though hers is a voice I've never quite taken to).

(http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/imgs/s300x300/4318102.jpg)

I found Nilsson to be downright screechy in that Salome. But I think I don't really like the opera. I have the Sinopoli, and it didn't gel with me. The two best things in that Solti Strauss box are Ariadne and FrOSch.

TD
Siegfried, from this cheapo hotch potch set I got a few years back for about $1.00 per CD.
[asin]B009P4LVUK[/asin]
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81tgncDAdDL.jpg)
No indication of what the source material was, or even a full cast list, just a track list, but the sound is relatively good
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 01, 2017, 02:59:14 PM
Balance out Wagner with some frothy Mozart
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61qbZhAUt4L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 01, 2017, 07:19:42 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2017, 01:22:26 AM
The thing that puts this recording out of the running for me is the heinous cut Karajan makes in the great Act III ensemble (which he didn't do in his earlier Decca set with Del Monaco). Otello is a work of Verdi's mature genius, and there isn't a wasted note. It's a shame because Vickers is definitely one of the greatest Otellos on disc, and Freni is a most affecting Desdemona.

I usually turn to Vickers's earlier recording under Serafin, with Gobbi superb as Iago. Unfortunately Rysanek is not really suited to the role of Desdemona, but the set still ranks very high.

Good stuff - thanks for your reply and recommendation.
I didn't know about the cut in Karajan's EMI version - I have 2 more Otello's in my collection (one of which is Karajan's other version on Decca) so I do possess an "intact" version for comparison.
I really enjoyed Otello and thought it was one of the best Verdi Opera's I have heard so far - I intend to listen to the work more intently over the next few days.

Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71fm2q-4S%2BL._SL1500_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL._SL1500_.jpg)

For a first listen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 01, 2017, 07:26:59 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2017, 02:08:04 AM
You've actually hit on something that I have a problem with too. Except for Turandot, Nilsson just never sounds right in Italian opera to me, not even as Lady Macbeth. Her Turandot was a marvel it is true, but even here I prefer Sutherland under Mehta, or Callas under Serafin.

Fortunately there are two other great recordings of La Fanciulla del West.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oJEhZuJLL.jpg)

and

(http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/imgs/s300x300/4748402.jpg)

My preference would be for the latter with Neblett, which actually won the Gramophone Award for Best Opera Recording the year it was released. Neblett has a large lyrical voice, which is never taxed by the upper reaches of the role, where Tebaldi can sound a bit strained. She also has the benefit of Domingo as Johnson, and Milnes as Rance. It's a superb set.
Quote from: Alberich on July 01, 2017, 03:07:54 AM
That Neblett recording of Fanciulla is the one I liked the best. And Fanciulla is, in my opinion, Puccini's greatest opera, even greater than Tosca or Turandot. Speaking of Turandot, Nilsson sings her absolutely gorgeously in that recording with her and Corelli.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on July 01, 2017, 05:27:18 AM
Pretty much agree on all points. The DG recording is fabulous.

Thanks for all your replies.
I did enjoy Nilsson's La Fanciulla Del West despite my misgivings - I have the DG recording of the work with Domingo & Neblett on order (and it should arrive in the next couple of weeks) so I look forward to hearing that one (especially now as it has been recommended a number of times).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 01, 2017, 10:55:11 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81AeD0J1UPL._SL1200_.jpg)

Thanks for the recent replies and recommendations about this Opera.
I got the urge to try the work again (despite my negative comments yesterday) - I have no idea what happened but to cut a long story short I did enjoy this listen..
I'm quite interested in exploring R. Strauss other Operas and may pick up the Box-Set from Warner Classics (which would appear to have some popular versions of these works).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 02, 2017, 12:08:44 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on July 01, 2017, 07:19:42 PM
Good stuff - thanks for your reply and recommendation.
I didn't know about the cut in Karajan's EMI version - I have 2 more Otello's in my collection (one of which is Karajan's other version on Decca) so I do possess an "intact" version for comparison.
I really enjoyed Otello and thought it was one of the best Verdi Opera's I have heard so far - I intend to listen to the work more intently over the next few days.

Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71fm2q-4S%2BL._SL1500_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716oZKRVwxL._SL1500_.jpg)

For a first listen.

Another favourite of mine.

Domingo's Otello is not quite here the towering achievement it was to become, but he still sings superbly, Milnes is a formidale Iago, if not quite in Gobbi's class, and Renata Scotto makes more of the role of Desdemona than anyone. Others (Tebaldi, Te Kanawa, Rethberg, Freni) might sing the role with more consistent beauty of tone. None of them probes so deeply into Desdemona's tragedy. An excellent set.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 02, 2017, 01:21:29 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 02, 2017, 12:08:44 AM
Another favourite of mine.

Domingo's Otello is not quite here the towering achievement it was to become, but he still sings superbly, Milnes is a formidale Iago, if not quite in Gobbi's class, and Renata Scotto makes more of the role of Desdemona than anyone. Others (Tebaldi, Te Kanawa, Rethberg, Freni) might sing the role with more consistent beauty of tone. None of them probes so deeply into Desdemona's tragedy. An excellent set.

Thanks, I enjoyed this one too (plan to give it another spin soon!).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 02, 2017, 01:34:19 AM
Some really fantastic music here

(https://i.scdn.co/image/67ba99d9a4675ad441fee4099f1333dae68085bb)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 02, 2017, 07:11:10 AM
Quote from: jessop on July 02, 2017, 01:34:19 AM
Some really fantastic music here

(https://i.scdn.co/image/67ba99d9a4675ad441fee4099f1333dae68085bb)
indeed. Actually, Krenek almost made it on my "10 favourite opera composers" list  (I mentioned him among the runner-ups). I highly recommend his magnum opus Karl V, and also Orpheus und Eurydike, with a libretto by Oskar Kokoschka. Both have been released on the Orfeo label  (live recordings from Salzburg).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on July 02, 2017, 01:18:25 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hnJl4HouL._SS425.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 02, 2017, 05:43:04 PM
This afternoon, from the Zyx hotchpotch Ring, this performance
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ucTAc2oTL.jpg)
Followed by the Bugs Bunny short, "What's Opera, Doc?".
If you've seen, the relevance to the Ring should be obvious. If you haven't, it's on Youtube....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 02, 2017, 07:00:31 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719robrmDzL._SL1286_.jpg)

Love this..

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716%2B8qQfQaL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pnA4fqHGL._SL1200_.jpg)

For a first listen (it's great so far!).


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 02, 2017, 07:03:08 PM
Quote from: Todd on July 02, 2017, 01:18:25 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hnJl4HouL._SS425.jpg)

Nice one! - I think this is my preferred version of the work ATM.
Going to have to spin it again soon..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on July 02, 2017, 08:56:50 PM
(https://s6.postimg.org/3qjqcxgcx/otello_renee.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/yxidgu499/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 03, 2017, 02:48:46 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on July 02, 2017, 07:00:31 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719robrmDzL._SL1286_.jpg)

Love this..


I've always preferred Karajan's second recording for EMI, which is less self consciously beautiful, and a good deal more dramatic. Freni and Carreras could be considered rather light of voice, I suppose, but they both sing most beautifully, and Baltsa is my favourite Amneris of all, reminding us that she is a young, spoiled princess, and a valid rival for Radames.

(https://img.discogs.com/urYR9-LkAGOexGNxhgfItq3VGms=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11579668-1554671998-8371.gif.jpg)

Quote from: Conor71 on July 02, 2017, 07:00:31 PM

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716%2B8qQfQaL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pnA4fqHGL._SL1200_.jpg)

For a first listen (it's great so far!).

Muti's first Traviata is interesting, but he was going through his rigid, straightjacketing phase, which means the score exactly as written. Violetta is not even allowed a high Ab at the end of Sempre libera, let alone the traditional Eb in alt. Scotto and Kraus are somewhat past their prime too, though their singing is, as usual, unfailingly musical.

I actually prefer his second recording, based on a spectacular La Scala production. Fabricini is vocally fallible, but none the less very affecting, though probably best seen as well as heard in the video of the production.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/615Q7m-P7ML.jpg)

My favourite studio recording is the Kleiber, with Cotrubas a most affecting Violetta, and Domingo and Milnes as the Germonts.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vVyz1DKcL._SL1200_.jpg)

That said, I don't think any soprano has ever matched Callas's achievement in the role, the one she sang most after Norma, and the one she continued to refine throughout her career. The Cetra studio recording made in 1952 is let down by a second rate orchestra and chorus, and rather provincial support. Callas is in fresher voice here than in some of the later live recordings, and she is still very much inside the role, but it is still to those later live recordings that I always return; Giulini at La Scala in 1955 (with Di Stefano and Bastianini), Ghione in Lisbon in 1958 (with a young Kraus and Sereni), and, best of all, Rescigno at Covent Garden in 1958 (with Valletti and a wonderfully sensitive Mario Zanasi). She was not in good health for these performances, but her portrayal is full of detail, deeply affecting, and almost too real. It leaves me completely drained every time. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be in the audience.

(https://i.scdn.co/image/e247fd29c38d0fd2f3c88dddaf5ce3586f7f8005)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 03, 2017, 02:54:55 AM
Quote from: Don Carlo on July 02, 2017, 08:56:50 PM
(https://s6.postimg.org/3qjqcxgcx/otello_renee.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/yxidgu499/)

What a dreadful wig (I assume it's a wig) Fleming is wearing. She can look so much more attractive.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on July 03, 2017, 06:29:13 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 03, 2017, 02:54:55 AM
What a dreadful wig (I assume it's a wig) Fleming is wearing. She can look so much more attractive.

With all due respect, so many of her gowns over the years were simply weird.
As per the above Fanciulla del West, I cannot get out of my head: "Spaghetti Western".
(I'm in a funny mood today...)

I see Tebadi has been mentioned a few times lately. She manages to keep an even sound despite the treacherous leaps in this aria:

http://www.youtube.com/v/E_HmhrtIvg0
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 03, 2017, 06:07:17 PM
Took a break from Wagner today
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Xl5LhEznL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 03, 2017, 07:19:08 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 03, 2017, 02:48:46 AM
I've always preferred Karajan's second recording for EMI, which is less self consciously beautiful, and a good deal more dramatic. Freni and Carreras could be considered rather light of voice, I suppose, but they both sing most beautifully, and Baltsa is my favourite Amneris of all, reminding us that she is a young, spoiled princess, and a valid rival for Radames.

(http://s6.postimg.org/ms59aqbgx/Verdi_Aida.jpg)

Muti's first Traviata is interesting, but he was going through his rigid, straightjacketing phase, which means the score exactly as written. Violetta is not even allowed a high Ab at the end of Sempre libera, let alone the traditional Eb in alt. Scotto and Kraus are somewhat past their prime too, though their singing is, as usual, unfailingly musical.

I actually prefer his second recording, based on a spectacular La Scala production. Fabricini is vocally fallible, but none the less very affecting, though probably best seen as well as heard in the video of the production.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/615Q7m-P7ML.jpg)

My favourite studio recording is the Kleiber, with Cotrubas a most affecting Violetta, and Domingo and Milnes as the Germonts.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vVyz1DKcL._SL1200_.jpg)

That said, I don't think any soprano has ever matched Callas's achievement in the role, the one she sang most after Norma, and the one she continued to refine throughout her career. The Cetra studio recording made in 1952 is let down by a second rate orchestra and chorus, and rather provincial support. Callas is in fresher voice here than in some of the later live recordings, and she is still very much inside the role, but it is still to those later live recordings that I always return; Giulini at La Scala in 1955 (with Di Stefano and Bastianini), Ghione in Lisbon in 1958 (with a young Kraus and Sereni), and, best of all, Rescigno at Covent Garden in 1958 (with Valletti and a wonderfully sensitive Mario Zanasi). She was not in good health for these performances, but her portrayal is full of detail, deeply affecting, and almost too real. It leaves me completely drained every time. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be in the audience.

(https://i.scdn.co/image/e247fd29c38d0fd2f3c88dddaf5ce3586f7f8005)

Thanks for your detailed reply - I've read a few times that Kleiber's La Traviata is the one to have and luckily I do own it.
I dont have many Ileana Cotrubas recordings but I particularly like her work in this and also her Carmen and Rigoletto performances.

Im not sure about picking up Karajan's earlier recording of Aida because I don't appreciate Jose Carreras yet (though perhaps i have not heard him at his best) but Ill keep the recommendation in mind.

Im still in the proces of investigating Maria Callas - I have 3 or 4 of her recordings already in various box-sets and such.
I didnt post it here yet but I really loved her Madama Butterfly recording with Karajan and have listened to it a few times already (the sound quality was quite good too for a Mono too).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2017, 01:23:50 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on July 03, 2017, 07:19:08 PM
Thanks for your detailed reply -

Im not sure about picking up Karajan's earlier recording of Aida because I don't appreciate Jose Carreras yet (though perhaps i have not heard him at his best) but Ill keep the recommendation in mind.

Im still in the proces of investigating Maria Callas - I have 3 or 4 of her recordings already in various box-sets and such.
I didnt post it here yet but I really loved her Madama Butterfly recording with Karajan and have listened to it a few times already (the sound quality was quite good too for a Mono too).

But the Carreras/Freni is Karajan's second recording, made in 1979, when Carreras's voice was still a beautiful, lyric tenor. You might argue he had no business singing Radames, and it probably didn't do him much good, and he is a little strained by the more heroic parts of the opera. It's all gain in the lyrical sections though. Karajan must have preferred a more lyrical approach too, as he chose Bergonzi for the earlier recording, rather than Tebaldi's usual partner of Del Monaco. This Decca one was recorded in 1959.

Callas can be an acquired taste, but, once acquired, it can be very addictive. Callas is my preferred singer for all the roles she sang and recorded, though that does not prevent me for enjoying other singers in those same roles. It's just that Callas has a way of imprinting phrases on the brain, and I miss her insights when they are not there. Others for whom beauty of tone is paramount will have other priorities, but I prefer singing that is beautifully expressed.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 04, 2017, 04:53:39 AM
Any Reimann fans around? I absolutely adore opera in German above all others, perhaps because of the enormous wealth of interesting and unique works constantly being created since the 19th century. Reimann is certainly one of the greatest composers of opera in German, if not one of the greatest of all time.

(http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-reimann-lear.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 04, 2017, 07:29:29 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2017, 01:23:50 AM
But the Carreras/Freni is Karajan's second recording, made in 1979, when Carreras's voice was still a beautiful, lyric tenor. You might argue he had no business singing Radames, and it probably didn't do him much good, and he is a little strained by the more heroic parts of the opera. It's all gain in the lyrical sections though. Karajan must have preferred a more lyrical approach too, as he chose Bergonzi for the earlier recording, rather than Tebaldi's usual partner of Del Monaco. This Decca one was recorded in 1959.

Ahhh ok - I think of Karajan's EMI recordings as being from the "earlier" phase of his career but I forgot he made some for them later on too..
I have only listened to 2 Jose Carreras recordings as yet - his Carmen with Karajan (from 1982) and his Tosca with Karajan also (from 1979) so it would seem his voice was still in good shape for these?.
I must admit to finding his singing a bit disappointing so far - Perhaps I am being unfair/unkind but I think his voice lacks a sense of gravitas and I find his phrasing to be a bit too polished/fussy (for want of a better word).
I'll not give up on Jose just yet - I admit I might not have heard him in his best roles. I have his recording of Macbeth with Muti and the reviews I read suggest his interpretation of Banqo to be the best. I will make a point of checking this one out when Im able (and Ill youtube some excerpts from his Aida while im at it) :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2017, 08:23:26 AM
Quote from: Conor71 on July 04, 2017, 07:29:29 AM
Ahhh ok - I think of Karajan's EMI recordings as being from the "earlier" phase of his career but I forgot he made some for them later on too..
I have only listened to 2 Jose Carreras recordings as yet - his Carmen with Karajan (from 1982) and his Tosca with Karajan also (from 1979) so it would seem his voice was still in good shape for these?.
I must admit to finding his singing a bit disappointing so far - Perhaps I am being unfair/unkind but I think his voice lacks a sense of gravitas and I find his phrasing to be a bit too polished/fussy (for want of a better word).
I'll not give up on Jose just yet - I admit I might not have heard him in his best roles. I have his recording of Macbeth with Muti and the reviews I read suggest his interpretation of Banqo to be the best. I will make a point of checking this one out when Im able (and Ill youtube some excerpts from his Aida while im at it) :).

One small point. Carreras sings MacDuff in the Muti Macbeth, not Banquo, which is a bass role.

I think his voice had a lovely lyricism in his earlier years, right up to the Karajan Carmen, and I find his singing musical rather than fussy. I like his Don Carlo for Karajan too, well at least when the weird recording balance lets you hear him. Best of all are his performances in the Philips early Verdi series. Excellent in I due Foscari, La Battaglia di Legnano, Il Corsaro and Stiffelio and he's the best thing about the slightly po-faced Un Giorno di Regno with Norman and Cossotto both too heavy of voice and manner for their respective roles. There's actually an earlier and much better version of this light Donizettian comic opera on disc, with Lina Paghliughi, Renato Capecchi and Sesto Bruscantini, but I prefer Carreras to Juan Oncina, good though he is.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41PGpMuia9L._SL256_.jpg)




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 04, 2017, 05:45:01 PM
If you like Carreras in Giorno you will probably also like him here
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SbkX8LA1L.jpg)
If you can find it! I stumbled over it in the used CD store. This was supposedly his first complete opera recording.
TD
From my cheapo hotchpotch Ring
The Rheingold from this cycle (but not that issue, I assume)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/419M35927NL.jpg)

I have one installment to go, the Gotterdammerung from that cycle. For a cheap edition of (mostly) live early1950s recordings taken from unnamed sources, this has surprisingly good quality.
[asin]B009P4LVUK[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 05, 2017, 10:33:30 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on July 04, 2017, 05:45:01 PM
If you like Carreras in Giorno you will probably also like him here
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SbkX8LA1L.jpg)
If you can find it! I stumbled over it in the used CD store. This was supposedly his first complete opera recording.
TD

Looks interesting. Thanks for mentioning it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 05, 2017, 07:26:27 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2017, 08:23:26 AM
One small point. Carreras sings MacDuff in the Muti Macbeth, not Banquo, which is a bass role.

Haha thanks - I seem to be making a lot of mistakes this week :-[ :D

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2017, 08:23:26 AM
I think his voice had a lovely lyricism in his earlier years, right up to the Karajan Carmen, and I find his singing musical rather than fussy. I like his Don Carlo for Karajan too, well at least when the weird recording balance lets you hear him. Best of all are his performances in the Philips early Verdi series. Excellent in I due Foscari, La Battaglia di Legnano, Il Corsaro and Stiffelio and he's the best thing about the slightly po-faced Un Giorno di Regno with Norman and Cossotto both too heavy of voice and manner for their respective roles. There's actually an earlier and much better version of this light Donizettian comic opera on disc, with Lina Paghliughi, Renato Capecchi and Sesto Bruscantini, but I prefer Carreras to Juan Oncina, good though he is.

Thanks for your thoughts - I felt a bit bad about criticizing Jose's work in my previous posts so I'm going to work a bit harder to give him a fair chance. :)
I received his recording of Simon Boccanegra with Abbado in the mail yesterday and will try to listen to that soon (along with the previously mentioned recordings).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 05, 2017, 07:30:24 PM
Now playing:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716%2B8qQfQaL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pnA4fqHGL._SL1200_.jpg)

Listening to this recording again (will be spinning C. Kleiber's version of the same work soon too).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 05, 2017, 11:29:06 PM
Quote from: Conor71 on July 05, 2017, 07:26:27 PM
Haha thanks - I seem to be making a lot of mistakes this week :-[ :D

Thanks for your thoughts - I felt a bit bad about criticizing Jose's work in my previous posts so I'm going to work a bit harder to give him a fair chance. :)
I received his recording of Simon Boccanegra with Abbado in the mail yesterday and will try to listen to that soon (along with the previously mentioned recordings).

It's a stunner, one of the best recordings of a Verdi opera ever. I have a fondness for the old mono Santini, mostly for the contributions of Gobbi, Christoff and De Los Angeles, but the Abbado is in a different class.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ken B on July 06, 2017, 11:51:32 AM
Selections from Einstein on the Beach
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 06, 2017, 06:11:10 PM
Finishing off the Solti Mozart with
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xpRJdrGCL.jpg)
DFD as the Speaker, Rene Kollo and Hans Sotin as the two Armored Men, and Yvonne Minton as the second of the Queen of the Night's ladies, probably counts as luxury casting
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 06, 2017, 09:21:52 PM
Currently streaming Hamlet from Glyndebourne. Up to the interval right now. So far the sets and costumes don't interest me so much except for some cool transitions where the walls break away or characters gesture to one another through windows, but the music is remarkable. Even if the opera quite fast paced, I feel that single moods are sustained for a fairly long time. The conflict between dark and light in the tone of the story was very prominent in his first opera (the cynical/dark-humoured 'Bliss') and its music I felt really matched this perfectly, although changes of mood were quite abrupt. Hamlet, to me, seems a little more seamless in its storytelling, everything is a lot more conversational, even the 'to be or not to be' is hardly a monologue in this opera, but an inner conflict that is referenced throughout the action.

Barbara Hannigan is no less than amazing, as usual.

It would have been great to see this live. Dean was very particular about the placement of musicians, not only in the pit, but in small groups around the auditorium as well. It is a slight shame that only the people in the stalls will have the best experience of this. I do believe that the way opera house auditoriums are traditionally designed does no real favour to the music and drama being presented........perhaps if a composer really wishes to create the theatrical effects of spatialised sound it would be far better to do away with opera houses altogether (and instead opt for an opera theatre which is 'transformable' depending on the requirements of whatever opera is being performed). I would like to see this live, but preferably in a theatre that will serve the music and the drama best.

I look forward to watching the rest of this very soon.

Quote from: jessop on June 23, 2017, 03:15:18 PM
Brett Dean's new opera  Hamlet will be available to stream from the 6th of July: http://www.glyndebourne.com/tickets-and-whats-on/events/2017/watch-hamlet/

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 07, 2017, 03:46:01 AM
Finished it. Wow. I really hope there will be a release of it on DVD/BD. I don't know whether I prefer Hamlet or Bliss; both operas are excellent and both are quite different yet sharing similar characteristics. There seems to be a particular way Dean's operas work now that there are two of them. One can hear similarities in the music during a scene where an important character dies/almost dies amidst a large crowd, similarities in the melodies and orchestration of slow arias, comic relief characters and the funnier scenes in his operas really have some kind of underlying consistency in the music between both operas, but also when it comes to his treatment of humour in other works. There are things now which are recognisably his own when it comes to opera and I hope there are more to come as I would love to see how these elements evolve as his career continues.

Oh, and if anyone is interested (and I can't imagine why any fan of opera wouldn't be drawn in by this), here is a trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/v/Sg1osUcNP_s
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: marvinbrown on July 07, 2017, 05:19:19 AM
  I was going to post this on the Purchases thread but I believe it would be better appreciated here, so here goes:

  Yes! Yes! Yes! I FINALLY got my hands on this little gem:

  [asin]B00000E42X[/asin]

  Currently Listening to CD1,  Tebalidi, Del Monaco and Bastianini.....OH MY! Can it get better than this?

  marvin
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 07, 2017, 12:16:12 PM
Quote from: marvinbrown on July 07, 2017, 05:19:19 AM

  ...Tebalidi, Del Monaco and Bastianini.....OH MY! Can it get better than this?

And don't forget Gianandrea Gavazzeni! A gran signore of Italian opera, a man of immense culture (his writings are all very interesting, in particular his diaries collected under the title Il sipario rosso--unfortunately never translated AFAIK), and a conductor who excelled in this repertoire...

THREAD DUTY:

In my CD player right now (hat tip to Spineur):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51NepkXh9dL._SY400_.jpg)

Salomé is an opera I've known since my teens, seen several times on stage, and know practically by heart. On the other hand, I read Oscar Wilde's play in French many years ago (after getting to know the opera); to have both worlds, so to speak, now combined is rather fascinating. Yes, you can notice the difference in the vocal lines between the standard German version and this "back-adaptation", but also the whole sound of the opera changes form one language to the other. Less "expressionsitic" and ultimately more decadent (cliché as this may sound). An excellent performance as well in my IMHO, with Karen Huffstodt a fragile and vulnerable lead (no "steel princess" here, thank God), José van Dam repeating his superb Jochanaan (after recording it in German for Karajan's justly famous EMI set), and Nagano handling the orchestra masterfully. Great stuff!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 07, 2017, 12:27:21 PM
Glad that you liked it.  For me the change of language and melodic line leads to a smoother flowing work, were Salomé agressivity has been filed away.  I am not sure it translates in decadence.  Van Dam in french is indeed fantastic.  He is OK in german but here his expressivity just gets me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 07, 2017, 12:40:05 PM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/e247fd29c38d0fd2f3c88dddaf5ce3586f7f8005)

No other singer has quite got to the heart of Violetta as Callas did, and this shatteringly moving live performance from Covent Garden in 1958 represents the very best of her art. She is wonderfully supported by Nicola Rescigno in the pit and Cesare Valletti and Mario Zanasi as the Germonts.

I intend to write a full review on my blog very soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 07, 2017, 11:18:58 PM
I tried some Donizetti, but after watching Brett Dean's new work 'Lucrezia Borgia' from Valencia (via Opera Platform) seemed about as appealing as food from McDonald's.

So instead I have opted for a production of Mussorgsky's Sorochintsy Fair (http://www.theoperaplatform.eu/en/opera/mussorgsky-sorochintsy-fair) from Komische Oper Berlin. It is fun and the music is wonderful. The stage is mostly quite bare but the costumes are great and this only draws more attention to the hilarious acting in a very good way.

Here's a rather busy image from the production:

(http://static-cdn.arte.tv/cdnp-opera/cdn/farfuture/8KXpjfJ_9pHN2tojViJ1hjpdBmL4_Dk-OewcS-xnE6g/mtime:1490625083/sites/default/files/styles/alw_rectangle_1176/public/atoms/image/20170327/berlin_jahrmarkt_cut_1.jpg?itok=gIClqy5s)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 08, 2017, 09:56:05 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on July 04, 2017, 05:45:01 PM

TD
From my cheapo hotchpotch Ring
The Rheingold from this cycle (but not that issue, I assume)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/419M35927NL.jpg)

I have one installment to go, the Gotterdammerung from that cycle. For a cheap edition of (mostly) live early1950s recordings taken from unnamed sources, this has surprisingly good quality.
[asin]B009P4LVUK[/asin]

This afternoon, doing the Gotterdammerung.
SQ is not quite as good as on the other installments, at least so far (the Prologue just ended and Siggy has just started his Fahrt im Rhein) and the tenor may be a bit stretched in the high notes but still satisfying.  (No cast listing so I am not sure who the tenor is.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on July 08, 2017, 03:21:26 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YCXqzQuOL._SS425.jpg)


Gonna kill the rest of the afternoon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 08, 2017, 05:04:07 PM
Quote from: Todd on July 08, 2017, 03:21:26 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YCXqzQuOL._SS425.jpg)


Gonna kill the rest of the afternoon.

Nice! I like this except for Peter Seiffert actually :laugh:

No one does Lohengrin better than...................

https://www.youtube.com/v/gcSq3R6PzOg

Probably one of the best Heldentenors alive. Quite excited to watch a new production of Tannhäuser that he is in from Bayerische Staatsoper on their live stream.

https://www.youtube.com/v/0D5hByvNlvc
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 09, 2017, 06:40:12 AM
Vasco de Gama
Giacomo Meyerbeer

[asin]B00JH53O0C[/asin]

This is a very clean CPO release.  The orchestra sound is gorgeous. The opera could have used some of Puccini concision (4 CD close to 5 hours).  Lots of very theatrical moments with choruses, quartets and quintet.  Some lovely music.  It must be great fun to see live.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 09, 2017, 12:14:10 PM
Quote from: Spineur on July 09, 2017, 06:40:12 AM
Vasco de Gama
Giacomo Meyerbeer

[asin]B00JH53O0C[/asin]

This is a very clean CPO release.  The orchestra sound is gorgeous. The opera could have used some of Puccini concision (4 CD close to 5 hours).  Lots of very theatrical moments with choruses, quartets and quintet.  Some lovely music.  It must be great fun to see live.
I've never much cared for Meyerbeer (after listening to Il Crociato..., Les Huguenots, Le Prophète and Robert le diable--the latter I found particularly revolting  ::) );  but, I  did find things to enjoy in this Ur-L'Africaine... I remember Sélika's farewell in Act V to be rather touching.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on July 09, 2017, 12:43:04 PM
Quote from: Spineur on July 09, 2017, 06:40:12 AM
Vasco de Gama
Giacomo Meyerbeer

[asin]B00JH53O0C[/asin]

This is a very clean CPO release.  The orchestra sound is gorgeous. The opera could have used some of Puccini concision (4 CD close to 5 hours).  Lots of very theatrical moments with choruses, quartets and quintet.  Some lovely music.  It must be great fun to see live.

I've had my eye on this for a while. I enjoy Meyerbeer and the excerpts sounded great. What do you think of the singers?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 09, 2017, 12:53:40 PM
I am only half way through (I had to go to work today and got back at 9PM).  I will give you a full recension at the end, i.e. probably mid-week

The quality of Meyerbeer productions are quite uneven .  All the DVD released so far are particularly disappointing.  I am waiting for decent productions of Le prophete & Robert le Diable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 09, 2017, 03:11:38 PM
Just watched Tannhäuser from Bayerische Staatsoper. More traditional than I expected somehow. There was a real medieval feel to it throughout, which was perfect.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: timh1 on July 10, 2017, 12:01:02 AM
Messiaen Saint François d'Assise part of the complete edition.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on July 10, 2017, 02:50:51 AM
(https://s6.postimg.org/tjvegyd3l/51_Ci_QVOQg_ML._SX466.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/qps93iax9/)
Solti conducting Strauss.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 10, 2017, 01:17:32 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on July 09, 2017, 12:43:04 PM
I've had my eye on this for a while. I enjoy Meyerbeer and the excerpts sounded great. What do you think of the singers?
In expectation of Spineur's comments, I venture to say (after revisiting parts of the recording of Vasco de Gama today) that this is splendid production. The singing in general is excellent (even if at some--very few--moments, some strain can be heard on the tenor and the soprano incarnating Sélika). Also, from the international cast, only the baritone singing Nelusko has a French name, but the Chemnitz opera company must have one hell of a language coach, because the text is pronounced very clearly.

If you're interested in this opera, I wouldn't hesitate: IMHO, a producton that does all artists involved, the Chemnitz Opera House and Meyerbeer proud. You wouldn't guess it comes from the (deep) German provinces if you did not know beforehand.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mahlerian on July 11, 2017, 06:25:49 AM
Quote from: jessop on July 07, 2017, 03:46:01 AM
Finished it. Wow. I really hope there will be a release of it on DVD/BD. I don't know whether I prefer Hamlet or Bliss; both operas are excellent and both are quite different yet sharing similar characteristics. There seems to be a particular way Dean's operas work now that there are two of them. One can hear similarities in the music during a scene where an important character dies/almost dies amidst a large crowd, similarities in the melodies and orchestration of slow arias, comic relief characters and the funnier scenes in his operas really have some kind of underlying consistency in the music between both operas, but also when it comes to his treatment of humour in other works. There are things now which are recognisably his own when it comes to opera and I hope there are more to come as I would love to see how these elements evolve as his career continues.

I just finished it myself, and I fully agree with your review.  An altogether engrossing work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 11, 2017, 11:58:52 AM
Quote from: ritter on July 10, 2017, 01:17:32 PM
In expectation of Spineur's comments, I venture to say (after revisiting parts of the recording of Vasco de Gama today) that this is splendid production. The singing in general is excellent (even if at some--very few--moments, some strain can be heard on the tenor and the soprano incarnating Sélika). Also, from the international cast, only the baritone singing Nelusko has a French name, but the Chemnitz opera company must have one hell of a language coach, because the text is pronounced very clearly.

If you're interested in this opera, I wouldn't hesitate: IMHO, a production that makes all artists involved, the Chemnitz Opera House and Meyerbeer proud. You wouldn't guess it comes from the (deep) German provinces if you did not know beforehand.
Here are a few additions to Raphael excellent comments.  Prior to the production, there has been some musicological work done by Frank Beermann, the musical director and conductor: this is the complete score of Meyerbeer last opera as he left it.  Because of its length, it is often cut, most of the time not very wisely.  The background of this opera is colonialization, and confrontation between portugese civilization with other cultures and traditions.  It was a relevant theme then and it is also today.  So it is best taken seriously and literally as this production does.  As noted by Raphael, the Chemnitz chorus is top level as is the orchestra which does full justice to Meyerbeer orchestral writing.  The singers are good, and more importantly totally committed to their role and Meyerbeer music.  The barytone/bass singing Nelusko (one of the slave) Pierre-Yves Pruvost has a dark almost satanic voice that suits his role perfectly.  Claudia Sorokina who sings Selika (the other slave) is dramatic in her duo with Nelusko as they are condemned to death in act III.  I also liked Guibee Yang who sings Inès, Don Diego daughter.
As in most Meyerbeer opera things really pick up at act III and culminate at the last act (V).  But in this opera, the music is quite nice right from the beginning.

The book has picture from the Chemnitz production and the text in french/german/english. The market price is high but fluctuate widely in time and space (44 on amazon.it, over 60 on amazon.de right now).  I got my copy for 40€ a  few months back. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on July 12, 2017, 09:52:09 AM
Thanks for all the great comments on the Meyerbeer! At this point, it is just a question of when I buy it, not if I buy it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Autumn Leaves on July 12, 2017, 07:01:03 PM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51N3wECMAIL.jpg)

Enjoying this newly arrived recording.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71dqWYAE-vL._SL1200_.jpg)

Superb recording - Pavarotti singing "Che gelida manina" is the best thing about this IMO.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 13, 2017, 10:16:48 PM
Nice performance but disappointing opera.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/415m5VCvL%2BL._SY400_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on July 13, 2017, 10:24:59 PM
Quote from: Spineur on July 13, 2017, 10:16:48 PM
Nice performance but disappointing opera.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/415m5VCvL%2BL._SY400_.jpg)
Oh bummer, I was considering that...The Herold opera issued some months ago is quite good though if you'd like something French from that series...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on July 14, 2017, 04:11:14 AM
(https://ec-assets.sheetmusicplus.com/items/20155610/cover_images/cover-large_file.png)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 15, 2017, 12:31:26 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/4log248mc6JRaxYV7-fnfNKHo9s=/fit-in/600x594/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9310901-1478378068-9301.jpeg.jpg)

Playing Verdi's "Macbeth" (Leinsdorf, Met 1959 - from the "Giuseppe Verdi - Great Recordings" box on Sony)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 01:38:07 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 15, 2017, 12:31:26 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/4log248mc6JRaxYV7-fnfNKHo9s=/fit-in/600x594/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9310901-1478378068-9301.jpeg.jpg)

Playing Verdi's "Macbeth" (Leinsdorf, Met 1959 - from the "Giuseppe Verdi - Great Recordings" box on Sony)

One of my favourite Verdi operas. This isn't a bad recording of the opera by any means, but I think it was completely superseded by the excellent Muti and Abbado recordings, which arrived in quick succession in 1976. My personal favourite would be the La Scala based Abbado, with Cappuccilli, Verrett, Domingo and Ghiaurov in great form; indeed Verrett's Lady Macbeth is the greatest since Callas, whose live 1952 recording of the opera under Victor De Sabata's baton is a must for anyone who likes this opera. The sound is typical for its period and source (distinctly lo-fi), but is just about listenable in its Myto pressing. The EMI should be avoided at all costs, and it is to be hoped that Warner have not just copied it for their issue in September of Callas Live.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61VBv4yBk6L.jpg)

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/719v-j8siyl-_sl1417_.jpg?w=1024)

(http://i66.tinypic.com/2r76cut.jpg)





Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 15, 2017, 02:33:04 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 01:38:07 AM
One of my favourite Verdi operas. This isn't a bad recording of the opera by any means, but I think it was completely superseded by the excellent Muti and Abbado recordings, which arrived in quick succession in 1976. My personal favourite would be the La Scala based Abbado, with Cappuccilli, Verrett, Domingo and Ghiaurov in great form; indeed Verrett's Lady Macbeth is the greatest since Callas, whose live 1952 recording of the opera under Victor De Sabata's baton is a must for anyone who likes this opera. The sound is typical for its period and source (distinctly lo-fi), but is just about listenable in its Myto pressing. The EMI should be avoided at all costs, and it is to be hoped that Warner have not just copied it for their issue in September of Callas Live.

Thanks! I have the Abbado and Muti lined up for listening (all of these are first listens, the previous one was the Leinsdorf Met from the "Verdi at the Met" box). As for Callas, I have that Verdi live box ... it was dirt cheap. Waiting for the new Warner box and first reviews before deciding what else to get in terms of live recordings. Plenty here, but never acquired in a systematical way or with much previous research, just snatched up stuff that was recommended here or elsewhere, or recordings I was curious about, or ones that cost almost nothing ... and may be worth same  ;)

I have one more recoding with DFD in the title role (Gardelli, 1970, with Souliotis as Lady and Ghiaurov as Banco) ... must be weird, but when that gorgeous Pavarotti "First Decade" box went cheap, I just had to get it and that "Macbeth" is in there. Guess Pavarotti doing MacDuff is the main interest there (at least for me).

Anyway, Leonie Rysanek is mighty fine with Leinsdorf (I'm not familiar with her at all), and I immediately started listening with more attention when Bergonzi came on in the fourth act! We can easily agree on "very good/not great" here though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 03:44:18 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 15, 2017, 02:33:04 AM

I have one more recoding with DFD in the title role (Gardelli, 1970, with Souliotis as Lady and Ghiaurov as Banco) ... must be weird, but when that gorgeous Pavarotti "First Decade" box went cheap, I just had to get it and that "Macbeth" is in there. Guess Pavarotti doing MacDuff is the main interest there (at least for me).


Well Souliotis might just have the voice of a she-devil in this recording, but her Lady M is something of a disaster. The voice seems to have aged twenty years since her fantastic Abigaille, recorded just a few years earlier, opening up chasms rather than breaks between the registers, the top squally, the middle voice hollow and unsupported, the chest voice overused and forced. D F-D makes an interesting Macbeth, with a Lieder singer's attention to the text, but he never sounds idiomatically correct. The set's only real assets are Gardelli's conducting, Pavarotti's MacDuff and Ghiaurov's Banquo.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 15, 2017, 04:03:04 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 03:44:18 AM
Well Souliotis might just have the voice of a she-devil in this recording, but her Lady M is something of a disaster. The voice seems to have aged twenty years since her fantastic Abigaille, recorded just a few years earlier, opening up chasms rather than breaks between the registers, the top squally, the middle voice hollow and unsupported, the chest voice overused and forced. D F-D makes an interesting Macbeth, with a Lieder singer's attention to the text, but he never sounds idiomatically correct. The sets only real assets are Gardelli's conducting, Pavarotti's MacDuff and Ghiaurov's Banquo.

Thanks again - not familiar with Souliotis at all so far, but that confirms what I've read about that recording of "Macbeth". What recording of "Nabucco" is she in? The mid sixties Vienna one with Gardelli? Or are there others?

The Abigailles I have: Callas in an early live recording, Rysanek again - these two not yet heard, I think -, Scotto, and Dimitrova... I guess the Sinopoli may be my favourite there, Scott with Muti is somewhat too old for the role as well. But it's been a few years since I played any recording of "Nabucco".
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 04:21:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oJAJptQqL.jpg)

Watching some of the live telecast of the Covent Garden Turandot led me seek out this recording today; one I haven't listened to in a long time, and it certainly justifies its reputation. I even found the Ping Pang Pong episodes less irritating than I usually do.

Sutherland seemed strange casting at the time (and she never sang the role on stage) but it's a casting decision that definitely paid off. Her diction is better here than it usually is, though she doesn't make as much of the text as Callas does. On the other hand, by the time Callas came to record the complete role in 1957, she couldn't disguise the strain the role made on her resources. (Too bad she didn't record it a few years earlier, when she recorded a stunningly secure, and subtly inflected version of In questa reggia for her Puccini recital.) Anyway for my money, Sutherland has much more vocal allure in the role than Nilsson, and surely Turandot has to have allure if one is to make any sense at all out of the plot.

Pavarotti is caught at his mid career best and Caballe sings beautifully, spinning out her fabulous pianissimi to glorious effect. If I'm absolutely honest, I prefer a slightly lighter voice in the role, like, say, Moffo, Freni or Scotto. Caballe sounds as if she could sing Turandot, which indeed she did, but there's no doubting her class. The rest of the cast is superb and Mehta conducts a splendidly dramatic and viscerally beautiful version of the score. On balance, it's probably still the best recording of the opera around.





Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 04:25:02 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 15, 2017, 04:03:04 AM
Thanks again - not familiar with Souliotis at all so far, but that confirms what I've read about that recording of "Macbeth". What recording of "Nabucco" is she in? The mid sixties Vienna one with Gardelli? Or are there others?

The Abigailles I have: Callas in an early live recording, Rysanek again - these two not yet heard, I think -, Scotto, and Dimitrova... I guess the Sinopoli may be my favourite there, Scott with Muti is somewhat too old for the role as well. But it's been a few years since I played any recording of "Nabucco".

Yes, the Gardelli, which I still think is the best studio recording of Nabucco. Souliotis is absolutely thrilling, though her recklessness sends out warning signals, and indeed the voice didn't last. This is, hands down, the best thing she ever did n the studio, second only to Callas's glorious assumption of the role, which, as you know, is in absolutely dreadful sound. I wonder what it will sound like in the new Warner version. the Gardelli also benefits from Gobbi's superb Nabucco. It's a little late in his career to be sure, but he makes more of the role than anyone.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on July 15, 2017, 04:41:32 AM
One would think that Sutherland's lyrical voice would suit better Liú rather than ruthless Turandot. But I have heard this recording and she freaking nails it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 04:43:17 AM
Quote from: Alberich on July 15, 2017, 04:41:32 AM
One would think that Sutherland's lyrical voice would suit better Liú rather than ruthless Turandot. But I have heard this recording and she freaking nails it.

More than one critic at the time thought that the pre-publicity was wrong and that Caballe was to be Turandot and Sutherland Liu.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 15, 2017, 04:51:41 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 04:25:02 AM
Yes, the Gardelli, which I still think is the best studio recording of Nabucco. Souliotis is absolutely thrilling, though her recklessness sends out warning signals, and indeed the voice didn't last. This is, hands down, the best thing she ever did n the studio, second only to Callas's glorious assumption of the role, which, as you know, is in absolutely dreadful sound. I wonder what it will sound like in the new Warner version. the Gardelli also benefits from Gobbi's superb Nabucco. It's a little late in his career to be sure, but he makes more of the role than anyone.

Okay, you have me curious ... just ordered the Gardelli "Nabucco"!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 05:08:51 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 15, 2017, 04:51:41 AM
Okay, you have me curious ... just ordered the Gardelli "Nabucco"!

Excellent choice
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on July 15, 2017, 05:25:55 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 04:21:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oJAJptQqL.jpg)

Watching some of the live telecast of the Covent Garden Turandot led me seek out this recording today; one I haven't listened to in a long time, and it certainly justifies its reputation. I even found the Ping Pang Pong episodes less irritating than I usually do.

Sutherland seemed strange casting at the time (and she never sang the role on stage) but it's a casting decision that definitely paid off. Her diction is better here than it usually is, though she doesn't make as much of the text as Callas does. On the other hand, by the time Callas came to record the complete role in 1957, she couldn't disguise the strain the role made on her resources. (Too bad she didn't record it a few years earlier, when she recorded a stunningly secure, and subtly inflected version of In questa reggia for her Puccini recital.) Anyway for my money, Sutherland has much more vocal allure in the role than Nilsson, and surely Turandot has to have allure if one is to make any sense at all out of the plot.

Pavarotti is caught at his mid career best and Caballe sings beautifully, spinning out her fabulous pianissimi to glorious effect. If I'm absolutely honest, I prefer a slightly lighter voice in the role, like, say, Moffo, Freni or Scotto. Caballe sounds as if she could sing Turandot, which indeed she did, but there's no doubting her class. The rest of the cast is superb and Mehta conducts a splendidly dramatic and viscerally beautiful version of the score. On balance, it's probably still the best recording of the opera around.

My favorite Liu on record is Barbara Hendricks. She sings beautifully and meshes well with Domingo on that recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 05:45:26 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on July 15, 2017, 05:25:55 AM
My favorite Liu on record is Barbara Hendricks. She sings beautifully and meshes well with Domingo on that recording.

I heard Hendricks sing it in concert at the Barbican, and she had an appreciable success in a so-so evening, which included the original full-length Alfano ending. Sylvia Sass was a variable Turandot, though she was better here than at the other times I heard her live (Norma and Elisabetta in Don Carlo) and Franco Bonisolli a Calaf who played to the gallery. Unfortunately for him the gallery tittered every time he thrust his chest out expecting applause every time he hit a high note. His performance stays in the memory for all the wrong reasons whereas Hendricks's does for all the right ones. A shame that on disc Hendricks sings Liu to a Turandot who should have stuck to Liu.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 17, 2017, 11:18:25 AM
Classical-Music article: their 15 operas ripe for rediscovery

http://www.classical-music.com/article/15-operas-ripe-rediscovery (http://www.classical-music.com/article/15-operas-ripe-rediscovery)

Not really esoteric stuff: I have Rimsky Tsar Saltan, Lalo Le Roi dYs (dvd) and Offenbach Die Rheinnixen.  All 3 are great.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 17, 2017, 11:18:51 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/51wr-jbwwjl.jpg)

In case anyone's interested, I've now written a full length review of this superb Covent Garden performance of La Traviata.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 17, 2017, 11:38:31 AM
And the sound ? The Guilini disc is "inaudible"
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 17, 2017, 12:03:26 PM
Quote from: Spineur on July 17, 2017, 11:38:31 AM
And the sound ? The Guilini disc is "inaudible"

One of the best live Callas sets.

Actually the Giulini is pretty good on ArsVocalis. The EMI, like most of their live Callas sets, is awful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 17, 2017, 12:38:32 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2017, 05:08:51 AM
Excellent choice

Furthermore, I realized the Myto Callas "Nabucco" is on the shelves already (it's not even part of the cheapo EMI Callas Verdi Live set anyway). You must have mentioned that one before  ;)

Next up, in two weeks: "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" in Munich. I saw that very same production on TV with a more prominent line up before ... but am looking forward a lot to catching it live again! Not sure I'll have time to revisit any recordings before that.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 20, 2017, 09:21:45 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 17, 2017, 12:38:32 PM
Next up, in two weeks: "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" in Munich. I saw that very same production on TV with a more prominent line up before ... but am looking forward a lot to catching it live again! Not sure I'll have time to revisit any recordings before that.

Yowzah! Just got the second mail noting about line-up changes for "Les Contes" - and now this one's great: Diana Damrau will sing Antonia/Giulietta/Stella. (The first one was that Nicolas Tèste will do half of the 17 male roles - don't know him, didn't know the initially announced singer either.)

https://www.staatsoper.de/stueckinfo/les-contes-dhoffmann/2017-07-27-19-00.html
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 20, 2017, 09:46:03 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 20, 2017, 09:21:45 AM
Yowzah! Just got the second mail noting about line-up changes for "Les Contes" - and now this one's great: Diana Damrau will sing Antonia/Giulietta/Stella. (The first one was that Nicolas Tèste will do half of the 17 male roles - don't know him, didn't know the initially announced singer either.)

https://www.staatsoper.de/stueckinfo/les-contes-dhoffmann/2017-07-27-19-00.html

Interesting....Damrau will do all the roles on Thursday the 27th but another singer will do Olympia on Sunday the 30th.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 20, 2017, 09:53:49 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on July 20, 2017, 09:46:03 AM
Interesting....Damrau will do all the roles on Thursday the 27th but another singer will do Olympia on Sunday the 30th.

Well, in the mail I just got, it's announced that Damrau will do the three, and Olga Pudova will do Olympia - not making a difference between the dates. That would be quite unusual indeed ... and checking again, I see that's how it's listed for both dates, at least if you open the site in German. Either way, looking foward, this will be the first live music during the summer break (more to come end of August, including Gardiner and his forces doing "L'Orfeo" at Lucerne Festival).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 20, 2017, 12:40:43 PM
Quote from: king ubu on July 20, 2017, 09:53:49 AM
Well, in the mail I just got, it's announced that Damrau will do the three, and Olga Pudova will do Olympia - not making a difference between the dates. That would be quite unusual indeed ... and checking again, I see that's how it's listed for both dates, at least if you open the site in German. Either way, looking foward, this will be the first live music during the summer break (more to come end of August, including Gardiner and his forces doing "L'Orfeo" at Lucerne Festival).

That's a nice one.  Forty years ago the music department of my college put on L'Orfeo, with musicians untrained in HIP and on a budget most high school plays would consider measly---and they produced an impressive result. I can only imagine what a real production must be like.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 20, 2017, 12:47:23 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on July 20, 2017, 12:40:43 PM
That's a nice one.  Forty years ago the music department of my college put on L'Orfeo, with musicians untrained in HIP and on a budget most high school plays would consider measly---and they produced an impressive result. I can only imagine what a real production must be like.

It won't be a real production (no proper opera at Lucerne Festival, I think ... or maybe there's something from the theatre that is shown as part of the festival, the way that regular stages sometimes take part in seasonal festivals, too - don't really know), just a concert performance - but nonetheless I look forward to it bigtime!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: marvinbrown on July 21, 2017, 02:11:09 AM


  Currently listening to a digital file copy of this:

  [asin]B000I8OFIM[/asin]

  I am thoroughly enjoying it, Boulez is brisk and surprising light, this is easily the best of the modern rings recorded at Beyreuth, there is far less stage noise than the Barenboim set. All in all a very pleasant experience!

  marvin
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 21, 2017, 02:38:14 AM
Quote from: marvinbrown on July 21, 2017, 02:11:09 AM

  Currently listening to a digital file copy of this:

  [asin]B000I8OFIM[/asin]

  I am thoroughly enjoying it, Boulez is brisk and surprising light, this is easily the best of the modern rings recorded at Beyreuth, there is far less stage noise than the Barenboim set. All in all a very pleasant experience!

  marvin
Great to see good things said about the Boulez Ring, which is usually much maligned. Yes, the singing is variable, but the Frenchman's brisk and light handling of the score, which you point out, represents an interesting angle to Wagner's music, and IMHO sounds as fresh today as almost 40 years ago. Of course I'm biased, because I got to see this in the theatre as a young man in 1979--a thrilling experience!

Cheers,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 22, 2017, 01:37:26 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ERa2s-CsL.jpg)

Hadn't heard this version in a while, so thought I would give it another chance. I liked it more than I thought I would.

Sonically it's gorgeous. Karajan's speeds tend to the spacious and he reveals beauties in the orchestration I'd never heard before, not even in the superb Mehta.

When it comes to the cast, I think Barbara Hendricks's Liu sounds just right, a lovely lyric soprano, perfectly suited to the demands of the role. By contrast Caballe sounds too much the grande dame, Schwarzkopf too much the Princess Werdenberg, though both sing divinely. Domingo makes a most interesting, more psychologically complex Calaf than Pavarotti, but I do miss Pavarotti's ringing top notes. Domingo is taxed by the upper reaches of the part.

The set's biggest stumbling block however remains Ricciarelli. Truth to tell, this time round I didn't find her casting quite as disastrous as I once thought. A most intelligent and musical singer, she adapts the role to suit her basically lyric soprano. She sings the opening of In questa reggia with a white, vibrato-less sound which is most effective, but she can't really disguise the fact that, even in the recording studio, her voice is a couple of notches too small. As I intimated above, she has to use all her intelligence to survive the role's treacherous demands. Sutherland sounds as if she was born to sing it.

Certainly worth hearing though for Karajan's superb realisation of the score, for Hendricks's wonderful Liu, and, apart from at the very top of the voice, Domingo's musical Calaf.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 22, 2017, 06:34:49 AM
Got a few Opera Rara lately and today I am starting with Donizetti "Les Martyrs" on a E. Scribe libretto, the french version Poliuto, censored in Italy, and eventually produced there after Donizetti death.

[asin]B00SAGB8W0[/asin]

Although there are 3 operas "Polyeucte", the one by Gounod and Polieuct of the contemporary polish composer Zygmundt Krause, it is at the start a tragedy by Pierre Corneille based on the martyrdom of Polyeucte of Metylene in 262 AD.  Despite its religious theme this play is popular in France and is regularly given at "La Comedie Francaise" and other theater.  It is in fact one of my favorite classical tragedy as it explore the social (Polyeucte) and psycological effect (Pauline, his wife) of a religious conversion.  Pauline who witnesses Polyeucte martyrdom is a fantastic character as she discovers and embraces christianism through her husband.  For once, Donizetti & E. Scribe are faithful to Corneille play (how can one change perfection !).

This Opera Rara production has the orchestra of the age of enlightment, Michael Spyres  as Polyeucte and Joyce El Khoury as Pauline, all excellent.  I plan to get Gounod opera as well, if it exists in recorded form.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 22, 2017, 02:46:13 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 22, 2017, 01:37:26 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ERa2s-CsL.jpg)

Hadn't heard this version in a while, so thought I would give it another chance. I liked it more than I thought I would.

Sonically it's gorgeous. Karajan's speeds tend to the spacious and he reveals beauties in the orchestration I'd never heard before, not even in the superb Mehta.

When it comes to the cast, I think Barbara Hendricks's Liu sounds just right, a lovely lyric soprano, perfectly suited to the demands of the role. By contrast Caballe sounds too much the grande dame, Schwarzkopf too much the Princess Werdenberg, though both sing divinely. Domingo makes a most interesting, more psychologically complex Calaf than Pavarotti, but I do miss Pavarotti's ringing top notes. Domingo is taxed by the upper reaches of the part.

The set's biggest stumbling block however remains Ricciarelli. Truth to tell, this time round I didn't find her casting quite as disastrous as I once thought. A most intelligent and musical singer, she adapts the role to suit her basically lyric soprano. She sings the opening of In questa reggia with a white, vibrato-less sound which is most effective, but she can't really disguise the fact that, even in the recording studio, her voice is a couple of notches too small. As I intimated above, she has to use all her intelligence to survive the role's treacherous demands. Sutherland sounds as if she was born to sing it.

Certainly worth hearing though for Karajan's superb realisation of the score, for Hendricks's wonderful Liu, and, apart from at the very top of the voice, Domingo's musical Calaf.
I am actually quite fond of this recording. I think Karajan's preciosity and attention to orchestral detail suits this score like a glove, and agree with you, Tsaraslondon, that Barbara Hendricks's Liù is pure delight. Her "Tanto amore segreto, e incofessato tanto così..." is one of the most beautiful examples of lyric singing I have ever heard. And yes, Ricciarelli is overparted, but has some great moments (that start of "In questa reggia" you pointed out, and also e.g. the way she sings "Qui pose tanta forza nel tuo cuore" to Liù just before that passage ("Tanto amore...")  I pointed out before. There's a fragility that is a welcome change to the "standard" Scandianvian Turandots that I find quite refreshing. But, of course, I am biased, as I've always been partial to Ricciarelli, who had such a distinctive and beautiful instrument, and used it with great (but also elegantly controlled) expressivity. A pity how she evidently mismanaged her career.

A little known fact is that Ricciarelli did get to sing Turandot on stage, several years after the Karajan recording. She stepped in for an ailing colleague in some performances in Tokyo (apparently, there was no understudy, and if it hadn't been for her, the performances would have had to be cancelled). The audience apparently thanked her with warm appause on those nights.

Cheers,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 22, 2017, 03:25:24 PM
Quote from: ritter on July 22, 2017, 02:46:13 PM
But, of course, I am biased, as I've always been partial to Ricciarelli, who had such a distinctive and beautiful instrument, and used it with great (but also elegantly controlled) expressivity. A pity how she evidently mismanaged her career.

A little known fact is that Ricciarelli did get to sing Turandot on stage, several years after the Karajan recording. She stepped in for an ailing colleague in some performances in Tokyo (apparently, there was no understudy, and if it hadn't been for her, the performances would have had to be cancelled). The audience apparently thanked her with warm appause on those nights.

Cheers,

I have a soft spot for Ricciarelli too. She was a very intelligent and musical singer, and I really enjoy her contributions to the Philips early Verdi series, ditto her early recording of Suor Angelica and her Luisa Miller. I just think that her basically lyric soprano was completely unsuited to Turandot. She cleverly husbands her resources and consequently gives us a more multi-faceted character than we usually get, but she simply cannot ride the orchestra when she needs to. Callas, another soprano who gives us a more rounded character, was past her best when she recorded the role, and it is a great pity that she didn't record it just a few years earlier when she recorded a superb version of In questa reggia, but, though the role taxes her rather beyond her 1957 limits, she sounds less strained than Ricciarelli.

I was lucky enough to catch Ricciarelli a few times live; twice in the Verdi Requiem, once in Don Carlo, and once. most memorably, in a concert of opera arias with orchestra at the Barbican. If I remember correctly the programme was a mixture of bel canto and verismo, and though I can't now remember all the arias she sang, I do remember she sang Giulietta's Oh quante volte divinely, spinning out the melismas to heavenly lengths; so well in fact that she had to repeat it in the encores at the end.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 22, 2017, 03:35:31 PM
How well does Karajan do with the chorus in that recording?  For me the chorus is one of the main features of Turandot, especially the mercurial changes in mood which fill Act I.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 22, 2017, 03:38:41 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 22, 2017, 03:25:24 PM
I have a soft spot for Ricciarelli too. She was a very intelligent and musical singer, and I really enjoy her contributions to the Philips early Verdi series, ditto her early recording of Suor Angelica and her Luisa Miller. I just think that her basically lyric soprano was completely unsuited to Turandot. She cleverly husbands her resources and consequently gives us a more multi-faceted character than we usually get, but she simply cannot ride the orchestra when she needs to. Callas, another soprano who gives us a more rounded character, was past her best when she recorded the role, and it is a great pity that she didn't record it just a few years earlier when she recorded a superb version of In questa reggia, but, though the role taxes her rather beyond her 1957 limits, she sounds less strained than Ricciarelli.

I was lucky enough to catch Ricciarelli a few times live; twice in the Verdi Requiem, once in Don Carlo, and once. most memorably, in a concert of opera arias with orchestra at the Barbican. If I remember correctly the programme was a mixture of bel canto and verismo, and though I can't now remember all the arias she sang, I do remember she sang Giulietta's Oh quante volte divinely, spinning out the melismas to heavenly lengths; so well in fact that she had to repeat it in the encores at the end.
I only saw her live once, late(ish) in her career as Mimì in La Bohème in Chicago. That's another role that suited her IMHO (I think she's quite good in Colin Davis's recording of the opera). The only problem was that she was really too tall and beautiful to make a credible stage character  :D.

I envy you for those concerts of the Verdi Requiem. I think her Libera me in Abbado's (not really universally acclaimed) first recording of the work is simply fantastic.

With her, and just a handful of other singers (most notably and towering above them all, of course, Maria Callas) a strange thing happens to me: a repertoire I'm no really that much into (or, to be more precise, I have lost almost all interest in in the recent past--after having explored it with enthusiam when I was younger), I can still find rather attractive. No mean feat for her, I venture to say.

Regards,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 22, 2017, 03:46:31 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on July 22, 2017, 03:35:31 PM
How well does Karajan do with the chorus in that recording?  For me the chorus is one of the main features of Turandot, especially the mercurial changes in mood which fill Act I.

Orchestra and chorus are practically the stars of the recording. It's quite a different reading from Mehta's, much more measured in tempo, but still vitally dramatic. I like them both.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 22, 2017, 03:50:17 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 22, 2017, 03:46:31 PM
Orchestra and chorus are practically the stars of the recording. It's quite a different reading from Mehta's, much more measured in tempo, but still vitally dramatic. I like them both.

Thanks.  That goes onto The List.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 22, 2017, 11:38:20 PM
Quote from: ritter on July 22, 2017, 03:38:41 PM
I only saw her live once, late(ish) in her career as Mimì in La Bohème in Chicago. That's another role that suited her IMHO (I think she's quite good in Colin Davis's recording of the opera). The only problem was that she was really too tall and beautiful to make a credible stage character  :D.

I envy you for those concerts of the Verdi Requiem. I think her Libera me in Abbado's (not really universally acclaimed) first recording of the work is simply fantastic.

With her, and just a handful of other singers (most notably and towering above them all, of course, Maria Callas) a strange thing happens to me: a repertoire I'm no really that much into (or, to be more precise, I have lost almost all interest in in the recent past--after having explored it with enthusiam when I was younger), I can still find rather attractive. No mean feat for her, I venture to say.

Regards,

It is no surprise, I suppose, that the most expressive singers are also the ones who are most fallible vocally. They put expression above vocal beauty and purity. Well, if truth is beauty, then, as far as I'm concerned, these singers have beautiful voices.

The conductor Nicola Rescigno revealed that, when he conducted her in La Traviata, Callas kept having problems with the final top A in Addio del passato. She strove for such a fine thread of sound, that the note would sometimes crack. He kept telling her to give the note a bit more volume and support, but she would not compromise. Though a firmer top A might have been safer, it did not reveal so well Violetta's emotional and physical collapse. Those for whom total vocal purity is paramount will never understand, I suppose. 


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 23, 2017, 02:03:14 AM
Re: Katia Ricciarelli:
Quote from: ritter on July 22, 2017, 03:38:41 PM
... Verdi Requiem. I think her Libera me in Abbado's (not really universally acclaimed) first recording of the work is simply fantastic.

Would that be the 1979 recording with Verrett, Domingo, Ghiaurov and the Scala forces? I have that included in the "Great Operas from La Scala" box, but haven't yet played it ... not really familiar with Verdi's requiem yet, anyway. That Karajan "Turandot" is here as well, part of another box (the Domingo one on DG, I think) ... but that's another opera I haven't yet spent much time with.

Thread duty:

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/062/MI0001062477.jpg)

Jacques Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann - not quite the way it shall sound in Munich next Sunday, but this is incredibly enjoyable indeed, very light, conversational, and even the sometimes extreme French diction doesn't trouble the fun a bit. Just finishing Act 1. Will segue with this (both first listens, both the then usual three act with prologue/epilogue version of course), where it seems the stars (or rather their egos) of the Met make sure that Monteux's aim at the same conversational lightness does not succeed:

(http://cdn-s3.allmusic.com/release-covers/500/0003/475/0003475626.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 23, 2017, 02:21:43 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 23, 2017, 02:03:14 AM
Re: Katia Ricciarelli:
Would that be the 1979 recording with Verrett, Domingo, Ghiaurov and the Scala forces? I have that included in the "Great Operas from La Scala" box, but haven't yet played it ... not really familiar with Verdi's requiem yet, anyway.

That's the one...its original cover was this:

[asin]B00000E33S[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 23, 2017, 02:27:50 AM
Thanks! Will pay particular attention to Ricciarelli then, whenever I come around ...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 23, 2017, 08:02:02 AM
I felt like some Mozart this afternoon. And, as of late, when I think Mozart, Così fan tutte is the first thing that come to mind... :)

First listen to Charles Mackerras's recording...

[asin]B000003CZZ[/asin]

...which I got dirt cheap in this set some time ago:

[asin]B001KK6RBK[/asin]

The overture is really fast, with very dry attacks (i like my Mozart slightly sweeter and gentler), but then things thankfully take on a slightly more relaxed feeling. The women have just come in ("O guarda sorella..."), and Felicity Lott appears wonderful (as could be expected)...but there's still much to happen here, so let's see how things evolve.. ;)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on July 23, 2017, 08:47:37 AM
I have still never heard Cosi fan tutte in its entirety. Nor Figaro. From Da Ponte operas the only one that piques my interest is Don Giovanni. In fact, I think it's his greatest composition ever.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 23, 2017, 09:39:38 AM
Quote from: Alberich on July 23, 2017, 08:47:37 AM
I have still never heard Cosi fan tutte in its entirety. Nor Figaro. From Da Ponte operas the only one that piques my interest is Don Giovanni. In fact, I think it's his greatest composition ever.

Da Ponte's?  ;)

Dare I say: your loss! These operas are so amazing and full of musical beauty that is often hard to believe ... "Così" is likely my favourite opera, period. Don't make the mistake and consider it a frivolous lightweight affair.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 23, 2017, 10:35:13 AM
Tonight I am watching a recent Bolshoi production of Borodin "Prince Igor" which I recorded a few month back on the Mezzo channel.  As far as I checked it, the DVD/CD of this production hasnt been released yet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on July 24, 2017, 03:49:04 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 23, 2017, 09:39:38 AM
Da Ponte's?  ;)

Well yes, both Da Ponte's and Mozart's.  :) I've read the libretti of Figaro, Giovanni and Cosi and Don Giovanni stands out among them as a libretto as well as musically. Of course the fact that I've not heard Figaro or Cosi in its entirety kind of destroys my argument.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 24, 2017, 06:55:38 AM
Quote from: Alberich on July 24, 2017, 03:49:04 AM
Well yes, both Da Ponte's and Mozart's.  :) I've read the libretti of Figaro, Giovanni and Cosi and Don Giovanni stands out among them as a libretto as well as musically. Of course the fact that I've not heard Figaro or Cosi in its entirety kind of destroys my argument.
If I were to choose only one, I too would stick to Don Giovanni (one of my top operas ever). But still, both Figaro and Così are full of musical wonders. Do give tham a chance, it's well worth it...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 24, 2017, 07:34:39 AM
Quote from: Alberich on July 24, 2017, 03:49:04 AM
Well yes, both Da Ponte's and Mozart's.  :) I've read the libretti of Figaro, Giovanni and Cosi and Don Giovanni stands out among them as a libretto as well as musically. Of course the fact that I've not heard Figaro or Cosi in its entirety kind of destroys my argument.

Well, as you point out yourself, you can't really say Don Giovanni "stands out musically" if you've never actually seen or heard Cosi fan tutte and Le nozze di Figaro.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on July 24, 2017, 07:44:47 AM
Quote from: Alberich on July 24, 2017, 03:49:04 AM
Well yes, both Da Ponte's and Mozart's.  :) I've read the libretti of Figaro, Giovanni and Cosi and Don Giovanni stands out among them as a libretto as well as musically. Of course the fact that I've not heard Figaro or Cosi in its entirety kind of destroys my argument.

I can understand not being attracted to Cosi; it took me a couple of decades to give it a full hearing, and the story itself leaves me mildly disgusted.  The only character I find attractive is Despina.  But musically Cosi is just as rich and rewarding as any of Mozart's other operas.

But you have to remember that of the three Giovanni is the one that got cut, pasted, and interpolated by other people from the get-go.  Beaumarchais's play is the basis for Figaro, but at the least the cut and paste there was done by DaPonte himself to the orginal play. 

Personally, I find that out of Mozart's "mature" operas Idomeneo and Figaro have the strongest libretti, followed by Giovanni and Cosi, then Clemenza di Tito and the two singspiels.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on July 24, 2017, 10:52:48 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516Vdqf2nAL._SX425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 25, 2017, 01:28:52 AM
Revisiting this now (working at home sometimes is good):

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0001/141/MI0001141806.jpg)

Krips' "Don Giovanni" will probalby remain my favourite recording of that opera ... and it's great to have at this live recording of his "Così fan tutte" with a gorgeous Janowitz as Fiordiligi. They don't make opera like this anymore ... this is from the tail end of the Vienna Mozart ensemble, but everything is still quite where it needs to be, methinks. Cuts, cuts, cuts ... they don't really bother me all that much in such cases - if you want uncut, go for recent recordings, but then you'll miss the Vienna Mozart ensemble ... thinking of this, I would sell all my grannies if we could go back in time and have Furtwängler conduct the EMI recording of "Così" that Karajan hushed and rushed ... the voices are gorgeous, the playing is great, but the pace just doesn't gel, too often if feels like he couldn't wait to get it over with.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jo498 on July 25, 2017, 05:20:56 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on July 24, 2017, 07:44:47 AM
I can understand not being attracted to Cosi; it took me a couple of decades to give it a full hearing, and the story itself leaves me mildly disgusted.  The only character I find attractive is Despina.  But musically Cosi is just as rich and rewarding as any of Mozart's other operas.
musically, all from Idomeneo on are great. The Così plot is rather "artificial" and ancien régime, that's why it fell out of favor in the 19th century. (It is also very long concerning the silly plot with not that much happening.)

Figaro is more obviously critical of the pre-revolutionary society although it is not a simple reversal of roles/authority because everyone is fooled to some extent. Still, the count (the male aristocrat) is the least sympathetic and Susanna (the female servant) the most capable and sympathetic character. In any case the Figaro characters seem more "realistic", more "rounded", less exaggerated clichés than the one's in Cosi and also Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni has the advantage of the darker and more dramatic music but it has the problem with a "hole" in the beginning/middle of the second act and the corresponding problem of versions (both of Ottavio's arias or only one? Which of Leporello/Zerlina etc.)

Zauberflöte has still a lot of silly comedy in it but a genius like Goethe (who would not have been overwhelmed by Schikaneders doggerel verse) found the plot overall interesting enough to sketch a sequel to the piece (which remained a fragment)!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 25, 2017, 12:16:42 PM
Listening to the end of Meistersinger live from Bayreuth (it's opening night) on Spanish National Radio.

Philippe Jordan is conducting, and this is sounding excellent, with every detail of the orchestra coming through. The singing seems first-rate to me as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 25, 2017, 12:19:55 PM
In my student days, I had the privilege to attend a recital of Victoria de los Angeles with Alicia de Larrocha at the piano.  This was memorable, and I fell in love with her light voice with a narrow vibrato, a "pure" voice with great expressivity.  I never had a chance to hear her in any operas.  I came accross this Myto cd of Manon, her most famous role with Niccolai Gedda in a live 1959 MET performance.  Both of them have marvelous french diction.  Manon is a difficult character to do right: naive, spontaneous, a woman of the instant.  Victoria de LosAngeles comes as close to this character as I can imagine.  An Niccolai Gedda is an excellent de Grieux.
The sound, mono, with a few saturation spots is fair and typical of the period.

[asin]B002YJWDUU[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 25, 2017, 01:14:16 PM
Quote from: Spineur on July 25, 2017, 12:19:55 PM
In my student days, I had the privilege to attend a recital of Victoria de los Angeles with Alicia de Larrocha at the piano.  This was memorable, and I fell in love with her light voice with a narrow vibrato, a "pure" voice with great expressivity.  I never had a chance to hear her in any operas.  I came accross this Myto cd of Manon, her most famous role with Niccolai Gedda in a live 1959 MET performance.  Both of them have marvelous french diction.  Manon is a difficult character to do right: naive, spontaneous, a woman of the instant.  Victoria de LosAngeles comes as close to this character as I can imagine.  An Niccolai Gedda is an excellent de Grieux.
The sound, mono, with a few saturation spots is fair and typical of the period.

[asin]B002YJWDUU[/asin]
Do you know the studio set conducted by Monteux? It was recorded in 1955 with Opera-Comique forces, and is an absolute classic, which sounds authentically in style. I don't think anyone has quite captured Manon's mixture of innocence and worldliness quite as well as De Los Angeles. It was one of her best roles, and this is arguably the opera's best recording.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HL-mMJM1L._SL1071_.jpg).

This Testament transfer is the best. EMI, as so often, botched theirs.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 25, 2017, 01:18:25 PM
Quote from: king ubu on July 25, 2017, 01:28:52 AM
Revisiting this now (working at home sometimes is good):

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0001/141/MI0001141806.jpg)

Krips' "Don Giovanni" will probalby remain my favourite recording of that opera ... and it's great to have at this live recording of his "Così fan tutte" with a gorgeous Janowitz as Fiordiligi. They don't make opera like this anymore ... this is from the tail end of the Vienna Mozart ensemble, but everything is still quite where it needs to be, methinks. Cuts, cuts, cuts ... they don't really bother me all that much in such cases - if you want uncut, go for recent recordings, but then you'll miss the Vienna Mozart ensemble ... thinking of this, I would sell all my grannies if we could go back in time and have Furtwängler conduct the EMI recording of "Così" that Karajan hushed and rushed ... the voices are gorgeous, the playing is great, but the pace just doesn't gel, too often if feels like he couldn't wait to get it over with.

Do you know the later Böhm recording, though? Still my favourite Cosi fan Tutte.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71XRk9TmafL._SL1500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 26, 2017, 03:55:06 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 25, 2017, 01:18:25 PM
Do you know the later Böhm recording, though? Still my favourite Cosi fan Tutte.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71XRk9TmafL._SL1500_.jpg)

I have both that and the earlier one (with Della Casa) ... but I think ever so slightly I prefer the mid seventies live one with Janowitz. Got to revisit all three sometime soon!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 26, 2017, 05:47:19 AM
Quote from: king ubu on July 26, 2017, 03:55:06 AM
I have both that and the earlier one (with Della Casa) ... but I think ever so slightly I prefer the mid seventies live one with Janowitz. Got to revisit all three sometime soon!
I'm missing the first Böhm in my collection (something to be remedied soon, as I am a great fan of Lisa della Casa). I think the EMI version is a very strong contender, even if it includes two singers who are almost universally admired but whose art I really do not enjoy, Mme. Schwarzkopf and Sr Kraus. The latter had some less than warm words on his collaboration with Böhm (reproduced in Arturo Reverter's book on the tenor) the gist of which was that Böhm was a routinier and came unprepared to the recording sessions IIRC, or something to that effect  ::). I find that surprising, because Böhm was probably the keenest defender of Così in the post-WW2 years (the piece not having yet fully established itself as a repertory piece by then), had conducted the piece innumerable times (he almost held a monopoly on it in Salzburg AFAIK), and the orchestral contribution is sublime in that recording. My dad got to see Böhm conduct Così very late in his career (at Covent Garden in 1979), and was highly impressed.

I actually saw, as a very young man,  Kraus live once in one of his signature roles, Werther, and since then I profoundly dislike that opera, and cannot really warm to his tone ("canonic" as his singing may be).

The DG Böhn Così is very good all around, boasts the wonderful Janowitz, but has some significant cuts and, once again, the tenor disappoints IMHO; Peter Schreier's Italian diction is really too germanic for me, even if I think he's an admirable artist.

One recording of the work I'm really interested in is this (unfortunately, almost impossible to find at a decent price):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91WK7rlxqnL._SX355_.jpg)
Rudold Moralt's Don Giovanni (from the same season and source) is superb in my opinion, and I would like to hear Stich-Randall (an extraordinary singer) in the rôle under studio conditions when she was quite young. I have her in a live recording from Aix-en-Provence under Rosbaud (quite good, but with a piano for the recitatives  >:( and sub-par sound), and a later effort under Peter Maag, where her voice is no longer that fresh. Anyone heard this Moralt recording?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2017, 06:44:19 AM
Quote from: ritter on July 26, 2017, 05:47:19 AM
I'm missing the first Böhm in my collection (something to be remedied soon, as I am a great fan of Lisa della Casa). I think the EMI version is a very strong contender, even if it includes two singers who are almost universally admired but whose art I really do not enjoy, Mme. Schwarzkopf and Sr Kraus. The latter had some less than warm words on his collaboration with Böhm (reproduced in Arturo Reverter's book on the tenor) the gist of which was that Böhm was a routinier and came unprepared to the recording sessions IIRC, or something to that effect  ::). I find that surprising, because Böhm was probably the keenest defender of Così in the post-WW2 years (the piece not having yet fully established itself as a repertory piece by then), had conducted the piece innumerable times (he almost held a monopoly on it in Salzburg AFAIK), and the orchestral contribution is sublime in that recording. My dad got to see Böhm conduct Così very late in his career (at Covent Garden in 1979), and was highly impressed.

I actually saw, as a very young man,  Kraus live once in one of his signature roles, Werther, and since then I profoundly dislike that opera, and cannot really warm to his tone ("canonic" as his singing may be).

The DG Böhn Così is very good all around, boasts the wonderful Janowitz, but has some significant cuts and, once again, the tenor disappoints IMHO; Peter Schreier's Italian diction is really too germanic for me, even if I think he's an admirable artist.

One recording of the work I'm really interested in is this (unfortunately, almost impossible to find at a decent price):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91WK7rlxqnL._SX355_.jpg)
Rudold Moralt's Don Giovanni (from the same season and source) is superb in my opinion, and I would like to hear Stich-Randall (an extraordinary singer) in the rôle under studio conditions when she was quite young. I have her in a live recording from Aix-en-Provence under Rosbaud (quite good, but with a piano for the recitatives  >:( and sub-par sound), and a later effort under Peter Maag, where her voice is no longer that fresh. Anyone heard this Moralt recording?

Considering the meticulous preparation that went into the recording of Böhm's EMI Cosí fan Tutte, I find it hard to believe any claims that Böhm was a routinier.

I should also mention that I am a great admirer of the art of both Schwarzkopf and Kraus, by the way, and think their performance of the duet Fra gli'amplessi one of the most erotically charged I have ever heard. Eroticism is rather alien to the art of the perennially virginal, Janowitz, whom I have somewhat equivocal feelings about. The voice has an arrestingly silvery beauty, to be sure, but she is not the most communicative of artists, and, though I can revel in the beautiful sounds of, say, her Vier letzte Lieder with Karajan, the songs tend to sound like mere vocalise. They are not. They are Lieder, and the texts should be given their due worth, as they are with Schwarzkopf and Szell.

Another favourite Cosí of mine is the Davis, with Caballé, Baker, Cotrubas, Gedda and Ganzarolli.

(http://cfile28.uf.tistory.com/image/11431F134AED6E35A40D6C)

and I have very fond memories of this live performance, as I actually saw it.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51V5SQbhFyL._SX355_.jpg)

Being live, it is not as polished as the Böhm or Davis's studio performance, but it settles down nicely after the first scene. Te Kanawa sings divinely, if with less character than Schwarzkopf, and Baltsa is, as I remember in the theatre, a deliciously flirtatious and very funny Dorabella.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 26, 2017, 09:19:15 AM
I added to my amazon.it super-dupper cheap bargain order, this box

[asin]B06VSZ2Y2J[/asin]

with one disc for each singer

Mirella Freni/Anna Moffo/Monserrat Caballé/Leontine Price/Renata Scotto/Leonie Rysanek/Inge Borkh/Sherley Verrett/Eleanor Steber/Richard Tucker/Placido Domingo/John Vickers/Sherrill Milnes/Georges London/Fritz Wunderlich.

The absence of Callas, Tebaldi, Pavarotti... may surprise, but there are here some wonderful voices which I had never heared before (I think).  Right now listening to Eleanor Steber - really magnificent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2017, 09:54:29 AM
Quote from: Spineur on July 26, 2017, 09:19:15 AM
I added to my amazon.it super-dupper cheap bargain order, this box

[asin]B06VSZ2Y2J[/asin]

with one disc for each singer

Mirella Freni/Anna Moffo/Monserrat Caballé/Leontine Price/Renata Scotto/Leonie Rysanek/Inge Borkh/Sherley Verrett/Eleanor Steber/Richard Tucker/Placido Domingo/John Vickers/Sherrill Milnes/Georges London/Fritz Wunderlich.

The absence of Callas, Tebaldi, Pavarotti... may surprise, but there are here some wonderful voices which I had never heared before (I think).  Right now listening to Eleanor Steber - really magnificent.

Which Steber disc is it? I really like her recording of Les Nuits d'Eté.

I assume the absence of Callas, Tebaldi, Pavarotti, and other great names like Schwarzkopf, Sutherland, De Los Angeles has more to do with the provenance of the original recitals. These seem to be RCA, Sony, and (I think) Eurodisc.

Looking at the cover, there are at least two classics there - Caballé's first recital for RCA and Verrett's French Arias recital. I also really like Scotto's Verismo Arias, which seems to be included.

Enjoy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 26, 2017, 10:06:10 AM
Quote from: ritter on July 25, 2017, 12:16:42 PM
Listening to the end of Meistersinger live from Bayreuth (it's opening night) on Spanish National Radio.

Philippe Jordan is conducting, and this is sounding excellent, with every detail of the orchestra coming through. The singing seems first-rate to me as well.
This is a critique (in french) of this performance which was broadcasted on tv except in France.  They didnt seem to appreciate the critique of Wagner antisemitism in this staging.  Angela Merkel and the king&queen of Sweden attended the performance

http://www.olyrix.com/articles/actu-des-operas/1209/les-maitres-chanteurs-denoncent-lantisemitisme-de-wagner-pour-ouvrir-bayreuth-2017-barrie-kosky-nuremberg-actualite-polemique-judaisme-dans-la-musique-antisemite-invite-angela-merkel (http://www.olyrix.com/articles/actu-des-operas/1209/les-maitres-chanteurs-denoncent-lantisemitisme-de-wagner-pour-ouvrir-bayreuth-2017-barrie-kosky-nuremberg-actualite-polemique-judaisme-dans-la-musique-antisemite-invite-angela-merkel)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 26, 2017, 10:36:23 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2017, 09:54:29 AM
Which Steber disc is it? I really like her recording of Les Nuits d'Eté.
No, its 50% Mozart, 50% french repertoire excluding Berlioz.

Quote
... I also really like Scotto's Verismo Arias, which seems to be included.
Spinning righr now !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2017, 10:58:24 AM
Quote from: Spineur on July 26, 2017, 10:36:23 AM
No, its 50% Mozart, 50% french repertoire excluding Berlioz.

The only Steber recital I have is this one

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XnjTg5RPL._SX300_.jpg).

No Mozart, but sacred arias by Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn, coupled to her wonderful performance with Mitropoulos of Les Nuits d'Eté.

I'd be interested to hear the Mozart and French Arias.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 27, 2017, 01:30:26 AM
Quote from: Spineur on July 26, 2017, 10:06:10 AM
This is a critique (in french) of this performance which was broadcasted on tv except in France.  They didnt seem to appreciate the critique of Wagner antisemitism in this staging.  Angela Merkel and the king&queen of Sweden attended the performance

http://www.olyrix.com/articles/actu-des-operas/1209/les-maitres-chanteurs-denoncent-lantisemitisme-de-wagner-pour-ouvrir-bayreuth-2017-barrie-kosky-nuremberg-actualite-polemique-judaisme-dans-la-musique-antisemite-invite-angela-merkel (http://www.olyrix.com/articles/actu-des-operas/1209/les-maitres-chanteurs-denoncent-lantisemitisme-de-wagner-pour-ouvrir-bayreuth-2017-barrie-kosky-nuremberg-actualite-polemique-judaisme-dans-la-musique-antisemite-invite-angela-merkel)
In general, the reviews I've read in the German and Spanish press are favourable. I am of those who think that Wagner's rabid antisemtism is not reflected in the plots, characters or music of his dramatic works, but rather that the issue is completely ignored by him (in that context, obviously). Still, I am open to interpretations that take a different angle, and Barrie Kosky apparently has made a very eloquent and intelligent use of this notion in his work, and has garnered a resounding success. I will apply (again  ::)) for tickets next year, to see if I get lucky.  ;)

Some stills from the staging:

(https://i1.wp.com/ximo.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/mei_100717_032_enriconawrath_presse.jpg?w=549&h=365&crop&ssl=1)
Act 1 (set in Villa Wahnfried - a device already used by Sttefan herheim in his brilliant Parsifal staging).

(https://i1.wp.com/ximo.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/mei_110717_161_enriconawrath_presse.jpg?w=262&h=174&crop&ssl=1)
The Festwiese in Act 3 is the hall in which the Nuremberg trials were held after WW2.

(https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/http%3A%2F%2Fcom.ft.imagepublish.prod.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdf295d7e-71fc-11e7-93ff-99f383b09ff9?source=next&fit=scale-down&width=700)
Beckmesser turned into a caricature of the jew as supposedly seen by Wagner.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 27, 2017, 07:03:49 AM
Quote from: Spineur on July 26, 2017, 09:19:15 AM
... Right now listening to Eleanor Steber - really magnificent.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2017, 10:58:24 AM
The only Steber recital I have is this one

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XnjTg5RPL._SX300_.jpg).

No Mozart, but sacred arias by Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn, coupled to her wonderful performance with Mitropoulos of Les Nuits d'Eté.

I'd be interested to hear the Mozart and French Arias.

Indeed, Eleanor Steber was a singer of the highest rank, IMHO. Those Nuits d'été are truly wonderful, and her Mozart (there's a live Don Giovanni form the Met under Karl Bóhm, with George London and Lisa della Casa) is also first-rate. There's also a recording of Strauss's Four Last Songs (under Levine), but unfortunately it's from late in her career (1970), coupled with excerpts from Die Frau ohne Schatten (again under Bóhm--from 1953 and in dismal sound). And she's a powerful Elsa in the classic Bayreuth recording of Lohengrin under Keilberth (from 1953). I read somewhere that she originally was cast to be Donna Anna in the Krips Don Giovanni on Decca, but she was also notoriously unreliable (or so it is said), and had to be replaced by Suzanne Danco.

You gentlemen mentioning her has prompted me to pull the trigger on this:

[asin]B000003LIH[/asin]
Steber sings Cassandre, and the great Regina Resnik is Didon. The score is cut (as was customary then), but I've read generally positive reviews of the performance.

Regards,


EDIT:

Now listening to Eleanor Steber's "Don Ottavio, son morta!...Or sai chi l'onore" from the 1957 Met performance:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51OXV0XzoiL.jpg)

Outstanding!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on July 27, 2017, 12:49:08 PM
So tonight I am starting the listening of Meyerbeer "Il Crociato in Egitto" produced by Opera Rara.  There is another cheaper production available but the Opera Rara is supposed to be the better of the two.

[asin]B000003LNQ[/asin]

This opera is from his italian period just before he moved to France.  The orchestral writing, the difficult vocal parts, the scenic effects with large chorus, and I may add, the lack of focus are already all there.  There is perhaps a certain italian classism in the music which help to see where Meyerbeer style comes from.  I am always amazed how good the Opera Rara production sound despite the lack of vocal stars.  In fact many young singers who have started with them have moved on to big opera house.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on July 28, 2017, 11:06:49 AM
(http://www.concertport.com/image/data/file/thumbnail/name/018e492cae66f0c48de2c440e2bd47ea.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 28, 2017, 11:55:44 AM
Quote from: Todd on July 28, 2017, 11:06:49 AM
(http://www.concertport.com/image/data/file/thumbnail/name/018e492cae66f0c48de2c440e2bd47ea.jpg)
A great recording of a wondeful opera! Berganza is stunning there, combining her beautiful and sweet tone with a zesty interpretation of the role. A classic...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2017, 02:31:16 PM
Quote from: ritter on July 28, 2017, 11:55:44 AM
A great recording of a wondeful opera! Berganza is stunning there, combining her beautiful and sweet tone with a zesty interpretation of the role. A classic...

I've always found it a bit dull to be honest. On CD, I quite like the Marriner with Baltsa perhaps a slightly too feisty Cenerentola, but my favourite version has always been the DVD with Von Stade, also conducted by Abbado. Von Stade could have been born for the role.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/7135qul-0AL._SY445_.jpg)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 29, 2017, 01:24:42 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/4xzYH434kJAWFAqiCaYG-jftmgE=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-5245393-1444072907-8073.jpeg.jpg)

A while since I've listened to this set, which, unlike the movie it was the soundtrack to, is note complete.

The principal problem with it is the sound. There are some very strange balances, and it sometimes sounds as if the singers are in different acoustics. Diaz doesn't make much of an impression as Iago, certainly no match for Gobbi on the Vickers/Serafin or Milnes on Domingo's first recording with Levine, but Domingo is superb, and more inside the role than he was for Levine, which he recorded before he'd had stage experience in it. Ricciarelli is a most affecting Desdemona, much preferable to Rysanek on Serafin, but I wouldn't necessarily prefer her to Scotto on the Levine. Nor would I prefer Maazel's conducting to either Serafin or Levine. He makes all the right gestures, but seems somewhat detached.

An interesting listen none the less.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 31, 2017, 06:07:38 AM
Quote from: maxbeesley on July 31, 2017, 04:46:04 AM
I am listening to "The Marriage of Figaro". It is composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte.
Great stuff! Are you enjoying it?

One of the greatest operas ever, IMHO... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on July 31, 2017, 10:09:20 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q7NhfjyvL._SY425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 04, 2017, 09:38:30 AM
From the diaposon "great voices" box.  A fantastic disc

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61CredZ%2BjuL._SY400_.jpg)

The verissmo disc of Renata Scotto was also excellent.  I found Montserrat Caballé and Shirley Verrett discs nice but not as thrilling as this one is.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2017, 12:01:45 PM
Quote from: Spineur on August 04, 2017, 09:38:30 AM
From the diaposon "great voices" box.  A fantastic disc

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61CredZ%2BjuL._SY400_.jpg)

The verissmo disc of Renata Scotto was also excellent.  I found Montserrat Caballé and Shirley Verrett discs nice but not as thrilling as this one is.

Funny how people differ. The Moffo is lovely, but I find both the Caballe and Verrett discs much more thrilling. Mind you I prefer the repertoire on those discs.

I like Scotto's Verismo disc, but actually prefer the Verdi disc she did at around the same time.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on August 05, 2017, 03:29:33 AM
Quote from: Spineur on August 04, 2017, 09:38:30 AM
The verissmo disc of Renata Scotto was also excellent.  I found Montserrat Caballé and Shirley Verrett discs nice but not as thrilling as this one is.

Prompted by the discussion on Moffo's disk, I took mine out to have a listen.
Also, I would not call it "thrilling" but excellent and expressive.
A lyric soprano could not compete with dramatic voices on their own territory.
But this collection is echt-lyric-coloratura material and she shines like a diamond.
It was recorded in Rome, 1960, with no less a conductor than Tullio Serafin.

ZB
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 05, 2017, 03:53:08 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2017, 02:31:16 PM
I've always found it a bit dull to be honest. On CD, I quite like the Marriner with Baltsa perhaps a slightly too feisty Cenerentola, but my favourite version has always been the DVD with Von Stade, also conducted by Abbado. Von Stade could have been born for the role.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/7135qul-0AL._SY445_.jpg)

Watched a pretty nicely done (partly) animated film of "La Cenerentola" from Torino on telly last night (or rather I've had it on the temporary drive there, together with several other operas, and have been scolded by the missus to watch them and free up space many times ... last night, the new "Clemenza" from Salzburg was added whilst "La Cenerentola" was then deleted). There's a - mostly negative, I gather, my Italian is most modest - review with some pics here:
https://musicofilia.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/la-cenerentola-di-rossini-secondo-andermann-verdone-gelmetti-e-raiuno/
I nonetheless quite enjoyed it for what it was, found the music and singing pretty gorgeous for most of the time.

Also had a great time last Sunday at Munich State Opera with Les Contes d'Hoffmann (and in my absence, another recording of it arrived, Rudel 1972 with Sills etc., already five-act but in wrong sequence). Anyway, I was deeply impressed by the great acoustic in Munich. I had asked Jens for pointers - thank you kindly! - and sat front row, almost centre, in the gallery, at the very top that is, with perfect view and indeed glorious acoustic - I never heard an opera sounding so good!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 05, 2017, 05:32:14 AM
I attended the live performance in 2006 at the Opera de Lyon

[asin]B000UZ4EO8[/asin]

I think the analytical orchestral direction by Evelino Pidò is a big asset for this version.  Even in the tutti with the chorus, you hear distinctively the horn and the piccolo.   Dessay portrays Amina as a young girl with a ravishing lightness which soothes me.   Lisa is the weak point.  She is supposed to be consumed with jalousy, which I fail to percieve.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ghost Sonata on August 05, 2017, 10:43:05 AM
What Operetta am I listening to?: 

[asin]B000I0SEQE[/asin]

Hitler, fond of this composer, reportedly offered him "Honorary Aryan" status which Kálmán declined; he quickly emigrated to Paris and then the U.S.  His work was then banned in the Third Reich.  Ayn Rand liked him, too.  But don't let that turn you off:  he's precisely what you want from an operetta composer - a lotta fun with lilting melodies, amusing lyrics, and charming theatricality.  This issue is w/o libretto, but the recording from the 50s (no more precision is provided than that!) is clean and clear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 06, 2017, 01:11:28 AM
Quote from: Spineur on August 05, 2017, 05:32:14 AM
I attended the live performance in 2006 at the Opera de Lyon

[asin]B000UZ4EO8[/asin]

I think the analytical orchestral direction by Evelino Pidò is a big asset for this version.  Even in the tutti with the chorus, you hear distinctively the horn and the piccolo.   Dessay portrays Amina as a young girl with a ravishing lightness which soothes me.   Lisa is the weak point.  She is supposed to be consumed with jalousy, which I fail to percieve.

I like this recording! Would have loved to see Dessay on stage in an opera production, only managed to catch her once, roughly ten years later, in a concert dedicated to excerpts on Händel's "Cleopatra" (with a countertenor participating, too, would have to look up his name, still have the proramme somewhere, he was very much okay but didn't leave a lasting impression).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 06, 2017, 03:57:15 AM
Quote from: king ubu on August 06, 2017, 01:11:28 AM
I like this recording! Would have loved to see Dessay on stage in an opera production, only managed to catch her once, roughly ten years later, in a concert dedicated to excerpts on Händel's "Cleopatra" (with a countertenor participating, too, would have to look up his name, still have the proramme somewhere, he was very much okay but didn't leave a lasting impression).
She was at her peak at the time.  I saw her again in Lucia after her surgery, and the top register was definitively more strained, not as clear.  I have heared her again in a broadcasted concert last year and found that her voice had continued to deteriorate.  This is a real pity because with her acting skills and her musicianship her appearances were a knockout.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 06, 2017, 06:05:51 AM
Quote from: Spineur on August 06, 2017, 03:57:15 AM
She was at her peak at the time.  I saw her again in Lucia after her surgery, and the top register was definitively more strained, not as clear.  I have heared her again in a broadcasted concert last year and found that her voice had continued to deteriorate.  This is a real pity because with her acting skills and her musicianship her appearances were a knockout.

Yeah, I guess I agree, though my experience, other than that concert in late 2014 (I think) is from CDs only ... one recent thing I have on the stacks is her Antonia in "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" (Denève, Liceu, 2013, DVD) - but I have just decided to watch the Marthaler-staged one (Cambreling, Teatro Real de Madrid, 2015) tonight.

Something entirely else: why does the recent Leontyne Price box on Sony credit Erich Leindsdorf (instead of Thomas Schippers) for the 1964 RCA "La forza del destino"?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 06, 2017, 09:40:02 AM
Regarding I Capuleti e i Montecchi, I've been listetning this afternoon to this recording, which you can also consider, Spineur:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Kwp85JBRL._SX355_.jpg)
Although Katia Ricciarelli is captured late in her career, and there is some hardness to her high notes, she is a most affecting Giulietta, and Diana Monague is quite wonderful as Romeo.

It can be had for very little money at amazon.co.uk

N.B.: As I've written on this forum, I am very partial towards Ricciarelli.  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 06, 2017, 09:47:51 AM
Thank you Rafael !  I probably have spent too much time looking for the right version for me of this opera.  I should take the easy route and take what is available - and this one is.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 06, 2017, 09:57:36 AM
Quote from: Spineur on August 06, 2017, 09:47:51 AM
Thank you Rafael !  I probably have spent too much time looking for the right version for me of this opera.  I should take the easy route and take what is available - and this one is.
You're welcome! I've just noticed that he picture I posted is of a highlights disc. The whole thing is this one:

[asin]B0047QWYNO[/asin]
This is a reissue (and might not include the libretto  ::) ). The original release can be found on amazon.de.

Regards,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 07, 2017, 04:45:48 AM
Watched this one yesterday evening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512MnKTn%2ByL.jpg)

Could have been freakin' fantastic, and actually it *almost* is ... the Olympia act is outstanding, but then somehow tension dropped a bit. Having an opera staged in the typical Marthaler setting is great, and how he treats the piece as a kind of open-form work, the work-in-progress it ended up being in reality - that's quite fascinating indeed.

It's still a very good production I think, fine singing by all, including the chorus, and musically very good, too - some slight synchronisation problems in some of the large mass scenes aren't a deal-breaker for sure.

Anyways, have just ordered the EMI (audio) production, too, which was I think the first "modern" one (i.e. no longer using the old, heavily cut and amended edition). Will continue my exploration (also have two more video versions not yet watched).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on August 07, 2017, 07:05:23 AM
just to be sure, the EMI you're talking about is this one?
[asin]B01CH5F6VI[/asin]

To be frank, it's not one of my favorite operas, other than the bravura soprano arias and the Bacarolle.  I've only got two recordings: the Clutens and the Bonynge.  I've seen it once on TV.  I think it was this production, but with different singers
[asin]B00FOY4HZQ[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 07, 2017, 07:16:02 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on August 07, 2017, 07:05:23 AM
just to be sure, the EMI you're talking about is this one?
...

To be frank, it's not one of my favorite operas, other than the bravura soprano arias and the Bacarolle.  I've only got two recordings: the Clutens and the Bonynge.  I've seen it once on TV.  I think it was this production, but with different singers

No, that's the Erato (or: was), but I guess it's one of the best around.

This is the EMI (real EMI) I've ordered:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51EDZSFTQvL._SL1500_.jpg)

That DVD is on my pile, and this is no. 3:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71yC3715ewL._SL1500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on August 07, 2017, 07:24:15 AM
Come to think of it, I may have the EMI you ordered. I'll have to look.  But the first review on AmazonUS for that recording is rather scathing about the edition the used.

QuoteThe statement on the back of the CD box reads "in the Critical Edition by Fritz Oeser, with additional material from the Choudens Edition," though exactly what comes from the Choudens is nowhere explained. Oeser's work on Hoffmann from the start came under stong critical attack. He cut material of Offenbach's from Act One to balance it with Act Five. Throughout most of the work he retained the spurious recitatives by Guiraud. He re-orchestrated material as he saw fit. He utilized a song for Nicklausse in the Olympia act that Offenbach never orchestrated (Oeser did that himself) and discarded the famous song that Offenbach replaced it with and did orchestrate. He used the piano score for a discarded Nicklausse number in the Olympia act, wrote lyrics and orchestrated it, and placed it in the the final act for the Muse. His version of the Giulietta act heavily incorporates music from Der Rheinnixen; I've no idea where the lyrics come from. This is clearly a spurious text.

The Nagano and the DVD I posted use the Kaye edition, which seems to be the most recent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 07, 2017, 09:04:58 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on August 07, 2017, 07:24:15 AM
Come to think of it, I may have the EMI you ordered. I'll have to look.  But the first review on AmazonUS for that recording is rather scathing about the edition the used.

The Nagano and the DVD I posted use the Kaye edition, which seems to be the most recent.

Yes Kaye (and I think independently Keck) is (are) the third and most recent edition(s) - it's a mess really, and I think as recently as one or two years an autograph of a large part (acts 1 and 2 I seem to dimly remember) was found ... new stuff has come up after Oeser and after Kaye.

The DVD I just watched from Liceu seems to mostly use the Oeser edition and points out in a short note in the booklet that this is the edition that has Nicklaussee/The Muse play a more important part that the other editions - which is cool if you Anne Sofie von Otter singing (and acting! impressive!) that part. But I guess most productions will nowadays use their own mix of bits from this and that edition (while using one edition as starting point).

The Munich production from 2011 that I just saw (it was brought back for two evenings during the Opernfestpiele) used Kaye/Keck (so maybe it's not Kaye but Kaye/Keck, but I've seen both names separately ... would have to read it all up again, I'm sure there's an exhaustive wiki entry somewhere). But again, some autographs (not just that big one I mention above) and other things have been found in the meantime, so it's indeed a huge work in progress with Schnitter Tod [aka the grim reaper] playing one of the minor roles (can't quite blame Offenbach - I nearly wrote Hoffmann, ha! - for that ...)

--

PS: and actually, this here's my fourth video version - Nagano (Kaye) again:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518GRPW4EFL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on August 07, 2017, 01:31:31 PM
Quote from: king ubu on August 07, 2017, 09:04:58 AM
Yes Kaye (and I think independently Keck) is (are) the third and most recent edition(s) - it's a mess really, and I think as recently as one or two years an autograph of a large part (acts 1 and 2 I seem to dimly remember) was found ... new stuff has come up after Oeser and after Kaye.

The DVD I just watched from Liceu seems to mostly use the Oeser edition and points out in a short note in the booklet that this is the edition that has Nicklaussee/The Muse play a more important part that the other editions - which is cool if you Anne Sofie von Otter singing (and acting! impressive!) that part. But I guess most productions will nowadays use their own mix of bits from this and that edition (while using one edition as starting point).

The Munich production from 2011 that I just saw (it was brought back for two evenings during the Opernfestpiele) used Kaye/Keck (so maybe it's not Kaye but Kaye/Keck, but I've seen both names separately ... would have to read it all up again, I'm sure there's an exhaustive wiki entry somewhere). But again, some autographs (not just that big one I mention above) and other things have been found in the meantime, so it's indeed a huge work in progress with Schnitter Tod [aka the grim reaper] playing one of the minor roles (can't quite blame Offenbach - I nearly wrote Hoffmann, ha! - for that ...)

--

PS: and actually, this here's my fourth video version - Nagano (Kaye) again:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518GRPW4EFL.jpg)

That DVD must have come from the same production as the CD I posted, so you are covered on that end. But even the DVD used the phrase "adaption based on..."
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 07, 2017, 01:46:41 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on August 07, 2017, 01:31:31 PM
That DVD must have come from the same production as the CD I posted, so you are covered on that end. But even the DVD used the phrase "adaption based on..."

Yep, I think so too, but haven't watched it yet ... but as I said, I think it's one of the standard performances.

Depending on what you look for though, the early French production by Cluytens has enormous charm (the late forties one reissued by Naxos, that is, not the EMI one, which is also plenty good though). Again: work in progress - you can't have the original French charm, the spoken voices and all, plus good sound plus "correct" edition ...  there's really no correct here, I think, as it all belongs to the history of this opera - it's more like different chapters of interpretation and history of reception etc.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/7147pXK0QcL._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 07, 2017, 10:59:22 PM
Quote from: king ubu on August 07, 2017, 01:46:41 PM
Yep, I think so too, but haven't watched it yet ... but as I said, I think it's one of the standard performances.

Depending on what you look for though, the early French production by Cluytens has enormous charm (the late forties one reissued by Naxos, that is, not the EMI one, which is also plenty good though). Again: work in progress - you can't have the original French charm, the spoken voices and all, plus good sound plus "correct" edition ...  there's really no correct here, I think, as it all belongs to the history of this opera - it's more like different chapters of interpretation and history of reception etc.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/7147pXK0QcL._SL1200_.jpg)

This is a recording I want to hear. I heard snippets on BBC Radio 3's Building a Library programme. The reviewer liked it very much, and, I seem to remember, made it his historical choice. I really liked what I heard of it.

On CD I still maintain an affection for Bonynge, though there are huge question marks over the edition he used.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oy%2BPJEQrL.jpg)

Sutherland is fabulous as Olympia, not quite so convincing as Giulietta and Antonia (her mushy diction drives me potty as usual) and Domingo excellent as Hoffmann.

I also like  the DVD from the spectacular Covent Garden production, also with Domingo, and a terrific trio of ladies in Luciana Serra, Ileana Cotrubas and Agnes Baltsa.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5128qnOREkL.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 09, 2017, 10:56:50 AM
Verdi, Aida; live broadcast from the chorégie d'Orange.  You can watch it on culturebox.fr

https://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/amp/opera-classique/opera/choregies-d-orange/aida-de-verdi-aux-choregies-d-orange-2017-259813 (https://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/amp/opera-classique/opera/choregies-d-orange/aida-de-verdi-aux-choregies-d-orange-2017-259813)

Note added: The staging wasnt to my taste, but vocally it was quite fine with Anita Rachvelishvili as Amneris, Marcelo Alvarez as Radames, and Elena O'Connor as Aida.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 09, 2017, 10:33:44 PM
Watched the Salzburg La Clemenza di Tito (Currentzis/Sellars) last night ... great stuff, all things considered! Some amazing singing and acting, and I enjoyed the add-ons (parts of the great mass, and as a closer the Maurerische Trauermusik) ... it all made sense musically, and it worked quite well altogether. However, no matter how good the production, the singing (what a fine chorus!) and playing, no matter how the piece was changed and in many respects improved (by the various additions and interpretative twists) as far as theatrical aspects go, it's still an opera seria and not very lively thing ... but yeah, I liked it a lot, and I guess better than I liked it in my limited exposure so far (I think I've only heard the Colin Davis recording with a fine cast of somewhat too similar sounding singers).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 11, 2017, 04:23:19 AM
And back with Hoffmann we are:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WK%2BHGu5VL.jpg)

Another old/botched version in so-so sound, but very lively indeed! And even though the sound is not exactly great, you can hear the voices - and what voices! Sándor Kónya as Hoffmann, Gabriel Bacquier as the evil dudes (Lindorf, Coppélius, Dapertutto, Miracle), Mady Mesplé comme Olympia, Heather Harper and Radmila Bakocevic as Antonio and Giulietta, respectively ... Peter Maag is at the head of the orchestra and chorus of the Teatro Colón, and he's doing a heckuva job, methinks!

Here's a review: http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=389184
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on August 11, 2017, 11:25:50 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 07, 2017, 10:59:22 PM
On CD I still maintain an affection for Bonynge, though there are huge question marks over the edition he used.

Maybe, but the same question marks loom over any edition, since Offenbach died before the premiere. If you compare all the editions on disc and DVD, they will all be different. And it is hard to hold the older versions to a standard that didn't exist back then (or had not advanced to where it is today), assuming one feels that the changes are improvements at all.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 11, 2017, 12:27:57 PM
Continuing my listening of the Voix/recital box.  This time I turned to some of the male singers
Richard Tucker, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, George London.  Still have to listen to John Vickers.

[asin]B06VSZ2Y2J[/asin]

George London disk is marvelous.  I found the young Placido Domingo from this recital excellent, and certainly better than some of his live performances I attended.  Milnes recital has apparently never been released before on CD, a marvelous testimony.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 12, 2017, 02:16:56 AM
Donizetti, La Favorita
Richard Bonygne,  Fiorenza Cossotto, Gabriel Bacquier, Luciano Pavarotti, Nicolai Ghiaurov

[asin]B0000041WU[/asin]

This is my first listen of this opera, and I am under the charm.  All singers are quite good.  In the middle of the second act there is a 20 minutes ballet: its orchestral score in very lively and entertaining.  I will return to this 3CD set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 12, 2017, 12:21:47 PM
Another live broadcast of Aida but this time from Salzburg festival.  More money has been comitted to the staging but it is pretty ridiculous with chorus wearing Christian.orthodox outfits and others bull skulls.  Overall everything looks and sound stiff.  I doubt I will last to the end.  At least I didnt pay 300€ or more for a seat.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 13, 2017, 10:20:34 AM
(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/158/MI0001158677.jpg)

Since it's only a bit over a week that I'll catch Monteverdi's L'Orfeo live (Gardiner at Lucerne Festival), I felt like revisiting one of the recordings around ... this one's wonderfully played and sung, and somehow very tight and compact, but I guess Anthony Rolfe Johnson will be my favourite Orfeo on record. Have yet to play the Jacobs, Garrido and Haïm recordings though, the third one next to Gardiner and the above on I have already played is the Venexiana/Cavina one.

Anyway, after that I also watched Verdi's Aida from Salzburg ... I'd say it's quite nice, all in all, and wonderfully played and most of the time sung (Semenchuk will never be my favourite, I'm afraid (saw her sing Eboli at La Scala earlier this year and had an even stronger reaction that now on TV ... gotta revisit the Harteros/Kaufmann "Aida" to check her out as Amneris again). Stage and costumes looked gorgeous, but that's not quite enough of course - some acting would have been very welcome, even more so watching on TV where you get all the close-ups (and often miss what little "action" there was - this singer walking five meters to the left, that singer waving with arms, five minutes later another singer walking seven meters to the front right ... you get the idea).

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0003/295/MI0003295553.jpg)

Still not quite enough opera for the day, it seems, so this new arrival is in the player for the first time now, Verdi again with La Traviata, as conducted by maestro Krips.

Not familiar with Cotrubas all that much yet ... and frankly in Kleiber's take on "La Traviata" I consider her one of the weaker spots - let's see how she acquits herself in a live setting. (Note to self: play that Pritchard recording of "L'elisir d'amore" soon to check out her Adina ... and the Giulini "Rigoletto" for her Gilda - somehow I feel her voice could be just right there).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on August 13, 2017, 01:21:50 PM
Quote from: king ubu on August 13, 2017, 10:20:34 AM
Not familiar with Cotrubas all that much yet ... and frankly in Kleiber's take on "La Traviata" I consider her one of the weaker spots - let's see how she acquits herself in a live setting. (Note to self: play that Pritchard recording of "L'elisir d'amore" soon to check out her Adina ... and the Giulini "Rigoletto" for her Gilda - somehow I feel her voice could be just right there).
She's wonderful alongside von stade in Hansel and Gretel (interestingly, also with Pritchard). It's an excellent set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 14, 2017, 12:57:51 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on August 13, 2017, 01:21:50 PM
She's wonderful alongside von stade in Hansel and Gretel (interestingly, also with Pritchard). It's an excellent set.

Now there's an opera I don't know at all so far.

But I'm just figuring out what day might work out to see the new "Le grand macabre" production in Lucerne in September or October!

And I'm planning to catch the new Sciarrino opera in Milano in November (ciao Giocar!)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 14, 2017, 02:36:24 PM
Quote from: Spineur on August 11, 2017, 12:27:57 PM
Still have to listen to John Vickers.

[asin]B06VSZ2Y2J[/asin]


The Vickers disc is superb.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 14, 2017, 02:42:22 PM
Quote from: king ubu on August 13, 2017, 10:20:34 AM

Not familiar with Cotrubas all that much yet ... and frankly in Kleiber's take on "La Traviata" I consider her one of the weaker spots - let's see how she acquits herself in a live setting. (Note to self: play that Pritchard recording of "L'elisir d'amore" soon to check out her Adina ... and the Giulini "Rigoletto" for her Gilda - somehow I feel her voice could be just right there).

Though no one is quite in the Callas class in the role of Violetta, I rather like Cotrubas in it, and like her in the Kleiber recording, which is, in any case, my favourite studio set of the opera. I saw Cotrubas in the role at Covent Garden, and she was incredibly affecting.

I also like her in the Pritchard L'Elisir d'Amore.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 15, 2017, 01:04:30 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 14, 2017, 02:42:22 PM
Though no one is quite in the Callas class in the role of Violetta, I rather like Cotrubas in it, and like her in the Kleiber recording, which is, in any case, my favourite studio set of the opera. I saw Cotrubas in the role at Covent Garden, and she was incredibly affecting.

I also like her in the Pritchard L'Elisir d'Amore.

Somehow, for myself, I have come to the sad conclusion that the perfect recording of La Traviata doesn't really exist. But I'll have to revisit the Kleiber. Enjoyed Cotrubas and the entire Krips recording quite some.

That Pritchard set of L'elisir d'amore was your recommendation a few months back, when I mentioned listening to the Bonynge and attending a live performance under the baton of Nello Santi, right? I bought it back then but it hasn't yet made it into the player.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2017, 05:37:20 AM
Quote from: king ubu on August 15, 2017, 01:04:30 AM
Somehow, for myself, I have come to the sad conclusion that the perfect recording of La Traviata doesn't really exist. But I'll have to revisit the Kleiber. Enjoyed Cotrubas and the entire Krips recording quite some.

I'd agree the perfect recording probably doesn't exist, but performance? I honestly don't think you could better the live Callas 1958 Covent Garden performance, better in fact than the one from Lisbon in the forthcoming Warner Liver Remastered box. Its emotional impact is so shattering that I can't listen to it too often.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 15, 2017, 06:11:53 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2017, 05:37:20 AM
I'd agree the perfect recording probably doesn't exist, but performance? I honestly don't think you could better the live Callas 1958 Covent Garden performance, better in fact than the one from Lisbon in the forthcoming Warner Liver Remastered box. Its emotional impact is so shattering that I can't listen to it too often.
What about Theresa Stratas in Zeffirelli movie ?  I remember seing quite a few people in the movie theater crying at the end.  I have not bought the DVD since, so I never had a second critical viewing, but the first one really touched me.

I have also the Cotrubas recording, which is a fine one, although I almost never reach for a listening.  The problem with Traviata is over-exposure.  I have seen just too many performances.  The last one was no later than last fall at the Paris Opera with a staging of Benoit Jacquot (film director).  Besides the staging, I cant remember a thing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on August 15, 2017, 06:42:26 AM
Haydn's Lo speziale. I think this is the first opera from Haydn that I've heard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2017, 07:05:07 AM
Quote from: Spineur on August 15, 2017, 06:11:53 AM
What about Theresa Stratas in Zeffirelli movie ?  I remember seing quite a few people in the movie theater crying at the end.  I have not bought the DVD since, so I never had a second critical viewing, but the first one really touched me.

I have also the Cotrubas recording, which is a fine one, although I almost never reach for a listening.  The problem with Traviata is over-exposure.  I have seen just too many performances.  The last one was no later than last fall at the Paris Opera with a staging of Benoit Jacquot (film director).  Besides the staging, I cant remember a thing.

I love the Zeffirelli movie and Stratas is indeed very moving, but her actual singing of the role is not quite in the Callas class, and the coloratura of the first act, which didn't suit her particularly well even in the live recording I have of her doing it with Wunderlich in 1965, is even less cleanly articulated by the time of the movie.

I've seen and heard many performances of the opera too, but Callas slays me every time, particularly, as I said, in the 1958 Covent Garden performance.

I review it on my blog here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 17, 2017, 10:08:35 AM
Thanks for your comments Tsaras.  I need to fast on Traviata for a year or two.  I will appreciate it all the more when I return to it after a long time.

I am finishing the Diapason great recital box with yet another fantastic disk: Inge Borkh in an all Strauss CD with scenes from Salome and Elektra

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61gPpfAJbvL.jpg)

For some reason I love Strauss, while I should have all the reasons not to.  Most of his composition have little structure and appear as a succession of musical scenes.  In term of illustrating the story contained in a libretto, it should have all the reason to fail.  And yet, I am so drawn into his music that it actually works.  Amazing !!

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2017, 02:56:44 AM
Quote from: Spineur on August 17, 2017, 10:08:35 AM

For some reason I love Strauss, while I should have all the reasons not to.  Most of his composition have little structure and appear as a succession of musical scenes.  In term of illustrating the story contained in a libretto, it should have all the reason to fail.  And yet, I am so drawn into his music that it actually works.  Amazing !!

I have equivocal feelings about Strauss. I liked his music a lot more when I was younger, but these days I find much of it a tad overblown.

There are exceptions, of course. I love the Vier letzte Lieder and most of his other songs, both with and without orchestra. Among the operas Der Rosenkavalier remains one of my favourite operas, I still enjoy Ariadne auf Naxos, Capriccio and Salome (though not the Nilsson/Solti recording), but can't abide Elektra, which for much of the time just sounds to me like a load of women screaming at each other.

The orchestral works I have to be in the right mood for too. My favourites are Tod und Verklärung and Metamorphosen, but I can enjoy the others from time to time.

But not a composer I turn to that often.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2017, 03:04:07 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sZSLVlCbL.jpg)

Lord knows why this issue has a photo of Callas as Amina in La Sonnambula on the cover, but no matter, I quite like this performance, whilst acknowledging that it's not quite in the class of the 1955 Berlin Karajan performance.

Molinari-Pradelli provides sympathetic support (without Karajan's insights) and I rather like Gianni Raimondi's Edgardo.

Unfortunately the recording seems to have been made from somewhere in the orchestra pit, and the timpani section often drown out the singers.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 19, 2017, 03:26:45 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2017, 02:56:44 AM
... Strauss ... can't abide Elektra, which for much of the time just sounds to me like a load of women screaming at each other.

Have you seen the Chéreau production of "Elektra" with Evelyn Herlitzius in the title role? To me one of the most intense opera experiences ever - consider that I'm still pretty young (still this side of the big four for another short while) and have ignored opera for most of the past 20 years, that only changed around 4-5 years ago, a couple of years after I started listening to classical. Anyway, I found both the production and the music/singing/acting outstanding!

And apologies for not following up on your question re: Callas' London Violetta. I have bought that recording only fairly recently upon your recommendation and the enjoyed it a lot during it's only spin so far. I guess we can easily agree on Callas being the most outstanding and probably perfect Violetta, but that does not necessarily make it a perfect recording/production all in all - and that's what my comment was aiming at, not at the role of Violetta or at Callas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2017, 03:57:50 AM
Quote from: king ubu on August 19, 2017, 03:26:45 AM
Have you seen the Chéreau production of "Elektra" with Evelyn Herlitzius in the title role? To me one of the most intense opera experiences ever - consider that I'm still pretty young (still this side of the big four for another short while) and have ignored opera for most of the past 20 years, that only changed around 4-5 years ago, a couple of years after I started listening to classical. Anyway, I found both the production and the music/singing/acting outstanding!

And apologies for not following up on your question re: Callas' London Violetta. I have bought that recording only fairly recently upon your recommendation and the enjoyed it a lot during it's only spin so far. I guess we can easily agree on Callas being the most outstanding and probably perfect Violetta, but that does not necessarily make it a perfect recording/production all in all - and that's what my comment was aiming at, not at the role of Violetta or at Callas.

I suppose I should seek out your recommendation, but the opera just doesn't appeal to me anymore - neither the treatment of the subject matter or the music. I quite liked it when I was younger, but now I just can't stand all that high voltage screaming. I sometimes think Strauss himself might have had second thoughts, because he seems to have changed direction after composing it (Der Rosenkavalier followed by Ariadne, followed by Die Frau ohne Schatten).

I agree that the live Callas Covent Garden is by no means perfect, but, in all but matters of recording quality, it comes as close as you can get. Had it been recorded in studio conditions in modern sound, I doubt you'd get much better.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on August 20, 2017, 07:58:30 AM
In spite of Callas efforts to revive an interest in Gaspare Spontini operas, it has not really caught on.  La Vestale gets some rare performances once in a while.  His other operas Fernand Cortez and Olympie fate has been even worse.
Last year Le Cercle de l'Harmonie directed by Jérémy Rohrer revived Olympie at the Théatre des Champs Elysées and his production was subsequently performed in several European cities.

I was always curious about this opera created in 1819, as it is the last tragédie lyrique composed.  Spontini inspiration has always been Gluck and the italian bel canto, two traditions which seems hard to marry together.  In spite of a certain anachronism, his operas did meet some success (La Vestale and Fernand Cortez were performed more than 200 times).  On of his strongest admirer was Hector Berlioz, and after listening to Olympie, I can say that the second act did clearly inspired Berlioz writing in Les Troyens.

There is a podcast of Jéremy Rohrer production from the Concertgebow, which I listen today with Karina Gauvin

(https://operatraveller.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/atma_karinagauvin-291_dxo-419x630julien-faugc3a8re.jpg)

in the title role and Juliette Mars in the role of Statira the mother of Olympie who also happens to the the daughter of Alexander the great.  Much of the libretto is highly improbable even though it was inspired by a play of Voltaire.

The first act, follows a slightly romantic path of the tragédie Lyrique, but there is little action, as the identities of the main characters isnt known to any of the protagonists.

Their identities is finally revealed in the second act, which I found to be quite beautiful, in paticular the begining where Statira (mother of Olympie and the most interesting character) sings the beautiful aria "Oh déplorable mère" and is followed by several duos.

The final act is also pretty lively.  The opera has several possible endings.  The 1819 version chosen by Jérémy Rohrer has a happy ending where Olympie maries her lover.  In the 1926 version she throws herself in the fire.

If you are curious, the aria "Oh déplorable mère" has been recorded by Jennifer Borghi and can be listened to on soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/outhere-music/spontini-olympie-o-deplorable-mere-jennifer-borghi-les-agremens-guy-van-waas (https://soundcloud.com/outhere-music/spontini-olympie-o-deplorable-mere-jennifer-borghi-les-agremens-guy-van-waas)

It lasts some 9 minutes and is really quite nice.

   
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 20, 2017, 11:00:22 AM
Quote from: Spineur on August 20, 2017, 07:58:30 AM
In spite of Callas efforts to revive an interest in Gaspare Spontini operas, it has not really caught on.  [

Not quite correct. Callas appeared in one production of La Vestale, which opened the 1954 La Scala season. It was the first production she did with Visconti, and unveiled the new ultra-slim Callas. The production was stunningly beautiful, but the opera didn't take fire the way Cherubini's Medea had, and consequently it was never revived.

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/VC0AAOSw1LRZutWR/s-l1600.jpg)

The same fate befell Visconti's equally stunning production of Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride, also with Callas.

(http://www.ansa.it/webimages/foto_large/2013/11/30/0615a4f64479a1028d27aa850c7d7142.jpg)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 21, 2017, 04:51:28 AM
Will hear Gardiner conduct "L'Orfeo" tomorrow and am most excited about this!

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/019/MI0001019807.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

To warm up, I played the Garrido recording for the very first time - it's excellent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: SurprisedByBeauty on August 22, 2017, 01:35:23 AM
Quote from: king ubu on August 05, 2017, 03:53:08 AM
Anyway, I was deeply impressed by the great acoustic in Munich. I had asked Jens for pointers - thank you kindly! - and sat front row, almost centre, in the gallery, at the very top that is, with perfect view and indeed glorious acoustic - I never heard an opera sounding so good!

Ah, this is gratifying to hear! Very glad you enjoyed it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 22, 2017, 03:58:36 AM
Quote from: SurprisedByBeauty on August 22, 2017, 01:35:23 AM
Ah, this is gratifying to hear! Very glad you enjoyed it.

:)

Actually after the concert at KKL in Lucerne on Sunday, in wonder how Gardiner's semi-staged performance of "L'Orfeo" is going to sound in there, tonight! I'll be sitting on the second balcony on the side (for the concert on Sunday, only first balcony was open, I sat there, too, and sound was indeed perfect, to my own disbelief) - when I heard him do the Matthäuspassion in there, I had expensive seats somewhere in the middle downstairs ... and the band and choir just didn't really fill that huge hall with their period instruments and it took me all of the first act to sort of adjust for our LOUD everyday noisescape to find into the music. Hope it will be better (and/or hope sitting right next to the stage this time will help to have a better sonic experience)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mahlerian on August 22, 2017, 08:04:04 AM
Quote from: king ubu on August 21, 2017, 04:51:28 AM
Will hear Gardiner conduct "L'Orfeo" tomorrow and am most excited about this!

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/019/MI0001019807.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

To warm up, I played the Garrido recording for the very first time - it's excellent.

Sounds amazing.  Be sure to give a full report!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 22, 2017, 02:26:59 PM
Quote from: Mahlerian on August 22, 2017, 08:04:04 AM
Sounds amazing.  Be sure to give a full report!

It was an epiphany, actually! Outstanding. Gotta catch some sleep now, will leave for a (jazz festival) early tomorrow and then catch some more (no opera) of Lucerne Festival on Sunday. Sent a few lines to a friend on train way back home, will try and rework that into a short report, but probably only next week, when I'm back to normal  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 28, 2017, 02:11:07 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81k1HMNemIL._SX355_.jpg)

Having recently been reminded of Josephine Barstow, a singer I saw quite a few times over the years in London, I thought I'd seek out this recording of Un Ballo in Maschera, which I hadn't heard since it was released back in 1989, when Barstow was already 49.

Generally quite a pleasant surprise. This was Karajan's last ever opera recording, I believe, and it's good to know that he went out on a high. His speeds tend to be on the slow side, but this never means a loss of momentum. The main problem for me was the slightly boomy recording, which loses focus in the climaxes. Domingo (his third outing in the role of Riccardo; the first for Muti, the second for Abbado) is superb, his singing as ever wonderfully musical, and he is totally inside the role, his singing of the final scene incredibly moving. Barstow, a late discovery for Karajan, is probably a bit past her prime, but comes close to Callas in detail and expression. She doesn't have Callas's thrilling individuality, but she is totally inside the role and her Amelia is certainly worth hearing. Nucci, whom I usually find a bit of a dry old stick, is more involved than usual, but no match for Gobbi on the Callas recording. Florence Quivar's Ulrica is somewhat dull, certainly not in the class of Simionato, Barbieri or Cossotto, but Sumi Jo is a delightful Oscar.

All in all, though, an enjoyable set.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on August 28, 2017, 10:22:26 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 28, 2017, 02:11:07 AM

Having recently been reminded of Josephine Barstow, a singer I saw quite a few times over the years in London, I thought I'd seek out this recording of Un Ballo in Maschera, which I hadn't heard since it was released back in 1989, when Barstow was already 49... Barstow, a late discovery for Karajan, is probably a bit past her prime, but comes close to Callas in detail and expression. She doesn't have Callas's thrilling individuality, but she is totally inside the role and her Amelia is certainly worth hearing.


I'd be interested to know when Josephine Barstow was in her prime. Anything I heard of her was from shrill to unbearable to listen to.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2017, 12:42:27 AM
Quote from: zamyrabyrd on August 28, 2017, 10:22:26 PM
I'd be interested to know when Josephine Barstow was in her prime. Anything I heard of her was from shrill to unbearable to listen to.

I don't think she sound in the least shrill on this Ballo, nor on Mackerras's recording of Gloriana.

My recollections of her are probably also coloured by the fact that I saw her on stage quite a few times, and she was never less than riveting. Her Violetta is still probably the most moving I have ever seen live (and I've seen Cotrubas and Gheorghiu), her Salome was thrilling (and looked good when stripped down to just a few bits of glitter at the end of the Dance of the Seven Veils), and her Katarina Ismailova in David Pountney's superb production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk pure theatrical electricity.

It was never the most beautiful voice in the world, I grant you, but I wouldn't class it as either shrill or unbearable to listen to. Rather like Teresa Stratas, she was (still is - she's playing Heidi in the Royal National Theatre's new production of Follies at the moment) a stage animal, and recordings don't do her justice.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on August 29, 2017, 12:56:54 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2017, 12:42:27 AM
I don't think she sound in the least shrill on this Ballo, nor on Mackerras's recording of Gloriana.
My recollections of her are probably also coloured by the fact that I saw her on stage quite a few times, and she was never less than riveting. Her Violetta is still probably the most moving I have ever seen live (and I've seen Cotrubas and Gheorghiu), her Salome was thrilling (and looked good when stripped down to just a few bits of glitter at the end of the Dance of the Seven Veils), and her Katarina Ismailova in David Pountney's superb production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk pure theatrical electricity.
It was never the most beautiful voice in the world, I grant you, but I wouldn't class it as either shrill or unbearable to listen to. Rather like Teresa Stratas, she was (still is - she's playing Heidi in the Royal National Theatre's new production of Follies at the moment) a stage animal, and recordings don't do her justice.

I suppose I should listen to a few more samples, but I found her pushing the breath unbearable as Lady Macbeth in Verdi's opera. The acting is good but heck, Callas combined characterization with musicality. If Stratas can still sing, it is a proof she did know how to use her voice well.  Stratas' voice always seemed to float on the air, the way it should be.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2017, 01:31:18 AM
Quote from: zamyrabyrd on August 29, 2017, 12:56:54 AM
I suppose I should listen to a few more samples, but I found her pushing the breath unbearable as Lady Macbeth in Verdi's opera. The acting is good but heck, Callas combined characterization with musicality. If Stratas can still sing, it is a proof she did know how to use her voice well.  Stratas' voice always seemed to float on the air, the way it should be.

I confess I don't know her Lady Macbeth, so I can't comment on that. But, as you point out, she has had a long career, so she must have been doing something right. Her Amelia compares to Callas in her dramatic conception of the role, but she lacks Callas's superb legato line; nor is she able to execute the (mostly ignored) grace notes, trills and rapid scale figures which pepper the score with anything like Callas's accuracy. Callas's voice is intrinsically more beautiful too, despite what many aver. In both the studio recording of Ballo, and the live La Scala performance from the following year, she sings with breathtaking sweep, the voice darkly plangent.

If you're at all interested, I did a comparison of the two Callas recordings on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on August 29, 2017, 02:19:53 AM
Quote from: zamyrabyrd on August 29, 2017, 12:56:54 AM
If Stratas can still sing, it is a proof she did know how to use her voice well.  Stratas' voice always seemed to float on the air, the way it should be.

It confused me a bit at first, but it's actually Barstow, not Stratas, who's singing in that production of Follies.  Stratas quit in 1995 after botched sinus surgery affected her breathing. She sued two doctors, and the hospital.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2017, 02:58:07 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on August 29, 2017, 02:19:53 AM
It confused me a bit at first, but it's actually Barstow, not Stratas, who's singing in that production of Follies.  Stratas quit in 1995 after botched sinus surgery affected her breathing. She sued two doctors, and the hospital.

I didn't even notice that. I just assumed ZB was talking about Barstow. My brain must have made the necessary adjustment.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on August 29, 2017, 05:31:59 AM
Forgot to report it here so I inform that I recently listened to Saint-Saëns's opera Le timbre d'argent and liked it a lot. Have you guys listened to any of Saint-Saëns's operas?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on August 29, 2017, 05:37:08 AM
At long last:  Hindemith's Mathis der Maler.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2017, 09:20:36 AM
Quote from: Alberich on August 29, 2017, 05:31:59 AM
Forgot to report it here so I inform that I recently listened to Saint-Saëns's opera Le timbre d'argent and liked it a lot. Have you guys listened to any of Saint-Saëns's operas?

The only one I know, and the one that is still in the active repertoire is Samson et Dalila. There are quite a few notable recordings, though I don't think there are any clear winners.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on August 29, 2017, 04:56:08 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2017, 09:20:36 AM
The only one I know, and the one that is still in the active repertoire is Samson et Dalila. There are quite a few notable recordings, though I don't think there are any clear winners.
I'd opt for Domingo/Maier/Chung myself. Beautifully done on the whole. There have been some recent releases on ediciones singulars that are worth hearing, but are not at the same level as Samson.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2017, 11:29:28 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on August 29, 2017, 04:56:08 PM
I'd opt for Domingo/Maier/Chung myself. Beautifully done on the whole. There have been some recent releases on ediciones singulars that are worth hearing, but are not at the same level as Samson.

To my shame, I don't really know it, but I know it's generally had a very good press.

Over the years I've owned variously King/Ludwig/Patane, Vickers/Gorr/Pretre, Cura/Borodina/Davis and Carreras/Baltsa/Davis. Of these I like the Carreras/Baltsa best, but I should really  try the Chung recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on August 30, 2017, 10:07:22 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2017, 11:29:28 PM
To my shame, I don't really know it, but I know it's generally had a very good press.

Over the years I've owned variously King/Ludwig/Patane, Vickers/Gorr/Pretre, Cura/Borodina/Davis and Carreras/Baltsa/Davis. Of these I like the Carreras/Baltsa best, but I should really  try the Chung recording.
I like Baltsa, generally, a lot, but I think the Chung is overall better sung and with a generally good atmosphere and energy to it. of course, tastes may vary, but I really enjoy Maier and Domingo. it's not quite the Domingo of youth, but it's still wonderfully thoughtful (as usual). But even better, on video, is the performance with Domingo and Verrett. Verrett is another I find underrated at times, and she shines here. And so does Domingo. And so do the rest frankly. Verrett is definitely a better fit for the role than Maier, though I still enjoy the Maier. When Verrett is on form, she has a certain silkiness to her voice that I just cannot resist (and she has it here). I also liked the Vickers/Verrett performance on video, but haven't seen that in quite some time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2017, 12:21:37 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on August 30, 2017, 10:07:22 AM
I like Baltsa, generally, a lot, but I think the Chung is overall better sung and with a generally good atmosphere and energy to it. of course, tastes may vary, but I really enjoy Maier and Domingo. it's not quite the Domingo of youth, but it's still wonderfully thoughtful (as usual). But even better, on video, is the performance with Domingo and Verrett. Verrett is another I find underrated at times, and she shines here. And so does Domingo. And so do the rest frankly. Verrett is definitely a better fit for the role than Maier, though I still enjoy the Maier. When Verrett is on form, she has a certain silkiness to her voice that I just cannot resist (and she has it here). I also liked the Vickers/Verrett performance on video, but haven't seen that in quite some time.

I loved that Vickers/Verrett video. Verrett is quite a favourite of mine too; love her Eboli on the Giulini recording, and I have a live recording of Maria Stuarda, with Caballe as Maria, in which Verrett's Elisabetta all but steals the show.

I like Baltsa a lot too, and saw her quite a dew times live; Adalgisa, Dorabella, Carmen, Eboli, Isabella, and the Verdi Requiem. She was terrific every time.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on August 30, 2017, 04:02:29 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2017, 12:21:37 PM
I loved that Vickers/Verrett video. Verrett is quite a favourite of mine too; love her Eboli on the Giulini recording, and I have a live recording of Maria Stuarda, with Caballe as Maria, in which Verrett's Elisabetta all but steals the show.

I like Baltsa a lot too, and saw her quite a dew times live; Adalgisa, Dorabella, Carmen, Eboli, Isabella, and the Verdi Requiem. She was terrific every time.


Ah, I wish I had seen her. I never seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Lucky you!!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 31, 2017, 02:37:19 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on August 29, 2017, 04:56:08 PM
I'd opt for Domingo/Maier/Chung myself. Beautifully done on the whole. There have been some recent releases on ediciones singulars that are worth hearing, but are not at the same level as Samson.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51z%2BjOR0auL.jpg)

Thought it was high time I listened to this recording, so am listening now (via Spotify).

Domingo is, as you say, superb, and certainly less strained by the demands of the role than Carreras. Chung has a fine grasp of the score too and it's wonderfully well played, though Davis too understands the score well, having conducted it many times at Covent Garden.

Not quite sure why I'm less taken with Meier. She does all the right things, but some of her effects feel applied rather than felt from within. Especially in the duet after Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix she can sound more like a Kundry or an Ortrud than a Dalila. Baltsa, whose tone by the time she recorded it could be a little grating, also sounds more sensuous to me, and is more inside the role.

Mind you, nobody, save perhaps Verrett, quite matches Callas's mixture of allure and danger in her recording of the three big set pieces, "like an elegant young tigress stretching her limbs in the spring sunshine" according to Ronald Crichton in an issue of Covent Garden's About the House, and hors councours according to Alan Blyth in Opera on Record II.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 02, 2017, 04:35:47 AM
(http://www.clicmusique.com/covers/large/0723724521223.jpg)

Chiefly interesting for the contributions of Horne, Verrett and Gedda, this is a live recording, seemingly from a radio broadcast of a concert performance.

The score is heavily cut, and Prêtre whizzes through it with unseemly haste with no sense whatsoever of the piece's structure. I just felt that he lacked any real understanding of the Berlioz idiom, of his originality and individuality, which is a pity because he has some excellent principals, though the supporting roles are less well filled. Veriano Luchetti appears as a rather too muscular Iopas.

Horne has no problems with the difficult tessitura of Cassandre's role, her voice shining out in the high passages but with plenty of power in the lower regions. However she doesn't quite put over Cassandre's crazed zeal, though Prêtre's fast tempos hardly help. Robert Massard is a fine Chorèbe.

Gedda, a lyric tenor, is surprisingly successful as Enée, a role usually sung by more heroic voices like Vickers and Heppner. His French is, as you might expect, excellent, and he never forces the voice, nor does he have any trouble with the top C in his big aria Inutiles regrets. He doesn't quite erase memories of Vickers, but his French is much more natural, and this might actually be more like the voice Berlioz would have had in mind. A great performance.

As Didon, Verrett is in splendid voice, perhaps one of the most richly endowed singers to have sung the role on disc, and she is, as always, dramatically involved, but she does tend to attack the music as if it were Verdi or Donizetti. I'm delighted to have heard her in the role, but I find I actually prefer Veasey on Davis's first recording, who, in turn, cedes place to Janet Baker, who unfortunately only recorded the final scenes under Sir Alexander Gibson in 1969, shortly after singing the role for Scottish Opera. There exists a complete recording of a performance from Covent Garden at which Baker deputised for an ailing Veasey. Despite the fact that she is singing in English, whilst the rest of the cast sing in French (Scottish Opera were performing the opera in English, and Baker didn't have time to learn the French text), she makes a profound impression. It is a great pity she wasn't engaged for the studio recording.

I enjoyed hearing this for the singing of the principals, but Prêtre all but ruins it for me, and Davis, in either of his two recordings, still remains supreme.

Thank heaven for Spotify. This is selling for £103 on Amazon!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on September 02, 2017, 07:41:47 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51F82GS1%2B3L._SX355_.jpg)

One of my favorite Tchaikovsky operas! Next summer I'm probably going to Savonlinna to watch this, along with Gounod's Faust. Never seen either one before live.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 02, 2017, 07:51:10 AM
Quote from: Alberich on September 02, 2017, 07:41:47 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51F82GS1%2B3L._SX355_.jpg)

One of my favorite Tchaikovsky operas! Next summer I'm probably going to Savonlinna to watch this, along with Gounod's Faust. Never seen either one before live.

I love this opera, though I'd probably go with this recording.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VIl1XdaxL._SX355_.jpg)

I also like this Glyndebourne video a lot too.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51L2APa7EGL._SY445_.jpg)

Marusin's voice is no doubt an acquired taste, but dramatically he's superb. It's a fantastic production too.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on September 02, 2017, 12:28:52 PM
On now
[asin]B006W7SVNI[/asin]

Recorded in 1994, so the leads are listed as Lorraine Hunt, soprano and Mark Padmore counter-tenor
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 03, 2017, 03:14:30 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61T%2BUEs01pL.jpg)

I only previously knew this opera from the live Callas recording, which, even in its Divina incarnation, is in pretty dire sound. That said, Callas was at her vocal peak, tossing off intricate coloratura with spectacular ease, her voice huge and freewheeling. She had a spectacular success in the role, and, you can hear why even through the dim sound.

Gasdia may be no Callas, but she nonetheless acquits herself really well, and of course this set is in much better sound. I don't know if Scimone makes cuts, but it's safe to assume his edition is more scholarly than that used by Serafin, whose cuts were no doubt to some extent necessitated by the mediocrity of his tenors, none of whom were particularly adept at florid music. Chris Merritt, Bruce Ford and William Mateuzzi are in a completely different class.

Very enjoyable, if not quite as thrilling as the Callas, for all the vagaries of the sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: SurprisedByBeauty on September 03, 2017, 06:40:43 AM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIq0eBZW4AEnD9B.jpg)
#morninglistening to #Bernstein on @capricciorec w/@dsoberlon

http://a-fwd.to/8X57HlR

#LeonardBernstein's best ... http://ift.tt/2eMsMSS
(http://a-fwd.to/8X57HlR)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on September 04, 2017, 09:08:27 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81wDPDY7T6L._SX355_.jpg)

Just listened to this recording of I lombardi, rather a new Verdi opera to me. I enjoyed it a lot, far more actually than I enjoyed Nabucco.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2017, 10:21:11 AM
Quote from: Alberich on September 04, 2017, 09:08:27 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81wDPDY7T6L._SX355_.jpg)

Just listened to this recording of I lombardi, rather a new Verdi opera to me. I enjoyed it a lot, far more actually than I enjoyed Nabucco.

I like it quite a bit too, though there are other early Verdi operas I prefer. I just wish that they had cast another soprano. Deutekom is a bit shallow and colourless. This was, I think, the first in Philips early Verdi series. Deutekom sang in one other opera (Attila), but none of the others. Later we got Caballé, Norman, Cossotto, Ricciarelli and Sass.

There is a live recording from Covent Garden, also under Gardelli, with Carreras and Sylvia Sass, who is much to be preferred in the role of Griselda.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41J1AKZab9L._SX355_.jpg)

It was these Covent Garden performances that made Sass into a star, though her success was somewhat short lived, and she never quite lived up to the potential she showed here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ghost Sonata on September 07, 2017, 10:00:32 AM
Les urnes ne sont plus taciturnes :  "On December 24, 1907, 48 gramophone records of the greatest singers of the day were buried in the basement of the Paris Opéra, with instructions to leave them there for 100 years. In 2007, the records were unearthed and restored with painstaking care with the help of EMI Classics technicians. Now the contents of the so-called "Urnes de l'Opéra" are being released by EMI Classics in partnership with the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the Opéra National de Paris, and the Association pour le Rayonnement de l'Opéra de Paris.  These recordings feature performances of mythic proportions, including Enrico Caruso in Bohème, Rigoletto, and Lucia; Nellie Melba singing Mozart's Figaro; Reynaldo Hahn singing his own composition and another by Chabrier; Pol Plançon as Méphistophélès; Adelina Patti in Don Giovanni; and more! The set also includes legendary instrumental soloists such as Fritz Kreisler, Raoul Pugno, Jan Kubelik, and Ignacy Paderewski."



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 07, 2017, 10:05:36 AM
Looks quite enticing.  Some opera time capsule..  How can one miss this.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ghost Sonata on September 07, 2017, 10:29:13 AM
Quote from: Spineur on September 07, 2017, 10:05:36 AM
Looks quite enticing.  Some opera time capsule..  How can one miss this.

They're fun and interesting in and of themselves but I esp. enjoy the way they seem to tweak their noses at death, which I suppose all recordings do.  Reynaldo Hahn has a lovely baritone and seems as if born on the piano bench.   
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 09, 2017, 05:49:46 AM
I will be attending a performance of Pelleas in 3 weeks time at Paris opera so it time to revisit the work.  I am listening this afternoon to Abbado's version with Le Roux, Maria Ewing, Van Dam and Christa Ludwig.  Slight reservation about Christa Ludwig who was 62 at the time of the recording.

(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516qKNs7ZBL._SS500.jpg)

I also have the historical 1962 recording directed by Engelbrecht, but I havent listened to it in a very.long time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on September 09, 2017, 03:28:09 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61bw5RkbiGL._SS425.jpg)



I decided to finally try La fanciulla del West.  The plot is beyond standard opera silly, and some of the libretto is cringey (Whiskey per tutti!), but the music is magnificent.  Beautiful, lush, refined, it might just be Puccini's most attractive score.  The end of Act I is mesmerizing, and pretty much all of Act II is sublime.  Typically, when I first listen to a new opera, I read the synopsis and libretto before listening, and follow along with the libretto again while listening.  I skipped this last step so I could focus on the music and singing.  The principals all do superb work.  Maazel's set is in the queue. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on September 09, 2017, 05:04:52 PM
Silly and cringey, but it's got one of the most dramatic poker games ever devised for stage or screen.
I do tend to cringe at all the stereotypical characters that get trotted out in Act I.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on September 09, 2017, 07:32:27 PM
Quote from: Spineur on September 09, 2017, 05:49:46 AM
I will be attending a performance of Pelleas in 3 weeks time at Paris opera so it time to revisit the work.  I am listening this afternoon to Abbado's version with Le Roux, Maria Ewing, Van Dam and Christa Ludwig.  Slight reservation about Christa Ludwig who was 62 at the time of the recording.

(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516qKNs7ZBL._SS500.jpg)

I also have the historical 1962 recording directed by Engelbrecht, but I havent listened to it in a very.long time.

Abbado's is fair, but do checkout Boulez's earlier account on Columbia. Also, Boulez has a great staged performance on DVD that's worth looking into.

Some links:

[asin]B000026I45[/asin]

[asin] B000068UXI[/asin]

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2017, 01:36:21 AM
Quote from: Todd on September 09, 2017, 03:28:09 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61bw5RkbiGL._SS425.jpg)



I decided to finally try La fanciulla del West.  The plot is beyond standard opera silly, and some of the libretto is cringey (Whiskey per tutti!), but the music is magnificent.  Beautiful, lush, refined, it might just be Puccini's most attractive score.  The end of Act I is mesmerizing, and pretty much all of Act II is sublime.  Typically, when I first listen to a new opera, I read the synopsis and libretto before listening, and follow along with the libretto again while listening.  I skipped this last step so I could focus on the music and singing.  The principals all do superb work.  Maazel's set is in the queue.

This is the set to have. Neblett may not be as big a name as Nilsson or Tebaldi (she burned herself out quite quickly) but she has exactly the right voice for the role, less steely than Nilsson, more secure on high than Tebaldi. What's more, she was totally believable in the theatre too. Domingo is superb as Rance, and Milnes (who didn't sing Rance at Covent Garden) much more than the villain Rance is often portrayed. The recording was made at around the same time Neblett and Domingo were singing the roles at Covent Garden, and many of the male roles are taken by those who had been singing them on stage. From that point of view, it feels like a performance, not just a cast cobbled together for a recording.

It deservedly won a Gramophone Award and remains one of the best Puccini sets in the catalogue.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2017, 01:47:49 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 09, 2017, 07:32:27 PM
Abbado's is fair, but do checkout Boulez's earlier account on Columbia. Also, Boulez has a great staged performance on DVD that's worth looking into.

Some links:

[asin]B000026I45[/asin]

[asin] B000068UXI[/asin]

I have the earlier Boulez account. He does bring out details in the orchestration that you might not have heard before, but, for me, it has always lacked atmosphere. The dry, analytical recording doesn't help either.

I'm not sure I have a favourite. Ingelbrecht is rightly revered, but the opera really cries out for modern recording. I don't know the Abbado, but it has had a good press.

Karajan is controversial. People tend to love or hate it. I rather like it, to be honest. The singing is generally excellent, and the orchestra play superbly.

A friend of mine, who had a lifelong passion for the opera, swore by Ansermet, who recorded it twice. The earlier mono version is more cohesive, but the later one enjoys wonderfully atmospheric Decca stereo sound.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on September 10, 2017, 02:38:20 AM
That Fanciulla recording is magnificent, for sure. As for Pelléas, I have special fondness for the Karajan recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 10, 2017, 08:19:01 AM
At 18:30 (in 15 min) a documentary on the 1964 performance at Coven Garden of Callas in Tosca will be broadcasted on Arte TV.  Probably available on their web site later
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 10, 2017, 11:09:34 AM
Quote from: Spineur on September 10, 2017, 08:19:01 AM
At 18:30 (in 15 min) a documentary on the 1964 performance at Coven Garden of Callas in Tosca will be broadcasted on Arte TV.  Probably available on their web site later
Only the act II has been filmed with Tito Gobbi as a saddistic Scarpia and  Callas as a fierce but wounded woman.  It will be broadcasted without the talking again at midnight.  The video quality is unfortunatelry poor.  This is part of the live warner box.  The Coven Garden live CD has the complete opera.

I would like to see a modern top quality recording of this opera.  I have a Caballé/Pavarotti recording, and even though I like it I always thought it was possible to do a bit better.  This Gobbi/Callas confrontation gives a possible path to follow. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 10, 2017, 11:26:20 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2017, 01:47:49 AM
I have the earlier Boulez account. He does bring out details in the orchestration that you might not have heard before, but, for me, it has always lacked atmosphere. The dry, analytical recording doesn't help either.

I'm not sure I have a favourite. Ingelbrecht is rightly revered, but the opera really cries out for modern recording. I don't know the Abbado, but it has had a good press.

Karajan is controversial...
Boulez wagnerize Debussy.  He justify his approach by the influence Wagner had on Debussy, which is not untrue.  Yet, Debussy is also the heir of an entrenched french tradition which he also considered as his.  Boulez was very interested in Wagner at the time as he was immersing himself in the ring for his Bayreuth project.  This is also a possible source of his choices.

The problem with Karajan, of the same nature, is compounded by an imperfect diction of some of the singers.

There is an even older quality version of Pelleas (sung by Camille Maurane as in the Inghelbrecht version) is Camille Desormiere who revived this opera after WWII.

I agree with most of you: a new high quality version of this opera would be most welcome, and I am really looking forward the live performance at the end of the month.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 10, 2017, 11:48:26 AM
Interesting thoughts, Spineur. But one could argue that Boulez  "debussyized" Wagner, rather than "wagnerizing"  Debussy.  I'd say Boulez's association with (and admiration for) Debussy's music far predated his involvment with Wagner and Bayreuth, and his lightening of textures in Wagner  (cliché as this may sound) actually comes  from a particularly debussyite (or Gallic if you will) perspective.  This, of course, is all a gross generalization on my part.

The Desormière will always hold a special place in this opera's discography, and rightly so IMHO.

Perhaps the upcoming Rattle release, with Gerhaher and Kožena, is the modern recording we're awaiting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on September 10, 2017, 07:54:22 PM
Quote from: Spineur on September 10, 2017, 11:26:20 AM
I agree with most of you: a new high quality version of this opera would be most welcome, and I am really looking forward the live performance at the end of the month.

Out of the limelight there is a high quality "modern" (1978) version which puts all the pieces of the Pelléas puzzle together like no other recording I've heard (I've owned five): Baudo and the orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon.

It's general neglect is most likely due to the fact it originated on Eurodisc, which was never part of a major worldwide distribution web to begin with. Not helping things is Eurodisc's current absorption into Sony, which has much more of a vested interest in all things Boulez (including his Pelléas). So the likelihood of Baudo's recording ever seeing the light of day again is slim at best.

Anyone who knows Martinon's EMI Debussy recordings will find a kindred spirit in Baudo. The two conductors' conceptions spring from the same root, at least as far as the orchestra is concerned.

The singing is wonderfully sympathetic, and the overall sound is warm, rich, and wide-ranging. It has earned its way to the top of the heap in my household, ousting Karajan, Abbado, Haitink, Dutoit, and even Cluytens. 

Don't give up on the "modern" version before trying out Baudo (athough, sadly, it's long OOP).



(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dvpxfZiML.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 11, 2017, 02:59:20 AM
Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on September 10, 2017, 07:54:22 PM
Out of the limelight there is a high quality "modern" (1978) version which puts all the pieces of the Pelléas puzzle together like no other recording I've heard (I've owned five): Baudo and the orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon.

It's general neglect is most likely due to the fact it originated on Eurodisc, which was never part of a major worldwide distribution web to begin with. Not helping things is Eurodisc's current absorption into Sony, which has much more of a vested interest in all things Boulez (including his Pelléas). So the likelihood of Baudo's recording ever seeing the light of day again is slim at best.

Anyone who knows Martinon's EMI Debussy recordings will find a kindred spirit in Baudo. The two conductors' conceptions spring from the same root, at least as far as the orchestra is concerned.

The singing is wonderfully sympathetic, and the overall sound is warm, rich, and wide-ranging. It has earned its way to the top of the heap in my household, ousting Karajan, Abbado, Haitink, Dutoit, and even Cluytens. 

Don't give up on the "modern" version before trying out Baudo (athough, sadly, it's long OOP).



(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dvpxfZiML.jpg)

The Baudo has had at least one reissue on RCA. It can be had quite cheaply second hand on Amazon UK.

Kenneth Furie, writing in the Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera likes Baudo's conducting, but is less admiring of his soloists. His top choices are Ingelbrecht and Ansermet II, with Boulez, Baudo and Desormière coming in as additional recommendations. Mind you, he is very down on Karajan, which I enjoy, and I find I quite often disagree with him on other operas, Così fan Tutte, for instance.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on September 11, 2017, 04:50:57 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 11, 2017, 02:59:20 AM
The Baudo has had at least one reissue on RCA. It can be had quite cheaply second hand on Amazon UK.

Kenneth Furie, writing in the Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera likes Baudo's conducting, but is less admiring of his soloists. His top choices are Ingelbrecht and Ansermet II, with Boulez, Baudo and Desormière coming in as additional recommendations. Mind you, he is very down on Karajan, which I enjoy, and I find I quite often disagree with him on other operas, Così fan Tutte, for instance.

I've read critiques of recordings of Pelleas in which the order of preference is completely opposite Furie's. So I'm not sure what end Furie's opinion serves in the overall picture. He's just one of many critics with an opinion.

All I know is, from my perspective, Baudo's recording is worth seeking out.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 11, 2017, 05:04:50 AM
So much talk of Pelléas, that I decided to revisit this set (Act 3 only):

[asin]B001QUL77S[/asin]
This is a powerful performance of Debussy's wonderful opera. First of all, the singers give very careful attention to the text, even the non-native French speaking Pelléas of Hans Wilbrink (who commits only minor mistakes, e.g. "ta petite menne sur ses lèvres" instead of "petite main". Still, he is a youthful and very engaging lead.

Denise Duval is a bit too mature for her rôle, and is a bit unsteady at moments (as is the case in her a capella scene at the beginning of the act). I know it's a preconception, but I cannot avoid picturing her Mélisande dressed in Chanel from head to toe.  ;) . Michel Roux is an excellent Golaud, but I'm afraid Rosine Brédy is insufferable as Yniold (trying to convey a childish, white voice, and ending up speaking instead of singing in the process).

Vittorio Gui (who I've read somewhere was actually praised by Debussy himself when the Italian conductor was a very young man) leads an expertly constructed performance, with real dramatic thrust which, nevertheless, is never ponderous or "flashy". I get the feeling he went for some roughness in some of the string and brass passages, which actually makes the score even more effective (but this might also be a result of the so-so sound quality). Also, he manages to separate the different sound planes (all those solo woodwind lines supported by the orchestra) very clearly.

Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on September 11, 2017, 04:50:57 AM
I've read critiques of recordings of Pelleas in which the order of preference is completely opposite Furie's. So I'm not sure what end Furie's opinion serves in the overall picture. He's just one of many critics with an opinion.

All I know is, from my perspective, Baudo's recording is worth seeking out.
I'll certainly try to do so, even if I must confess that Jean Martinon's recordings of Debussy's orchestral music--that you found more or less akin to Baudo's handling of the opera--really did nothing for me, despite my high expectations and general admiration for that conductor   :( .

Thanks for the tip, DD.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 11, 2017, 06:18:36 AM
Just ordered the Baudo reissue on the RCA label, as it only cost 5-6 euros on the secondary market.  I am actually quite fond of Lyon orchestra.  Gabriel Bacquier as Golaud also drew my interest.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on September 11, 2017, 03:27:17 PM
Quote from: Spineur on September 11, 2017, 06:18:36 AM
Just ordered the Baudo reissue on the RCA label, as it only cost 5-6 euros on the secondary market.  I am actually quite fond of Lyon orchestra.  Gabriel Bacquier as Golaud also drew my interest.

Nice! Regarding Bacquier, Gramophone has this to say about his Golaud: "Bacquier is superb, capturing every nuance from tenderness to abrupt anger...or agonizing frustration".

And about Command's Melisande: "[she]...makes a shy, fey, Melisande, who remains an enigmatic figure" (important here).

And about Dormoy's Pelleas: "The big surprise of this set is the Pelleas, a sensitive singer...".

In fact, Gramophone goes on to give high praise overall to the cast: "[Baudo]...is fortunate to have a cast without a single weak member".

So perhaps our good Mr. Furie needs to give this version a re-hear!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on September 11, 2017, 03:31:37 PM
Quote from: ritter on September 11, 2017, 05:04:50 AM
I'll certainly try to do so, even if I must confess that Jean Martinon's recordings of Debussy's orchestral music--that you found more or less akin to Baudo's handling of the opera--really did nothing for me, despite my high expectations and general admiration for that conductor   :( .

Thanks for the tip, DD.

Hmm...that's unfortunate. Well, if the day comes you need a new Pelleas at least you know this one exists! :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 12, 2017, 12:32:37 PM
Anna Bolena, Gaetano Donizetti

[asin]B000MGB8A8[/asin]

CD 1 for tonight.  Callas has always a great legato, even in complicated Bel Canto.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2017, 04:20:52 PM
Quote from: Spineur on September 12, 2017, 12:32:37 PM
Anna Bolena, Gaetano Donizetti

[asin]B000MGB8A8[/asin]

CD 1 for tonight.  Callas has always a great legato, even in complicated Bel Canto.

One of Callas's' greatest nights. I review the performance on my blog, if you're interested.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 13, 2017, 12:59:05 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2017, 04:20:52 PM
One of Callas's' greatest nights. I review the performance on my blog, if you're interested.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)
Just finished CD2.  For once I will join your praises for this recording.  Not only Callas is perfect but so is the orchestra and chorus.  I dont think I heard Giuletta Simionato nor Gianni Raimondi & Nicola Rossi-Lemeni before but I found them quite good in their respective role.  As you say in your excellent review, the main melodic line is outlined perfectly with Callas legato.  I dont always agree with the choices she makes in her role characterization, but here she is clearly very close to Donizetti portray of Anna Bolena as a victim.  A very nice recording to have.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 13, 2017, 01:58:51 PM
Quote from: Spineur on September 13, 2017, 12:59:05 PM
  I dont always agree with the choices she makes in her role characterization, but here she is clearly very close to Donizetti portray of Anna Bolena as a victim.  A very nice recording to have.

I'd aver that all Callas's characterisation choices always came directly from the music. She was such a musical singer and such a superb musician, that she always closely adhered to what the composer actually wrote. Indeed Grace Bumbry once said that if you wrote down what you heard Callas sing, you would reproduce exactly the composer's markings. We are talking here not just of the notes, but the expression marks in the score. Whatever her choices, they were always backed up by what was in the score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: millionrainbows on September 14, 2017, 12:43:01 PM
Maria Callas, Carmen, 1964 stereo, EMI. Sounds good, real good. Great melodies and themes throughout. I'm new to opera, and this is my way in, obviously. Would I like anything else?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 15, 2017, 01:05:14 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510TX0K8EWL.jpg)

Janet Baker has always been my yardstick for the role of Dido. Her superb recording with Anthony Lewis, though performed with modern instruments, could be seen as being part of the dawn of the HIP movement. That said, I've always thought I should have an alternative on original instruments, but resisted because none of the Didos I heard quite did it for me.

This one seemed to have slipped by me. Had I known the wonderful, late lamented Lorraine Hunt Lieberson had recorded the role, I'd have bought it years ago.

Not sure about the witches (but then I'm not sure about them on the Baker recording either), but the rest is superb, and Hunt Lieberson is as movingly communicative as ever.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 15, 2017, 02:03:20 AM
Quote from: millionrainbows on September 14, 2017, 12:43:01 PM
Maria Callas, Carmen, 1964 stereo, EMI. Sounds good, real good. Great melodies and themes throughout. I'm new to opera, and this is my way in, obviously. Would I like anything else?

I've been thinking about this a lot, and actually I'm not sure where one would go after Carmen. It's something of a one off. Nothing else really like it in Bizet's oeuvre, nor by any other composer.

For "great melodies and themes" try Rigoletto maybe. If you like Callas, there's a superb recording featuring her and Gobbi. This was the first of Verdi's triumvirate of middle period masterpieces. The others are Il Trovatore and La Traviata. All of the operas he wrote after that show Verdi's increasing dramatic skill, until his final two masterpieces, the tragic Otello and the comic Falstaff.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 15, 2017, 02:12:20 AM
Quote from: millionrainbows on September 14, 2017, 12:43:01 PM
Maria Callas, Carmen, 1964 stereo, EMI. Sounds good, real good.

I'm quite surprised, honestly. I should have thought that any music dating from 1875 is too old and too simple for your taste.



(sorry, couldn't resist!  ;D  :P   )
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 15, 2017, 02:16:45 AM
Quote from: Florestan on September 15, 2017, 02:12:20 AM
I'm quite surprised, honestly. I should have thought that any music dating from 1875 is too old and too simple for your taste.



(sorry, couldn't resist!  ;D  :P   )

Surprised me too, but didn't even Boulez eventually come round to some of the music he despised in his youth?

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 16, 2017, 11:18:35 AM
Tonight: Inghelbrecht 1962 version of Pélleas et Melissande:
100% french cast: Jacques Jansen, Micheline Grancher, Michel Roux, André Vessières

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A12J55-64%2BL._SX450_.jpg)

Fantastic diction.  French in opera is a discourse, and when the articulation is perfect so is the melody.  Hearing this, one realizes how unforgiving the language is compared to italian or even german.  Inghelbrecht orchestra is also very good. This is a place where Abbado version holds its ground very well: the Wiener Philarmoniker sound is marvelous and the rendering on disk is significantly better due to the progresses in sound engineering.

I'll add the overall impressions when I am done through the 3 CDs.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 16, 2017, 12:14:29 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 15, 2017, 02:16:45 AM
Surprised me too, but didn't even Boulez eventually come round to some of the music he despised in his youth?

Well, let's keep things in proportion, please!...  ;D  >:D  :P
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on September 16, 2017, 01:30:34 PM
Quote from: Spineur on September 16, 2017, 11:18:35 AM
Tonight: Inghelbrecht 1962 version of Pélleas et Melissande:
100% french cast: Jacques Jansen, Micheline Grancher, Michel Roux, André Vessières

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A12J55-64%2BL._SX450_.jpg)

Fantastic diction.  French in opera is a discourse, and when the articulation is perfect so is the melody.  Hearing this, one realizes how unforgiving the language is compared to italian or even german.  Inghelbrecht orchestra is also very good. This is a place where Abbado version holds its ground very well: the Wiener Philarmoniker sound is marvelous and the rendering on disk is significantly better due to the progresses in sound engineering.

I'll add the overall impressions when I am done through the 3 CDs.

That one needs reissue!

I'd love to be able to live through the wonderful live experience at Zurich opera again, btw. Not an all-french cast, but a near perfect night for sure, with the orchestra and the singers finding together and with that magic of sung dialogue indeed happening for the entire lenght. Alain Altinoglu conducted and it got very clear that he knew how to handle it. One of the greatest nights at the opera ever, as far as I'm concerned.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on September 17, 2017, 11:46:04 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51eWJyRQ47L._SX425_.jpg)


Maazel's La fanciulla del West.  Generally well performed (who knew Domingo could sing?), in good sound for a live recording, with only occasional interruptions from the audience, like pesky post-aria applause, this is a fine recording.  I prefer Mehta's set, which is better in every way.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 18, 2017, 06:34:09 AM
Part of the special Maria Callas program on France Musique.

- Sansom and Dalila and Carmen, George Prêtre directing Paris Opera orchestra

The role of Dalila suits her like a glove, on the other hand I am not convinced by her Carmen.

Among the other pieces played an Oberon (Carl Maria von Weber) from a 1964 performance Salle Wagram (Paris).  I thought it was quite good.
Some wonderful excerpts of Ambroise Thomas Hamlet with all the lightness this repertoire demands (a studio recording I dont know)
From a 1957 concert in Athens, a Liebestod from Tristan&Isold.  Not your typical Liebestod, but nevertheless interesting.

Some stuff from La Gioconda, which I did not care for all that much.




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 18, 2017, 11:03:06 AM
Quote from: Spineur on September 18, 2017, 06:34:09 AM
Part of the special Maria Callas program on France Musique.

- Sansom and Dalila and Carmen, George Prêtre directing Paris Opera orchestra

The role of Dalila suits her like a glove, on the other hand I am not convinced by her Carmen.

Among the other pieces played an Oberon (Carl Maria von Weber) from a 1964 performance Salle Wagram (Paris).  I thought it was quite good.
Some wonderful excerpts of Ambroise Thomas Hamlet with all the lightness this repertoire demands (a studio recording I dont know)
From a 1957 concert in Athens, a Liebestod from Tristan&Isold.  Not your typical Liebestod, but nevertheless interesting.

Some stuff from La Gioconda, which I did not care for all that much.

Oddly enough, I find her Carmen one of her most exacting and intelligent creations. But then, with Callas isolated arias will never satisfy on their own. You have to listen to her take on the whole role. She is certainly not the conventional hip-swinging vamp we often get. but definitely dangereuse, as she is described in the libretto.

I review the compete set here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/the-callas-carmen/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/the-callas-carmen/).

Her Gioconda is also a justly renowned characterisation; and she recorded it twice.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 18, 2017, 11:45:34 AM
An old recording, but one of the very best Carmen

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41FTJyHeizL._SX425_.jpg)

Costs 2.94$ on A.com for a double CD.  Another cover with the same material
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 18, 2017, 11:30:10 PM
After having seen it live at the Teatro Real here in Madrid earlier this year, revisiting Alberto Ginastera's Bomarzo:

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zuVyUB6kV6o/UWYkVeFGQmI/AAAAAAAACLA/co9N50RHMRU/s1600/capa.jpg)
This is an earlier, semi-private release (courtesy of the Argentine consulate in Miami) of the 1967 Washington Opera recording recently reissued by Sony.

It is a wonderful opera, very well constructed as far as the libretto is concerned, and with an " accessible" avant-garde idiom which nowadays can sound slightly dated at some points, but is nevertheless very effective. Great stuff.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 18, 2017, 11:38:17 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/812zcJOjNhL._SL1500_.jpg)

My new Callas Live Remastered box set arrived yesterday, and I am now listening to the first of the operas in the set, Nabucco from 1949.

The big question is going to be about the sound. I wasn't expecting miracles, especially with this opera, which has always sounded pretty bad.

All I can say is that, so far (I've listened to the overture and opening chorus, superbly paced by Gui by the way), it is at least listenable, which was not quite true of my previous version.

Others tell me that Ars Vocalis' new version is even better, but my ears aren't that great and I wonder if it will be so much better that I need to acquire it too.

Looking forward to Callas's entrance. Her Abigaille is sans pareil, though she never sang the role again. She thought the role a voice wrecker, and even counselled Caballe against singing it ("It would be like putting a precious Baccarat glass in a box and shaking it around. It would shatter.") Caballe heeded the advice and never sang the role.

One should note that this Live box is a far better reflection of Callas's career than her studio output, which includes a lot of Puccini, a composer she mostly ignored when her career was at its zenith. Even Tosca was a relative rarity for her after she made the 1953 recording. Apart from her two seasons at the Met, she ignored it until it became the vehicle for her come back at Covent Garden in Zeffirelli's 1964 production.

Her Abigaille causes regret that, apart from Lady Macbeth, she didn't sing any more of Verdi's early soprano roles.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2017, 01:38:14 AM
(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518jdZqyzoL._SS500.jpg)

Next up in the Callas box, is this concert performance of Parsifal, with Callas as Kundry, a role that she had sung the previous year in Rome under Serafin.

Wagnerians will no doubt balk at the opera being performed in Italian, but that was the way in Italy back then. All Wagner operas were performed in Italian.

The opera is quite heavily cut (something of a relief in the case of Africo Baldelli's Parsifal), but the presence of Callas and Christoff, not to mention Vittorio Gui in the pit, make the recording more than just a curiosity.

Callas is a wonderfully sensuous and dramatically alive Kundry, and it is good to have this one example of Callas in a complete Wagner role (she also sang Isolde and the Walküre Brünnhilde in her early career).

The recording favours the voices, which are clear and true, but the orchestra is rather murky.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on September 22, 2017, 03:49:35 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2017, 04:20:52 PM
One of Callas's' greatest nights. I review the performance on my blog, if you're interested.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)

Tsaras, what do you think of Gencer's performance of the role?

[asin]B005LL4U0O[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on September 22, 2017, 09:54:07 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2017, 01:38:14 AM

... that was the way in Italy back then. All Wagner operas were performed in Italian.


I still remember my grandmother singing

Da voi lontan, in sconosciuta terra
Havvi un castel, che ha nome Monsalvato:
Là un sacro tempio una foresta serra,
Di gemme senza pari e d'oro ornato.


which in my child mind resounded much more than

In fernem Land, unnahbar euren Schritten,
liegt eine Burg, die Montsalvat genannt;
ein lichter Tempel stehet dort inmitten,
so kostbar, als auf Erden nichts bekannt.




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 23, 2017, 12:57:47 AM
Quote from: betterthanfine on September 22, 2017, 03:49:35 PM
Tsaras, what do you think of Gencer's performance of the role?

[asin]B005LL4U0O[/asin]

Gencer, probably because she didn't have a recording career, is a rather underrated singer, and she shared some of Callas's dramatic gifts. What she lacks though is Callas's innate musicality, a way of moulding the musical phrase that makes it absolutely, inevitably right. Gencer's dramatic effects can sometimes be just a little too veristic, applied onto the music, rather than coming from within it, nor was her coloratura technique quite as sound as Callas's. 

That said, she was a considerable Anna, and was one of the singers who carried forward the work of the bel canto revival, that started with Callas. I rate her quite highly, if not quite on Callas's lofty level.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 23, 2017, 10:10:11 AM
Revisiting al old favourite of mine, Emmanuel Chabrier's Le Roi malgré lui:

[asin]B007C7FDLU[/asin]

That this wonderful work is not better known and does not enjoy wider circulaton remains for me one of the great operatic mysteries of all time. It is so full of esprit and bon goût, has a fun (if convoluted--even by operatic standrads) plot and is brimming with great melodies. But not only that, Chabrier's mastery is present at every measure of the score, with the subtle introduction of unexpected modulations and daring harmonic twists. And the orchestration is simply superb.

In Act I, there are two jewels in quick succession; Minka's romance "Hélas! À l'esclavage..." (with the soprano being accompanied wonderfully by an oboe), and King Henri's entrance, with the nostalgic and plangent "Beau pays, pays du beau soleil" in which he regrets his far away France. Both numbers are breathtaking.

The perfomance (the only commercial recording of the work ever made AFAIK) is excellent (even if sans dialogues and appraently cut), with a very involved and homogeous cast, persuasively led by Charles Dutoit. Still, Barbara Hendrick's (at her considerable best as Minka) stands out. What a beautiful voice this lady has, and how effectively she uses it! Really touching...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on September 23, 2017, 04:38:59 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 23, 2017, 12:57:47 AM
Gencer, probably because she didn't have a recording career, is a rather underrated singer, and she shared some of Callas's dramatic gifts. What she lacks though is Callas's innate musicality, a way of moulding the musical phrase that makes it absolutely, inevitably right. Gencer's dramatic effects can sometimes be just a little too veristic, applied onto the music, rather than coming from within it, nor was her coloratura technique quite as sound as Callas's. 

That said, she was a considerable Anna, and was one of the singers who carried forward the work of the bel canto revival, that started with Callas. I rate her quite highly, if not quite on Callas's lofty level.

Thanks! I agree, from what I've heard from her she's very underrated, and definitely underrecorded. Hence my interest in this performance, which actually sounds quite good for a live recording from the era, as far as I can tell from sampling it on Spotify.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on September 24, 2017, 08:22:09 AM
I have a particular fondness for Vincenzo Bellini operas.  I am slowly filling some of the missing works in my collection.  After I Capuletti e i Montecchi, it was time to look into I Pirata, his third completed opera.  I did hesitate between Callas historical 1959 recording and some of the more recent takes, i.e. Montserrat Caballé & Ruggiero Raimondi or the most recent Opera Rara release.  Here I chose Callas take, even though the sound quality of the orchestra leaves much to be desired.  I find her vocal portrait of Imogene quite good.  As mentioned in the Callas thread, there is a short take in the Callas rareties album recorded in 1961 which has much better sound.  The release of this take was actually approved by Callas, which meant it was pretty good in her eyes.
As far as the opera itself, I find the last act to be as good as some the more prestigious Bellini operas.

(http://www.divinarecords.com/dvn021/dvn021_l.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 30, 2017, 03:43:15 AM
Quote from: Spineur on September 24, 2017, 08:22:09 AM
I have a particular fondness for Vincenzo Bellini operas.  I am slowly filling some of the missing works in my collection.  After I Capuletti e i Montecchi, it was time to look into I Pirata, his third completed opera.  I did hesitate between Callas historical 1959 recording and some of the more recent takes, i.e. Montserrat Caballé & Ruggiero Raimondi or the most recent Opera Rara release.  Here I chose Callas take, even though the sound quality of the orchestra leaves much to be desired.  I find her vocal portrait of Imogene quite good.  As mentioned in the Callas thread, there is a short take in the Callas rareties album recorded in 1961 which has much better sound.  The release of this take was actually approved by Callas, which meant it was pretty good in her eyes.
As far as the opera itself, I find the last act to be as good as some the more prestigious Bellini operas.

(http://www.divinarecords.com/dvn021/dvn021_l.jpg)

Unfortunately there are quite a few cuts in the Callas performance, mostly to accommodate the inadequacies of her colleagues. I think the Caballé recording is complete. That said, I'm quite happy to forego some of the music to get Callas.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 30, 2017, 03:56:48 AM
(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XvD9MCmcL._SS500.jpg)

I already had this set on Testament, and, truth to tell, my ears don't pick up much difference between that and this Warner one.

This recording documents an important moment in operatic history, for it was after this performance that Ghiringhelli, La Scala's Intendant, and a Tebaldi devotee, found he could ignore Callas no longer. He asked her to open La Scala's next season in the same opera, with substantially the same cast, though Victor De Sabata replaced Kleiber and Eugene Conley the somewhat inadequate Kokolios-Bardi.

Callas is electrifying as Elena, the voice at its early career best, the range from a  top E in the Siciliana to a low F# in Arrigo, ah parli a in core prodigious. Of the other soloists, only Christoff really approaches Callas's achievement, but Erich Kleiber has a firm grip on what can emerge as a sprawling score.

The sound, as in so many of these live performance, is not great, but worth persevering for the quality of the performance.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 04, 2017, 12:01:21 PM
Tonight Attila, an early Verdi

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TwohZFfeL._SY400_.jpg)

I also saw Pelleas et Melisande at Paris Opera last sunday, with Robert Wilson staging and the fantastic Elena Tsallagova as Melisande.  If there is some interest I will make a full recension.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on October 05, 2017, 07:25:04 PM
Cleopatra. Berlioz in fine form.



(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41BjtO3i9vL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JCBuckley on October 06, 2017, 06:49:50 AM
Quote from: Spineur on October 04, 2017, 12:01:21 PM

I also saw Pelleas et Melisande at Paris Opera last sunday, with Robert Wilson staging and the fantastic Elena Tsallagova as Melisande.  If there is some interest I will make a full recension.

You lucky man. From the clips I've seen, it looked like an excellent production, and Tsallagova sounded superb.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 06, 2017, 11:47:38 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81U5cloByqL._SL1500_.jpg)

Though it still overloads quite a bit, the sounds on this Verona version is a good deal better than any I've heard before (though I haven't heard the Ars Vocalis version, which I'm told is even clearer). It's still not great, but is much more listenable, and the voices come through well.

As for the performance, I suppose you'd call it competitive rather than subtle; but it is thrilling, and it is famous for that barnstorming top Eb from Callas in the Triumphal Scene. The Mexicans go wild with excitement. How often can you say that in opera these days?

Callas is in fabulous voice, the top open and freewheeling. She still has trouble with the dolce top C in O patria mia (to be honest, the only singer who does actually manage to sing it sweetly is Caballe), but the aria itself is spun out to heavenly lengths. The local girl Oralia Dominguez, was singing her first Amneris and she is absolutely splendid; Del Monaco was never a subtle artist, but there is the clarion compensation of his voice, and Taddei is a terrific Amonasro, the Nile Duet with Callas being one of the highlights of the performance.

De Fabritiis conducts a performance in primary colours, to match its surroundings. I wouldn't necessarily always want to hear Aida like this, but, my word, what it must have been like to have been in the audience that night.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 07, 2017, 06:10:58 AM
A recent acquisition: Donizetti, L'assedio di Calais

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61JCJjvG1ML._SY400_.jpg)
It was composed right after Lucia di Lamermoor, which is a favorite opera of mine.  The libretto, written by Salvatore Cammarano is a loose adaptation of the surrender of Calais to the British after a long siege during the 100y war.  It makes ample use of choirs and ensemble singing from duets to the final nonet in the 3rd act.  After 17 performances at the 1836 creation it disappeared from the repertoire until this 1988 revival by Opera Rara.  Since then a DVD was also produced by the RAI.  Why such a well crafted opera has fallen in complete oblivion ?
Maybe because it has no tenor and the leading role (the mayor son) is held by a contralto (Della Jones in this production).  Compared to Lucia, it is also somewhat a throwback to the opera seria style, while the bel canto style was the fury at the time.  It is a very well crafted opera .  The designation of Calais burghers that were to be sacrificed to save the city (the mayor, the mayor son,...) is the highest and most dramatic point at the end of act 2.  There are 2 wonderful duet between the mayor son and his mother.
At the end Donizetti was asked to make a happy ending where queen Elisabeth arrives to save Calais burghers.  This spoils the storys drama some IMHO.  Anyway, I really enjoyed it and this opera rara production will come back to visit the CD player soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on October 07, 2017, 06:21:30 AM
Quote from: Spineur on October 07, 2017, 06:10:58 AM
A recent acquisition: Donizetti, L'assedio di Calais

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61JCJjvG1ML._SY400_.jpg)
It was composed right after Lucia di Lamermoor, which is a favorite opera of mine.  The libretto, written by Salvatore Cammarano is a loose adaptation of the surrender of Calais to the British after a long siege during the 100y war.  It makes ample use of choirs and ensemble singing from duets to the final nonet in the 3rd act.  After 17 performances at the 1836 creation it disappeared from the repertoire until this 1988 revival by Opera Rara.  Since then a DVD was also produced by the RAI.  Why such a well crafted opera has fallen in complete oblivion ?
Maybe because it has no tenor and the leading role (the mayor son) is held by a contralto (Della Jones in this production).  Compared to Lucia, it is also somewhat a throwback to the opera seria style, while the bel canto style was the fury at the time.  It is a very well crafted opera .  The designation of Calais burghers that were to be sacrificed to save the city (the mayor, the mayor son,...) is the highest and most dramatic point at the end of act 2.  There are 2 wonderful duet between the mayor son and his mother.
At the end Donizetti was asked to make a happy ending where queen Elisabeth arrives to save Calais burghers.  This spoils the storys drama some IMHO.  Anyway, I really enjoyed it and this opera rara production will come back to visit the CD player soon.
I agree - pretty wonderful. I love all the chorus and group singing. There are many other good Opera Rara productions of Donizetti too. I have been eying Les Martyrs...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 07, 2017, 06:35:00 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on October 07, 2017, 06:21:30 AM
I have been eying Les Martyrs...
I have it.  A very nice opera.  Michael Spyres is an excellent Polyeucte.  Joyce el Khoury is fine as Pauline.  Her recent disk Echo however is not good.  There is a big difference in talent between her and Spyres.  I bought his solo CD Espoir.  He is really made for the french repertoire.  His diction is quite good, in fact the best for an american tenor.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on October 07, 2017, 06:37:20 AM
Quote from: Spineur on October 07, 2017, 06:35:00 AM
  I have it.  A very nice opera.  Michael Spyres is an excellent Polyeucte.  Joyce el Khoury is fine as Pauline.  Her recent disk Echo however is not good.  There is a big difference in talent between her and Spyres.  I bought his solo CD Espoir.  He is really made for the french repertoire.  His diction is quite good, in fact the best for an american tenor.
Yes, I don't think we're likely to see a production as good as this for a while (if ever). When I get the set, it will be my first introduction to Spyres I think, unless I am forgetting him in something else.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on October 07, 2017, 06:44:53 AM
My first time listening to this particular recording:

[asin]B008L41Z4C[/asin]

Cossotto is a fine Lady, but her high notes are little shrill and sometimes even slightly flat. I like her hushed and intimate reading of the letter. Milnes fares better as Macbeth, even if he's not particularly memorable. Carreras is in gorgeous youthful voice for Macduff's aria, and I very much enjoy Muti's conducting. The chorus sounds very good too. Overall, an enjoyable recording of one of my favourite Verdi operas!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on October 07, 2017, 09:58:11 AM
Quote from: Spineur on October 07, 2017, 06:10:58 AM
A recent acquisition: Donizetti, L'assedio di Calais

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61JCJjvG1ML._SY400_.jpg)
It was composed right after Lucia di Lamermoor, which is a favorite opera of mine.  The libretto, written by Salvatore Cammarano is a loose adaptation of the surrender of Calais to the British after a long siege during the 100y war.  It makes ample use of choirs and ensemble singing from duets to the final nonet in the 3rd act.  After 17 performances at the 1836 creation it disappeared from the repertoire until this 1988 revival by Opera Rara.  Since then a DVD was also produced by the RAI.  Why such a well crafted opera has fallen in complete oblivion ?
Maybe because it has no tenor and the leading role (the mayor son) is held by a contralto (Della Jones in this production).  Compared to Lucia, it is also somewhat a throwback to the opera seria style, while the bel canto style was the fury at the time.  It is a very well crafted opera .  The designation of Calais burghers that were to be sacrificed to save the city (the mayor, the mayor son,...) is the highest and most dramatic point at the end of act 2.  There are 2 wonderful duet between the mayor son and his mother.
At the end Donizetti was asked to make a happy ending where queen Elisabeth arrives to save Calais burghers.  This spoils the storys drama some IMHO.  Anyway, I really enjoyed it and this opera rara production will come back to visit the CD player soon.

The ending is actually true to history (although the queen's name was Phillippa, and produced one of Rodin's greatest works
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Auguste_Rodin-Burghers_of_Calais_%28photo%29.jpg/300px-Auguste_Rodin-Burghers_of_Calais_%28photo%29.jpg)
Details about the statue and a summary of the history
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burghers_of_Calais
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 07, 2017, 11:12:49 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on October 07, 2017, 09:58:11 AM
The ending is actually true to history (although the queen's name was Phillippa, and produced one of Rodin's greatest works
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Auguste_Rodin-Burghers_of_Calais_%28photo%29.jpg/300px-Auguste_Rodin-Burghers_of_Calais_%28photo%29.jpg)
Details about the statue and a summary of the history
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burghers_of_Calais
And I believe it's the same subject that the now almost forgotten (but in his day relatively well-known) Rudolf Wagner-Régeny used in his Die Bürger von Calais (from the late 30s):

[asin]B005L0XYB6[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 07, 2017, 02:57:01 PM
Quote from: betterthanfine on October 07, 2017, 06:44:53 AM
My first time listening to this particular recording:

[asin]B008L41Z4C[/asin]

Cossotto is a fine Lady, but her high notes are little shrill and sometimes even slightly flat. I like her hushed and intimate reading of the letter. Milnes fares better as Macbeth, even if he's not particularly memorable. Carreras is in gorgeous youthful voice for Macduff's aria, and I very much enjoy Muti's conducting. The chorus sounds very good too. Overall, an enjoyable recording of one of my favourite Verdi operas!

Personally I prefer the Abbado recording. Verrett is a superb Lady Macbeth, but even she has to cede to Callas live at La Scala in 1952. No Lady Macbeth comes within a mile of her achievement in the role, and De Sabata is a pretty great conductor too.

(http://i.imgur.com/IuVTSA1.jpg)

The sound isn't very good, but is reasonable enough in the new Warner transfer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on October 08, 2017, 01:03:19 PM
Saw Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre in Lucerne last night - what a blast!  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on October 08, 2017, 05:41:56 PM
A purchase crossposted from the main Purchase thread

(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/888837977920.jpg)

As a kid, I used to listen to a recording of Acts 1 and 2 of Traviata on a set of 78s that belonged to my mother.  It was a heavy bulky folder of disks, and the companion set for the remainder of the opera was nowhere to be found. That set was my introduction to opera. I think the recording in this set is the one I played so often.

The "others" referred to on the cover include a couple of overtures, the Te Deum, the Hymn of the Nations, and various highlights from Rigoletto and Luisa Miller.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on October 08, 2017, 08:18:03 PM
Quote from: king ubu on October 08, 2017, 01:03:19 PM
Saw Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre in Lucerne last night - what a blast!  ;D

Lucky you! I would love to see that..........but it seems more likely I would have to travel to another country than wait for it to come down here in Australia.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on October 09, 2017, 02:54:05 AM
Quote from: jessop on October 08, 2017, 08:18:03 PM
Lucky you! I would love to see that..........but it seems more likely I would have to travel to another country than wait for it to come down here in Australia.

Some info here (there are "DE" and "EN" buttons to switch from DEutsch to ENglish):
http://www.luzernertheater.ch/legrandmacabre

Don't know any of the involved ones, not sure if I saw play directed by Fritsch years ago ... but the musical director is the same that was part of the huge success they had last season with Nono's "Prometeo" (that was life-changing in a way that the Maccabee won't ever be, the piece isn't deep enough for that, I think - but a blast it was, hellyeah!) ... seems the new direction wants to start the season with a 20c opera now - would be cool if that became a tradition, I'd certainly make it a point to be there each year!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on October 09, 2017, 03:07:20 AM
Quote from: king ubu on October 09, 2017, 02:54:05 AM
Some info here (there are "DE" and "EN" buttons to switch from DEutsch to ENglish):
http://www.luzernertheater.ch/legrandmacabre

Don't know any of the involved ones, not sure if I saw play directed by Fritsch years ago ... but the musical director is the same that was part of the huge success they had last season with Nono's "Prometeo" (that was life-changing in a way that the Maccabee won't ever be, the piece isn't deep enough for that, I think - but a blast it was, hellyeah!) ... seems the new direction wants to start the season with a 20c opera now - would be cool if that became a tradition, I'd certainly make it a point to be there each year!

Traditions like that are always good fun, especially when they promote operas not commonly performed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on October 09, 2017, 03:38:05 AM
Quote from: jessop on October 09, 2017, 03:07:20 AM
Traditions like that are always good fun, especially when they promote operas not commonly performed.

Yes indeed!

There's also a new Holliger opera coming up at Zurich opera this season:
https://www.opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/lunea/season_11232/
Will definitely go and catch it!

Also planning to catch a new one by Sciarrino at La Scala in late November with GioCar  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 09, 2017, 12:49:32 PM
Discussion on the generazione dell'ottanta (started by Mirror Image in the polls thread) has prompted me to revisit Respighi's charmingly nostalgic comedy Belfagor:

[asin]B000027C91[/asin]
I don't really care much for Respighi's orchestral music, which I find flashy and derivative; I was listening to some piece--can't remember which--recently on the radio, and kept sayng to myself "look, now it sounds like Richard Strauss, but wait, now it's Debussy, oh no, it's Rimsky" until I said "Basta!"  ;D .

But I've always had a soft spot for this little opera. Puccinian in some aspects, but with a very distinctive melancholy and nocturnal tinge to the comedy, and less melodic ease (compensated by very intelligible declamatory sung lines). The orchestration is very colourful, as could be expected.  Falstaff, and probably Gianni Schicchi as well, were most probably Respighi's direct models.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on October 10, 2017, 07:40:08 AM
Quote from: king ubu on October 09, 2017, 03:38:05 AM

Also planning to catch a new one by Sciarrino at La Scala in late November with GioCar  ;D

8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 10, 2017, 11:21:40 AM
Quote from: JCBuckley on October 06, 2017, 06:49:50 AM
You lucky man. From the clips I've seen, it looked like an excellent production, and Tsallagova sounded superb.
Pélleas et Mélisande: recension of the live Paris Opera performance (Robert Wilson staging) and the new Simon Rattle LSO recording

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0624/6833/products/Cover_LSO0290_LSO0790_3000px_1024x1024.jpg)

Summary: if it had been possible to combine these two performances, we would have had the perfect Pelleas

Paris performance.  2 great singers/actors
1) Melisande was sung by Elena Tsallagova.  Phyically, as a young and frail woman, she is a perfect Melisande:
(https://res.cloudinary.com/opera-national-de-paris/image/upload/c_fit%2ch_1100%2cq_60%2cw_1100/f_auto/v1/user_photos/ci9kjnhmfjbqacngtyxu)
Her voice is quite pure, with little vibrato, exactly what you expect for Melisande.  Her diction was absoltely perfect.  She also fitted very much in Robert Wilson staging, which translates Maeternink symbolic poetry into symbolic gesture, mostly using arms and hands.
(https://res.cloudinary.com/opera-national-de-paris/image/upload/c_fit%2ch_1100%2cq_60%2cw_1100/f_auto/v1/user_photos/cdpqlfdt4de9gnmfhdsv)
Another great actor singer was Jodie Devos (a belgian soprano) as Yniold (Golaud's son)
(https://res.cloudinary.com/opera-national-de-paris/image/upload/c_fit%2ch_1100%2cq_60%2cw_1100/f_auto/v1/user_photos/omiq3lkxgevvgmcpnlxi)
She had a very strong presence and acted and sung her role beautifully.
Pelleas was sung by Etienne Dupuis who did not convince me completely.   He is a real big guy, not quite compatible with the image I have of Pelleas.
Golaud was sung Luca Pisaroni, an italian barytone.  I did not like the way he interpreted nor sung Golaud.  Always opting for the darkest option for the caracter, rough, and brutal. This may be appropriate for the fourth act but not for the two first acts, I would say.
Jordan and Paris orchestra were OK, but I expected more orchestral colors, at least from this talented french chef directing a french orchestra.  Also, he did not use the full dynamic of his orchestra, except in the pianissimo introduction and the fortissimo for the deadly kiss at the fourth act.
One word about Wilson staging.  It is quite appealing, with interesting ideas: Melisande makes exactly the same gesture as she drops her crown at the beginning of the opera and Golaud ring at act II.  At act 3, the ring projected on the blue background breaks in two.  Otherwise, the staging is cold, as the character always avoid physical contact even when the text say the opposite (Yniold, "votre barbe pique, petit père").  This contributes to add distances which I did not feel are in Maeternink texts.

Now Rattle take.  I think his orchestra is really beautiful, one of the best I have heard in this piece.  Beautiful colors, exactly the dynamical ranges I expected.  He tends to use some Malherian inflections at times, but these are passing allusions which I actually found interesting.
Magdalena Kozena (one of my favorite mezzo) isnt a very good Melisande.  Her french diction isnt very intelligible I found.  Also she sings Mélisande as the mature woman she is and not Mélisande a young girl.  This is bothersome in the first two act.  During the last act, where Mélisande is portrayed as living in a parallel world, Kozena is much better, in fact her singing becomes suddenly appropriate.
The other singer are Gerhaher as Pelleas.  He has never disappointed me and here again he is a very good Pelleas.  Nearly perfect french diction, exactly the intonations and the nuances I expected.  As Golaud, Gerald Finley is also convincing.  His diction is good, maybe nt as perfect as Gerhaher.  But he portraits Golaud as the multifaceted man that he is.  Arkel is sung by Franz‑Josef Selig as in the Paris live performance.  A deep and beautiful bass voice.  Excellent.  Yniold is sung by Elias Mädler.  Not as good as Jodie Devos, I thought
In spite of Kozena weaknesses during the first two acts, I would recommend this new recording.  The orchestra is great and Gerhaher and Finley are excellent in their role.   You can download it on the LSO live site for a modest price.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on October 10, 2017, 02:13:42 PM
^Thanks for that review, Spineur. I've been curious about the new Rattle set, as it's a piece he's been performing for years, and I'm a huge Gerhaher fan. Kozena to me seemed the weakest link here, which you have just confirmed. Still, I think I might get it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on October 10, 2017, 05:17:54 PM
Quote from: sanantonio on October 10, 2017, 07:50:28 AM
Probably some great performances.  But how is the audio?  All mono?

I am not sure, since it's in transit now. I assume some, if not all, is mono. Looking at the contents, I also expect some major cuts:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81DviZ%2B79UL.jpg)
How do you fit a trio, a chorus, and an entire act of Rigoletto onto the second CD of Traviata?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on October 11, 2017, 01:43:13 AM
Das Rheingold

(https://i.scdn.co/image/d3026c55bdb6e1818e77b08e97650dfb7843b65d)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on October 11, 2017, 04:17:52 AM
I don't think I've seen such an interesting, positive master class in some time. Really fascinating:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suGCOxk6sGk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suGCOxk6sGk)
I love how he spends more time on the basics of singing and breathing and key things rather than minor phrasing as some do. Hampson is very articulate and has a wonderful manner.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 13, 2017, 09:41:00 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on October 11, 2017, 04:17:52 AM
I don't think I've seen such an interesting, positive master class in some time. Really fascinating:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suGCOxk6sGk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suGCOxk6sGk)
Hampson is very articulate and has a wonderful manner.
I have always found Thomas Hampson interesting.  He sings the marquis de Posa in Don Carlos at Paris opera with Jonas Kaufmann and Sonia Yoncheva.  I did not succeed in getting ticket for this exceptional event.

[asin]B0016IV1WG[/asin]

TD another Opera Rara: Ambroise Thomas La cour de Célimène.  Typical Ambroise Thomas style, reminiscent of Mignon.  The libretto is so thin that it is transparent.  But the music is much better than I expected.  Some exquisite ensemble singing.  The orchestral prelude has 3 different themes one of which is treated as variation.  The Celimene aria at the begining of act to is often part of french cd recitals for sopranos.  4/5 for the music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on October 13, 2017, 09:48:18 AM
Quote from: Spineur on October 13, 2017, 09:41:00 AM
I have always found Thomas Hampson interesting.  He sings the marquis de Posa in Don Carlos at Paris opera with Jonas Kaufmann and Sonia Yoncheva.  I did not suceed in getting ticket for this exceptional event.

[asin]B0016IV1WG[/asin]

TD another Opera Rara: Ambroise Thomas La cour de Célimène.  Typical Ambroise Thomas style, reminiscent of Mignon.  The libretto is so thin that it is transparent.  But the music is much better than I expected.  Some exquisite ensemble singing.  The orchestral prelude has 3 different themes one of which is treated as variation.  The Celimene aria at the begining of act to is often part of french cd recitals for sopranos.  4/5 for the music.
I love that one. it led me to Mignon and then to Hamlet. Speaking of Hampson, I have the Hamlet with him, Ramey and June Anderson. As you would expect, the singing was pretty awesome. But the orchestra play beautifully too, and I really enjoy the orchestration of Thomas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JCBuckley on October 16, 2017, 09:10:38 AM
Spineur - many thanks for the reviews. I'm kicking myself for not making the trip to Paris. From what I can can gather, the DVD of the Wilson production suffers from lousy sound quality. And it costs a silly amount of money in the UK.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 16, 2017, 09:21:21 AM
Quote from: JCBuckley on October 16, 2017, 09:10:38 AM
Spineur - many thanks for the reviews. I'm kicking myself for not making the trip to Paris. From what I can can gather, the DVD of the Wilson production suffers from lousy sound quality. And it costs a silly amount of money in the UK.
I have also heard that the sound quality of the DVD is very poor.  For Debussy that just kills it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 21, 2017, 03:28:53 AM
Quote from: ritter on September 23, 2017, 10:10:11 AM
Revisiting al old favourite of mine, Emmanuel Chabrier's Le Roi malgré lui:

[asin]B007C7FDLU[/asin]

That this wonderful work is not better known and does not enjoy wider circulaton remains for me one of the great operatic mysteries of all time. It is so full of esprit and bon goût, has a fun (if convoluted--even by operatic standrads) plot and is brimming with great melodies. But not only that, Chabrier's mastery is present at every measure of the score, with the subtle introduction of unexpected modulations and daring harmonic twists. And the orchestration is simply superb.

In Act I, there are two jewels in quick succession; Minka's romance "Hélas! À l'esclavage..." (with the soprano being accompanied wonderfully by an oboe), and King Henri's entrance, with the nostalgic and plangent "Beau pays, pays du beau soleil" in which he regrets his far away France. Both numbers are breathtaking.

The perfomance (the only commercial recording of the work ever made AFAIK) is excellent (even if sans dialogues and appraently cut), with a very involved and homogeous cast, persuasively led by Charles Dutoit. Still, Barbara Hendrick's (at her considerable best as Minka) stands out. What a beautiful voice this lady has, and how effectively she uses it! Really touching...
I decided to check this opera which I confess I had never heard of.  Light and pleasant music very much in Chabrier style.  As you said, the King Henri aria Beau pays, pays du beau soleil in act I is wonderful so is Ah viens Minka fidèle in act II as well as the duo "O rêve eteint" at act III.  All the orchestral preludes are indeed wonderful.  A pretty cool work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 21, 2017, 08:16:16 AM
Quote from: Spineur on October 21, 2017, 03:28:53 AM
I decided to check this opera which I confess I had never heard of.  Light and pleasant music very much in Chabrier style.  As you said, the King Henri aria Beau pays, pays du beau soleil in act I is wonderful so is Ah viens Minka fidèle in act II as well as the duo "O rêve eteint" at act III.  All the orchestral preludes are indeed wonderful.  A pretty cool work.
Glad you liked it, cher ami... :)

You do know L'Étoile, no? Another jewel...

"Aussitôt que l'aurore,
aux doigts gantés de rose,
éclaire à son lever
les magasins de nouveautés
où le bon goût repose,
à nos vitrines apparaissent les clients"


Priceless!  8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 21, 2017, 11:54:46 AM
Some French Rossini tonight:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71EsZNedesL._SL500_SX355_.jpg)

I haven't listened to Maometto II for quite a while, and it's been even longer since I've approached its revision as Le Siège... This seems to be the only recording of the work that more or less presents what Rossini offered the Paris audience in 1826.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 21, 2017, 01:32:24 PM
There is also this Naxos CD.  I do not know either versions

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51lBB9rxRJL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on October 21, 2017, 08:26:34 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/hfDaFLY.jpg?1)

little bit of digging gets  you the best one can get.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2017, 12:07:03 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81TyG6jtkaL._SL1500_.jpg)

The sound may not be great, the tenor roles may not be as well filled as they might be today, but, as a display of dramatic coloratura singing, Callas's Armida has to be heard to be believed. The power, the accuracy and the sheer insouciant ease with which she tackles the role's difficulties is unparalleled.

To my ears the Warner issue sounds duller than the Divina, though some may find it more comfortable to listen to. They also omit about 12 minutes of music (included in the Divina issue) that had voice interference on the tape.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 22, 2017, 12:10:14 AM
Quote from: Don Carlo on October 21, 2017, 08:26:34 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/hfDaFLY.jpg?1)

little bit of digging gets  you the best one can get.
Yes, two great female leads, of course (alhough I've never warmed to Mrs. Sills artistry, I must confess  :-[), but....in Italian translation, and in what I read is a spurious edition with interpolations from other Rossini works--including chunks of Le Siège's precursor Maometto II.

I must say, though, that in the French version I listened to, some of the singers might as well be singing in Italian, so poor is their pronunciation... ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2017, 12:35:04 AM
Quote from: ritter on October 22, 2017, 12:10:14 AM
I've never warmed to Mrs. Sills artistry, I must confess  :-[),

I'd say I appreciate her artistry, but have never warmed to her actual voice, which had too little colour and was a couple of notches too small for many of the roles she sang.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 22, 2017, 12:43:37 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2017, 12:35:04 AM
I'd say I appreciate her artistry, but have never warmed to her actual voice, which had too little colour and was a couple of notches too small for many of the roles she sang.
Yes, you've most eloquently epressed what I feel.... ;) It's the voice itself I don't find appealing.

Cheers,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 22, 2017, 08:09:38 AM
Ritter and his Siège de Corinthe, inspired me in a coup de coeur purchase of another french opera by another italian composer

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516KZK8rpcL.jpg)

It is OOP so I had to resort to the audio file download from Opera-Rara web site.  Dom Sébastien is a very  very good opera.  The topic is relatively close to Meyerbeer L'Africaine/Vasco de Gama.  The music style is also quite close to Verdi Don Carlos.  So far I have listened only to the first CD.  I dare say, this is the best Opera-Rara I have listened so far.  Not so much the singers, but the opera.  Late Donizetti at his best.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 22, 2017, 10:44:32 AM
Quote from: Spineur on October 22, 2017, 08:09:38 AM
Ritter and his Siège de Corinthe, inspired me in a coup de coeur purchase of another french opera by another italian composer

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516KZK8rpcL.jpg)

It is OOP so I had to resort to the audio file download from Opera-Rara web site.  Dom Sébastien is a very  very good opera.  The topic is relatively close to Meyerbeer L'Africaine/Vasco de Gama.  The music style is also quite close to Verdi Don Carlos.  So far I have listened only to the first CD.  I dare say, this is the best Opera-Rara I have listened so far.  Not so much the singers, but the opera.  Late Donizetti at his best.
I'm not really that much into Donizetti, but this Dom Sébastien is a work I have always wished to explore, exactly for the reasons you mention, Spineur (it's closeness to Don Carlos and to the grand opéra genre in general). Pity physical copies are very difficult to locate at reasonable prices  >:( (I'm not a download guy  :-[).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JCBuckley on October 22, 2017, 10:51:24 AM
Revisiting this - a terrific performance with an amazing cast: Piau, Genaux, Basso, Stutzmann, Laurens. I'm assuming Naive's Vivaldi opera project is now dead in the water - but perhaps someone here knows more?



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on October 22, 2017, 11:28:55 AM
Quote from: JCBuckley on October 22, 2017, 10:51:24 AM
I'm assuming Naive's Vivaldi opera project is now dead in the water - but perhaps someone here knows more?
I have no fresh information on the Vivaldi project but these days Naive is releasing a lot of new CDs.  There was the late Beethoven SQ by the Mosaiques quartet which got discussed on GMG.  This Bach also got quite good reviews
[asin]B075JDMNCL[/asin]
So you should keep an eye on the new release column !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on October 22, 2017, 12:08:58 PM
Quote from: JCBuckley on October 22, 2017, 10:51:24 AM
Revisiting this - a terrific performance with an amazing cast: Piau, Genaux, Basso, Stutzmann, Laurens. I'm assuming Naive's Vivaldi opera project is now dead in the water - but perhaps someone here knows more?

At the beginning Naive talked about a 100 CD series which would include 15 operas.  They actually released 15 operas, which means about 50 CDs worth of instrumental and sacred music remains unrecorded after deducting everything else that was issued, but no operas...and it's probably less of a financial and logistical challenge because of that. So perhaps someone will rise to the challenge.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JCBuckley on October 22, 2017, 01:58:52 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on October 22, 2017, 12:08:58 PM
At the beginning Naive talked about a 100 CD series which would include 15 operas.  They actually released 15 operas, which means about 50 CDs worth of instrumental and sacred music remains unrecorded after deducting everything else that was issued, but no operas...and it's probably less of a financial and logistical challenge because of that. So perhaps someone will rise to the challenge.

Thanks for this, Jeffrey. I clearly misunderstood - I was under the impression that the opera series was intended to be more extensive than that.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on October 22, 2017, 02:07:17 PM
Quote from: JCBuckley on October 22, 2017, 01:58:52 PM
Thanks for this, Jeffrey. I clearly misunderstood - I was under the impression that the opera series was intended to be more extensive than that.

There may have been plans for more: Naive expanded the scope of the series to include music not part of the Turin archive, so they may have meant to issue additional operas. But fifteen operas was the original number. It's the non-operatic music that suffered the most: less than half of the originally promised recordings were issued.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 23, 2017, 05:11:45 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/815GGJB5gYL._SL1500_.jpg)

Moving on through Warner's Callas Live box set.

I didn't really know this performance that well, having previously only listened to excerpts in pretty atrocious sound. The sound here is massively improved (though it can't blot out the contribution of the prompter), but I'm still not sure why Warner decided to include it in the Callas Live box, especially considering that the studio version of the opera is considered one of the classics of the gramophone. If including this, then why not the superb live Un Ballo in Maschera from La Scala in 1957, which is a far better performance and far better recorded?

The only other singer of note is Di Stefano, and, without the firm hand of Serafin at the helm, he tends to be careless of note values and rhythm. Campolonghi's Rigoletto makes hardly any impression at all. The conductor, Umberto Mugnai, makes even more cuts than those traditional at the time and stage and pit are often out of sync; nor does he have any real idea of shaping the music and his tempi are all over the place.

Callas is a miracle. She could almost be a different singer from the one we have heard so far in this set, her voice wondrously lightened to dispel any associations with Abigaille, Kundry, Elena, Aida and Armida, the roles we have heard thus far. I dislike, as did she in later years, the decision to end Caro nome on a high E (actually an Eb as she transposed the aria down) rather than the rapturous trill on the lower E that Verdi wrote. It obtrudes on the air of gentle reverie that she has created in the aria itself. Apparently Callas did it to appease the Mexican audience's love of high notes, but she massively regretted it later.

It is also remarkable that when stage and pit fall apart, it is usually Callas (who was so blind she couldn't see the conductor) who brings things back on track.

It's interesting to have this snapshot of Callas trying out a role she wouldn't sing again except in the studio, and it is a great shame that she didn't keep it in her repertoire. Had she done so, we might have re-thought the role of Gilda, much as we did that of Lucia. That said, it is still to the studio set that I will turn if I want to hear Callas's Gilda.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 28, 2017, 03:06:05 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81vXfqdoUFL._SX466_.jpg)

This live recording captures Callas's debut in front of one of her most loyal audiences. She appeared again at the house in 1953, 1957, 1958 (arguably her greatest performances of Violetta), 1959 and finally in 1964 and 1965 in the Zeffirelli Tosca, which was also her last ever appearance on stage.

Though this Norma would not be my first choice for the opera (that would be the live La Scala recording of 1955 with Simionato and Del Monaco), it is still a very good performance, with excellent contributions from Stignani, Picchi and Vaghi. Gui is also a welcome presence in the pit. Callas is in stupendous voice, but she is infinitely more subtle at La Scala in 1955. I also somewhat prefer Simionato to the rather mature voiced Stignani, who was twenty years Callas's senior. The voice is firm and seamless from top to bottom, but she sounds like the older woman, which skews the balance somewhat.

Worth hearing nevertheless.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 29, 2017, 11:06:50 AM
I've expressed my general lack of admiration for Gaetano Donizetti here on GMG before, but it is difficult (and useless) to resist the charms of his wonderful, rustic comédie larmoyante L'Elisir d'amore.

(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzEzWDgxNA==/z/G5wAAOSwJQdW-qp0/$_35.JPG)

This 1952 recording is excellent, expertly conducted by that grand seigneur of Italian opera, Gianandrea Gavazzeni (who had Donzetti's music in his veins, so to speak, as both men were born in Bergamo). The cast is as idiomatic as you can get, with that marvellous tenore di grazia Cesare Valetti standing out as Nemorino.  Afro Poli as Belcore and, especially, Sesto Bruscantini as Dulcamara are also great, but I cannot warm to the soubrette-ish tone of Alda Noni (even if she manages her instrument most admirably, she sounds irredeemably old-fashioned).

The sound is rather congested (50's radio broadcast), but I've read it was greatly improved in later reissues of the recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on October 29, 2017, 08:31:38 PM
Recently watched this with my 10 year old sister who kept exclaiming 'put on the next one!!!!!!' after each act.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VOEN%2B%2BsvL._SX342_.jpg)

I think I will take her to see Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with me next year.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on October 29, 2017, 10:18:02 PM
Quote from: jessop on October 29, 2017, 08:31:38 PM
Recently watched this with my 10 year old sister who kept exclaiming 'put on the next one!!!!!!' after each act.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VOEN%2B%2BsvL._SX342_.jpg)

I think I will take her to see Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with me next year.

Raising another musician in you family? Preparing for the MS duo? Very well done!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on October 30, 2017, 08:10:07 AM
Quote from: jessop on October 29, 2017, 08:31:38 PM
Recently watched this with my 10 year old sister who kept exclaiming 'put on the next one!!!!!!' after each act.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VOEN%2B%2BsvL._SX342_.jpg)

I think I will take her to see Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with me next year.

For a moment, thanks to those sparks, I thought Siegfried was holding a chainsaw.

Thread Duty: Listening to Euryanthe, what a marvelous opera!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on October 31, 2017, 04:15:09 PM
Quote from: Alberich on October 30, 2017, 08:10:07 AM
For a moment, thanks to those sparks, I thought Siegfried was holding a chainsaw.

Thread Duty: Listening to Euryanthe, what a marvelous opera!

Nothung as a chainsaw sounds like a great idea really. I hope one day someone comes up with a lumberjack themed Siegfried. ;D
This production is quite sound but frustratingly traditional if one is already very familiar with these works.........................................
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on November 05, 2017, 12:59:00 PM
Giacchino Rossini Mose in Egitto, broadcasting from the Bregenz festival

(https://bregenzerfestspiele.com/sites/default/files/styles/header_small_2x/public/thumbnails/image/moses_in_aegypten_inhalt.jpg)

https://bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/programme/moses-egypt (https://bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/programme/moses-egypt)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vandermolen on November 06, 2017, 02:58:03 AM
I enjoyed listening to Mussorgsky's 'Khovanshchina' on the radio over the weekend.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2017, 03:35:12 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81zAgNfEwLL._SL1500_.jpg)

Wretched sound (though somewhat  improved in this Warner transfer) but barnstorming performance.

Bernstein conducts a fiery account of the score, in line with his Beethoven recordings from the same period. Callas is in fabulous voice, though at times you might think this Medea overplays her hand. She is much more subtle in Dallas in 1958, which is my preferred recording of the opera.

One should also point out that, like all Callas recordings of the opera, this edition is something of a hybrid; a translation into Italian of a nineteenth century version with added recitatives by the German composer Franz Lachner. The original version in French, with spoken dialogue, has been recorded a couple of times, but Callas's Medea is hors concours, and one her greatest creations.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on November 06, 2017, 11:07:42 AM
Cherubini Medée and its italian adaptation is a top drawer opera.  Although it had been performed by Rosa Ponselle in the past, it is Callas that really revived this opera.  I am still waiting to see a high quality production of the initial french version.  I got this Simon Mayr Medea in Corinto which was performed 20 years after Cherubini opera

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61z9yn-OzwL._SY400_.jpg)

The opera only really starts in the middle of act II and has some nice scenes.  But it is much less interesting than Cherubini score & libretto.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2017, 11:56:29 PM
Quote from: Spineur on November 06, 2017, 11:07:42 AM
Cherubini Medée and its italian adaptation is a top drawer opera.  Although it had been performed by Rosa Ponselle in the past, it is Callas that really revived this opera.   

Actually Ponselle never sang Medea. When Callas sang it in Florence in 1953, I'm pretty sure it hadn't been performed since the La Scala premiere (also in Carlo Zanagarini's Italian translation of the Lachner version) in 1909.

Ponselle, however, was renowned for the role of Giulia in Spontini's  La Vestale, which Callas revived at La Scala (the first time she worked with Visconti) in 1954.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 07, 2017, 12:09:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2017, 11:56:29 PM
Actually Ponselle never sang Medea. When Callas sang it in Florence in 1953, I'm pretty sure it hadn't been performed since the La Scala premiere (also in Carlo Zanagarini's Italian translation of the Lachner version) in 1909.

Ponselle, however, was renowned for the role of Giulia in Spontini's  La Vestale, which Callas revived at La Scala (the first time she worked with Visconti) in 1954.
Indeed..the first performance of Medea at La Scala was, as Tsaraslondon points out, in 1909, with Ester Mazzoleni. I believe the work was not performed there until the 1953 run with Callas and Bernstein (which followed the revival in Florence earlier that year, conducted by Vittorio Gui).

Talking about Gui and Ponselle, the latter sang La Vestale (in Florence once again) in the early 30s IIRC, and the audience was demanding a bis, which Gui would not allow. Someone then shouted "Please! She'll return to America and who knows when we'll hear her again!" and the bis as given.  :D

A much underrated opera, La Vestale, IMHO. And, yes, pity there is no decent recording of the original Médée in French. The live effort (from Martina Franca) with Iano Tamar on the Nuova Era label verges on the disastrous...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2017, 04:54:15 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 07, 2017, 12:09:10 AM
And, yes, pity there is no decent recording of the original Médée in French. The live effort (from Martina Franca) with Iano Tamar on the Nuova Era label verges on the disastrous...

I too would love to hear it in the original French, with spoken dialogue. That said, I can't imagine anyone bringing the role and music to life in quite the way Callas does. Her performances, especially in Florence and Milan in 1953, and in Dallas 1958, bring the music alive in a way I've never heard from anyone else. As one critic quipped after the Florence performances, she sounds as if she were born singing it!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on November 07, 2017, 06:33:19 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2017, 11:56:29 PM
Actually Ponselle never sang Medea. When Callas sang it in Florence in 1953, I'm pretty sure it hadn't been performed since the La Scala premiere (also in Carlo Zanagarini's Italian translation of the Lachner version) in 1909.

Ponselle, however, was renowned for the role of Giulia in Spontini's  La Vestale, which Callas revived at La Scala (the first time she worked with Visconti) in 1954.
Thanks for correcting me.  I mixed La Vestale and Medea, both revived by Callas
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2017, 11:26:23 AM
Quote from: Spineur on November 07, 2017, 06:33:19 AM
Thanks for correcting me.  I mixed La Vestale and Medea, both revived by Callas

Well they are both operas by Italian composers, contemporaries, who were working in France at the turn of the nineteenth century. Easy to mix them up, I suppose, though, if I'm honest, I can't really imagine Ponselle as Medea. I'm not sure that Rolls Royce of a voice would ever have had the vitriolic edge it needs.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on November 08, 2017, 11:49:12 AM
I found this OOP live recording of Meyerbeer, Robert le Diable

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510%2BmI7uZdL._SY400_.jpg)
This is a 1985 production of Paris opera, with a casting de reve.  Alain Vanzo as Robert has a perfect french diction, Samuel Ramey as the father/mephistopheles is at the summit of his art and June Anderson and Michèle Lagrange as Robert sister and wife.  The orchestra directed by the late Thomas Fulton has a gorgeous sound.

I already had the Royal opera house recent blue ray

[asin]B00CIWPJ86[/asin]

which isnt bad by any means but I did not care for the carton pate staging nor the strong accent of most of the cast.  Also for some reason the orchestra did not sound as big as on this CD.  Still the strong presence of John Reylea (father-mephistopheles) makes this blu ray worth while.  Too bad he steals the show from everybody else.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2017, 12:42:59 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91jV8YjuEnL._SL1500_.jpg)

Not a lot Warner can do with the sound for this recording, as the source material is so compromised.

The edition used wouldn't take much scrutiny today, but Giulini has a keen understanding of the music. The supporting cast is not great, but Callas is superb; "a Gluck soprano of the highest order" according to Max Loppert in Opera on Record 2, who "answers almost every demand the role has to make".

Worth hearing if you can put up with the sound, which distorts quite badly in the choruses.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on November 10, 2017, 02:03:48 AM
Prologue and act 1 with my youngest sister, who is enjoying it very much.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51H7sCMNL0L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2017, 08:05:07 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71WCQ3ly9TL._SX355_.jpg)

Taking a break from the Callas box for a first time listen, via Spotify, to Chausson's Wagner inspired Le roi Arthus, and rather enjoying it.

The libretto deals with the Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere love triangle, with definite echoes of Tristan und Isolde. However, though the score is definitely influenced by the music of Wagner, it still sounds very French to me.

The performance is pretty good too, though I might have preferred a more girlish voice for Guinevere. Zylis-Gara's creamy tone sounds a little too sophisticated and soignee for the role. It doesn't seem to lie too high, and I can imagine it would have suited De Los Angeles well, or even Von Stade. The men are fine, particularly Quilico.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on November 10, 2017, 09:30:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2017, 08:05:07 AM

Taking a break from the Callas box for a first time listen, via Spotify, to Chausson's Wagner inspired Le roi Arthus, and rather enjoying it.

The libretto deals with the Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere love triangle, with definite echoes of Tristan und Isolde. However, though the score is definitely influenced by the music of Wagner, it still sounds very French to me.

The performance is pretty good too, though I might have preferred a more girlish voice for Guinevere. Zylis-Gara's creamy tone sounds a little too sophisticated and soignee for the role. It doesn't seem to lie too high, and I can imagine it would have suited De Los Angeles well, or even Von Stade. The men are fine, particularly Quilico.
I saw this opera live last year directed by Philippe Jordan, Armin son.  Many people listen to this opera as a 19th century work, i.e. singers dueling together with an orchestra accompagment to enhance the effects and emotions.  However, for Chausson, the singers and their voices were just instruments of the orchestra, and one has to listen to this work as if the singers are actually embedded into the orchestra.  If one listens to this opera in this way it makes so much more sense and one enjoys this opera all the more.  This way of writing operatic music does bears some resemblence with Wagner, and this is probably what makes people think of Tristan&Isolde.  My only reservation with Le roi Arthus is the overall darkness of Chausson libretto.

In his most famous work, Le poeme de l'amour et de la mer, Op. 19 Chausson treats the voice exactly in the same fashion, i.e. as an instrument of the orchestra.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on November 11, 2017, 02:44:50 AM
Quote from: jessop on November 10, 2017, 02:03:48 AM
Prologue and act 1 with my youngest sister, who is enjoying it very much.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51H7sCMNL0L.jpg)

Finished watching this. Wonderful ending, made me cry.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 12, 2017, 02:25:39 AM
Quote from: Spineur on November 10, 2017, 09:30:51 AM
I saw this opera live last year directed by Philippe Jordan, Armin son.  Many people listen to this opera as a 19th century work, i.e. singers dueling together with an orchestra accompagment to enhance the effects and emotions.  However, for Chausson, the singers and their voices were just instruments of the orchestra, and one has to listen to this work as if the singers are actually embedded into the orchestra.  If one listens to this opera in this way it makes so much more sense and one enjoys this opera all the more.  This way of writing operatic music does bears some resemblence with Wagner, and this is probably what makes people think of Tristan&Isolde.  My only reservation with Le roi Arthus is the overall darkness of Chausson libretto.

In his most famous work, Le poeme de l'amour et de la mer, Op. 19 Chausson treats the voice exactly in the same fashion, i.e. as an instrument of the orchestra.

When I mentioned Tristan und Isolde, I was thinking more of the libretto. Though the opera is called Le roi Arthus, the libretto concentrates on the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere, though Guinevere is a very different character from Isolde. Like Tristan, Lancelot betrays Arthur by sleeping with Guinevere and they in turn are betrayed by Mordred, just as Melot betrays Tristan und Isolde to Mark.

Nor do I think the music sounds in the least like Wagner, though you can hear the Wagnerian influences. It is still very French, and Chausson has his own voice.

As for making the singing voice another instrument of the orchestra, I'm not sure what you are driving at. The voices are never submerged into the orchestral texture and usually carry the main arc of the melody as they do in most operas, and as the voice does in Poème de l'amour et de la mer, which can be seen in some ways as a concertante work with the voice as the soloist.

In Le roi Arthus, though it would be hard to isolate passages into arias and duets (just as it is in Wagner) there are still plenty of sections which closely resemble conventional recitative, necessary for carrying forward the story.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on November 12, 2017, 03:17:05 AM
Quote from: JCBuckley on October 22, 2017, 10:51:24 AM
I'm assuming Naive's Vivaldi opera project is now dead in the water - but perhaps someone here knows more?

Apparently not. I just saw this looking through the mdt.com pre-release chart this morning:

https://www.mdt.co.uk/vivaldi-dorilla-in-tempe-i-barocchisti-diego-fasolis-naive-2cds.html
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 13, 2017, 11:48:40 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81VLZXOIM5L._SL1500_.jpg)

Warner have done what they could with pretty intransigent sound, and it does sound better than I've heard it before, but it's still not good.

This was an important production in Callas's career, being the first time she worked with Visconti, who was lured into directing opera by the prospect of working with Callas. Sets and costumes were stunning and Callas enjoyed a great success, but it was more of a succès d'estime. La Vestale, though popular in its day, resists any attempts to bring it back into the regular repertoire, possibly because it is often unfairly compared with Bellini's Norma.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on November 14, 2017, 05:28:01 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61DRoPCcq%2BL.jpg)

A friend of mine gave me a private copy of this ultra OOP recording.  He told me there was also an american recording of it.
Anyway, this is an excellent opera at the level of Sansom and Dalila, and much much better than Saint Saens Proserpine recently recorded by the Palazzetto Bru-Zane foundation.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on November 14, 2017, 05:29:28 AM
Quote from: Spineur on November 14, 2017, 05:28:01 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61DRoPCcq%2BL.jpg)

A friend of mine gave me a private copy of this ultra OOP recording.  He told me there was also an american recording of it.
Anyway, this is an excellent opera at the level of Sansom and Dalila, and much much better than Saint Saens Proserpine recently recorded by the Palazzetto Bru-Zane foundation.


I've wanted that for a while now, but only obscene prices! One day...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 17, 2017, 12:08:31 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/819T39hQCjL._SL1500_.jpg)

An oddity in Callas's repertoire is explained by the fact that she was actually supposed to be singing one of her speciality roles, that of Leonora in Il Trovatore. In the event, and only days before the performances, Del Monaco declared himself indisposed, but well enough to sing Chenier rather than Manrico! Who can understand the vicissitudes of tenors? Maybe he just didn't want to sing with Callas and hoped she would pull out, as she didn't know the role of Maddalena. But Callas always loved a challenge and decided to learn the role.

The opera belongs firmly to the tenor (and Del Monaco had a fabulous success)but the soprano role is a somewhat muted presence. In addition a large part of the audience, who had hoped for a Tebaldi substitution, were against her from the outset, and one wonders why she bothered. She had scored a great success on the opening night in Spontini's La Vestale and would go on to sing in two more Visconti productions that season, both of which topped what they had achieved in the Spontini opera. Indeed the La Traviata they did together remains one of the most famous productions in operatic history.

In the event, she sings with all her customary musical intelligence and skill, but the role does not allow her to make anything like the effect she would have done as Leonora in Il Trovatore.

The sound of this La Scala broadcast has never been good, and Warner haven't been able to do much to rectify that, though it does sound rather better than the awful EMI one previously available.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vandermolen on November 18, 2017, 06:49:24 AM
Heard this live in London yesterday - a great experience:
[asin]B000000AXI[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on November 20, 2017, 08:30:09 AM
Quote from: maxbeesley on November 20, 2017, 01:19:42 AM
I am listening Verdi's Don Carlos and Britten's Peter Grimes.

Haven't listened much to Britten but Don Carlo/s is one of my favorite Verdi operas of all time. I enjoyed it immensely when I first heard it in Finnish National Opera few years ago. And to think that often enough when I see opera live before first listening to recording of one, the performance feels disappointing. With Don Carlos, however, it wasn't that way at all.

My only regret is that the version I saw live was the heavily cut four act-version. That Fontainebleau act is so amazing I wished I could have seen it live. On the whole, I think I enjoy this opera still more in italian than in original (in this case) French and thus it is great that there exists 5-act italian version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 20, 2017, 01:34:05 PM
Revisiting the Callas Parsifal:

[asin]B071JX982H[/asin]

Despite my favourable disposition to Callas and conductor Vittorio Gui, and the fond,  nostalgic memories of having listened to excerpts of this in my teens, I must say that this performance--taken as a whole--verges on the disastrous  >:(. The orchestra is decidedly third-rate (particularly poor in the brass section  ::)), and it all sounds under-rehearsed and routine. It would appear as if Italian radio used the occasion to showcase (then) rising stars, but they could just as well have chosen any other work for this. Christoff displays his powerful instrument, but is as unnuanced a Gurnemanz as I have ever encountered. Panerai as Amfortas fares better: very lyrical, but it is an approach that suits the role I'MO. Africo Baldelli (who never made it to stardom, and vanished completely AFAIK) is very poor in the title role from any point of view. The flower maidens are a motley crew  (led by Lina Pagliughi, a singer I've never warmed to).

And then we come to Callas, the set's only redeeming virtue. Her particular tone, which I have always found "beautiful in its ugliness" suits the role of Kundry perfectly, as this is one of the most psychologically complex and tormented characters in operatic history. Her brief appearances as the "wild" Kundry of Act I or of the exchanges with Klingsor in the first scene of Act II, aren't really that remarkable  (even if her initial screams here are chilling, and rivalled only--of the recordings I know--by those of Gwyneth Jones in Bayreuth 20 years later). But then, the seductress later on in Act II is quite another thing. I have always thought that this is the one occasion where the mature Wagner really requires singing that should approach something close to bel canto (even writing an almost imperceptible trill at the beginning of "Ich sah das Kind" or, here "Ho visto Il figlio sul materno sen"  ;)). And Callas, of course, is sans pareil (here and elsewhere) in combining "canonical" singing with deep expression and emotion. What is also stunning is her singing line  (a miracle, I'd say, as the Italian translation of the sung text is rather clumsy, the syllables not fitting the notes properly in many instances).

Vittorio Gui does what he can with his orchestra, and Act I is quite unsuccessful and (to me, at least ) boring. In Act II, things pick up, with a stirring introduction, and some nice orchestral details and very eloquent phrasing. Act III will have to wait until tomorrow. Of course, we'll only have two words by Callas there  ("Dienen, dienen...", or will it be "Servire, servire ..".?  ;D ) , but perhaps Gui can do something interesting with the Good Friday music.

EDIT: Nothing really remarkable in Act III. Boris Christoff improves as Gurnemanz here, and the lead is not any better than before. Even in the Good Friday Spell some lines are cut. Gui treats this segment with much care and love, and does some nice things with his poor orchestra.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 21, 2017, 12:27:32 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 20, 2017, 01:34:05 PM
Revisiting the Callas Parsifal:

[asin]B071JX982H[/asin]

Despite my favourable disposition to Callas and conductor Vittorio Gui, and the fond,  nostalgic memories of having listened to excerpts of this in my teens, I must say that this performance--taken as a whole-'verges on the disastrous  >:(. The orchestra is decidedly third-rate (particularly poor in the brass section  ::)), and it all sounds under-rehearsed and routine. It would appear as if Italian radio used the occasion to showcase (then) rising stars, but they could just as well have chosen any other work for this. Christoff displays his wonderful instrument, but is as unnuanced a Gurnemanz as I have ever encountered. Panerai as Amfortas fares better: very lyrical, but it is an approach that suits the role I'MO. Africo Baldelli (who never made it to stardom, and vanished completely AFAIK) is very poor in the title role from any point of view. The flower maidens are a motley crew  (led by Lina Pagliughi, a singer I've never warmed to).

And then we come to Callas, the set's only redeeming virtue. Her particular tone, which I have always found "beautiful in its ugliness" suits the role of Kundry perfectly, as this is one of the most psychologically complex and tormented characters in operatic history. Her brief appearances as the "wild" Kundry of Act I or of the exchanges with Klingsor in the first scene of Act II, aren:t really remarkable  (but her initial screams here are chilling, and rivalled only--of the recordings I know--by those of Gwyneth Jones in Bayreuth 20 years later). But then, the seductress later on in Act II is quite another thing. I have always thought that this is the one occasion where the mature Wagner really requires singing that should approach something close to bel canto (even writing an almost imperceptible trill at the beginning of "Ich sah das Kind" or, here "Ho visto Il figlio sul materno sen"  ;)). And Callas, of course, is sans pareil (here and elsewhere) in combining "canonical" singing with deep expression and emotion. What is also stunning is her singing line  (a miracle, I'd say, as the Italian translation of the sung text is rather clumsy, the syllables not fitting the notes properly in many instances).

Vittorio Gui does what he can with his orchestra, and Act I is quite unsuccessful and (to me, at least ) boring. In Act II, things pick up, with a stirring introduction, and some nice orchestral details and very eloquent phrasing. Act III will have to wait until tomorrow. Of course, we'll only have two words by Callas there  ("Dienen, dienen...", or will it be "Servire, servire ..".?  ;D ) , but perhaps Gui can do something interesting with the Good Friday music.

I'm not a big Wagnerian and I've always found Parsifal a hard nut to crack (parts of it I find sublime, but in others I find my mind wandering) but I tend to agree with you about this recording; and surely this, of all operas, demands at least modern stereo sound to do it full justice.

That said, Callas's Kundry is, as you say, much more than just a curiosity, and makes it doubly regretful that there are no recordings of her Isolde or Brunnhilde. Rumours persist that the Tristan und Isolde she did in Genoa, with Max Lorenz as Tristan, was broadcast, but nobody has yet come up with a recording. It was conducted by Serafin and also would have been sung in Italian, despite the presence of Lorenz in the cast.

After all opera in the vernacular is not that unusual. Why, even in the 1970s. Helga Dernesch, Austrian by birth, learned the role of the Marschallin in English for her role debut with Scottish Opera (with Dame Janet Baker as Octavian). When the production was revived the following year, Scottish Opera reverted to the original German.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 21, 2017, 02:04:14 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 21, 2017, 12:27:32 AM
...makes it doubly regretful that there are no recordings of her Isolde or Brunnhilde. Rumours persist that the Tristan und Isolde she did in Genoa, with Max Lorenz as Tristan, was broadcast, but nobody has yet come up with a recording. It was conducted by Serafin and also would have been sung in Italian, despite the presence of Lorenz in the cast.

After all opera in the vernacular is not that unusual. Why, even in the 1970s. Helga Dernesch, Austrian by birth, learned the role of the Marschallin in English for her role debut with Scottish Opera (with Dame Janet Baker as Octavian). When the production was revived the following year, Scottish Opera reverted to the original German.
Oh yes, rumours of that Tristan abound, but I've read somewhere that Max Lorenz's widow Lotte denied its existence.

It's probable that this Tristan was bilingual, i.e. Lorenz singing his part in German, and the rest of the cast singing in Italian. This was not unusual at the time. There's actually a Tannhäuser from Naples in 1950 under Karl Böhm (which I've never heard, to be honest) with Hans Beier singing the title role in the original German, and Renata Tebaldi as Elisabeth and the rest of the cast singing in translation.

There's also a 1936 Parsifal from the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires under Fritz Busch, in which AFAIK the soloists sing in German, and the chorus (!) in Italian . This performance (or, actually, a similar one held some years later in the same theatre under the same conductor) is used by Manuel Mujica Láinez in his novel El gran teatro (the action of which takes place entirely during the performance). It has not been translated into English I believe.

Of course, Mujica Láinez's relation to opera is much stronger, as he wrote the libretto (based on his novel) for Alberto Ginastera's superb Bomarzo , which we had the rare opportunity to see fully staged here in Madrid earlier this year.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on November 22, 2017, 09:06:23 PM
Woke up early this morning as usual, I have some extra time :) before going to work, so, in preparation of my Sciarrino matinée of next Sunday at La Scala, I'm listening to:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Kkhyd0mlL.jpg)


Just finished Act 1, with that hauntingly beautiful scene between Macbeth and Lady M.
Now Act 2, with those quotations from Don Giovanni and Un ballo in maschera that always give me goosebumps.

Sciarrino surely is the most interesting (i'd say greatest ;)) living opera composer, imho.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on November 23, 2017, 06:59:41 AM
https://www.youtube.com/v/xi062TEqy3M

The orchestra has a Toscanini-like intensity that must have been incredible to witness live.
Wunderlich is singing for his life, died a little more than a year later.
The sob in his throat sometimes obliterates the pitch but it carries a visceral punch.
Stratas is amazing as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on November 23, 2017, 07:26:28 AM
Somehow I feel not enough attention is given to opera conductors who can add that extra sparkle, motivating the singers to higher heights. Only Patane's last name was given in the roster for the above Traviata, not saying if it were Franco, the father or the son Giuseppe. As it turned out, thanks to a bit of Googling, it was the latter. It is not surprising he had mentoring by the best:

Patane, who was born in Naples, Italy, (1932) began playing piano at the age of 6. He made his debut at 19, conducting a Naples performance of Verdi's "La Traviata."

In the next 10 years, he was understudy to such renowned Italian conductors as Victor De Sabata, Antonio Guarnieri, Tullio Serafin and Gabriele Santini.

In 1961, Patane became the first Italian to conduct Richard Wagner's "Lohengrin" in Linz, Austria, and in 1962 he became conductor of the German Opera in Berlin.

In 1970, he was named best Italian conductor, and in the following years he was hailed in appearances in San Francisco, Chicago and at New York's Metropolitan Opera House.

He knew 1,500 musical scores from memory, including 250 separate operas, according to Bavarian Radio Orchestra spokesman Rainer Tief.


http://articles.latimes.com/1989-05-31/news/mn-913_1_vienna-national-opera-munich-city-opera-italian-conductor
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on November 23, 2017, 12:04:56 PM
Taking another stab at this
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81-aT11s11L.jpg)
Maybe one day I will like it better: but it contains all the cold dissonant strain that makes me not particularly like Schonberg.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on November 23, 2017, 08:38:01 PM
Quote from: GioCar on November 22, 2017, 09:06:23 PM
Woke up early this morning as usual, I have some extra time :) before going to work, so, in preparation of my Sciarrino matinée of next Sunday at La Scala, I'm listening to:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Kkhyd0mlL.jpg)


Just finished Act 1, with that hauntingly beautiful scene between Macbeth and Lady M.
Now Act 2, with those quotations from Don Giovanni and Un ballo in maschera that always give me goosebumps.

Sciarrino surely is the most interesting (i'd say greatest ;)) living opera composer, imho.

Oh absolutely one of the greatest (of all time? Possibly.....) And the ACT 2 quotations are almost chilling I would say!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: You did it on November 23, 2017, 08:49:02 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on November 23, 2017, 12:04:56 PM
Taking another stab at this
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81-aT11s11L.jpg)
Maybe one day I will like it better: but it contains all the cold dissonant strain that makes me not particularly like Schonberg.

It's an incredible opera, I don't listen to it as often as him instrumental works though.


(but then, Schoenberg isn't half as commonly listened to by me, as latter/other dissonant 20th century composers)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on November 23, 2017, 11:49:20 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on November 23, 2017, 12:04:56 PM
Taking another stab at this
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81-aT11s11L.jpg)
Maybe one day I will like it better: but it contains all the cold dissonant strain that makes me not particularly like Schonberg.

Funny that Boulez has top billing with the name of the opera about 1/4 of the largest font.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on November 24, 2017, 03:09:56 PM
Quote from: zamyrabyrd on November 23, 2017, 11:49:20 PM
Funny that Boulez has top billing with the name of the opera about 1/4 of the largest font.

Well, this is from a Boulez-based series of reissues so it isn't much of a surprise........ ::)

The first pressing looked like this:

(https://img.discogs.com/kZf2xMER8XcYdxkvSW60vSctP0s=/fit-in/600x595/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3143147-1448276514-9383.jpeg.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on November 24, 2017, 05:38:16 PM
Quote from: jessop on November 24, 2017, 03:09:56 PM
Well, this is from a Boulez-based series of reissues so it isn't much of a surprise........ ::)

The first pressing looked like this:

(https://img.discogs.com/kZf2xMER8XcYdxkvSW60vSctP0s=/fit-in/600x595/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3143147-1448276514-9383.jpeg.jpg)

Actually, it was two CDs from Sony's B. Conducts S. budget box. Like the individual re-issue it appends Chamber Symphony 2 after the second act.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 25, 2017, 03:58:37 AM
Quote from: zamyrabyrd on November 23, 2017, 06:59:41 AM
https://www.youtube.com/v/xi062TEqy3M

The orchestra has a Toscanini-like intensity that must have been incredible to witness live.
Wunderlich is singing for his life, died a little more than a year later.
The sob in his throat sometimes obliterates the pitch but it carries a visceral punch.
Stratas is amazing as well.

A favourite of mine, and so good to have Wunderlich singing Italian opera in Italian for once. My personal top 5 Traviatas would be.

1. Callas/Valletti/Zanasi; Rescigno (Live Covent Garden 1958)
2. Callas/Kraus/Sereni;Ghione (Live Lisbon 1958)
3. Callas/Di Stefano/Bastianini (Live La Scala 1955)
4. Stratas/Wunderlich/Prey; Patane (Live Munich 1965)
5. Cotrubas/Domingo/Milnes; Kleiber (Studio DG)

Callas was not well and fighting flu at the time of the Covent Garden performance, but, though in frailer voice than she was in 1955, for instance, you'd hardly know, and the performance has a dramatic truth that takes us well beyond the realms of the opera house. You forget that this is the rather artificial medium of opera, and believe absolutely that what is happening on stage is real. For me it is the summation of what opera strives so hard to be (but so rarely is).

I review it here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/), though I should point out that it has now been issued in much improved sound on Ars Vocalis, if you can find a copy. Ars Vocalis have a shop on ebay and, if you contact them directly, they will normally do a CD-R version for you.




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on November 27, 2017, 10:27:01 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xPBv%2BUDML.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 29, 2017, 11:27:39 PM
(https://www.europadisc.co.uk/images/products-190/1502883093_9029584465.jpg)

Bellini's pastoral opera is usually dismissed as being dramatically flaccid, but Callas and Bernstein make a far stronger case for it than usual, immeasurably helped by the stylish Valletti as Elvino.

Romani stated that Amina was a difficult role to play, and that the singer needed "a cry for joy and also a cry for joy, an accent for reproach and another for entreaty." No doubt Bellini and Romani would have found their ideal interpreter here.

The recording is better than some in the Warner box, but still overloads at climaxes. For such a thrilling performance, it's worth it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 15, 2017, 03:44:41 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81ABZEPHN2L._SL1500_.jpg)

This is one of the most famous of all live Callas performances, and also enjoys excellent sound, much improved in this new Warner transfer, quite eclipsing the old EMI, which also filtered out most of the applause. This is one of those cases where the side show is almost as important as the performance itself and the Berlin audience give it a rapturous reception, enforcing Karajan to encore the famous sextet. Apparently Callas was furious at having to do twice the work just before her mad scene, and snubbed him by turning her back on him during the mad scene. When she met him again years later, she said to him, "Well I knew you were a magician, but I now know you're a witch. How did you manage to stay with me so brilliantly when I wouldn't even look at you?" "Simple," he said, "I just watched your ribcage, so could see the precise moment you would breathe."

There is another story attached to this performance. Callas never listened to her live performances, but someone had sent her the discs of this Lucia,whilst she was rehearsing for her final concert tour with Robert Sutherland. Tensions were rising at rehearsal one day, and Sutherland suggested that they take a break and listen to the recording. Having listened to the whole opera through to the end of the Mad Scene, Callas turned to Sutherland, and said, "Well, what did you think?"
Rather embarrassed, especially when comparing it to her present vocal state, he responded that it was wonderful singing.
She snapped back, "Wonderful? It's bloody miraculous!" Then added quietly, "And to think that after that performance I went back to my hotel room and cried, because I didn't think I'd sung well enough."

Essential listening!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on December 17, 2017, 06:10:17 AM
Making the first dent in this mouth watering Baroque Opera set:



[asin]B00004ZD64[/asin][asin]B00DHCJLWG[/asin]

It has all the promises of a spectacular start..... :)

Q

PS https://www.amazon.it/Opera-Baroque-Various-Artists/dp/B00DHCJLWG/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: SurprisedByBeauty on December 17, 2017, 09:09:56 AM
#morninglistening to #Schreker's #Irrelohe w/

Wiener @singverein + @viennasymphony on @sony_classical:

Amazon: http://a-fwd.to/1xOq35H

Schreker is my cup of tea:
No one wrote quite so ambiguously -
In elusive harmony.
And if you listen you'll agree.
... http://ift.tt/2AWTRQu
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRMkuFiX0AEgaRs.jpg) (http://a-fwd.to/1xOq35H)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Turner on December 17, 2017, 09:14:49 AM
Did a quick comparison of Mozart´s Idomeneo with Schmidt-Isserstedt (in the complete Brilliant Mozart box) and with Ivan Fischer (DR CD), thinking that maybe-maybe Fischer could be skipped, but it turned that that it was much preferable. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: SurprisedByBeauty on December 17, 2017, 09:21:52 AM

Yes, Fischer's Idomeneo (and in fact much of his Mozart from that period with the Danish band) is absolutely terrific. I prefer only Jacobs... and not by much. (Gardiner's still a classic, too, of course.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on December 19, 2017, 12:36:02 PM
Will be starting my own private opera festival on Friday ... was lucky to score a ticket for one of the almost sold out shows of the new production of "Madama" which got excellent reviews - the programme is this:

La Fille du régiment
Opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
after a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and
Jean-François Alfred Bayard
Concertante performance

Marie Sabine Devieilhe
Tonio René Barbera
Sulpice Pietro Spagnoli
La Marquise de Berkenfield Liliana Nikiteanu
La Duchesse de Crakentorp Birgit Steinegger
Hortensius Henri Bernard
Ein Offizier / Ein Notar Huw Montague Rendall
Ein Bauer Utku Kuzuluk

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Musical director Speranza Scappucci
Choir director Janko Kastelic

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/la-fille-du-regiment/season_11232/

--

La fanciulla del West
Opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini
after David Belasco's eponymous stage play

Minnie Catherine Naglestad
Dick Johnson Brandon Jovanovich
Jack Rance Scott Hendricks
Nick Jamez McCorkle
Ashby Pavel Daniluk
Sonora Cheyne Davidson
Trin Jonathan Abernethy
Sid Valeriy Murga
Bello Tomasz Kumiega
Harry Thobela Ntshanyana
Joe Bogusław Bidziński
Happy Dmytro Kalmuchyn
Larkens Cody Quattlebaum
Billy Jackrabbit Donald Thomson
Wowkle Karina Demurova
Jack Wallace Yuriy Tsiple
José Castro Alexander Kiechle
Un Postiglione Omer Kobiljak

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Choir director Ernst Raffelsberger
Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich
Musical director Marco Armiliato

Producer Barrie Kosky
Stage design Rufus Didwiszus
Costumes Klaus Bruns
Lighting designer Franck Evin
Dramaturgy Claus Spahn

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/la-fanciulla-del-west/season_11232/

--

Le Comte Ory
Opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
Libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson

La comtesse Adèle Cecilia Bartoli
Isolier Rebeca Olvera
Ragonde Liliana Nikiteanu
Alice, une paysanne Adriana Gonzalez
Le Comte Ory Lawrence Brownlee
Raimbaud Oliver Widmer
Le Gouverneur Nahuel Di Pierro
Coryphées Soyoung Lee
Karina Demurova
Dmytro Kalmuchyn
Donald Thomson
Thobela Ntshanyana
Gérard William Lombardi
Mainfroy Luca Martin
Un paysan Henri Bernard

Orchestra La Scintilla
Chorzuzüger
Zusatzchor der Oper Zürich
Choir director Janko Kastelic
Musical director Diego Fasolis

Producer Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier
Stage design Christian Fenouillat
Costumes Agostino Cavalca
Lighting designer Christophe Forey/Martin Gebhardt
Dramaturgy Michael Küster

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/le-comte-ory/season_11232/

--

Madama Butterfly
Tragedia giapponese in two acts
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
after Pierre Loti, John Luther Long and David Belasco

Cio-Cio-San Svetlana Aksenova
Suzuki Judith Schmid
Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton Saimir Pirgu
Sharpless Brian Mulligan
Goro Martin Zysset
Fürst Yamadori / Der Standesbeamte Huw Montague Rendall
Onkel Bonze Ildo Song
Der kaiserliche Kommissar Stanislav Vorobyov
Kate Pinkerton Natalia Tanasii

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Choir director Ernst Raffelsberger
Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich
Musical director Daniele Rustioni

Producer Ted Huffman
Stage design Michael Levine
Costumes Annemarie Woods
Lighting designer Franck Evin
Assistant choreographer Sonoko Kamimura-Ostern
Dramaturgy Fabio Dietsche

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/madama-butterfly/season_11232/

--

furthermore, in March I'll see the new Heinz Holliger opera Lunea, plus - beginning of February - a lecture concert with Christian Gerhaher (who will sing the main part in "Lunea") in which he will talk about his work and also sing Schumann's Op. 90 (with Gerold Huber of course):
https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/lunea/season_11232/
https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/gespraechskonzert-christian-gerhaher/season_11232/

--

will probably try and squeeze in some Puccini during x-mas vacation, but my listening (and concert) schedule is pretty full :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on December 20, 2017, 04:35:30 PM
Not listening yet, but
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71EeyXdFzyL.jpg)

Ordered Monday morning from Barnes and Noble, with delivery originally promised for Friday, but found it on my doorstep when I got home from work this evening.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 20, 2017, 11:30:50 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on December 20, 2017, 04:35:30 PM
Not listening yet, but
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71EeyXdFzyL.jpg)
Ordered Monday morning from Barnes and Noble, with delivery originally promised for Friday, but found it on my doorstep when I got home from work this evening.

Many hours of thrilling singing ahead of you.

I'm still working my way through the set, and reviewing all the operas on my blog www.tsaraslondon.wordpress.com (http://www.tsaraslondon.wordpress.com). For the most part, the Warner transfers are pretty good, though there are better transfers of some of the operas out there on labels like Divina Records and Ars Vocalis. The Anna Bolena seems to me to be the one real dud, and I don't know why Warner didn't try to find a better source than the one they used, which sounds the same as the really rather awful EMI one. Divina is in a different class, though more expensive. Myto is much better too.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on December 21, 2017, 06:26:04 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 20, 2017, 11:30:50 PM
Many hours of thrilling singing ahead of you.

I'm still working my way through the set, and reviewing all the operas on my blog www.tsaraslondon.wordpress.com (http://www.tsaraslondon.wordpress.com). For the most part, the Warner transfers are pretty good, though there are better transfers of some of the operas out there on labels like Divina Records and Ars Vocalis. The Anna Bolena seems to me to be the one real dud, and I don't know why Warner didn't try to find a better source than the one they used, which sounds the same as the really rather awful EMI one. Divina is in a different class, though more expensive. Myto is much better too.

Yes, I've been following your posts here. It was only a matter of time before I got it. I may never watch the Blu-rays, since I don't have a Blu-ray player.  But the rest will be properly appreciated in due course.

The one surprise was that they did not include the live recitals, in parallel to the studio recitals which were included in the studio Remastered set. But I have the most recent mastering of the live recitals...and frankly given the audio quality of some of them, it's just as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on December 22, 2017, 01:28:12 PM
Quote from: king ubu on December 19, 2017, 12:36:02 PM
Will be starting my own private opera festival on Friday ... was lucky to score a ticket for one of the almost sold out shows of the new production of "Madama" which got excellent reviews - the programme is this:

La Fille du régiment
Opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
after a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and
Jean-François Alfred Bayard
Concertante performance

Marie Sabine Devieilhe
Tonio René Barbera
Sulpice Pietro Spagnoli
La Marquise de Berkenfield Liliana Nikiteanu
La Duchesse de Crakentorp Birgit Steinegger
Hortensius Henri Bernard
Ein Offizier / Ein Notar Huw Montague Rendall
Ein Bauer Utku Kuzuluk

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Musical director Speranza Scappucci
Choir director Janko Kastelic

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/la-fille-du-regiment/season_11232/

Holy holy, that was amazing!  ;D

Ms Devieilhe was terrific, all the way through, while Barbera had some show-stopping moments (and the first "da capo" I ever witnessed in the opera - it was not a staged production so that was an easy thing to do). The orchestra was outstanding, Scappucci did an excellent job ... and the production was pretty nice indeed, with the singers using the stage in a very good way, and I guess enjoying themselves, too.

Now I need a recording that is NOT the Sutherland one, a lively in-the-flesh one like Devieilhe can pull it off, not a distinguished and refined one as Sutherland will surely do (while Pavarotti I'm sure is the perfect Tonio - actually the seamless flow of Barbera's had me think of Pavarotti several times) ... what could I look for? Or is it indeed the Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti one that's already here that I should explore?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on December 22, 2017, 04:57:02 PM
Quote from: king ubu on December 22, 2017, 01:28:12 PM
Holy holy, that was amazing!  ;D

Ms Devieilhe was terrific, all the way through, while Barbera had some show-stopping moments (and the first "da capo" I ever witnessed in the opera - it was not a staged production so that was an easy thing to do). The orchestra was outstanding, Scappucci did an excellent job ... and the production was pretty nice indeed, with the singers using the stage in a very good way, and I guess enjoying themselves, too.

Now I need a recording that is NOT the Sutherland one, a lively in-the-flesh one like Devieilhe can pull it off, not a distinguished and refined one as Sutherland will surely do (while Pavarotti I'm sure is the perfect Tonio - actually the seamless flow of Barbera's had me think of Pavarotti several times) ... what could I look for? Or is it indeed the Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti one that's already here that I should explore?

The Amazon listings suggest there are no recent CD versions, just historical or slightly dog-eared versions featuring Pons, Sills and Gruberova, and another with Alfredo Kraus.  There are some DVDs, the main choice being between Dessay and Ciofi: Florez is the tenor in both. 

Given the choices, you may as well start with Joan and Luciano.  It was recorded in their early days, when he was relatively svelte and trim. I don't remember her being excessively mannered, but it's been some time since I last listened to it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: SurprisedByBeauty on December 23, 2017, 02:07:06 AM
Quote from: king ubu on December 22, 2017, 01:28:12 PM
Holy holy, that was amazing!  ;D

Ms Devieilhe was terrific, all the way through, while Barbera had some show-stopping moments (and the first "da capo" I ever witnessed in the opera - it was not a staged production so that was an easy thing to do). The orchestra was outstanding, Scappucci did an excellent job ... and the production was pretty nice indeed, with the singers using the stage in a very good way, and I guess enjoying themselves, too.

Now I need a recording that is NOT the Sutherland one, a lively in-the-flesh one like Devieilhe can pull it off, not a distinguished and refined one as Sutherland will surely do (while Pavarotti I'm sure is the perfect Tonio - actually the seamless flow of Barbera's had me think of Pavarotti several times) ... what could I look for? Or is it indeed the Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti one that's already here that I should explore?

You will just need to wait until Devieilhe has recorded it, I suppose. Speaking of her in that opera: I recently talked to her about the character that is, frankly, quite icky (a young girl that's the mascot of a military unit? I mean... please!) but she said that the production had found a way around it... Forgot how exactly, though...

(The interview here's in German and the bit about La fille isn't in it, anyway... http://www.crescendo.de/sabine-devieilhe-alles-nur-keine-diva-1000023969/ (http://www.crescendo.de/sabine-devieilhe-alles-nur-keine-diva-1000023969/), but I might publish an English version at some point.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on December 23, 2017, 03:15:21 AM
Quote from: king ubu on December 22, 2017, 01:28:12 PM
Holy holy, that was amazing!  ;D

Ms Devieilhe was terrific, all the way through, while Barbera had some show-stopping moments (and the first "da capo" I ever witnessed in the opera - it was not a staged production so that was an easy thing to do). The orchestra was outstanding, Scappucci did an excellent job ... and the production was pretty nice indeed, with the singers using the stage in a very good way, and I guess enjoying themselves, too.

Now I need a recording that is NOT the Sutherland one, a lively in-the-flesh one like Devieilhe can pull it off, not a distinguished and refined one as Sutherland will surely do (while Pavarotti I'm sure is the perfect Tonio - actually the seamless flow of Barbera's had me think of Pavarotti several times) ... what could I look for? Or is it indeed the Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti one that's already here that I should explore?

Of course you must, if not you have Sills/ Burrows  or the dull Cluytens one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on December 23, 2017, 03:27:54 AM
Quote from: king ubu on December 22, 2017, 01:28:12 PM
Holy holy, that was amazing!  ;D

Ms Devieilhe was terrific, all the way through, while Barbera had some show-stopping moments (and the first "da capo" I ever witnessed in the opera - it was not a staged production so that was an easy thing to do). The orchestra was outstanding, Scappucci did an excellent job ... and the production was pretty nice indeed, with the singers using the stage in a very good way, and I guess enjoying themselves, too.

Now I need a recording that is NOT the Sutherland one, a lively in-the-flesh one like Devieilhe can pull it off, not a distinguished and refined one as Sutherland will surely do (while Pavarotti I'm sure is the perfect Tonio - actually the seamless flow of Barbera's had me think of Pavarotti several times) ... what could I look for? Or is it indeed the Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti one that's already here that I should explore?
As mentioned, the choices on CD are limited. But you can find samples on Amazon and youtube to see what you think.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 23, 2017, 04:11:42 AM
Quote from: king ubu on December 22, 2017, 01:28:12 PM
Holy holy, that was amazing!  ;D

Ms Devieilhe was terrific, all the way through, while Barbera had some show-stopping moments (and the first "da capo" I ever witnessed in the opera - it was not a staged production so that was an easy thing to do). The orchestra was outstanding, Scappucci did an excellent job ... and the production was pretty nice indeed, with the singers using the stage in a very good way, and I guess enjoying themselves, too.

Now I need a recording that is NOT the Sutherland one, a lively in-the-flesh one like Devieilhe can pull it off, not a distinguished and refined one as Sutherland will surely do (while Pavarotti I'm sure is the perfect Tonio - actually the seamless flow of Barbera's had me think of Pavarotti several times) ... what could I look for? Or is it indeed the Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti one that's already here that I should explore?

I'm no Sutherland fan, but the Sutherland/Pavarotti/Bonynge Fille du Regiment does fine for me. Her diction isn't quite as muddy as it was to become (though she's hardly a paragon) and she is in sparkling form, less apt to indulge in those swooning portamenti that later became a hallmark. I also think this one of Pavarotti's best recordings (though his diction is so good, you can hear how bad his French is).

The DVD with Dessay and Florez is also well worth investigating.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on December 23, 2017, 05:11:12 AM
I would also look into the June Anderson-Alfredo Kraus recording.  They both have reasonably good french diction.  I have Robert le Diable with June Anderson where she is superb.  I would think this repertoire fits Alfredo Kraus quite well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on December 23, 2017, 07:12:55 AM
Dessay could possibly be an option for me, I like her alright.

But I will then check out the Sutherland/Pavarotti recording soon - thanks everyone!

As for Kraus, that's all from the 1980's, right? How old was he then? Does that really still work? Granted I'm not looking for a DVD, but still ...

And thanks Jens for the link - the current issue of Zurich opera's mag also has a write-up on her based on an interview, she seems to be very much down to earth. That thing about the odd character of "la fille" did of course not present much of a problem in the Zurich shows which weren't staged, but yeah, obviously it's all part of the game, the shady past of her when she's going to be married off by her aunt/mother and all that. The audience being "touched" and thus everybody willing to let Tonio marry her, as the synopses say - ha, that's just pathetic of course, but I guess we're in high-brow-stiff-upper-lip culture and still not supposed to talk about sex ... another funny thing yesterday: on the rangs, there were many people standing during the final applause (including yours truly), but downstairs were average age seemed to be around 105, everybody remained glued to their seats (which cost, I think, about triple the average age, so better make use of it as long as you're allowed ...)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on December 30, 2017, 11:15:56 AM
Now near the start of Act III
[asin]B0749LRN1C[/asin]
I've heard bit, bobs, and bleeding chunks over the years, but I am pretty sure this is the first time I am hearing this as a complete opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 30, 2017, 11:35:48 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on December 30, 2017, 11:15:56 AM
Now near the start of Act III
[asin]B0749LRN1C[/asin]
I've heard bit, bobs, and bleeding chunks over the years, but I am pretty sure this is the first time I am hearing this as a complete opera.

I love this opera.

I've listened to this one complete on Spotify and still deciding whether or not to buy it. It's garnered some rapturous reviews, but my favourite remains the pioneering Davis recording on Philips with Veasey and Vickers, supplemented by Janet Baker in the final scenes on EMI. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is also a wonderful Didon, but I don't much like anything else I've heard from the live Levine recording she is on.

This new one is very fine from an orchestral point of view but the singers are all a little light of voice. I heard Michael Spyres singing Berlioz's Faust at the Proms this year, and I found him a wonderfully musical and intelligent singer. I wonder though whether he might be a bit light of voice for Aeneas. There were times at the Proms that I thought his lyrical voice a little too small even for Faust. Lemieux is also a light voiced Cassandre, though she's a great improvement on Lindholm, who is on the first Davis recording.

DiDonato is probably the most successful of the soloists. Some find her vibrato distracting, though it doesn't bother me unduly, and she is thoroughly inside the role. However she doesn't evince the sort of innigkeit you find in Baker and Hunt Lieberson. That said, I don't know of anyone else around today who could sing it better.

I need to listen to it again, but it gets a cautious thumbs up from me; certainly the best since Davis I and II, with my preference, marginally still being for Davis I.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on December 30, 2017, 11:59:57 AM
Speaking of Les Troyens, I recently started to listen to Davis' recording of it in Spotify and now I like it a lot more. Shows what a simple change of recording and a re-listening can do.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on December 30, 2017, 12:00:31 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 30, 2017, 11:35:48 AM
I love this opera.

I've listened to this one complete on Spotify and still deciding whether or not to buy it. It's garnered some rapturous reviews, but favourite remains the pioneering Davis recording on Philips with Veasey and Vickers, supplemented by Janet Baker in the final scenes on EMI. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is also a wonderful Didon, but I don't much like anything else I've heard from the live Levine recording she is on.

This new one is very fine from an orchestral point of view but the singers are all a little light of voice. I heard Michael Spyres singing Berlioz's Faust at the Proms this year, and I found him a wonderfully musical and intelligent singer. I wonder though whether he might be a bit light of voice for Aeneas. There were times at the Proms that I thought his lyrical voice a little too small even for Faust. Lemieux is also a light voiced Cassandre, though she's a great improvement on Lindholm, who is on the first Davis recording.

DiDonato is probably the most successful of the soloists. Some find her vibrato distracting, though it doesn't bother me unduly, and she is thoroughly inside the role. However she doesn't evince the sort of innigkeit you find in Baker and Hunt Lieberson. That said, I don't know of anyone else around today who could sing it better.

I need to listen to it again, but it gets a cautious thumbs up from me; certainly the best since Davis I and II, with my preference, marginally still being for Davis I.

So far, at least (meaning now in the middle of Act IV), no one seems to be too light voiced for me.  But I think Davis gave it a Wagnerian cast to the opera--for tenor heroique or however you translate heldentenor into French.  Whereas this recording seems to see it as a link between Mayerbeer and Massenet, with lyric voices.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on December 30, 2017, 03:24:55 PM
La fanciulla del West
Opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini
after David Belasco's eponymous stage play

Musical director Marco Armiliato
Producer Barrie Kosky
Stage design Rufus Didwiszus
Costumes Klaus Bruns
Lighting designer Franck Evin
Choir director Ernst Raffelsberger
Dramaturgy Claus Spahn

Minnie Catherine Naglestad
Dick Johnson Brandon Jovanovich
Jack Rance Scott Hendricks
Nick Jamez McCorkle
Ashby Pavel Daniluk
Sonora Cheyne Davidson
Trin Jonathan Abernethy
Sid Valeriy Murga
Bello Tomasz Kumiega
Harry Thobela Ntshanyana
Joe Bogusław Bidziński
Happy Dmytro Kalmuchyn
Larkens Cody Quattlebaum
Billy Jackrabbit Donald Thomson
Wowkle Karina Demurova
Jack Wallace Yuriy Tsiple
José Castro Alexander Kiechle
Un Postiglione Omer Kobiljak

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich

--

Terrific night at Zurich opera ... before they started it was announced that Naglestad was ill and taking antibiotics ... not that I would have noticed anything being wrong, might be that in better condition she would have started a bit stronger, but she was putting on an intense and most convincing performance as Minnie. Glad I had a chance to catch this opera on stage, seems it is still not performed all that often, possibly also because you don't just need three strong main characters but also a good ensemble for all the various smaller male parts, that still are important enough that the whole show may fail if they're not sung well enough. Not a big deal at Zurich opera it seems, I heard no failures at all, and the orchestra was great again, too - sometimes loud enough to bring the rather small house to its limits (had the same with Verdi's "Don Carlo" last season), but all in all it was excellent indeed, including the production and set design - all kept simple and in many ways brutal and blunt, which fits the music much better than any kind of cowboy costumes. Puccini though would have been unhappy I guess (no eight horses in the third act).

And looking at my list, I realize I've not listened to any recording - only saw another, much glossier and Hollywood-like production on TV a few years ago ... I have the Matacic w/Nilsson in the EMI set of Puccini's operas, the Tebaldi one (cond. Capuana) and the Maazel one with Mara Zamperi singing Minnie, a singer whose name I've not yet noticed anywhere (my fault for sure) ... but that one is in the large Sony set that initially I didn't even want to buy (it got real cheap at some point and I snatched it up, the only thing I looked at yet is the glorious booklet of old set production photos, the box in in LP format, to the photos are large ... lovely stuff). From the guts I'd go with the Tebaldi one for starters, but I guess there are other valuable recordings I'm missing?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 30, 2017, 03:51:02 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on December 30, 2017, 12:00:31 PM
So far, at least (meaning now in the middle of Act IV), no one seems to be too light voiced for me.  But I think Davis gave it a Wagnerian cast to the opera--for tenor heroique or however you translate heldentenor into French.  Whereas this recording seems to see it as a link between Mayerbeer and Massenet, with lyric voices.

The role of Aeneas seems to me to suggest a more heroic voice, and I recall a wonderful recording of Inutiles regrets by Georges Thill, who had a number of Wagner roles in his repertoire. Spyres sounds OK on the recording, but I wonder how well he could be heard in the flesh. As I say, even his Faust, musically and elegantly though it was sung, was a bit underpowered in places.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on December 30, 2017, 03:53:57 PM
Also, finally, watched the Don Carlo that Paris opera staged to open its season ... found Kaufmann excellent again (as in the Salzburg/Milan Stein production that was also televised a few year ago), but Yoncheva is totally no match for Harteros as Elisabeth ... Garanca as Eboli I found great though.

So, my little Don Carlo fetish goes next round ... give me the actors guidance of Stein with the very, very dark light and costumes and stage design of the (acting wise extremely static - never give me Bechtolf if I can chose, also never, ever combine him with Eschenbach, it don't get any worse, Salzburg/Perreira!) Zurich version (they failed in that they used the 4-act version that makes no sense), give me not too many of those Eastern singers with bad Italian, but Garanca as Eboli is just fine, next to Kaufmann and Harteros.

Then, give me the force of the Zurich orchestra with the precision and quiet glow of the Scala and the wonderful french sound of the Paris horns (makes no sense, huh? can't have it all ... I guess I'll go with La Scala then, but in a smaller house, so it can have the forceful, almost angst-inducing intensity of the Zurich production).

Of course it needs to be a 5-act version, absolutely (that, Stein and his forces got right, but the costumes and light and all were just a bit too traditional for my liking), Italian or French are both very much okay, maybe do both at the same time and offer double tickets for two nights (oh, singers can't be the same? well, get good singers then, intelligent ones please, not just ones that can get the vowels and consonants into the right sequence ... Stoyanova/Semenchuk - the Scala ladies I saw on stage in the Stein production - just won't do, sorry).

Also: the Paris orchestra lacked precision I found ... or rather there seemed to be almost constant minor displacements between the (wonderfully sounding) orchestra and the singers on stage. None of that in Salzburg or Milan (the Stein production was given in Salzburg with Harteros and Kaufmann and then repeated in Milan with Stoyanova and Meli - the later, btw, really good).

So there ... one of my favourite operas, but not one that is easy to actually perform.

Question: did Kaufmann get over his "knödeln"? Somehow either I must have taken to his singing more than I did a few years ago, or that part of it really improved a lot. No idea what the term would be in English and I guess it's unfair to apply it to Kaufmann, it's more about voice colour, and that can change, so it may indeed have changed in a way that it bothers me less by now (he is getting grey, too ... aren't we all? better grey than bald, I guess ;D )
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 30, 2017, 04:19:03 PM
From the WAYLT thread:

Quote from: André on December 30, 2017, 04:10:02 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81E0OfyK95L._SX522_.jpg)

Orfeo ed Euridice is Gluck's most famous opera, but I think it is neither as strong or as imaginative as Iphigénie en Tauride. This 1952 recording, in ok sound is a bit dated in the orchestral department, with thickish textures here and there. In the dramatic scenes though, Giulini whips up the excitement to great effect.

Soloists are quite extraordinary, arguably the best quartet on disc - and Iphigénie is not exactly neglected, with a dozen versions on offer right now. Neway's Iphigénie is sung in the grand manner, with a beautifully projected dramatic soprano voice and impeccable diction. Her Ô malheureuse Iphigénie rivals Callas' harrowing portrayal of the distraught priestess. Simoneau as Pylade and Mollet as Oreste are luxury casting indeed. Great singing and formidable dramatic involvement combine to make their duets as riveting as any tenor/baritone duet by Verdi.

While I wouldn't recommend it as one's only version of the work, it is an indispensable complement.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 31, 2017, 12:31:40 AM
Quote from: king ubu on December 30, 2017, 03:24:55 PM
La fanciulla del West
Opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini
after David Belasco's eponymous stage play

Musical director Marco Armiliato
Producer Barrie Kosky
Stage design Rufus Didwiszus
Costumes Klaus Bruns
Lighting designer Franck Evin
Choir director Ernst Raffelsberger
Dramaturgy Claus Spahn

Minnie Catherine Naglestad
Dick Johnson Brandon Jovanovich
Jack Rance Scott Hendricks
Nick Jamez McCorkle
Ashby Pavel Daniluk
Sonora Cheyne Davidson
Trin Jonathan Abernethy
Sid Valeriy Murga
Bello Tomasz Kumiega
Harry Thobela Ntshanyana
Joe Bogusław Bidziński
Happy Dmytro Kalmuchyn
Larkens Cody Quattlebaum
Billy Jackrabbit Donald Thomson
Wowkle Karina Demurova
Jack Wallace Yuriy Tsiple
José Castro Alexander Kiechle
Un Postiglione Omer Kobiljak

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich

--

Terrific night at Zurich opera ... before they started it was announced that Naglestad was ill and taking antibiotics ... not that I would have noticed anything being wrong, might be that in better condition she would have started a bit stronger, but she was putting on an intense and most convincing performance as Minnie. Glad I had a chance to catch this opera on stage, seems it is still not performed all that often, possibly also because you don't just need three strong main characters but also a good ensemble for all the various smaller male parts, that still are important enough that the whole show may fail if they're not sung well enough. Not a big deal at Zurich opera it seems, I heard no failures at all, and the orchestra was great again, too - sometimes loud enough to bring the rather small house to its limits (had the same with Verdi's "Don Carlo" last season), but all in all it was excellent indeed, including the production and set design - all kept simple and in many ways brutal and blunt, which fits the music much better than any kind of cowboy costumes. Puccini though would have been unhappy I guess (no eight horses in the third act).

And looking at my list, I realize I've not listened to any recording - only saw another, much glossier and Hollywood-like production on TV a few years ago ... I have the Matacic w/Nilsson in the EMI set of Puccini's operas, the Tebaldi one (cond. Capuana) and the Maazel one with Mara Zamperi singing Minnie, a singer whose name I've not yet noticed anywhere (my fault for sure) ... but that one is in the large Sony set that initially I didn't even want to buy (it got real cheap at some point and I snatched it up, the only thing I looked at yet is the glorious booklet of old set production photos, the box in in LP format, to the photos are large ... lovely stuff). From the guts I'd go with the Tebaldi one for starters, but I guess there are other valuable recordings I'm missing?

Definitely. I think the best audio recording of La Fanciulla del West is the Mehta, with Carol Neblett, Domingo and Milnes, which was based on a superb Covent Garden production of the opera.
There is also a DVD of the production with a slightly different cast (Silvano Carroli instead of Milnes) and it is also well worth seeking out.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on December 31, 2017, 06:01:30 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 31, 2017, 12:31:40 AM
Definitely. I think the best audio recording of La Fanciulla del West is the Mehta, with Carol Neblett, Domingo and Milnes, which was based on a superb Covent Garden production of the opera.
There is also a DVD of the production with a slightly different cast (Silvano Carroli instead of Milnes) and it is also well worth seeking out.

Thanks, thought so ... not a natural MaMeMu fan here (where did they leave Mi and Mo?), but I read about the Mehta one being good in a Geman guide to opera recordings that I am perusing regularly, Löbl/Werba, "Hermen Handlexikon: Opern auf Schallplatten", it's from 1983 and was, alas never updated/expanded, but it covers, of course, most of the early recordings, all of the glorious fifties recordings, and then also all of the seventies ... I guess in many respects it almost completely covers the grand era of opera on records as such, and it does include some shady releases, too ... which is another part that could have been expanded bigtime in more recent times, of course.

Next up: Rossini's "Le Comte Ory" with Lawrence Brownlee in the title part, Cecilia Bartoli as Adèle, and Diego Fasolis conducting the HIP ensemble of Zurich opera ("La Scintilla") - shall be great, I hope!

Don't know that one yet, beyond "Il Barbiere", the petite messe, some arias and ouvertures, Rossini is pretty new to me anyway. But then I just watched the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées "Barbiere" with Jérémie Rhorer and his Le Cercle de l'Harmonie this morning, and enjoyed the sh*t out of it. What a lovely and convincing Rosina they were able to find (Catherine Trottmann). And the production was great too, I found (Laurent Pelly). Also much closer, smaller-scale stuff than the "Don Carlo" from Opéra de Paris, no coordination issues, no sound issues, very intimate music making and singing I found. Would buy this in a whim if alpha dips its feet into Italian opera (well, they do Mozart with Rhorer already, so ...)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on January 02, 2018, 10:23:01 AM
Donizetti: Pia de' Tolomei

[asin]B000ANPXAO[/asin]

Opera Rara had a 50% off around Thanksgiving, and I got this little known Donizetti opera along a few others.   This is one of the best little known Donizetti operas with an excellent libretto by  Salvatore Cammarano who also wrote Lucia di Lamermoor.  The plot inspired by a chapter of Dante Divina Comedia resembles Othello's with 3 male role, Nello della Pietra, Pia's husband, barytone whose role is the equivalent of Othello, Ghino, Nello' cousin (Iago) is a tenor, Rodrigo Pia's brother is a contralto.  The added value to the plot is the Gibelin/ Guelfe rivality.  The duo between Ghino and Pia in act 2 is breathtaking.  Truly magnificent music for this violent story of treason, exactly what is expected of an italian opera.

There is another live recording CD&DVD of this opera with Patricia Ciofi edited by Dynamics, which has also good press. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on January 03, 2018, 12:04:57 AM
Le Comte Ory
Opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
Libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson

La comtesse Adèle - Cecilia Bartoli
Isolier - Rebeca Olvera
Ragonde Liliana Nikiteanu
Alice, une paysanne - Adriana Gonzalez
Le Comte Ory - Lawrence Brownlee
Raimbaud - Jean-Sébastien Bou
Le Gouverneur - Nahuel Di Pierro
Coryphées - Soyoung Lee, Karina Demurova, Dmytro Kalmuchyn, Donald Thomson, Thobela Ntshanyana, Gérard William Lombardi
Mainfroy - Luca Martin
Un paysan - Henri Bernard

Orchestra La Scintilla
Chorzuzüger & Zusatzchor der Oper Zürich
Choir director Janko Kastelic
Musical director Diego Fasolis

Producer Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier
Stage design Christian Fenouillat
Costumes Agostino Cavalca
Lighting designer Christophe Forey/Martin Gebhardt
Dramaturgy Michael Küster

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/le-comte-ory/season_11232/


Another great night at the opera yesterday. It is winter, after all, so Jean-Sébastien Bou was announced as a last minute sub (for an ill Oliver Widmer), and he put on a great show for sure (almost fell off a table in the second act ... he arrived in Zurich on Jan 1st and had to familiarize himself with the production within a day, but had just sung the part of Raimbaud in Paris, it seems) ... either way, Lawrence Brownlee, Ceciliar Bartoli, Rebeca Olvera, the fabulous music by Rossini - the first act is quite nice, the second is just wonderful - and the fine performance by the HIP ensemble under Fasolis ...

The orchestra, I felt, needed a while to warm up though, but after some 15 or 20 minutes, they were in fine fettle. Also it was a study in contrast from the Puccini a few days ago - this time around, they mostly played at very low volume, very intimate, never overbearing the singers. Brownlee was wonderful as Comte, and Bartoli was terrific as Adèle - most wonderful actually when singing piano and sustaining the voice beautifully ... and of course the coloraturas are still terrific, even though the voice may not be as full as it used to any more. Once again, as in "La fanciulla", I found the ensemble very good, no one sticking out as having a bad night or being unable to really cope with his or her part. The choir was also excellent - no idea why it only included two regular members of the Zurich opera choir, all the others were add-ons or members of the extended line-up or something ...

Now looking forward to one more Puccini on Sunday ... and I need to buy further tickets now, too  :)


--

Are there any recommended recordings of "Le Comte Ory"? Seems the Zurich production (from 2011 initially) was the first one to use a restored/complete edition of the score (there's a very long text by the guy who put together the new edition of the score in the programme book, also giving lots of background on the origins/influences etc.), so I guess they should actually release a recording ... did they?

>> okay, the Zurich production is available on DVD, hmm ... how about the Met one with Florez/Damrau/DiDonato? That one looks more attractive to me on paper ... but those are all DVDs, in the audio-only department, how about the Gardiner one?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 03, 2018, 07:04:51 AM
Quote from: king ubu on January 03, 2018, 12:04:57 AM
Are there any recommended recordings of "Le Comte Ory"? Seems the Zurich production (from 2011 initially) was the first one to use a restored/complete edition of the score (there's a very long text by the guy who put together the new edition of the score in the programme book, also giving lots of background on the origins/influences etc.), so I guess they should actually release a recording ... did they?

>> okay, the Zurich production is available on DVD, hmm ... how about the Met one with Florez/Damrau/DiDonato? That one looks more attractive to me on paper ... but those are all DVDs, in the audio-only department, how about the Gardiner one?

There is a concert performance available on CD with Florez

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716tSX8CkuL._SL1400_.jpg)

It has 5 stars on Amazon, but I'm afraid I've never heard it.

The Gardiner also had great reviews when it was released.

However, I've always loved the old Gui recording

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51G9UoWiCvL.jpg)

The text wouldn't bear scrutiny today, but it exudes a joy that I sometimes find lacking in more modern performances.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on January 03, 2018, 11:10:09 AM
The comte Ory has been staged by Denis Podalydes (actor, film director,..) at the opera comique this last december.  It was a huge success.  Here is a YT presentation video

https://www.youtube.com/v/gJA9SR3Ll34

There is a french blog "Opera critique", which discusses the comte Ory, if you are interested

http://operacritiques.free.fr/css/index.php?2017/12/31/2987-le-comte-ory-le-mystere-scribe-persiste (http://operacritiques.free.fr/css/index.php?2017/12/31/2987-le-comte-ory-le-mystere-scribe-persiste)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on January 03, 2018, 11:38:46 AM
Thanks Tsaraslondon, will look what can be found (the Gardiner, alas, seems to be OOP, but the Gui may be of interest ... the one with Flórez is too early, too, to use the new edition, but I'll see what can be done - that one at least would be readily available. The Met one still looks very attractive to me, what with that line-up! Will have to look into it, check for reviews etc.

Thanks also, Spineur - that's the production they "borrowed" Bou from - and as I said, he was excellent! Seems the Zurich production is a huge success, too - but then Bartoli singing at Zurich opera seems to be almost guarantee for success.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on January 07, 2018, 11:40:05 PM
Quote from: king ubu on December 19, 2017, 12:36:02 PM
Madama Butterfly
Tragedia giapponese in two acts
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
after Pierre Loti, John Luther Long and David Belasco

Cio-Cio-San Svetlana Aksenova
Suzuki Judith Schmid
Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton Saimir Pirgu
Sharpless Brian Mulligan
Goro Martin Zysset
Fürst Yamadori / Der Standesbeamte Huw Montague Rendall
Onkel Bonze Ildo Song
Der kaiserliche Kommissar Stanislav Vorobyov
Kate Pinkerton Natalia Tanasii

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Choir director Ernst Raffelsberger
Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich
Musical director Daniele Rustioni

Producer Ted Huffman
Stage design Michael Levine
Costumes Annemarie Woods
Lighting designer Franck Evin
Assistant choreographer Sonoko Kamimura-Ostern
Dramaturgy Fabio Dietsche

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/madama-butterfly/season_11232/

Wow! That was one hell of an amazing night at the opera! This new production is all as great as the reviews said, and then some! Aksenova, so I read, is a seasoned Cio-Cio-San, and she really owns the part, while Schmid was a wonderful Suzuki ... and Pirgiu a terrific Pinkerton. However, in this production, Sharpless - again excellently sung by Mulligan - is taking a more central role than usual and the perspective is shifted a bit, too ... the production makes us see it all from the point of view of Butterfly, so the exotic is mostly just how it is, and the American (the empty white stage, in the style of Japanese rooms, though of course much larger) becomes the foreign and strange part - intruding symbolically by various pieces of furniture that gets placed - and remains estranged - in the empty room as the first act evolves. The entire production has been choreographed and stresses the formulist aspect of opera as an art form quite strongly. The choir in act one moves in a "Japanese" way, very disciplined, thus creating - and dissoluting - geometrical shapes on the empty white stage. Quite fascinating indeed.

The long interlude in the second act has been incorporated fully, and is played with open curtain, while Cio-Cio-San is seen waiting - the stage at that point quite empty again, it's three years later after all and the American invasion has left a long time ago. Butterfly though welcomes Sharpless by stressing her American-ness ... though the costumes and behaviour, the movements, the flowers beings spread (looking gorgeous of course, on the white stage - both the flowers and the Japanese-styled costumes of Cio-Cio-San) speak another language. The orchestra under Rustioni did a fantastic job, too - they're really perfect for Verdi, Puccini and the like!

Review in German:
http://www.peterhagmann.com/?p=1467
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on January 08, 2018, 04:05:27 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 31, 2017, 12:31:40 AM
Definitely. I think the best audio recording of La Fanciulla del West is the Mehta, with Carol Neblett, Domingo and Milnes, which was based on a superb Covent Garden production of the opera.
There is also a DVD of the production with a slightly different cast (Silvano Carroli instead of Milnes) and it is also well worth seeking out.

Getting back to this ... there's a remaster (on SACD, but I don't have a player, it's hybrid though and the regular CD layer may benefit from the remaster, too, of course) out on Pentatone - anyone familiar with this series?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51a9rxF5tzL.jpg)

I guess there's no libretto and stuff, but all DG editions seem to be OOP anyway, so not much of a choice ...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2018, 03:07:30 AM
(http://d5e1b1dkmmebd.cloudfront.net/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/d/cd_callas_live_anna_bolena.jpg)

One of Callas's greatest nights in the theatre. Unfortunately Warner have botched the transfer, merely copying EMI's inferior source. Much, much better on Divina Records, so go for that one.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on January 14, 2018, 03:26:08 PM
Quote from: king ubu on January 07, 2018, 11:40:05 PM
Wow! That was one hell of an amazing night at the opera! This new production is all as great as the reviews said, and then some! Aksenova, so I read, is a seasoned Cio-Cio-San, and she really owns the part, while Schmid was a wonderful Suzuki ... and Pirgiu a terrific Pinkerton. However, in this production, Sharpless - again excellently sung by Mulligan - is taking a more central role than usual and the perspective is shifted a bit, too ... the production makes us see it all from the point of view of Butterfly, so the exotic is mostly just how it is, and the American (the empty white stage, in the style of Japanese rooms, though of course much larger) becomes the foreign and strange part - intruding symbolically by various pieces of furniture that gets placed - and remains estranged - in the empty room as the first act evolves. The entire production has been choreographed and stresses the formulist aspect of opera as an art form quite strongly. The choir in act one moves in a "Japanese" way, very disciplined, thus creating - and dissoluting - geometrical shapes on the empty white stage. Quite fascinating indeed.

The long interlude in the second act has been incorporated fully, and is played with open curtain, while Cio-Cio-San is seen waiting - the stage at that point quite empty again, it's three years later after all and the American invasion has left a long time ago. Butterfly though welcomes Sharpless by stressing her American-ness ... though the costumes and behaviour, the movements, the flowers beings spread (looking gorgeous of course, on the white stage - both the flowers and the Japanese-styled costumes of Cio-Cio-San) speak another language. The orchestra under Rustioni did a fantastic job, too - they're really perfect for Verdi, Puccini and the like!

Review in German:
http://www.peterhagmann.com/?p=1467
I'm surprised Aksenova made such a good Butterfly. I've heard her twice in Amsterdam (in Khovanshchina and Pique Dame) and found her voice too light for the roles she was singing. It sounded pushed and had a beat to it. Butterfly would probably be even heavier. But I'm happy to hear she was satisfying, and that the production was so good!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on January 15, 2018, 06:43:13 AM
Quote from: betterthanfine on January 14, 2018, 03:26:08 PM
I'm surprised Aksenova made such a good Butterfly. I've heard her twice in Amsterdam (in Khovanshchina and Pique Dame) and found her voice too light for the roles she was singing. It sounded pushed and had a beat to it. Butterfly would probably be even heavier. But I'm happy to hear she was satisfying, and that the production was so good!

Interesting ... I'm not deeply enough into singing yet to be able to judge who may make a fine Mimì and who'd be a great Gilda (okay, for some roles I may have an opinion by now, but mostly related to recordings and singers I know) .. but Aksenova was indeed great, she WAS Cio-Cio-San, I felt. That may help to cover up for some singing inadequacies in the end, but I really didn't hear any. Also she seems to be a specialist for that part by now - at least I read something like that in her profile or in some review?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 18, 2018, 02:44:20 AM
(https://www.europadisc.co.uk/images/products-190/1502891846_9029584454.jpg)

Still working through the live Warner box, we come to the second of Callas's Gluck roles.

The sound is much better than on the Alceste, but, aside from Callas's superb Ifigenia, the performance has little else to commend it. Sanzogno conducts in soupy, glutinous style and the rest of the cast, save for the young Cossotto's Diana have little to commend them. Still worth hearing, though, for Callas's commanding, infinitely moving Ifigenia.

This was the last time Callas worked with Visconti, though they didn't know this at the time, and the production was spectacular with Callas extravagantly costumed in silk and pearls.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on January 21, 2018, 09:57:44 AM
I got this Zelmira of Gioacchino Rossini during the opera rara fall sale.  It is a public recording from Edinburg festival in 2003.  Only the audience applause can be heard - no other spurious noise.  The story of this opera reminds me of the return of Martin Guerre and is a great backdrop for an opera.  Rossini wrote here some really lovely music for the voice and the orchestra.  The image I had of Rossini as a composer has been rising steadily over the past few years.   The music is extremely well crafted.

[asin]B0002VYEXG[/asin]

Vocally, I have not been as impressed by this production as some of the critics I have read.  There is also a DVD of this opera with D. Florez.

The cover used here portrays Rossini spanish wife Isabella Colbran who interpreted the role of Zelmira at the creation.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 23, 2018, 02:50:19 AM
Zelmira looks very appealing, Spineur. All the Rossini operas written for the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples (commissioned by Domenico Barbaja) I've heard so far are great works, and very ambitious ones. BTW, Naxos will soon release another of Rossini's Neapolitan operas, Ricciardo e Zoraide (the work's only second recording ever AFAIK).

THREAD DUTY:

(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61nYwBHLqDL._SS500.jpg)

This is a most interesting and enjoyable composition. The convoluted plot (based on a drama by Alexandre Dumas fils and Pierre de Corvin) includes an eerie mad scene for the soprano (something of an anachronism by 1886), some very well crafted ensembles, and a difficult tenor part. But the most striking thing is the intelligent and varied use of the orchestra (a hallmark of Catalani, and something not usually encountered in Italian opera of that time) and the avoidance of the formulaic features of contemporary works.

The 1989 live recording form Lucca does not have the best sound in the world (one would not expect that from the Bongiovanni label), and includes some annoying stage (or is it audience?) noise at some points, but is perfectly serviceable. The soloists take on their roles bravely and convincingly IMO, and the whole thing has a rough and provincial, but rather quaint and endearing, air to it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 24, 2018, 06:01:50 AM
My own private opera season continues with:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/4146RVP778L.jpg)

This is an awkward edition of the score, as it is not the original Naples 1818 version (Mosé in Egitto), but rather a back translation from the French of the later 1827 Paris version (Moïse et Pharaon)--and heavily cut to boot. Be that as it may, this sacred opera (almost an opera-oratorio) has some great moments, with an overall "hieratic" feel and great dignity in many passages.

The performance is Rossini in the "grand old manner", which does not necessarily mean good. Tullio Serafin leads the San Carlo Theatre orchestra (not the smoothest ensemble in the world, I'm afraid) very convincingly, giving the rather static score just the perfect momentum. The singing, though, is another matter: soprano Caterina Mancini has a huge voice (she also recorded Abigaille in Nabucco for Cetra around those years), but is not very nuanced (EDIT: Mancini is generally admirable, by far the best in this set--a much underrated singer, I'm afraid). The real problem for me is the presence of two singers that over the years I've come to dislike quite strongly: Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (who sounds strangely "hollow" to me, and seems always to sing flat) and Mario Filippeschi (whose tone I find downright unpleasant, and has serious problems in any florid passages). BTW, the appearance of these two gentlemen in Maria Callas's first studio recording of Bellini's Norma detracts greatly from that (legendary) set's merits IMHO.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 25, 2018, 07:05:59 AM
Ancora più Rossini:

[asin]B071WTB7HX[/asin]
This is one of only three Rossini roles Maria Callas ever performed (along with Rosina in Il barbiere and Fiorilla in Il turco in Italia--incidentally, the only two comic roles in her repertoire). It's a pity, because Callas at this point of her career, and in this music, is simply extraordinary. Even despite the dismal sound (which particularly affects the choral and ensemble segments), one can realize how every note, every phrase, every coloratura is handled with superb virtuosity and is delivered with deep expressive powers (this being the combination that IMHO makes Callas unique in living memory).

The rest of the cast is adequate (even my bête noire Mario Filippeschi is tolerable here), and the overall performance is slightly rough, but so full of excitement (vigorously led by Tullio Serafin), that is is extremely engaging. Must have been quite a night at the opera!

These were the performances staged by Alberto Savinio (about whom we talked in another thread a couple of days ago) just days before his death. This seems to have been a first rate event (musically and visually).

(http://www.odb-opera.com/joomfinal/images/Dossiers-ODB/ArmidaRossini/rossini2.jpg) (http://www.odb-opera.com/joomfinal/images/Dossiers-ODB/ArmidaRossini/rossini3.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2018, 09:06:39 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 25, 2018, 07:05:59 AM
Ancora più Rossini:

[asin]B071WTB7HX[/asin]
This is one of only three Rossini roles Maria Callas ever performed (along with Rosina in Il barbiere and Fiorilla in Il turco in Italia--incidentally, the only two comic roles in her repertoire). It's a pity, because Callas at this point of her career, and in this music, is simply extraordinary. Even despite the dismal sound (which particularly affects the choral and ensemble segments), one can realize how every note, every phrase, every coloratura is handled with superb virtuosity and is delivered with deep expressive powers (this being the combination that IMHO makes Callas unique in living memory).

The rest of the cast is adequate (even my bête noire Mario Filippeschi is tolerable here), and the overall performance is slightly rough, but so full of excitement (vigorously led by Tullio Serafin), that is is extremely engaging. Must have been quite a night at the opera!

These were the performances staged by Alberto Savinio (about whom we talked in another thread a couple of days ago) just days before his death. This seems to have been a first rate event (musically and visually).

(http://www.odb-opera.com/joomfinal/images/Dossiers-ODB/ArmidaRossini/rossini2.jpg) (http://www.odb-opera.com/joomfinal/images/Dossiers-ODB/ArmidaRossini/rossini3.jpg)

Execrable sound, but, my word, what singing! Not only the incredible virtuosity, but the way she makes musical sense of it all, and the voice is so huge and powerful. It's like hearing Nilsson sing the Queen of the Night, with needle fine accuracy.  If there weren't recorded evidence, you wouldn't believe it possible.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/armida-florence-1952/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/armida-florence-1952/)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on January 25, 2018, 09:36:22 AM
Maria Callas "D'Amor Al Dolce Impero" Armida, 1954 San Remo

https://www.youtube.com/v/_V-hYQgIpCc
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2018, 11:47:46 AM
Quote from: zamyrabyrd on January 25, 2018, 09:36:22 AM
Maria Callas "D'Amor Al Dolce Impero" Armida, 1954 San Remo

https://www.youtube.com/v/_V-hYQgIpCc

But the 1952 performance is even more stunning.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 25, 2018, 12:41:37 PM
As an appendix to my listening to Callas's Armida earlier today:

[asin]B00002MXQK[/asin]
Just some parts of Act II (the choruses, "D'amore al dolce impero" and the concluding ballet).

Cecilia Gasdia sings beautifully and valiantly in the fiendishly difficult rondò, and is admirable. But where Callas gives us a fully rounded musical account (as I think Tsaraslondon has pointed out in the past), with Gasdia one cannot but get the impression that we're enjoying a display of vocal fireworks (and not much more than that, excellent as the singing may be).

But with this modern sound, one can also get a better picture of what a fantastic opera Rossini's Armida is...and Domenico Barbaja was clearly one hell of an impresario.....

BTW, Rossini' self-plagiarism is actually rather endearing  ;) (there's passages in Mosè and in Armida that are exactly the same—with different texts, of course).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2018, 01:24:48 PM
Quote from: ritter on January 25, 2018, 12:41:37 PM
As an appendix to my listening to Callas's Armida earlier today:

[asin]B00002MXQK[/asin]
Just some parts of Act II (the choruses, "D'amore al dolce impero" and the concluding ballet).

Cecilia Gasdia sings beautifully and valiantly in the fiendishly difficult rondò, and is admirable. But where Callas gives us a fully rounded musical account (as I think Tsaraslondon has pointed out in the past), with Gasdia one cannot but get the impression that we're enjoying a display of vocal fireworks (and not much more than that, excellent as the singing may be).

But with this modern sound, one can also get a better picture of what a fantastic opera Rossini's Armida is...and Domenico Barbaja was clearly one hell of an impresario.....

BTW, Rossini' self-plagiarism is actually rather endearing  ;) (there's passages in Mosè and in Armida that are exactly the same—with different texts, of course).

I listened to this set myself a couple of months ago, and I rather enjoyed it; in fact I thought the tenors generally an improvement on those in the Callas set. Gasdia quite impressed me too, but, then you hear Callas, and really there is no comparison.

Talking of plagiarism, by the way, did you notice the direct quote of Giordani's Caro mio ben? It's in the andante section of Armida's entrance quartet.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 26, 2018, 12:41:57 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2018, 01:24:48 PM
Talking of plagiarism, by the way, did you notice the direct quote of Giordani's Caro mio ben? It's in the andante section of Armida's entrance quartet.
No, that bit passed me by, but I'll look out for it when I listen to the opera again... ;)

I can't seem to get enough of Rossini's Neapolitan operas these days  :-[:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51upUZMhoEL.jpg)

Our fellow GMGer Spineur was listening to the later Opera Rara recording of Zelmira recently, and I concur with him that this is very well crafted music, with delightful vocal writing and really interesting twists in the orchestration. I would add that some of the choral passages are superb. This opera is great fun!  :)

The recording is very enjoyable, well led by Claudio Scimone, and with Cecilia Gasdia (even more enchanting here than in Armida) leading a great cast.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 03, 2018, 06:44:21 AM
My own personal Italian opera season continues with a classic recording of Verdi's La forza del destino:

[asin]B00MQBOG2E[/asin]
I've repeatedly stated my reservations with much of Verdi's output, but La forza del destino is a work I really enjoy, as I find its juxtaposition of the comic (the scenes involving Preziosilla) and the über-dramatic romantic cloak-and-dagger main plot (as we'd say in Spain, even the prompter gets killed at the end :D) quite original and well-crafted. Furthermore, I cannot help thinking that when working on commissions from international theatres (here St. Petersburg, or in the case of Les vêpres siciliennes and Don Carlos, the Paris Opéra), Verdi was particularly attentive to the orchestration (perhaps he knew he was writing for better ensembles?) and avoided many of the formulaic (and IHMO downright vulgar) procedures that plague most of his middle-period operas  ::).

This recording has never had a very good press, but I think it's rather accomplished. Zinka Milanov was past her prime, but still has a lovely voice and masters the role of Leonora perfectly. She might sound a bit old-fashioned (we get the sense of the regal grand diva singing Leonora, more than the character of Leonora), but it is magnificently so  :). Giuseppe di Stefano still displays his usual beautiful tone, but does appear overparted as Don Alvaro at times. Leonard Warren is simply outstaning in a role which would prove fatal to him in the end (he died onstage singing Don Carlo at the Met some years later  :(). Rosalind Elias, whom I had the chance to see live many, many years ago (unfortunately, in an opera I dislike profoundly—Massenet's Werther, with Alfredo Kraus in the title role) is a very engaging Preziosilla. Fernando Previtali (whom I also experienced live, conducting Turandot in the late 70s  8)) achieves a very well-paced performance, and the dynamics are expertly managed.

Bits like "La Vergine degli angeli", "Solenne in quest'ora", the chorus ("ronda") "Compagni, sostiamo" or the raucous "Lorchè pifferi e tamburi" make La forza... one of Verdi's greatest achievements IMO.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 03, 2018, 06:51:31 AM
I'm going to try to listen to this tonight (at some point):

(http://www.music-bazaar.com/album-images/vol26/959/959895/2821868-big/Bela-Bartok-Bluebeard-s-Castle-Pierre-Boulez-cover.jpg)

For me, this opera has it all: stunning orchestral music and opulent vocal stylizing. Along with Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges, it has everything that I personally admire about opera rolled into one unique synthesis. I should also mention my love for Janáček's, Martinů's, and Szymanowski's operas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 03, 2018, 07:01:32 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 03, 2018, 06:51:31 AM
I'm going to try to listen to this tonight (at some point):

(http://www.music-bazaar.com/album-images/vol26/959/959895/2821868-big/Bela-Bartok-Bluebeard-s-Castle-Pierre-Boulez-cover.jpg)

For me, this opera has it all: stunning orchestral music and opulent vocal stylizing. Along with Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges, it has everything that I personally admire about opera rolled into one unique synthesis. I should also mention my love for Janáček's, Martinů's, and Szymanowski's operas.
Good day, John. I cannot see the image you've posted, but I guess you're referring to Duke Bluebeard's Castle. Strangely, when I listen to it, I'm always very impresssed, but I  don't feel drawn to it that often (in the sense that I seldom find myself thinking "It's about time to listen to Bluebeard"), Bartók in general I admire, but I also feel strangely "distant" from.  :-[
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 03, 2018, 12:48:44 PM
Quote from: ritter on February 03, 2018, 06:44:21 AM
My own personal Italian opera season continues with a classic recording of Verdi's La forza del destino:

[asin]B00MQBOG2E[/asin]
I've repeatedly stated my reservations with much of Verdi's output, but La forza del destino is a work I really enjoy, as I find its juxtaposition of the comic (the scenes involving Preziosilla) and the über-dramatic romantic cloak-and-dagger main plot (as we'd say in Spain, even the prompter gets killed at the end :D) quite original and well-crafted. Furthermore, I cannot help thinking that when working on commissions from international theatres (here St. Petersburg, or in the case of Les vêpres siciliennes and Don Carlos, the Paris Opéra), Verdi was particularly attentive to the orchestration (perhaps he knew he was writing for better ensembles?) and avoided many of the formulaic (and IHMO downright vulgar) procedures that plague most of his middle-period operas  ::).

This recording has never had a very good press, but I think it's rather accomplished. Zinka Milanov was past her prime, but still has a lovely voice and masters the role of Leonora perfectly. She might sound a bit old-fashioned (we get the sense of the regal grand diva singing Leonora, more than the character of Leonora), but it is magnificently so  :). Giuseppe di Stefano still displays his usual beautiful tone, but does appear overparted as Don Alvaro at times. Leonard Warren is simply outstaning in a role which would prove fatal to him in the end (he died onstage singing Don Carlo at the Met some years later  :(). Rosalind Elias, whom I had the chance to see live many, many years ago (unfortunately, in an opera I dislike profoundly—Massenet's Werther, with Alfredo Kraus in the title role) is a very engaging Preziosilla. Fernando Previtali (whom I also experienced live, conducting Turandot in the late 70s  8)) achieves a very well-paced performance, and the dynamics are expertly managed.

Bits like "La Vergine degli angeli", "Solenne in quest'ora", the chorus ("ronda") "Compagni, sostiamo" or the raucous "Lorchè pifferi e tamburi" make La forza... one of Verdi's greatest achievements IMO.

Of course, if you want to hear someone truly inhabiting the role of Leonora, you can't do any better than Callas, still in good voice back in 1954.

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91%2B8dvd-B-L._SL1402_.jpg)

The supporting cast (Tucker, Tagliabue, Nicolai and Rossi-Lemeni) is not quite in her league, but Serafin conducts a thrilling version of the score. I review it on my blog here.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 03, 2018, 04:26:31 PM
Both Callas and Tucker offer sizzling vocal acting in their last act curses: Leonora's aria « Pace, pace » ends with a thrilling  high B flat on the final « Maledizione! » . Tucker (Carlo) is bloodcurdling when he curses the gods after Leonora's death. His own repeated shouts of « Maledizione » are quite something.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 03, 2018, 04:39:05 PM
Quote from: ritter on February 03, 2018, 07:01:32 AM
Good day, John. I cannot see the image you've posted, but I guess you're referring to Duke Bluebeard's Castle. Strangely, when I listen to it, I'm always very impresssed, but I  don't feel drawn to it that often (in the sense that I seldom find myself thinking "It's about time to listen to Bluebeard"), Bartók in general I admire, but I also feel strangely "distant" from.  :-[

Good day night to you, Rafael. :) Bluebeard's Castle was one of those works that just drew me immediately. I've always been drawn to Bartók. His musical language is highly appealing to me. He's also just a fascinating figure in the 20th Century in general.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 04, 2018, 01:21:00 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MbqcOYq9L._SS500.jpg)

(https://img.cdandlp.com/2016/03/imgL/118031300.jpg)

Comparing these two transfers of the famous Lisbon La Traviata is to find that the Warner is much harsher and wirier. It just sounds like a re-hash of the 1997 Callas Edition, which had the same problem. The 1987 version, which was, I believe, remastered by Keith Hardwicke, is much warmer and easier on the ear. If you have it, stick with it.

The performance is a great one and Callas is in marginally fresher voice than she was in London a few months later, but that Covent Garden performance remains my favourite of all Callas's Violettas preserved in sound, one of those rare occasions which transcends mere music making, and takes us out of the opera house to truth itself.

Incidentally, cover art on the two issues above is not quite right. The Warner features a photo taken at Covent Garden, though Callas did wear the same dress in Lisbon, and the EMI features a photo from the 1955 Visconti La Scala production.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on February 04, 2018, 08:17:53 AM
In 6 weeks from now, I will be attending the new production of Verdi's Macbeth at the Opera de Lyon, the closest opera house from where I live.  The distribution

Conductor: Kazushi Ono
Macbeth Evez Abdulla
Banco Riccardo Zanellato
Lady Macbeth Iano Tamar

Staging: Ivo van Hove

It is very rarely staged in France.  So I am listening the 1976 recording led by Claudio Abbado leading the Scala orchestra and a dream cast of singers

[asin]B000001GS3[/asin]

I may eventually buy a DVD of the opera after I see it live in Lyon.  There are many available.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 04, 2018, 05:52:56 PM
Copied from the main thread:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VQ-J9g0dL.jpg)

Completed and premiered in 2012 at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Commisioned by the Festival's Artistic Director, Bernard Foccroulle (better known to most as an outstanding organist), on a text by Martin Crimp. A curious mix of genres, it reminds me of stage works by widely different composers, such as Henze's L'Upupa or Turnage's Greek. A good gramophone opera - there's no real action, merely dialogue. This excellent production provides 2 booklets, including an essay, an interview, a good synopsis and the libretto. There is a short piano and orchestra work by Benjamin as a filler to the second disc (Pierre-Laurent Aymard is the soloist). A rewarding issue.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 05, 2018, 06:08:16 PM
I think it's impossible to remain indifferent to this production of Die Zauberflöte. I couldn't stop watching it.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t5hqh5VxEOU (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t5hqh5VxEOU)

Mozart meets George Lucas meets Teletubbies.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on February 05, 2018, 06:47:06 PM
Quote from: André on February 05, 2018, 06:08:16 PM
I think it's impossible to remain indifferent to this production of Die Zauberflöte. I couldn't stop watching it.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t5hqh5VxEOU (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t5hqh5VxEOU)

Mozart meets George Lucas meets Teletubbies.

OH my goodness I am in love with this production already PLEASE don't post stuff like this when I am supposed to be composing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 05, 2018, 08:15:42 PM
Revisited Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges tonight (the classic Maazel recording) and I remain completely astonished by it. The sense of child-like wonder, rapture, lyricism, and opulence are why I continue to come back to this work. I can't say many operas have this effect on me, but I believe this is truly a work that transcends the genre and really becomes something of it's own entirely.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 05, 2018, 11:02:30 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 05, 2018, 08:15:42 PM
Revisited Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges tonight (the classic Maazel recording) and I remain completely astonished by it. The sense of child-like wonder, rapture, lyricism, and opulence are why I continue to come back to this work. I can't say many operas have this effect on me, but I believe this is truly a work that transcends the genre and really becomes something of it's own entirely.

I'll have to check out the recordings I have of Ravel's operas - both of them, but I'm expecting "L'Enfant" to be the one were my perception may change and evolve, while I think I "got" "L'Heure", basically, upon first listen (though maybe not in its fully glory, but the general idea, the perfection of the music and the typically French "musical speech" and all).

Either way, on Sunday afternoon I caught my first production of La Traviata in Basel, and it was wonderful:

Musikalische Leitung Ansi Verwey
Inszenierung Daniel Kramer
Choreografie Teresa Rotemberg
Bühne Lizzie Clachan
Kostüme Esther Bialas
Licht Charles Balfour
Chor Michael Clark
Dramaturgie Juliane Luster

Violetta Valéry Corinne Winters
Flora Bervoix Kristina Stanek
Annina Anastasia Bickel
Alfredo Germont Pavel Valuzhyn
Giorgio Germont Ivan Inverardi
Gastone Karl-Heinz Brandt
Barone Doupholl Domen Križaj
Marchese d'Obigny José Coca Loza
Dottore Grenvil Andrew Murphy
Giuseppe Matthew Swensen
Domestico di Flora Marco Pobuda
Commissionario Vladimir Vassilev
Chor des Theater Basel
Sinfonieorchester Basel

The production was nicely made, reflection the entire approach which was focused on Violetta in a way that the story was seen through her eyes. The first act and scene two of the second presented worlds full of decadence and glitter, the choir doing all kinds of trampy (not so nasty) things, including some sex games and stuff, but even there the focus remained on Violetta, the mirrors built into the stage reinforced that - it kinda all came back at her, no matter what. In scene one of act two, the same round stage set-up was used, but it was an empty garden this time, with a bed hung from the ceiling and some flowers - including a whole to dig and put in a pot of flowers. The dirt and digging returned for the grim third act scenery which saw Violetta dig her own grave amidst dirty kaputt matrasses that symbolized both the plight of the sex workers and a field of graves.

Corinne Winters was wonderful in the main role, her dark hued voice fit the production and entire approach perfectly well, and she sung with ease - and made use of an amazing pianissimo again and agin, yet always projecting her voice into the faceless modern hall. That hall is too wide to generate the typical 19c opera house sound, which I do love (and am used from the local opera house in Zurich) ... so it took a while to get used to that. The orchestra, too, displayed a great knack for very low-volume playing, the entire production based on lots of piano and pianissimo playing, and it built on that in a very effective manner. It actually got blazingly loud a few times, but somehow I failed to consciously notice the build-ups.

Ansi Verwey, the conductor for several of the nights, is not officially acknowledged by the theatre to do duty there, no pre-announcement, no nothing. Not sure what that is about, but it's pretty disgraceful I find, listing Titus Engel for the entire production run on the website, only printing her name in the line-up leaflet that you get when you buy a programme ... either way, she had the orchestra and singers in check, there were very few spots that lacked a bit of precision, but then she did conduct in a manner mostly devoid of the huge operatic gestures ... I was glad to have a seat on the side from where I could watch her, not just most (80% or more) of the stage (in that respect, the hall is good: there's probably not one seat with a real bad view, of which there are hundreds in the traditional opera houses).

The Germonts were pretty good, Pavel Valuzhyn singing a very lyrical Alfredo, in act one thus he was a bit weak maybe, but his profile got sharper as the play went on. Ivan Inverardi a pretty strong Giorgio Germont (he may not be the most precise of singers, but his voice and stage presence were convincing I found). The minor characters acquitted themselves well, and both choir and orchestra were excellent I found. The Basel SO seems to put up some interesting concerts, too - but it gets a bit too much to travel there regularly and there's so much stuff going on in Zurich that I don't want to miss out on ...

So: full marks for Corinne Winters, near full marks for orchestra and production and the rest of the singers.

And no, I will not check out the Zurich production (I was quickly tempted, but the good among the cheap seats are sold out ...) and I'm actually not worried about missing the Lucerne production (a re-hash of the 2011 Hannover production with Violetta alone on stage). Actually I hesitated to check out *any* "Traviata" on stage as I love the opera so much and don't want to spoil that with mediocricy ... happy that did not happen!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on February 05, 2018, 11:45:50 PM
Quote from: André on February 05, 2018, 06:08:16 PM
I think it’s impossible to remain indifferent to this production of Die Zauberflöte. I couldn’t stop watching it.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t5hqh5VxEOU (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t5hqh5VxEOU)

Mozart meets George Lucas meets Teletubbies.
Definitely not indifferent. I hate it, but will tolerate it if this is what it takes for people to learn about opera. Just too gimmicky for me. I'd be upset if I went to this expecting a 'normal' presentation of the opera. I find the space sounds during the recitatives totally unnecessary.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 06, 2018, 04:58:16 AM
A very different experience, to be sure. The fact that it's sung in the vernacular points to some educational intent. I think it's a resounding success in view of its capacity to grab the attention and transport the listener in a fantasy world (I cracked up when the Three Boys made their entrance - what a hoot !).

Compare this to the « normal » type of production like Rolf Liebermann's:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c0cKnC3UvWU (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c0cKnC3UvWU). Scroll to the Queen of the Night's entrance around 27'30'' and you get a stunning non-event.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ken B on February 06, 2018, 01:23:29 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on February 05, 2018, 11:45:50 PM
Definitely not indifferent. I hate it, but will tolerate it if this is what it takes for people to learn about opera. Just too gimmicky for me. I'd be upset if I went to this expecting a 'normal' presentation of the opera. I find the space sounds during the recitatives totally unnecessary.

I watched part of it. I like the idea of scruffing it up a bit, with such bits of pop culture, because that's what Singspiel was, so I think it that is the sort of thing Wolfie would have liked. Not that I thought all the gimmicks worked or were all thought out. But musically it seemed a second rate performance, and the translation got in the way — maybe only because I know the thing so well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ken B on February 06, 2018, 01:38:31 PM
Quote from: André on February 06, 2018, 04:58:16 AM
A very different experience, to be sure. The fact that it's sung in the vernacular points to some educational intent. I think it's a resounding success in view of its capacity to grab the attention and transport the listener in a fantasy world (I cracked up when the Three Boys made their entrance - what a hoot !).

Compare this to the « normal » type of production like Rolf Liebermann's:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c0cKnC3UvWU (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c0cKnC3UvWU). Scroll to the Queen of the Night's entrance around 27'30'' and you get a stunning non-event.

That was a section I watched. Submitted for your consideration a conventional staging, with Damrau

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YuBeBjqKSGQ (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YuBeBjqKSGQ)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 06, 2018, 03:08:05 PM
Yes, that one is very good. Damrau has owned the part in these past few years.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 06, 2018, 05:20:47 PM
Short of attending an actual performance at the Met, I can only hope its current production of Parsifal will be brought to a theatre near me  :P. Critics are very laudatory, uniformly commending a very strong cast, stunning visuals and great work from the pit.

From the NYT Anthony Tommasini:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/06/arts/music/review-parsifal-met-opera.html?hpw&rref=arts&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/06/arts/music/review-parsifal-met-opera.html?hpw&rref=arts&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well)

From Norman Lebrecht:
https://slippedisc.com/2018/02/yannick-is-the-star-of-mets-parsifal-of-blood/ (https://slippedisc.com/2018/02/yannick-is-the-star-of-mets-parsifal-of-blood/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 06, 2018, 05:31:36 PM
Quote from: king ubu on February 05, 2018, 11:02:30 PMI'll have to check out the recordings I have of Ravel's operas - both of them, but I'm expecting "L'Enfant" to be the one were my perception may change and evolve, while I think I "got" "L'Heure", basically, upon first listen (though maybe not in its fully glory, but the general idea, the perfection of the music and the typically French "musical speech" and all).

L'enfant is an opera that has continued to enthrall me over the years. I didn't enjoy it much upon first-hearing many years ago, but it took me some time to understand it's musical language as there's quite a lot to take in and make sense of. Perhaps other listeners took to it immediately, but I had to work at it a bit, but I remained intrigued by it, so that's one reason why I was so persistent in trying to understand it. L'Heure is a different kettle of fish and, as I mentioned before (or not), I don't know this opera well at all, which I should be slapped for even saying since I consider myself a 'Ravelian'. Hopefully, I'll get to L'Heure over the weekend.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 07, 2018, 01:16:17 PM
Listening to a vintage recording of Mefistofele, one of my favourite Italian operas of the second half of the 19th century:

[asin]B000007O0S[/asin]
I found this for a pittance at the "Club del Amigo del Disco" not far from my home. I already new Giulio Neri's superb portrayal of the title role from his Cetra recording with Ferrucio Tagliavini and Marcella Pobbè, and here he's partnered by the even obscurer Rosetta Noli (who apparently was quite successful as Margherita in the late  40s and early 50s (as I write her character hasn't appeared yet). Faust is Gianni Poggi, the memory of which in a DG recording of Un ballo in maschera under Gavazzeni still makes me shudder. It turns out that here he's quite good and idiomatic, and his tone even pleasant. Helen of Troy is Simona dall'Argine, who has sunk into oblivion, but whose name I remember from a history of opera in Caracas (my hometown when I was younger), where she sang Tosca in the 50s.

The performance under Franco Capuana is in general a bit rough, but very engaging. These forces of the "Milan Opera" must be those of La Scala shorn of their name, presumably for contractual reasons (I say this because the chorus master is Vittore Veneziani, who famously led La Scala's chorus at the time—1952).

What a fascinating figure, Arrigo Boito!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on February 10, 2018, 08:04:45 PM
.
[asin]B00DHCPXB4[/asin]

From this Box-Set:

[asin]B00159679S[/asin]

Wagner: Lohengrin - Jess Thomas,‎ Anja Silja,‎ Astrid Varnay,‎ Ramon Vinay,‎ Franz Crass,‎ Tom Krause; Wolfgang Sawallisch: Chor & Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on February 10, 2018, 09:22:21 PM
Quote from: Undersea on February 10, 2018, 08:04:45 PM
.
[asin]B00DHCPXB4[/asin]

From this Box-Set:



Wagner: Lohengrin - Jess Thomas,‎ Anja Silja,‎ Astrid Varnay,‎ Ramon Vinay,‎ Franz Crass,‎ Tom Krause; Wolfgang Sawallisch: Chor & Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele

Did you like it?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on February 10, 2018, 09:48:57 PM
Quote from: anothername on February 10, 2018, 09:22:21 PM
Did you like it?

Hello there - sure, I'm liking it! (still listening ATM; replaying the 1st Disc of the work). :)
Been on a bit of a Wagner binge this week. I only heard the work Lohengrin once before..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 12, 2018, 01:11:16 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 07, 2018, 01:16:17 PM
Listening to a vintage recording of Mefistofele, one of my favourite Italian operas of the second half of the 19th century:

[asin]B000007O0S[/asin]
I found this for a pittance at the "Club del Amigo del Disco" not far from my home. I already new Giulio Neri's superb portrayal of the title role from his Cetra recording with Ferrucio Tagliavini and Marcella Pobbè, and here he's partnered by the even obscurer Rosetta Noli (who apparently was quite successful as Margherita in the late  40s and early 50s (as I write her character hasn't appeared yet). Faust is Gianni Poggi, the memory of which in a DG recording of Un ballo in maschera under Gavazzeni still makes me shudder. It turns out that here he's quite good and idiomatic, and his tone even pleasant. Helen of Troy is Simona dall'Argine, who has sunk into oblivion, but whose name I remember from a history of opera in Caracas (my hometown when I was younger), where she sang Tosca in the 50s.

The performance under Franco Capuana is in general a bit rough, but very engaging. These forces of the "Milan Opera" must be those of La Scala shorn of their name, presumably for contractual reasons (I say this because the chorus master is Vittore Veneziani, who famously led La Scala's chorus at the time—1952).

What a fascinating figure, Arrigo Boito!

Thanks for sharing your impressions!

I've got Serafin (Tebaldi), Rudel (Caballé) and de Fabritiis (Freni) around, haven't listened to Serafin yet ... the fact that I'm listing the sopranos is that I so much love "L'altra notte in fondo al mare" ... and I guess there, Caballé is my winner (generally, of the three, Freni would be my favourite I think ... but Tebaldi too, depending a bit on composers/parts).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 12, 2018, 03:08:08 AM
Quote from: king ubu on February 12, 2018, 01:11:16 AM
Thanks for sharing your impressions!

I've got Serafin (Tebaldi), Rudel (Caballé) and de Fabritiis (Freni) around, haven't listened to Serafin yet ... the fact that I'm listing the sopranos is that I so much love "L'altra notte in fondo al mare" ... and I guess there, Caballé is my winner (generally, of the three, Freni would be my favourite I think ... but Tebaldi too, depending a bit on composers/parts).
Thanks, king ubu! Great to see someone shares my enthusiasm for Mefistofele. I own the old Angelo Questa recording on Cetra (with Marcella Pobbè, an excellent Margherita), the Oliviero de Fabritiis with Freni, the live Muti from La Scala on RCA (with the harshly treated Michèle Crider), and now this Capuana set. Overall, I think the Angelo Questa is the best (having Ferruccio Tagliavini as Faust is an added bonus). Rosetta Noli sounds a bit soubrettish in the higher register, but then her voice gains weight in the lower notes. Not the best Margherita ever, but still, a quite accomplished performance.

Not only "L'altra notte...", but the whole of Act III is marvelous: those hesitant orchestral phrases after the aria, and before Faust's exhortation to Mefistofele "Salvala!", the beautiful duet "Lontano, lontano...", Margherita's "Spunta l'aurora pallida" and the final celestial chorus. As good as opera gets IMHO!  :)

I should check out the Serafin (not a great fan of Mario del Monaco, I must confess, but in general Tebaldi is considered a great exponent of her role), and also the first recording ever (from 1930), with that wonderful soprano Mafalda Favero.

Cheers,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on February 12, 2018, 03:23:40 AM
(https://s6.postimg.org/mscfakgi9/jonas_parsifal.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 12, 2018, 07:56:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51iOWgnbQlL.jpg)

Adolphe Adam's Le toréador. Review in the WAYLT thread.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 13, 2018, 03:33:18 AM
(https://www.europadisc.co.uk/images/products-190/1502882448_9029584466.jpg)

It's a great shame the La Scala performance of the previous year (with Corelli and Bastianini) was never recorded, so this Carnegie Hall concert will have to do.

Though hardness and stridency afflicts some of her top notes, Callas is still a great singer and a great Bellinian stylist. Unfortunately Ferraro or Ego are really no more than adequate. None the less I am happy that we have this one recording of Callas in her penultimate creation.

The sound on this Warner issue is a marked improvement on the murky EMI release.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 14, 2018, 09:27:47 AM
Revisiting the complete Act IV of Pietro Mascagni's Parisina:

[asin]B01BFE0EZA[/asin]

Parisina has nothing to do with the crude verismo of Cavalleria rusticana, the pastoral atmosphere of L'amico Fritz or the florid orientalism of Iris (just to mention the composer's best known operas). This is an ambitious (over-ambitious?) and overlong medieval tragedy by Gabriele d'Annunzio (a companion to the poet's Francesca da Rimini, set to music by Riccardo Zandonai). Mascagni apparently said he'd set "even the commas" of d'Annunzio's text to music, and the result is a work that lasted 3 hours and forty minutes. On the second performance in 1913, the composer decided to suppress the fourth act completely, but still the opera has had very little circulation since then.

It is a very interesting piece, and the composer tries to adopt a much more refined musical language, with a superb orchestration. The opera's tone is one of almost incessant exaltation (in line with text), and accomplished as it is, this is also a weakness IMHO. Still, I think this is a noble effort, worth exploring, and represents Mascagni at the top of his craft (which one could argue isn't saying much).

Gianadrea Gavazzeni, who was an ardent defender of the opera in print and in the pit in post-WWII Italy, leads a impassioned performance of this fourth act, with his wife Denia Mazzola in the title role. She went on to record the whole opera (shorn of this fourth act, and apparently with assorted cuts here and there) in Montpellier for Actes Sud, and is in better form there than in this concert from the Maggio Musicale. There's also a recording of the four act opera under Gavazzeni, in an abridged edition of his own, live from Rome in 1978 on Bongiovanni (which I'm tempted to seek out).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on February 15, 2018, 11:20:21 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nO46Zht7L.jpg)

From The Metropolitan, 18.01.1956, in quite spectacularly good sound for its day and age.

Gorgeously sung by Della Casa, Gueden and Edelmann in top form as well. Slight reservations over Rise Stevens' somewhat matronly Octavian. Very well played and balanced Met orchestra under Kempe. A fine performance overall. Worth hearing.

I've been streaming it, but it also can be sampled (in its entirety) via youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDdZMcLkr-c
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on February 17, 2018, 11:26:59 PM
.
[asin]B00159679S[/asin]

Wagner: Tannhäuser, WWV 70 - Wolfgang Windgassen, Etc.; Wolfgang Sawallisch: Chor & Orchester Der Bayreuther Festspiele


Only the 2nd time I have listened to this work - I loved it!.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on February 18, 2018, 02:55:15 AM
(https://s6.postimg.org/tb8suima9/cosi_tekanawa.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Lombard conducting Cosi fan Tutte,
Delightful singing by the ladies.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on February 18, 2018, 03:45:06 AM
.
[asin]B0000041Q2[/asin]

Verdi: Rigoletto - Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Etc.; Richard Bonynge: London Symphony Orchestra


Good, as you would expect, but (in my copy at least) a fair bit of distortion in the louder moments.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 18, 2018, 05:01:51 AM
Quote from: anothername on February 18, 2018, 02:55:15 AM
(https://s6.postimg.org/tb8suima9/cosi_tekanawa.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Lombard conducting Cosi fan Tutte,
Delightful singing by the ladies.

I have to chuckle at how much larger their names are than the gentlemen's, and that the Alfonso gets first billing in the XY group.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on February 18, 2018, 11:23:42 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on February 18, 2018, 05:01:51 AM
I have to chuckle at how much larger their names are than the gentlemen's, and that the Alfonso gets first billing in the XY group.  :D

I think it's pure marketing.  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on February 23, 2018, 01:23:46 AM
(https://s19.postimg.org/8ubdu6po3/verdioperaswarnerbest2hrs.jpg)

Verdi: Macbeth - Sherrill Milnes, Fiorenza Cossotto, Ruggero Raimondi, José Carreras; Riccardo Muti: Ambrosian Opera Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra

Enjoyable work - No complaints about the performance from the pictured Box-Set
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 24, 2018, 08:21:11 AM
Cross-posted from the WAYLTN thread:

Quote from: ritter on February 24, 2018, 08:17:43 AM
Still (re)exploring obscure works of the Italian operatic novecento:

(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/069/MI0001069949.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

I have long admired Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini, which imho contrins some of the best pages of any Italian opera of this (or any) period. I cavalieri di Ekebù is more uneven, while the subject matter (based on Nobel prize winner Selma Lagerlöf's novel Gösta Berling's Saga) is less appealing to me, and it also permits Zandonai  to occasionally lapse into verismo-ish clichés and crudeness. Still, the harmonic treatment of the orchestra is interesting and sometimes daring, and the piece overall is a fun operatic show.

The 1983 performance is lovingly and expertly led by Gianandrea Gavazzeni, and the vocalists are all fine. Fiorenza Cossotto is past her prime, but puts her experience to use in the role of Commandante.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on February 25, 2018, 12:03:36 AM
(https://s19.postimg.org/3qbfl98lv/gilbertsullivanhmspinaforebest2hrs.jpg)

Gilbert & Sullivan: H.M.S. Pinafore - Richard Suart, Thomas Allen, Etc. Charles Mackerras: Chorus & Orchestra Of The Welsh National Opera

Just a (probably not too interesting) aside about this recording - It's part of a Box-Set which I purchased back in 2011 and I am only now listening to it for the 1st time. :-[
It was a pretty enjoyable Disc - I must listen to the rest of the Set soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on February 25, 2018, 11:58:13 PM
(https://s19.postimg.org/asb7cy08z/gilbertsullivanthemikadobest2hrs.jpg)

Gilbert & Sullivan: The Mikado - Donald Adams, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Etc.; Charles Mackerras: Chorus & Orchestra Of The Welsh National Opera

From:

[asin]B00000JN9N[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 26, 2018, 03:02:37 AM
Zurich Opera – 24 February 2018

La scala di seta

Farsa comica in einem Akt von Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
Libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa

Musical director Ottavio Dantone
Producer Damiano Michieletto
Stage and costume design Paolo Fantin
Lighting designer Elfried Roller

Giulia Sen Guo
Lucilla Deniz Uzun
Dorvil Edgardo Rocha
Germano Elliot Madore
Blansac Carlo Lepore
Dormont Martin Zysset

Philharmonia Zürich
Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich

Caught the final night of this 2011 production (initially run at the Pesaro Rossini festival and then a few weeks later in Winterthur, and I guess re-run in the 2012/13 season in Zurich - that's how the Winterthur productions are handled now at least).

This is a very effective piece, where play and music fall together nicely. The music keeps to be surprising, the horns (oboes, clarinets) have lots of work indeed. The orchestra was of small size, with a harpsichord accompanying the recitatives ... Dantone did a fine job, so did the singers. Never heard Guo in such a big role yet, but she sang very well, and acted accordingly, too, yet she's no charismatic stage animal persona (not really needed for Giulia I think, but Deniz Uzun - I love her voice! - was more effective in her smaller part). The entire ensemble was very well cast, the production itself suited the play very well, too.

So, not a breathtaking night, but a very, very nice one ... would love to be able to hear more of this rarely played repertoire, and if done at this level, it's definitely an enriching thing!

Dantone will also conduct a new production of "L'incoronazione di Poppea" in June/July - with the HIP ensemble then, and with a terrific cast, too:
https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/lincoronazione-di-poppea/season_11232/
Also, in March his Accademia Bizantina and Delphine Galou (who'll sing the part of Ottone in "L'incoronazione") will give a concert at Tonhalle-Maag ... got tickets for both already  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 26, 2018, 12:59:53 PM
More post-Verdian opera...

Over the weekend, this old recording of the cloak-and-dagger opera par excellence, La Gioconda:

[asin]B0001NPUO2[/asin]
The performance is utterly undistinguished, but has a quaint charm to it. As curiosities, this is one of the few recordings of Fernando Corena in a non-buffo role (he's Alvise), and the recording omits the opera's most famous page, the Dance of the Hours (not that I miss it).

And now, Act III of this classic recording of Mefistofele (hat tip to king ubu ):

[asin]B00000421J[/asin]
I got this for a pittance (used, from an Amazon MP seller) and it is as fantastic as expected, with Tebaldi outstanding as Margherita, and del Monaco more restrained (and therefore, more enjoyable) than usual. Siepi in the title role (the set's raison d'être) has little to do in this act, but I'll listen to the whole opera sometime soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 26, 2018, 09:10:12 PM
Definitely on the menu for rediscovery (at some point --- not anytime soon):

(https://img.discogs.com/vrO-FD3hqtYpstUZQ9djP43guys=/fit-in/600x530/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3310910-1325194514.jpeg.jpg)

I've only heard this opera once. I own the Dervaux recording, but it's in mono and I prefer stereo so it seems that Nagano is the one I'll be revisiting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2018, 10:46:54 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 26, 2018, 09:10:12 PM
Definitely on the menu for rediscovery (at some point --- not anytime soon):

(https://img.discogs.com/vrO-FD3hqtYpstUZQ9djP43guys=/fit-in/600x530/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3310910-1325194514.jpeg.jpg)

I've only heard this opera once. I own the Dervaux recording, but it's in mono and I prefer stereo so it seems that Nagano is the one I'll be revisiting.

I don't have a problem with old mono recordings, and the Dervaux, with many of the singers from the first French performance (it was premiered at La Scala in Italian translation) can claim a certain authenticity.

However, though I've never heard it, I remember the Nagano getting a very good press. I'm sure you can't go wrong.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 27, 2018, 12:12:56 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 26, 2018, 12:59:53 PM
... Mefistofele (hat tip to king ubu ):

[asin]B00000421J[/asin]
I got this for a pittance (used, from an Amazon MP seller) and it is as fantastic as expected, with Tebaldi outstanding as Margherita, and del Monaco more restrained (and therefore, more enjoyable) than usual. Siepi in the title role (the set's raison d'être) has little to do in this act, but I'll listen to the whole opera sometime soon.

will have to check it out soon ... but next up I'll expose myself to three hours of Mozart and five hours of ol' Dickie and his fantasy crap (hat tip to giocar and to you, too, I guess  ;) )

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/idomeneo/season_11232/
https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/parsifal/season_11232/

Got a decent seat for "Parsifal", front row on the upper balcony, but not the first (stretching legs and all that) but the second one, alas ... for "Idomeneo" I might hear more than I see, but that's fine, the production seems to be pretty bland but the music all the better (Antonini, after all!)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 27, 2018, 02:20:57 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2018, 10:46:54 PM
I don't have a problem with old mono recordings, and the Dervaux, with many of the singers from the first French performance (it was premiered at La Scala in Italian translation) can claim a certain authenticity.

However, though I've never heard it, I remember the Nagano getting a very good press. I'm sure you can't go wrong.

I like both recordings, though if I had to pick one, I'd go with the earlier one. The newer one, in addition to modern sound, also restores the cuts made in the earlier one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 28, 2018, 02:44:53 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81cWOAVsEnL._SY355_.jpg)

Callas's return to La Scala after a two and a half year hiatus (her entrance provokes a prolonged bout of applause, which literally stops the show).

It is evident from the outset that Callas is treading cautiously, but, even so, her musical and dramatic instincts are unparallelled. Though the voice is obviously past its best, she continually illuminates the vocal line. Corelli is in splendid form, a noble presence in the title role. Bastianini and Zaccaria are also in fine form, and this was, in every way, a starry night in the theatre.

Just as a postscript, the production was originally to have been directed by Visconti, but he pulled out in protest after a play he produced was censored by the government. He was replaced by Herbert Graf, who had directed Callas's official La Scala debut in I Verspri Siciliani exactly nine years before.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on March 03, 2018, 08:36:58 PM
Now playing:

[asin]B000001GXS[/asin]

From:

(https://s19.postimg.org/j7z100977/wagneroperasbayreuthbest2hrs.jpg)

Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde, WWV 90 - Wolfgang Windgassen, Birgit Nillsson, Etc.; Karl Böhm:  Bayreuth Festival Chorus & Orchestra


Well that's this afternoon's listening sorted - top stuff. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on March 03, 2018, 09:27:26 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/aovK3un.jpg?1)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on March 04, 2018, 10:00:56 PM
Now playing:

[asin]B00DJ1T46I[/asin]

From:

(https://s19.postimg.org/srsxi06kz/verdioperasdomingobest3hrs.jpg)

Verdi: Il Trovatore - Leontyne Price, Plácido Domingo, Etc.; Zubin Mehta: Ambrosian Opera Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra

Great recording ;) - I'll seeyou guys later; enjoy your listening. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 05, 2018, 06:03:54 PM
Quote from: Undersea on March 04, 2018, 10:00:56 PM
Now playing:

[asin]B00DJ1T46I[/asin]

From:

(https://s19.postimg.org/srsxi06kz/verdioperasdomingobest3hrs.jpg)

Verdi: Il Trovatore - Leontyne Price, Plácido Domingo, Etc.; Zubin Mehta: Ambrosian Opera Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra

Great recording ;) - I'll seeyou guys next weekend; enjoy your listening. :)

Great recording from a great set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on March 06, 2018, 06:08:41 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 05, 2018, 06:03:54 PM
Great recording from a great set.

It's a good set for sure - you own the Box too right Jeffrey?.
Hard to go wrong with Plácido. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 07, 2018, 12:13:13 AM
First listen to the first-ever complete recording of Puccini's Turandot:

[asin]B0001XPYK2[/asin]

The sound is surprisingly good for the recording's vintage (1938), and actually better than that of some Cetra recordings of 15 years later. The star of the recording is Gina Cigna, who has all the power and top note for the fiendishly difficult title role, but also displays a vulnerability which makes the character much more interesting (and is absent IMO from the "viking" sopranos that dominated the field after WW2). Magda Olivero is a fine Liù, but sounds almost soubrettish (this is before her retirement in 1941--when she reappeared after a 10-year hiatus, her voice had become richer and more expressive). Franceso Merli, one of the leading Italian tenors of the time, is a strong Calaf. Chorus and orchestra are not world-class, but perform with enthusiasm and conviction under conductor Franco Ghione.

A very successful recording IMHO.

Listening to this after having read Rubens Tedeschi's book on late 19th and early 20th century opera, I tend to agree with his notion that the inclusion of the character of Liù (absent from Carlo Gozzi's play) is an attempt to add the standard puccinian "sacrificial virgin" heroine to a plot that really doesn't need it (even if some of her music is lovely), and IMO the lachrymose and saccharine components she introduces are the low and most conventional points of the score. As a result, the dilemma of finding a suitable ending for the opera--after the death of Liù in Act 3--seemed inevitable. I have recently ordered the only more or less readily available (even if it's OOP) recording of Franco Alfano's complete, unabridged ending (with Josephine Barstow under John Mauceri), and it might be interesting to listen to the complete Alfano, shortened (by Toscanini) "standard" Alfano, and Luciano Berio endings in succession.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mahlerian on March 07, 2018, 06:56:09 AM
Berg: Wozzeck
Franz Grundheber, Hildegard Behrens, Vienna Philharmonic, cond. Abbado
[asin]B0000B09Z4[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 08, 2018, 02:12:23 AM
This recording of La forza del destino (one of only a handful of Verdi operas I really like) landed yesterday, and I've listened to Acts 1 & 2:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71q0txbkO7L._SL1096_.jpg)

Even if made in one of Italy's great opera houses, there's very few star names in the cast (I had never even heard of the lead tenor, the mezzo or the conductor). Carlo Menippo as Alvaro is serviceable, but not much more than that, and Franca Mattiucci is an engaging Preziosilla. The performance is conducted with vigour but little finesse by Pasquale de Angelis. But then you have Elena Souliotis in her (brief) prime, and...wow! Her Leonora is really fantastic. She might not been in full control of her instrument, but uses it so generously (recklessly?) that one can only admire her commitment, and the resulting portrayal is tremendous. An ardent, passionate portrayal (the complete opposite of the regal, grand Zinka Milanov in her late studio recording I was listening to some time ago). The audience goes wild with enthusiasm after every apparence of Mme. Souliotis, and it's easy to understand why. She might have destroyed her voice within 5 years, but with nights like the one preserved in this recording, one would say it was worth it. Great, great fun!



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 08, 2018, 08:50:07 PM
I didn't want to open the Pelléas et Mélisande thread since this particular thread gets much more traffic, but I have a question for you guys, what do you think of Haitink's account on Naive with Otter et. al.? Rafael (ritter)? Do you have any particular favorites in this opera? I own Abbado, Jordan, and Boulez (my personal favorite right now). Thanks in advance!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on March 08, 2018, 09:38:26 PM
Quote from: ritter on March 08, 2018, 02:12:23 AM
This recording of La forza del destino (one of only a handful of Verdi operas I really like) landed yesterday, and I've listened to Acts 1 & 2:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71q0txbkO7L._SL1096_.jpg)

Even if made in one of Italy's great opera houses, there's very few star names in the cast (I had never even heard of the lead tenor, the mezzo or the conductor). Carlo Menippo as Alvaro is serviceable, but not much more than that, and Franca Mattiucci is an engaging Preziosilla. The performance is conducted with vigour but little finesse by Pasquale de Angelis. But then you have Elena Souliotis in her (brief) prime, and...wow! Her Leonora is really fantastic. She might not been in full control of her instrument, but uses it so generously (recklessly?) that one can only admire her commitment, and the resulting portrayal is tremendous. An ardent, passionate portrayal (the complete opposite of the regal, grand Zinka Milanov in her late studio recording I was listening to some time ago). The audience goes wild with enthusiasm after every apparence of Mme. Souliotis, and it's easy to understand why. She might have destroyed her voice within 5 years, but with nights like the one preserved in this recording, one would say it was worth it. Great, great fun!
This one is bloody expensive,  you can get it for next to nothing  sounding just as good on a live CD shop.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 08, 2018, 10:00:49 PM
Quote from: anothername on March 08, 2018, 09:38:26 PM
This one is bloody expensive,  you can get it for next to nothing  sounding just as good on a live CD shop.
It's available on Berkshire.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 09, 2018, 12:00:51 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 08, 2018, 08:50:07 PM
I didn't want to open the Pelléas et Mélisande thread since this particular thread gets much more traffic, but I have a question for you guys, what do you think of Haitink's account on Naive with Otter et. al.? Rafael (ritter)? Do you have any particular favorites in this opera? I own Abbado, Jordan, and Boulez (my personal favorite right now). Thanks in advance!
IIRC, I have the following in my collection (N.B.: The performers between brackets are for the roles pf Pelléas, Mélisande and Golaud, followed by the orchestra, the dates are those in which the recordings were made, and the labels the ones of the releases I own):


- Roger Désormière (Jansen / Joachim / Etchevérry - Conservatoire) - Andante 1941
- Emil Cooper (Singher / Sayão / Tibbett - Metrpolitan Opera) - Naxos 1945
- D.-E. Inghelbrecht (Maurane / Danco / Etchéverry - Philharmonia) - Testament 1951
- D.-E. Inghelbrecht (Jansen/ Grancher / Roux - Orchestre National) - Disques Montaigne 1962
- Vittorio Gui (Wilbrink / Duval / Roux - Royal Philarmonc) - Glyndebourne 1963
- Pierre Boulez (Shirley / Söderström / McIntyre - Royal Opera House) - Sony 1970
- Armin Jordan (Tappy / Yakar / Huttenlocher - Monte-Carlo) - Warner 1979 (from the big box, and still unlistened to  :-[)
- Claudio Abbado (Le Roux / Ewing / van Dam - Vienna Philharmonic) - Deutsche Grammophon 1990 (from the "old" big box)
- Pierre Boulez (Hagley / Archer / Maxwell - Welsh National Opera) - Deutsche Grammophon DVD 1992

They all have something nice to offer (well, at least those I've listened to - I should pull out the Jordan sometime soon). The 1970 Boulez was my first, and remains a favourite, as I see it as a very coherent effort, which also shows it is based on a run of live performances in London at the time). Bidù Sayão is a lovely Mélisande in the Cooper set on Naxos, but the sound of the 1945 broadcast from the MET is poor, as you'd expect. The best all-round performance, though, remains IMO the legendary 1941 under Désormière. You must make allowances for the vintage sound (it was a studio recording in occupied Paris in 1941), but the intimacy, the clarity of the text that are achieved are stunning, and all the lead singers are excellent in their roles. I got it first in a super-budget release on Documents which was terrible (it sounded as if they had set a microphone next to a 78-rpm record player and transferred that to CD), but then got hold of a used copy of the lavish release on the now defunct Andante label, and things improved tremendously. I haven't listened to any of the various EMI releases of the set. As you can see, the Andante issue includes extracts from earlier recordings of the opera.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31NTGXVV9CL.jpg) (https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-56676699049927/das-rheingold-bodanzky-schorr-maison-2-guild-2221-22-18.jpg)
One of the great opera recordings of all time IMHO.

Our fellow GMGer Dancing Divertimentian had excellent things to say about the recording led by Serge Baudo on RCA (OOP), but I haven't got round to buying that set (do I really need a 10th recording of the work?  ;)).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on March 09, 2018, 03:10:56 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 08, 2018, 10:00:49 PM
It's available on Berkshire.

(https://i.imgur.com/Y2YPwpp.jpg)
This one suits me fine.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 09, 2018, 06:20:44 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 09, 2018, 12:00:51 AM
IIRC, I have the following in my collection (N.B.: The performers between brackets are for the roles pf Pelléas, Mélisande and Golaud, followed by the orchestra, the dates are those in which the recordings were made, and the labels the ones of the releases I own):


- Roger Désormière (Jansen / Joachim / Etchevérry - Conservatoire) - Andante 1941
- Emil Cooper (Singher / Sayão / Tibbett - Metrpolitan Opera) - Naxos 1945
- D.-E. Inghelbrecht (Maurane / Danco / Etchéverry / Philharmonia) - Testament 1951
- D.-E. Inghelbrecht (Jansen/ Grancher / Roux / Orchestre National) - Disques Montaigne 1962
- Vittorio Gui (Wilbrink / Duval / Roux - Royal Philarmonc) - Glyndebourne 1963
- Pierre Boulez (Shirley / Söderström / McIntyre - Royal Opera House) - Sony 1970
- Armin Jordan (Tappy / Yakar / Huttenlocher - Monte-Carlo) - Warner 1979 (from the big box, and still unlistened to  :-[)
- Claudio Abbado (Le Roux / Ewing / van Dam - Vienna Philharmonic) - Deutsche Grammophon 1990 (from the "old" big box)
- Pierre Boulez (Hagley / Archer / Maxwell - Welsh National Opera) - Deutsche Grammophon DVD 1992

They all have something nice to offer (well, at least those I've listened to - I should pull out the Jordan sometime soon). The 1970 Boulez was my first, and remains a favourite, as I see it as a very coherent effort, which also shows it is based on a run of live performances in London at the time). Bidù Sayão is a lovely Mélisande in the Cooper set on Naxos, but the sound of the 1945 broadcast from the MET is poor, as you'd expect. The best all-round performance, though, remains IMO the legendary 1941 under Désormière. You must make allowances for the vintage sound (it was a studio recording in occupied Paris in 1941), but the intimacy, the clarity of the text that are achieved are stunning, and all the lead singers are excellent in their roles. I got it first in a super-budget release on Documents which was terrible (it sounded as if they had set a microphone next to a 78-rpm record player and transferred that to CD), but then got hold of a used copy of the lavish release on the now defunct Andante label, and things improved tremendously. I haven't listened to any of the various EMI releases of the set. As you can see, the Andante issue includes extracts from earlier recordings of the opera.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31NTGXVV9CL.jpg) (https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-56676699049927/das-rheingold-bodanzky-schorr-maison-2-guild-2221-22-18.jpg)
One of the great opera recordings of all time IMHO.

Our fellow GMGer Dancing Divertimentian had excellent things to say about the recording led by Serge Baudo on RCA (OOP), but I haven't got round to buying that set (do I really need a 10th recording of the work?  ;)).

Wow, thanks for this feeback, Rafael! A pleasure to read for sure. I do have a question: have you heard either Haitink's or Ansermet's Pelléas recordings? I'm certainly in agreement with you about the Boulez right now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 09, 2018, 09:21:13 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image link=topic=26890.msg1132896#msg11 :)32896 date=1520608844
Wow, thanks for this feeback, Rafael! A pleasure to read for sure.
Mais je vous en prie, cher ami.  :)
QuoteI do have a question: have you heard either Haitink's or Ansermet's Pelléas recordings?
Hélas, neither one nor the other. Haitink has Anne Sophie von Otter as Mélisande, a great artist with a not so great voice IMO, and the Dutchman is a conductor I've never really "digged" (for no particular reason, even if I saw  him live once leading a very satisfactory Das Rheingold at Covent Garden).

AFAIK, there's two recordings led by Ansermet (one in mono with Suzanne Danco—who's already present in my collection in one of the Inghelbrecht sets—and Perre Mollet, and one in stereo with Erna Spoorenberg and Camille Maurane—who also appears in that same Inghelbrecht recording on Testament). I really have lost all enthusiasm for Ansermet in recent years, as I increasingly find his recordings dry and uninteresting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 09, 2018, 11:26:21 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 08, 2018, 02:12:23 AM
This recording of La forza del destino (one of only a handful of Verdi operas I really like) landed yesterday, and I've listened to Acts 1 & 2:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71q0txbkO7L._SL1096_.jpg)

Even if made in one of Italy's great opera houses, there's very few star names in the cast (I had never even heard of the lead tenor, the mezzo or the conductor). Carlo Menippo as Alvaro is serviceable, but not much more than that, and Franca Mattiucci is an engaging Preziosilla. The performance is conducted with vigour but little finesse by Pasquale de Angelis. But then you have Elena Souliotis in her (brief) prime, and...wow! Her Leonora is really fantastic. She might not been in full control of her instrument, but uses it so generously (recklessly?) that one can only admire her commitment, and the resulting portrayal is tremendous. An ardent, passionate portrayal (the complete opposite of the regal, grand Zinka Milanov in her late studio recording I was listening to some time ago). The audience goes wild with enthusiasm after every apparence of Mme. Souliotis, and it's easy to understand why. She might have destroyed her voice within 5 years, but with nights like the one preserved in this recording, one would say it was worth it. Great, great fun!
Listened to the remainder of the opera today. Unfortunately, the once "standard" cuts in Act 3 (the ronda "Compagni, sostiamo"—Verdi at his best IMHO—and the "Sleale" duet) are not lifted. The Preziosilla manages her big scene in Act 3 very well (even if there's some minor intonation problems in the vocalises of "Rataplan!". Mario Sereni is a solid Don Carlo throughout the whole opera, with commendable attention to the pronunciation of the text, the tenor gets worse and more strained as the opera progresses, and Suliotis's Leonora is impressive throughout, managing to simultaneously convey youth, ardor and frailty with a voice that in those years was beautiful, flexible and potent. The death of her character is very touching. All in all, an exciting performance, and an invaluable document of a flawed but fascinating singer in her best moment.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 09, 2018, 02:11:32 PM
I have both of Ansermet's Pelléas recordings and prefer the first one by a fair margin. It is exceptional in its directness and intimacy (the oppposite of the Karajan on EMI). That being said, the stereo recording is very good, simply less verbally specific than the older one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Baron Scarpia on March 09, 2018, 02:24:28 PM
Quote from: ritter on March 09, 2018, 09:21:13 AMI really have lost all enthusiasm for Ansermet in recent years, as I increasingly find his recordings dry and uninteresting.

I have had the exact opposite trajectory. I used to dismiss him, but recently find his work refreshingly colorful, both in the area he is traditionally associated with, and in more mainstream repertoire, like Brahms. Looking forward to hearing his Beethoven.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on March 09, 2018, 06:23:28 PM
Quote from: ritter on March 09, 2018, 09:21:13 AM
Haitink has Anne Sophie von Otter as Mélisande, a great artist with a not so great voice IMO...

Von Otter has a GREAT voice...only I'm not so keen on her Melisande. Not flighty/exotic enough. Haitink's conducting is very fine, though, as is Abbado's (I have both).

However, for great conducting, great sound, and great singing, my go-to is still Baudo. OOP, but still available secondhand.



(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dvpxfZiML.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on March 09, 2018, 06:45:55 PM
Quote from: ritter on March 09, 2018, 09:21:13 AM
I really have lost all enthusiasm for Ansermet in recent years, as I increasingly find his recordings dry and uninteresting.

Here we agree, ritter. Ansermet as the last word in French repertoire doesn't do it for me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 09, 2018, 07:11:59 PM
Thanks Rafael, Dancing Divertimentian, and Andre for your input regarding Debussy's Pelléas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: arpeggio on March 09, 2018, 07:27:54 PM
Please forgive me for being redundant but I am going nuts listening to this album.  For me, this is some of the best Carter I have ever heard.

[asin]B072K3PLCX[/asin]

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 09, 2018, 07:33:21 PM
Quote from: arpeggio on March 09, 2018, 07:27:54 PM
Please forgive me for being redundant but I am going nuts listening to this album.  For me, this is some of the best Carter I have ever heard.

[asin]B072K3PLCX[/asin]

Wrong thread, arpeggio! :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 11, 2018, 08:51:25 AM
I'm making the point of listening to all the (recorded) operas with libretti by (or based on) Gabriele d'Annunzio. Pizzetti's Fedra is one of the first. I already new the piece from a recording of a RAI broadcast under Nino Sanzogno (on Opera d'Oro), and purchased this more modern recording last week. Unfortunately, neither one of the releases has a libretto, and I can't locate it online. Hence, I've ordered the  complete 1940s Mondadori edition of il Vate's plays.

[asin]B0037B0UV8[/asin]
The prelude to this opera is quite something, and so far it he opera itself sounds very attractive (and it's miles away from the typical Italian opera of the time—or from the decades preceding it, for that matter).

So over the course of the coming months I'll be listening to Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini, Mascagni's Parisina (a fascinating piece IMHO, but the two recordings I own are abridged and cut—I'll need to order the almost complete 1976 RAI broadcast from a provider of live opera performances), La Figlia di Iorio (Franchetti's is available from another live opera setup, and Pizzetti's later version I already have in a GOP release under the composer), and Montemezzi's La nave (the 2012 performance by NYC's Teatro Grattacielo can also be bought from one of those sites). And of course, Debussy's Le martyre de Saint Sébastien will have an outing as well (I suppose in the Cluytens version, which is closest to the work's original conception).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2018, 01:49:30 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 11, 2018, 08:51:25 AM
And of course, Debussy's Le martyre de Saint Sébastien will have an outing as well (I suppose in the Cluytens version, which is closest to the work's original conception).

I'm a little confused about this Cluytens version. There is no mention of any Cluytens recording on Wikipedia, and I can't find it on Amazon either.

According to Wikipedia

QuoteThe work has been recorded several times, in abridged format or with the symphonic music only. The orchestral version, arranged by Caplet, is generally described as Fragments symphoniques, and was published in 1912. Conductors who have recorded this version have included Jean Martinon, Daniel Barenboim and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
In 1953 the first full recording appeared, by the Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, with soloists Frances Yeend and Miriam Stewart, sopranos, and Anna Kaskas, contralto, conducted by Victor Alessandro.
In the same year almost the complete score was recorded for Decca by Suzanne Danco, Nancy Waugh, Lise de Montmollin, Union Chorale de la Tour-de-Peilz (Chorus master Robert Mermoud), and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Ernest Ansermet; digital remastering at Naxos. In the 1960s, Leonard Bernstein adapted the text and recorded the work with his wife, Felicia Montealegre, in the role of Sebastian, and the actor Fritz Weaver as narrator and assuming other speaking roles, with the New York Philharmonic, along with Adele Addison, Virginia Babikian, Marlena Kleinman, Joanna Simon, and The Choral Art Society. The work was given with Bernstein's English-language translation of the D'Annunzio text, with some added narration.
In 1991 it was recorded digitally with soloists Ann Murray, Sylvia McNair, Nathalie Stutzmann, narrator Leslie Caron and the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. In 2011 Thierry Fischer, conducting the BBC National Chorus and Orchestra of Wales, recorded the complete score. According to the CD booklet, the latter recording uses the "definitive scholarly version" of the score by Durand (2009), edited by Pierre Boulez and Eko Kasaba.

I have the Tilson Thomas version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 12, 2018, 02:38:39 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2018, 01:49:30 AM
I'm a little confused about this Cluytens version. There is no mention of any Cluytens recording on Wikipedia, and I can't find it on Amazon either.
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2016/07/imgL/118237486.jpg)

The Cluytens recording of Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien was made in 1952, following--IIRC--a staged performance of the mystère at the Fourvière Roman theatre in Lyons, produced by actress Véra Korène (who performs the Saint in the recording). It was issued by French Columbia on 3 LPs.

It's different from all other recordings of the piece because, instead of having a narrator--the "standard" narration used in most recordings is  by D.-E. Inghelbrecht--, it tries to reproduce the play as such--even if abridged--, with actors enacting the différent roles (among the actors, the only names familiar to me are the aforementioned Mme. Korène , and Maria Casarès). Among the singers, many might recognise the names of Solange Michel, Rita Gorr, Marthe Angelici, Jacqueline Brumaire and Mattiwilda Dobbs. The whole thing lasts over two hours (but decidedly--and fortunately--not the almost 5 hours the original version took, from what I've read). The flipside to this "authenticity" is that there are long stretches--of up to 15 minutes--with just spoken text and no music at all.

This recording was never released on CD, until Warner included it in quick succession in these boxes:

[asin]B06XST7GHS[/asin]
[asin]B076D14CFP[/asin]

It's also available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/v/YNnjJo2NR-A

Regards,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 13, 2018, 07:38:10 AM
OK guys, I confess: I may be the rabid Wagnerian and Boulezian and all that  ;), but we all have guilty pleasures, and mine is...Pietro Mascagni!  ???   :)

I'm not really that much into Cavalleria rusticana, but the bucolic L'amico Fritz always brings a smile to my face, Parisina fascinates me (and I think it is one of the pinnacles of Italian opera from any period) and even the almost completely unknown Le maschere is a work I enjoy.

I've been listening again to Iris, in this 1956 off-air recording (in tolerable sound, even if there's glitches in Act 2, and the prompter's name should have been added to cast list, so prominent is his presence) from the Rome Opera under the great Gianandrea Gavazzeni (who championed the work against all odds throughout his long and distinguished career):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71fGAsVICRL._SL1024_.jpg)

If ever an opera could be described as "it's so bad, it's good", it's this one. Luigi Illica's libretto is simultaneously flimsy and pretentious, the exotic setting (Japan in some "legendary times") verges on the ridiculous, the heroine is so naive one cannot help but think she's simply stupid, and it is all enveloped in "floral" words and music, with vain attempts at "symbolism". And yet, it all turns out to be great, great fun. Mascagni's efforts to produce an interesting and innovative orchestral backdrop sometimes bear remarkable fruit, and the melodic invention always flows. Pages such as the "Hymn of the Sun" (which opens and closes the opera), the chorus of the laundresses and Iris's entrance aria "In pure stille" (accompanied by her blind father's spoken prayers), Osaka's (yes, one character is called Osaka, and another Kyoto  :D) famous serenade "Apri la tua finestra", the dance of the geishas, the "octopus aria" (yes, you've read correctly) and Iris's "transfiguration"--while she's dying in a gutter!  :o-- in Act 3 (before the reprise of the "Hymn of the Sun") are all very effective and engaging.

The performance is first-rate, with Gavazzeni bestowing all his love and theatrical savoir faire on the score, Clara Petrella (an expert in this repertoire) delivering a great portrayal of the title role, and Giuseppe di Stefano lavishing his sweet tone on the decidedly despicable character of the rakish Osaka. Boris Christoff is the blind father (another really unpleasant character).

It's so bad, it's really good. And I enjoy it tremendously.  :)

I recently got this lavish book, which is an interesting survey of the opera over the first 100 years since its premiere in 1898 (let's not forget Iris preceded that other Japanese opera  ;) by six years), with many essays on the work and its composer (plus what appears to be a listing of each and every performance anywhere during that century  ???):

(https://img2.libreriauniversitaria.it/BIT/300/502/9788886705028.jpg)

So you get an idea of the work, here is my favourite segment, Iris's entrance aria (with Daniela Dessì, from a 1996 Rome Opera production, that was issued on CD by Ricordi--also in my collection, but long OOP):

https://www.youtube.com/v/1hBf3p8CsmM
And, so you all get a feeling of how outlandish it is, this is the English translation of the text:

"In pure drops,
gaily scintillating,
life runs its course!
The water swells in deep channels.
Drink of life,
sky-blue seaweed!
You, daisy, lift up the white purity
of your foliage!
Oh sky-blue blossoms of fennel,
snows fragrant, you jasmine;
and you fragrant flowers of amoma!
Lift up, o corianders,
your many leaves,
flowers of the mountain!"

And this is the blind father's simultaneous, spoken prayer:

"You took my sight from me,
but I see your greatness;
I feel your greatness;
It speaks to my soul!
The beauty of life that you have created
makes the sun penetrate
my ancient self!
You are great and good!
Life is nevertheless
always a tiring road,
but it is pleasant if I
believe that it leads to Nirvana! "

Beat that!  :laugh:

Although like most of Mascagni (except for Cavalleria, of course), Iris has left the repertoire, but it decidedly refuses to disappear completely, and gets productions here and there every 20 years or so... A couple of years ago, star soprano Sonya Yoncheva sang it in concert in Montpellier.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 13, 2018, 07:50:35 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 12, 2018, 02:38:39 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2016/07/imgL/118237486.jpg)

The Cluytens recording of Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien was made in 1952, following--IIRC--a staged performance of the mystère at the Fourvière Roman theatre in Lyons, produced by actress Véra Korène (who performs the Saint in the recording). It was issued by French Columbia on 3 LPs.

It's different from all other recordings of the piece because, instead of having a narrator--the "standard" narration used in most recordings is  by D.-E. Inghelbrecht--, it tries to reproduce the play as such--even if abridged--, with actors enacting the différent roles (among the actors, the only names familiar to me are the aforementioned Mme. Korène , and Maria Casarès). Among the singers, many might recognise the names of Solange Michel, Rita Gorr, Marthe Angelici, Jacqueline Brumaire and Mattiwilda Dobbs. The whole thing lasts over two hours (but decidedly--and fortunately--not the almost 5 hours the original version took, from what I've read). The flipside to this "authenticity" is that there are long stretches--of up to 15 minutes--with just spoken text and no music at all.

This recording was never released on CD, until Warner included it in quick succession in these boxes:

[asin]B06XST7GHS[/asin]
[asin]B076D14CFP[/asin]

It's also available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/v/YNnjJo2NR-A

Regards,

Thanks for the clarification.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 13, 2018, 11:07:34 AM
After listening to the EMI 1957 studio recording of Medea under Serafin, I put on the 1958 Dallas performance conducted by Rescigno.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51eNzhYm-OL.jpg)

There are pros and cons in both, but by and large the slightly muffled, dim sounding, singing-to-the-back-of-the-stage Dallas show takes the cake. The pluses in the EMI production are clean, clear, undistorted sound and Callas in slightly more secure voice. The cons are the inferior cast and the unmistakable studio atmosphere.

Medea is an opera about a character that appears after more than 35 minutes of music. It's also a work where a lot happens before the curtain rises. Therefore a proper mise en contexte is necessary to understand and appreciate the plot which, once Medea appears, contains very little real action.

Before the opera starts, Medea, daughter of the King of Colchis, a priestess with connections with the Underworld, helps the dashing Giasone and his party of 50 (she fell in love with him, you see) to steal the magic Golden Fleece and take it back to Greece on the vessel Argos (hence the name of the returning heroes: Argonauts). Medea's brother has caught back with the elopers, but she kills him. The King of Colchis engages in hot pursuit and, to distract her avenging father, Medea dismembers her brother's corpse and throws the limbs one by one, forcing their father-king to stop and collect them to give them a proper sepulture.

Back home, Medea and Giasone settle in matrimony and raise 2 children. But Giasone, tired of the dull life and aspiring to claim the throne of Corinth, leaves wife and children behind. He insinuates himself into King Creonte's good graces and courts his daughter Glauce. Everybody prepares to celebrate the happy couple's wedding. But wait ! The captain of the guards interrupts the party to tell Creonte that a woman clothed and veiled in dark garments demands to be heard. Enter Medea.

Plotwise, it's as if one is hearing Norma straight from the second act on. There are obvious similarities with Norma, whose plot may have been more or less lifted from the Medea legend. Consider the likenesses of the characters: the scorned Medea/Norma, the philandering Giasone/Pollione, the innocent, loving Glauce/Adalgisa, King-Druid Creonte/Oroveso, the faithful servant Neris/Clotilda, the priestesses' pair of innocent children, their murder by dagger, the demise of both heroines in a fiery conflagration...

Bearing that in mind, it's no surprise that Callas excelled in both roles. But Medea is particularly hard to bring off. In Norma the first act establishes the character's nobility, her conflicting emotions, and gives ample opportunity to develop a strong musical portrayal. Medea has to assert her dramatic presence from the get go and dominate the rest of the opera without interruption. Medea's emotions evolve from noble outrage to anger, to pleading, throwing herself at her lover's feet, then wrath and boiling rage, and culminate in murderous fury - litterally: in her last appearance Medea is flanked by the three Furies.

That dramatic escalation/descent into despair and madness makes for riveting drama. After act I, one is left with the distinct feeling that things will surely get bad. And, as acts II and III unfold, the implacable destiny of the doomed Medea is brilliantly set to music by Cherubini. One point of interest is the lyrical pause afforded by servant Neris' beseeching aria, an oasis of calm between the surrounding turmoil and drama. That would not be lost on Illica and Puccini, who set Pinkerton's lovely aria Addio fiorito asil right before the final scene of Butterfly's tragic death (another scorned woman with a dagger and a little child. Fortunately she spares her bambino - evolving sensibilities maybe?).

In the Dallas performance Callas is in very good voice and does not shy from baleful tones, ugly yelps (totally in character, not out of any vocal distress) and hair-raising intensity. The supporting cast is uniformly strong and, contrary to the EMI version, helps Callas elevate her verbal communicative powers to untold levels of histrionic eloquence. She really sings to the other characters, and vice versa - as opposed to singing into a microphone. Cherubini's music alternates between beautiful moments and manic breathlessness.

It's a demanding work, both from a performer's and a listener's standpoint. A roller coaster of emotional extremes displayed in plain daylight with quasi no moment of respite (except for the aforementioned Neris aria). It's a rather short opera where, once Medea appears, there is no escape from the impending catastrophe. Brahms considered it the apex of lyrical drama. Beethoven and Wagner held it in very high esteem.

Originally written in French with versified dialogues, it was eventually rewoked in german translation by composer Lachner with sung recitatives replacing the dialogues. That version was then translated back into Italian and reintroduced to italian audiences in 1905 (112 years after its premiere!). It is not clear if this new Medea took hold for good, but it is the version that was revived for Callas in 1953. It took the operatic world by storm thanks to the supernatural adequation of the performer with the character. Vocally it's not extremely difficult (only one high C), except that the dramatic intensity is at full tilt from her very first words, and only increases thereafter, with the dynamics going in tandem. By the end, Medea is hurling imprecations fff. Frightening stuff.

I'll continue to look for other Callas performances of it, from London and Milan (1953 and 1961). There may be other good ones, but I think Callas genuinely owns this one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 13, 2018, 11:55:09 AM
Great post, André! Many thanks... :)

I haven't listened to the Callas Medea for ages, but should do so soon. I only have the 1953 from La Scala (with Bernstein), but have read the Dallas you've been listening to, and the 1959 from Covent Garden, are considered the most accomplished. I would want to track down her debut in the role in 1953 (Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, conducted by Vittorio Gui—who was tireless in reviving forgotten repertory), but it's long OOP and I've only seen it at unacceptably high prices.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on March 13, 2018, 12:19:01 PM
Very good post André.  I also have the London disc reworked in stereo by one of the specialized outfit.  Callas isnt quite as virulent as in the Dallas performance.  I personnally think it is closer to Cherubini intentions judging from his other operas (I have all the recorded ones except Ali-Baba).  The sound is definitively better in this London recording.  Cherubini was really a man of theater, but by in large, the libretto he worked with were not at the level of his talent, except for Médée.  And this is the reason of its succes.

André: cross-post on the Cherubini thread.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 13, 2018, 01:30:53 PM
I didn't know we had a Cherubini thread !  :D.

I'll copy and paste. Thanks !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 13, 2018, 06:48:01 PM
Ordered tonight
(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758112626.jpg)(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758111728.jpg)(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758078021.jpg)

I thought there was a Callas recording of Poliuto, and that it was in one of the Warner Remastered sets. But apparently not. Is there such a recording?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on March 13, 2018, 07:05:59 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 13, 2018, 06:48:01 PM
Ordered tonight
(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758112626.jpg)(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758111728.jpg)(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758078021.jpg)

I thought there was a Callas recording of Poliuto, and that it was in one of the Warner Remastered sets. But apparently not. Is there such a recording?
A fine Boris there. The men are generally quite impressive.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 13, 2018, 07:14:39 PM
Poliuto is one of Callas' very last La Scala productions. It's available on various labels, and there is an EMI release. It's live, not studio and I read that Callas was not in very good voice, but TBH I've never heard it myself. The role of Paolina is almost a supporting one and Poliuto is generally regarded as a tenor's opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 13, 2018, 07:17:08 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on March 13, 2018, 07:05:59 PM
A fine Boris there. The men are generally quite impressive.

Yes, I've been meaning to get it for a long time. The budgety reissue price decided the time was now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 13, 2018, 07:19:35 PM
Quote from: André on March 13, 2018, 07:14:39 PM
Poliuto is one of Callas' very last La Scala productions. It's available on various labels, and there is an EMI release. It's live, not studio and I read that Callas was not in very good voice, but TBH I've never heard it myself. The role of Paolina is almost a supporting one and Poliuto is generally regarded as a tenor's opera.

[Goes back, looks again]

Well, it is in the Live Remastered set. How I missed it the first time I looked,I have no idea...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 14, 2018, 03:44:28 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 13, 2018, 06:48:01 PM
Ordered tonight
(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758112626.jpg)(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758111728.jpg)(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/190758078021.jpg)

I thought there was a Callas recording of Poliuto, and that it was in one of the Warner Remastered sets. But apparently not. Is there such a recording?
Indeed there is. This is its latest Warner incarnation:

[asin]B072QQVXX4[/asin]

I have it in a much older transfer form one of those obscure Italian labels of the early-ish days of the CD. I also have a recording of Poliuto led by Gavazzeni (with his wife Denia Mazzola), live from Bergamo, on the Ricordi label, but am tempted buy the Carreras / Ricciarelli version (made late in both artists' careers, I'm afraid), as I am a big fan of Katia... :)

As for Abbado's Boris Godunov, I think I read somewhere that it was one of the moot expensive opera recordings ever made, and was a commercial failure. Still, I think it's an excellent performance of the score (not that I have anything to compare it to in my collection).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 14, 2018, 04:43:13 AM
Quote from: Spineur on March 13, 2018, 12:19:01 PM
Very good post André.  I also have the London disc reworked in stereo by one of the specialized outfit.  Callas isnt quite as virulent as in the Dallas performance.  I personnally think it is closer to Cherubini intentions judging from his other operas (I have all the recorded ones except Ali-Baba).  The sound is definitively better in this London recording.  Cherubini was really a man of theater, but by in large, the libretto he worked with were not at the level of his talent, except for Médée.  And this is the reason of its succes.

André: cross-post on the Cherubini thread.

The studio Medea was not re-worked in stereo. It was recorded in stereo. The recording was made by Mercury/Ricordi, and later released by EMI under licence. The ultra conservative Walter Legge wanted nothing to do with it, which is why ended up recording Callas as Nedda, Mimi, Turandot and Manon Lescaut, when he should have been recording her as Lady Macbeth, Anna Bolena, Armida or Alceste.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 14, 2018, 05:10:08 AM
Quote from: André on March 13, 2018, 11:07:34 AM
After listening to the EMI 1957 studio recording of Medea under Serafin, I put on the 1958 Dallas performance conducted by Rescigno.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51eNzhYm-OL.jpg)

There are pros and cons in both, but by and large the slightly muffled, dim sounding, singing-to-the-back-of-the-stage Dallas show takes the cake. The pluses in the EMI production are clean, clear, undistorted sound and Callas in slightly more secure voice. The cons are the inferior cast and the unmistakable studio atmosphere.

Medea is an opera about a character that appears after more than 35 minutes of music. It's also a work where a lot happens before the curtain rises. Therefore a proper mise en contexte is necessary to understand and appreciate the plot which, once Medea appears, contains very little real action.

Before the opera starts, Medea, daughter of the King of Colchis, a priestess with connections with the Underworld, helps the dashing Giasone and his party of 50 (she fell in love with him, you see) to steal the magic Golden Fleece and take it back to Greece on the vessel Argos (hence the name of the returning heroes: Argonauts). Medea's brother has caught back with the elopers, but she kills him. The King of Colchis engages in hot pursuit and, to distract her avenging father, Medea dismembers her brother's corpse and throws the limbs one by one, forcing their father-king to stop and collect them to give them a proper sepulture.

Back home, Medea and Giasone settle in matrimony and raise 2 children. But Giasone, tired of the dull life and aspiring to claim the throne of Corinth, leaves wife and children behind. He insinuates himself into King Creonte's good graces and courts his daughter Glauce. Everybody prepares to celebrate the happy couple's wedding. But wait ! The captain of the guards interrupts the party to tell Creonte that a woman clothed and veiled in dark garments demands to be heard. Enter Medea.

Plotwise, it's as if one is hearing Norma straight from the second act on. There are obvious similarities with Norma, whose plot may have been more or less lifted from the Medea legend. Consider the likenesses of the characters: the scorned Medea/Norma, the philandering Giasone/Pollione, the innocent, loving Glauce/Adalgisa, King-Druid Creonte/Oroveso, the faithful servant Neris/Clotilda, the priestesses' pair of innocent children, their murder by dagger, the demise of both heroines in a fiery conflagration...

Bearing that in mind, it's no surprise that Callas excelled in both roles. But Medea is particularly hard to bring off. In Norma the first act establishes the character's nobility, her conflicting emotions, and gives ample opportunity to develop a strong musical portrayal. Medea has to assert her dramatic presence from the get go and dominate the rest of the opera without interruption. Medea's emotions evolve from noble outrage to anger, to pleading, throwing herself at her lover's feet, then wrath and boiling rage, and culminate in murderous fury - litterally: in her last appearance Medea is flanked by the three Furies.

That dramatic escalation/descent into despair and madness makes for riveting drama. After act I, one is left with the distinct feeling that things will surely get bad. And, as acts II and III unfold, the implacable destiny of the doomed Medea is brilliantly set to music by Cherubini. One point of interest is the lyrical pause afforded by servant Neris' beseeching aria, an oasis of calm between the surrounding turmoil and drama. That would not be lost on Illica and Puccini, who set Pinkerton's lovely aria Addio fiorito asil right before the final scene of Butterfly's tragic death (another scorned woman with a dagger and a little child. Fortunately she spares her bambino - evolving sensibilities maybe?).

In the Dallas performance Callas is in very good voice and does not shy from baleful tones, ugly yelps (totally in character, not out of any vocal distress) and hair-raising intensity. The supporting cast is uniformly strong and, contrary to the EMI version, helps Callas elevate her verbal communicative powers to untold levels of histrionic eloquence. She really sings to the other characters, and vice versa - as opposed to singing into a microphone. Cherubini's music alternates between beautiful moments and manic breathlessness.

It's a demanding work, both from a performer's and a listener's standpoint. A roller coaster of emotional extremes displayed in plain daylight with quasi no moment of respite (except for the aforementioned Neris aria). It's a rather short opera where, once Medea appears, there is no escape from the impending catastrophe. Brahms considered it the apex of lyrical drama. Beethoven and Wagner held it in very high esteem.

Originally written in French with versified dialogues, it was eventually rewoked in german translation by composer Lachner with sung recitatives replacing the dialogues. That version was then translated back into Italian and reintroduced to italian audiences in 1905 (112 years after its premiere!). It is not clear if this new Medea took hold for good, but it is the version that was revived for Callas in 1953. It took the operatic world by storm thanks to the supernatural adequation of the performer with the character. Vocally it's not extremely difficult (only one high C), except that the dramatic intensity is at full tilt from her very first words, and only increases thereafter, with the dynamics going in tandem. By the end, Medea is hurling imprecations fff. Frightening stuff.

I'll continue to look for other Callas performances of it, from London and Milan (1953 and 1961). There may be other good ones, but I think Callas genuinely owns this one.

An excellent post, but I take issue with your statement that the role isn't extremely difficult. It's actually pretty fiendish, and its creator, Mme Scio, was said to have died from singing it. Though there are few top Cs, the tessitura is very high, and its angular lines and wide leaps extremely difficult to negotiate, added to the fact that Medea hardly stops singing from the moment she makes her entrance. The only rest she gets is when Neris sings her beautiful aria in Act II. Callas's experience of the role was paramount; she knew where to save her voice, and where to let it out full tilt. She tells a student who attempts Dei tuoi figli in one of her master classes, that, if she were to attempt to sing the role with such force, she wouldn't last past the first interval.

There are quite a few recordings of Callas in the role, starting from her very first attempt in Florence in 1953 to her final performances at La Scala in 1961/62.

So far, in my blog, I've reviewed the Florence performance

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/)

The Bernstein La Scala performance

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/medea-la-scala-1953/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/medea-la-scala-1953/)

and the studio performance

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/medea/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/medea/)

Not sure why I haven't got round to Dallas yet, which remains my favourite. She is in good voice for 1958 and her portrayal has a degree more subtlety than in Florence or at La Scala in 1953.  The Covent Garden performance of 1959 enjoys better sound than Dallas, but lacks the elemental force, and at La Scala in 1961, her voice is definitely showing signs of wear.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on March 14, 2018, 05:14:47 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 14, 2018, 04:43:13 AM
The studio Medea was not re-worked in stereo. It was recorded in stereo. The recording was made by Mercury/Ricordi, and later released by EMI under licence. The ultra conservative Walter Legge wanted nothing to do with it, which is why ended up recording Callas as Nedda, Mimi, Turandot and Manon Lescaut, when he should have been recording her as Lady Macbeth, Anna Bolena, Armida or Alceste.
Sorry, I was refering to the Coven Garden 1959 recording with
Medea - Maria Callas
Giasone-  Jon Vickers
Glauce - Joan Carlyle
Neris - Fiorenza Cossotto
Creonte - Nicola Zaccaria
Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus of the Covent Garden Opera
Nicola Rescigno, conductor

And here is the Pristine classical link
https://www.pristineclassical.com/products/paco119 (https://www.pristineclassical.com/products/paco119)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 14, 2018, 10:15:31 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 14, 2018, 05:10:08 AM
An excellent post, but I take issue with your statement that the role isn't extremely difficult. It's actually pretty fiendish, and its creator, Mme Scio, was said to have died from singing it. Though there are few top Cs, the tessitura is very high, and its angular lines and wide leaps extremely difficult to negotiate, added to the fact that Medea hardly stops singing from the moment she makes her entrance. The only rest she gets is when Neris sings her beautiful aria in Act II. Callas's experience of the role was paramount; she knew where to save her voice, and where to let it out full tilt. She tells a student who attempts Dei tuoi figli in one of her master classes, that, if she were to attempt to sing the role with such force, she wouldn't last past the first interval.

There are quite a few recordings of Callas in the role, starting from her very first attempt in Florence in 1953 to her final performances at La Scala in 1961/62.

So far, in my blog, I've reviewed the Florence performance

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/)

The Bernstein La Scala performance

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/medea-la-scala-1953/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/medea-la-scala-1953/)

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/medea/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/medea/)

Not sure why I haven't got round to Dallas yet, which remains my favourite. She is in good voice for 1958 and her portrayal has a degree more subtlety than in Florence or at La Scala in 1953.  The Covent Garden performance of 1959 enjoys better sound than Dallas, but lacks the elemental force, and at La Scala in 1961, her voice is definitely showing signs of wear.

Thanks for the links to your articles, Tsaraslondon. I read all three with much interest.. My first exposure to Medea was some 35-40 years ago, from a budget lp of excerpts from the Serafin version. I had never heard it in its entirety before.

The difference between the Serafin and the Rescigno (Dallas) performances is quite striking. When listening to the first scene in the Serafin reading, the adjectives that crossed my mind were 'staid' and 'decorous'. Not so in the later production, where there is more flow, with the music more insinuating. Glauce's premonitions of looming trouble are also more sharply characterized - quite a difference. I find it striking how every operatic performance is a living organism, distinct from others even when some of the singers are the same. I look forward to hear the 1953 performances as well as the Covent Garden one for a more rounded picture of Callas' portrayal.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 14, 2018, 11:24:35 AM
Quote from: Spineur on March 14, 2018, 05:14:47 AM
Sorry, I was refering to the Coven Garden 1959 recording with
Medea - Maria Callas
Giasone-  Jon Vickers
Glauce - Joan Carlyle
Neris - Fiorenza Cossotto
Creonte - Nicola Zaccaria
Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus of the Covent Garden Opera
Nicola Rescigno, conductor

And here is the Pristine classical link
https://www.pristineclassical.com/products/paco119 (https://www.pristineclassical.com/products/paco119)

Ah, I see.

Unfortunately, though the sounds is not at all bad, the performance is but a pale shadow of the one from Dallas the previous year.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2018, 12:53:50 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41A6F3-om4L.jpg)

Just listening at the moment , though this fabulous performance also exists on DVD.

What a superb cast, including David Daniels, Dawn Upshaw and of course the ever radiant Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2018, 07:41:31 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81BigZI1BfL._SL1431_.jpg)


I suppose Bonygne's recording is essential for the singing of Sutherland and Horne, but for Semiramide you really need this, which restores all the music cut by Bonynge, and is consequently almost an hour longer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 16, 2018, 02:14:16 PM
3 x the finale of Puccini's Turandot:

The standard Alfano ending from this set:

[asin]B000001G9X[/asin]Yes, I am one of those who really like Ricciarelli's portrayal of the title role.  ;)

The complete, original Alfano ending:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51T5fiFiGSL.jpg)

The 2002 Berio ending:

[asin]B00013UKME[/asin]

Most interesting to listen to these in succession. Interestingly, the vocal lines of Alfano's abridged standard ending are closer (at least up to "la tua gloria risplende") to those of Berio than to those of his own original version (for instance, Turandot's cries "Non profanarmi! Non profanarmi!" are completely different between both Alfano versions.

Also, Alfano (in his original version) and Berio introduce an orchestral passage before Calaf's "Mio fiore matutino" which makes Turandot's surrender dramatically more plausible (and which Berio exploits to the full, with dazzling orchestral effects—also using instruments that AFAIK do not appear in the opera in Puccini's orchestration of the parts he completed).

The last measures of the original Alfano ending (with more variation on the theme from "Nessun dorma", with Turandot and Calaf singing the word "amore" in the highest register, and with a staccato figure in the trumpets t) are even more upbeat than the standard version, very impressive, but perhaps a bit over the top. Berio is much more downbeat, changing the theatrical impact of this (dramatically difficult) scene.

I can only suppose that Toscanini's impositions on Alfano to shorten and (in some segments) drastically change his work came from a desire to have as little "non-Puccini" as possible in the complete opera, but the result appears a bit abrupt in comparison to the original version, which dramatically is much more effective (despite the OTT final bars) and contains some fine music.

Berio is an interesting and valid alternative. Of course, one can tell that it was composed almost 80 years after Puccini's death, but its "daring" harmonies and exotic orchestral touches blend well with the chinoiserie of the opera, and there's nothing in it that should create panic among the audience of the Arena di Verona, the MET, or any other venue. ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on March 16, 2018, 04:01:38 PM
Quote from: ritter on March 16, 2018, 02:14:16 PM
3 x the finale of Puccini's Turandot:
.

Berio is an interesting and valid alternative. Of course, one can tell that it was composed almost 80 years after Puccini's death, but it's "daring" harmonies and exotic orchestral touches blend well with the chinoiserie of the opera, and there's nothing in it that should create panic among the audience of the Arena di Verona, the MET, or any other venue. ;D
The DVD of Turandot made at the occasion of Puccini 100th anniversary production at Salzburg uses Berio's ending.  It stresses the symbolic nature of Turandot "fable".  For this reason, I feel it is excellent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 17, 2018, 02:37:34 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71q1Jzp%2BT8L._SL1200_.jpg)

This new re-mastering by Warner really does live up to the hype. Much warmer than my previous copy, which was the 1997 re-mastering. In consultation with the original stereo engineer, Chis Parker, they have slightly altered the balance in the trio, and it sounds absolutely glorious.

As for the performance, well I'll take it over every other studio recording out there.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on March 17, 2018, 08:05:06 AM
I don't post often enough in this thread.... :-\

Anyway, first run:

[asin]B00H5DNAS4[/asin]
Over two and a half hours on 4 discs, probably will need more than a single sitting.. ..  :D

Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 17, 2018, 06:12:09 PM
Capy&Paste from the main thread (WAYLTN)

Pacini is a household name here...as a popular italian restaurant chain !

As a classical music composer, however, things are not so good: an almost exact contemporary of Mercadante, Bellini and Donizetti, his many operas (80+) have fallen by the wayside, except for a handful of them: Saffo, The Last Days of Pompeï, The Stone Guest, Charles of Burgundy, to menton a few that are available on cd. Pacini and Bellini were both born in the Sicilian town of Catania.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51RtPvmsdoL.jpg)

This performance found its way in the 14 disc Leyla Gencer box. Saffo is of course the greek poetess from Lesbos whose unfortunate infatuation with yet another ingrate, Faone, ends in the death of the spurned heroine. Gencer finds a good vehicle for her trademark portrayal of the doomed lover. Actually, aren't a good 2/3 of 19th century italian operatic heroines the victims of male insensitivity ?

In any case, the opera at hand is much, much better than its comparative neglect would leave one to think. Composed in 1840, its music is interesting, original, non-formulaic, full of deft orchestral touches (he seems to have been a very good orchestrator). The vocal lines are uncomplicated, not as original and plangent as Bellini's or arrestingly expressive like Donizetti's. Nonetheless the show is a good one, with many fine numbers (arias and ensembles). The performance is quite good (Gencer and Quilico are excellent). Saffo's love interest, the fatuous Faone is sung quite badly by one Tito del Bianco. He's the only weak link in an otherwise strong cast. Franco Capuana is an efficient conductor in this Teatro San Carlo production from 1967. The sound is of okay broadcast (mono) quality.

A good find. I'll try to locate other Pacini operas. The Last Days of Pompeï (1825) seems promising (it is not based on the Bulwer-Litton novel, written only in 1834). Things vesuvian were quite popular in the 19th century, inspiring writers and composers. I'll keep an eye on it. The Dynamic release seems interesting, but it is expensive.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 19, 2018, 01:32:11 PM
Copied and pasted from the main thread:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fK2lYgD1L.jpg)

From the Gencer box of 7 rarely performed operas.

This is yet another fabrication on the theme of the Virgin Queen and her many actual or imagined loves. Rossini liberally picked numbers from his recycling bin, with numerous and obvious borrowings from Il Barbiere di Seviglia (of all things!).

Even without previous knowledge of this particular opera, it's hard to think of another composer than Rossini. It's quite good actually, suffciently so to have prompted a few revivals and recordings (one with Caballé, one with Jennifer Larmore and one with Daniela Dessi). As is often the case in Rossini operas, the tenor part is an important and very difficult one. It requires a stentorian voice able to sail high up untiringly. I don't know who Umberto Grilli is, but he is very good. The second soprano is Sylvia Geszty, a moderately well know singer (Queen of the Night on the Suitner Magic Flute and Zerbinetta on the Kempe Ariadne auf Naxos). She is strong but pure-voiced, a real asset. Gencer is her usual commanding self. It's easy to see why Caballé liked this opera: it gives ample opportunities to float long legato lines in pianissimo tones. IMO Gencer is just as good in that department and doesn't draw undue attention to that part of the vocal make up. Nino Sanzogno is the fiery conductor. Goodish mono sound. Lots of extraneous noises. With its very strong supporting cast, this is one of the stronger entries in this very valuable box.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 19, 2018, 05:32:30 PM
Last week I listened to this recording of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71WW7iDADBL._SX522_.jpg)

I was impressed as much by the music (it had been a long time) as by the performance. So much so, in fact, that in the following days I listened also to these two recordings:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71sn-IVzlDL._SX522_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/615rCcCZPBL.jpg)

And, finally, back to the Ormandy recording for another round of listening

A fascinating journey it was. All three recordings markedly differ from one another. The biggest difference between Ormandy's and the two others is of course the language. I found as much to value as to detract in listening to the work in translation. The familiar hungarian names of Youdit and Kekszakallu become  Jew-dith and Bluebeard, but other than that I did not miss a single word of the original - for the simple reason that I had never aurally mastered any sentence of the hungarian original. Now most of it (Bluebeard's part especially) becomes perfectly clear, enhancing the verbal drama.

There are other differences. I hate do dismiss Dorati, a renowned interpreter of the work and protégé of the composer, but I find his conducting hectic in many places, overdramatizing what ought to be laid out simply for the listener to hear. OTOH he has the advantage of Bartok's interpret of choice, Mihaly Szekely. Then aged 61, he was to die the following year. You'd never think he was old or ill upon hearing his detailed, probing, superbly voiced interpretation.

The famous Decca disc under Kertesz unmistakably bears the imprint of its star Decca producers and sound engineers. It is a superbly played, sung and recorded version. So polished and well done in fact that more than once a feeling of slickness crept in. Slick Bartok ? Heaven forbid ! I've known that recording for the better part of 4 decades and until I had compared it directly with Dorati and Ormandy, it had never occured to me that maybe - just *maybe* - the hype and glamour that have surrounded it all these years may have been slightly exaggerated.

Listening to the Ormandy reveals a level of earthiness and drama that are a touch or two above what is achieved in the Kertesz version. Ormandy is both a great storyteller and a master colourist. Listen to the clarinet part at the end of the first track (door). It is not spotlit by the engineers, simply more characterfully phrased and succulently played by the great Anthony Gigliotti than with the more refined Gervase de Peyer (with the LSO). Similarly, the ghostly wind trills in the 6th tableau are more spooky under Ormandy. The level of orchestral playing is slightly more polished in London, slightly more characterful, section by section, in Philadelphia. I hear the organ better, too.

When it comes to the soloists, all three Bluebeards are great, really great. But Jerome Hines towers above the other two by virtue of his velvety tones and deep (but never cavernous) voice, which reminds me of Cesare Siepi's. Szekely is next, a Bluebeard at the end of his life (he says he found his wives in the morning, at noon, at evening and the last at « midnight »). Overrun by his new wife's pushiness and petulance, he does not stand much of a chance. We feel for him. Berry has an incredibly healthy, beautiful voice. I don't feel he offers much in terms of the play's symbolism. He is very much a flesh and blood he-man. No second or third degree of verbal acuity here.

The three Judiths are a more variable lot. It's a difficult part, as it requires a warm, velvety voice that can reach the high C (when the fifth door opens): it's but a brief shriek in the score, but Ludwig makes it into a prolonged scream of ecstasy, much like Rysanek/Sieglinde when Siegmund pulls the spear from the ash-tree : very effective and hard to forget once you've heard it. Rosalind Elias is a girlish Judith, a curious, engaging youth going from discovery to discovery. I find the soloist in the Dorati recording too eager and dominating. No wonder her Bluebeard sounds so world-weary.

A magnificent work that straddles both the expressionist and impressionist aesthetics, and one of the XXth century's undisputed masterpieces.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Daverz on March 19, 2018, 05:54:58 PM
So Elias's yelp at the opening of the 5th door is more in keeping with the score?  I'm rather spoiled by Ludwig here.

I thought the singing in the Ormandy was excellent, but the orchestra sounded very dry and lacking in presence at my "evening" volume level.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on March 20, 2018, 02:46:31 AM
Quote from: André on March 19, 2018, 01:32:11 PM
Copied and pasted from the main thread:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fK2lYgD1L.jpg)

Rossini liberally picked numbers from his recycling bin, with numerous and obvious borrowings from Il Barbiere di Seviglia (of all things!).



Actually it's the other way around. Elisabetta premiered on 4 October 1815, Barbiere a few months later on 20 February 1816. Rossini did re-use music from other, earlier operas, in Elisabetta.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 20, 2018, 04:55:30 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on March 20, 2018, 02:46:31 AM
Actually it's the other way around. Elisabetta premiered on 4 October 1815, Barbiere a few months later on 20 February 1816. Rossini did re-use music from other, earlier operas, in Elisabetta.

How do you like Elisabetta, Wendell ? I found it to be more interesting musically than I expected.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 20, 2018, 04:59:51 AM
Quote from: Daverz on March 19, 2018, 05:54:58 PM
So Elias's yelp at the opening of the 5th door is more in keeping with the score?  I'm rather spoiled by Ludwig here.

I thought the singing in the Ormandy was excellent, but the orchestra sounded very dry and lacking in presence at my "evening" volume level.

It's true, it was recorded rather drily, probably at a different venue than usually with the Philadelphia in 1961.

And, yes, the lusty Ludwig cry of ecstasy is an indulgence  :D. That's what I read, anyway. I haven't seen the score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on March 20, 2018, 05:50:57 AM
Quote from: André on March 19, 2018, 05:32:30 PM
Last week I listened to this recording of Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle:

...

I was impressed as much by the music (it had been a long time) as by the performance. So much so, in fact, that in the following days I listened also to these two recordings:

...

A magnificent work that straddles both the expressionist and impressionist aesthetics, and one of the XXth century’s undisputed masterpieces.

Andre, if you are in the mood for more Bluebeards  do consider this one:

(https://media2.jpc.de/image/w600/front/0/4032250077934.jpg)

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Bela-Bartok-1881-1945-Herzog-Blaubarts-Burg-in-frz-ungar-Spr/hnum/6040790

I has two recordings of Bluebeard. One in French led by Ansermet, and the other Hungarian with 10-12 years younger Szekely and my favorite Judith, Klara Palankay.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 20, 2018, 06:11:21 AM
Thanks, Milos ! Will definitely give this a look. Just placed my JPC order an your ago, though... ::)


Geez, that label has THREE double-bill issues of historic performances:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51bCWv7oZWL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51kt5z0TCKL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PpUjJA8ZL.jpg)

The Fricsay/Ferencsik is enticing... ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on March 20, 2018, 06:34:31 AM
Quote from: André on March 20, 2018, 06:11:21 AM
The Fricsay/Ferencsik is enticing... ::)

I think Ferenscik is Hungaroton studio recording:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41W8VHXQ4BL.jpg)
https://www.amazon.com/Bluebeards-Castle-Bela-Bartok/dp/B00000303Q

QuoteGeez, that label has THREE double-bill issues of historic performances:

That label has enormous quantities of mostly rare historical performances of whatever opera you can think of.
Even such a rarity as bunch of Russian operas recorded with Belgrade Opera forces in early 50s for Decca and never reissued in any form whatsoever. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on March 20, 2018, 07:37:04 AM
For this opera in English - there was a fine version free on the front of BBC Music Magazine from Mark Elder- worth trawling the 2nd hand shelves for
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on March 21, 2018, 02:41:00 AM
Quote from: André on March 20, 2018, 04:55:30 AM
How do you like Elisabetta, Wendell ? I found it to be more interesting musically than I expected.

Not enough to actually buy a recording, but I have rented a DVD from Netflix (with Lella Cuberi, Daniela Dessi, Rockwell Blake, and Antonio Savastano, Gabriele Ferro conducting) a couple of times, and liked it well enough. In general, I do prefer serious Rossini to comic. Actually, serious opera to comic.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 23, 2018, 02:36:15 AM
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0238/9583/products/10408-4front_large.jpeg?v=1478281833)

This recording was made at Covent Garden, with Janet Baker stepping in for an ailing Jospehine Veasey. Baker had been singing the role of Didon with Scottish Opera, but they were doing the opera in English and she didn't have time to learn the role in French. Consequently she sings in English, whilst everyone else around her sings in French.

The Covent Garden revival of 1972 reverted to English, with Josephine Veasey now taking on the role of Cassandre. However that performance, also available from Opera Depot, is cut, whereas this one is complete.

Good though Veasey is on Davis's first studio recording, Baker has that something extra, and it is a shame she was not engaged for the recording. Anja Silja here is also a great improvement on Berit Lindholm, who sings on the studio recording. That said Davis I remains my first choice for a studio recording, though I do like the new Nelsons recording as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 23, 2018, 12:15:51 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61BEDv9kUkL.jpg)
First listen ever to this opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Cato on March 23, 2018, 12:48:48 PM
After many years, and after the great praise seen recently under the composer's name....

[asin]B00P8QENQS[/asin]

I do not recall the precise recording through which I first heard the work in the 1960's or early 1970's: possibly it was imported from Poland?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 24, 2018, 11:57:53 AM
First listen to this recording.Now in the final act.
[asin]B0788XWJN5[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on March 24, 2018, 08:44:34 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 23, 2018, 12:15:51 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61BEDv9kUkL.jpg)
First listen ever to this opera.

Did they do a bit of remastering or is it the same horrible sound as the first release?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 25, 2018, 01:51:48 PM
Quote from: anothername on March 24, 2018, 08:44:34 PM
Did they do a bit of remastering or is it the same horrible sound as the first release?

It seems to be the original 1989 mastering, to go by the booklet.
Honestly, I thought the sonics were more than acceptable, any "problems" originating in the simple fact that it was a live recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 27, 2018, 07:32:52 PM
Tonight, some verisme from 1894
(https://d27t0qkxhe4r68.cloudfront.net/t_300/A10301A0003843896V.jpg)
Short enough to fit on one CD, although it is technically a two-act opera.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Affiche_de_La_Navarraise_%28Claretie%2C_Cain%2C_Massenet%29.jpg/220px-Affiche_de_La_Navarraise_%28Claretie%2C_Cain%2C_Massenet%29.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on March 27, 2018, 08:59:35 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 27, 2018, 07:32:52 PM
Tonight, some verisme from 1894
(https://d27t0qkxhe4r68.cloudfront.net/t_300/A10301A0003843896V.jpg)
Short enough to fit on one CD, although it is technically a two-act opera.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Affiche_de_La_Navarraise_%28Claretie%2C_Cain%2C_Massenet%29.jpg/220px-Affiche_de_La_Navarraise_%28Claretie%2C_Cain%2C_Massenet%29.jpg)

It was about bloody time for this release.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 28, 2018, 01:22:58 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81yC6AhNcBL._SL1500_.jpg)

Barber's Vanessa has never managed to claim a foothold on the repertoire, and it will be interesting to see whether the new Glyndebourne production this year will change its fortunes.

Maybe part of the opera's problem is the fact that the main character (and the most sympathetic) is actually Erika.

This starry recording, which replicates the cast of its first, starry performance at the Met, is certainly a classic and well worth hearing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 28, 2018, 11:26:48 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51QN-MO3ZEL.jpg)

I was fortunate enough to see Dernesch as Leonore with Scottish Opera, and was so impressed I bought the Karajan recording soon afterwards. However, when I came to buy a version on CD, I bowed to popular opinion and opted for the Klemperer. All I can say is I was profoundly disappointed. Karajan's performance seems to me more brilliantly, incisively dramatic, with superb performances from all the soloists, not least Dernesch's gleamingly radiant Leonore.

It remains my Fidelio of choice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 30, 2018, 02:01:28 AM
I seem to be the only person contributing to this thread at the moment.

Well, no matter.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51kA7kU2i3L.jpg)

Baker is probably better known for her Handel, Berlioz and Mahler, but she was also an appreciable bel canto singer. She made her US debut singing Smeton in a concert performance of Anna Bolena, and also scored a great personal success as Maria in Maria Stuarda with the English National Opera, and here she makes a superb Romeo.

Sills is also excellent, and, it seems to me, much more suited to the gentle lyricism of the role of Giulietta than she ever was to roles like Norma and the Tudor Queens, in which, for all her musical intelligence and dramatic acumen, the voice lacks the requisite weight and grandeur.

Gedda's tenor could sound a little hard at this point in his career, but, for such an unpleasant character, this is not inapt.

Patané conducts a lyrical, but dramatically alive performance. Recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on March 31, 2018, 01:24:12 PM
Quote from: André on March 20, 2018, 06:11:21 AM
Geez, that label has THREE double-bill issues of historic performances:

Chea-pest-o CD-Rs, too ... bet they'd lament how they'd love to do proper but, but, but ... the kind of stuff that when I end up receiving it by accident, I rip to my HD first thing (I bought one of their sets, will buy no others).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 31, 2018, 03:44:33 PM
(http://mblogthumb3.phinf.naver.net/20160122_98/hsb010505_14534486543940HfOM_PNG/Norma_Maria_Callas%28DEcember_7._1955%29_png_201601221640251135.png?type=w2)

Callas's La Scala Norma capped 1955, the year when voice and art found their truest equilibrium, with her best recorded Norma which, by default, makes it the greatest Norma you're ever likely to hear. This performance finds her in top form, on a night when everything seemed to be going right, eliciting audible gasps of disbelief from the audience.

Votto may not be the most inspired of conductors, but he knows how to support his singers. Simionato, Del Moncao and Zaccaria are all on top form and this Divina transfer is superb. It should be in all serious collectors' collections.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on March 31, 2018, 08:17:26 PM
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSZjcqwPc1SeYl2FzZSYb8Rd6tIfndxl8IMlMfY-ve_oIompQ)

Your image link is not working. Is the cover above the recording you are talking about?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 01, 2018, 01:37:24 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 31, 2018, 08:17:26 PM
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSZjcqwPc1SeYl2FzZSYb8Rd6tIfndxl8IMlMfY-ve_oIompQ)

Your image link is not working. Is the cover above the recording you are talking about?

Yes it is. The image was showing up fine on my pc, but I've tried re-posting it anyway. Hope it's showing up to everyone now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 01, 2018, 03:34:26 AM
I am listening to Teresa Berganza. Her recent birthday brought her back into my mind. Once at the top of her part of the tree, Rossini, Mozart and Spanish song, her public recognition seemed to fade abruptly once she retired. I had forgotten the sap in her tone, the warm darkness of the mezzo and her superb technique. So, Mozart opera arias.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 01, 2018, 04:42:50 AM
Quote from: knight66 on April 01, 2018, 03:34:26 AM
I am listening to Teresa Berganza. Her recent birthday brought her back into my mind. Once at the top of her part of the tree, Rossini, Mozart and Spanish song, her public recognition seemed to fade abruptly once she retired. I had forgotten the sap in her tone, the warm darkness of the mezzo and her superb technique. So, Mozart opera arias.

Mike

Odd that you should mention that after my Callas post. Only the other day, I came across a charming interview with Berganza on youtube, in which she describes what it was like for her, as a young singer starting out, to sing alongside Callas in Medea in Dallas.

https://youtu.be/Hd-ixjbPxOI (https://youtu.be/Hd-ixjbPxOI)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 01, 2018, 06:51:04 AM
Quote from: knight66 on April 01, 2018, 03:34:26 AM
I am listening to Teresa Berganza. Her recent birthday brought her back into my mind. Once at the top of her part of the tree, Rossini, Mozart and Spanish song, her public recognition seemed to fade abruptly once she retired. I had forgotten the sap in her tone, the warm darkness of the mezzo and her superb technique. So, Mozart opera arias.

Mike
Oh yes! A superb artist, outstanding in every way. "Warm darkness" is spot-on as a description of her voice... A national treasure here in Spain.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 01, 2018, 09:29:57 AM
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lf8AAOSwY0lXSJR5/s-l1600.jpg)

A superb cast (with particularly wonderful singing from Grümmer) brilliantly conducted by Keilberth has ensured that this set has retained its classic status.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 01, 2018, 01:33:05 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 01, 2018, 04:42:50 AM
Odd that you should mention that after my Callas post. Only the other day, I came across a charming interview with Berganza on youtube, in which she describes what it was like for her, as a young singer starting out, to sing alongside Callas in Medea in Dallas.

https://youtu.be/Hd-ixjbPxOI (https://youtu.be/Hd-ixjbPxOI)

Thanks for that, charming is apt for the interview.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 01, 2018, 01:40:33 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 01, 2018, 09:29:57 AM
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lf8AAOSwY0lXSJR5/s-l1600.jpg)

A superb cast (with particularly wonderful singing from Grümmer) brilliantly conducted by Keilberth has ensured that this set has retained its classic status.

The very first piece of Freischutz was an extract of this set on an EMI opera sampler. It was from the Wolf Glen scene. Whispering into me ear, "Samuel, Samuel, erschein." Very well produced to be spooky. When I explored further I bought the Kleiber/Janowitz set which I like a great deal. I am currently listening to the Keilberth on Spotify, it stands up well for sound.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 01, 2018, 03:12:49 PM
Quote from: knight66 on April 01, 2018, 01:40:33 PM
The very first piece of Freischutz was an extract of this set on an EMI opera sampler. It was from the Wolf Glen scene. Whispering into me ear, "Samuel, Samuel, erschein." Very well produced to be spooky. When I explored further I bought the Kleiber/Janowitz set which I like a great deal. I am currently listening to the Keilberth on Spotify, it stands up well for sound.

Mike

I'm surprised you didn't already know the Keilberth, Mike. It's something of a classic, and Grümmer sings at least as beautifully as Janowitz, but with a touch more humanity. Shock aspirates a little too much for my taste, and his singing can be a little graceless, but the cast is generally excellent and Keilberth paces the score brilliantly, bringing out all Weber's invention and innovation.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 01, 2018, 03:20:46 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 01, 2018, 09:29:57 AM
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lf8AAOSwY0lXSJR5/s-l1600.jpg)

A superb cast (with particularly wonderful singing from Grümmer) brilliantly conducted by Keilberth has ensured that this set has retained its classic status.

Was this incarnation remastered? I have the previous budget issue, and I thought the sonics showed their age, so to speak.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 01, 2018, 03:39:09 PM
Later on tonight, I'll be revisiting Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande again, but I'll just listen to two acts to begin with. Opera is something that's better enjoyed if you take your time with it and don't rush through it just to say you finished it. Every note of Pelléas et Mélisande must be savored.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 01, 2018, 06:14:38 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81spLcXTxnL._SX522_.jpg)

Whole scenes from integral sets of the operas named on the cover. Gruberova is in excellent voice. I find her manner beguiling but slightly too sophisticated, lacking an element of danger, of the characters on the brink of mental collapse. Still, this is superb singing qua singing. Sound and what little can be heard of the other singers seem to be excellent. All told, I think I prefer her way with Bellini and Donizetti to Sills' or Sutherland's. She is not quite as spellbinding as Gencer or Caballé, let alone Callas though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 02, 2018, 12:09:57 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 01, 2018, 03:20:46 PM
Was this incarnation remastered? I have the previous budget issue, and I thought the sonics showed their age, so to speak.

It doesn't look like it. The booklet mentions a 1985 remastering.

As someone who has always put performance before sound, the sonics didn't bother me unduly.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 02, 2018, 03:19:04 AM
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/fe/4b/f0/fe4bf0405b8cf8ad4bffef2b3e3342c8.jpg)

I have three Callas recordings of La Sonnambula, and must say I find it very difficult to decide which is my favourite. The 1955 Bernstein is a record of a thrilling night in the theatre, finds Callas in marginally fresher voice, tossing off the intricate variations Bernstein has given her with insouciant ease. The studio recording of 1957 (with almost an identical cast to the one here) enjoys the best sound, but Votto's conducting leans towards the routine. However, live in Cologne, he is transformed, if not quite so individual as Bernstein and Callas is in enviable form. Her first entrance provokes a prolonged bout of applause from the audience, forcing her to repeat her first lines (Care compagne), and she does not disappoint. Some of Bernstein's more intricate embellishments have been trimmed away, but her singing is still wonderfully supple. In the cadenza between the two verses of Ah non giunge she sails up to a forte Eb in alt, only to effect a diminuendo on this stratospheric note, before cascading down a perfect chromatic scale. Monti, who also sings Elvino on Sutherland's first studio recording of the opera, is no match for Valletti, who sings Elvino under Bernstein, but the rest of the cast (Zaccaria a sonorous Count, Angioletti a less acid voiced Lisa than Ratti) is splendid.

The recording sounds very fine in this Ars Vocalis transfer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 08, 2018, 02:04:37 AM
Had a great time last night attending Benvenuto Cellini in the Terry Gilliam (ex monty pyton) at Paris Opera.  This virruoso and spectacular staging was given previously in Amsterdam and London.  Clearly Terry Gilliam did let loose here.  But anyrhing excessive fits Berlioz perfectly and it resuscitated its origins at the comic opera.

Vocaly, the role of Teresa was held beatifully by the coloratura Pretty Yende.  She really was spectacular.  She has a voice which is both powerful and delicate.  Cellini was sung by the american tenor John Osborn who was good but a tone below Pretty Yende.  Notable also was Michele Losier in the role of Ascanio (Cellini assistant).  I also really enjoyed Philippe Jordan direction who didnt impress me that much in Pelleas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 09, 2018, 12:32:35 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51H3kdYtd5L.jpg)

I love Berlioz's sparkling, effervescent opera Benvenuto Cellini, and Davis's first recording, with Gedda in fine form, has remained a favourite.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on April 09, 2018, 02:48:45 AM
Quote from: Spineur on April 08, 2018, 02:04:37 AM
Had a great time last night attending Benvenuto Cellini in the Terry Gilliam (ex monty pyton) at Paris Opera.  This virruoso and spectacular staging was given previously in Amsterdam and London.  Clearly Terry Gilliam did let loose here.  But anyrhing excessive fits Berlioz perfectly and it resuscitated its origins at the comic opera.

Vocaly, the role of Teresa was held beatifully by the coloratura Pretty Yende.  She really was spectacular.  She has a voice which is both powerful and delicate.  Cellini was sung by the american tenor John Osborn who was good but a tone below Pretty Yende.  Notable also was Michele Losier in the role of Ascanio (Cellini assistant).  I also really enjoyed Philippe Jordan direction who didnt impress me that much in Pelleas.

I see a blu-ray of the 2015 Dutch National Opera performances of the production, with a different conductor and some cast changes, will be released next month:

[asin]B07CCLPMW6[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 09, 2018, 04:47:21 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 09, 2018, 12:32:35 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51H3kdYtd5L.jpg)

I love Berlioz's sparkling, effervescent opera Benvenuto Cellini, and Davis's first recording, with Gedda in fine form, has remained a favourite.

I have enjoyed Davis's second recording, the one on LSO Live.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 10, 2018, 12:27:17 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 09, 2018, 04:47:21 PM
I have enjoyed Davis's second recording, the one on LSO Live.

I marginally prefer the cast on the earlier recording, especially Gedda in what I think is one of his best recorded roles.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 10, 2018, 01:11:23 PM
Benvenuto Cellini is a work I should explore in more depth. I have the first Colin Davis recording (that Tsaraslondon posted), but haven't listened to it for a while. I remember it being a very "busy" score.... ;)

THREAD DUTY:

Listened to this mutilated and much maligned recording of Bellini's Norma:

[asin]B00NQ2XC6I[/asin]

The recording was made in an abridged version, so it could fit on 4 LP sides. There are small cuts here and there, but the really irritating absence is that of Oroveso's big scene "Ah! Del Tebro" in Act II. The set's raision d'être is Elena Souliotis's assumption of the title rôle. In 1967, she was still in command of her great voice, and her portrayal is very, very exciting. Yes, there are some technical failings (her inability to produce a trill has been pointed out by many reviewers), but the coloratura is acceptable, the tone is engaging and her interpretation is girlish and passionate. Pity her career was so short. Mario del Monaco is well past his prime, sings forte throughout, has a peculiar pronunciation of some vowels, and is generally insufferable. Fiorenza Cossotto gives us her lush and full tone, is perfectly acceptable as Adalgisa, but I always get a slight sense of vulgarity when listening to this famous mezzo. Carlo Cava is a solid Oroveso, but his part is (as mentioned before) the greatest victim of the cuts imposed on the score. Silvio Varviso conducts very eloquently.

Despite its flaws, a recording well worth knowing (despite the bad press it's received), for Souliotis's riveting performance and Varviso's strong leadership. It's  vastly superior to Souliotis live performance from Tokyo—with La Scala forces under de Fabritiis, released by Myto some years ago—, made in 1971, i.e. only 4 years after this studio effort, but in that short time span her career had virtually collapsed and was nearing its end.

What an irresistibly beautiful opera Norma is!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 10, 2018, 11:36:26 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51pN9%2BCoxFL.jpg)

Goodall's Tristan und Isolde is often forgotten in surveys of the opera.

It was recorded in 1980-1981 in stunning Decca digital sound, and followed live performances with the same cast. Goodall, as always, favours slow speeds, and there are places where I wish he would get a move on. Nonetheless, Goodall's experience shows and the score unfolds beautifully and inevitably.


The cast is hardly starry, but Linda Esther Gray is a lovely, warmly feminine Isolde,  seemingly untaxed by the upper reaches of the role, and Mitchinson a firm voiced, suitably tortured Tristan. Best of the other soloists is Gwynne Howell, who sings a noble King Marke.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on April 11, 2018, 02:48:13 AM
(https://s6.postimg.cc/mhh9jbbpt/norma_elena.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)


QuoteDespite its flaws, a recording well worth knowing (despite the bad press it's received), for Souliotis's riveting performance and Varviso's strong leadership. It's  vastly superior to Souliotis live performance from Tokyo—with La Scala forces under de Fabritiis, released by Myto some years ago—, made in 1971, i.e. only 4 years after this studio effort, but in that short time span her career had virtually collapsed and was nearing its end.

What an irresistibly beautiful opera Norma is!

I will follow you like now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 11, 2018, 09:38:52 AM
Quote from: anothername on April 11, 2018, 02:48:13 AM
(https://s6.postimg.cc/mhh9jbbpt/norma_elena.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)


I will follow you like now.
I'd love to read your impressions, if you care to share them.

As an aside, this book on Souliotis (in Italian) includes a CD of rare live recordings of the singer. Among them, there's a Casta Diva with piano accompaniment from 1963 (when she was 20 years old and still studying with Mercedes Llopart in Milan):

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Sfh5WfvkL._SL500_SS500_.jpg)

Even if the recording technique was not that great, and this aria is not quite the same stripped of its elegiac orchestral accompaniment, one can understand why the young singer would create such a stir. It turns out it was Gianandrea Gavazzeni who promoted her from the start, a collaboration that led to Souliotis being granted the honor of singing Abigaille in Nabucco on the "notte di Sant'Ambrogio" (the official opening of the season) at La Scala in 1966.

Regards,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2018, 12:09:14 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51IKSXNPkSL.jpg)

For all the excellence of the new Nelsons recording of the opera, Davis I remains my absolute favourite. Admittedly there are a few problems with the casting. There have been better Cassandres than Lindholm (though she is not as bad as people often make out), but Vickers is a thrillingly individual Enée and Veasey an excellent Didon, if not as heart-rending as Baker in her recording of the final scene, and Davis has a way with Berlioz, that is second to none.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 14, 2018, 08:34:29 AM
First listen (libretto in hand, and only to Act 1 for the moment) to Franco Alfano's last work for the stage, Il dottor Antonio, from 1949 (I understand he later wrote a radio opera, Vesuvius, and finally reconstructed his La leggenda di Sakùntala—the parts of which were destroyed during WW2–as just Sakùntala in 1952).

[asin]B076K22NC8[/asin]

The libretto by Mario Ghisalberti, who also wrote the text for Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's charming Venetian bitter-sweet comedy Il campiello), is based on a novel by Giovanni Ruffini (the author of the draft for Donizetti's Don Pasquale), and deals with the impossible love story between a young English aristocrat (Lucy) and an Italian doctor (Antonio), in a risorgimento setting.

The piece is as elegiac and autumnal as it gets (befitting a work which is one of the last exponents of a dying operatic tradition) and rather engaging. The performance is a good Italian radio production, in acceptable sound (1953 vintage). The leads are Carla Gavazzi (an accomplished verismo soprano of the period—but who also recorded Elvira in Don Giovanni for Cetra around that time) and the ever elegant Giacinto Prandelli.

Not a lost masterpiece (so far at least), but very enjoyable, and yet another proof that Franco Alfano was a solid and accomplished composer, and not just "the man who completed Turandot".
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on April 14, 2018, 09:17:33 PM
Quote from: ritter on April 11, 2018, 09:38:52 AM
I'd love to read your impressions, if you care to share them.

As an aside, this book on Souliotis (in Italian) includes a CD of rare live recordings of the singer. Among them, there's a Casta Diva with piano accompaniment from 1963 (when she was 20 years old and still studying with Mercedes Llopart in Milan):

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Sfh5WfvkL._SL500_SS500_.jpg)

Even if the recording technique was not that great, and this aria is not quite the same stripped of its elegiac orchestral accompaniment, one can understand why the young singer would create such a stir. It turns out it was Gianandrea Gavazzeni who promoted her from the start, a collaboration that led to Souliotis being granted the honor of singing Abigaille in Nabucco on the "notte di Sant'Ambrogio" (the official opening of the season) at La Scala in 1966.

Regards,

I mostly agree with you, except the Cossotto bit, I love her and very artistic, but hey we can't love all the same voice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 15, 2018, 06:39:19 AM
Quote from: anothername on April 14, 2018, 09:17:33 PM
I mostly agree with you, except the Cossotto bit, I love her and very artistic, but hey we can't love all the same voice.
Thanks...pity about the cuts.  :(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 15, 2018, 07:01:10 AM
Gioacchino Rossini Le comte Ory
in the 2013 MET radio broadcast (mp3 sound quality) with Pretty Yende Diego Florez and Karine Dehayes.  After hearing Pretty Yende live in Berlioz Benvenuto Cellini, I was curious to hear her in other roles.  So far, my initial impressions on her outstanding vocal capacities are confirmed.  In 2013, her french diction was already pretty good.  I cant say that I am a fan of Diego Florez, but he does the job.  Karine Dehayes is one fine mezzo.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 15, 2018, 08:44:11 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71jMu5IeosL._SX522_.jpg)

Rome, November 1970. Everybody is in very good form here. Raimondi's stentorian Attila may be a bit unsubtle, but isn't that in character ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 16, 2018, 11:39:43 PM
(https://cloud10.todocoleccion.online/musica-cds/tc/2015/04/18/17/48932902.jpg)

Working through some of my Wagner recordings, and realise that most of the reason I don't listen to them that often is the sheer time commitment required. I rarely have time to sit through a whole opera, and listening is spread out over several days.

Karajan's Tristan und Isolde, like his Ring, divides opinion. Aside from a few odd recording balances, I've always liked it. Vickers is an almost unbearably intense Tristan, and Dernesch a warm, feminine Isolde, and there is excellent support from Ludwig, Berry and Ridderbusch. I haven't heard it for ages, but am really enjoying Act I right now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 17, 2018, 02:41:59 AM
I think the Tristan is terrific, it and the Furtwangler were the ones I grew up with. Many added subsequently, but my love of the Karajan is much more than nostalgia. As so often we are in accord on the singers.


Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 17, 2018, 05:33:43 AM
That's one recording of Tristan I've never got round to acquiring. It has been criticized for its artificial (or over-engineered) swings in dynamics, notably in Spain by a sort of Wagnerian "guru", the late Ángel Fernando Mayo, who was inflexible in his critique of anything departing from the 1950s Bayreuth "style" (embodied for him in the figure of Hans Knappertsbusch  ::)). But, since usually I tend to admire what Mayo dishes  ;), this late Karajan Tristan is alluring to me (not least for Helga Dernesch as Isolde). I do own the live HvK recording from the 1952 Bayreuth Festival with Mödl and Vinay, and it's superb.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 17, 2018, 06:01:36 AM
Quote from: ritter on April 17, 2018, 05:33:43 AM
That's one recording of Tristan I've never got round to acquiring. It has been criticized for its artificial (or over-engineered) swings in dynamics, notably in Spain by a sort of Wagnerian "guru", the late Ángel Fernando Mayo, who was inflexible in his critique of anything departing from the 1950s Bayreuth "style" (embodied for him in the figure of Hans Knappertsbusch  ::)). But, since usually I tend to admire what Mayo dishes  ;), this late Karajan Tristan is alluring to me (not least for Helga Dernesch as Isolde). I do own the live HvK recording from the 1952 Bayreuth Festival with Mödl and Vinay, and it's superb.

Dernesch seems to divide opinion too. To me she sounds radiant, warm, womanly and feminine, but to others she sounds over-parted and strained. Famously, she retired from the scene for some time and returned as a mezzo, and many say they can hear the strain soprano roles put on her instrument, but I honestly think they are being wise after the event. Whether it be as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, Leonore in Fidelio, Brünnhilde or Isolde, she sounds absolutely radiant to me, and I actually prefer her voice to Nilsson's, for all the latter's steel-like security.

That said, I would agree that there are some weird recording balances in the Tristan und Isolde, and it does sound as if someone (either Karajan or the recording producer) indulged in a bit of knob twiddling from time to time. At least the singers are never drowned out as they are in his EMI Don Carlo, also made with the Berlin Phil.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 17, 2018, 06:15:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 17, 2018, 06:01:36 AM
Dernesch seems to divide opinion too. To me she sounds radiant, warm, womanly and feminine, but to others she sounds over-parted and strained. Famously, she retired from the scene for some time and returned as a mezzo, and many say they can hear the strain soprano roles put on her instrument, but I honestly think they are being wise after the event. Whether it be as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, Leonore in Fidelio, Brünnhilde or Isolde, she sounds absolutely radiant to me, and I actually prefer her voice to Nilsson's, for all the latter's steel-like security.

...
Exactly..there's a sense of fragility, of humanity, in Dernesch's singing—in those roles I've heard her on record—that I find most engaging (even if some roles may have taken a toll on her voice). I'm not really that keen on  Mme. Nilsson myself... :-[
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 17, 2018, 06:39:10 AM
I also have the earlier Karajan live performance, it is terrific. The sound quality on the EMI is occasionally odd. It sounds like a veil is drawn across the speakers to provide soft focus and sink the voices into the instrumental picture. I would prefer if the engineering had not been done in this way, but it certainly does not persuade me to forgo what is otherwise a compelling performance.

Karajan was on a journey looking for sound pictures that at times treated the voices as instruments and integrating them into an invented  soundword
Ludwig is also excellent and the two women occasionally sound similar to one another in Act 1. I like Dernesch a great deal, I think I have all her major recordings including Klemperer's Act 1 of Walkure, more than a curosity, but not vital: mainly doe to tempi.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 17, 2018, 01:58:57 PM
I think the worst results achieved through overenthusiastic fiddling with the sound conrols can be heard in Karajan's second EMI Trovatore. A superb performance marred by the most bizarre orchestral balances this side of planet Mars.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on April 17, 2018, 08:40:01 PM
Quote from: André on April 17, 2018, 01:58:57 PM
I think the worst results achieved through overenthusiastic fiddling with the sound conrols can be heard in Karajan's second EMI Trovatore. A superb performance marred by the most bizarre orchestral balances this side of planet Mars.

You mean the one with Franco Franco Bonisolli :'(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 17, 2018, 11:17:03 PM
Quote from: ritter on April 17, 2018, 06:15:10 AM
Exactly..there's a sense of fragility, of humanity, in Dernesch's singing—in those roles I've heard her on record—that I find most engaging (even if some roles may have taken a toll on her voice). I'm not really that keen on  Mme. Nilsson myself... :-[

I heard her twice live; as a superb Leonore and as an incomparable Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, a role which she learned in English when she first sang it with Scottish Opera. By the time I saw the production, they had reverted to German, and I have a disc of excerpts, which were recorded around that time. I also have a recording of that first Scottish Opera production in English, with Janet Baker as Octavian and Elizabeth Harwood as Sophie.

I remember her entrance into the Canon in Fidelio was like a shaft of sunlight piercing the gloom, and her Marschallin remains the best, most moving and aristocratic of any I've seen in the theatre.

(http://www.operascotland.org/image/cache/thumbs/within/800x800/2022.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 18, 2018, 12:12:13 AM
We saw the same productions, I also saw her in Tristan around the time the Karajan discs were released. Also as Ariadne to Baker's Composer. At the moment Scottish Opera is engaging an Ariadne who should not be appearing on a stage anywhere.....changed days unfortunately.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 18, 2018, 01:18:17 AM
Quote from: knight66 on April 18, 2018, 12:12:13 AM
At the moment Scottish Opera is engaging an Ariadne who should not be appearing on a stage anywhere.....changed days unfortunately.

Mike

Dare we ask who? Standards do seem to be slipping across the board. It's probably wrong to continually hark back to singers of the past, but it's difficult not to when, even amongst those of today's singers who are technically accomplished, I rarely hear real magic. Maybe it was always so, and we just remember the shining exceptions. I just feel there were more of them around once upon a time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 18, 2018, 11:31:53 AM
The singer was Mardi Byers. I have just read a favourable review of her while I was finding her name. But I thought she was very poor and Es Gibt ein Reich was so dismal that it went by unnoticed as an aria by the audience. They had been enthusiastic about other set pieces.

Right now I am listening to Flagstad in a Bohm extract of Tristan. She was three years off retirement from the stage and sounds terrific, rock steady and a stream of beautiful tone. Mind you Bohm seems asleep at the helm, we are wading through it somehow. She sang the part over 180 times, so different from how singers manage their careers now. 

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2018, 04:51:44 AM
Quote from: knight66 on April 18, 2018, 11:31:53 AM
Right now I am listening to Flagstad in a Bohm extract of Tristan. She was three years off retirement from the stage and sounds terrific, rock steady and a stream of beautiful tone. Mind you Bohm seems asleep at the helm, we are wading through it somehow. She sang the part over 180 times, so different from how singers manage their careers now. 

Mike

I finished listening to the Karajan Tristan today, end emerged newly impressed by Karajan and his team. The last act is almost unbearably intense, and Karajan's dramatic pacing, his sense of the ebb and flow are superb. The other recording I have is the Goodall, which I listened to a couple of weeks ago, and I found the Karajan much more involving.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2018, 05:07:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81mt3ji2SsL._SL1500_.jpg)

Callas's unconventional Carmen is endlessly fascinating. I hear something different every time I listen to it.

I also review it here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/the-callas-carmen/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/the-callas-carmen/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 19, 2018, 05:13:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2018, 04:51:44 AM
I finished listening to the Karajan Tristan today, end emerged newly impressed by Karajan and his team. The last act is almost unbearably intense, and Karajan's dramatic pacing, his sense of the ebb and flow are superb. The other recording I have is the Goodall, which I listened to a couple of weeks ago, and I found the Karajan much more involving.

I have quite a few versions including Goodall. It has some very worthwhile points, including Linda Esther Grey, but it is a bit too slow.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 20, 2018, 11:48:08 AM
First listen to an obscure and atypical work by Rossini:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41tyORuUxNL.jpg)

Edipo a Colonno is the incidental music—written in 1817—to Sophocles's Oedipus at Colonnus (as translated into Italian by Giambattista Giusti). It's some 40 minutes of music, scored for bass, male chorus and orchestra. Sounds quite wonderful to me... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on April 20, 2018, 07:19:15 PM
(https://s6.postimg.cc/h1y0u0vvl/sony19075810752v1.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 21, 2018, 10:55:56 AM
I am currently listening to a live Trovatore, Karajan 1962, Price, Corelli. So far, first scene with Zaccaria and the men was bumpy, none of them kept to the beat. A bit of an amateur sounding mess from the stage. Karajan's pacing was quite fast, but not hectically so. Thank goodness, now Price is doing her thing.

MIke

EDIT: Things have certainly hotted up, Simionato is stupendous, really living the drama. Corelli is indulgent but exciting. I can feel the crackling excitement.

It turned into quite a performance, dramatic and thrilling with great voices doing their stuff. But the chorus should have had their pay docked.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 21, 2018, 11:35:14 AM
From the main thread:


Quote from: André on April 21, 2018, 11:34:11 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41VF4M2KF7L.jpg)

This is the first, original cd issue of this well-known recording. Subsequent reissues (3 if I count well) corrected what is an unforgivable editing idiocy: cutting the second act less than 5 minutes before the end, spilling over the 3rd disc. All 3 discs clock in around 72 minutes, so there was ample time to fit the rest of the act on the second cd. On the newer issues timings are 72, 77 and 68 minutes, with Act ends in their proper places.

Anyhow, as to the performance, I find it admirable for the conducting, playing and excellent engineering. None of the sung roles make it to the top rung, though. Thomas and Grümmer are both admirable and tasteful, but I looked in vain for a trace of the dramatic. Vocally they do not displace favourites such as Konya, Domingo, Steber or Janowitz. In a few places I thought someone should have given a Ricola to Thomas before opening up his mic.

King Henry is very well sung and portrayed by the veteran, Gottlob Frick. On the Warner sets, the back cover blurb commends Fischer-Dieskau and Ludwig for « subtly bringing new dimensions to the roles of the two villains of the piece». Well, I'm not sure what to make of that new found subtlety. While DFD rages over his lost honour perfunctorily, the voice is so beautiful that it's hard to envision him as the true scumbag he is supposed to portray. Similarly, Ludwig has no trouble singing beautiflly and forcefully, but where is the venom, the spite, the demonic rage of this hellish witch ? She is more believable when pretending to Elsa that she is a victim than when erupting in vengeful anger. No match for the real giants in this role, Varnay and Gorr.

All in all, a superb phonographic production that could have been markedly better if the singing had been one size larger and the characterization more effective.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 21, 2018, 11:42:26 AM
Interesting Andre, I have long wondered what this set was like. I have the Kubelik and Solti sets. The Kubelik feels more idiomatic and it has Janowitz, King is fine too. That is the one I usually gravitate towards, but if I need a Grand Jessye fix, then the other set certainly serves it up.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on April 21, 2018, 09:08:37 PM
(https://s6.postimg.cc/m1nyxro29/Ballo_Karajan.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Such a lavish cast, stupendous.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 22, 2018, 02:11:13 AM
Quote from: knight66 on April 21, 2018, 10:55:56 AM
I am currently listening to a live Trovatore, Karajan 1962, Price, Corelli. So far, first scene with Zaccaria and the men was bumpy, none of them kept to the beat. A bit of an amateur sounding mess from the stage. Karajan's pacing was quite fast, but not hectically so. Thank goodness, now Price is doing her thing.

MIke

EDIT: Things have certainly hotted up, Simionato is stupendous, really living the drama. Corelli is indulgent but exciting. I can feel the crackling excitement.

It turned into quite a performance, dramatic and thrilling with great voices doing their stuff. But the chorus should have had their pay docked.

I know this performance, and, though it is undeniably exciting, I've often thought it a bit of a mess, with occasional discrepancies between stage and pit.

Compare that to Karajan's first studio set with Callas, which I've now come to think of as one of Karajan's very best studio opera sets. But if Callas is the star vocalist, then Karajan is the second star of the recording. I'd even go so far as to say this is one of his very best opera recordings. His conducting is thrilling and one is constantly amazed at the many felicities he brings out in the orchestral colour. His pacing is brilliant, rhythms always alert and beautifully sprung, but suitably spacious and long-breathed in Leonora's glorious arias. Nor does he shy away from the score's occasional rude vigour. It is a considerable achievement. Di Stefano is no Corelli, his voice no dout a notch too small for the role of Manrico, but he just about pulls it off, nevertheless, and Barbieri is almost Simionato's equal.




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 22, 2018, 02:26:43 AM
Quote from: André on April 21, 2018, 11:35:14 AM
From the main thread:

QuoteAnyhow, as to the performance, I find it admirable for the conducting, playing and excellent engineering. None of the sung roles make it to the top rung, though. Thomas and Grümmer are both admirable and tasteful, but I looked in vain for a trace of the dramatic. Vocally they do not displace favourites such as Konya, Domingo, Steber or Janowitz. In a few places I thought someone should have given a Ricola to Thomas before opening up his mic.

Funnily enough I find more drama, as well as seamlessly beautiful singing, in Grümmer's Elsa, than in Janowitz's disembodied purity. Ludwig's Ortrud I also find eminently satisfying, though she is a mite more thrilling in the duet she recorded with Schwarzkopf.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 22, 2018, 02:35:36 AM
(http://d5e1b1dkmmebd.cloudfront.net/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/d/cd_wag_tann_solti.jpg)

I think this is the only opera set I have conducted by Solti, who has never been a favourite of mine. I bought it chiefly for Helga Dernesch's radiant Elisabeth, but it has other virtues, not least Ludwig's Venus and Victor Braun's Wolfram, and I think this one of Kollo's best recorded roles.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on April 22, 2018, 02:55:11 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 22, 2018, 02:35:36 AM
(http://d5e1b1dkmmebd.cloudfront.net/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/d/cd_wag_tann_solti.jpg)

I think this is the only opera set I have conducted by Solti, who has never been a favourite of mine. I bought it chiefly for Helga Dernesch's radiant Elisabeth, but it has other virtues, not least Ludwig's Venus and Victor Braun's Wolfram, and I think this one of Kollo's best recorded roles.

That was the first Tannhäuser I ever heard and still a great favorite of mine. I happen to be a Solti fanboy.  :P Kollo does a fine Tannhäuser (or should I say Heinrich) in this one but to be honest, I liked more his Tristan performances, especially on Kleiber 1982 recording. Although this may also have something to do with the fact that I find Heinrich among the least interesting Wagner lead roles.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 22, 2018, 03:05:05 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 22, 2018, 02:35:36 AM
(http://d5e1b1dkmmebd.cloudfront.net/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/d/cd_wag_tann_solti.jpg)

I think this is the only opera set I have conducted by Solti, who has never been a favourite of mine. I bought it chiefly for Helga Dernesch's radiant Elisabeth, but it has other virtues, not least Ludwig's Venus and Victor Braun's Wolfram, and I think this one of Kollo's best recorded roles.

This is my favourite Tannhauser, partly because I prefer the Paris version, but also for the qualities you point out and the excellent sound.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 23, 2018, 01:00:40 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WoSDsnEkL.jpg)

Hickox's superb version of the two act Billy Budd is wonderfully cast from top to bottom. I find it even more compelling than Britten's own version, and the Chandos recording is spectacular.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 23, 2018, 08:37:41 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 23, 2018, 01:00:40 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WoSDsnEkL.jpg)

Hickox's superb version of the two act Billy Budd is wonderfully cast from top to bottom. I find it even more compelling than Britten's own version, and the Chandos recording is spectacular.

1) Have you ever heard the Virgin (now, I presume, Erato) recording with Bostridge as the Captain?

2) Referring back to your Solti comment, try his Parsifal and Marriage of Figaro recordings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on April 23, 2018, 08:42:58 AM
Relieved to see you active, Jeffrey!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 23, 2018, 12:36:05 PM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 23, 2018, 08:37:41 AM
1) Have you ever heard the Virgin (now, I presume, Erato) recording with Bostridge as the Captain?

2) Referring back to your Solti comment, try his Parsifal and Marriage of Figaro recordings.

1) I haven't heard the recording with Bostridge, but I'm not really a fan. I find him somewhat effete.

2) I prefer Karajan's Parsifal, though, by all accounts, I really should listen to Knappertsbusch, and the Figaro has some great singers (maybe even the best cast on record), but here too I prefer Krips or Giulini.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 23, 2018, 01:11:04 PM
I went through Amazon 2nd hand last night and ordered Giulini's Figaro, Don Carlo and Rigoletto: £14 plus postage.

For some reason, although I have long enjoyed his Don Giovanni, I never tried the Figaro. I have lots of versions of all three operas. I do rate the Solti Figaro highly, but I know your feelings on him.

For Parsifal, I suggest the Kubelik which is exceptional. I have and very much like the Karajan one, but it is an opera that yields to different conductors.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 23, 2018, 11:34:21 PM
Quote from: knight66 on April 23, 2018, 01:11:04 PM
I went through Amazon 2nd hand last night and ordered Giulini's Figaro, Don Carlo and Rigoletto: £14 plus postage.

For some reason, although I have long enjoyed his Don Giovanni, I never tried the Figaro. I have lots of versions of all three operas. I do rate the Solti Figaro highly, but I know your feelings on him.

For Parsifal, I suggest the Kubelik which is exceptional. I have and very much like the Karajan one, but it is an opera that yields to different conductors.

Mike

The Giulini Figaro isn't as universally admired as his Don Giovanni, but it's always been a firm favourite with me. There's a good sprinkling of Italians (or Italian speakers) in the cast, which means the words get their due, and the cast is at least the equal of Solti's. It's not note complete, mind you (no arias for Marcelline and Basilio), which might bother some more than it bothers me.

Giulini's Don Carlo is, on balance I think, still the best recording of the opera on disc. It's one of my favourite Verdi operas, and I have three recordings (Giulini, Karajan and Abbado) though essentially what I have is three different operas; the five act Italian version, the four act Italian version and the five act French version with appendices. I reviewed the three sets on my blog.  https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/)

His Rigoletto is also excellent, but I don't think it eclipses the old Serafin with Callas and Gobbi which, for all the cuts and ancient modern sound still leads the field. I review that  recording too https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/).

Incidentally, I enjoy his Trovatore too, but mostly for the cast. Giulini's speeds tend to be a little ponderous, especially when one is used to Karajan's wonderfully alert and sprung rhythms on his first recording with Callas.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 24, 2018, 11:45:00 PM
Ha, how much time do we have here? So much I could write. Don Carlo is my favourite Verdi and I am frankly happy there are so many editions of the score. For the French version I have Pappano with Alagna. Lots of drama and a full score including the Fontainebleau scene, it has a very good cast. I do however prefer it in Italian.

I have the EMI Karajan and a live Karajan Vienna one, the latter is so heavily cut, I can't recommend it. The Giulini ROH one with Vickers, Gobbi and Christoff is excellent, I don't really enjoy Brouwenstijn, her voice does not sound centred to me, but I know she was much admired. This is however one of my indispensible sets. Christoff is my favourite Philip, for me no one comes close.

Solti has a terrific line-up, but I know you would not use his opera sets even as door stoppers.

Santini has a good cast, though Stella is a dramatic cypher, also I don't find his conducting very inspiring. Votto is worth hearing to catch Cerquetti at her considerable best and Barbieri, Siepi and Bastanini. The sound is...OK.

But my favourite set, it ought not to be as it only has four acts, is a live Horst Stein from Vienna 1970. It is fairly swift, he pushes the drama onwards. Corelli, Janowitz, Waechter, Ghiaurov and Verrett. Terrificly exciting, Verrett completely stops the show. If you can find this one, I think you would enjoy it. As you know I am a Janowitz enthusiast, not ultra dramatic, but the beauty of her singing is remarkable. Corelli is his usual thrilling and engaged self and the confrontation between Ghiarov and Talvela is hair-raising.

I did have Haitink, wonderful singing, but I could not stand the pacing, it is inert and that completely ruins the efforts of the singers, I dumped it.

I am looking forward to the Giulini, though I have never much liked Domingo, which is the reason I have not previously bought it. I have quite a bit of Domingo, you can't avoid him, and I have the Giulini Trovatore which I get on well with despite the slow-burn. What a group of singers he collected there. I agree, the Karajan with Callas is as good as it gets.

On Rigoletto, I must have half a dozen or so, my top recommendation is the old CallasGobbi one, but I retain a lot of affection for a Molinari Pradelli live set. He is an underrated conductor I think. Capecci is the Rigoletto, superb, dramatic and dark, there is Tucker plus D'Angelo, Pirazzini and Sardi are the other main singers. Well worth a listen away from the usual main recommendations. D'Angelo has a very light voice, girlish, accurate but a narrow colour palate.

Mike

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 25, 2018, 12:19:45 AM
Tsaraslondon, About six months ago I spent an afternoon reading right through your blog and enjoyed it enormously. I recommend it here to folk with even a passing interest in Callas, though as this link shows, other singers get their turn.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/


Like you, that Karajan Don Carlo soundworld bugs me. I mentioned on the current Karajan thread this phase of his where he sank the voices into the orchestral textures. I think this set is the worst example of it. It does however have its considerable compensations. I also agree re the blandness of Domingo in many of the EMI sets that he appeared in almost monthly. Having brought mysef up on Vickers, Bjoerling and Tucker, Domingo seemed faceless to me. And I also have never really connected with his voice, especially when I could have Pavarotti's golden tones and his real relishing of the Italian language. Domingo is by far the more enduring and versatile artist, I admire him more thn enjoy him. Mind you, I really wish he would just leave the stage. There are plentry of real baritones who need the the work. It is about time he buggered off.

After posting the Don Carlo list above, I have been listening to that Rigoletto with Capecci, was it really live? Is the sound quality actually safe to recommend? Putting it on reassured me that the sound quality is really first rate for its time, it sounds like studio mix except for the lovely way the voices ring out into the theatre. I was worried I might have misslead you through faulty memory. It is like putting on an old favourite pullover, I bought the set on LP when I was about 14, so it has rather imprinted itself on my brain. But I believe it stands up very well if you like the soprano's rather monochrome singing.

Mike

Edit, Despite the claim on the disc covers that it is live, I refused to believe it. Having now read up on the set, I can confirm it is a studio version issued at one point by Phillips.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 25, 2018, 04:17:19 AM
Thanks for the recommendations, Mike. I have found both the Stein Don Carlo and the live Molinari-Pradelli Rigoletto on Spotify and have saved them both for later listening.

I can't really imagine Janowitz in Verdi. She is a singer I have equivocal feelings about. The voice is indeed beautiful, but I find her performances can sometimes seem emotionally tepid. She has  a sort of disembodied purity that I wouldn't have thought suited Verdi. It should make for interesting listening.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 25, 2018, 07:09:44 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 23, 2018, 12:36:05 PM
1) I haven't heard the recording with Bostridge, but I'm not really a fan. I find him somewhat effete.

2) I prefer Karajan's Parsifal, though, by all accounts, I really should listen to Knappertsbusch, and the Figaro has some great singers (maybe even the best cast on record), but here too I prefer Krips or Giulini.

Fair point about Bostridge, although I think it doesn't hurt him in his Captain Fairfax performance.

Re: Knappertsbusch Parsifal. You need to hear him at some point.  I have his 1951 performance on Naxos (I know there are a few different incarnations), and the later "commercial" performance on Philips/Decca. I prefer the 1951 one. There also seem to be a couple other live at Bayreuth  performances from other years running around but I've never heard them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 25, 2018, 07:14:18 AM
I have the Guilini and Muti recordings of Don Carlo. The latter has Pavarotti, and I think Domingo clearly wins that particular head-to-head competition.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 25, 2018, 08:43:07 AM
Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on April 25, 2018, 07:09:44 AM
Fair point about Bostridge, although I think it doesn't hurt him in his Captain Fairfax performance.

Re: Knappertsbusch Parsifal. You need to hear him at some point.  I have his 1951 performance on Naxos (I know there are a few different incarnations), and the later "commercial" performance on Philips/Decca. I prefer the 1951 one. There also seem to be a couple other live at Bayreuth  performances from other years running around but I've never heard them.

Well, yes, you have a point, and I guess Pears could also be accused of being effete, though I don't find his performance affected at all. I don't know what it is about Bostridge I don't get along with though. I suppose it's many of the things that Schwarzkopf gets accused of (over-inflection of the text, fussing too much with the musical line), but I love Schwarzkopf, and her idiosyncracies (a much better word than mannersims, I feel) don't bother me at all, where Bostridge's do.

As for Kna's Parsifal, where to start? There seem to be a number of different performances out there, both official and unofficial, and I have no idea which is considered the best.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 25, 2018, 12:22:18 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 25, 2018, 04:17:19 AM
Thanks for the recommendations, Mike. I have found both the Stein Don Carlo and the live Molinari-Pradelli Rigoletto on Spotify and have saved them both for later listening.

I can't really imagine Janowitz in Verdi. She is a singer I have equivocal feelings about. The voice is indeed beautiful, but I find her performances can sometimes seem emotionally tepid. She has  a sort of disembodied purity that I wouldn't have thought suited Verdi. It should make for interesting listening.

Do let me know how you get on, I will be interested in your take on the sets.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 25, 2018, 12:49:25 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 25, 2018, 08:43:07 AM
...
As for Kna's Parsifal, where to start? There seem to be a number of different performances out there, both official and unofficial, and I have no idea which is considered the best.
Well, not that I'm a great fan of Knappertsbusch, but I'll give my two cents worth...

Knappertsbusch "owned" Parsifal in Bayreuth, in the Wieland Wagner production, from the reopening of the festival in 1951 until one year before his death in 1965. Only in 1953 did Clemens Krauss appear in the pit; AFAIK, Knappertsbusch had a strong personal animosity towards Krauss, and told Wieland Wagner something to the effect of "if he comes to the Green Hill, then don't count with me". Krauss came, and conducted a superb Parsifal (and Ring), but then died the following year. Knappertsbusch was gracious enough to return for the 1954 festival (and stay for good). Also, in 1957, André Cluytens took over some performances, and it was he who took over the production in 1965 from  Knappertsbusch. In 1966, Pierre Boulez debuted on the Green Hill with the same production, starting a new era in the festival's history.

Currently, I only have two of Knappertsbusch's performances on CD, the two "official" ones from 1951 (Decca) and 1962 (Philips)—I had other ones on LP ages ago. I'd say his conception of the score didn't change much over the years, and the choice boils down to the casts. In 1951, you have a wonderful Martha Mödl as Kundry, Wolfgang Windgassen at his peak in the title role, Ludwig Weber a noble Gurnemanz, Hermann Uhde as Klingsor (a role that suited him like a glove), and George London in his prime as Amfortas. The sound is adequate for its age (in mono, of course).

[asin]B000000SH0[/asin]

In 1962 (in stereo, and reputed to be the recording—of any work—that best captures the unique acoustics of the Festspielhaus), you get the mellifluous Jess Thomas (a personal favourite of mine) as the pure fool, Irene Dalis as a solid Kundry (but no match for Mödl's intensity), Hans Hotter well past his prime as Gurnemanz (the greatest weakness of the set IMHO, but highly regarded by many reviewers), George London again (but no match for his younger self), and another superb Klingsor in Gustav Neidlinger.

[asin]B000FVHGZG[/asin]

All in all, I have a preference for the 1951 (which documents a historic occasion) over the 1962, despite the better sound of the latter. Of course, there's bootleg recordings of the work under the same conductor from almost every year (generally in decent sound, as they stem from radio broadcasts), and you have an embarrassment of riches as far as singers are concerned (Régine Crespin here, Fischer-Dieskau there, Ramón Vinay—but for him, I'd go to the 1953 Krauss—and so on).

IIRC, you are an admirer of Jon Vickers's artistry, Tsaraslondon. Thus, another recording that might interest you, and that has received "official" status (as it's the original Bavarian Radio tapes that have been issued by Orfeo) is the 1964 (Knappertsbusch's swan song). The Kundry is Barbro Ericsson, Hotter is Gurnemanz again, and the great Thomas Stewart is Amfortas.

[asin]B000UJC7WU[/asin]

But I insist, I dont know it (two Knappertsbusch recordings of Parsifal in my collection appears enough, I'd say  ;)).

THREAD DUTY:

Light years away from Parsifal  ;D, a work that, in its naïveté and sheer joy, always brings a smile to my face (in a vintage recording which I just bought):

[asin]B00005Q4R1[/asin]

I quattro rusteghi is Wolf-Ferrari's second opera based on Goldoni, after Le donne curiose, and to be followed by La vedova scaltra and lastly by my favourite of the lot, the nostalgic Il campielloRusteghi is less directly indebted to Falstaff than its predecessor, and the formula used by the composer to illustrate Goldoni's charming comedies is firmly established and works perfectly. In this case, we have a simple melody (a ditty, I'd say) that is used in the short overture and reappears regularly, and then a more substantial theme that is used in a funny scene between the character of Marina and her maid ("Lo specio me ga dito che son bela"), which is then developed in the charming intermezzo and reappears in the ensemble that concludes the opera (almost exactly the same procedure used with the "Bondì Venezia cara" theme in Il  Campiello.

I have long been admirer of Goldoni (seeing Giorgio Strehler's Piccolo Teatro di Milano production of  Arlecchino, servitore di due padroni almost 40 years ago is a memory I cherish to this day), and Wolf-Ferrari treats the playwright's work with love and utmost care, enveloping it with music that appears just perfect for it. Beautiful!

The recording is a typical 1950s RAI production, with acceptable sound. The voices are closely miked, which is actually good for such an intimate piece. There's only two familiar names in the cast (Fernando Corena and Alda Noni), but this is a "choral comedy", and that feeling is perfectly palpable in this performance, under the capable baton of Alfredo Simonetto.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: kishnevi on April 25, 2018, 07:53:28 PM
I have the Naxos issue of the 1951 recording.  Mark Obert-Thorn produced it, and I can remember no problem with the sonics.
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Apr03/Wagner_Parsifal_8110221.gif)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2018, 12:45:54 AM
Quote from: ritter on April 25, 2018, 12:49:25 PM
Well, not that I'm a great fan of Knappertsbusch, but I'll give my two cents worth...

Knappertsbusch "owned" Parsifal in Bayreuth, in the Wieland Wagner production, from the reopening of the festival in 1951 until one year before his death in 1965. Only in 1953 did Clemens Krauss appear in the pit; AFAIK, Knappertsbusch had a strong personal animosity towards Krauss, and told Wieland Wagner something to the effect of "if he comes to the Green Hill, then don't count with me". Krauss came, and conducted a superb Parsifal (and Ring), but then died the following year. Knappertsbusch was gracious enough to return for the 1954 festival (and stay for good). Also, in 1957, André Cluytens took over some performances, and it was he who took over the production in 1965 from  Knappertsbusch. In 1966, Pierre Boulez debuted on the Green Hill with the same production, starting a new era in the festival's history.

Currently, I only have two of Knappertsbusch's performances on CD, the two "official" ones from 1951 (Decca) and 1962 (Philips)—I had other ones on LP ages ago. I'd say his conception of the score didn't change much over the years, and the choice boils down to the casts. In 1951, you have a wonderful Martha Mödl as Kundry, Wolfgang Windgassen at his peak in the title role, Ludwig Weber a noble Gurnemanz, Hermann Uhde as Klingsor (a role that suited him like a glove), and George London in his prime as Amfortas. The sound is adequate for its age (in mono, of course).

[asin]B000000SH0[/asin]

In 1962 (in stereo, and reputed to be the recording—of any work—that best captures the unique acoustics of the Festspielhaus), you get the mellifluous Jess Thomas (a personal favourite of mine) as the pure fool, Irene Dalis as a solid Kundry (but no match for Mödl's intensity), Hans Hotter well past his prime as Gurnemanz (the greatest weakness of the set IMHO, but highly regarded by many reviewers), George London again (but no match for his younger self), and another superb Klingsor in Gustav Neidlinger.

[asin]B000FVHGZG[/asin]

All in all, I have a preference for the 1951 (which documents a historic occasion) over the 1962, despite the better sound of the latter. Of course, there's bootleg recordings of the work under the same conductor from almost every year (generally in decent sound, as they stem from radio broadcasts), and you have an embarrassment of riches as far as singers are concerned (Régine Crespin here, Fischer-Dieskau there, Ramón Vinay—but for him, I'd go to the 1953 Krauss—and so on).

IIRC, you are an admirer of Jon Vickers's artistry, Tsaraslondon. Thus, another recording that might interest you, and that has received "official" status (as it's the original Bavarian Radio tapes that have been issued by Orfeo) is the 1964 (Knappertsbusch's swan song). The Kundry is Barbro Ericsson, Hotter is Gurnemanz again, and the great Thomas Stewart is Amfortas.

[asin]B000UJC7WU[/asin]

But I insist, I dont know it (two Knappertsbusch recordings of Parsifal in my collection appears enough, I'd say  ;)).


Thanks for the guidance, ritter.

At the moment I'm embarking on one of my irregular visits to Wagner's Ring. It's such a commitment, and, given the amount of time I have available, it's likely to take quite a few days.

Karajan's Ring doesn't seem to get much praise hereabouts, but it's the one I grew up with, and I prefer Karajan's way to Solti's orgasm in every bar approach. Starting with Das Rheingold of course.



(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0001/180/MI0001180986.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 28, 2018, 02:01:04 AM
I have listened to and very much enjoyed my new Don Carlo. There are many aspects I like a great deal, including Guilini's conducting which is as always sensitive but he also plays up the drama very successfully. Raimondi's voice is too lightweight for me, but everyone else sounds right for the parts they play. I especialy enjoyed having a proper Act 1. It has such terrific music in it. I even enjoyed Domingo, though he does not do very much with the words.

It will probably be Tues before I can get round to the Giulini Rigoletto that came in the same parcel.

I enjoy Karajan's Ring, though not Crespin in Walkure. The Karajan Gotterdammerung is my favourite version of the opara, Dernesch, the ventilated sound, the overwhelming orchestral passages.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2018, 03:59:55 AM
Quote from: knight66 on April 28, 2018, 02:01:04 AM
I have listened to and very much enjoyed my new Don Carlo. There are many aspects I like a great deal, including Guilini's conducting which is as always sensitive but he also plays up the drama very successfully. Raimondi's voice is too lightweight for me, but everyone else sounds right for the parts they play. I especialy enjoyed having a proper Act 1. It has such terrific music in it. I even enjoyed Domingo, though he does not do very much with the words.

It will probably be Tues before I can get round to the Giulini Rigoletto that came in the same parcel.

I enjoy Karajan's Ring, though not Crespin in Walkure. The Karajan Gotterdammerung is my favourite version of the opara, Dernesch, the ventilated sound, the overwhelming orchestral passages.

Mike

I agree with your assessment of the Giulini Don Carlo, Mike. Domingo is much better in Abbado's French version, where he is much more dramatically aware, and (paradoxically you might think, as he was older by then) his high notes sound much more free. Unfortunately, aside from Domingo, the Abbado doesn't have that much to commend it, and the digital recorded sound is muddier than EMI's analogue sound for Giulini.

I think the two outer operas the most successful in Karajan's Ring, though I enjoy Janowitz and Vickers in Act I of Die Walküre. The end of Götterdämmerung I find utterly overwhweming, with Dernesch absolutely radiant.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on April 29, 2018, 03:52:09 AM
Took this one out after seing a terrific live performance in early January - finally feeling like listening today:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41YFW1CW8AL.jpg)

Sound isn't great, but the singing is!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 01, 2018, 01:29:42 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2014/07/imgL/117028067.jpg)

Continuing my Ring journey with the second instalment. Admittedly I am no Wagner aficionado, but I am still finding it difficult to understand the opprobrium heaped on Karajan's Ring. I am enjoying it immensely, and Vickers is a wonder.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 02, 2018, 12:36:55 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2018, 12:45:54 AM

Karajan's Ring doesn't seem to get much praise hereabouts, but it's the one I grew up with, and I prefer Karajan's way to Solti's orgasm in every bar approach. Starting with Das Rheingold of course.



(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0001/180/MI0001180986.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Karajan's Ring was my introduction to the work, and I still enjoy it tremendously. The ultra-refined handling of the orchestral sound fits the work very well IMHO, and the (at times controversial) vocal performances are perfectly suited to the conductor's conception, making this a very coherent set.

Actually, this recording of Das Rheingold was my first classical purchase—on LP—ever (I was intrigued by the title of the work, more than anything else, and didn't know what I was getting into   ::) ;)). Later on, my dad—who was definitely not a Wagnerian ;)—bought the whole Karajan Ring as a present for me (it was cheaper as a complete set—I still remember the list price in the Schwann catalogue at the time, $119–than purchasing the remaing three parts independently). Since then, I have collected many recordings of the cycle, but this and the Boulez remain my go-to versions.

"Orgasm at every bar"  :laugh: :laugh: That's a very apt description of how I perceive Sir Georg's approach....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 02, 2018, 01:04:33 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ky%2BN7w-6L.jpg)

Having finished Karajan's Die Walküre, I move on to Siegfried, which is the instalment of Der Ring I know the least, possibly because it was the last of the four I bought back in the day when I was collecting Karajan's Ring on LP.

I've always found Siegfried a harder nut to crack. It's always seemed like a string of conversations to me, with very little going on. I find myself longing to get to the final scene with its climactic love duet where, in this set, we first get to hear Dernesch's radiant Brünnhilde.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on May 02, 2018, 01:06:38 AM
Oh goodness me someone just hit the nail on the head about Solti's studio Ring!

There were recordings on YouTube of a 1980sn live Ring that Solti conducted in Bayreuth. I don't know if they are still there but it is honestly so much better. I wish that would be given an official CD/download release


in other news, I am indifferent to Karajan's Ring
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 02, 2018, 01:07:54 AM
Quote from: king ubu on April 29, 2018, 03:52:09 AM
Took this one out after seing a terrific live performance in early January - finally feeling like listening today:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41YFW1CW8AL.jpg)

Sound isn't great, but the singing is!
I don't know that set ( and I don't really like Madama Butterfly that much), but Eleanor Steber was a superb soprano IMHO. One of my favourites ever...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 02, 2018, 01:10:20 AM
Quote from: ritter on May 02, 2018, 12:36:55 AM
Karajan's Ring was my introduction to the work, and I still enjoy it tremendously. The ultra-refined handling of the orchestral sound fits the work very well IMHO, and the (at times controversial) vocal performances are perfectly suited to the conductor's conception, making this a very coherent set.

Actually, this recording of Das Rheingold was my first classical purchase—on LP—ever (I was intrigued by the title of the work, more than anything else, and didn't know what I was getting into   ::) ;)). Later on, my dad—who was definitely not a Wagnerian ;)—bought the whole Karajan Ring as a present for me (it was cheaper as a complete set—I still remember the list price in the Schwann catalogue at the time, $119–than purchasing the remaing three parts independently). Since then, I have collected many recordings of the cycle, but this and the Boulez remain my go-to versions.

"Orgasm at every bar"  :laugh: :laugh: That's a very apt description of how I perceive Sir Georg's approach....

Funny, isn't it? Admitting a liking for Karajan's Ring is, I imagine,  a bit like standing up at an AA meeting. Hard to do, but a relief once you get it off your chest. The interesting thing is, once one's admitted it, others will crawl out of the woodwork and admit they like it too.




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on May 03, 2018, 04:21:21 AM
I don't really feel like I have been in the woodwork, but I get what you mean. I had the Solti complete on LP in the special presentation box which included LPs of analysis of motifs. I enjoyed elements of it, Nilsson and the production. But I disliked Windgassen and the sound from the discs struck me a dry up against the Szell discs of orchestral passages. Then the Karajan became available. For me the soundworld became more opulent and lyrical. Also there were a number of voices I preferred, though emphatically not Crespin. It was a long time before I bought the full Karajan Ring and I earlier supplemented Rheingold with a live Bohm. For me however no one met Kempe's warmth for the opening scene of Rheingold. It is such a shame that he did not recoed the opera in full when he was in the studio. I ended up with a number of Siegfrieds, but only by default when I was buying complete cycles. I hardly listen to the middle of the opera, I do think Wagner should have taken a pair of scissors to it. 

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 04, 2018, 11:38:21 PM
Quote from: knight66 on May 03, 2018, 04:21:21 AM
I don't really feel like I have been in the woodwork, but I get what you mean. I had the Solti complete on LP in the special presentation box which included LPs of analysis of motifs. I enjoyed elements of it, Nilsson and the production. But I disliked Windgassen and the sound from the discs struck me a dry up against the Szell discs of orchestral passages. Then the Karajan became available. For me the soundworld became more opulent and lyrical. Also there were a number of voices I preferred, though emphatically not Crespin. It was a long time before I bought the full Karajan Ring and I earlier supplemented Rheingold with a live Bohm. For me however no one met Kempe's warmth for the opening scene of Rheingold. It is such a shame that he did not recoed the opera in full when he was in the studio. I ended up with a number of Siegfrieds, but only by default when I was buying complete cycles. I hardly listen to the middle of the opera, I do think Wagner should have taken a pair of scissors to it. 

Mike

I know you have a bit of a problem with Crespin, MIke. I do with Nilsson. It's not a voice I've ever warmed to.

This time round I enjoyed Crespin's Walküre Brünnhilde more than I expected. She portrays a youthfully ebullient character, and her voice is warmer than Nilsson's. That said I'm pleased that the role went to Dernesch in the latter two operas.

I agree that the cycle is just too long, but I know most Wagnerites would disagree with me. The mere suggestion of cuts can provoke apoplexy. But one rarely sees an uncut performance of a Shakespeare play, and nobody seems to mind about that.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 05, 2018, 12:37:47 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71GdvY4QUfL._SL1436_.jpg)

I'm finally on to the last leg of Karajan's Ring, and I've enjoyed the journey, though I've had to spread it out over several days, proceeding an act at a time, or sometimes just a scene. I'm reminded this is the reason I don't listen to Wagner that often.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 07, 2018, 09:10:18 AM
Listened again to Haydn's Lo speziale. It is as good of a place to start listening to Haydn's (unfairly) neglected operas as any.

Btw, I listen to operas on almost daily basis (in fact, absolute music has more and more faded away from my interests as the time goes by) but I relatively rarely post in this thread because I've got so much things going on.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 08, 2018, 11:07:22 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91CQlCUwJBL._SL1457_.jpg)

There is some great music in Bellini's I Puritani, but it doesn't have the dramatic coherence of Norma or even La Sonnambula. None the less it's always worth hearing Callas's superb Elvira.

A more detailed review of the set appears on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/i-puritani/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/i-puritani/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on May 08, 2018, 02:04:47 PM
I have that set and don't feel the need to get an alternative. I think it is an opera that would work on a highlights disc.

I have been through the Giulini Rigoletto. I quite enjoyed it, though none of the three protagonosts really did it got me. Domingo in particular sounded very generic in his portrayal, no 'face'. I enjoyed Guilini's conducting, it became like a dark Rembrant of a piece. I prefer the other four or five versions that I have.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 09, 2018, 12:54:39 AM
Quote from: knight66 on May 08, 2018, 02:04:47 PM
I have that set and don't feel the need to get an alternative. I think it is an opera that would work on a highlights disc.

I have been through the Giulini Rigoletto. I quite enjoyed it, though none of the three protagonosts really did it got me. Domingo in particular sounded very generic in his portrayal, no 'face'. I enjoyed Guilini's conducting, it became like a dark Rembrant of a piece. I prefer the other four or five versions that I have.

Mike

I find it hard to listen to the Mad Scene from I Puritani without hearing Callas's unique tints in my head, and this recording was made when she was at her vocal height.

I know what you mean about Domingo. His singing can seem somewhat generic. Di Stefano is more fallible vocally, but, my word, you understand why Gilda might fall for him so completely.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 09, 2018, 11:28:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71qAkoqcclL._SL1400_.jpg)

Karajan's Parsifal, like most of his Wagner, seems to court controversy. Some love it. Some hate it. Having recently spent time listening to his Tristan und Isolde and his Ring, you'd have to count me on the former camp.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on May 09, 2018, 11:57:54 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71JcaKeoH6L._SL1400_.jpg)

Some instrumental passages in this version give me this unexpected Mussorgsky vibe. Has Puccini ever heard any Mussorgsky? Doubt it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: anothername on May 09, 2018, 09:02:19 PM
Quote from: Draško on May 09, 2018, 11:57:54 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71JcaKeoH6L._SL1400_.jpg)

Some instrumental passages in this version give me this unexpected Mussorgsky vibe. Has Puccini ever heard any Mussorgsky? Doubt it.
Yes, yes, yes, one of the greatest  highlights in recording history.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on May 09, 2018, 10:57:18 PM
Quote from: Draško on May 09, 2018, 11:57:54 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71JcaKeoH6L._SL1400_.jpg)

Some instrumental passages in this version give me this unexpected Mussorgsky vibe. Has Puccini ever heard any Mussorgsky? Doubt it.

The orchestration comes out in this recording more vividly than any other I know. It is ages since I listened to it, today would be a good opportunity to enjoy it again. I think this is Mehta's best opera set. Surherland was a big surprise for the part, but a great success and Caballe sings beautifully. The entire cast is first rate. I also enjoy the Nilsson/Corelli set a great deal, but the sounds from the Mehta is like getting into an exotic bath.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on May 10, 2018, 03:00:46 AM
Quote from: Draško on May 09, 2018, 11:57:54 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71JcaKeoH6L._SL1400_.jpg)

Some instrumental passages in this version give me this unexpected Mussorgsky vibe. Has Puccini ever heard any Mussorgsky? Doubt it.

I couldn't find anything about the Italian premiere, but Boris was first performed in Paris in 1908, and in New York and London in 1913. I'd be surprised if Puccini hadn't heard it, or seen the score, by the time he wrote Turandot.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 10, 2018, 04:39:03 AM
Quote from: knight66 on May 09, 2018, 10:57:18 PM
I think this is Mehta's best opera set.
Mike

It has strong competition from his recording of La Fanciulla del West. Not sure which one I'd choose. Both are excellent.

(http://plade-klassikeren.dk/76367-large_default/puccini-la-fanciulla-del-west-domingo-neblett-milnes-zubin-mehta-3-lp-dg-2740186.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: GioCar on May 10, 2018, 08:28:56 PM
Telemann: Orpheus, Act one

[asin]B000005Z2X[/asin]

Well, I cannt say I'm really deep into baroque operas, but I'm enjoying that one very much. Lively, various, with a pleasant mix of German, French and Italian styles (and languages!)

Once more Telemann proves to be a composer I've been shamefully neglecting for too many years.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on May 11, 2018, 02:09:02 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on May 10, 2018, 03:00:46 AM
I couldn't find anything about the Italian premiere, but Boris was first performed in Paris in 1908, and in New York and London in 1913. I'd be surprised if Puccini hadn't heard it, or seen the score, by the time he wrote Turandot.

There was certainly enough time, and that Paris premiere was pretty big deal. It was Diaghilev's production with Chaliapin, caused much waves. But on the other hand at those times it was much easier to be not informed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 11, 2018, 04:37:22 AM
Heard the new Donizetti Maria Stuarda at Zurich Opera two days ago ... and wow, Diana Damrau in the title role (a role debut) was compelling! Projection and stuff ... amazing, she could sing the lowest ppp and fill the entire room! Serena Farnocchia was a fine Lizzy but ultimately not a real match to Damrau (but then, who is nowadays? Anja Harteros would have been a cool foe for one, but I guess such a coupling is no more than an opera lover's wet dream  ;D ), not matching her in projection nor in control of the voice. Pavol Breslik was a great Leister though, and the rest of the cast was excellent, too ... David Alden's staging was nice, and the orchestra was excellent, with Enrique Mazzola at its helm, a true belcanto specialist, it seems.

Now I've got but one opera to go before the season ends ... that, though, should be an outstanding experience ... look at that cast: Stéphanie d'Oustrac, Valer Sabadus, Julie Fuchs, Delphine Galou:
https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/lincoronazione-di-poppea/season_11232/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on May 11, 2018, 04:43:02 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 11, 2018, 04:37:22 AM
Heard the new Donizetti Maria Stuarda at Zurich Opera two days ago ... and wow, Diana Damrau in the title role (a role debut) was compelling! Projection and stuff ... amazing, she could sing the lowest ppp and fill the entire room! Serena Farnocchia was a fine Lizzy but ultimately not a real match to Damrau (but then, who is nowadays? Anja Harteros would have been a cool foe for one, but I guess such a coupling is no more than an opera lover's wet dream  ;D ), not matching her in projection nor in control of the voice. Pavol Breslik was a great Leister though, and the rest of the cast was excellent, too ... David Alden's staging was nice, and the orchestra was excellent, with Enrique Mazzola at its helm, a true belcanto specialist, it seems.

Now I've got but one opera to go before the season ends ... that, though, should be an outstanding experience ... look at that cast: Stéphanie d'Oustrac, Valer Sabadus, Julie Fuchs, Delphine Galou:
https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/lincoronazione-di-poppea/season_11232/

Sounds awesome. Very interested to hear your reaction to Poppea.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 11, 2018, 06:19:06 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on May 11, 2018, 04:43:02 AM
Sounds awesome. Very interested to hear your reaction to Poppea.

A month's wait ... but I'll hear Mojca Erdmann do some songs Sunday night, and some jazz singers tonight and Tuesday, so I'm getting my vocal fix right now, that should then bring me into summer  :)

Is there any recommended recording of Maria Stuarda?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 11, 2018, 07:39:15 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 11, 2018, 06:19:06 AM
A month's wait ... but I'll hear Mojca Erdmann do some songs Sunday night, and some jazz singers tonight and Tuesday, so I'm getting my vocal fix right now, that should then bring me into summer  :)

Is there any recommended recording of Maria Stuarda?

My favourite is this one, if you can still get hold of it.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q649Y0YXL.jpg)

It's sung in English, but that doesn't bother me unduly, particularly given the subject matter, and Baker is here in fresher voice than she is on the official version, once on EMI and now on Chandos, that was recorded at the revival of the production about 10 years later (Rosalind Plowright the Elizabeth this time).

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512FR9WARHL.jpg)

In Italian, Sutherland, Sills and Gruberova all recorded studio sets, but I prefer Caballe (live), particularly the one with Verrett as a thrilling Elisabeth.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tMiayxymL.jpg)





Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 12, 2018, 01:20:01 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71fKwWVsHjL._SY355_.jpg)

It's a pleasure to hear Alain Vanzo, who, whilst not quite in Simoneau's class, is a superb Nadir. Cotrubas is a lovely Leïla and Sarabia an excellent Zurga. Prêtre is occasionally a bit hasty, but, all round, this could well be the most recommendable set of the opera, here performed in its original 1863 version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 12, 2018, 04:27:52 AM
I find it impossible to decide between Simoneau and Vanzo in the Battle of the Nadirs. A solomonic judgment, that's for sure. It's one of those cases where the adequation of voice, style, and character is simply perfect. Different results, but equally satisfying.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on May 12, 2018, 06:10:19 AM
This recent release of les pecheurs de perles is a good alternative

[asin]B07BF25DT7[/asin]

Cyril Dubois and Julie Fuchs do justice to most arias & duos (they are easy pieces anyway).  The choirs (what I like most in this opera) and the sound are naturally better than in the Pretre/Vanzo/Cortubas historical recording.  Just the overall musical conception isnt quite what I think it should be.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on May 12, 2018, 08:30:05 AM
Thanks Tsaraslondon - I actually have the first Mackerras, but yeah, I was indeed looking for recommendations in Italian. The subject may be english, but then Lizzy would be the "good" gal, right?  ;)
And I have that Opera d'Oro set, too - both picked up for small change a while ago.

Guess I should listen to them, then ... I was assuming there may be a couple of older (or younger) legit Italian recordings around, but if those two are the recommended recordings, I've got me covered!

Spineur: love Julie Fuchs and found out about that recording just a couple of hours ago ... guess it's on my wishlist now  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 12, 2018, 09:47:17 AM
Quote from: Spineur on May 12, 2018, 06:10:19 AM
This recent release of les pecheurs de perles is a good alternative

[asin]B07BF25DT7[/asin]

Cyril Dubois and Julie Fuchs do justice to most arias & duos (they are easy pieces anyway).  The choirs (what I like most in this opera) and the sound are naturally better than in the Pretre/Vanzo/Cortubas historical recording.  Just the overall musical conception isnt quite what I think it should be.

Wow! This is brand new - not even released in the UK. I'm a sucker for anything sung by Dubois. Thanks for the tip, and for your impressions, Spineur!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 12, 2018, 10:30:31 AM
Quote from: Spineur on May 12, 2018, 06:10:19 AM
This recent release of les pecheurs de perles is a good alternative

[asin]B07BF25DT7[/asin]

Cyril Dubois and Julie Fuchs do justice to most arias & duos (they are easy pieces anyway).  The choirs (what I like most in this opera) and the sound are naturally better than in the Pretre/Vanzo/Cortubas historical recording.  Just the overall musical conception isnt quite what I think it should be.

Have you tried singing Je crois entendre encore?

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 12, 2018, 10:32:38 AM
Quote from: king ubu on May 12, 2018, 08:30:05 AM
Thanks Tsaraslondon - I actually have the first Mackerras, but yeah, I was indeed looking for recommendations in Italian. The subject may be english, but then Lizzy would be the "good" gal, right?  ;)
And I have that Opera d'Oro set, too - both picked up for small change a while ago.

Guess I should listen to them, then ... I was assuming there may be a couple of older (or younger) legit Italian recordings around, but if those two are the recommended recordings, I've got me covered!

Spineur: love Julie Fuchs and found out about that recording just a couple of hours ago ... guess it's on my wishlist now  :)

There's also a DVD with DiDonato as Maria, but I haven't seen it.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 13, 2018, 01:11:14 AM
(https://bayreuth.bayern-online.de/uploads/pics/CD_Meistersinger_Bth1951_Karajan_Naxos.jpg)

A wonderful performance, Schwarzkopf's youthful Eva a particular delight.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2018, 11:29:17 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71sn-IVzlDL._SL1400_.jpg)

Bartók's gorgeous symbolist opera in this classic performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Baron Scarpia on May 15, 2018, 10:33:04 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2018, 11:29:17 PMBartók's gorgeous symbolist opera in this classic performance.

Impressive, but the diction sounds weird to me, and I didn't like the dramatic changes in recording perspective in various scenes. I'd like less "theater of the mind" and more natural recording perspective.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 15, 2018, 11:07:47 AM
Quote from: Baron Scarpia on May 15, 2018, 10:33:04 AM
Impressive, but the diction sounds weird to me, and I didn't like the dramatic changes in recording perspective in various scenes. I'd like less "theater of the mind" and more natural recording perspective.

I don't know Hungarian well enough to know if the diction was any good or not, though I wouldn't expect it to be as good as Hungarian forces. I do rather enjoy the changes in recording perspective, depending on what room they are entering, a sort of aural equivalent of a scene change.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: SurprisedByBeauty on May 15, 2018, 11:44:52 AM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdQjhFjX0AERNok.jpg)

#morninglistening to #Lehar on @dgclassics w/@Vienna_Phil & @mco_london under Jiggy's baton.

: http://a-fwd.to/18iTVqc

#TheMerryWidow: #operetta as #opera, artificially pronounced, gorgeously sung, beautifully played. #JohnEliotGardiner
(http://a-fwd.to/18iTVqc)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 16, 2018, 12:37:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71DRZNdovBL._SL1200_.jpg)

Kempe's classic Lohengrin.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on May 16, 2018, 02:36:01 AM

Arrived yesterday. I've watched about 2/3, loving it so far.

[asin]B07CCLPMW6[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 17, 2018, 01:18:00 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/eezywpvKzyR4Tg4TJhRGm7G2sPQ=/fit-in/600x517/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7802749-1482164305-2425.jpeg.jpg)

Britten's "Coronation" opera was not well received at its premiere and had to wait some time for re-assessment, first with the wonderful 1980s ENO production with Sarah Walker and then in the 1990s by Welsh National Opera, with Dame Josephine Barstow in the role of Elizabeth, on which this superb recording is based.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: zamyrabyrd on May 17, 2018, 09:28:41 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 11, 2018, 07:39:15 AM

In Italian, Sutherland, Sills and Gruberova all recorded studio sets, but I prefer Caballe (live), particularly the one with Verrett as a thrilling Elisabeth.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tMiayxymL.jpg)

Yikes, this picture can be moved to the worst CD covers thread!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Baron Scarpia on May 17, 2018, 09:42:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 15, 2018, 11:07:47 AM
I don't know Hungarian well enough to know if the diction was any good or not, though I wouldn't expect it to be as good as Hungarian forces. I do rather enjoy the changes in recording perspective, depending on what room they are entering, a sort of aural equivalent of a scene change.

A non-musical association also weighed against it in my mind. The fact that Berry and Ludwig were married at the time. The thought that a man and wife would perform this misogynistic tripe (beautiful music notwithstanding) struck me as awkward.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: SurprisedByBeauty on May 17, 2018, 10:26:40 AM
Quote from: Baron Scarpia on May 17, 2018, 09:42:51 AM
A non-musical association also weighed against it in my mind. The fact that Berry and Ludwig were married at the time. The thought that a man and wife would perform this misogynistic tripe (beautiful music notwithstanding) struck me as awkward.

Now THAT would have been a good question, had I thought of it, when interviewing her.
It might have been shortly before their divorce, though... :-)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 18, 2018, 01:38:23 AM
Quote from: zamyrabyrd on May 17, 2018, 09:28:41 AM
Yikes, this picture can be moved to the worst CD covers thread!


Hahaha! Yes indeed. What on earth were they thinking?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 19, 2018, 02:03:42 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41TTBNFFXQL.jpg)

Klemperer's magisterial Der fliegende Holländer has achieved almost classic status, though it's a bit slow in parts for my tastes.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on May 19, 2018, 11:15:27 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 19, 2018, 02:03:42 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41TTBNFFXQL.jpg)

Klemperer's magisterial Der fliegende Holländer has achieved almost classic status, though it's a bit slow in parts for my tastes.

Klemperer is usually too slow.... (in his later recordings).

But I still find his Holländer absolutely gripping!  :)

Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 20, 2018, 04:28:33 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JT6tlKEEL.jpg)

Though James Bowman is a little hooty (I have to admit I'd rather hear someone like David Daniels in the role), he's an improvement on Alfred Deller, who sings Oberon on Britten's own recording. The rest of the cast is excellent, particularly Lillian Watson and Jill Gomez, and the splendid recording brings out all the brilliance of Britten's orchestration.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on May 20, 2018, 07:01:55 AM
Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten
Behrens, Domingo, Runkel, Van Dam, Varady, Jo
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsoperorchester
Wiener Sängerknaben
Vienna PO/Solti
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on May 21, 2018, 05:02:22 PM
Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle            Fischer-Dieskau/Varady/Sawallisch/Bayerisches Staatsorchester   

Magnificent! An eery opera! I think I will disappear into some surreal realm tonight when I fall asleep. Great music making. Varady and Fischer-Dieskau are perfect in this work.

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Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2018, 01:53:32 AM
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Of all Verdi's middle period opera, I Vespri Siciliani is probably the least loved. Originally conceived for the Paris Opéra, it is something of a prolix piece and patchily magnificent, passages of true inspiration being mixed with the occasionally routine. It does show Verdi increasingly in command of his orchestra. The overture and ballet music are among the best he ever composed.

This well cast and excellently sung studio recording serves the opera well, though Arroyo and Raimondi don't eclipse memories of Callas and Christoff in a live recording from Florence in 1951 under Erich Kleiber.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on May 22, 2018, 02:11:11 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2018, 01:53:32 AM
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Arroyo and Raimondi don't eclipse memories of Callas and Christoff in a live recording from Florence in 1951 under Erich Kleiber.

In Arroyo's case, she was replacing the originally-cast Montserrat Caballé, as she also did in Muti's EMI Ballo in Maschera and Gardelli's EMI Forza del Destino.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2018, 02:36:59 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on May 22, 2018, 02:11:11 AM
In Arroyo's case, she was replacing the originally-cast Montserrat Caballé, as she also did in Muti's EMI Ballo in Maschera and Gardelli's EMI Forza del Destino.

She's actually rather good, though a little lacking in personality perhaps. Hard to say if Caballé would have been better.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 22, 2018, 01:33:05 PM
I've always liked Arroyo, but « lacking in personality » is the pervasive feeling when the operas she sings in are over. A mite placid, I would say.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Baron Scarpia on May 23, 2018, 10:23:26 AM
Watched the first hour of Debussy, Pelleas et Melisande.

[asin]B00BFZCVCE[/asin]

It is available on DVD, but I watched in on amazon prime streaming (free with amazon prime).

It is one of those stylized productions where the actors creep around the stage in slow motion, wearing costumes which are reminiscent of an early star trek episode. Doubtful whether I will continue watching it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 24, 2018, 12:56:43 AM
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I have two recordings of Peter Grimes; this one and Britten's own recording with the role's creator Peter Pears. Both are excellent. Both, I would say, are indispensable, representing two different poles of interpretation, Vickers a violent force of nature, Pears more the visionary dreamer. Philip Langridge, whom I saw do the role on stage, presented yet another facet of Grimes.

Like any great masterpiece, the opera can take different interpretations and I would find it impossible to choose between them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on May 24, 2018, 12:08:56 PM
Verdi: Rigoletto             
Moffo/Merrill/Kraus
RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra/RCA Italiana Opera Chorus
Solti


Rigoletto is heart wrenching and it is in good hands with Moffo, Merrill and Kraus and the RCA forces. A great performance!
Rigoletto (together with Aida) were my first Verdi operas so the story and the music resonate well with me.

*deep sigh of satisfaction*

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Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on May 24, 2018, 10:22:37 PM
Quote from: Baron Scarpia on May 23, 2018, 10:23:26 AM
Watched the first hour of Debussy, Pelleas et Melisande.

[asin]B00BFZCVCE[/asin]

It is available on DVD, but I watched in on amazon prime streaming (free with amazon prime).

It is one of those stylized productions where the actors creep around the stage in slow motion, wearing costumes which are reminiscent of an early star trek episode. Doubtful whether I will continue watching it.

Hmm, lots of operas on Amazon Prime!

The Debussy staging is definitely interesting, but it invokes one's imagination and an almost dreamlike state of mind, don't you think?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 25, 2018, 01:40:10 AM
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Callas's aristocratic Leonora is certainly one of the chief virtues of this recording of Il Trovatore, but not the only one. Karajan's wonderfully sprung rhythms, his feel for the natural pulse of the music, makes it the best conducted version I've heard.

Di Stefano may have a voice a notch too small for the role of Manrico, but almost convinces with his own unique brand of slancio, Panerai has just the right kind of high baritone the role requires, Barbieri is second only to Simionato and Zaccaria gets the opera off to a terrific start.

A true classic.

I review the set in more detail on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Baron Scarpia on May 25, 2018, 08:04:32 AM
Quote from: Moonfish on May 24, 2018, 10:22:37 PMThe Debussy staging is definitely interesting, but it invokes one's imagination and an almost dreamlike state of mind, don't you think?

Dreamlike, in the sense that it put me to sleep? Not quite, but close. :)

The entire Pelleas et Melisande story does not resonate with me at all, and I find it hard to imagine why the era seemed so enthralled with it. Sturdy man falls in love with mysterious woman, but she falls in love with his poetic, deadbeat brother. What is new? That everyone mostly stands around ruminating about their oh-so-profound feelings, instead of doing anything?

As to the music, the performance seemed so "impressionistic." I wanted the orchestra to play a resolute note, for once. Maybe I should listen to Karajan's recording. It's a CD rather than a video, but staring at the cover would be almost as animated as watching this almost static video.  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on May 26, 2018, 03:37:30 AM
My first-ever listen of this opera:

[asin]B000I8OFH8[/asin]
I'm impressed with the beauty of both the music and the performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mjmosca on May 26, 2018, 04:08:24 AM
Lately I have been listening to the Palazzo bru Zane's recording of Saint-Saens' "Proserpine" and it is excellent. The music is vivid, dramatic and colorful. The cast, headed by Veronique Gens is superb- and while there are some old-fashioned aspects of the libretto, I am sure that it would make a very compelling experience in the opera-house. All of the characters are very well conceived musically. Saint-Saens mentioned at the time that with this work, he carried the use of Wagnerian system of leitmotives further than he had ever done. I recommend it highly. thank you!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 27, 2018, 01:55:24 AM
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The libretto for Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, with its uncomfortable Christian moralising, has always been something of a stumbling block, but this brilliantly cast studio version, with an outstanding performance from Dame Janet Baker as Lucretia, reveals the beauty of the writing for chamber orchestra, and Britten's masterly control over its elements.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mjmosca on May 27, 2018, 03:31:54 AM
Quote from: betterthanfine on May 26, 2018, 03:37:30 AM
My first-ever listen of this opera:

[asin]B000I8OFH8[/asin]
I'm impressed with the beauty of both the music and the performance.
I remember seeing the production of Esclarmonde at the Metropolitan Opera in the 1970's that lead to this recording- it was outstanding in every way and the music is gorgeous! I could never understand why it was never revived- perhaps the "ghost" of Sutherland scared off other sopranos? In any event it is a wonderful, sumptuous, romantic "wallow" - Massenet was a master! Thank heavens that we have this recording!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 27, 2018, 06:10:32 AM
Quote from: mjmosca on May 26, 2018, 04:08:24 AM
Lately I have been listening to the Palazzo bru Zane's recording of Saint-Saens' "Proserpine" and it is excellent. The music is vivid, dramatic and colorful. The cast, headed by Veronique Gens is superb- and while there are some old-fashioned aspects of the libretto, I am sure that it would make a very compelling experience in the opera-house. All of the characters are very well conceived musically. Saint-Saens mentioned at the time that with this work, he carried the use of Wagnerian system of leitmotives further than he had ever done. I recommend it highly. thank you!

I love Saint-Saëns's operas but don't think I've heard Proserpine yet. My favorite operas from him are Le timbre d'argent, La princesse jaune and Samson and Delilah.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on May 28, 2018, 05:42:39 PM
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Killed the afternoon with John Nelson's take on Les Troyens.  The three leads all do good work, but I prefer others in every case - Antonacci for Cassandra; for Dido, Michelle DeYoung on disc, Susan Graham in person; Jon Vickers as Aeneas (with Mario del Monaco appealing in his own way in Italian).  The choral work is excellent, the smaller roles well done, and the orchestral playing and sound are superb.  Maybe the engineers could have softened the end of Act IV just a bit, but that's a quibble.  For recordings, Davis II is still probably my overall favorite, but after seeing a proper production in person in San Francisco in 2015, sound recordings, and even DVD productions, just lack something.  And when one gets to see and hear someone like Graham earn her keep for real, it adds an extra dimension.  I'm still displeased that I couldn't schedule it so that I could hear Antonacci and Graham in the same show.  I'll probably keep buying new versions of the opera when they appear.  I should probably buy Nelson's Béatrice et Bénédict.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Baron Scarpia on May 28, 2018, 09:48:04 PM
I was fed up with string quartets, so I listened to Scene I of Rheingold, a recording conducted by Bernard Haitink on EMI.

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No one ever seems to mention this recording, but I find it splendid. Recently I've been consuming Opera on DVD, but there is an appeal of an audio-only recording with text. This one has a good booklet which even has relevant leitmotivs notated in the margins to help you follow the musical argument.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mjmosca on May 29, 2018, 02:39:05 AM
Quote from: Alberich on May 27, 2018, 06:10:32 AM
I love Saint-Saëns's operas but don't think I've heard Proserpine yet. My favorite operas from him are Le timbre d'argent, La princesse jaune and Samson and Delilah.

I think that you will enjoy Proserpine, too. Have you heard Henry VIII and Etienne Marcel? I think Henry VIII is a major masterpiece- excellent libretto, great characters created with beautiful, strong music! Great ensembles, too. And Etienne Marcel may have some libretto issues, but the music is also magnificent. I can only think that these works, along with the other operas of Saint-Saens were not sufficiently appreciated at the time because of the Wagner frenzy that gripped France from ca. 1880-1914. Saint-Saens was too independent a composer to suit the Wagnerites! I share your appreciation of Samson and Delilah [which will open the Metropolitan Opera's next season], La princesse jaune, and Le timbre d'argent. thank you!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 29, 2018, 05:25:54 AM
I know something about Henry VIII but haven't heard it in its entirety. About Etienne Marcel I know next to nothing. Thank you for the recommendations!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 29, 2018, 09:13:47 AM
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I have six recordings of La Traviata, four of them featuring Callas as Violetta, who, as far as I'm concerned, is hors concours. She sang the role more than any other role apart from Norma, and it was continually developing in her psyche. It is a great pity that the only studio recording she made was in 1953 for Cetra, with inferior support, and before she had truly conquered its depths.

My favourite recording is the one from Covent Garden in 1958, but this recording of the opening night of the famous La Scala Visconti production, with Giulini at the helm, was an important stage in her conquering of the role, and there is no doubting she was in better voice in 1955 than in 1958. The production could be said to have changed the course of operatic history, and, though it would no doubt seem pretty tame these days, many elements were revolutionary and controversial, the acting having a naturalness rarely seen before; for instance, Callas sang Ah fors'e lui, sitting by the fire, undoing her hair, and then kicked off her shoes as she started Sempre libera. Giulini is a palpable presence, leaving the audience little chance to applaud between numbers and disrupt the flow of the performance, not that he can stop them after Amami, Alfredo, when the short orchestral postlude is completely drowned out by a spontaneous and riotous bout of applause, the audience no longer able to hold back after the white hot intensity unleashed by Callas. Di Stefano is an ardent Alfredo, but Bastianini, fine voice though he has, is disappointingly four square and monochrome as Germont. It is remarkable that Callas does so much in the great Act II duet with so little coming back from her partner.

A superb memento of a defining moment in Callas's career. This Ars Vocalis transfer is a good deal better than anything I've ever headr before too.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 30, 2018, 01:52:23 AM
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Britten's own recording of The Turn of the Screw was made shortly after the Venice premiere in 1954, with the original cast, and has, I think, never been bettered.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 30, 2018, 04:26:10 AM
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Written just before Rigoletto, Stiffelio was not a success, and Verdi later re-fashioned the score into Aroldo, at the same time withdrawing the score of Stiffelio. Thought lost for many years, it wasn't performed again until the 1960s. In fact the autograph was not found until 1992, so this 1979 recording differs in a few aspects from the score as now performed. Nevertheless it is an excellent performance, with Carreras at his most honeyed, and Sass excitingly dramatic, if occasionally a little squally.

The opera, both musically and as regards its subject matter was quite original for its day, and deserves to be better known than it is.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 30, 2018, 06:06:20 AM
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Not sure what genre I'd place this in. Not really an opera, though performed by opera singers. Not really a musical either. Maybe operetta, with its roots in zarzuela. Entertaining and tuneful, whatever it is.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mjmosca on May 31, 2018, 02:49:00 AM
Quote from: Todd on May 28, 2018, 05:42:39 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61-Y32kMsnL._SS425.jpg)


Killed the afternoon with John Nelson's take on Les Troyens.  The three leads all do good work, but I prefer others in every case - Antonacci for Cassandra; for Dido, Michelle DeYoung on disc, Susan Graham in person; Jon Vickers as Aeneas (with Mario del Monaco appealing in his own way in Italian).  The choral work is excellent, the smaller roles well done, and the orchestral playing and sound are superb.  Maybe the engineers could have softened the end of Act IV just a bit, but that's a quibble.  For recordings, Davis II is still probably my overall favorite, but after seeing a proper production in person in San Francisco in 2015, sound recordings, and even DVD productions, just lack something.  And when one gets to see and hear someone like Graham earn her keep for real, it adds an extra dimension.  I'm still displeased that I couldn't schedule it so that I could hear Antonacci and Graham in the same show.  I'll probably keep buying new versions of the opera when they appear.  I should probably buy Nelson's Béatrice et Bénédict.

I don't remember which musicologist said this, but he cited Les Troyens as among the greatest artistic accomplishments [in any form] of the 19th century- and indeed it is awe inspiring. Have you heard the ca. 1964 excerpts recorded by EMI- with Crespin [as both Cassandra and Dido] Chauvet and a fine Francophone cast under Pretre? It is only excerpts, with cuts, but it is essential for its idiomatic quality. Well worth having- the most exciting Royal Hunt and Storm too! The immediacy of a live performance is hard to beat- I have seen every production that the Metropolitan has mounted since the magnificent Vickers & Ludwig assumed the roles.
thank you. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on May 31, 2018, 03:43:40 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 30, 2018, 04:26:10 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LXXQrEmGL.jpg)

Written just before Rigoletto, Stiffelio was not a success, and Verdi later re-fashioned the score into Aroldo, at the same time withdrawing the score of Stiffelio. Thought lost for many years, it wasn't performed again until the 1960s. In fact the autograph was not found until 1992, so this 1979 recording differs in a few aspects from the score as now performed. Nevertheless it is an excellent performance, with Carreras at his most honeyed, and Sass excitingly dramatic, if occasionally a little squally.

The opera, both musically and as regards its subject matter was quite original for its day, and deserves to be better known than it is.

I always wished I had been able to hear Carreras in his prime (in the theater I mean). Alas, I only heard him after he had taken several heavier roles and his illness. But this recording gives us an idea of why he was considered one of the three tenors, and I think your description quite apt. Did you ever hear him live?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2018, 07:16:16 AM
Quote from: mjmosca on May 31, 2018, 02:49:00 AM
I don't remember which musicologist said this, but he cited Les Troyens as among the greatest artistic accomplishments [in any form] of the 19th century- and indeed it is awe inspiring. Have you heard the ca. 1964 excerpts recorded by EMI- with Crespin [as both Cassandra and Dido] Chauvet and a fine Francophone cast under Pretre? It is only excerpts, with cuts, but it is essential for its idiomatic quality. Well worth having- the most exciting Royal Hunt and Storm too! The immediacy of a live performance is hard to beat- I have seen every production that the Metropolitan has mounted since the magnificent Vickers & Ludwig assumed the roles.
thank you.

As mentioned in the Crespin thread, she is a singer about whom I have equivocal feelings. For me she is a little too urbane, a little too suave and soigneé. I always feel she doesn't want to get too passionately involved in case she musses her perfectly coiffed hair. My touchstone for the role of Didon has always been Janet Baker, despite the only recording of her singing the complete role being a Covent Garden performance at which she deputised literally last minute for an ailing Josephine Veasey. She had been singing the role with Scottish Opera, but, at that time, only knew the it in English. Consequently she sings in English and the rest of the cast sing in French. Nevertheless she is superb, as she is singing in French in the final scenes, which she recorded in the studio under Sir Alexander Gibson.

There is another complete live performance under Georges Prêtre, with Gedda as Aeneas, Marilyn Horne as Cassandra and Shirley Verrett as Dido, but the performance is ruined by Prêtre's alternatively stodgy or far too fast conducting. It has none of Davis's feel for rhythm, or his way of bringing out the inner voices in the orchestra. An excellent cast is let down by the man at the helm.

Another favourite would be the late, lamented Lorraine Hunt Lieberson from a performance at the Met under Levine, but she too is let down by her surroundings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2018, 07:29:45 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on May 31, 2018, 03:43:40 AM
I always wished I had been able to hear Carreras in his prime (in the theater I mean). Alas, I only heard him after he had taken several heavier roles and his illness. But this recording gives us an idea of why he was considered one of the three tenors, and I think your description quite apt. Did you ever hear him live?

Yes I did. He was superb as Don José in Carmen opposite a mesmerisingly brilliant Agnes Baltsa. This was near the beginning of their association in their roles, which they repeated in opera houses all over the world, and caught them before any whiff of routine had crept in (as it does unfortunately in the Met DVD).

I also heard him, well sort of, at a public dress of Andréa Chénier at Covent Garden. Apparently he was not happy about the dress rehearsal being in front of an audience, and refused to sing full out, or wear his costumes. He only sang full out in the final duet, presumably because the large voiced Rosalind Plowright as Maddalena was singing full voice herself, and he needed to make sure he would be heard as well.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on May 31, 2018, 09:53:02 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2018, 07:29:45 AM
Yes I did. He was superb as Don José in Carmen opposite a mesmerisingly brilliant Agnes Baltsa. This was near the beginning of their association in their roles, which they repeated in opera houses all over the world, and caught them before any whiff of routine had crept in (as it does unfortunately in the Met DVD).

I also heard him, well sort of, at a public dress of Andréa Chénier at Covent Garden. Apparently he was not happy about the dress rehearsal being in front of an audience, and refused to sing full out, or wear his costumes. He only sang full out in the final duet, presumably because the large voiced Rosalind Plowright as Maddalena was singing full voice herself, and he needed to make sure he would be heard as well.


Wow. Would have loved to see/hear that Carmen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 01, 2018, 02:21:35 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on May 31, 2018, 09:53:02 PM
Wow. Would have loved to see/hear that Carmen.

It was one of the most memorable experiences of my opera going life. Baltsa was always an exciting performer, and she was at her peak at the time. She presented a quite unconventional Carmen, a real free spirit, completely oblivious to the will of men. In many ways a modern woman, who lived entirely be her own rules.

Carreras's slightly gauche, slightly stiff Don José, inept, innocent and ignorant of feminine wiles, was the perfect foil. Escamillo (Benjamin Luxon) and Micaëla (my memory told me Yvonne Kenny, but ROH records state Marie McLaughlin) made less of an impression. It was conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos, but I had to look that up as well. My memories are all with Baltsa and Carreras.

Baltsa was an exciting performer and I heard her a few other times as well. The best mezzo I ever heard in the Verdi Requiem, an interetsing if slightly uneven Les Nuits d'Eté under Muti, a flighty (and very funny) Dorabella to Kiri Te Kanawa's Fiodiligi, a superb Adalgisa to Sylvia Sass's woefully inadequate Norma, a hilariously funny Isaballa in L'Italiana in Algeri, and a thrilling Eboli, who brought the house down with her rendition of O don fatale. I count myself very lucky to have seen her so many times at her peak.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mjmosca on June 01, 2018, 02:30:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2018, 07:16:16 AM
As mentioned in the Crespin thread, she is a singer about whom I have equivocal feelings. For me she is a little too urbane, a little too suave and soigneé. I always feel she doesn't want to get too passionately involved in case she musses her perfectly coiffed hair. My touchstone for the role of Didon has always been Janet Baker, despite the only recording of her singing the complete role being a Covent Garden performance at which she deputised literally last minute for an ailing Josephine Veasey. She had been singing the role with Scottish Opera, but, at that time, only knew the it in English. Consequently she sings in English and the rest of the cast sing in French. Nevertheless she is superb, as she is singing in French in the final scenes, which she recorded in the studio under Sir Alexander Gibson.

There is another complete live performance under Georges Prêtre, with Gedda as Aeneas, Marilyn Horne as Cassandra and Shirley Verrett as Dido, but the performance is ruined by Prêtre's alternatively stodgy or far too fast conducting. It has none of Davis's feel for rhythm, or his way of bringing out the inner voices in the orchestra. An excellent cast is let down by the man at the helm.

Another favourite would be the late, lamented Lorraine Hunt Lieberson from a performance at the Met under Levine, but she too is let down by her surroundings.
I do like the Davis recordings also, though the first one has a Cassandra with a very unattractive voice- Lindholm. I find Janet Baker's voice bottled up- she is a fine artist but, the basic sound does not appeal to me. Veasey was wonderful.

I got to see the Lieberson/Heppner/Voight performance at the Metropolitan conducted by Levine. It was superb: sometimes qualities in the house do not get captured on recording. The production was quite terrible -convinced me that the directors have lost faith in the art form: endless distracting "business".  I find Crespin contemplative rather than aloof.... but can understand the opposite view. We are fortunate to have these many choices, considering the past! thank you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 01, 2018, 02:37:09 AM
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Though I have great affection for the old mono recording of the opera with Gobbi, De Los Angeles and Christoff, this Abbado recording can lay claim to be one of the greatest Verdi recordings of all times, superbly cast from top to bottom.

It was based on actual performances at La Scala, and benefits enormously from the fact that all the singers had stage experience of their roles. Admittedly Cappuccilli doesn't quite peer as deeply into Simon's psyche as Gobbi, but he is a model of long-breathed elegant phrasing, and Ghiaurov, also caught at his best, is a brilliant, implacable foil. Carreras was also at his early career, honeyed best, and Freni was singing the perfect role for her at the time, Amelia being a transitional role between the lighter soprano roles she used to sing and the heavier ones, like Elisabetta and Aida, which she would go on to tackle. Van Dam is, quite simply, the best Paolo you are ever likely to hear.

Abbado paces Verdi's score brilliantly, bringing out the beauty of the orchestration to stunning effect. The recording has deservedly attained almost legendary status.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 02, 2018, 01:31:13 AM
Am I the only person in this forum listening to opera at the moment?  ???

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Made in 1935, under the composer's supervision and approval, this recording is not so much highlights as extended excerpts. It is also a tantalising glimpse of a French style that has probably disappeared for ever. Vallin's clear, firm voiced Louise is a joy, and Thill's masculine tenor perfect for Julien.

Anyone with an interest in French opera should hear this.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on June 02, 2018, 01:40:55 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 02, 2018, 01:31:13 AM
Am I the only person in this forum listening to opera at the moment?  ???

No, you're not, I listen pretty much every day to opera but am often too lazy to write about it. I have heard that Simon Boccanegra recording you mentioned and I love it (in fact it was my introduction to this opera) but since I have said "My first x recording" in this thread so many times already I thought I would be bringing nothing new to this thread. :/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 02, 2018, 02:02:22 AM
Quote from: Alberich on June 02, 2018, 01:40:55 AM
No, you're not, I listen pretty much every day to opera but am often too lazy to write about it.

Not even a photo and a couple of words? Oh go on!  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mjmosca on June 02, 2018, 02:44:32 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 02, 2018, 01:31:13 AM
Am I the only person in this forum listening to opera at the moment?  ???

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/710Whx7wk-L._SL1200_.jpg)

Made in 1935, under the composer's supervision and approval, this recording is not so much highlights as extended excerpts. It is also a tantalising glimpse of a French style that has probably disappeared for ever. Vallin's clear, firm voiced Louise is a joy, and Thill's masculine tenor perfect for Julien.

Anyone with an interest in French opera should hear this.

Yes, that is indeed a great recording of "Louise" - Thill and Vallin and Pernet are all incomparable, masters of the French style that is gone,alas. Their recording of Werther from about the same time is also absolutely necessary (!) and there is a Manon recording with Germaine Feraldy and Joseph Rogachevsky (sp.?) that is also exemplary. A rich treasure trove of pre- WW2 recordings are happily available. There is a collection disk of 28 great tenors of the early 20th century singing Des Grieux's "Le Reve" -fascinating and illustrates more individual character of opera singers of that time.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on June 02, 2018, 06:18:04 AM
Quote from: mjmosca on May 31, 2018, 02:49:00 AMHave you heard the ca. 1964 excerpts recorded by EMI- with Crespin [as both Cassandra and Dido] Chauvet and a fine Francophone cast under Pretre?


No, I have not heard it.  To date, I've focused mostly on full sets.  That written, Pretre has always left a favorable impression on me, so I will likely give it a shot.  The Kubelik Covent Garden recording would likely take precedence, though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 02, 2018, 07:02:21 AM
As our felllow GMGer Spineur has pointed out in the past, there is Cherubini beyond Medée.  Today I'm revisiting a major work of his, Les Abencerages (the premiere of which in 1813 was graced by the presence of Napoleon):

[asin]B000E8M204[/asin]

I first got to know this work many years ago when via a live recording (the only staged performance in living memory AFAIK) from the 1956 Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Italian translation (as Gli Abenceragi), with the wonderful Anita Cerquetti and conducted by Giulini.  This 1975 RAI broadcast has the advantage of being in the original French (but alas, most of the soioists aren't really fluent in the language). Margherita Rinaldi is lovely as the female lead Noraïme, and tenor Francisco Ortiz is a robust Almanzor. Peter Maag conducts eloquently, and must be thanked for having resurrected the score (just as he did with Ferdinando Paër's delightful Leonora—recorded by Decca in the 70s).

The opera can be seen as a sort transitional work, with one eye turned towards the tragédie lyrique idiom (and to Gluck), but with the big choral scenes looking forward to the as of then still inexistent genre of grand opéra. The plot is a slightly contrived love story set in the Alhambra  (and has nothing to do with the legendary massacre of the Abencerrajes as told by Washington Irving). The booklet mistakenly says it's based on Chateubriand (but it's clear that the opera's plot bears no resemblance to Le dernier des Abencerages). It turns out the source is a novel by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian.

All in all, it's a pleasure to be listening to this again.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 02, 2018, 10:20:05 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 02, 2018, 07:02:21 AM
As our felllow GMGer Spineur has pointed out in the past, there is Cherubini beyond Medée.  Today I'm revisiting a major work of his, Les Abencerages (the premiere of which in 1813 was graced by the presence of Napoleon):

[asin]B000E8M204[/asin]

I first got to know this work many years ago when via a live recording (the only staged performance in living memory AFAIK) from the 1956 Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Italian translation (as Gli Abenceragi), with the wonderful Anita Cerquetti and conducted by Giulini.  This 1975 RAI broadcast has the advantage of being in the original French (but alas, most of the soioists aren't really fluent in the language). Margherita Rinaldi is lovely as the female lead Noraïme, and tenor Francisco Ortiz is a robust Almanzor. Peter Maag conducts eloquently, and must be thanked for having resurrected the score (just as he did with Ferdinando Paër's delightful Leonora—recorded by Decca in the 70s).

The opera can be seen as a sort transitional work, with one eye turned towards the tragédie lyrique idiom (and to Gluck), but with the big choral scenes looking forward to the as of then still inexistent genre of grand opéra. The plot is a slightly contrived love story set in the Alhambra  (and has nothing to do with the legendary massacre of the Abencerrajes as told by Washington Irving). The booklet mistakenly says it's based on Chateubriand (but it's clear that the opera's plot bears no resemblance to Le dernier des Abencerages). It turns out the source is a novel by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian.

All in all, it's a pleasure to be listening to this again.  :)

To my shame, I have never heard any of Cherubini's other operas, aside from Medée, and that only in its bastardised Lachner/Italian version.

I know the Male Voice Requiem, which is an interesting work, and also the less interesting Requiem in C minor, but that's about it. Maybe I should investigate.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2018, 12:29:54 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91km0OLq4uL._SL1466_.jpg)

Here we are in 2018 and a recording, made more than 60 years ago still leads the field. The mono sound and the cuts traditional at the time might rule it out for some, but they'd be missing out. To quote from Gramophone Magazine's feature on the opera (Alan Blyth, I think).


Quoteno Rigoletto has surpassed Gobbi in tonal variety, line, projection of character and understanding of what Rigoletto is about; no Gilda has come anywhere near Callas in meaningful phrasing – listen to 'Caro nome' or 'Tutte le feste' on any other set if you're disbelieving – nor achieved such a careful differentiation of timbre before and after her seduction; no conductor matches Serafin in judging tempo and instrumental detail on a nicety; nor benefited from a chorus and orchestra bred in the tradition of La Scala; no producer has equalled Legge in recording voices rather than the space round them. And di Stefano? Well, he may not be so stylish a Duke as some others, but the 'face' he gives his singing, and the sheer physical presence he conveys, not to mention his forward diction, are also unique in this opera.

I review the set on my blog too https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 08, 2018, 10:54:46 AM
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/dc/c8/6e/dcc86eb552dbd96c4f07fbc85f0df3b2.jpg)

On balance, this 1958 Dallas recording remains my favourite of all the Callas Medeas. She is in terrific voice, better, I would say, than for any of her other recorded performances in 1958, and an interpretation which was always psychologically penetrating has deepened even further. The supporting cast is extremely strong (Jon Vickers as Giasone, Teresa Berganza as Neris, Elizabeth Carron as Glauce and Nicola Zaccaria as Creon) and the performance has a white hot intensity, no doubt precipitated by Bing having fired her just beforehand.

The sound is better on the London performances from the following year, but that is but a pale shadow of the venom and power she unleashes in this one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 09, 2018, 02:42:04 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oOcGB%2B79L.jpg)

There are a few different recordings of Otello I like for different reasons and I'm not sure I have an outright favourite, though this one probably comes closest. Vickers and Gobbi are superb and Serafin is more tautly dramatic than he is often given credit for. The let down for me is Rysanek, who, though she could be the perfect Elektra, Senta or Empress, sounds all wrong as Desdemona, though I've warmed to the performance over the years. That said, had it been Tebaldi who appears on the contemporaneous Karajan/Del Monaco recording, we might have had the perfect Otello.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 22, 2018, 01:27:34 AM
I agree with those remarks on Otello and although this was Recorded when Vickers was quite new to the role, he is very expressive and dramatic and I enjoy him here more than in the later Karajan recording. I do find Rysanek a hard pill to swallow. She seems entirely unsuited to the role.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on June 23, 2018, 12:21:17 AM
I went to see Cosi Fan Tutte last night in Holland Park, years since I head it. I'd forgotten how hard the second half is to pull off, I was so bored by those long arias that I thought I would die of boredom. The first half is more fun, and even musically it seemed more interesting in the harmonies in the first half.

And it's so negative about women!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 23, 2018, 05:50:53 AM
It took me some time to get to grips with act 2. If the voices are good enough I enjoy the arias as long as the speeds are neither too slow or fast. It is pretty cynical about both men and women, the men behave despicably.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 23, 2018, 06:10:30 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 23, 2018, 05:50:53 AM
It took me some time to get to grips with act 2. If the voices are good enough I enjoy the arias as long as the speeds are neither too slow or fast. It is pretty cynical about both men and women, the men behave despicably.

Mike

Very true. Da Ponte's libretto is about the cynical view of amorous relationships held by Don Alfonso. Molière before him had explored the same topic in his play Le misanthrope.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 23, 2018, 07:51:45 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 23, 2018, 05:50:53 AM
It took me some time to get to grips with act 2. If the voices are good enough I enjoy the arias as long as the speeds are neither too slow or fast. It is pretty cynical about both men and women, the men behave despicably.

Mike

I've always enjoyed Act II, as it has within it some of my favourite moments, Fiordiligi's Per pieta and the wonderful seduction duet between her and Ferrando Fra gli'amplessi, particularly erotic in the Böhm recording with Schwarzkopf and Kraus.

I've only seen it on stage once, in a wonderful performance with Kiri Te Kanawa, Agnes Baltsa, Stuart Burrows and Thomas Allen. I had a standing room ticket (and it's a long opera to stand through), but I don't recall being bored.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51V5SQbhFyL.jpg)

The performance was recorded and is now available on CD.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on June 23, 2018, 09:14:43 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 23, 2018, 05:50:53 AM
If the voices are good enough I enjoy the arias as long as the speeds are neither too slow or fast.

Mike

Yes that's what I felt last night. Although the singers weren't bad, they weren't good enough dramatically to make the second half work. In the first half there's so much fun, and the music seems more interesting harmonically too, that they can, to some extent, hide.

As far as women are concerned, aren't the women worse than the men in the opera? The blokes didn't really mean to seduce their best friend's girl, but the ladies really meant to marry the blokes while their fellas were fighting a war. Anyway, Don Alfonso is my hero -- along with Don Giovanni.  ;)

I've never read Les Misanthropes, I'll correct that soon!

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 23, 2018, 07:51:45 AM


I've only seen it on stage once, in a wonderful performance with Kiri Te Kanawa, Agnes Baltsa, Stuart Burrows and Thomas Allen. I had a standing room ticket (and it's a long opera to stand through), but I don't recall being bored.



I think I saw that. And I don't recall being bored by Act II as I was last night, either in the opera house or on record. It's just me probably, the mood I was in last night.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 23, 2018, 08:23:22 PM
The men casually pretend to go off to war considerably upsetting and worrying the women. They then misrepresent themselves and try to seduce one another's partners. It does not get more cynical than that. They got what they deserved, well, a lot better ultimately.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 24, 2018, 01:52:23 AM
Quote from: Mandryka on June 23, 2018, 09:14:43 AM

I think I saw that. And I don't recall being bored by Act II as I was last night, either in the opera house or on record. It's just me probably, the mood I was in last night.

Or it could have had something to do with the singers and conductor. It was quite a cast!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on June 24, 2018, 08:55:48 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 23, 2018, 08:23:22 PM
The men casually pretend to go off to war considerably upsetting and worrying the women. They then misrepresent themselves and try to seduce one another's partners. It does not get more cynical than that. They got what they deserved, well, a lot better ultimately.

Mike

+1
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 26, 2018, 01:07:08 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41DAVNADZTL.jpg)

Coward's comment about the potency of cheap music is what struck me whilst listening to this set, and, if I'm honest, it's my reaction to much of verismo.

This is nonetheless a very good performance (though Obrasztsova is, as usual, a bit overblown for my taste). I just find it hard to take the piece seriously.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2018, 01:01:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Uu9UBFByL.jpg)

Still my favourite recording of Nabucco. Gobbi is a bit past his best, but makes more of the role dramatically than, well anyone else really. Soulitis is caught at her (very brief) peak, though the sheer recklessness of the singing uncovers a few chinks in her armour. None of the other principals are quite on their level, but are adequate enough, and Gardelli, as ever, has a wonderful feel for early Verdi.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 29, 2018, 12:02:09 PM
Yes, this is a very fine set and I think better than any of the other available performances. The conducting is first rate and the whole thing hangs together very well. I have seen it live and felt that it was better experienced on discs, these ones specifically.

Suolitis burned out and a recorded role for which she was roundly criticised was Lady Macbeth. Listening to it decades later, she would now be thought of as perfectly adaquate.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 30, 2018, 10:52:16 AM
First listen to Othmar Schoeck's earlyish opera Venus, based on a fantastic novella by Prosper Mérimée:

[asin]B0000045JZ[/asin]

Despite the fantastic character of the plot, what really stands out in this lush, late-romantic score, is an autumnal, nostalgic feeling. As is usually my reaction to Schoeck's music, this appears to me as a well-constructed and beautifully scored work, with some engaging moments, but not a particularly memorable one. Still, very worthwhile, and as interesting as (the somewhat similar) Massimila Doni and (the vastly different) Penthesilea.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2018, 11:23:53 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 29, 2018, 12:02:09 PM

Suolitis burned out and a recorded role for which she was roundly criticised was Lady Macbeth. Listening to it decades later, she would now be thought of as perfectly adaquate.

Mike

It was her last recording for Decca* as a soprano, and, for me, the vocal problems vitiate enjoyment, even if she does have the voice of a she-devil, as Verdi stipulated. It reveals not so much gaps between her registers as yawning chasms. The middle voice has practically disappeared, the chest carried up too high and the top unreliable. Callas caught live in 1952 under De Sabata is in another world, though of course the sound is distinctly lo-fi (much more bearble in recent transfers by Myto and Warner, though). No other Lady Macbeth comes within a mile of her clear-voiced mastery of the roles many difficulties.

That said, of studio recordings I enjoy Verrett's performance for Abbado. Her later recording is too late for comfort.


*Suliotis did make another record for Decca, but it's more of a codacil; the role of the Zia Principessa in Freni's recording of Suor Angelica. Listening to it, you would never believe that Freni was the older singer.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 30, 2018, 12:01:36 PM
The recording Souliotis made of Anna Bolena (under Silvio Varviso) is from the same year as that Macbeth (which had a chequered gestation, since AFAIK Tito Gobbi was initially slated to appear in the title role). It has the distinction of being the first truly complete recording of Donizetti's opera (the live Callas/Simionato/Gavazzeni is heavily cut in the conductor's edition for this historic revival). I've read mixed reviews, and have ordered it, as it's been recently reissued by Australian Eloquence:

[asin]B079ZVM894[/asin]

She had recorded the "mad scene" ("Piangete voi?...Al dolce guidami...") three years earlier under Oliviero de Fabritiis in 1967 (when she was still in command of her voice) and it's splendid.

Defects and all, I find Elena Suliotis a fascinating singer, and her Leonora in La forza del destino (live from Naples in 1966) is one of the most thrilling operatic portrayals I've encountered in quite a while.

The Gardelli Nabucco is a classic recording of this early Verdi opera, that's for sure, but I'd say it's rivalled by Giuseppe Sinopoli's no-holds-barred version  on DG, with Piero Cappuccilli (a much more refined singer than Gobbi) and the late lamented (and fantastic) Ghena Dimitrova. I saw the latter live as Gioconda in Chicago in the mid 80s, and she was mesmerising.

[asin]B000001G4N[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2018, 04:22:10 PM
Quote from: ritter on June 30, 2018, 12:01:36 PM
The recording Souliotis made of Anna Bolena (under Silvio Varviso) is from the same year as that Macbeth (which had a chequered gestation, since AFAIK Tito Gobbi was initially slated to appear in the title role). It has the distinction of being the first truly complete recording of Donizetti's opera (the live Callas/Simionato/Gavazzeni is heavily cut in the conductor's edition for this historic revival). I've read mixed reviews, and have ordered it, as it's been recently reissued by Australian Eloquence:

[asin]B079ZVM894[/asin]

She had recorded the "mad scene" ("Piangete voi?...Al dolce guidami...") three years earlier under Oliviero de Fabritiis in 1967 (when she was still in command of her voice) and it's splendid.

Defects and all, I find Elena Suliotis a fascinating singer, and her Leonora in La forza del destino (live from Naples in 1966) is one of the most thrilling operatic portrayals I've encountered in quite a while.

The Gardelli Nabucco is a classic recording of this early Verdi opera, that's for sure, but I'd say it's rivalled by Giuseppe Sinopoli's no-holds-barred version  on DG, with Piero Cappuccilli (a much more refined singer than Gobbi) and the late lamented (and fantastic) Ghena Dimitrova. I saw the latter live as Gioconda in Chicago in the mid 80s, and she was mesmerising.

[asin]B000001G4N[/asin]

Except that she has no trill, so we don't hear the rising set of trills Donizetti wrote into Coppia iniqua. Still, it's a lot better than the complete recording, which is, nonetheless,  my top choice for a studio set of Anna Bolena. .
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 02, 2018, 06:51:20 AM
Revisiting this curious opera by Mascagni:

(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/026/MI0001026396.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Le Maschere was famously premiered simultaneously in six leading Italian theatres (Rome, Milan, Venice, Turin, Bologna and Genoa—the performance in Naples had to be postponed by two nights due to the indisposition of the lead tenor) in January 1901. It was only successful in Rome, where the composer conducted, and I understand it was booed off the stage in Genoa.

It is a rather interesting piece, at it's AFAIK the first resurrection of the commedia dell'arte operatic tradition in the 1900s (it predates Wolf-Ferrari's first Goldonian opera, Le donne curiose by two years, and Stravinsky's Pulcinella was still two decades away). It also has some proto-neoclassical traits, using old dance rhythms such as the pavane and the furlana (which are both highlights of the whole opera IMO). The scoring is paired down,  befitting  the style it intends to emulate and the subject matter (the archetypal story of a father betrothing a girl to someone older than her she does not love, but with the help of the servants, she is united with her sweetheart, love triumphs, and all ends well). Still, it does come through as slightly heavy-handed at times, and isn't really that funny (I suspect librettist Luigi Illica carries most of the blame regarding this aspect). There are some engaging tunes, and there's also some metatheatrical touches (the overture is interrupted by a parabasis, in which the impresario presents the troupe of comedians to the audience), which I'd say were unheard of in opera at the time; the next example of "theatre within theatre" in opera I can think of is Ariadne auf Naxos, the first version of which was first performed more than 10 years later.

I imagine that if staged by a director with a real love for the commedia dell'arte (I write this one week after seeing Giorgio Strehler's wonderful staging of Arlecchino servitore di due padroni) this could actually turn out to be a delightful show.

The opera—very much an ensemble piece—is well served in this live recording from Bologna, under Gianluigi Gelmetti. The sound is rather distant, unfortunately.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 03, 2018, 05:12:00 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81YMaQyLf0L._SL1500_.jpg)

Opinions on Karajan's 1978 recording of Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande are somewhat polarised. Some find it anti- Debussyian, lacking in atmosphere and mystery, and bringing out to much Wagnerian influences. Others enjoy the superb orchestral playing, and the intensity of the drama.

Personally I think the opera can withstand more than one approach, and I've always enjoyed this excellently cast recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 03, 2018, 12:03:21 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZFBKGD0JL.jpg)

Embarking on a mini-survey of Bizet's Pêcheurs de perles.

The role of Nadir is one of the most vocally striking in french opera. It requires a combination of ringing declamation, lyric songfulness and frequent ascent to head voice/falsetto register, which makes it particularly hard to cast. Its signature aria Je crois entendre encore is a graveyard of foolish attempts to encompass its treacherous demands.
These have been successfully - even triumphantly - met by Léopold Simoneau and Alain Vanzo. More recently, the french lyric tenor Cyrille Dubois has scored a hit in recent productions.

It's these three tenors I'll be listening to in productions from 1959 (Vanzo/Rosenthal), 1953 (Simoneau/Dervaux) and 2015 (Bloch/Dubois).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 03, 2018, 12:40:51 PM
The young Katia Ricciarelli and José Carreras in a program of duets that suited their voices perfectly (even if I must admit that Madama Butterfly is an opera I now find insufferable):

(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41UfDJS4ZaL.jpg)

Why they are dressed up as Mimì and Rodolfo on the cover beats me, as the program  comprises duets from the aforementioned Madama Butterfly, Verdi's I Lombardi, and Donizetti's Poliuto (which they later recorded complete) and Roberto Devereux
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on July 04, 2018, 10:45:28 AM
Caught the new Bieito/Dantone production of L'incoronazione di Poppea yesterday - and am still quite speechless. What a gorgeous and at the same time thought-provoking experience. The music - arranged by Dantone of course - was plain amazing (though in my book they could've killed the pasted-on final love duet, but then it is fun, too, because we all know Poppea won't last very long). The plot suits these times so much better than all those 19c libretti (I still maintain my opinion that "Così fan tutte" is deep, maybe just because of it's alleged lack of "deepness") ... Bieito gave it a slightly pervy twist and obviously enjoyed the sex and crime core at its heart.

And the cast ... mighty impressive, down to the minor roles. Julie Fuchs - heavily pregnant, which of course added another twist to the sexual dimension of the plot - as Poppea was outstanding, so was d'Oustrac's Ottavia. Also worth singling out is the Seneca of Nahuel di Pierro, a Zurich regular. David Hansen's high-pitched voice isn't really pleasant - but he was frighteningly convincing in his part and his singing intense and to the point ... a perfect cast indeed (Valer Sabadus was supposed to sing his part, but cancelled, it seems, just when rehearsals were to start).

The main act, after all, was the music though - I marvelled again and again at the seemingly endless flow of enticing melodies ... and all of the minor parts have their amazing spots. The production worked fine for me, stage noises and plenty of videos didn't bother me at all - on the contrary, I found it all fell together very nicely indeed.

Here's a more elaborate review of the opening night (I saw the fourth of seven showings):

http://seenandheard-international.com/2018/06/lifes-a-catwalk-bieitos-stunning-poppea-for-zurich-opera/

--

L'incoronazione di Poppea

Opera musicale by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
poem by Francesco Busenello

Musikalische Leitung / Continuo Ottavio Dantone
Producer Calixto Bieito
Stage design Rebecca Ringst
Costumes Ingo Krügler
Lighting designer Franck Evin
Video designer Sarah Derendinger
Dramaturgy Beate Breidenbach

Amore / 1. Famigliare - Jake Arditti
Fortuna / Damigella - Florie Valiquette
La Virtù - Hamida Kristoffersen
Nerone - David Hansen
Ottavia - Stéphanie D'Oustrac
Poppea - Julie Fuchs
Ottone - Delphine Galou
Drusilla - Deanna Breiwick
Nutrice - Manuel Nuñez Camelino
Arnalta - Emiliano Gonzalez Toro
Seneca - Nahuel Di Pierro
Valletto - Gemma Ní Bhriain
Lucano, Primo Soldato, 2. Famigliare - Thobela Ntshanyana
Littore, 3. Famigliare - Michael Hauenstein
Liberto, Secondo Soldato - Kristofer Lundin

Orchestra La Scintilla
Ottavio Dantone - director, harpsichord

continuo:
Xavier Pignat - violoncello
Giovanna Pessi - harp
Martin Zeller - viola da gamba
Dieter Lange - violone
Urs Dengler - dulcian
Simon Linné - theorbo
Rosario Conte - lute/g
Giorgio Paronuzzi - org
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 04, 2018, 11:09:01 AM
Sounds great, king ubu! Glad you enjoyed it... :)

And that final duet may seem "pasted-on"  ;), but it's simply glorious. The first (or perhaps second, if one thinks of "Possente spirto" from L'Orfeo) real example why opera is such a powerful medium of expression. And the irony that Nerone and Poppea sing their love in such beautiful terms after all the vileness and deceits that have preceded the duet, is a stroke of genius IMHO.

Cheers,

EDIT (THREAD DUTY):

Promoted by ubu's post, listening to Nikolaus Harnoncourt's recording of Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, with Elisabeth Söderström, Helen Donath, Cathy Berberian et al.

[asin]B00IWVDHAO[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 05, 2018, 10:03:02 AM
First (and, if I can help it, last  ::)) listen to Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's I gioielli della Madonna, in this relatively recent release (which is the opera's only "legitimate" recording AFAIK):

[asin]B01CV1DUIO[/asin]

Wolf-Ferrari's diversion into über-verismo territory is of a vulgarity that would probably make even someone like Umberto Giordano blush. The extremely unpleasant story of lust and blasphemous theft in the Neapolitan underworld has music to match, with all the cheap effects you can think of to provide "local colour": bells galore, an accordion, the inevitable children's chorus.... Next to this, the Te Deum from Puccini's Tosca has the purity of a Webern cantata!  :D Despite all the busy going-ons onstage and in the pit, you'd be hard press to find a memorable theme or musical idea.

It's surprising that a man who produced all those delightful Goldonian comedies, but who could also succeed in heavier fare (Das Himmelskleid, or even Sly) would come up with this repulsive concoction. ???

I always applaud enterprising opera companies or orchestras that resurrect obscure works (even if they're not worth the effort, like in the case at hand), but this performance from Bratislava sounds very provincial, particularly as far as the vocal soloists are concerned .

Un orrore! >:(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 10, 2018, 08:59:09 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81hFShvcNpL._SL1500_.jpg)

I Masnadieri might seem a backward step from even the 1947 version of Macbeth, which preceded it, but it was actually completed in all essentials before it. It is true that nowhere do we hear the imagination and originality of pieces like Lady Macbeth's Sleepwalking Scene, for instance, but it is not entirely negligible. and there are some fine moments, such as the prelude, the end of Act I, the Act III duet for Amalia and Carlo (though its cabaletta is unremarkable stuff) and so on.

Gardelli's 1975 set makes the best possible case for it, with Bergonzi, Caballé, Cappuccilli and Raimondi all on top form.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 10, 2018, 11:24:57 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41BG7WWPAQL.jpg)

Third version, this is Vanzo's last recording, from 1977. It's quite good, and very well recorded, but overall I would place it behind the 1953 Fournet (Simoneau) and the Rosenthal (Vanzo again). In some ways the earliest is also the most clearly and cleanly recorded. An embarrassment of riches, really, for this superb score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 11, 2018, 01:18:20 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71e%2B8psCRSL._SL1050_.jpg)


There is much more to Delius's gorgeous, but rarely performed, opera A Village Romeo and Juliet than the Walk to the Paradise Garden. Well worth a listen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 11, 2018, 05:09:54 AM
It's a beautiful opera. The character of the Dark Fiddler is a nice touch.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 12, 2018, 01:39:17 AM
I really can't understand why it's not more popular or staged more often.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 12, 2018, 05:47:35 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2013/11/imgL/116301970.jpg)

Preceded by Attila and followed by I Masnadieri, Macbeth is a much more original work than either, even in its original version without the 1865 revisions, which included Lady Macbeth's magnificent La luce langue, though not the arrestingly original Sleepwalking Scene, which was part of the original score.


The Abbado is my top choice of all studio recordings, more subtle and more murkily mysterious than Muti's fine, but more theatrically dramatic version. Both casts are superb, but I prefer Verrett's more psychologically interesting Lady Macbeth. That said, she doesn't quite erase memories of Callas on De Sabata's live 1952 La Scala account, who is, without question, the most thrilling Lady Macbeth you will ever hear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Guido on July 12, 2018, 06:48:57 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 12, 2018, 01:39:17 AM
I really can't understand why it's not more popular or staged more often.

Hello, long time no post, but decided to log on and see if any of the old regulars were still here!

Live, the music comes across as turgidly scored and rather flat, and sadly it's also a dramatic dud. I like the best of Delius, but this isn't top drawer (the lovely orchestral interlude mentioned notwithstanding.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 12, 2018, 09:06:01 AM
Quote from: Guido on July 12, 2018, 06:48:57 AM
Hello, long time no post, but decided to log on and see if any of the old regulars were still here!

Live, the music comes across as turgidly scored and rather flat, and sadly it's also a dramatic dud. I like the best of Delius, but this isn't top drawer (the lovely orchestral interlude mentioned notwithstanding.)


Well I haven't seen it staged, so can't comment on a production, but can't agree with you re the music, which I find absolutely glorious. I like it more every time I listen to it. Dramatically too, in this Mackerras recording, it hangs together very well. I'm sure the right director could make it work.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2018, 02:10:05 AM
(http://www.divinarecords.com/dvn018/dvn018_l.jpg)

OK, the score is cut to shreds, but this is the performance which put both the opera and Donizetti's more serious works back on the map, paving the way for revivals of operas that had lain in obscurity for years. Without this one revival the careers of Sutherland, Caballé, Sills et al might have been very different.

Callas's Anna remains one of her greatest creations. This Visconti production was a huge success and was revived the following year, and this recording of the opening night stands, despite the cuts and live 1950s sound, as the opera's greatest recorded testament. Simionato is a superb Giovanna, Rossi-Lemeni authoritative but woolly toned and Raimondi an adequate, if not inspired, Percy.

Unfortunately the recent transfer should be avoided, as their source material is not the best and the recording is muffled and dull, where the Divina issue is bright and clear; worth every penny of the extra outlay.

Reviewed on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on July 15, 2018, 05:48:20 AM
Currently listening to snatches of Massenet's Le Cid being rehearsed. I am working in Admin for the Dorset Opera Festival where they prep and perform two operas from scratch in two weeks. The other opera is La Boheme.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 19, 2018, 04:10:28 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51s3R9qxebL.jpg)

Luisa Miller is one of those early Verdi operas, which has always held a foothold on the repertoire, and it has had quite a few recordings, three of which (Maag, Maazel and this one) seem to me to stand out. Maag has the most interesting conducting, coupled to a stellar cast, Maazel has the most affecting, if most vocally fallible Luisa, but I've always enjoyed this version with Moffo steering a sort of midway course between Caballé and Ricciarelli.

Hard to choose between the three tenors, but Bergonzi is certainly at his best in this recording. MacNeil is fine as is Tozzi, and Verrett does well in the rather ungrateful role of Federica.

Cleva does nothing wrong, but he is not as revelatory as Maag. Nonetheless it's a very enjoyable set, and might just be my favourite all round.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 20, 2018, 12:50:26 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51b5BR7KCfL.jpg)

Don Pasquale - Ernesto Badini
Norina - Adelaide Saraceni
Ernesto - Tito Schipa
Malatesta - Afro Poli

This 1932 performance was the first complete recording of Don Pasquale and has certainly stood the test of time. Vocal honours go to Afro Poli's mellifluous Malatesta and Tito Schipa's stylishly lyrical Ernesto. Badini is an experienced and characterful Pasquale, though his baritone is a little thin and Adelaide Saraceni's acid-toned Norina tends to sound shrewish rather than minx-like. Sabajno conducts a sprightly and effervescent version of the score.

Very enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 20, 2018, 06:34:56 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81wDPDY7T6L._SL1400_.jpg)


Back with early Verdi, I'm listening to I Lombardi, which dates from 1843 and is a much more uneven work than Luisa Miller. Nonetheless it still has some great moments.


This Philips recording was, if I remember correctly, the first in Gardelli's early Verdi series, and is still eminently satisfying today, though Deutekom, slightly fluttery on top with a weak lower register, is hardly ideal as Griselda, a role that really needs a voice capable of singing Abigaille. Domingo and Raimondi are much stronger and Gardelli, as usual, conducts with verve.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 20, 2018, 06:53:13 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81RnKRMtHHL._SX569_PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg)

This 1970 recording has over the years suffered from tepid recommendations due to its boxy sound. In this 2017 remastering things seem to have been righted, and quite nicely. It still retains a somewhat studio bound quality, with little air around the soundstage. Even though the loud dynamics are loud enough thank you, you don't get the thrilling feeling of sound expansion experienced in, say, Karajan's EMI or Harnoncourt's versions (both recorded in Vienna's Musikvereinsaal, incidentally). Still, for a nearly 50 year old recording this is quite good.

So much for the sonic aspects. The casting is uniformly strong. You get what you can expect from these star singers:

- Price offers some muffled sounds, and much glorious soaring high notes, especially the soft ones in the Nile scene, as well as rather generic despair and expression of love. Unusually for her, her Italian leaves somewhat to be desired, with some typically american pronunciation of the 'r'. This may seem minor, but failing to slightly roll that consonant robs it of the snap that is part of the italian language speech rythm. Put simply, her articulation is sometimes sloppy.

- Domingo is commanding of presence and refulgent of tone, but also businesslike (his usual fault) and unable to let rip in the part of the ambitious, lovestruck, tormented and ultimately despairing war leader. And despite ruling the pool of Radameses for 2 decades, his voice does not - never did - have the clarion ping of a Del Monaco or Corelli. Even the more modestly endowed Carreras uses his smaller voice to greater effect (Karajan), even if he sometimes squeals in the loudest parts of the role.

- Milnes is beautiful of voice, forceful of utterance, if rather generic in his brutish declamation. His cajoling/threatening/blackmailing of his daughter in the Nile scene, invoking the ghost of Aida's dead mother is good but not harrowing, as it should be (Gobbi and even Cappuccilli show how it should be done). Still, his slightly generic mustache-twirling portrayal of the vanquished ethiopian king is verbally effective and vocally superb.

- Bumbry's Amneris is surely one of the great operatic portrayals, one she has recorded more than once. The voice is perfect for the part and she does not disappoint here. The Judgment scene is striking in its intensity. Her command of Italian is very good, which makes her the real dominatrix in the confrontation with her slave.

- Best of all for me is the formidable Ramfis of bass Ruggero Raimondi. I've always been a sucker for this singer's elegant, imposing, cutting sounds. There's never a woolly, indistinct tone heard from this great singing actor. And of course the italian language flows from his tongue and cords so naturally and stylishly that his every utterance is a pleasure. He is even better in the Karajan recording by virtue of his having more time to shape his phrases to maximum effect (Leinsdorf usually goes for the jugular, leaving little time for verbal niceties if they don't fit his rythms).

The conducting by veteran Erich Leinsdorf takes some getting used to. Far from a stickler to the bar line or the composer's tempo indications, he often gets excited (speeding up) towards the end of a scene, only to slow down markedly in places. The end of the Judgment scene and a couple of other places made my eyebrows raise, not quite sure if the result justified the rather crude means employed. But, like every opera recording, when wrapping up and counting pluses and minuses, it's the final impression that counts. I have to say that this uneven, unusual and sometimes daring approach worked to make this Aida a successful operatic listening experience.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 20, 2018, 10:07:34 AM
Aida is, by no means, my favourite Verdi opera, and yet I've ended up with five different recordings. It's an opera I admire rather than love. Though the music is magnificent, I rarely feel engaged with the characters.


Three of my recordings have Callas as Aida, even though I've never considered her particularly suited to the role. That said, she does manage to breathe more life into in than most and I'm not sure anyone has bettered the Nile Scene with her and Gobbi on the studio set. The other recordings I have with her are Mexico 1951, a thrilling, if somewhat unsubtle, performance which includes that spectacular top Eb in the Triumphal Scene and London 1953 under a disappointingly staid Barbirolli. I also own the EMI Karajan (Baltsa, my favourite Amneris) and the recent Pappano (Kaufmann might just be my favourite Radames).


I discuss them all on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/verdis-aida-a-comparative-review-of-5-different-recordings/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/verdis-aida-a-comparative-review-of-5-different-recordings/)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 20, 2018, 11:18:03 AM
Callas' high E flat in the Triumph scene is a stunt, but one that refuses to go away once heard. And yet interpolated high notes are a tradition in italian opera. The only reason it's almost never done is not that it's musically wrong or in bad taste, but simply that it's so damn hard to achieve. Make one mistake at that point and it makes tomorrow's headlines  ???. I'm glad we have it, though, the thrill never fades  ;D. In her studio recording Callas had the good fortune to have a great dramatic tenor and baritone to abet her. Tucker flings his high As as defiantly as anybody else in 'Sacerdote, io resto a te'. And Gobbi schemes and manipulates devilishly in his confrontation with his daughter. So different from some over polite examples on record !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 20, 2018, 02:15:37 PM
Quote from: André on July 20, 2018, 11:18:03 AM
Callas' high E flat in the Triumph scene is a stunt, but one that refuses to go away once heard. And yet interpolated high notes are a tradition in italian opera. The only reason it's almost never done is not that it's musically wrong or in bad taste, but simply that it's so damn hard to achieve. Make one mistake at that point and it makes tomorrow's headlines  ???. I'm glad we have it, though, the thrill never fades  ;D. In her studio recording Callas had the good fortune to have a great dramatic tenor and baritone to abet her. Tucker flings his high As as defiantly as anybody else in 'Sacerdote, io resto a te'. And Gobbi schemes and manipulates devilishly in his confrontation with his daughter. So different from some over polite examples on record !

Weirdly, I wait for that high Eb now every time, but of course it was a stunt; amazing if you could pull it off, like Callas did in 1950 and 1951, but most Aidas wouldn't even have the note in their armoury.

I have equivocal feelings about Tucker. The voice, as you noted, had a fine heroic ring, but he could be a crude artist, marring his singing with aspirates and sobs as if he was trying too hard to emulate the bad habits of many an Italian tenor.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 20, 2018, 04:20:53 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 20, 2018, 02:15:37 PM
Weirdly, I wait for that high Eb now every time, but of course it was a stunt; amazing if you could pull it off, like Callas did in 1950 and 1951, but most Aidas wouldn't even have the note in their armoury.

I have equivocal feelings about Tucker. The voice, as you noted, had a fine heroic ring, but he could be a crude artist, marring his singing with aspirates and sobs as if he was trying too hard to emulate the bad habits of many an Italian tenor.

Not so much in his Radames as in his Forza del destino Alvaro, I feel. And yet, in the opera's concluding scene he spits his curse 'Maledizione! Maledizione!' to bloodcurdling effect, which makes Padre Guardiano's ensuing entreaty ('Non imprecare...Prostati') all the more believable. It's for moments like these that one sits and listens to opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 21, 2018, 01:01:00 AM
Quote from: André on July 20, 2018, 04:20:53 PM
Not so much in his Radames as in his Forza del destino Alvaro, I feel. And yet, in the opera's concluding scene he spits his curse 'Maledizione! Maledizione!' to bloodcurdling effect, which makes Padre Guardiano's ensuing entreaty ('Non imprecare...Prostati') all the more believable. It's for moments like these that one sits and listens to opera.

Indeed. And I agree that his Radames is more well-mannered than his Alvaro.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 21, 2018, 01:41:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51SCHARFKZL.jpg)

Based on tremendously successful performances at Covent Garden, this Pritchard set has a real whiff of the theatre about it. The main difference is that the young Carreras, who played Nemorino on stage is here replaced by Domingo, whose first Otello was not too far away. Domingo lightens his voice as best as he can, and almost convinces without quite pulling it off. Carreras, who ended up recording the role a little too late in his career (with Ricciarelli as Adina) would, at this stage of his career, been perfect. Cotrubas is an absolute delight as Adina, one of the best on record, Wixell a believably preening Belcore and Sir Geraint Evans a genially scheming Dulcore.


Sir John's conducting is wonderfully alert and alive. The set has long been a favourite of mine.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 21, 2018, 09:59:51 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/4JoOBX4WufmWTzl1U_dYiYBhc5M=/fit-in/600x515/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7763576-1448282700-1724.jpeg.jpg)

There is no Philips recording of Giovanna d'Arco in their early Verdi series, no doubt because Levine and EMI had got their first.

Like the Philips sets, it is cast from strength with Caballé, Domingo and Milnes, all of whom also appeared in some of the Philips recordings. The main difference is in the slightly more abrasive recording and Levine's conducting, which is less lyrical and relaxed than Gardelli, a tad dare I say it, more brash and bombastic, and I do rather wish it had been recorded by Gardelli with the same singers.

We are still very much in the galleys, but more and more of Verdi's individual style is emerging and in Giovanna at least, superbly sung by Caballé here, Verdi creates a character of real flesh and blood.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 22, 2018, 01:47:52 AM
Revisiting George Enescu's Oedipe:

[asin]B000CEVU6M[/asin]

IMHO, Oedipe is one of the great operas of the 20th century, and its composer's magnum opus. The richness of this score, and the impact of many scenes (the prologue, Oedipus's encounter with Laios at the crossroads, and then with Sphinx, and the beautiful, transfigurative finale) is tremendous.

This performance is good enough, and a nice testament to the artistry of a great singer who tragically died too young, Monte Pederson. Still, there's an authority and idiomatic feeling in José van Dam's studio recording which is missing here, and Michael Gielen imposed some unnecessary cuts in the score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 22, 2018, 07:05:47 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51j-ltn4duL.jpg)

Recorded straight after a run of terrifically successful performances at Covent Garden in 1968, La Fille du Régiment has long been considered one of Sutherland's best studio recordings, and the role of the tomboyish Marie certainly suits her well. As you'd expect she tosses off the coloratura and high notes in spectacular fashion, but also has the ability to convey a deeper vein of pathos when required. Pavarotti is also at his best, and he executes the top Cs in Pour mon âme with delightfully insouciant ease. Monica Sinclair, who sometimes overplays the comedy, and Spiro Malas provide excellent support and Richard Bonynge's conducting is alert and nicely sprung.


I do have a couple of cavils, though. There is absolutely nothing authentically French about the enterprise, and, where this might be of less importance in Donizetti than Offenbach, I do miss a genuine French accent. Sutherland's diction, though better than on some of her recordings, still leaves a great deal to be desired. On the other hand Pavarotti's diction is so good you can hear just how bad his French is.

I'm assuming this will matter less to most people than it does to me, so I will finish by saying I really rather enjoy this set. It has the feel of a real performance, and it is a pleasure to hear two such great singers at the top of their game.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 24, 2018, 01:34:48 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/063/MI0001063159.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Verdi's second opera was a comedy, Un Giorno di Regno, his only attempt at the genre until his last great work Falstaff. This is hardly in that class, but it is charming and, in the right performance, enjoyable enough. It's model is obviously the comedies of Donizetti, though it lacks the easy, tuneful memorability of, say, L'Elisir d'Amore.


I've always preferred this effervescent Simonetto performance from 1951 to Gardelli's Philips version, which seems a little po-faced and heavy handed in comparison. Cossotto and Norman, a dramatic mezzo and a dark voiced soprano, nowhere have the lightness of touch of their counterparts here, the smilingly lyric soprano Lina Pagliughi and the light lyric mezzo Laura Cozza, and Capecchi, Bruscantini and Dalamangas, all more natural buffo performers, easily outclass theirs on the Philips set. Carreras, at his honeyed best, is one of the assets of the Philips set, but Oncina is also excellent, and a tad more at home in comedy.

Worth a listen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 24, 2018, 12:32:27 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-yZuBYRQL.jpg)

75 minutes of extracts drawn from various french productions of this once popular opera by Ambroise Thomas. 4 baritones sing the title role, 4 sopranos are Ophélie. An interesting compilation with some legendary names. The music is often remarkable.

The opera has been recorded in modern times by Decca (a Sutherland vehicle), EMI (Thomas Hampson), EMI again, with Simon Keenlyside and Nathalie Dessay. It's the latter I'll turn to if I ever want to hear it in full.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 24, 2018, 04:37:08 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518xgKnZ-XL.jpg)

Another 75 minutes of Ambroise Thomas, this time his most famous work, Mignon. The libretto by the team of Barbier and Carré (Hamlet, Faust, Roméo et Juliette, Les Contes d'Hoffmann) is drawn from the seminal « coming of age » novel by Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship. From the latter, countless lieder have been composed by the likes of Beethoven, Schubert (a dozen at least), Schumann, Wolf, etc - the most famous being Kennst du das Land, given the full operatic treatment by Thomas: Connais-tu le pays, a favourite calling card of mezzos the world over.

Mignon was first given in Paris in 1866. Lamoureux (founder of the eponymous orchestra) gave the 500th performance 12 years later. By 1894 it had been performed 1000 times. The 2000th performance was given in 1955 under Jean Fournet. It is the 3rd ranking opera in number of performances given in Paris, after Faust and Carmen.

The disc at hand features excerpts from french performances 1929-1949, with a 1942 Toscanini-led performance of the overture as curtain raiser. It is then followed by encore performances of the main arias, including italian ones (Pagliughi in the Polonaise), russian (Lemeshev), german (Margarethe Siems in the Polonaise). Wilhelm's beguiling romance suits both the russian language and Lemeshev's voice beautifully. Of course he could be singing from the phone book and it would still make the charts, but this is a particular highlight of the disc. The Siems performance is a bit strange, in the sense that she was the first Marschallin, a type of voice one wouldn't associate with the crystalline tone of the coloratura role of Philine.

Mignon has not been recorded as much as one would think, given its huge popularity in its first 100 years. Pretty much the only game in town is the Vanzo/Horne recording on Sony. There is a 1999 Denève recording, but it's very elusive. Others on offer are old live broadcast performances. For anyone not wanting to invest in the full thing (it is a long opera) the Malibran disc is a good conspectus of the work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 25, 2018, 10:17:45 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GU7RNWtgL.jpg)

This 1946 recording of Samson et Dalila has never been out of the catalogue and the opera itself is still regularly showcased in all the great opera houses. It is expertly remastered here by Ward Marston. The pageantry of the last act may lack a couple of decibels, but that may be a reflection of the reduced forces available in the aftermath of the war. Conductor Fourestier and the Paris Opera forces make up for that in zest and enthusiasm.

Apart from a slightly cautious Dalila by Bouvier (who sings very well none the less), this is the cast to beat when it comes to the male voices: corsican tenor José Luccioni had that rare combination of plangency and lung power that carries him through all the facets of the role. In verbal finesse he easily nudges Domingo, Carreras, Cura and Vickers, fine as these great tenors may be. When it comes to throwing the vocal gauntlet, he's up there with any of them, with a luscious, powerful ring at the top. The High Priest is to this opera what Scarpia is to Tosca: an implacable, magnetic character that schemes in the grand manner. Bass Paul Cabanel is truly outstanding. The other low voice roles are excellent as well.

There are many recordings available, none entirely satisfying, including this one. Samson is too often afforded the Pagliacci or Tosca treatment, and it never works. What I particularly liked about this historic reissue is the verbal clarity and the unfailingly elegant singing. I think Saint-Saëns would have approved.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 25, 2018, 02:01:40 PM
Quote from: André on July 25, 2018, 10:17:45 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GU7RNWtgL.jpg)

This 1946 recording of Samson et Dalila has never been out of the catalogue and the opera itself is still regularly showcased in all the great opera houses. It is expertly remastered here by Ward Marston. The pageantry of the last act may lack a couple of decibels, but that may be a reflection of the reduced forces available in the aftermath of the war. Conductor Fourestier and the Paris Opera forces make up for that in zest and enthusiasm.

Apart from a slightly cautious Dalila by Bouvier (who sings very well none the less), this is the cast to beat when it comes to the male voices: corsican tenor José Luccioni had that rare combination of plangency and lung power that carries him through all the facets of the role. In verbal finesse he easily nudges Domingo, Carreras, Cura and Vickers, fine as these great tenors may be. When it comes to throwing the vocal gauntlet, he's up there with any of them, with a luscious, powerful ring at the top. The High Priest is to this opera what Scarpia is to Tosca: an implacable, magnetic character that schemes in the grand manner. Bass Paul Cabanel is truly outstanding. The other low voice roles are excellent as well.

There are many recordings available, none entirely satisfying, including this one. Samson is too often afforded the Pagliacci or Tosca treatment, and it never works. What I particularly liked about this historic reissue is the verbal clarity and the unfailingly elegant singing. I think Saint-Saëns would have approved.

Excellent review.

It's a lost era of French singing, no doubt, though, as you point out, Bouvier is not exactly the sexy, sensual but dangerously demonic Dalila of one's dreams. It's a difficult role to cast, and most mezzos or contraltos sound too matronly and motherly to my ears. Baltsa is a bit closer to my ideal, but by the time she recorded the role, the voice had acquired a distracting vibrato. Verrett does get it right, but there are no studio recordings of her singing the role. Callas is wonderful in her recording of the three central arias, but I doubt she'd have been able to sustain the low tessitura on stage.


You're right about Samson too. None of the tenors in more modern recordings has quite the right voice for the role, though Vickers possibly comes closest.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 25, 2018, 06:32:54 PM
I find it impossible to listen to Dalilas without hearing the Callas voice in my mind. Hers is not the only vocal/interpretational option to be sure, but her verbal specificity is such that the vocal line falls into place totally naturally. Most singers do it the other way around, producing the sounds and tacking the words onto them with little regard to their meaning, often ignoring how to bind them together in a meaningful phrase. It's true that Saint-Saëns' butterscotch and crème brulée melodies are a singer's dream, so the temptation to produce beautifuls sounds first is very great.

Callas was very strict about breathing technique in these arias, with their long, arching melodies. This is an aspect I found lacking in Bouvier's singing of the arias, where aspirates are carelessly handled, chopping the vocal line where one would wish for perfect legato. But she is not alone in the long list of unsatisfactory Dalilas. A role for Marie-Nicole Lemieux, maybe ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2018, 12:38:46 AM
Quote from: André on July 25, 2018, 06:32:54 PM
I find it impossible to listen to Dalilas without hearing the Callas voice in my mind. Hers is not the only vocal/interpretational option to be sure, but her verbal specificity is such that the vocal line falls into place totally naturally. Most singers do it the other way around, producing the sounds and tacking the words onto them with little regard to their meaning, often ignoring how to bind them together in a meaningful phrase. It's true that Saint-Saëns' butterscotch and crème brulée melodies are a singer's dream, so the temptation to produce beautifuls sounds first is very great.

Callas was very strict about breathing technique in these arias, with their long, arching melodies. This is an aspect I found lacking in Bouvier's singing of the arias, where aspirates are carelessly handled, chopping the vocal line where one would wish for perfect legato. But she is not alone in the long list of unsatisfactory Dalilas. A role for Marie-Nicole Lemieux, maybe ?

And of course Callas is one of the few singers to sing what Saint-Saens wrote. In Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix he sets the words Ah réponds a ma tendresse to be sung in one long phrase. Most singers add another réponds which allows them to grab a quick breath in the middle of the phrase. How like Callas to stick to what the composer wrote, and what a difference it makes to the sensuality of the line. She never approved this aria for release, and it was first issued just after she died. I can't imagine why she found fault with it.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2018, 01:14:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91SEi1zITPL._SL1429_.jpg)

Lucia - Maria Callas
Edgardo - Ferrucio Tagliavini
Ernesto - Piero Cappuccilli
Raimondo - Bernard Ladysz

Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus - Tullio Serafin


Not Callas's best Lucia by any means, though I have a certain amount of affection for it, as it was the first recording of the opera I ever owned, and the one by which I got to know the work.

The stereo recording, made in the Kingsway Hall with the Philharmonia, is a lot better than either the 1953 studio recording or the live Berlin performance from 1955, so, in one aspect at least, it improves on what had gone before.

Leaving aside Callas for a moment, her colleagues here are something of a mixed bag. Cappuccilli's Enrico lacks authority and he is nowhere near as menacing as Gobbi (1953) or Panerai (1955). Tagliavini might have seemed a good idea at the time, but, stylishly though he sings, his voice is clearly past its best and one misses Di Stefano's youthful ardour (both 1953 and 1955). Ladysz is the oddest casting of all. He appears to have recorded little else other than Penderecki's Devils of Loudon and one wonders why he was engaged at all. Arie (1953) and, especially, Zaccaria (1955) are much better.


As for Callas, I'm often surprised how good she actually sounds. Aside from at the very top of the voice, her singing is unfailingly lovely; phrases are spun out to incredible length, her legato is prodigious and the coloratura flourishes have a lovely finish to them. As always she establishes the slightly unhinged character of Lucia almost from her very first notes. That said, notes above the stave are often unlovely and the top Ebs in the Mad Scene something of a trial. It's a shame she felt the need to sing them.


The Berlin performance, in pretty good sound for a live performance from 1955, still remains my favourite of all recordings of the opera, but this one is still worth listening to from time to time.

My review of the set on my blog, where you can also find reviews of the 1953 studio and 1955 Berlin performances.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/callass-stereo-lucia/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/callass-stereo-lucia/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 29, 2018, 01:14:24 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81uYB3QNDLL._SL1425_.jpg)

Leonora was actually Callas's first Verdi role. She sang it first in Trieste in 1948 and then in Ravenna in 1954, a few months before making this recording, but then no more.


It is a great shame she didn't sing it more often, because it is one of her greatest recorded performances, and her darkly plangent tones were particularly suited to the melancholia of the role.

The recording has other assets too, not least Serafin's warmly lyrical, but dramatic pacing of the score - just listen to the way he articulates those stabbing chords when Leonora is mortally wounded in the last act. Rossi-Lemeni is a warmly sympathetic, if woolly toned, Padre Guardiano and the monastery scene emerges as the dramatic centrepiece of the score. As usual, Tucker tends to sob and aspirate too much, but there is at least the compensation of the voice itself. Nicolai does what she can with the somewhat thankless part of Preziosilla, Clabassi is a firm voiced Calatrava and Renato Capecchi excellent in the role of Fra Melitone. The role of Carlo really needs a firmer, younger sounding, voice than Tagliabue (56 at the time of the recording) provides.

Full review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 30, 2018, 04:43:57 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 29, 2018, 01:14:24 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81uYB3QNDLL._SL1425_.jpg)

Leonora was actually Callas's first Verdi role. She sang it first in Trieste in 1948 and then in Ravenna in 1954, a few months before making this recording, but then no more.


It is a great shame she didn't sing it more often, because it is one of her greatest recorded performances, and her darkly plangent tones were particularly suited to the melancholia of the role.

The recording has other assets too, not least Serafin's warmly lyrical, but dramatic pacing of the score - just listen to the way he articulates those stabbing chords when Leonora is mortally wounded in the last act. Rossi-Lemeni is a warmly sympathetic, if woolly toned, Padre Guardiano and the monastery scene emerges as the dramatic centrepiece of the score. As usual, Tucker tends to sob and aspirate too much, but there is at least the compensation of the voice itself. Nicolai does what she can with the somewhat thankless part of Preziosilla, Clabassi is a firm voiced Calatrava and Renato Capecchi excellent in the role of Fra Melitone. The role of Carlo really needs a firmer, younger sounding, voice than Tagliabue (56 at the time of the recording) provides.

Full review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/)
Nice roundup, Tsaraslondon, thanks. I was listening to this recording myself some days ago, and agree with your impression. Callas is excellent, and Serafin conducts very eloquently. Tucker has a beautiful voice, but his approach is a tad vulgar. He sounds old-fashioned. Elena Nicolai also sounds "old-school", but in a positive way (yep, Preziosilla is a bizarre role, but one without which Forza would be less interesting nteresting IMO).

The Don Alvaro on record that I've found most convincing ( of those I know, of course) is Carlo Bergonzi on EMI, who sings beautifully, and with passion not devoid of elegance. Verdi singing if the highest calibre. Martina Arroyo is wonderful on that set as well, but—surprisingly—I found Lamberto Gardelli's conducting a letdown, a bit too impassioned and lacking in nuance (and robbing this—admittedly difficult to pull together—opera of a real sense of unity).

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gSV1mT3lMy0/U-g6OQSXKzI/AAAAAAAACns/DY6lsoWeCfk/s1600/Verdi+La+Forza+del+Destino+Gardelli+Bergonzi+Arroyo+Cappuccilli+Raimondi.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 30, 2018, 05:59:12 AM
Quote from: ritter on July 30, 2018, 04:43:57 AM
Nice roundup, Tsaraslondon, thanks. I was listening to this recording myself some days ago, and agree with your impression. Callas is excellent, and Serafin conducts very eloquently. Tucker has a beautiful voice, but his approach is a tad vulgar. He sounds old-fashioned. Elena Nicolai also sounds "old-school", but in a positive way (yep, Preziosilla is a bizarre role, but one without which Forza would be less interesting nteresting IMO).

The Don Alvaro on record that I've found most convincing ( of those I know, of course) is Carlo Bergonzi on EMI, who sings beautifully, and with passion not devoid of elegance. Verdi singing if the highest calibre. Martina Arroyo is wonderful on that set as well, but—surprisingly—I found Lamberto Gardelli's conducting a letdown, a bit too impassioned and lacking in nuance (and robbing this—admittedly difficult to pull together—opera of a real sense of unity).

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gSV1mT3lMy0/U-g6OQSXKzI/AAAAAAAACns/DY6lsoWeCfk/s1600/Verdi+La+Forza+del+Destino+Gardelli+Bergonzi+Arroyo+Cappuccilli+Raimondi.jpg)


I think Serafin is often underrated as a conductor, though there are ample examples on disc of his natural, dramatic pacing, especially in the sets he recorded with Callas. Oddly he is a more muted presence in the sets he did with Tebaldi.

I'd agree with you re Bergonzi's Alvaro. Arroyo's is a voice I like, but she's a little lacking in vocal personality. Beautifully though she sings, her Leonora makes nowhere near the impression Callas does, nor does she render the notes with quite the same degree of accuracy, particularly in Act I, which really requires the dexterity of a bel canto specialist. (Interesting to note that, though both the Act II and Act IV arias are often performed out of context, most sopranos leave the Act I aria alone, as it's a good deal more difficult.) It's a long time since I've listened to the Gardelli, but I seem to recall that Cappucilli's Carlo is not on the same level as his Boccanegra or Macbeth. I can't remember Casoni at all. Baltsa is the only singer I recall making much of Preziosilla, but there's nothing much else to commend the Sinopoli recording she appears on.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 30, 2018, 08:49:18 AM
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This wonderful live performance captures Caballé on the occasion of her US debut, and there is no doubting the acclaim she receives right from her first aria. She is in fabulous voice, but also characterises well, and the whole recording is a lot more alive than the somewhat dull studio recording of the same year, which somehow never takes off.
The much under-recorded Vanzo and Paskalis are distinct assets, but Berbié as Orsini has a tendency to sing under the note (to my ears at least).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 02, 2018, 11:16:18 PM
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Verdi's great comic masterpiece in this wonderfully effervescent and brilliantly cast classic interpretation. Recorded in 1956, it remains a top recommendation for the opera. Pure joy from beginning to end.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 03, 2018, 06:23:46 PM
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Bizet's 'other' opera. He wrote a few more of course, but none has really entered the standard repertoire. Pearlfishers is shorter than Carmen, a mere 105-110 minutes. It is still in the repertoire, esp in smaller houses. Its vocal requirements are not demanding in terms of size and it contains plenty of purple patches for the enjoyment of the « average » listener, as well as  benefiting from an exotic setting. Of late, another factor has contributed to the work's popularity. Bare chested barihunks and tenors are much in demand in the two main male parts, as shown for example in this Chicago Lyric Opera production from last year:
(http://www.stageandcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Mariusz-Kwiecie%C5%84_THE-PEARL-FISHERS_LYR171115b_0241_c.Todd-Rosenberg-1280x853.jpg)

This pic below is from a Seattle production, with the article's title giving away part of the explanation for its enduring appeal: « Going to the Opera with Grandma ». The Chicago Opera aptly describes it as escapist entertainment.
(https://www.seattleopera.org/globalassets/images/galleries/2015-pearl-fishers/01_pearl-fishers_gallery.jpg)

It is a little-known fact that the librettists had originally planned the opera to be set in Mexico. Maybe the french houses didn't have sombreros at hand ? That is only one of the numerous changes that took place, as was common at the time. A few years later the librettists stated that, had they known the music was of such quality, they would have worked a little bit harder. Bizet himself was no stranger to working under pressure (the delay was 4 months only) and facing mishaps and contingencies. Consequently, Pêcheurs de perles is larded with quotes and borrowings from other works of his. That, too, was quite common. Composers were expected to deal with every kind of circumstances.

The end result was not a huge success. Critics panned the new opera. The single laudatory review came from Hector Berlioz (Journal des débats, 1863). French audiences didn't buy this particular LaLaLand fantasy until after the composer's death a dozen years later.

To make the picture even muddier, the original score is « lost » (apparently it is in private hands and its owner will not make it public), so there is no way to know exactly what Bizet wrote in it. What's available is Bizet's piano reduction and a short score for the conductor. Moreover, following Bizet's death his editor Paul Choudens wanted to cash in on the success of Carmen and published a heavily edited version. New productions in Milan and other places fostered a mini industry of changes, alterations, with numbers added or substracted at will. All productions and recordings before 1965 derive from one of the corrupt editions. A new edition was published in 1975 and in 2002 a critical edition of Bizet's score was put together, followed in 2014 by the edition on which this recording is based.

............................

The disc at hand derives from a 2015 french concert, with no attempt at staging - no 6-pack pics here, everybody was fully dressed. Two things that should be taken for granted in this work have been conspicuously missing for decades - over 50 years as a matter of fact: first, it is a delicate bird that is very sensitive to that common virus, the wrong vocal technique and voice projection. And, secondly, unintelligible french pronunciation. Despite its exotic setting, Pêcheurs de perles is as french as baguette and croissants. The dearth of the appropriate type of voice in France since the 1960s has led to the opera being staged mostly on foreign ground, hence the second problem.

So, this all-french production has great assets in the credit column: a more faithful text, exempt from any non-Bizet alterations; young voices trained for the classical and baroque repertoire, where verbal acuity and musical sophistication are the name of the game; a dedicated team of musicians acutely aware of the importance of the enterprise. That being said, there are a couple of checks to be scored on the debit side of the ledger. The initial chorus is taken too fast, and the words become unintelligible. So much for authentic French if the singers can't enunciate properly. That initial misstep apart, things go very well with the orchestral and choral contributions.

The two bass voices are cardboard characters to be sure, but they have nice melodies to sing, and the voices are fine. Soprano Julie Fuchs was predicted to be a great asset in the role of LeÏla. She does have some delightful moments, but this is a live production, and there is a smidgen of insecurity and/or flutter to her voice in the first act. Later on in the opera the voice is perilously close to developing a wobble on the high notes. Even so, I count hers as a successful portrayal. I found her wanting only in comparison with Pierrette Alarie (Fournet, 1953), who endows her priestess with crystal clear diction and pure voice even in the highest reaches.

The revelation and real star of the recording is tenor Cyrille Dubois as Nadir. 30 years old at the time of the recording, he has been singing since the age of 7, as a boy soprano in the Maîtrise de Caen. He entered the Paris Opera Atelier lyrique at 20. His is a fully developed voice, free ranging up to the topmost notes. Despite a hint of a tight vibrato in the middle register, his high notes display a mesmerizing plangent quality that left me speechless. His vocal emission is very peculiar, reminding me of the squeezed toothpaste technique of czech sopranos, but without any edginess. He is also a poet with the words. In that respect another singer comes to mind: Ian Bostridge. To sum up, Dubois' vocal style has a slightly androgynous quality, and he displays all the qualities a true ténor lyrique.

Executive Summary:

- The version of choice remains the first one, with Simoneau and Alarie giving affecting portrayals as well as object lessons in great vocalism allied to perfect french diction - straight, clear, unaffected. It has been said that this recording is like a Vogue catalogue on glazed paper, with the implied criticism of over refinement. Despite its age the sound is clear as a bell - no fuzziness, no peaking, with a good sense of space.

- The 1959 Rosenthal, in very good but a bit crude sound, has the benefit of Alain Vanzo's amazing portrayal of Nadir. Manly yet delicately shaded singing, alternately cooing and stentorian - a curious combination, but it works superbly. The two low voices are excellent. Janine Michaud though is not entirely up to snuff as Leïla, lacking purity and innocence.

- In 1977 EMI issued the first recording based on the new edition. It is very good, but alas not perfect. Cotrubas is lovely as the love object of the pearl fishers. The two bass voices are adequate, but no more - and Mexican baritone Guillermo Sarabia's imperfect French is no match for that of his colleagues. Vanzo sings beautifully, but there is a slight feeling that this was another day at the office for him.

- The 2015 version benefits from great sound, a splendid orchestra and lively conducting - plus the nicety of a better text. Dubois is outstanding, not as perfect vocally as Simoneau or commanding as Vanzo, but I have a feeling that his portrayal will become some sort of landmark in the role. Zurga and Nourabad are very well sung and portrayed, among the best from the lot. Fuchs is uneven. The flutter on the high notes is irritating, but her tones are often beautiful. This is something that would have been put right in the recording studio.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2018, 12:23:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q649Y0YXL.jpg)

Mary Stuart - Dame Janet Baker
Queen Elizabeth I - Pauline Tinsley
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester - Keith Erwen
George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury - Don Garrard
Sir William Cecil - Christian Du Plessis

English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus - Sir Charles Mackerras

This is not the same as the Chandos (originally EMI) recording of Maria Stuarda with Dame Janet Baker, which was recorded at performances of the revival in 1982, and was also filmed. It was taped at a performance of the original production in 1973, and aside from Dame Janet and Sir Charles Mackerras, all the principals are different.

Pauline Tinsley, who here plays Elizabeth, was a much loved British soprano, well known for the dramatic intensity of her performances. The voice, as recorded, can tend to the wiry, and doesn't fall so easily on the ear as Rosalind Plowright, who sings in the 1982 version, but quite a bit of that dramatic intensity comes through, and she is an excellent foil for Baker's Maria.

Dame Janet herself is in fabulous form, the voice fresher and more compact than it is in 1982. Superb though she is in 1982, she is bettered by her younger self here, and, despite the fact that the opera is sung in English translation, this has been my go to version for many years now. Easily encompassing all its vocal demands, she reveals character and emotion through the music with uncanny ability. As such, her portrayal is closer to Sills than, say, Sutherland or Caballé, but she also has the vocal grandeur that Sills' voice lacks.

Keith Erwen is hardly in the Pavarotti class, but is a strong Leicester nonetheless, and the lower voices are in the capable hands of ENO stalwarts Don Garrard and Christian Du Plessis.

Mackerras paces the score with a sure sense of the drama, knowing exactly when to relax and when to push forward. The confrontation scene, with Baker and Tinsley spitting fire at each other, is possibly the most thrilling on disc.

So pleased I bought this when it first came out. Copies are selling for around £100 on Amazon UK at the moment.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2018, 03:17:09 AM
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Verdi's Ernani has always held a foothold on the repertoire, probably due to the opportunities it holds for the singers and its seemingly endless supply of great tunes.


This Schippers recording, made in the 1960s, is now regarded as something of a classic, though the upper voices lend it rather more distinction than the lower ones, particularly Bergonzi, who is as ever a model of style and elegance. Price too is at her best, whilst not quite erasing memories of Ponselle in Ernani involami. Sereni and Flagello lend excellent, if less distinctive, support and Schippers conducts a rousing account of the score without overdoing the bombast.


Thoroughly enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2018, 07:59:38 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/710LZLm9ROL._SL1376_.jpg)

I've always thought Sills was a little light of voice for the Donizetti queens, for all her musicality and dramatic gifts. Consequently I tend to prefer the richer, grander voice of Caballé, at least in this role.

This live performance from Tououse in 1977 benefits from Carreras's honeyed tones as Essex. Caballé, as usual, displays her superb breath control and ravishing pianissimi, but she doesn't overplay them as she was apt to do later in her career. The more dramatic parts of the score are also well handled.


Excellent support from, especially, Vicente Sardinero as Nottingham and Ferrucio Furlanetto as Cecil, and from Julius Rudel in the pit.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2018, 11:59:58 PM
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Verdi's sixth opera is rather different from those that surround it. It strikes a new note of intimacy, with much more sensitive scoring than many of the early operas. It's problems are a somewhat undramatic libretto, based on a pretty undramatic play by Byron, but musically there is much to commend it.

I've always enjoyed it and find this splendidly cast Philips version one of the best in Gardelli's Philips series, with Carreras, Ricciarelli, Cappuccilli and Ramey all on top form.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 05, 2018, 12:13:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2018, 11:59:58 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ZxT4bn7XL.jpg)

Verdi's sixth opera is rather different from those that surround it. It strikes a new note of intimacy, with much more sensitive scoring than many of the early operas. It's problems are a somewhat undramatic libretto, based on a pretty undramatic play by Byron, but musically there is much to commend it.

I've always enjoyed it and find this splendidly cast Philips version one of the best in Gardelli's Philips series, with Carreras, Ricciarelli, Cappuccilli and Ramey all on top form.
Probably my favourite among the operas from the anni di galera. And, as you point out, a splendid recording.  :). Ricciarelli is ravishing here....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 05, 2018, 12:30:34 AM
Quote from: ritter on August 05, 2018, 12:13:51 AM
Probably my favourite among the operas from the anni di galera. And, as you point out, a splendid recording.  :). Ricciarelli is ravishing here....

Indeed, as she is also in the recording of La Battaglia di Legnano, recorded around the same time.


I heard Ricciarelli live and she could be a variable singer. Her Elisabetta in Don Carlo was a little disappointing, especially set beside Agnes Baltsa's thrilling Eboli. The same cast of that Covent Garden Don Carlo gave a performance of the Verdi Requiem to raise funds for the family of a stage hand, who had been killed in an accident during the set up for the opera. I believe the idea had been hers and Baltsa's. Again Baltsa took the honours, but I remembered another performance of the Requiem under Gardelli (stepping in for an indisposed Giulini) at the Royal Festival Hall, at which she was absolutely amazing, and the best of all the soloists.


I also heard her in a concert of operatic arias at the Barbican, and, though the voice was past its best by then, her use of it, and the way she coloured it was really wonderful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 05, 2018, 12:49:54 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 05, 2018, 12:30:34 AM
Indeed, as she is also in the recording of La Battaglia di Legnano, recorded around the same time.


I heard Ricciarelli live and she could be a variable singer. Her Elisabetta in Don Carlo was a little disappointing, especially set beside Agnes Baltsa's thrilling Eboli. The same cast of that Covent Garden Don Carlo gave a performance of the Verdi Requiem to raise funds for the family of a stage hand, who had been killed in an accident during the set up for the opera. I believe the idea had been hers and Baltsa's. Again Baltsa took the honours, but I remembered another performance of the Requiem under Gardelli (stepping in for an indisposed Giulini) at the Royal Festival Hall, at which she was absolutely amazing, and the best of all the soloists.


I also heard her in a concert of operatic arias at the Barbican, and, though the voice was past its best by then, her use of it, and the way she coloured it was really wonderful.
Great you could see her in the Requiem. It's not a work I really care for, but I think she is simply wonderful in the otherwise generally dismissed recording conducted by Abbado. Her Libera me is beautiful...

I only saw her live once, lateish in her career, as Mimì in La Bohème in Chicago in '86. It's not a role that really permitted her to display her virtues, but at that stage in her career it also prevented the vocal problems from being too apparent. Still, she had a full command of the stage (too full, perhaps, given the role) and was beautiful.

Even when her instrument had already deteriorated significantly, she had such a unique and distinctive tone, of such intrinsic beauty, that all the stir around her was fully justified IMHO. Flaws and all,one of my favourite sopranos on record.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 05, 2018, 02:51:01 AM
I LOVE the Requiem and have heard it live quite a few times. It rarely fails to stir the emotions, though I remember one performance conducted by Sinopoli, which completely failed to do that. It was as if he took apart the score, laying its inner details out for display, but somehow lost its heart somewhere in the process.

As for Ricciarelli, she is a singer I've come to appreciate more over the years. I once did a comparison of what I consider the three main contenders for best recording of Luisa Miller. Moffo with Cleva, Caballé with Maag and Ricciarelli with Maazel, which usually comes out third. However Ricciarelli is easily the most affecting Luisa, if more vocally fallible than the others. Caballé sings divinely of course, but she misses something of Luisa's simplicity, and tends to sound just a bit grand. It's one of Moffo's best roles on disc, but, as so often, there is a slight sense of her skating over the role's deeper emotions, lovely and accomplished though her singing is. Ricciarelli, on the other hand, is totally inside the character, presenting a real flesh and blood character.

I am reminded of something she once said in interview about Callas, and I paraphrase

Quote'All sopranos get up in the morning, pour the orange juice and coffee, and then settle down to listen to Callas's recordings to try to learn from them''.


All is probably a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the gist, and Riccarelli, though she had a completely different voice and a gentler personality, had something of Callas's dramatic commitment.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 05, 2018, 03:05:50 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UV7fdBF6L.jpg)

A change from Italian opera as I turn to Dvorák's gorgeous and most well known opera Rusalka.


Apart from the two lead roles, the cast, orchestra and chorus are all Czech, so I fail to understand any complaints of inauthenticity. Admittedly I can't comment on Fleming's or Heppner's Czech pronunciation, but both had a great deal of stage experience in their respective roles. Fleming sings ravishingly, and Heppner brings an appropriately heroic ring to the Prince's music.

I used to own the Supraphon set with Benackova on LP, but, good though that is and much though I enjoyed it, this glorious performance supersedes it in my view.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 05, 2018, 03:14:03 AM
All this talk about Ricciarelli  ;) has  prompted me to revisit this wonderful recording of one of Rossini's Neapolitan miracles, La donna del lago:

(https://imagine-club.com/sites/default/files/la_donna_del_lago_rossini_gioacchino_3_lp_fonit_cetra_italy_4.jpg)

In this opera seria, Rossini really outdoes himself, with music that is very rich and coherent, and richly orchestrated; furthermore, he never lapses into the (occasional) excessese found in some of his other works. Mauricio Pollini (in what AKAIK was a one-off appearance in the operatic pit) conducts stylishly, and all soloists are top notch. This is surely Katia Ricciarelli's best Rossini recording (followed IMO by her Ninetta in La gazza ladra); the entrance aria "Oh mattutini albori" and the stunning final rondò "Tanti affetti" are delivered with panache, beautiful fioriture and great expressiveness.  But she is outshone by Lucia Velentini-Terrani's Malcolm: her "Mura felici...Oh quante lacrime" is a Rossini recording for the ages, engagingly delivered with her rich, velvety tone and spotless coloratura technique. The men are also excellent throughout.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in Rossini or romantic opera in general.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 05, 2018, 03:24:17 AM
Quote from: ritter on August 05, 2018, 03:14:03 AM
All this talk about Ricciarelli  ;) has  prompted me to revisit this wonderful recording of one of Rossini's Neapolitan miracles, La donna del lago:

(https://imagine-club.com/sites/default/files/la_donna_del_lago_rossini_gioacchino_3_lp_fonit_cetra_italy_4.jpg)

In this opera seria, Rossini really outdoes himself, with music that is very rich and coherent, and richly orchestrated; furthermore, he never lapses into the (occasional) excessese found in some of his other works. Mauricio Pollini (in what AKAIK was a one-off appearance in the operatic pit) conducts stylishly, and all soloists are top notch. This is surely Katia Ricciarelli's best Rossini recording (followed IMO by her Ninetta in La gazza ladra); the entrance aria "Oh mattutini albori" and the stunning final rondò "Tanti affetti" are delivered with panache, beautiful fioriture and great expressiveness.  But she is outshone by Lucia Velentini-Terrani's Malcolm: her "Mura felici...Oh quante lacrime" is a Rossini recording for the ages, engagingly delivered with her rich, velvety tone and spotless coloratura technique. The men are also excellent throughout.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in Rossini or romantic opera in general.

You've reminded me I used to own this on LP, but never got round to buying it on CD. I'll have to see if there are any cheap copies on Amazon UK.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 05, 2018, 03:52:16 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 05, 2018, 03:24:17 AM
You've reminded me I used to own this on LP, but never got round to buying it on CD. I'll have to see if there are any cheap copies on Amazon UK.
It's been recently reissued by Sony in their budget opera line:

[asin]B01N0KZOUU[/asin]
Amazon UK link (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rossini-Donna-Lago-Maurizio-Pollini/dp/B01N0KZOUU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1533469568&sr=1-1&keywords=la+donna+del+lago)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 05, 2018, 03:58:47 AM
Quote from: ritter on August 05, 2018, 03:52:16 AM
It's been recently reissued by Sony in their budget opera line:

[asin]B01N0KZOUU[/asin]
Amazon UK link (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rossini-Donna-Lago-Maurizio-Pollini/dp/B01N0KZOUU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1533469568&sr=1-1&keywords=la+donna+del+lago)

So I see, but I think I might go for a second hand copy of the original release, which comes with full notes, texts and translations.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 05, 2018, 04:02:24 AM
I've got the Italian Finit-Cetra release I showed above (notes but no libretto). I usually shy away from the original CBS opera CDs, as they often only had one track per act (I don't know if that would be the case here).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 05, 2018, 04:11:39 AM
Quote from: ritter on August 05, 2018, 04:02:24 AM
I've got the Italian Finit-Cetra release I showed above (notes but no libretto). I usually shy away from the original CBS opera CDs, as they often only had one track per act (I don't know if that would be the case here).

Ah, I didn't know that, though I do have the CBS Masterworks releases of the Pritchard L'Elisir d'Amore and the Scotto Adrianna Lecouvreur and they are both tracked adequately.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2018, 08:03:54 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71S6hqhWRyL._SL1200_.jpg)

My favourite studio recording of Verdi's great flawed masterpiece would still be the Giulini's EMI set in Italian, but this Abbado set is still worth the occasional spin. It has a historical significance in being the first recording in French, and in including, in an appendix, music that was excised at various points over the opera's history. The decision to record the opera in French is vitiated by the choice of a cast (Domingo possibly excepted) not used to singing the language, and it is Domingo who provides the greatest performance here, much more inside the role than he was for Giulini thirteen years prior.


I've come to appreciate the other singers more over the years, but none of them would be my first choice in their various roles. Ricciarelli is arguably the most affecting of Elisabeths on disc, but her lovey voice is not always up to the heavier demands of the role. Valentini-Terrani I liked more this time round too, whilst still noting that the upper reaches of the role tax her up to and sometimes beyond her limits. Nucci, as usual, is a bit of a dry old stick as Posa and Raimondi doesn't really command the depths required for Philippe, but then nor did he for Giulini. Ghiaurov is a suitably implacable Inquisitor, and mention must be made for the imposingly dark voiced Monk of Nikita Storojev.


The digital recording is not as clear or well balanced as EMI's analogue recording for Giulini, which still sounds excellent today. Abbado conducts with a sure understanding of Verdi, and paces the score assuredly, though I would not place this on the same level of achievement as his Simon Boccanegra and Macbeth.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on August 06, 2018, 12:01:02 PM
Made the mistake to watch the new Salzburg Zauberflöte - what a discgrace! Bad playing, nonsense tempi, nothing took any kind of shape ... the singers were partly not able to shine (Karg, Peter), partly miscast (Goerne), the stage production I felt wasn't too bad itself, but maybe it was too much to really pull it off. Best were the three boys and the quite great idea to replace the dialogue by a narration (granddad Brandauer telling the three boys the story - and Brandauer was great, too).

Uff, what a disgrace indeed!

The new "Salome", which seems to be pretty great, will be broadcast next Saturday, but I'm afraid it'll turn September until I'll find the time to watch it, let's see.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 08, 2018, 06:28:28 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517sHDBOvsL.jpg)

You're unlikely to hear Orfeo ed Euridice done like this these days, an amalgamation of Vienna and Berlioz, with modern instruments, but at least Leppard makes a nod towards eighteenth century practice.


It's worth it for Dame Janet's wonderful interpretation of Orfeo, though neither Elisabeth Speiser as Eurydice and Elizabeth Gale as Amor are in her class. Dame Janet's quiet intensity suits the role wonderfully well, her rapt singing of Che puro ciel having a particularly special sense of awe. The Glyndebourne chorus is splendid and the playing of the LPO, even on modern instruments, exemplary.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2018, 12:41:32 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/RUf1YRkcmjlPbfVQUW0QFNl2iSU=/fit-in/500x500/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8719122-1467288286-3384.jpeg.jpg)

I always think Verdi's Il Corsaro should be better known than it is. True, much is formulaic, but there are flashes of real invention and originality, and has a great role for the tenor, splendidly sung here by Jose Carreras, one of the best things he has done on disc. Superb performances from Caballé and Norman too, though Mastromei is not quite on the same level of excellence. As usual, Gardelli's conducting is spot on, avoiding the pitfalls of over emphasis and brashness that some fall into. I doubt we'll ever get another recording as good.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 12, 2018, 01:17:55 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51e03w6aCSL.jpg)

Opera? Musical? Flamenco? Golijov's Ainadamar refuses to be classified, but it's hugely enjoyable whatever it is, and this superb performance vividly brings it to life. Certainly worth a spin, if you feel like something just a little bit different.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 12, 2018, 05:08:40 AM
I love that piece of Golijov's, right from the opening of the sounds of a splashing fountain and galloping horses. It was my intro to his music and still my favourite of those I know. It only lasts about an hour, so it fits nicely onto one disc. It is full of colour and Spanish and Arabic rhythms and it has grateful vocal lines. The part of Lorca is written as a breaches role.

I once stayed in what had been the house in Granada where Lorca was arrested. He was shot dead: and the opera is largely about that event, though the facts of exactly why he was murdered are still murky and open to speculation.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 14, 2018, 12:55:08 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51h-RbwJ7FL.jpg)

Verdi's La Battaglia di Legnano was one of Verdi's favourite works from his galley years, though it's rarely performed today, which is a shame as it displays Verdi's increasing confidence with form and orchestration. It is very much in the same grand vein as works like Nabucco, I Lombardi and Attila, but displays a refinement often lacking in those earlier works. Rigoletto, after all, was only two years in the future.


This superb performance, with Ricciarelli and Carreras at the top of their game, ably supported by Manuguerra and Ghiuselev, and Gardelli conducting with spirit and élan states the very best case for the opera.


Warmly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 14, 2018, 08:37:59 AM
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Mar03/GROC/Gounod_Faust.jpg)

Gounod's Faust was once the most popular and most regularly performed operas in the repertoire, though it fell out of favour somewhat during the latter half of the twentieth century. This 1958 recording (a stereo remake of an earlier mono set with the same principals) has hardly ever been out of the catalogue, and with good reason. De Los Angeles is perfect as Marguerite, Gedda a stylish Faust, well up to the demands of the high tessitura. Christoff is the controversial element, some finding his execrable French too much to bear, others feeling his brilliant characterisation more than compensates. I lean towards the latter camp, though I'm not firmly in it.


For the rest, Ernest Blanc is an excellent Valentin, Liliane Berton a pert Siebel and Rita Gorr a splendid Marthe. Some have found Cluytens' conducting a little dull, but I like the way he lets the music speak for itself. The set has a real whiff of the theatre about it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 16, 2018, 12:41:50 AM
I love this set and, though I have tried to fine competition for it, I have failed. The voices are all so spot on and I think Christoff's demonic French is appropriate. I started with an LP of exerpts which seemed to concentrate on Act 2. Then I bought the three LP set. I have had the performance for over 45 years.

On DVD I recommend the Covent Garden set with Alagna and Terfel, a real blast of a performance with a terrific ballet sequence.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 16, 2018, 07:53:39 AM
I've listened to other recordings, but none of them quite hits the mark for me, as this one does.

I saw the opera once at Covent Garden, with Alfredo Kraus a non pareil of a Faust and Valerie Masterson a delightful Marguerite (she was always excellent in the French repertoire).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 16, 2018, 10:32:26 PM
I am now getting annual reminders about Valerie Masterson, as I meet her agen at Dorset Opera and he always has new fond stories to relate about her and he clearly considers her to have been a considerable artist. I seem mainly to have missed out on her and I only have her in a Julius Caesar opposite Baker.

Another singer who I meet in Dorset is Roderick Kennedy who runs the Dorset Opera Festival. I recall seeing him a number of times and he shared stages with many of the most famous singers of the last 40 years, but his recorded legacy is almost nonexistent. A great pity as I clearly recall how good he was on stage.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 17, 2018, 12:38:10 AM
Quote from: knight66 on August 16, 2018, 10:32:26 PM
I am now getting annual reminders about Valerie Masterson, as I meet her agen at Dorset Opera and he always has new fond stories to relate about her and he clearly considers her to have been a considerable artist. I seem mainly to have missed out on her and I only have her in a Julius Caesar opposite Baker.

Another singer who I meet in Dorset is Roderick Kennedy who runs the Dorset Opera Festival. I recall seeing him a number of times and he shared stages with many of the most famous singers of the last 40 years, but his recorded legacy is almost nonexistent. A great pity as I clearly recall how good he was on stage.

Mike


I have very fond memories of Valerie Masterson, having seen her in a variety of roles at various stages of her career, among them Manon, Juliette, The Governess, Gilda, Margeurite, The Marschallin and Semele. She was very beautiful, with a look of Lee Remick, and could easily have had a career in Hollywood musicals - a la Julie Andrews.


I also heard her once in recital at the Wigmore Hall, a programme of mostly French song and Richard Strauss, if I remember correctly. I have a couple of recital discs (a mixed song recital with piano and French arias with orchestra). It's a shame they were recorded so late in her career, when the top of the voice, once one of its glories, has begun to sound just a little bit pinched. I enjoy them both nonetheless.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61WF81TN5SL.gif) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71oAT1bTqsL._SL1096_.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 18, 2018, 12:54:36 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pAV2bK83L._SL1428_.jpg)

I always find it hard to choose between the two Callas recordings of Un Ballo in Maschera, this studio one of 1956 under Votto and the live account under Gavazzeni from the following year. The casts are similar but not identical, the main difference being that we get Gobbi as Renato in the studio and Bastianini live. Bastianini is probably the more vocally entitled, but I do miss Gobbi's special accents and specificity. The way he sings the one word Amelia, when he discovers the identity of Riccardo's midnight tryst, so full of the conflicting emotions that besiege his heart, haunts my memory.


There have been more aristocratic Riccardo's than Di Stefano to be sure, but he sings with lashings of charm and real face. As usual the voice can occasionally turn tense and tight in the upper register, but it is nonetheless one of his best roles. Barbieri is an excellent Ulrica, but Simionato on the live set is even better.

Gavazzeni, who conducts the live performances, is a more positive presence in the pit, but Votto is here more than just an accompanist and this is some of his best work in the studio.

The mono studio sound is obviously better than the live recording, though that is one of the better live La Scala offerings from that period.

As for Callas, she is in admirable vocal form on both occasions, her singing full of incidental detail but sounding utterly spontaneous. Though she only sang the role at that series of performance at La Scala in 1957, one would suspect that it was part of her regular stage repertoire. Whichever performance you go for, Callas's Amelia has to be heard.


I review the studio set on my blog here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/un-ballo-in-maschera/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/un-ballo-in-maschera/) and compare the two recordings here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 18, 2018, 03:31:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 17, 2018, 12:38:10 AM

I have very fond memories of Valerie Masterson, having seen her in a variety of roles at various stages of her career, among them Manon, Juliette, The Governess, Gilda, Margeurite, The Marschallin and Semele. She was very beautiful, with a look of Lee Remick, and could easily have had a career in Hollywood musicals - a la Julie Andrews.


I also heard her once in recital at the Wigmore Hall, a programme of mostly French song and Richard Strauss, if I remember correctly. I have a couple of recital discs (a mixed song recital with piano and French arias with orchestra). It's a shame they were recorded so late in her career, when the top of the voice, once one of its glories, has begun to sound just a little bit pinched. I enjoy them both nonetheless.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61WF81TN5SL.gif) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71oAT1bTqsL._SL1096_.jpg)

Thanks for that. Her extant recordings where she has a significant part are few and far between. But I have tracked down the French arias disc and it is on its way to me. I see the comments on it affirm your words about the recording being too late for her best years, but nevertheless giving great pleasure.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on August 18, 2018, 04:29:07 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 18, 2018, 12:54:36 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pAV2bK83L._SL1428_.jpg)

I always find it hard to choose between the two Callas recordings of Un Ballo in Maschera, this studio one of 1956 under Votto and the live account under Gavazzeni from the following year. The casts are similar but not identical, the main difference being that we get Gobbi as Renato in the studio and Bastianini live. Bastianini is probably the more vocally entitled, but I do miss Gobbi's special accents and specificity. The way he sings the one word Amelia, when he discovers the identity of Riccardo's midnight tryst, so full of the conflicting emotions that besiege his heart, haunts my memory.


There have been more aristocratic Riccardo's than Di Stefano to be sure, but he sings with lashings of charm and real face. As usual the voice can occasionally turn tense and tight in the upper register, but it is nonetheless one of his best roles. Barbieri is an excellent Ulrica, but Simionato on the live set is even better.

Gavazzeni, who conducts the live performances, is a more positive presence in the pit, but Votto is here more than just an accompanist and this is some of his best work in the studio.

The mono studio sound is obviously better than the live recording, though that is one of the better live La Scala offerings from that period.

As for Callas, she is in admirable vocal form on both occasions, her singing full of incidental detail but sounding utterly spontaneous. Though she only sang the role at that series of performance at La Scala in 1957, one would suspect that it was part of her regular stage repertoire. Whichever performance you go for, Callas's Amelia has to be heard.


I review the studio set on my blog here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/un-ballo-in-maschera/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/un-ballo-in-maschera/) and compare the two recordings here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/)

Which recording has the better Oscar?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 18, 2018, 05:49:57 AM
Quote from: Alberich on August 18, 2018, 04:29:07 AM
Which recording has the better Oscar?

It's Eugenia Ratti on both - the sort of soubrettish soprano that appears to no longer be in fashion. She's a bit pip squeak to be honest.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2018, 02:53:19 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Gy9j5XYVL.jpg)

I first saw Alagna, when he sang Roméo in a new production of Gounod's opera at Covent Garden, one year before he made this recording. There was a real sense of excitement in the house on that occasion, and a sense that maybe we had at last found a successor to the big three (Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras). That initial promise was never entirely fulfilled, though, in my opinion, he continued to be at his best in French opera and he makes a superb Roméo in this excellent recording, fresher and younger sounding than the stylish, but aging, Alfredo Kraus on Plasson's first recording of the opera.


His Juliette on the occasion of the Covent Garden performances was the girlish Leontina Vaduva, but here she is replaced by Angela Gheorghiu, the other half of what was at the time the golden couple of opera. There is no denying the beauty of the voice, but she sounds, to my ears at least, a mite too sophisticated in the opening scenes. That said she rises superbly to the challenge of the poison aria in Act IV, which is often omitted by lighter voiced sopranos.


José Van Dam and Simon Keenlyside as Frère Laurent and Mercutio are both excellent; Marie-Ange Todorovitch as Stéphano not so much.


The performance is note complete, even up to the ballet music, and Plasson has an even better grip on the score than he had in his first recording with Alfredo Kraus and Catherine Malfitano.


A clear first choice for this opera, I'd have said
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2018, 02:13:50 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GTq4uO8FL.jpg)

Out of Verdi's "galley" operas, I often think Attila, his ninth opera is a tad more popular than it deserves. It is full of colour and flashy effect, to be sure, but the effects mostly strike me as empty gesture, and the opera is nowhere near as inventive or original as the one that followed it, Macbeth. A good performance is very enjoyable nonetheless and this Gardelli recording, the second in the series he made for Philips, has quite a bit going for it.

Gardelli's conducting has a fine sweep to it, but he manages to play down the bombast, and has a real sympathy for the more lyrical aspects of the score. Best of the soloists are Bergonzi's stylishly sung Foresto, which manages to be sensitive and heroic at the same time, and Milnes' finely sung Ezio. Attila is a role one imagines would have suited Christoff or Ghiaurov well, and Raimondi doesn't really command the depth or authority the role needs, though he does sing with a fine cantabile Deutekom is completely miscast, the voice pale, shallow and monochrome, completely lacking the strong lower register so essential to the role. It's not really surprising to find she made no further recordings in the series.

There are at least two other commercially made recordings of the opera (Muti for Warner/EMI and Gardelli's second for Hungaraton), and I don't know them well enough to make a choice. Given that it's not an opera I listen to that often, I'm happy enough with this one despite its deficiencies.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 21, 2018, 09:50:17 PM
When I was about 20 I had an LP of Christoff called Tzars and Kings. That had the main bass asia from Attila, I think it starts with Udino repeated. It was a stunner of a performance/aria. Assuming the music would all be like that, I borrowed some LPs of the opera from the library. I was so disappointed because Raimondi sounded nothing like Christoff and had none of the magnatism of the older singer. I thought Deutekon was positavely unpleasant on the ear and I probably therefore did not then give the opera a fair hearing. I have not heard it since. If I give it another try, I would have to find a different set,

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2018, 12:47:10 AM
Quote from: knight66 on August 21, 2018, 09:50:17 PM
When I was about 20 I had an LP of Christoff called Tzars and Kings. That had the main bass asia from Attila, I think it starts with Udino repeated. It was a stunner of a performance/aria. Assuming the music would all be like that, I borrowed some LPs of the opera from the library. I was so disappointed because Raimondi sounded nothing like Christoff and had none of the magnatism of the older singer. I thought Deutekon was positavely unpleasant on the ear and I probably therefore did not then give the opera a fair hearing. I have not heard it since. If I give it another try, I would have to find a different set,

Mike

You might prefer the Muti then, though, according to Gramophone, it's slightly swings and roundabouts.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/verdi-attila-1 (https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/verdi-attila-1)


I wonder what it would have sounded like with, say, Christoff, Callas, Corelli and Gobbi. Now that's a dream cast!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 23, 2018, 12:59:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51obo6zdZYL.jpg)

Not actually an opera, but it works well on stage, as I discovered when the superb Aix-en-Provence Luc Bondy production came to the Barbican in London, with Joyce DiDonato outstanding as Dejanira.

This excellent studio recording has much of the same dramatic impulse and, in a very positive sense, has the feel of a stage performance, with a superb cast, dominated by Anne Sofie von Otter's superb Dejanira.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 23, 2018, 05:26:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2018, 12:47:10 AM
You might prefer the Muti then, though, according to Gramophone, it's slightly swings and roundabouts.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/verdi-attila-1 (https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/verdi-attila-1)


I wonder what it would have sounded like with, say, Christoff, Callas, Corelli and Gobbi. Now that's a dream cast!

There is a live version with Christoff in wooly sound. I have only heard a few extracts from it.

I have the Hercules you wrote about and agree with its terrific qualities. I have never heard 'Where shall I fly' treated so dramatically. When Von Otter started out on the international scene, I was in performances and a recording she made of the Berlioz Faust. She then seemed a relatively bland singer.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 24, 2018, 06:41:15 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/T1b8ykqaUhdZltv_KNJmBzljtK4=/fit-in/600x598/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5953160-1488625907-3315.jpeg.jpg)

Is Verdi's unloved opera Alzira really as bad as we've always been led to believe? Well it's certainly more workmanlike than inspired, and I'd probably agree that it's the worst of his galley operas since Oberto. That said, nothing by Verdi is totally negligible, and the finale does much to redeem it.

This recording, brilliantly conducted by Gardelli, was, like Oberto, recorded by Orfeo, and uses singers not involved in any of the Philips sets. Best of them is probably Renato Bruson as Gusmano, who brings a certain nobility to the role. Cotrubas is possibly a mite too light of voice for the heroine, but as usual sings with great sensitivity and acquits herself well. Araiza, more often encountered in Mozart and Rossini, is also on the light side, and isn't quite able to disguise a few moments of strain, but brings an appropriate firiness to the role of Zamoro.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on August 24, 2018, 07:25:27 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2018, 12:47:10 AM
You might prefer the Muti then, though, according to Gramophone, it's slightly swings and roundabouts.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/verdi-attila-1 (https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/verdi-attila-1)


I wonder what it would have sounded like with, say, Christoff, Callas, Corelli and Gobbi. Now that's a dream cast!

I only have the Muti, but haven't listened in ages. I'll try if there is time to at least give it a start.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 24, 2018, 07:33:59 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2018, 12:47:10 AM
You might prefer the Muti then, though, according to Gramophone, it's slightly swings and roundabouts.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/verdi-attila-1 (https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/verdi-attila-1)


I wonder what it would have sounded like with, say, Christoff, Callas, Corelli and Gobbi. Now that's a dream cast!
i have the Muti, listened to it a few times, concluded it was a very workmanlike opera, but nothing more.  So perhaps you are better off with the Gardelli.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2018, 01:37:18 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81D4GlmozOL._SX425_.jpg)

Pappano's Aida was released in a blaze of publicity in 2015. Unusually for these days, it was a studio recording and a luxury presentation. So how does it hold up to all the sets that have preceded it?

Sonically and orchestrally it is aboslutely splendid and Pappano conducts with a sure sense of the opera's structure, bringing out both the score's lyricism and its dramatic energy. But how about the soloists, who have some pretty big names to live up to. The best of them is Jonas Kaufmann, who fulfils virtually all the requirements for Radames, heroic and forthright, but managing a properly morendo close to Celeste Aida. Harteros as Aida is on the light side, not so vocally entitled as Price, Caballé or Tebaldi, not to mention Rosa Ponselle, nor is she as dramatically thrilling as Callas. Nevertheless her Aida is most affecting. She attempts a true piano top C in O patria mia, which neither Price or Tebaldi do, but it sounds a little shaky, where Caballé is divine. She reminds me most of Freni, the Aida of Karajan's second recording. I'm afraid I don't much like Semenchuk, who is a barnstorming Amneris in the manner of Simionato and Barbieri, but without the verbal specificity they bring to the role. My favourite is Baltsa for Karajan II, who reminds us that Amneris is a young, beautiful princess and a valid rival for Aida. Most Amnerises sound more like Radames's mother to me. However I appreciate that mine is a minority view. Tézier's Amonasro is another success, excellent in the Nile scene, where Harteros is also at her best, though they don't qute erase memories of Callas and Gobbi in the same scene. Schrott is fine, but a bit anonymous as Ramfis.

All in all this modern recording can hold its head up amongst recordings of the past, none of which can be considered perfect in all respects. Though it is not my favourite Verdi opera by a long chalk (I admire it rather than love it), I have quite a few recordings, which suggests that I am constantly looking for one that satisfies on all levels.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 28, 2018, 12:14:54 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_400/MI0003/352/MI0003352526.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Another orotorio that has been successfully staged, particularly in this fabulously cast Glynedbourne production, which also exists on DVD. Superb performances all round with the late lameneted Lorraine Hunt Lieberson especially outstanding.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 28, 2018, 02:11:55 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 28, 2018, 12:14:54 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_400/MI0003/352/MI0003352526.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Another orotorio that has been successfully staged, particularly in this fabulously cast Glynedbourne production, which also exists on DVD. Superb performances all round with the late lameneted Lorraine Hunt Lieberson especially outstanding.

One of my favourite recordings of anything. Our first encounter with it was to stumple upon it part way through during a live TV transmission. We bought the VHS as soon as it came out, and played it so much we stretched the tape. Then there was the DVD and ultimately the CDs. The cast could not be bettered and the conducting also paces the piece dramatically, using silences as powerful tools to convey the emotional content. It works well as an opera. That accident of encountering it then entailed me in following the recorded careers of both Hunt Lieberson and Daniels.

Turning to the Aida, I like everything about the set except for the Aida. I have problems with Harteros, the voice quality to my ears is mildly unpleasant.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 28, 2018, 04:56:03 AM
Quote from: knight66 on August 28, 2018, 02:11:55 AM
One of my favourite recordings of anything. Our first encounter with it was to stumple upon it part way through during a live TV transmission. We bought the VHS as soon as it came out, and played it so much we stretched the tape. Then there was the DVD and ultimately the CDs. The cast could not be bettered and the conducting also paces the piece dramatically, using silences as powerful tools to convey the emotional content. It works well as an opera. That accident of encountering it then entailed me in following the recorded careers of both Hunt Lieberson and Daniels.

Turning to the Aida, I like everything about the set except for the Aida. I have problems with Harteros, the voice quality to my ears is mildly unpleasant.

Mike

All the singers are very fine, but Hunt Lieberson and Daniels are in a quite special class of their own. Both sing with sublime beauty of tone, but are also wonderfully expressive.

I know what you mean about Harteros. The voice often sounds under pressure, and develops a distracting vibrato whenever it is. However she does at least have definite ideas about the character. In any case, there aren't that many singers around to do the role justice these days. Just think back to the 50s through to the 70s when we had Callas, Tebaldi, Price, Caballé, Nilsson, Arroyo, Chiara, Gencer and many more. Even Freni and Ricciarelli, who both might have been considered on the light side, manage the role better.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2018, 03:15:22 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71nkjCMQMPL._SL1400_.jpg)

Hard to believe this superb recording of Handel's Rinaldo was made almost twenty years ago now. I'll have to admit that I'm not a Bartoli fan, and, though she can sing meltingly at times, I find her singing far too vibrant in the wrong sense, and her aspirated runs drive me mad. On the other hand, Daniels is one of my favourite singers (no aspirates in his runs) and was at his very best when this recording was made. The rest of the cast could hardly be bettered, with even Catherine Bott and Mark Padmore in small roles.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 31, 2018, 09:49:40 AM
Your feelings about Bartoli exactly key in with my own. I have a disc of her singing French songs, which I enjoy. But I really don't get along with her machine gun fast work. I am surprised at how old that set is. I have owned it all that time, I would have guessed half as long.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 01, 2018, 01:43:09 AM
Quote from: knight66 on August 31, 2018, 09:49:40 AM
Your feelings about Bartoli exactly key in with my own. I have a disc of her singing French songs, which I enjoy. But I really don't get along with her machine gun fast work. I am surprised at how old that set is. I have owned it all that time, I would have guessed half as long.

Mike

Time flies ever more quickly, I find.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 03, 2018, 05:40:45 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UbHVnARDL.jpg)

I never can decide which of Tchaikovsky's two most famous operas I prefer; the wistfully romantic Eugene Onegin or the darker, more overtly dramatic The Queen of Spades, with its concentration on obsession and addiction.

I'm not sure we have a definitive recording, but this well sung Kirov version is as good as any and will do well for those who find Rostropovich's way a bit too overwrought. The sound has come in for a bit of criticism, but I like the way it catches a real theatre acoustic.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 03, 2018, 09:47:25 AM
I got hold of the Valerie Masterson French Arias disc. It is really delightful. I run across her agent and he unfailingly mentions her. There is very little of her work available and as mentioned, she should ideally have recorded the disc earlier in her career. But I enjoyed it enormously. Perhaps she was even easier at the top of her range previously, but you have to listen very carefully to detect any wear in the voice. It is a really delightful string of pearls, mainly by Massenet, but including Bizet and Gluck. What a pity thare is not a whole lot more.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 03, 2018, 11:53:51 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/414DkOoKuzL.jpg)

I think I'll order it, too. Thank you, messieurs, for the recommendation!  :)

"..........................

Speaking of english sopranos singing french vocal works, what about this one ?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/419S04A46VL.jpg)

Reviews are very positive. I'm not a huge fan of Poulenc, but this is supposed to be an important work. Opinions ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 03, 2018, 12:42:01 PM
Andre, Lott has never been a favourite of mine. I often felt that she never put her back into it. I feel she is a careful singer, cautious perhaps. But she has a very good reputation especially for French music. The only performance of hers that I was ever in was, oddly enough, Poulenc. It was his Gloria and she was first rate in it.

I hope you enjoy the Masterson disc.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 03, 2018, 01:03:52 PM
I rather like Felicity Lott, who is a refined and intelligent singer IMHO, and one who pays special attention to the words. I don't know that recording of La voix humaine, but did see her live in the piece, some 13 years ago now at the Teatro de la Zarzuela here in Madrid. I think she was splendid in it (even if I don't care for the work all that much).

It actually was an interesting evening, as what they gave was Cocteau's play (in Spanish translation) with actress Cecilia Roth and then, with no intermission, proceeded to Poulenc's opera with Mrs. Lott.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on September 03, 2018, 01:48:42 PM
Quote from: ritter on September 03, 2018, 01:03:52 PM
It actually was an interesting evening, as what they gave was Cocteau's play (in Spanish translation) with actress Cecilia Roth and then, with no intermission, proceeded to Poulenc's opera with Mrs. Lott.

PBS, the U.S. public television network, did something similar back in 1979, with Liv Ullmann in the play (in English), Karan Armstrong in the opera. Going through all that with "Elle" once in an evening is plenty for me! And to have to follow Ullmann...

They NY Times reviewer agreed with me about the double dose of Voix:
https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/28/archives/tv-liv-ullmann-in-cocteau-drama.html

I checked that Lott recording out of the library once, years ago, but don't remember much about it. I've never liked the work as much as Poulenc's other two operas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 03, 2018, 05:07:35 PM
Voix seems to be the kind of thing I'd listen to every sabbatical... ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Dancing Divertimentian on September 03, 2018, 05:54:02 PM
I have Lott in a disc of Poulenc's songs. I've always enjoyed it. I haven't heard her in La Voix, though. My only recording of La Voix features Jane Rhodes, who gets my hair to standing on end without fail. She knows how to walk the tightrope between mania and sympathy. It all gets very claustrophobic, but it's hard to turn away.



[asin]B00004SH9T[/asin]


A cheaper alternative:

[asin]B001GDQDTM[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2018, 12:26:01 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 03, 2018, 09:47:25 AM
I got hold of the Valerie Masterson French Arias disc. It is really delightful. I run across her agent and he unfailingly mentions her. There is very little of her work available and as mentioned, she should ideally have recorded the disc earlier in her career. But I enjoyed it enormously. Perhaps she was even easier at the top of her range previously, but you have to listen very carefully to detect any wear in the voice. It is a really delightful string of pearls, mainly by Massenet, but including Bizet and Gluck. What a pity thare is not a whole lot more.

Mike

If you enjoyed it, I'd suggest that you also try to get hold of the Pearl song recital, which was recorded more than 10 years earlier. It opens with Arne's O ravishing delight, a phrase which perfectly describes the response to the sound of the voice coming from the speakers.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vle4vEd5L.jpg)

Arne: O ravishing delight
Arne: Under the greenwood tree
Arne: The soldier tir'd
Handel: Nel dolce del'oblio
Bishop: Lo! Here the gentle lark
Gounod: Le premier jour de mai
Gounod: Serenade
Bizet: Vieille chanson
Bizet: Pastel
Bizet: Tarantelle
Satie: La Diva de l'Empire

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Elgarian Redux on September 04, 2018, 12:47:38 AM
I came by chance upon a (relatively) recent DVD of La Rondine, wondered about buying it, started listening again, and as has always happened before, found myself wanting to watch and listen to all the recorded performances I have, simultaneously. I know it's an absurd impulse, but the sense of longing becomes so intense that I don't know what to do with it. And I know the third act is rubbish, so the opera doesn't work properly as a whole entity, but the first two acts are full of such astounding'y beautiful lyricism that it hardly matters to me.

Anyway, I decided to buy the new version, but by accident, unknowingly ordered a blu-ray version (not much use to someone without a blu-ray player), but that hasn't stopped me listening to bleeding chunks of what I have already.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Elgarian Redux on September 04, 2018, 12:51:12 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/414DkOoKuzL.jpg)

I have one of these hiding somewhere, and I haven't listened to it for years. Thanks for mentioning it - I shall find it and relisten.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2018, 12:51:53 AM
Quote from: André on September 03, 2018, 11:53:51 AM

Speaking of english sopranos singing french vocal works, what about this one ?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/419S04A46VL.jpg)

Reviews are very positive. I'm not a huge fan of Poulenc, but this is supposed to be an important work. Opinions ?

I don't know the Poulenc disc, but I do have a recording of her singing Britten's Les Illuminations, which I like very much.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61c0qY53NbL.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on September 04, 2018, 02:10:05 AM
While doing some domestic work...:

Suor Angelica

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HRRMldCbL._SX425_.jpg)

P.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 04, 2018, 04:29:21 AM
Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on September 03, 2018, 05:54:02 PM
I have Lott in a disc of Poulenc's songs. I've always enjoyed it. I haven't heard her in La Voix, though. My only recording of La Voix features Jane Rhodes, who gets my hair to standing on end without fail. She knows how to walk the tightrope between mania and sympathy. It all gets very claustrophobic, but it's hard to turn away.



[asin]B00004SH9T[/asin]


A cheaper alternative:

[asin]B001GDQDTM[/asin]

Thanks, DD. This is a surprise entry indeed. Nowadays Jane Rhodes is known almost exclusively for her portrayals of Offenbach characters on the Pathé (EMI) label. She was the wife of conductor Roberto Benzi. I'll try to locate a copy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on September 04, 2018, 04:38:29 AM
Quote from: André on September 03, 2018, 05:07:35 PM
Voix seems to be the kind of thing I'd listen to every sabbatical... ::)

You could always go with the singer for whom it was written for:

[asin]B0787D7N6J[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 04, 2018, 04:45:46 AM
I'm not a fan of Duval. She was Poulenc's favourite female singer, composing many parts with her voice in mind. I'll check what's on offer on Youtube. Hopefully there are a few interpretations to choose from.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on September 04, 2018, 07:00:22 AM
Duval is indeed an acquired taste.  She belongs in the "canary" department ....but has a certain vocal "chic" , humour and "la langue rapide". I miss warmth...

But together with Poulenc it can be quite elegant...in 1958

https://youtu.be/jbHBoEjKKkY
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 04, 2018, 07:00:53 AM
This really belongs to the super duper bargain thread, but since itks about opera recordings, here it is:

JPC has a big sale(over 60 titles) of Opera d'Oro discs, retailing at 4.99€ (approx 4€ ex-VAT).

Link:
https://www.jpc.de/s/Opera+d%27Oro+preiswert?searchtype=campaigntext (https://www.jpc.de/s/Opera+d%27Oro+preiswert?searchtype=campaigntext)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 04, 2018, 07:01:30 AM
Quote from: pjme on September 04, 2018, 07:00:22 AM
Duval is indeed an acquired taste.  She belongs in the "canary" department ....but has a certain vocal "chique" , humour and "la langue rapide". I miss warmth...

But together with Poulenc it can be quite elegant...in 1958

https://youtu.be/jbHBoEjKKkY

Very good description, pjme! Precisely why I'm not sure she's the ticket in La voix. But I could be dead wrong. Need to investigate...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 04, 2018, 12:54:40 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2018, 12:51:53 AM
I don't know the Poulenc disc, but I do have a recording of her singing Britten's Les Illuminations, which I like very much.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61c0qY53NbL.jpg)

Thanls for the further VM suggestion, I will have a look at it.

I have the Britten disc you illustrated. And that very neatly highlights my reservations about Lott. If you for example hear Heather Harper on Les Illuminations, you hear much more colour and flavour and bite. For me Lott is a classical Julie Andrews.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on September 05, 2018, 12:35:03 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 04, 2018, 12:54:40 PM
I have the Britten disc you illustrated. And that very neatly highlights my reservations about Lott. If you for example hear Heather Harper on Les Illuminations, you hear much more colour and flavour and bite. For me Lott is a classical Julie Andrews.

Mike

The performance of Les illuminations by Heather Harper is absolutely gorgeous. Has it been reissued on CD?

Peter
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: North Star on September 05, 2018, 03:38:23 AM
Quote from: pjme on September 05, 2018, 12:35:03 AM
The performance of Les illuminations by Heather Harper is absolutely gorgeous. Has it been reissued on CD?

Peter
It's at least included in this splendid box, Peter.

[asin]B001EOOC3W[/asin]

E: And also in this smaller set

[asin]B00D56AD9E[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 05, 2018, 03:43:51 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/617mwGmVEhL.jpg)

Sãvitri - Janet Baker
Satyavãn - Robert Tear
Death - Thomas Hemsley

Purcell Singers, English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Imogen Holst

Holst's short (30') opera Sãvitri is a concentrated mini masterpiece, and well worth listening to.

This well cast version, with the wonderful Dame Janet Baker as the eponymous heroine, and the composer's daughter Imogen Holst conducting, has a special magic all its own. The other works on the disc are equally lovely.

Recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 05, 2018, 03:47:12 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 04, 2018, 12:54:40 PM
Thanls for the further VM suggestion, I will have a look at it.

I have the Britten disc you illustrated. And that very neatly highlights my reservations about Lott. If you for example hear Heather Harper on Les Illuminations, you hear much more colour and flavour and bite. For me Lott is a classical Julie Andrews.

Mike

I understand what you are saying, and I suppose I'm mostly responding to the beauty of the voice. I do prefer the songs sung by a soprano.

I only ever heard Lott live once - at a performance of Haydn's Nelson Mass, and she sang beautifully, and looked stunning.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 05, 2018, 05:07:00 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 05, 2018, 03:47:12 AM
...

I only ever heard Lott live once - at a performance of Haydn's Nelson Mass, and she sang beautifully, and looked stunning.
i've seen Felicity Lott live three times, at different stages of her career, and each occasion was very enjoyable. First, as the Countess in Le nozze di Fígaro in the mid 80s in Chicago, then as the Marschallin in the mid 90s at the Teatro Real, and finally the aforementioned La voix humaine in 2011. A very elegant singer, with a great stage presence and (I insist), one who pays very close attention to the sung texts.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 05, 2018, 03:43:51 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/617mwGmVEhL.jpg)

Sãvitri - Janet Baker
Satyavãn - Robert Tear
Death - Thomas Hemsley

Purcell Singers, English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Imogen Holst

Holst's short (30') opera Sãvitri is a concentrated mini masterpiece, and well worth listening to.

This well cast version, with the wonderful Dame Janet Baker as the eponymous heroine, and the composer's daughter Imogen Holst conducting, has a special magic all its own. The other works on the disc are equally lovely.

Recommended.
i'm not really an admirer of Holst's music, but Sāvitri is a work I would want to explore. Thanks for the recommendation, Tsaraslondon. I'll look that CD up.

THREAD DUTY:

In the wake if seeing Die Meistersinger live st the Bayreuth Festspielhaus a couple of weeks ago, listening to this glorious opera recorded at the same venue, but 67 years earlier:

[asin]B00008IHVN[/asin]

This, along with Knappertsbusch's version for Decca, was the first commercial recording of the piece. It has a sense of occasion to it, as it was dome in the first postwar festival. Otto Edelmann is a good Sachs, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is more palatable to me as Eva than in other roles, but Hans Hopf is an unsubtle Walther. The real star here IMO is Erich Kunz as Beckmesser. All in all, a nice performance, but one that has been superseded over the years.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on September 05, 2018, 05:31:03 AM
Quote from: North Star on September 05, 2018, 03:38:23 AM
It's at least included in this splendid box, Peter.
E: And also in this smaller set

[asin]B00D56AD9E[/asin]

Thanks! I definitely want that smaller set (I have many works by Britten).  I look forward to hear Heather Harper again . Les Illuminations is a favorite Britten work .

Peter
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 05, 2018, 05:36:39 AM
Heather Harper is excellent in her recording of Ravel's Shéhérzade as well:

[asin]B00000DS0D[/asin]

Wholeheartedly recommended!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 05, 2018, 08:23:08 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 05, 2018, 03:43:51 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/617mwGmVEhL.jpg)

Sãvitri - Janet Baker
Satyavãn - Robert Tear
Death - Thomas Hemsley

Purcell Singers, English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Imogen Holst

Holst's short (30') opera Sãvitri is a concentrated mini masterpiece, and well worth listening to.

This well cast version, with the wonderful Dame Janet Baker as the eponymous heroine, and the composer's daughter Imogen Holst conducting, has a special magic all its own. The other works on the disc are equally lovely.

Recommended.

I think this is a magical gem of an opera, a short three hander with a minor off-stage chorus. I saw Baker in this in what was supposed to be a double bill, the other opera was Dido and Aneas. Everything went as you would expect, terrifically. However, sandwiched between the two more established works was another one act work called Fanny Robin by Edward Harper. This was added after we had booked the tickets. It is based on an incident in Far From the Madding Crowd and had a separate cast. It did not find favour with audiences and I never heard of it again. The conductor was John Currie who was our chorus master. He is still alive, though very unwell and looked after in a nursing home.

Anyway, back to the recording in question which is my preferred version, conducted by Holst's daughter. It is not like any other piece I know, very much a chamber opera in scale and influenced by Holst's interest in Indian sacred music. It really ought to be much more widely known.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 05, 2018, 08:28:10 AM
Quote from: pjme on September 05, 2018, 05:31:03 AM
Thanks! I definitely want that smaller set (I have many works by Britten).  I look forward to hear Heather Harper again . Les Illuminations is a favorite Britten work .

Peter

It may be available second hand, but the BBC/IPM issued a live prom version which was paired with My Hunting Fathers and the Four French Songs. There is a variety of conductors, but what a disc for showing what Harper could do.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 06, 2018, 02:21:01 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/KWhMVaLuak0LiDiMfbeUEUG8-t4=/fit-in/600x521/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10941077-1506885962-6760.jpeg.jpg)

Galina Gorchakova, Larissa Dyadkova, Sergei Larin, Sergei Leiferkus, Anatoly Kotscherga

Chorus of Royal Opera, Stockholm, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi.

Mazeppa is probably Tchaikovsky's most performed opera after Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades, though it is still rarely performend in the West.

Though there is some great music, and, as always with Tchaikovsky, a wealth of wonderful tunes, it lacks the intimate, deeply felt lyricism of Onegin or the intensely dramatic pull of The Queen of Spades, which could explain its comparative neglect. Tchaikovsky seems less engaged with his subject.

This performance, recorded in Sweden with a splendid cast of Russian singers, makes a great case for it though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 07, 2018, 12:21:21 PM
First viewing of this recent purchase:

[asin]B000NIWI9A[/asin]

Wow! Just wow! I would never have thought that a film version of an opera (the singers lip sync the prerecorded soundtrack) could be so compelling! A superb cast (who have been clearly coached to adapt there acting to the screen medium, so different from the operatic stage), the great Bruno Maderna leading a perfectly paced performance, and really accomplished cinematography.

I had seen (many, many years ago—in a cinema) Die Meistersinger from this same Hamburg State Opera series—actually, that was the first time I saw Die Meistersinger rather than just listening to it—, but I don't remember it being anything as good as this Wozzeck.

Wow!  :) :) :)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 07, 2018, 05:01:53 PM
Quote from: ritter on September 07, 2018, 12:21:21 PM
First viewing of this recent purchase:

[asin]B000NIWI9A[/asin]

Wow! Just wow! I would never have thought that a film version of an opera (the singers lip sync the prerecorded soundtrack) could be so compelling! A superb cast (who have been clearly coached to adapt there acting to the screen medium, so different from the operatic stage), the great Bruno Maderna leading a perfectly paced performance, and really accomplished cinematography.

I had seen (many, many years ago—in a cinema) Die Meistersinger from this same Hamburg State Opera series—actually, that was the first time I saw Die Meistersinger rather than just listening to it—, but I don't remember it being anything as good as this Wozzeck.

Wow!  :) :) :)

I think Richard Cassilly deserves more attention than he usually gets.
But I think that cover deserves a place in the Ugly CD thread.
Unless they were actually using a rope through his ears to floss his brain.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on September 09, 2018, 05:29:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71TlYGhKv6L._SL1200_.jpg)

Act II

During mid 50s Decca recorded seven Russian operas, in stereo, here in Belgrade with forces of Belgrade National Opera. Operas in question were Godunov, Khovanshchina, Prince Igor, Ivan Susanin, Onegin, Pique Dame and The Snow Maiden. Conducting was divided between Oskar Danon and Kresimir Baranovic, and the singers in most major parts were Miroslav Cangalovic, Zarko Cvejic (basses), Dusan Popovic (baritone), Miro Brajnik, Drago Starc (tenors), Veronika Heybal (soprano), Biserka Cvejic (mezzo), Melanija Bugarinovic (alto).

I'm quite excited, even if happens that the time has run over the performances, because I never had the chance to hear any of them before. None of them were ever released locally, and even in England and US releases were mostly mono, and this Eloquence series is first ever official CD release. They plan on releasing all seven, so far the two Mussorgsky's, Susanin and Prince Igor.

So far I've heard first two acts of Prince Igor and I'm quite pleasantly surprised with the quality of singing, especially Popovic as Igor and Bugarinovic as Konchakovna, choir is very good, conducting is tight and vigorous and mid 50s stereo is excellent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 09, 2018, 11:37:10 PM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/11/imgL/118984815.jpg)

This magical set has certainly withstood the test of time. Schürhoff's Witch is possibly a bit over the top, but everything else is just about perfect.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2018, 02:29:44 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xC8IaBBiL.jpg)

In all but recorded sound, Khaikin's wonderful account of Tchaikovsky's most popular opera sweeps the board. Aside from Khaikin's masterful, brilliantly detailed but spontaneous sounding conducting, its chief asset is the young Vishnevskaya's girlishly impulsive and totally adorable Tatyana, almost passionately erotic in the Letter Scene, but growing to full maturity in the final scene. Lemeshev is a bit over the hill for Lensky, but sings as stylishly as ever, Belov makes a suitably reserved, sardonic Onegin and Petrov makes a strong impression in Gremin's beautiful Act III aria.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 10, 2018, 05:52:38 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 09, 2018, 11:37:10 PM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/11/imgL/118984815.jpg)

This magical set has certainly withstood the test of time. Schürhoff's Witch is possibly a bit over the top, but everything else is just about perfect.

I have several more modern sets, all good. But this is stil my favourite, a winter comfort, warm bath of a performance. It still sounds remarkably fresh despite its age.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2018, 07:19:33 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/615pQN2kNqL.jpg)

Such a gorgeous score and absolutely magical in this Decca mackerras version. Fabulous orchestral playing in the many orchestral interludes and a pretty much perfect cast.

Bliss.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 10, 2018, 10:07:32 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71sE--8auHL._SY606_.jpg)

A very strange opera, a work within another work, both coexisting somewhat uncomfortably IMO. A rich nobleman wants to entertain his many guests by hosting a banquet, then offer a light divertissement followed by an opera and conclude the evening with fireworks. He realizes time will not permit all that, so he orders the opera and the farce to take place simultaneously. That's when the work starts.

The Prologue demands to be seen as well as heard - an audio only recording can hardly convey the hustle and bustle of the evening's festivities mingled with the Composer's moods and emotional states. Exit the Composer (neither seen or heard for the rest of the work). This is followed by the opera itself, an extended cantata, practically static (singing greek statues, really). A comic interlude intrudes, bringing some humour and welcome diversity. The two greek statues embrace. Curtain.

The music is quite beautiful, with transparent textures (Strauss specified an orchestra of 38). The two most glamorous and gratifying roles are the Composer and Zerbinetta. It's hard to develop much interest for the characters of Bacchus and Ariadne. Zerbinetta attempts to kick Ariadne's butt and bring her into reality, but it's a lost cause: she elopes with Bacchus, thinking he's really Theseus. Talk about a confused mind... ::)

The audio was taped at the end of 1977 and the film was shot a few months later. Lipsync is perfect. I did not detect any voice or facial discrepancy, the singers obviously singing along when filmed, with everybody up to the task. The singing of all involved is fabulous. Gruberova steals the show both vocally and visually.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 10, 2018, 10:35:14 AM
Andre, When it was issued as a DVD I reviewd it...


http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,142.msg153620/topicseen.html#msg153620


It is some time since I watched the disc.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 10, 2018, 11:07:41 AM
Thanks Mike, I just read it. We seem to be pretty much on the same wavelength  ;).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2018, 03:37:50 PM
Quote from: knight66 on September 10, 2018, 05:52:38 AM
I have several more modern sets, all good. But this is stil my favourite, a winter comfort, warm bath of a performance. It still sounds remarkably fresh despite its age.

Mike

As so often, you and I are as one on this.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2018, 12:59:27 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/021/MI0001021682.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Absolutely gorgeous music in Szymanowski's seldom performed opera. I have nothing to compare it to, but it sounds absolutely splendid to me in this Rattle recording.

If you don't know the opera, try it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 12, 2018, 01:10:51 AM
I bought this set second hand and it arrived without a libretto.....Grrrrrr.

I saw it at Covent Garden the day I retired from work and quite literally bumped into Theresa May in the foyer, her two guards were not pleased. That was when she was merely the detested Home Secretary.

Anyway, I agree, it is a shimmering, beautiful score. I wish there was more of the opening Byzantine sonorities. There is much beauty and a very mysterious feel to the piece.

The Rattle sounds good to me.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2018, 01:15:16 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 12, 2018, 01:10:51 AM
I bought this set second hand and it arrived without a libretto.....Grrrrrr.

I saw it at Covent Garden the day I retired from work and quite literally bumped into Theresa May in the foyer, her two guards were not pleased. That was when she was merely the detested Home Secretary.

Anyway, I agree, it is a shimmering, beautiful score. I wish there was more of the opening Byzantine sonorities. There is much beauty and a very mysterious feel to the piece.

The Rattle sounds good to me.

Mike

I have the reissue, which also, as is usual these days, comes without libretto. I've taken to seeking out second hand copies of the original release of opera issues, as they usually come with libretto and notes. I can't understand why companies always drop them when they re-release a recording. Smaller companies, like LSO Live, manage to include full librettos and notes, which they simpy copy from the original programme notes of the recorded performance.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: North Star on September 12, 2018, 01:18:39 AM
The Rattle is very fine indeed, and the only one I own. But I remember thinking even more highly of Kaspszyk's recording.

[asin]B0006FGH10[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2018, 05:27:53 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51oKc-utxcL.jpg)

Probably Janacek's most popular opera in this famous performance under Janáček scholar and long time devotee, Sir Charles Mackerras. The cast, which includes Lucia Popp in the secondary role of Karolka, is excellent and includes two stand out performances in Elisabeth Søderstrøm's Jenůfa and Eva Randová's Kostelnička.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on September 13, 2018, 04:07:23 AM
Quote from: André on September 10, 2018, 10:07:32 AM
[Ariadne] elopes with Bacchus, thinking he's really Theseus. Talk about a confused mind... ::)


She only thinks that initially, and briefly. Her very next line after she calls him "Theseus" is "No, no, it is the beautiful quiet god!" He's still not exactly who she thinks he is, but she knows it's not Theseus.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on September 15, 2018, 04:31:50 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51B38kCv2CL.jpg)

First time hearing it. It's quite beautiful musically, shimmering.  Not very dramatic in the usual sense. Without proper hero or heroine, more an ensemble piece, like the play itself, to which it sticks quite closely (sans the most of the first act). I quite like it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on September 15, 2018, 04:41:55 AM
.[asin]B0006IQM4O[/asin]
Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Cato on September 15, 2018, 04:52:36 AM
From 1994: DVD with excellent sound...

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41i44aaxTWL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

Hildegard Behrens is excellent as the implacable Elektra: watching her jump onto a fallen statue of a horse and shake her fist during the line "Agamemnon hoert dich!" is an exciting moment.  Watching her shake Deborah Voigt around (before the weight loss) is another interesting sight!  0:)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 15, 2018, 06:36:47 AM
Quote from: Que on September 15, 2018, 04:41:55 AM
.[asin]B0006IQM4O[/asin]
Q

A lovely disc, I enjoy his voice a great deal. Have you bought the single disc Orfeo he is in? The crits were pretty bad, but I liked the idea of the opera lasting 80 minutes and I thought he would be good in it.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 18, 2018, 11:42:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dvloWJlOL.jpg)

The cast:

Don Giovanni: George London
Leporello: Walter Berry
Donna Anna: Hilde Zadek
Don Ottavio: Leopold Simoneau
Donnal Elvira: Sena Jurinac
Zerlina: Graziella Sciutti
Masetto: Eberhard Waechter
Il Commendatore: Ludwig Weber

This was Philips' official bicentenary year offering. It was recorded in Vienna's Musikverein in May 1955. In those days it took the better part of a year to tape, cut, produce and distribute an opera set. Recorded in mono, it was instantly upstaged by the rival stereo Decca set with the charismatic Cesare Siepi in the title role, recorded in the same year.

Both casts deliver outstanding, top of the line mozartian singing. By and large the Decca (under Krips) can be said to be more characterfully sung, giving a better sense of the drama and comedy. Under Moralt the superb singers are more prone to a stand up and sing delivery. Krips' singers are (in the same order as above): Cesare Siepi, Fernando Corena, Suzanne Danco, Anton Dermota, Lisa della Casa, Hilde Gueden, Walter Berry (the only cast overlap, but not in the same role) and Kurt Böhme. None of these distinguished singers is any less than very, very good.  Picking and choosing from both sets, I'd go for Siepi, Corena, Danco, della Casa, Gueden, Waechter and Weber, with a toss between Dermota and Simoneau. A mix of the two then, but with more roles stemming from the Decca roster.

The biggest difference comes from the vocal and dramatic presence of the two Giovannis. For my taste, Siepi has the edge in terms of beauty of sound, humour and sexiness. As has sometimes been mentioned, he is not immune from hamming - but better that than a constipated Giovanni. London is commanding but almost overbearing, a predator more than a seducer. Superb singing informs the performances of Berry and Corena as Leporello, but Corena has the edge dramatically, with just the right dose of the giocoso to his temperamental character. Berry's servant (under Moralt) is in a bad mood from his opening number and seldom turns the comic switch on.

Both Donna Annas have slightly unwieldy voices, but Danco oozes aristocratic demeanor. My favourite Anna is Margaret Price (on the Solti set). Her singing is enough to move that version in the top contenders. I find it a tossup between Dermota and Simoneau, the former more subtle and affecting, the latter more manly yet singing with incredible beauty and security. Gueden's and Sciutti's Zerlinas are equally delightful, but if pressed I'd rather duet with Gueden  :). Waechter (Giulini's Giovanni) brings a menacing touch to his character, making one believe this jealous peasant can easily turn into a potentially violent character. Della Casa is a more interesting Elvira than Jurinac (a superb singer who nonetheless never convinces me her character is more than a little mentally troubled).  Cielo! Que aspetto nobile, que dolce maesta ! seems to have been written to describe della Casa's Elvira.

In terms of orchestral playing and conducting, I can't find a decisive factor one way or another. Both maestros pace the work to perfection, never rushing the singers or dragging the pace. When it comes to the recorded sound, there are grounds for preferring the mono Philips recording - with precise, transparent, very solid sound - over the bigger but slightly fuzzy Decca effort. The voices are better caught, too. If one prefers a more blended singers/orchestra balance, the choice could very well go the other way.

All told, these two historic sets are still very much top contenders in a crowded field. No other set since comes close to offering such a well-equipped and stylish lineup of soloists. I do retain an immense admiration for the Annas of Margaret Price and Edda Moser, the Commendatore of Kurt Moll or the Leporello of Gabriel Bacquier. Although unsympathetic, Ruggero Raimondi's Marquis de Sade Giovanni is a tour de force (him and Moser's Anna are on the Maazel set). Some prefer performances where individual voices blend in rather than stand out, with a tighter, less star-turn type of ensemble singing. Personally I think Da Ponte/Mozart's characters are anything but Watteau-like in dramatic personality.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 19, 2018, 01:08:07 AM
Quote from: André on September 18, 2018, 11:42:23 AM
No other set since comes close to offering such a well-equipped and stylish lineup of soloists.

Giulini? Personally I find Wächter, Taddei, Sutherland, Alva, Schwarzkopf, Sciutti, Cappuccilli and Frick pretty hard to beat, both individually and as an ensemble and Giulini's conducting is superbly dramatic. It remains my Don Giovanni of choice, though there are individual performances on other sets that I also like.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 19, 2018, 04:31:53 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/811y6Q%2BFzzL._SL1425_.jpg)

Welitsch (on the 1949 Met/Reiner performance) would be my favourite Salome, but sonically that recording can't hope to compare with this gorgeous 1978 performance, recorded at the Sofiensaal in Vienna, and in any case, Behrens was at her absolute peak at the time of this recording, sounding suitably girlish whilst riding the orchestral climaxes with ease. She is the petulant, spoiled teenager to the life.

Karajan was always at his finest in Strauss and this Salome is no exception, wonderfully played by the Vienna Philharmonic, and brilliantly cast from top to bottom. Van Dam is a stand out Jochanaan, beautiful of voice and noble of expression. Karl-Walter Böhm, who appears to have done little else, is a nervously characterful Herodes and Baltsa sings, rather than barks, the role of Herodias. There are some starry names amongst the rest of the cast as well.

All in all my preferred studio Salome.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 20, 2018, 01:12:02 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LntFjyW-L.jpg)

I'm really enjoying delving into Janacek's operas at the moment, and this wonderful recording of Kat'a Kabanova is no exception. Gorgeous playing from the Vienna Phil under Mackerras, with Søderstrøm giving a superb, sympathetic performance of Kat'a. I don't know Mackerras's second recording of the opera, with Benackova as Kat'a and the Czech Philharmonic, but this one is eminently satisfying.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 21, 2018, 04:53:31 PM
Kammeroper aus Terezin
(http://ibsclassical.es/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Kaiser-Facundo-Agudin-backcover.jpg)
Its origins can be overemphasized. What this work is (in this performance)  is a postWeill chamber opera giving symbolic expression to a world given over to Death despite Death's objections.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2018, 12:46:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ASR6FAQ8L.jpg)

Die Feldmarschallin - Helga Dernesch
Octavian - Janet Baker
Baron Ochs - Noel Mangin
Sophie - Elizabeth Harwood
Faninal - Thomas Hemsley

Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Opera Chorus - Sir Alexander Gibson

It's slightly strange hearing an opera I know so well sung in a different language, even when the language is my own.

I actually saw this production when it came to Newcastle-upon-Tyne the following year. By this time Scottish Opera had returned to the original German, Janet Baker had been replaced by Anne Howells and Elizabeth Harwood by Teresa Cahill, but Helga Dernesch was still the Marschallin and, to this day, she remains the most aristocratic and beautiful Marschallin I've ever seen live (and I've seen quite a few). Certain details of her characterisation are still embedded in my memory, and I saw ther production over 40 years ago now.

Janet Baker might seem an odd choice, but she had of course sung quite a bit of Strauss in recital and would go on to sing the composer in Scottish Opera's production of Ariadne auf Naxos (Dernesch as Ariadne this time), and her ardent, impulsive Octavian is gloriously sung. Elizabeth Harwood was luxury casting as Sophie, floating her high-lying phrases with lyrical ease.

Sir Alexander Gibson, Scottish Opera's founder, made a significant contribution to British musical life and he conducts with style and a sure sense of the opera's pace.

Sound is okay for a live 1971 performance, but can't compete with stereo recordings, my favourite of which is still Karajan's 1956 set with Schwarzkopf, which sounds aboslutely splendid in its latest deluxe Warner transfer.

Nevertheless, I've enjoyed listening to this set, especially for the contributions of Dernesch, Baker and Harwood.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 22, 2018, 01:20:50 AM
We are, as so often, at one here. We have mentioned this set and the performances over the years. I may have been at this performance. I was at one of the first run nights, but don't recall whether it was recorded. Baker was excellent, well everyone was. I had an old guy....well, probably about the age I am now. He complained to me in the first act interval that he did not know the tunes, where were all the waltzes? He had the wrong Strauss.

That set is unfortunately no longer available other than second hand.

And for all the sets I have flirted with over 50 years, the first Karajan remains my favourite, by quite a distance.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2018, 01:38:30 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 22, 2018, 01:20:50 AM
We are, as so often, at one here. We have mentioned this set and the performances over the years. I may have been at this performance. I was at one of the first run nights, but don't recall whether it was recorded. Baker was excellent, well everyone was. I had an old guy....well, probably about the age I am now. He complained to me in the first act interval that he did not know the tunes, where were all the waltzes? He had the wrong Strauss.

That set is unfortunately no longer available other than second hand.

And for all the sets I have flirted with over 50 years, the first Karajan remains my favourite, by quite a distance.

Mike

Looking through the cast list of the Ponto set, I noted that my singing teacher, the late Ian Adam, played one of the Marschallin's Lackeys.

Though I only saw the revival cast (Dernesch, Howells, Cahill, Langdon), listening to it has certainly brought back memories. It is still one of the most memorable evenings I have ever spent in the theatre. Antony Besch's production was also wonderful. I remember how the Marschallin's boudoir in Act I had mirrors on every wall (it must have been a nightmare to light). In the postlude to the act, rather than have the Marschallin pick up a hand mirror to examine her face, Dernesch just caught a glimpse of herself in one of them. She quickly turned away as if to hide from her reflection, but could not escape the mirror on the other wall. As the solo violin played the final phrases, her hands crept up to her face as the curtain slowly fell. I'll never forget it. There was hardly a dry eye in the house - and this was only Act I! We were all wrecks after the Act III trio.

I saw the production on a Saturday evening and was so overwhelmed that I went back on the Monday to catch the last performance of the run. I will never forget it.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 22, 2018, 02:19:46 AM
Your memory is more detailed than mine, that is an evocative description. I remain amazed that Dernsch was willing to learn the piece in English. I see the new season for SO consists of three productions.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2018, 02:40:21 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 22, 2018, 02:19:46 AM
Your memory is more detailed than mine, that is an evocative description. I remain amazed that Dernsch was willing to learn the piece in English. I see the new season for SO consists of three productions.

Mike

Different times.

I remember that Scottish Opera's visits to Newcastle-upon-Tyne were always eagerly anticipated, and they usually brought at least three productions from their current repertoire. In those days I would go to see anything they were doing, whether I thought I would like it or not, and they introduced me to quite a wide range of repertoire. The year of that Rosenkavalier, they also brought Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers and Lucia di Lammermoor. I saw all three.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on September 22, 2018, 03:03:06 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2018, 12:46:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ASR6FAQ8L.jpg)

By this time Scottish Opera had returned to the original German, Janet Baker had been replaced by Anne Howells and Elizabeth Harwood by Teresa Cahill, but Helga Dernesch was still the Marschallin and, to this day, she remains the most aristocratic and beautiful Marschallin I've ever seen live (and I've seen quite a few)
.

Worth remembering that this later incarnation can be heard - in highlights only here:

[asin]B000025VII[/asin]

the advantages of bargain price and a solid studio recording add to having Dernesch's interpretation from this production enshrined as well as Gibson's sympathetic conducting.  No substitute for Baker but a useful addition/comparison.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2018, 04:35:36 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 22, 2018, 03:03:06 AM
.

Worth remembering that this later incarnation can be heard - in highlights only here:

[asin]B000025VII[/asin]

the advantages of bargain price and a solid studio recording add to having Dernesch's interpretation from this production enshrined as well as Gibson's sympathetic conducting.  No substitute for Baker but a useful addition/comparison.

Yes, I have that too, but it's ony about 45 minutes of music, and, as you say, it lacks Baker's Octavian.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 22, 2018, 11:50:36 PM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 22, 2018, 03:03:06 AM
.

Worth remembering that this later incarnation can be heard - in highlights only here:

[asin]B000025VII[/asin]

the advantages of bargain price and a solid studio recording add to having Dernesch's interpretation from this production enshrined as well as Gibson's sympathetic conducting.  No substitute for Baker but a useful addition/comparison.

The Rosenkavalier plus the Scottish Opera Ariadne and Cosi are all available here....
https://operadepot.com/collections/janet-baker


I have the double cd of highlights of Rosankavalier and Don Giovanni, mostly very good, a special reason for buying it is the singing of Teresa Cahill as Sophie, very much an under recorded singer.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 23, 2018, 04:40:51 AM
Do you know this recording of Elgar's Spirit of England? She's absolutelty glorious on it.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tFZS0xJ-L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 23, 2018, 07:33:46 AM
Yes, I am in it. I agree, it is probably the best recording of her. I have a couple of recital discs second hand, Alan/Elgarian prompted me to look for hard to find items. He knows her a bit.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on September 29, 2018, 05:26:16 AM
 A recently acquired version

[asin]B0000025CE[/asin]

It really doesn't start very well.  Wixell is uninteresting and not in good voice throughout the opening scene with Domingo/Pinkerton.  The whole Dovunque al mondo/America Forever sequence fails to "lift" at all.  I must admit for sheer vocal beauty I doubt Renata Scotto would be anyone's favourite singer but things improve a lot from her entry on even if no-one could ever think she is 16 here.  The end of Act I love duet is still something of a disappointment but from that moment on when it really does become Butterfly's opera everything improves including Maazel's direction which is rather functional up to that point.  By the suicide at the end of the work Scotto has ratcheted up the drama a lot and its a very powerful ending.  No way would this be my favourite or even top 5 Butterflys but Scotto's performance demands attention.  I need to go back now and make the direct comparison with Barbirolli/Bergonzi.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on September 29, 2018, 05:27:54 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 23, 2018, 04:40:51 AM
Do you know this recording of Elgar's Spirit of England? She's absolutelty glorious on it.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tFZS0xJ-L.jpg)

Quite agree - Cahill is superb on this disc
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Elgarian Redux on September 29, 2018, 08:18:49 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 22, 2018, 11:50:36 PM
I have the double cd of highlights of Rosankavalier and Don Giovanni, mostly very good, a special reason for buying it is the singing of Teresa Cahill as Sophie, very much an under recorded singer.

Mike

There are times in one's life when one hears something that is life-transforming, and they are rare enough to be very precious indeed. I'd like to talk about two. Both occurred a long time ago.

The first was the highlights recording Mike mentions here. I bought it on a whim. I didn't know anything of Strauss, and wasn't very keen on vocal music at all, at that time. But this highlights record appeared in the shop, and it was cheap. So I took it home.

I'd never heard Rosenkavalier before, but when I heard the Presentation of the Rose I recognised almost immediately that it constituted an entirely new musical experience for me. Those two voices, intertwining with each other and the orchestra ... I can't explain it. It felt like a glimpse of heaven - as if I were inhaling the perfume of the Rose itself. It didn't occur to me then to take much notice of who was singing - I jumped into Rosenkavalier itself, rather than tracking the performers.

Fast forward a few years. I'd saturated myself in Elgar since late childhood, and was besotted with the orchestral works, the chamber music etc, but had always struggled with the vocal works he'd written. But I stumbled across the Chandos Spirit of England, and bought it on a whim simply because I'd never heard of it. I listened in tears. It ripped me apart. Here was a side of Elgar I'd completely missed, and that voice - that soprano voice - seemed completely at one with the spirit of the music, operating like a channel, straight through to Elgar's meaning.

This time I took note: Teresa Cahill. I flipped though all my other recordings looking for the name, and there it was, on the Rosenkavalier highlights record. Lightning striking twice, conducted through the same channel.

Since then I've listened to every recording of Spirit of England that I've found, but I've never found one that could match hers. And I've listened to some dazzling Rosenkavaliers, but Teresa Cahill's Sophie still affects me to a degree none of the others approach. I can't compare techniques - I don't know enough. But for me it's not a technical thing. It's a 'touched by the gods' sort of thing, and that's all one can say, really.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 29, 2018, 09:13:22 AM
Very nice and very touching post, Elgarian.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 29, 2018, 10:33:17 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 29, 2018, 05:26:16 AM
A recently acquired version

[asin]B0000025CE[/asin]

It really doesn't start very well.  Wixell is uninteresting and not in good voice throughout the opening scene with Domingo/Pinkerton.  The whole Dovunque al mondo/America Forever sequence fails to "lift" at all.  I must admit for sheer vocal beauty I doubt Renata Scotto would be anyone's favourite singer but things improve a lot from her entry on even if no-one could ever think she is 16 here.  The end of Act I love duet is still something of a disappointment but from that moment on when it really does become Butterfly's opera everything improves including Maazel's direction which is rather functional up to that point.  By the suicide at the end of the work Scotto has ratcheted up the drama a lot and its a very powerful ending.  No way would this be my favourite or even top 5 Butterflys but Scotto's performance demands attention.  I need to go back now and make the direct comparison with Barbirolli/Bergonzi.

I used to have the Barbirolli on LPs. I recall enjoying the conducting, but not so much the singers. I will be interested in your thinking on it. Barbirolli said that the difficult areas were the non-famous bits, especially transitions.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 02, 2018, 11:59:05 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GK9YYaH9L.jpg)

Another in Mackerras's excellent series of Janacek operas, made for Decca. Søderstrøm is again the leading role, with other roles played by native Czech speakers, which is of paramount importance in such a wordy, conversational opera. Vèc Makropulos, usually translated as The Macropoulos Affair is a harder nut to crack than, Jenufa, Katya Kabanova or The Cunning Little Vixen, the central character being much less sympathetic than the heroines of those other operas, but Søderstrøm doesn't overdo the bitchiness, and gives her a humanity which finally engages our sympathy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 03, 2018, 12:06:15 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 29, 2018, 10:33:17 AM
I used to have the Barbirolli on LPs. I recall enjoying the conducting, but not so much the singers. I will be interested in your thinking on it. Barbirolli said that the difficult areas were the non-famous bits, especially transitions.

Mike

I also used to have the Barbirolli on LP, and I rather liked Scotto's Butterfly and Bergonzi's Pinkerton. It was always amongst my top three Butterflies, the others being Callas/Karajan and De Los Angeles/Santini (the earlier of her two recordings). I should seek it out again on Spotify.

The second Karajan I like less. Yes, of course it's gorgeously played and sung, but I find it all too easy to just get lost in the sensuously beautiful sounds coming from the speakers and forget about poor Butterly's tragic fate.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 04, 2018, 06:13:51 AM
This morning
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/414YNJV8CML.jpg)
Found this yesterday in the used CD store. I have the recording with Alagna, which I last listened to a few years ago.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 05, 2018, 12:45:09 AM
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0238/9583/products/10352-3front_0d9b4b08-2398-42dd-963d-df477217721a.jpeg?v=1478281862)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0238/9583/products/10352-3back.jpg?v=1497636029)

Sound is a bit muffled, but there is some thrilling singing here, especially from Heather Harper, who is a gleamingly tireless Kaiserin. Dernesch is a wonderful Dyer's Wife, but soon after these performances she took a break from opera to retran her voice, re-emerging as a dramatic mezzo, and it has to be admitted that she is somewhat taxed by the upper reaches of the role.

I don't know the opera that well, but it strikes me that Solti's speeds, as so often, can be on the fast side. My guides for Strauss are generally Karajan, Böhm and Sawallisch.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on October 05, 2018, 01:14:45 AM
Sadko by Rimski-Korsakov in the Gergiev version. Previously unknown and unlistened to by me - I consider Kitezh to be a great opera though!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on October 05, 2018, 02:47:04 AM
Quote from: The new erato on October 05, 2018, 01:14:45 AM
Sadko by Rimski-Korsakov in the Gergiev version. Previously unknown and unlistened to by me - I consider Kitezh to be a great opera though!

Sadko's my favorite Rimsky-Korsakov opera. Hope you enjoy it!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 07, 2018, 06:52:11 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71X9vH1HQ8L._SL1500_.jpg)

Richard Strauss mixed with a touch of Lehar is what I always think when listening to Korngold's most famous opera.

Unbelivably this 1975 recoring was its first, but it's an excellent performance catching Carol Neblett at the apex of her career. Kollo is a little strained at times, but captures Paul's obsessive character well. Superb support too from Rose Wagemann, Benjamin Luxon and Hermann Prey. The Bavarian forces under Erich Leinsdorf give a beautiful account of the score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 08, 2018, 02:40:54 AM
Quote from: The new erato on October 05, 2018, 01:14:45 AM
Sadko by Rimski-Korsakov in the Gergiev version. Previously unknown and unlistened to by me - I consider Kitezh to be a great opera though!

Rimsky-Korsakov for me as well, a Netflix rental of a DVD of an early 1990s Bolshoi performance of Mlada. First time I've heard it, outside of "The Procession of the Nobles". I wonder what they were smoking in late-19th Century Russia? Lots of fun, I'll watch it again before returning it.

[asin]B000BB1MDM[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 08, 2018, 07:46:14 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51NTTJ-DuJL.jpg)

Richard Strauss' final opera can sometimes seem wordy and long-winded, but in a performance such as this it is anything but boring. This luxury cast is just about as perfect as any you are likely to hear, all the singers giving due attention to the words. The Countess Madeleine was always one of Schwarzkopf's best roles, and she steers a perfect course between sophistication and elegance, between playfulness and tender affection. It is one of her greatest achievements for the gramophone, her radiant singing of the gorgeous closing scene a perfect rounding up of the whole opera. If the opera asks the question, which should come first, words or music, there is no doubt which side Strauss himself comes down on. The male voices - Gedda as the dreaming composer Flamand, Fischer-Dieskau as the more impulsive poet Olivier, Wächter as the flirtatious Count, and, last but not least, Hotter as the harassed theatre director La Roche are all wonderfully characterised. Ludwig is a superb Clairon and we even have the young Moffo as the Italian Singer. Sawallisch is a marvellously experienced Strauss conductor and presides over a recording that has become a classic of the gramophone.

The recording is mono only but is wonderfully well balanced with the voices as they should be, especially in a conversational piece like this, firmly in the foreground.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 08, 2018, 09:04:47 AM
It is very unusual for me to satisfy myself with a single version of an opera that I love, this might be my only exception. I am sure that everything you write about the Sawallish set is true and it includes a number of my favourite singers. However, it happened that I first encountered the opera when I bought the Bohm set as soon as it was issued, that seems to have been 1970, (So long ago!). I cannot now separate the piece from the voice of Janowitz, who is far from bland but of course did not use words in the conversational way of Schwarzkopf. The overall sound is forward, rich and well ventilated. The glamour of the piece comes across well. Fischer Dieskau, Prey, Schreier, Troyanos and Ridderbuch are all first rate.

I could so easily have hit on the other set first and I ought to at least give it a listen.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 08, 2018, 09:50:08 AM
I suppose the reverse is true for me. I just can't imagine Countess Madeleine ever being sung (and played) better than by Schwarzkopf in this set.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 09, 2018, 03:11:01 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51NOW%2BP810L.jpg)

Lecocq, little known today, was considered Offenbach's main successor, and there is no denying Offenbach's influence when listening to this once popular operette. It was first heard in London in 1873, pre-dating Gilbert and Sullivan's collaboration, and more than once I was reminded of the British pair as well.

This is a sparkling performance with an all French cast, chorus and orchestra conducted by Jean Doussard. Mady Mesplé, with her light, bright French voice with its characteristic quick vibrato is, as on all the Offenbach operettas she appears on, perfect for this repertoire, and there are wonderful contributions from Charles Burles, Bernard Sinclair, Michel Roux and Christine Stutzmann.

Very enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 09, 2018, 11:40:28 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71tw4Z8spgL._SL1399_.jpg)

My first encounter with Ariadne auf Naxos was a scenically splendid Glyndebourne Touring Opera production, which I saw in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1971. I'd never heard a note of the music before, but enjoyed it immensely.

However it was quite some time before I bought a recording, and this classic brilliantly cast 1954 recording was my choice. The years haven't dimmed its lustre and I simply cannot imagine a better all round performance.

Has there ever been a more impetuously ardent Composer than Seefried? I doubt it; and it's good to hear a soprano in the role, as Strauss indicated. Schwarzkopf's Ariadne is not only gloriously sung, but, as always with this artist, with due attention to the words, and she does a fine parody of herself in the prologue. Streich's adorable Zerbinetta manages to be both sparkily flirtatious and sympathetic, and the accuracy of her coloratura is stunning. Rudolf Schock's dryish tenor might not offer quite the same sensual delights, but he also sings with intelligence and attention to the text.

The supporting roles are all superb too, especially Karl Dönch's Musicmaster, Hugue's Cuénod's Dancing Master and the young Hermann Prey's Harlequin. One should also mention Alfred Neugebauer's laconic Major-Domo.

Karajan has the full measure of the score and the Philharmonia play brilliantly for him. Mono of course, but wonderfully well balanced recording. I've never felt the need to look elsewhere.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 10, 2018, 01:42:38 AM
That Ariadne is really superb and I have had it as LP, then CD and duplicated in a big Karajan box. I do however just as much enjoy Kempe with Janowitz and King, warm and beautifully paced with no lingering during the Dryad etc scene. Then there is the perhaps too firmly refulgent, but sounding glorious, Jessye Norman supported by Masur and an all round excellent cast.

Nagano conducts the original, slightly longer, version, paired with some pieces Strauss wrote as accompaniment to the  Moliere play which was to be given on the same six hour long evening as the Ariadne. Margaret Price Sings beautifully, but if it could only have been recorded five or ten years before. Sumi Jo is as good as any other Zerbinetta and the rest of the cast is first rate. However, Nagano, who I think of as hit or miss, here is a bit stodgy and rather as with Leinsdorf's version, there is not a lot of drama or energy. But the set is well worth hearing.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2018, 02:16:40 AM
The Kempe is stereo of course, and looks like the one I'd go for if I were looking for a stereo set. How is Zylis-Gara's Composer? Seefried is so wonderful on Karajan's set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 10, 2018, 07:25:30 AM
I have a soft spot for Zilis-Gara, a very under-recorded singer. She does well as Composer, strong rather than wayward and a soprano rather than, as you said, the now usual mezzo.
I saw a production a few months ago where the composer was played as a woman and she ended the opera going off with Zerbinetta.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2018, 08:41:53 AM
I suppose it might work. I'm not sure Strauss would have approved however  ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2018, 09:05:04 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51r8sPmvOUL.jpg)

Das Land des Lächelns

Lisa - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Gustl - Erich Kunz
Sou-Chong Nicolai Gedda
Mi - Emmy Loose
Tschang - Otakar Kraus

Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus - Otto Ackermann

Lehar's second most popular operetta gets the fabulous star treatment in this wonderful recording from 1953. The young Nicolai Gedda may not have had the vocal glamour of Richard Tauber, for whom the operetta was written, but he makes a charmingly reticent Sou-Chong. Schwarzkopf is a sparkling, but sensitive Lisa and Emmy Loose and Erich Kunz are wonderful as the secondary couple.

Pure delight.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 10, 2018, 11:07:26 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 10, 2018, 07:25:30 AM
I have a soft spot for Zilis-Gara, a very under-recorded singer. She does well as Composer, strong rather than wayward and a soprano rather than, as you said, the now usual mezzo.

+1 A very talented and versatile singer, Teresa Zylis-Gara. I also like her Donna Elvira in Böhm's second "official" Don Giovanni on DG (the one live from Salzburg, which IMHO  is vastly—I mean, really vastly  :D—superior to the Prague studio recording).

I got to see her live as Cio-Cio-San in a modest production of Madama Butterfly (in the late seventies or early eighties) in Caracas, and she was very touching.

Her Composer in the Kempe Ariadne auf Naxos is at the same level as the rest of the (superb) cast. A great recording.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2018, 11:45:46 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Q1t0g5C2L._SL1200_.jpg)

The main problem with Lisa Della Casa's studio recording of Arabella is Solti's hard driven, perfunctory conducting. I think I read somewhere it was his first complete opera recording for Decca, and even his greatest fans admit that he sounds as if he had little sympathy for his task, whereas Sawallisch's conducting on this set is one of its principal glories, as is the wonderfully warm digital sound.

There are other reasons to treasure the performance, however, not least the performances of Julia Varady as Arabella and Helen Donath as Zdenka. Varady's husband, Fischer-Dieskau was in his mid 50s at the time of the recording, and it has to be admitted that he does sound a bit over the hill at times, with an occasional tendency to bark. Nonetheless he makes a sympathetic Mandryka, without exactly eclipsing memories of Josef Metternich, who sings Mandryka on a superb excerpts disc with Schwarzkopf as Arabella (what a shame they didn't record the full opera).

The opera still has its problems, it seems to me. Invariably Zdenka emerges as the more sympathetic character, as she does here, despite Varady's gorgeous, creamy Arabella. I remember that  my first encounter with the opera was the film with Janowitz as Arabella, and my sympathies were all with Matteo! The Fiakermilli music always seems pointless and empty to me too, and there are quite a few places where my attention wanders. Maybe Schwarzkopf was right just to record exceprts.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 11, 2018, 03:21:15 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2018, 11:45:46 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Q1t0g5C2L._SL1200_.jpg)

The main problem with Lisa Della Casa's studio recording of Arabella is Solti's hard driven, perfunctory conducting. I think I read somewhere it was his first complete opera recording for Decca, and even his greatest fans admit that he sounds as if he had little sympathy for his task, whereas Sawallisch's conducting on this set is one of its principal glories, as is the wonderfully warm digital sound.

There are other reasons to treasure the performance, however, not least the performances of Julia Varady as Arabella and Helen Donath as Zdenka. Varady's husband, Fischer-Dieskau was in his mid 50s at the time of the recording, and it has to be admitted that he does sound a bit over the hill at times, with an occasional tendency to bark. Nonetheless he makes a sympathetic Mandryka, without exactly eclipsing memories of Josef Metternich, who sings Mandryka on a superb excerpts disc with Schwarzkopf as Arabella (what a shame they didn't record the full opera).

The opera still has its problems, it seems to me. Invariably Zdenka emerges as the more sympathetic character, as she does here, despite Varady's gorgeous, creamy Arabella. I remember that  my first encounter with the opera was the film with Janowitz as Arabella, and my sympathies were all with Matteo! The Fiakermilli music always seems pointless and empty to me too, and there are quite a few places where my attention wanders. Maybe Schwarzkopf was right just to record exceprts.

I have never cracked this opera. I have heard it on radio, streamed it and have the same DVD that you have. What I want is a pair of sharp scissors. I have the Schwarzkopf disc and the music is so well done, I want more, just not it all. However, I have just ordered the live Caballe version, so we will see whether I can make headway.

Re Zilis-Gara, I recall seeing a telecast of a Met gala with her and Corelli in the act one Otello duet. He oversings and she gives him a lesson in phrasing and dynamics. I bought the disc of the event largely for her contribution. I think that is the same one that Nilsson did her Salome final scene duet with the bloody prompter.

Mike
Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on October 11, 2018, 04:44:55 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 11, 2018, 03:21:15 AM
What I want is a pair of sharp scissors. I have the Schwarzkopf disc and the music is so well done, I want more, just not it all.

Arabella has always struck me as having really strong first act but then falls off rather steeply, though there are some moments of quality later. Most often I find myself just listening to the first act alone.

I agree with Tsaraslondon about Solti, he seems to be conducting against his singers instead supporting them. My favorite recording is the Salzburg premiere of the best known staging that'll run for years. It's in mono, unlike the Solti studio, but it's decent mono, and the main cast is to me preferable to Solti.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71anof0XqjL._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 11, 2018, 06:20:42 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 11, 2018, 03:21:15 AM
What I want is a pair of sharp scissors. I have the Schwarzkopf disc and the music is so well done, I want more, just not it all.

Re Zilis-Gara, I recall seeing a telecast of a Met gala with her and Corelli in the act one Otello duet. He oversings and she gives him a lesson in phrasing and dynamics. I bought the disc of the event largely for her contribution. I think that is the same one that Nilsson did her Salome final scene duet with the bloody prompter.

Mike
Mike

The three acts together aren't that much longer than the one act of Capriccio. They just seem so, I agree.

I used to have some of Zylis-Gara's work on LP, but I can't now remember what. Maybe it's time to reinvestigate.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 11, 2018, 07:04:41 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 11, 2018, 03:21:15 AM
I have never cracked this opera. I have heard it on radio, streamed it and have the same DVD that you have. What I want is a pair of sharp scissors. I have the Schwarzkopf disc and the music is so well done, I want more, just not it all. However, I have just ordered the live Caballe version, so we will see whether I can make headway.

Re Zilis-Gara, I recall seeing a telecast of a Met gala with her and Corelli in the act one Otello duet. He oversings and she gives him a lesson in phrasing and dynamics. I bought the disc of the event largely for her contribution. I think that is the same one that Nilsson did her Salome final scene duet with the bloody prompter.

Mike
Mike

You mean she cut his head off, too ? ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on October 11, 2018, 07:05:51 AM
Quote from: Draško on October 11, 2018, 04:44:55 AM
My favorite recording is the Salzburg premiere of the best known staging that'll run for years. It's in mono, unlike the Solti studio, but it's decent mono, and the main cast is to me preferable to Solti.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71anof0XqjL._SL1200_.jpg)

I'm not enough of an expert in this field to know - I have the Keilbeth studio recording - where does that rate.....?

[asin]B000BO0GPY[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on October 11, 2018, 08:00:49 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on October 11, 2018, 07:05:51 AM
I'm not enough of an expert in this field to know - I have the Keilbeth studio recording - where does that rate.....?

The link doesn't work for me but that's the one on DG, right? I haven't heard it, but I always thought it was a live recording as well and never pursued it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 12, 2018, 05:32:20 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71fK6spVaML._SL1300_.jpg)

Oh what bliss! From the first moment of the orchestral introduction, which capture brilliantly that expectation before the curtain rises, this famous recording is pure joy. Brilliantly cast and produced, it has a real whiff of the theatre, and yet you would be hard pressed to ever hear a performance of such class there. Principal among its delights is Schwarzkopf's gloriously sung Hanna Glawari, singing with the same sort of care she lavishes on Mozart and Strauss. Indeed the moment she realises that Danilo is still in love with her (Allein liebt er mich, nur allein! in the finale of the second act would hardly sound out of place in Strauss's Der Rosenkavaier.

This was Schwarzkopf's second recording of the opera, and, as in the first, Legge chooses a baritone for Danilo, rather than the usual tenor. However Wächter's high baritone has no problems with the higher lying passages that Kunz (on the first recording) had to transpose down. Furthermore he sounds younger and more dashing. Gedda and Steffek make an excellent pair of lovers, the Pavillion duet in the second act a properly erotic affair, and the rest of the cast could hardly be bettererd with excellent contributions from Josef Knapp and Kurt Equiluz. Fabulous playing from the Philharmonia Orchestra under Lovro von Matacic.

Yes, there are fuller versions of the score around, but, frankly I couldn't care less. I doubt this wonderfully styish, fun packed recording will ever be bettered.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 12, 2018, 04:59:34 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 12, 2018, 05:32:20 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71fK6spVaML._SL1300_.jpg)

Oh what bliss! From the first moment of the orchestral introduction, which capture brilliantly that expectation before the curtain rises, this famous recording is pure joy. Brilliantly cast and produced, it has a real whiff of the theatre, and yet you would be hard pressed to ever hear a performance of such class there. Principal among its delights is Schwarzkopf's gloriously sung Hanna Glawari, singing with the same sort of care she lavishes on Mozart and Strauss. Indeed the moment she realises that Danilo is still in love with her (Allein liebt er mich, nur allein! in the finale of the second act would hardly sound out of place in Strauss's Der Rosenkavaier.

This was Schwarzkopf's second recording of the opera, and, as in the first, Legge chooses a baritone for Danilo, rather than the usual tenor. However Wächter's high baritone has no problems with the higher lying passages that Kunz (on the first recording) had to transpose down. Furthermore he sounds younger and more dashing. Gedda and Steffek make an excellent pair of lovers, the Pavillion duet in the second act a properly erotic affair, and the rest of the cast could hardly be bettererd with excellent contributions from Josef Knapp and Kurt Equiluz. Fabulous playing from the Philharmonia Orchestra under Lovro von Matacic.

Yes, there are fuller versions of the score around, but, frankly I couldn't care less. I doubt this wonderfully styish, fun packed recording will ever be bettered.

Are there recordings with a tenor Danilo? I have only heard baritones in the role, and indeed one of the reasons I like this opera is that, being a baritone, I am happy to find a baritone as the hero/lover.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 12:17:03 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 12, 2018, 05:32:20 AM

Oh what bliss! From the first moment of the orchestral introduction, which capture brilliantly that expectation before the curtain rises, this famous recording is pure joy. Brilliantly cast and produced, it has a real whiff of the theatre, and yet you would be hard pressed to ever hear a performance of such class there. Principal among its delights is Schwarzkopf's gloriously sung Hanna Glawari, singing with the same sort of care she lavishes on Mozart and Strauss. Indeed the moment she realises that Danilo is still in love with her (Allein liebt er mich, nur allein! in the finale of the second act would hardly sound out of place in Strauss's Der Rosenkavaier.

This was Schwarzkopf's second recording of the opera, and, as in the first, Legge chooses a baritone for Danilo, rather than the usual tenor. However Wächter's high baritone has no problems with the higher lying passages that Kunz (on the first recording) had to transpose down. Furthermore he sounds younger and more dashing. Gedda and Steffek make an excellent pair of lovers, the Pavillion duet in the second act a properly erotic affair, and the rest of the cast could hardly be bettererd with excellent contributions from Josef Knapp and Kurt Equiluz. Fabulous playing from the Philharmonia Orchestra under Lovro von Matacic.

Yes, there are fuller versions of the score around, but, frankly I couldn't care less. I doubt this wonderfully styish, fun packed recording will ever be bettered.

This is one of my all-time favourite performances of anything. The whole thing feels live and everyone brings their roles to life and sound like they are having fun. The secondary couple are as aluring and attractive as the Widow and Danilo, their main duet is swooningly delightful. I also have the Ackermann version and it is very good. Additionally I have Gardiner, but with the best will in the world, I don't connect to it. As usual with Gardiner it garnered lots of praise and I was left in my usual frame of mind with Gardiner's work. I admire it a lot more than I enjoy it.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 12:23:47 AM
Quote from: André on October 11, 2018, 07:04:41 AM
You mean she cut his head off, too ? ;D

It would have been a good idea Andre. It surprised me that she presumably needed or wanted that help. I assume they all wear ear pieces these days. I heard one prompter describe how different singers want prompting in different ways, some want the prompt a bar ahead, alternatively, others need the word exactly to the score's timing. Certain singers want just the word, others want the word on the note.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 12:41:42 AM
The Caballe material is starting to arrive. I got exerpts of Turandot (5 pence plus postage). I wanted this for her Turandot, I have her as Liu in the complete Mehta. I was interested to hear what a soft grained, but powerful voice makes of the main role.

It is conducted by Alain Lombard and the other main singers are Carreras at his healthiest and Freni. The disc suggests a very successful performance. Caballe does not try to emulate the hieratic Nilsson way with the role and she sings quietly a number of phrases that are normally declaimed. I enjoyed the sheer beauty and the care with phrasing, but it did not seem like the ice princess. I did however enjoy the music making.

Another which arrived is the complete Pretre Traviata with Bergonzi and Milnes. What a healthy trio of voices. Things go well, though not theatrically. I never feel the singers are right inside the parts. The conducting seems quite careful, nothing extreme, nothing either that sets the pulse racing or raises the hair on your neck. Caballe is effective in getting round all of the notes, but her emotions seem generalised until close to the death when pathos is achieved. So, a lot of pleasure, great skills are on display. But we don't have the full story.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on October 13, 2018, 08:01:10 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-fW1xu9rL._SY355_.jpg)

From all the recordings of Les Troyens that I've heard, this remains unquestionably at the very top. Singers and orchestra (as well as naturally the conductor, Davis) are superb. Davis must be my favorite Berlioz conductor and this one is even better than the much earlier 1969 recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2018, 08:25:09 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 12:17:03 AM
This is one of my all-time favourite performances of anything. The whole thing feels live and everyone brings their roles to life and sound like they are having fun. The secondary couple are as aluring and attractive as the Widow and Danilo, their main duet is swooningly delightful. I also have the Ackermann version and it is very good. Additionally I have Gardiner, but with the best will in the world, I don't connect to it. As usual with Gardiner it garnered lots of praise and I was left in my usual frame of mind with Gardiner's work. I admire it a lot more than I enjoy it.

Mike

The Karajan is also a bit po-faced, I always think. I have the first Schwarzkopf with Ackermann too, but I've always found this one even better. The older Schwarzkopf is a more knowing Hanna perhaps, but that is not at all inapt for the character. If you like operetta at all, and maybe even if you don't, it's one THE great recordings.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2018, 08:31:42 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 12:41:42 AM
The Caballe material is starting to arrive. I got exerpts of Turandot (5 pence plus postage). I wanted this for her Turandot, I have her as Liu in the complete Mehta. I was interested to hear what a soft grained, but powerful voice makes of the main role.

It is conducted by Alain Lombard and the other main singers are Carreras at his healthiest and Freni. The disc suggests a very successful performance. Caballe does not try to emulate the hieratic Nilsson way with the role and she sings quietly a number of phrases that are normally declaimed. I enjoyed the sheer beauty and the care with phrasing, but it did not seem like the ice princess. I did however enjoy the music making.

Another which arrived is the complete Pretre Traviata with Bergonzi and Milnes. What a healthy trio of voices. Things go well, though not theatrically. I never feel the singers are right inside the parts. The conducting seems quite careful, nothing extreme, nothing either that sets the pulse racing or raises the hair on your neck. Caballe is effective in getting round all of the notes, but her emotions seem generalised until close to the death when pathos is achieved. So, a lot of pleasure, great skills are on display. But we don't have the full story.

Mike

There is a live performance with Caballé as Turandot, from San Francisco in 1977, and it's really rather good. Chailly conducts with Pavarotti, Leona Mitchell and Giorgio Tozzi. Well worth looking out.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61gNaTZzLsL.jpg)

Her Violetta is beautifully sung, but she doesn't probe anywhere so deeply as Callas, who is, in any case, hors councours. Best represented by the live performance in Covent Garden in 1958, and the sound on this isn't too bad at all.  Just avoid the ICA (official release). They completely botched the transfer.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81K8hzR1RuL._SL1417_.jpg)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2018, 08:33:22 AM
Quote from: Alberich on October 13, 2018, 08:01:10 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-fW1xu9rL._SY355_.jpg)

From all the recordings of Les Troyens that I've heard, this remains unquestionably at the very top. Singers and orchestra (as well as naturally the conductor, Davis) are superb. Davis must be my favorite Berlioz conductor and this one is even better than the much earlier 1969 recording.

Personally, I still marginally prefer the first recording. It has Vickers for a start and I much prefer Veasey to de Young, whose voice has too much vibrato for my taste. Lang is better than Lindholm, I grant you, but I don't think Lindholm is as bad as people make out.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on October 13, 2018, 08:54:22 AM
(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/CH10264.jpg)

A magical performance of Rachmaninoff's seldom heard and seldom recorded operatic masterpiece. I have never understood the accusations that Rachmaninoff supposedly couldn't write well for the human voice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 09:12:24 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2018, 08:33:22 AM
Personally, I still marginally prefer the first recording. It has Vickers for a start and I much prefer Veasey to de Young, whose voice has too much vibrato for my taste. Lang is better than Lindholm, I grant you, but I don't think Lindholm is as bad as people make out.

I am with you all the way there. I retain my affections for that first set. On LP the box was much thicker than expected. This first complete recording was celebrated with two thick glossy booklets. It was a really exciting issue.

I have the new very highly praised set conducted by Nelson. I really looked forward to it. However, it somehow did not engage me like the Davis. Although I like De Donato in a lot of music, I don't think she has the right weight of voice and at the top reaches of her part she really toils. Nor do I like the Cassandra, better than Lindholm for sure, but I dislike the wobble when she puts pressure on the voice, which she does for much of the part. Again, I think he has chosen a voice that is too small for the weight of the music.

I did attend a prom performance of this that Davis gave with almost the same cast as in his second recording. I just did not think that de Young suited the role. If only we had on CD the Met version with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.....

Mike

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 09:14:55 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2018, 08:31:42 AM
There is a live performance with Caballé as Turandot, from San Francisco in 1977, and it's really rather good. Chailly conducts with Pavarotti, Leona Mitchell and Giorgio Tozzi. Well worth looking out.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61gNaTZzLsL.jpg)


Looks interesting, I generally like Chailly's work and Leona Mitchell was once very promising.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 13, 2018, 11:01:53 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 09:12:24 AM
If only we had on CD the Met version with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.....

Mike

Why don't you have it?

[asin]B0064TEEBC[/asin]

Expensive now, but I got it in the in the Levine 40th anniversary box when it was issued.

The picture doesn't work, but the link does.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 11:59:49 AM
The cost, clearly.

I know about that CD set. It was on the Met catalogue, but they don't export orders. I waited until I was in NY three years ago, went to the shop and discovered that the disk was no longer available despite appearing on-line. So....end off.

I would even put up with Levine's flattening of the orchestral textures. When I have heard his Berlioz he submerges the important woodwind lines to the point that they often disappear.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2018, 04:17:51 PM
Quote from: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 09:12:24 AM
I am with you all the way there. I retain my affections for that first set. On LP the box was much thicker than expected. This first complete recording was celebrated with two thick glossy booklets. It was a really exciting issue.

I have the new very highly praised set conducted by Nelson. I really looked forward to it. However, it somehow did not engage me like the Davis. Although I like De Donato in a lot of music, I don't think she has the right weight of voice and at the top reaches of her part she really toils. Nor do I like the Cassandra, better than Lindholm for sure, but I dislike the wobble when she puts pressure on the voice, which she does for much of the part. Again, I think he has chosen a voice that is too small for the weight of the music.

I did attend a prom performance of this that Davis gave with almost the same cast as in his second recording. I just did not think that de Young suited the role. If only we had on CD the Met version with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.....

Mike

We do, but it's incredibly expensive on Amazon, and really Hunt Lieberson is the only reason to have it. Levine doesn't really have the measure of it.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41N0kiNcfKL.jpg)

As for the Nelsons, there is a lot I like about it, but quite a few of the voices are a bit too light. I heard Michael Spyres at the Proms last year in a performance of La Damnation de Faust under Gardiner. He is a most musical singer, but even then he seemed a mite underpowered. I can't imagine him ever having enough voice for Aeneas.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 14, 2018, 01:24:55 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0001/041/MI0001041887.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Another in the series of operettas made in the early 50s by Walter Legge. Though rarely performed outside German speaking countries these days Der Zigeunerbaron is Strauss's second most popular work for the stage after Die Fledermaus. Hearing this wonderful performance, it's hard to understand its neglect. Admittedly the plot is somewhat convoluted, but no more so than many comic operas of the period, and the music is glorious.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 14, 2018, 05:42:14 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 13, 2018, 11:59:49 AM
The cost, clearly.

I know about that CD set. It was on the Met catalogue, but they don't export orders. I waited until I was in NY three years ago, went to the shop and discovered that the disk was no longer available despite appearing on-line. So....end off.

I would even put up with Levine's flattening of the orchestral textures. When I have heard his Berlioz he submerges the important woodwind lines to the point that they often disappear.

Mike

I was going to mention that the Met shop still offers the complete Levine box-set (at half-price), and some individual operas from it, though not Les Troyens. But if they don't export, that doesn't help you. Still, if anyone in the U.S. is interested:

https://www.metoperashop.org/shop/james-levine-celebrating-40-years-at-the-met-cd-4113
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on October 14, 2018, 10:00:19 AM
Quote from: Draško on October 11, 2018, 04:44:55 AM
Arabella has always struck me as having really strong first act but then falls off rather steeply, though there are some moments of quality later. Most often I find myself just listening to the first act alone.

I agree with Tsaraslondon about Solti, he seems to be conducting against his singers instead supporting them. My favorite recording is the Salzburg premiere of the best known staging that'll run for years. It's in mono, unlike the Solti studio, but it's decent mono, and the main cast is to me preferable to Solti.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71anof0XqjL._SL1200_.jpg)

When I first started to post on music sites on the web I was listening to Arabella and wondering what name to give myself.

It's a hard opera to follow partly because of the bed trick type device in it. I don't think I've ever enjoyed it at home much but in the opera house it can be a perfectly good night out.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 14, 2018, 06:23:10 PM
For Parsifal lovers, all 12 recordings made by Knappertsbusch, On the Venias label.

(https://img.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/400/70/7/6/604.jpg#_ga=2.66711214.1689042209.1539570009-905282613.1523017847)

(https://img.hmv.co.jp/news/image/hmv_pc/16/0518/news1251450.jpg)

Box 1 (48 cds) of the 204 cd set devoted to Kna.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 15, 2018, 12:38:17 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81AHY2GgbKL._SL1428_.jpg)

Cast from strength, this performance of Pagliacci remains one of the most recommendable despite its age and mono recording.

Though Callas never performed Nedda on stage, the performace feels like a real performance from a cast reacting and responding to each other, as they would on stage. This, top to bottom,  must be one of the most strongly cast versions ever recorded, with excellent contributions from Rolando Panerai as Silvio and Nicola Monti as Beppe. Gobbi is a superbly malevolent Tonio, Di Stefano a deeply unhappy Canio, the brute in him lurking just under the surface, and Callas's Nedda is much more complex than the two dimensional little minx we are often given. Serafin's conducting is brilliantly paced and just sounds unobtrusively right.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on October 15, 2018, 02:33:24 AM
Quote from: Mandryka on October 14, 2018, 10:00:19 AM
When I first started to post on music sites on the web I was listening to Arabella and wondering what name to give myself.

And here's another titbit of trivia. When Mandryka comes to Vienna he tells Arabella's father that for the expenses of the trip he sold this grand old forest in Sisak (Sissek in ger.). My grandmother was from Sisak, small town in nowdays Croatia, back then in Austro-Hungarian empire, a place you last expect to find in opera libretto.   
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 15, 2018, 03:49:04 AM
Quote from: André on October 14, 2018, 06:23:10 PM
For Parsifal lovers, all 12 recordings made by Knappertsbusch, On the Venias label.

(https://img.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/400/70/7/6/604.jpg#_ga=2.66711214.1689042209.1539570009-905282613.1523017847)

(https://img.hmv.co.jp/news/image/hmv_pc/16/0518/news1251450.jpg)

Box 1 (48 cds) of the 204 cd set devoted to Kna.

I have two of those, well spaced in time. The later one I bought to obtain Vickers as Parsifal. My own favourite is however Kubelik. I feel prompted however to give Kna a spin.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 15, 2018, 04:31:22 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51I921h4PcL.jpg)

Strauss never in fact wrote an operetta called Wiener Blut, but, towards the end of his life, he did give Adolf Müller permission to adapt some of his existing dance music to a text by Victor Léon and Leo Stein. The result is a charming confection of familiar tunes, brilliantly performed here by Legge's house operetta team of Schwarzkopf, Gedda and Kunz, alongside Emmy Loose, Erika Köth and Karl Dönch, with the Philharmonia under Otto Ackermann. However heavily cut (and this one probably suffers mroe cuts than the others they recorded), there is no denying the echt-Viennese style in this sparkling performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 15, 2018, 07:35:29 AM
Quote from: André on October 14, 2018, 06:23:10 PM
For Parsifal lovers, all 12 recordings made by Knappertsbusch, On the Venias label.

(https://img.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/400/70/7/6/604.jpg#_ga=2.66711214.1689042209.1539570009-905282613.1523017847)

(https://img.hmv.co.jp/news/image/hmv_pc/16/0518/news1251450.jpg)

Box 1 (48 cds) of the 204 cd set devoted to Kna.
I notice from the picture that the elusive 1955 Parsifal is not included in this set either... And the number "4" in 1954 is inverted for some strange reason  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on October 15, 2018, 07:22:05 PM
Quote from: Alberich on October 13, 2018, 08:54:22 AM
(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/CH10264.jpg)

A magical performance of Rachmaninoff's seldom heard and seldom recorded operatic masterpiece. I have never understood the accusations that Rachmaninoff supposedly couldn't write well for the human voice.

Yeah, those accusations are false. He wrote gloriously for the voice. One listen to The Bells, Three Russian Songs or All-Night Vigil will reveal this pretty quick or so I believe to be the case.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on October 15, 2018, 09:03:40 PM
I've seen the Miserly Knight, I can't remember where, it was fully staged though, I thought it was very very boring! 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 16, 2018, 07:29:21 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/814agL5Yb3L._SL1424_.jpg)

Santuzza was the first role Callas ever sang on stage - at the tender age of 15, in a student production. She sang the role once more with the Athens Opera in 1944 and never again on stage. Indeed if the mezzo who had been engaged for this recording hadn't dropped out at the last minute, she might not have even sung it again in the studio.

This 1953 recording remains one of the most recommendable versions of the opera sixty odd years since it was made, and not just for Callas, though her Santuzza is incomparable. No other singer manages to marry music and words with quite the same degree of intensity yet without straying from the letter of the score.

There are other reasons to treasure this version, not least the conducting of her mentor Tullio Serafin and the forces of La Scala, Milan. Di Stefano is also excellent, his Turiddu caddish, charming and ultimately genuinely remorseful. Between them Callas and Di Stefano work up a veritable lather in their central duet. Panerai is superb as Alfio, vengeful in his duet with Santuzza, but absolutely chilling in his short exchange with Turiddu. Ebe Ticozzi is a fine, sympathetic Mamma Lucia and Anna Maria Canali makes quite an impression as Lola, particularly in her brief scene with Santuzza.

The Karajan set might enjoy better sonics, but, to my mind, it doesn't bristle with true Sicilian fire the way this one does, however beautifully played and sung it is.

Fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/cavalleria-rusticana/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/cavalleria-rusticana/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 17, 2018, 05:19:58 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51I921h4PcL.jpg)

Eine Nacht in Venedig has had a somewhat complicated history. The original Strauss operetta enjoyed only a limited success, and was massively revised (by Korngold and Ernst Marischka) for a 1923 production, which is, with one or two re-arrangements, additions and omissions) the version used for this 1954 recording.

Regardless of editions, though, this performance, like the other operettas in this series, is an absolute joy, with superb performances from the house team of Schwarzkopf, Gedda, Loose and Kunz.

Thoroughly enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on October 21, 2018, 05:04:11 AM
Going to catch the new Zurich productoin of Franz Schreker's "Die Gezeichneten" Tuesday night ... totally unprepared, but curious (read a review and will try and get hold of the programme book before going ...) - here's the specifics:

https://www.opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/die-gezeichneten/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on October 21, 2018, 05:18:18 AM
Quote from: king ubu on October 21, 2018, 05:04:11 AM
Going to catch the new Zurich productoin of Franz Schreker's "Die Gezeichneten" Tuesday night ... totally unprepared, but curious (read a review and will try and get hold of the programme book before going ...) - here's the specifics:

https://www.opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/die-gezeichneten/
Have fun!!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 21, 2018, 09:49:20 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61x2q3CE9fL.jpg)

The all-important factor in successful Mozart opera performances is pacing. It emanates first from the podium, but must also be felt in the singers' recitatives, arias, duetting and ensembles. The conversational aspect in Da Ponte's librettos is what makes them flow so beautifully. This is fortunately well done here. It helps make an average cast sound better than they are individually. Jurinac, Sciutti and Cuénod are the best elements. Jurinac is actually the only world class vocalist in the group. None of the singers attempts something like a star turn. All told this is a refreshing second tier version of Le Nozze di Figaro.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2018, 03:45:24 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510SkN%2BvG9L.jpg)

Gorgeous music wonderfully performed, especially by Frederica Von Stade, who could not be more perfect as Cendrillon. In fact most of the recording is perfect, with one glaring omission. The role of Le Prince Charmant was conceived as a breeches role to be sung by a mezzo soprano or falcon (performed at the premiere by Georgette Bréjean-Gravière), but here it is given to the tenor Nicolai Gedda. Stylishly as he sings, he cannot disguise the fact that he is singing in the wrong octave and the substitution seriously damages the sound of the duets. I can't imagine why such a decision was made.

However I'll put up with him for the pleasure of hearing Von Stade in a role that fit her like a glove.

For those who have been following some of the earlier discussions, it should be noted that Teresa Cahill plays Noémie, one of the stepsisters.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2018, 09:06:03 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81N5BSzGOzL._SL1500_.jpg)

Oddly enough, I was listening earlier to an opera (Massenet's Cendrillon) where a female breeches role was given to a tenor, and the same happens here, though not quite to such detrimental effect. Rudolf Christ's languidly effete Orlovsky almost reconciles me to the change and is my only slight quibble about a superb, classic recording, which I happen to prefer to Karajan's later effort for Decca.

Though recorded in London with the Philharmonia, cast and conductor bring an echt Viennese quality to the whole enterprise, the judicially edited dialogue delivered in sparkling fashion. You don't really need to speak German to understand what's going on.

Schwarzkopf is a superb Rosalinde, none better, singing her Czardas with appropriate dash and swagger, the voice gloriously rich and firm; Streich a delightfully pert and flirtatious Adele; Gedda a properly tenor Eisenstein, with a fine line in comedy, especially when impersonating Blind in the final scene; Kunz a genially scheming Falke. Excellent contributions also from Krebs as Alfred, Dönch as Frank and Majkut as Blind.

Karajan's conducting is on the swift side, but the whole performance fizzes and pops like the very best brut champagne that the operetta celebrates.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 22, 2018, 11:18:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2018, 09:06:03 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81N5BSzGOzL._SL1500_.jpg)

I have that set in the EMI Karajan big box, it is very enjoyable. Although I have flirted with other sets, Domingo, Previn, Bohm, I keep returning to the Boskovsky with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on EMI. Rothenberger is a singer we rarely mention, she was superb in Mozart for example and is splendid here. Renata Holm is the other soprano and they really sound like they are having fun. Gedda is in the mix as is the best ever Orlovsky, Brigitte Fassbaender, she is properly sexy and ambiguous and sings without guying it or degrading the sound. No one starts the Bruderline ensemble like Fischer Dieskau does here, elevating it to the universal. It is a similar moment for me as the reconciliation at the end of Mozart's Figaro.

The whole thing fizzes along, the dialogue sparkles. It should be regarded as a classic.

The Bohm with Janowitz, Wachter and Holm again has Windgassen as a world weary and rather pallid prince. But as a whole, it is well worth hearing. Previn employs te Kanawa and Fassbaender, Gruberova and Bar. It goes well, but sounds like it was recorded in a huge bathroom. The Boskovsky is closely recorded and relatively intimate.

I don't recall much about the Domingo conducted set, apart from it not leaving much of an impression, though it has yet another great cast of singers. The Carlos Kleiber has some great singers, but Ivan Rebroff is a falsetto Orlovsky, and I really don't want to hear that.

Mike

PS The Boskovsky is available on Amazon UK for 1p plus postage!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2018, 12:59:12 PM
Quote from: knight66 on October 22, 2018, 11:18:10 AM
I have that set in the EMI Karajan big box, it is very enjoyable. Although I have flirted with other sets, Domingo, Previn, Bohm, I keep returning to the Boskovsky with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on EMI. Rothenberger is a singer we rarely mention, she was superb in Mozart for example and is splendid here. Renata Holm is the other soprano and they really sound like they are having fun. Gedda is in the mix as is the best ever Orlovsky, Brigitte Fassbaender, she is properly sexy and ambiguous and sings without guying it or degrading the sound. No one starts the Bruderline ensemble like Fischer Dieskau does here, elevating it to the universal. It is a similar moment for me as the reconciliation at the end of Mozart's Figaro.

The whole thing fizzes along, the dialogue sparkles. It should be regarded as a classic.

The Bohm with Janowitz, Wachter and Holm again has Windgassen as a world weary and rather pallid prince. But as a whole, it is well worth hearing. Previn employs te Kanawa and Fassbaender, Gruberova and Bar. It goes well, but sounds like it was recorded in a huge bathroom. The Boskovsky is closely recorded and relatively intimate.

I don't recall much about the Domingo conducted set, apart from it not leaving much of an impression, though it has yet another great cast of singers. The Carlos Kleiber has some great singers, but Ivan Rebroff is a falsetto Orlovsky, and I really don't want to hear that.

Mike

PS The Boskovsky is available on Amazon UK for 1p plus postage!

I haven't heard it in ages, so maybe I should get it. I remember quite enjoying it. I agree that Fassbänder is superb as Orlovsky, probably the best I've ever heard. Rothenberger and Holm are good too, but I find Schwarzkopf and Streich pretty unbeatable. Still it's only 1p plus postage. Maybe I should go for it. On the other hand, I suppose I could always track it down on Spotify.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 23, 2018, 03:19:36 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2018, 03:45:24 AM
The role of Le Prince Charmant was conceived as a breeches role to be sung by a mezzo soprano or falcon (performed at the premiere by Georgette Bréjean-Gravière), but here it is given to the tenor Nicolai Gedda. Stylishly as he sings, he cannot disguise the fact that he is singing in the wrong octave and the substitution seriously damages the sound of the duets. I can't imagine why such a decision was made.


From the essay in the original LP release of that recording:

QuoteIn order to suggest the prince's youth and grace, and to enhance the tender, ethereal quality of his love scenes with Cendrillon, Massenet composed the part for a falcon, .... Moreover, to prevent fashionable prime donne of the buxom kind from being miscast in the part, Massenet also stipulated in the score that the falcon should possess an appropriate physique du costume. (In a recording, of course, physique du costume matters not at all, but oral delineation of characters is of the utmost importance, especially in an unfamiliar work. Hence the role of the Prince is sung in the present recording by tenor Nicolai Gedda.)

I never bought that argument for casting a tenor, but there it is. If "oral delineation of characters" was of importance to the composer, he would have written the role for a different voice. And of course, two females can still have very different voices. Fortunately, the two productions I've seen live (New York City Opera 1983, and New Orleans Opera 2014) followed the composer's wishes.

A small correction: Georgette Bréjean-Gravière sang La Fée at the premiere, Marie-Louise van Émelen the Prince.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Draško on October 23, 2018, 04:23:11 AM
Speaking of Johann Strauss, Decca has recently reissued Clemens Krauss' Fledermaus and Zigeunerbaron. Anyone familiar with them?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71uSBc4XR-L._SL1200_.jpg)(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/718c0IZ6VNL._SL1200_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/711VmNNc4lL._SL1216_.jpg)(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61XU3feudiL._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 23, 2018, 11:21:12 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on October 23, 2018, 03:19:36 AM

A small correction: Georgette Bréjean-Gravière sang La Fée at the premiere, Marie-Louise van Émelen the Prince.

Absolutely right. My eyes jumped a line.

Still think it made no sense to cast a tenor as Le Prince, even if it was Nicolai Gedda.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 23, 2018, 11:42:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51n11KghrXL.jpg)

I've always preferred Massenet's setting of L'Abbé Prévost's novel to Puccini's. The Puccini tends to over-sentimentalise, where Massenet is much closer to the source material.

This classic recording has never really been bettered, and captures a style of performance practice you would never come across in today's more international climate. Monteux, who conducted the work many times in the theatre, had the score in his bones as did his Opéra-Comique resources, and cast of French singers. The only non French singer is Victoria De Los Angeles, who was nevertheless totally at home in French music, and well known the world over for her portrayal of Manon. She is unrivalled at conveying both the childlike inocence and worldy sensuality of the heroine, and she is here at her vocal best. Henri Legay might be considered a little too light of voice for Des Grieux, but he sings with elegance and style, and is totally convincing at suggesting the youth's inexperience as well as his passion and obsession. The rest of the cast is as well nigh ideal as you could get, which leaves the small matter of the sound. EMI's transfer is somewhat harsh and shrill, though it didn't deter me from enjoying the set. I'm told the Testament issue is much better. Has anyone heard it?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on October 23, 2018, 11:54:35 AM
Quote from: knight66 on October 22, 2018, 11:18:10 AM
I have that set in the EMI Karajan big box, it is very enjoyable. Although I have flirted with other sets, Domingo, Previn, Bohm, I keep returning to the Boskovsky with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on EMI. Rothenberger is a singer we rarely mention, she was superb in Mozart for example and is splendid here. Renata Holm is the other soprano and they really sound like they are having fun. Gedda is in the mix as is the best ever Orlovsky, Brigitte Fassbaender, she is properly sexy and ambiguous and sings without guying it or degrading the sound. No one starts the Bruderline ensemble like Fischer Dieskau does here, elevating it to the universal. It is a similar moment for me as the reconciliation at the end of Mozart's Figaro.

The whole thing fizzes along, the dialogue sparkles. It should be regarded as a classic.

The Bohm with Janowitz, Wachter and Holm again has Windgassen as a world weary and rather pallid prince. But as a whole, it is well worth hearing. Previn employs te Kanawa and Fassbaender, Gruberova and Bar. It goes well, but sounds like it was recorded in a huge bathroom. The Boskovsky is closely recorded and relatively intimate.

I don't recall much about the Domingo conducted set, apart from it not leaving much of an impression, though it has yet another great cast of singers. The Carlos Kleiber has some great singers, but Ivan Rebroff is a falsetto Orlovsky, and I really don't want to hear that.

Mike

PS The Boskovsky is available on Amazon UK for 1p plus postage!
I found the EMI set on Amazon, but didn't buy it while I thought about it. In the meantime, my wife bought something and thought I wanted it, so now I am getting it! hahaha. I guess it's fate. I love Boskovsky in this fare, and of course the singers are fabulous, so I expect I will quite enjoy it. My streak of not buying anything for at least six months is still intact! :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 23, 2018, 12:00:57 PM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on October 23, 2018, 11:54:35 AM
I found the EMI set on Amazon, but didn't buy it while I thought about it. In the meantime, my wife bought something and thought I wanted it, so now I am getting it! hahaha. I guess it's fate. I love Boskovsky in this fare, and of course the singers are fabulous, so I expect I will quite enjoy it. My streak of not buying anything for at least six months is still intact! :)

That is funny. You wil have to develop this skill of getting others to buy you things you want, then tell me how it is done. I hope you enjoy the Boskovsky; I listened to it last night and it was like meeting an old friend.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 23, 2018, 05:55:02 PM
Anyone has heard or heard of this 1949 version of Fledermaus by Fricsay ? It's available under various guises:

(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61gXDjR8pVL._SL500_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/412DP31CV9L.jpg)

(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Dec08/Strauss_Fledermaus_audite23411.jpg)

The Music web reviewer is quite enthusiastic.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Dec08/Strauss_Fledermaus_audite23411.htm (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Dec08/Strauss_Fledermaus_audite23411.htm)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 23, 2018, 09:08:37 PM
No Andre, I don't kow it, but show me anything by Fricsay that is less than excellent. I imagine it is worth a listen.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 29, 2018, 12:49:16 AM
(http://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h1629/4441629-origpic-5b7996.jpg)

Sibelius's only opera, a 35-40 minute work consisting of eight short scenes, is an early work (1896). Sibelius withdrew it shortly after its first performance and it remained unheard until a radio broadcast in 1981.

Not top notch Sibelius by any means, but worth an occasional listen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on October 30, 2018, 10:11:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51H3kdYtd5L._SY355_.jpg)

Pure awesomeness. One of my favorite French operas ever, to which this recording does full justice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 30, 2018, 10:15:30 AM
Quote from: Alberich on October 30, 2018, 10:11:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51H3kdYtd5L._SY355_.jpg)

Pure awesomeness. One of my favorite French operas ever, to which this recording does full justice.

I love this opera, and think this its best recording. It has an energy and vitality, which is absolutely perfect, and Gedda is in fabulous form.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 31, 2018, 07:57:59 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81WM-%2BAI5%2BL._SL1400_.jpg)

I find it hard to take seriously the sentimental religiosity of Massenet's Thaïs, and no doubt Massenet felt the same. As he said about an earlier sacred-drama of his Marie-Magdalène, he himself didn't believe in "all that Holy Father stuff — but the public likes it". Sex and religion frequently go hand in hand in late nineteenth century opera, and Thaïs ends with the courtesan finding God whilst the monk Athanaël succombs to his lust.

Whether the public still likes this "Holy Father stuff" is a moot point, but it did provide Renée Fleming with a role to showcase her gorgeous vocals, and we should be thankful that she was able to take her portrayal into the studios, because up until then the opera had not been particuarly happy on disc. I doubt we will ever hear a better recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: marvinbrown on November 01, 2018, 02:03:25 AM


  As I put the first CD in my player I knew Tsaraslondon  8) would approve:

  [asin]B00KTQD7ZA[/asin]

  This 2014 remastering is done to perfection!

  marvin
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 01, 2018, 02:05:30 PM
Quote from: marvinbrown on November 01, 2018, 02:03:25 AM

  As I put the first CD in my player I knew Tsaraslondon  8) would approve:

  [asin]B00KTQD7ZA[/asin]

  This 2014 remastering is done to perfection!

  marvin

This was my first ever complete opera set so I have a great deal of affection for it. True, Callas is in better voice in the 1954 recording, but this one has the better cast and better sound, and Callas's portrayal has deepened.

My favourite of all her Normas, though, is a live 1955 La Scala account, with Del Monaco as Pollione and Simionato as Adalgisa, where voice and artistry find their truest equilibrium. The sound on the Divina Records transfer is pretty good too. It's well worth seeking out.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 03, 2018, 01:42:15 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51d%2BaQ-SusL.jpg)

Many years ago I remember seeing a fantastic David Pountney production of this opera at the English National Opera. That was back in 1987, and this, the premiere recording of Shostakovich's original score was recorded in 1978.

Though there have been other recordings and plenty of other stagings since then, this first recording still packs quite a punch, with the husband and wife team of Rostropvich and Vishneskaya creating something quite special. In Vishnevskaya the opera has found its perfect Katerina, and there are superb performances from the rest of the cast, especially Gedda's Sergei and Petkov's Boris.

One of the towering achievements of the gramophone, which garnered many awards when first issued in 1979.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: marvinbrown on November 03, 2018, 10:32:52 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 01, 2018, 02:05:30 PM
This was my first ever complete opera set so I have a great deal of affection for it. True, Callas is in better voice in the 1954 recording, but this one has the better cast and better sound, and Callas's portrayal has deepened.

My favourite of all her Normas, though, is a live 1955 La Scala account, with Del Monaco as Pollione and Simionato as Adalgisa, where voice and artistry find their truest equilibrium. The sound on the Divina Records transfer is pretty good too. It's well worth seeking out.

  I am not familiar with the 1955 recordings and will check it out in the future (mental note).  The 2014 remastering is astonishingly good.  Callas voice is crystal clear. It is as if she was standing right in front of me as she was singing.  Its a 1960 recording. You would have thought it was recorded yesterday.   I don't know how they were able to "clean them up" sonically to get such impressive sonic results. I believe it was remastered here in London, at Abbey Studios maybe?

  marvin
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on November 03, 2018, 11:44:27 PM
NP:

[asin]B0040UEI6S[/asin]

From the Box-Set:

[asin]B00FM60U8E[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 04, 2018, 01:48:07 PM
(https://resources.wimpmusic.com/images/1e494145/e1ec/4c57/8ba1/9ff87ac3e0be/640x640.jpg)

As Turandot and the Unknown Prince, Nilsson and Corelli were box office dynamite. Nilsson famously quipped « Isolde made me famous, Turandot made me rich ». They recorded the opera for EMI in 1965 and sang it on stage in NY (this 1961 Met production as well as in 1966 under Mehta), in Milan (December 1964, the first time a non-italian soprano opened the Scala season) as well as in Macerata in 1971.

I have the EMI set as well as the La Scala, which I plan to listen to also. This was my first hearing of this legendary production. It has to be said that on the musical side things seem to go swimmingly. But that can hardly be gleaned from the wretched recorded sound. Most damaging is the huge dynamic compression in loud passages, especially in the second act and in the last scene of the third act.

Nilsson is commanding and sings with gusto and Corelli matches her note for note in the big duets. Giaiotti as Timur is superb and, after a shaky start in Signore ascolta, Anna Moffo is an exellent Liù.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 05, 2018, 10:15:34 AM
From the WAYL thread:


Quote from: André on November 05, 2018, 06:09:10 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514tdmneYIL._SX363_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

Act I is under way. The sight of Turandot got Calaf ensnared (« O divina bellezza, O meraviglia»). This lavishly illustrated 120 page book includes a libretto as well as the cds (of course). The sound is quite good. This was a prestige production directed by Margherita Wallmann. After the lousy sounding Stokowski Met production it's a relief to hear the opera in good sonic conditions - for a 1960s live recording, that is.

This 1964 opening night performance is a rerun of previous Nilsson-Corelli confrontations in Turandot at La Scala (1958, 1960, 1962). It captures both supersingers in fine form - esp the stentorian Calaf of Corelli, who nonetheless manages some meltingly warm pianissimi. Nilsson was in slightly warmer voice at the Met, but she owns the role of the Ice Princess. The novelty is the Liù of the russian prima donna from the Bolshoi, Galina Vishnevskaya. She delivers a heartfelt performance and some beautiful vocalism. All the smaller roles are very well handled, esp Nicola Zaccaria's touching Timur. Gavazzeni conducts very well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2018, 01:02:10 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61yVz0Nuk2L.jpg)

Werther has been particularly lucky on disc, right from its first recording with Thill and Vallin, but, of modern recordings, this one might just be the best of all, much as I enjoy those featuring Gedda and De Los Angeles, Carreras and Von Stade or Kraus and Troyanos.

Alagna is always at his best in French opera and his Werther is no exception, sensitively pharsed and suitably impassioned. True, the role of Charlotte lies a little low for Gheorghiu, but she sings quite beautifully and the London Symphony Orchestra play superbly under Antonio Pappano's assured direction.

Highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 06, 2018, 05:17:32 AM
Turandot by Puccini from this box:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51z-xoaeI1L.jpg)

Two very big pluses: the overall strong singing and superb characterization of Maria Callas in the title role and the playing/singing of the La Scala forces under Tullio Serafin. Despite its superhuman requirements in the vocalism department, Turandot is a huge choral symphony and should be conducted with a view for the long arc, like Schoenberg's Gurrelieder or Mahler's 8th symphony.

...............................

Callas sang a stronger in questa reggia in an earlier recital disc, but her characterization of Turandot goes far beyond that in the rest of the opera, where her command of the text is nothing short of miraculous. Her diction and delivery are so natural that you could write down the text from hearing her sing the part. The way she intones "amore" (twice: when she questions Liù, she is incredulous; when she proclaims it as Calaf's name at the end she is exultant) is a lesson in psychological development.

Eugenio Fernandi sings strongly despite an ungainly tone, somewhat like an american tenor (Peerce, Tucker). In a couple of crucial passages he squeaks like a capon, but otherwise he is strong of tone and true of intonation. As Liù Mrs. Legge spins a couple of magical pianissimo high notes, but otherwise I find her singing precious, matronly and arch. It's hard to believe the same singer could have such different tones coming her vocal cords. The excellent Nicola Zaccaria had a kind of monopoly on the role of Timur. He is totally believable and touching. Only Bonaldo Giaiotti was as good. The sound is very good (mono) and the conducting suitably strong. Serafin is superb at making the score surge forward relentlessly without ever suggesting any haste.

Curio: emperor Altoum is sung by Giuseppe Nessi, who sang the first Pong under Toscanini in 1926. He sounds appropriately old here, but I much prefer Hugues Cuénod who sang it for his Met debut in 1988, when he was 86 years young. Cuénod's tone never wobbles and his characterization is simply perfect. Check him in this youtube extract: talk about stealing the show !


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ach0ummlOd4 (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ach0ummlOd4)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2018, 07:56:29 AM
As you might imagine, I enjoy this set quite a bit, not least for the psychologically perceptive characterisation of Callas, whilst wishing she had recorded it just a few years earlier, when she was still able to deliver a superb and vocally resplendent In questa reggia, as she does on her 1954 Puccini Arias recital. That said, though the strain is evident, I don't think her vocal deterioration is anywhere near as bad as has been made out, and certainly she sounds much more vocally entitled than Ricciarelli for Karajan.

Unlike you, I've always enjoyed Schwarzkopf's meticulously executed and beautifully shaded  singing as Liu, whilst admitting she does sound more like a Viennese Duchess than a slave girl. Zaccaria is excellent, Fernandi OK, though it's a great pity Corelli wasn't engaed to sing with Callas until three years later (the second Norma). Serafin's conducting is thrilling and I just wish that it had been recorded in stereo. Turandot, of all operas, demands sonic splendour. This was 1957. What a shame Legge was so mistrustful of the relatively new stereo.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2018, 06:50:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41R0uNXkmSL.jpg)

This is actually Davis's second recording of Saint-Saëns' most popuar opera. the first made in London with José Cura as Samson and Olga Borodina as Dalila. If memory serves me correctly, they were both more richly endowed vocally than Carreras and Baltsa, but less communicative, hence my preference for this one. Though both of them are caught just a little past their peak, (Carreras strained by the more dramatic upper reaches of the role and Baltsa once or twice developing a pronounced beat in the voice) they are thoroughly inside their respective roles and sensitive to the needs of the drama.

Davis often conducted the opera in the theatre and his experience with the piece pays dividends. His reading is superbly paced and balanced.

There have been quite a few recordings of the opera, none of them entirely recommendable, but this one seems to me as good as any.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 07, 2018, 06:59:20 AM
I used to have a highlights disc of the Vickers/Gorr EMI set, but I wasn't satisfied with it, mostly on technical grounds. Both singers were so well endowed vocally that the EMI microphones seemed to overload whenever they were singing. Gorr's Dalila in particular was a casualty. She tended to sound boomy of voice and quite the dominatrix interpretively. I wonder if there is a good-sounding remastering of that set ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2018, 07:12:11 AM
Quote from: André on November 07, 2018, 06:59:20 AM
I used to have a highlights disc of the Vickers/Gorr EMI set, but I wasn't satisfied with it, mostly on technical grounds. Both singers were so well endowed vocally that the EMI microphones seemed to overload whenever they were singing. Gorr's Dalila in particular was a casualty. She tended to sound boomy of voice and quite the dominatrix interpretively. I wonder if there is a good-sounding remastering of that set ?

If there is I'm not sure it would make that much difference to Gorr, who, to my ears, has always sounded more maternal than sensual. Baltsa is leaner of voice but has a leonine sensuality which is altogether more sexy.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 07, 2018, 07:29:49 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2018, 07:12:11 AM
If there is I'm not sure it would make that much difference to Gorr, who, to my ears, has always sounded more maternal than sensual. Baltsa is leaner of voice but has a leonine sensuality which is altogether more sexy.

Gorr was a fantastic Ortrud, the only one to give Astrid Varnay a run for her money. But I agree that doesn't necessarily make her a good match for Dalila, who needs to sound both menacing and vulnerable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2018, 07:38:43 AM
Quote from: André on November 07, 2018, 07:29:49 AM
Gorr was a fantastic Ortrud, the only one to give Astrid Varnay a run for her money. But I agree that doesn't necessarily make her a good match for Dalila, who needs to sound both menacing and vulnerable.

Callas absolutely nails it in her recording of the three main arias, but I imagine the role would have lain a bit too low for her in the theatre. Walter Legge said that she had difficulty maintaining the low tessitura. Mon coeur s'ouvre is gorgeously sensual, and she is one of the very few singers to sing exactly what Saint-Saëns wrote, which is that the phrase Ah réponds à ma tendresse be sung in one (very long) breath. Most of them break the line by addingan extra réponds. Oddly she never approved it for publication and it was only first released after she'd died.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 07, 2018, 07:54:41 AM
Agreed. Hers are still benchmark performances of Dalila's arias. The descent into the lower reaches of the voice at succombera sous mes efforts is amazing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on November 08, 2018, 01:57:35 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2018, 06:50:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41R0uNXkmSL.jpg)

This is actually Davis's second recording of Saint-Saëns' most popular opera. the first made in London with José Cura as Samson and Olga Borodina as Dalila.

Actually, the Carreras recording came first, released in 1991, the year before Cura's operatic debut.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 08, 2018, 02:32:49 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on November 08, 2018, 01:57:35 AM
Actually, the Carreras recording came first, released in 1991, the year before Cura's operatic debut.

Apologies. My memory is incorrect then. I should have checked.

I did have the recording with Cura and Borodina, but got rid of it when I bought this one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2018, 12:29:53 AM
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0238/9583/products/10896-2front.jpeg?v=1478281535)

Slightly muddy sound, but Carreras is at his youthful, honeyed best, and Baltsa too is in enviable vocal form, the voice seamless from top to bottom.

The opera is worth investigating too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 10, 2018, 12:12:31 PM
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6VYW0mCl7lo/UrM8FPZj_hI/AAAAAAAACPo/usWmCdCBoeE/s1600/Puccini+Turandot+Ricciarelli++Domingo+Hendricks+Raimondi+Karajan.jpg)

The sonic splendour of this production towers above all other productions I've heard, whether it's in the placement of the off-stage choruses (beg of act III for example), the myriad interventions of the percussion and harps, or the pipe organ (yes, there's an organ playing, and you can't miss it here, esp at the end of the second act). There are countless little touches that show what an unusually refined score this is, something that is lost in the hustle and bustle of some other recordings more interested in staging a vocal dog fight.

Karajan's is a leisurely take on the opera. Most versions sail throuh the score in 110-117 minutes, Karajan in 132. And yet, despite some patches of indulgent wallowing, Karajan maintains a density of string sound that in itself provides a firm, secure foundation that generates its own inner tension. Above it, the rest of the complex orchestration can be heard as in no other version: winds, harps, the different types of bells and gongs and so forth. The various choruses get their due too. I wrote that IMO this is a huge choral symphony with solo voices, a bit like Mahler's 8th or Schoenberg's Gurrelieder. Karajan (like Serafin) perfectly understands that, generating a powerful dramatic sweep.

In view of that, solo voices tend to have a different function than what one would expect from an operatic blockbuster. Individual characterizations tend to emphasize a solemn, hieratic posture, certainly appropriate for an old legend with phantoms of the dead and a living god. The resulting shift of perspective integrates well with the conductor's view, but it has to be said that characters lose in immediacy and humanity and the action sometimes hangs fire. This affects mostly the title role. The consensus on Ricciarelli's Turandot is that she is vocally lost at sea. I would not be concerned overmuch with that if she had shown some spunk in her singing delivery. Her assumption of Turandot as a living god initially takes her in the wrong direction. In the last act, however, her transformation into a flesh and blood woman finally makes her interesting to listen to. But bear in mind that Turandot is the shortest of all big soprano roles - or the biggest of the short soprano roles. If it was a movie, hers could be mistaken for a supporting part.

As Calaf, Domingo is refulgent of tone and sings with great involvement. He takes the optional high C at the end of II (ti voglio ardente d'amor), and that shows the limits of his abilities. Still, one of the more impressive Calafs around. Barbara Hendricks sings a touching Liù and to my ears her unusual vocal make-up, with its flickering vibrato and silvery tones is just what the role needs. I find Raimondi too reticent verbally - unusual for him - as Timur, but he is superb vocally. The three ministers and the Mandarin are one of the set's big assets. They do have important roles vocally and dramatically y have been cast from strength (Francisco Araiza as Pong !).

To sum up: an unusual, idiosyncratic view of Puccini's La-La Land operatic fantasy, but one that convincingly presents the work as the culmination of romantic opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 11, 2018, 05:28:33 AM
Quote from: André on November 10, 2018, 12:12:31 PM
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6VYW0mCl7lo/UrM8FPZj_hI/AAAAAAAACPo/usWmCdCBoeE/s1600/Puccini+Turandot+Ricciarelli++Domingo+Hendricks+Raimondi+Karajan.jpg)

The sonic splendour of this production towers above all other productions I've heard, whether it's in the placement of the off-stage choruses (beg of act III for example), the myriad interventions of the percussion and harps, or the pipe organ (yes, there's an organ playing, and you can't miss it here, esp at the end of the second act). There are countless little touches that show what an unusually refined score this is, something that is lost in the hustle and bustle of some other recordings more interested in staging a vocal dog fight.

Karajan's is a leisurely take on the opera. Most versions sail throuh the score in 110-117 minutes, Karajan in 132. And yet, despite some patches of indulgent wallowing, Karajan maintains a density of string sound that in itself provides a firm, secure foundation that generates its own inner tension. Above it, the rest of the complex orchestration can be heard as in no other version: winds, harps, the different types of bells and gongs and so forth. The various choruses get their due too. I wrote that IMO this is a huge choral symphony with solo voices, a bit like Mahler's 8th or Schoenberg's Gurrelieder. Karajan (like Serafin) perfectly understands that, generating a powerful dramatic sweep.

In view of that, solo voices tend to have a different function than what one would expect from an operatic blockbuster. Individual characterizations tend to emphasize a solemn, hieratic posture, certainly appropriate for an old legend with phantoms of the dead and a living god. The resulting shift of perspective integrates well with the conductor's view, but it has to be said that characters lose in immediacy and humanity and the action sometimes hangs fire. This affects mostly the title role. The consensus on Ricciarelli's Turandot is that she is vocally lost at sea. I would not be concerned overmuch with that if she had shown some spunk in her singing delivery. Her assumption of Turandot as a living god initially takes her in the wrong direction. In the last act, however, her transformation into a flesh and blood woman finally makes her interesting to listen to. But bear in mind that Turandot is the shortest of all big soprano roles - or the biggest of the short soprano roles. If it was a movie, hers could be mistaken for a supporting part.

As Calaf, Domingo is refulgent of tone and sings with great involvement. He takes the optional high C at the end of II (ti voglio ardente d'amor), and that shows the limits of his abilities. Still, one of the more impressive Calafs around. Barbara Hendricks sings a touching Liù and to my ears her unusual vocal make-up, with its flickering vibrato and silvery tones is just what the role needs. I find Raimondi too reticent verbally - unusual for him - as Timur, but he is superb vocally. The three ministers and the Mandarin are one of the set's big assets. They do have important roles vocally and dramatically y have been cast from strength (Francisco Araiza as Pong !).

To sum up: an unusual, idiosyncratic view of Puccini's La-La Land operatic fantasy, but one that convincingly presents the work as the culmination of romantic opera.

Good review, André. Your views largely concur with mine. Orchestrally, chorally and sonically it has a lot to offer, but I'm not sure it's quite what Puccini had in mind. My favourite of the soloists is Hendricks, whose Liu is one of my favourites, and reminds me that I actually heard her once sing the role in a concert performance of the opera, which included the original Alfano ending. She took the vocal honours on that night too. Sylvia Sass was the Turandot and she was a good deal better than she had been as Norma a couple of seasons previously at Covent Garden. Still, for expressiveness and beauty of tone, Hendricks easily outclassed her. Franco Bonisolli was the Calaf, and admittedly he had a fair amout of vocal muscle, but, on this occasion at least, proved to be a vulgur performer, thusting out his chest and waiting for appause from the gallery after every high note. The habit becamse so pronounced that it evetually provoked titters from the audience. It was a a very curious evening.

I haven't listened to it, but I see that the performance appears to be available on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut9AoBLiACk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut9AoBLiACk)

Owain Orwel Hughes, who conducted,  says in his memoirs that the orchestra was the LSO not the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Covent Garden. He also remembers how difficult Bonisolli was and how he constantly tried to upstage his colleagues. It didn't work  ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 12, 2018, 02:18:30 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81tS9wiCHPL._SL1500_.jpg)

What a joy this recording is. OK, so the score is cut, but the performance exudes more high spirits and sheer fun than any of the more urtext versions that followed it.

Though Callas's Rosina, unlike her recording of the role, was not well received at La Scala in 1956, her Fiorilla, which she first sang at the tiny Eliseo Theatre in Rome in 1950 seems to have been an unqualified success. This recording was made shortly before more performances of the role at La Scala in 1955, with substantially the same cast, in a sparkling new production by Franco Zeffirelli.

Like Gui's recordings of Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Le Comte Ory, and like Callas's studio recording of Il Barbiere di Sivigia, there is a real sense of a stage production with an ensemble thoroughly at home in the medium and enjoying themselves enormously.

Sheer delight from beginning to end.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on November 12, 2018, 05:45:58 AM
First partial listen through to [asin]B07GW3XFBB[/asin]. 

I was really looking forward to hearing this having thought ever since the Mauceri recording that this is the "ultimate" Korngold score.  First impressions not great, the voices are simply not good enough and the orchestra as recorded does not have the weight of tone this opulent score requires.  Hopefully it will get better as I hear more......
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on November 13, 2018, 12:32:46 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2018, 06:50:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41R0uNXkmSL.jpg)

Stage make up and costume jewelry -especially in opera- should never be photographed that close...
Mr. Carreras is neither Victor Mature nor mrs. Baltsa Hedy Lamarr ...

(https://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/03/30/arts/30HOBERMAN_SPAN/30HOBERMAN_SPAN-jumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 14, 2018, 11:50:18 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512X%2BQRVBxL.jpg)

Wonderful performance of the Naples version of Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on November 17, 2018, 12:42:31 AM
NP:

[asin]B01HU40UQ2[/asin]

From the Box-Set:

[asin]B00A4AI17A[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 17, 2018, 01:00:14 AM
It's gone very quiet here recently. Where has everyone gone?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81BigZI1BfL._SL1431_.jpg)

I don't know how this performance, recorded live at a concert performance in Wildbad in 2012, compares with the recent Opera Rara set, but it does have a lot to commend it. For a start, and unlike the famous Bonynge recording, the score is performed complete, which means it runs about one hour longer.

Though there is of course some stunning singing from Sutherland and Horne on the Bonynge recording, it is seriously let down by weak male soloists. Lorenzo Regazzo as Oroe and John Osborn as Idreno are a great impovement, the latter granted the arias that were cut from the Bonynge recording. Alex Penda doesn't offer the stunning pyrotechnics we get from Sutherland, whose performance of Bel Raggio on her Art of the Prima Donna reciital has long been my benchmark, but she is a much more forceful, more dramatically alive presence as Semiramide, and her exciting performance grew on me as the opera progressed. On the other hand Mariana Pizzolato's Arsace, reasonably well sung but dully charcterised, doesn't begin to erase memories of Marilyn Horne in one of her very best recordings.

The sound in s trifle dull, but the liveliness of Antonino Fogliani's conducting comes across well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on November 17, 2018, 03:13:50 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 17, 2018, 01:00:14 AM
It's gone very quiet here recently. Where has everyone gone?


I'm bad about not posting my listening. Earlier this week, I gave a first listen to this, which I picked up used for only $4.00 when I was in New Orleans last Sunday for New Orleans Opera's production of Rameau's Pygmalion.

[asin]B000001RRY[/asin]

Today, an opera much more familiar to me. The first review I read about it described it as "unloveable". I beg to differ.

[asin]B00GKQRM7W[/asin]

Hmm. "Image unavailable" for the second picture? Anyway to save y'all from having to click on it, it's Boulez' second (DG) recording of Moses und Aron.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 17, 2018, 05:02:53 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71o9xPi-%2BjL._SX479_.jpg)

Ever since its issue back in 1972 this recording has been touted - at least by the british press - as the one to have above all others. Eventually the tide ebbed and it's become fashionable to whine about its deficiencies, real or imagined.

Personally I find this version of Turandot one of the top recordings of any opera ever recorded. Not that it's flawless. There are some miscalculations, a couple of pumped up performances and a general deficiency in authentic italianità. The cast is certainly as international as it gets, with an australian Turandot, an italian Calaf, a spanish/catalan Liù, a bulgarian Timur, an english Emperor, a finnish Ping, an english set of choristers etc. All are experienced professionals and there is not a bad accent to be heard. But it's only fair to say that any hint of verbal cloud or mist disappears when Pavarotti sings. More than his famously beautiful tones, his superb diction and perfect enunciation of the text illuminates his Calaf more than with any other singer of the role I know (Corelli, too, is Italian, but his diction is sometimes sloppy and the famous lisp intrudes every once in a while). Pavarotti is not a great vocal actor, but a reasonably good one and what he has, he has: the sunniest tones this side of Bjoerling and the best italian diction of all modern Calafs.

It's hard to resist using a big, beautiful bass voice in the role of Timur. And yet the role is that of a deposed, fugitive king much diminished physically. Therefore casting a huge, and hugely healthy voice like Ghiaurov's stretches credulity. Also, Pavarotti's Calaf is helped by the microphones in the first act. The balance is redressed at the end of In questa reggia and the ensuing Riddle Scene, where he must compete with Sutherland without artificial pumping of the volume. Unsurprisingly, she drowns him handily when they both sing at the top of their lungs.

Top notes for Caballé's Liù (substantially better than I had remembered) and the smaller roles of Emperor Altoum and the Three Ministers (superb Tom Krause). Sutherland has been much maligned by the peanut gallery of internet critics. In my view she gives a phenomenal vocal interpretation and a commendably solid characterization. Admittedly the range of emotions that pass her tonsils is more limited than Callas', or even Nilsson's, but then again Turandot is no Violetta. The character is unbelievable to start with, and remains so until the end. Only Callas manages to infuse the part with a sense of humanity that engages the listener's feelings. It should be noted that, vocally, there is no real contest between Sutherland and Nilsson in the part. Their respective vocal complexions are so different from one another that it's impossible to make comparisons.

The real stars of this recording and, ultimately the ones responsible for making it indispensable are the conductor, the producers and the sound engineers. Mehta has 4 recordings of Turandot to his credit (this was his first), so we can only assume he understands and loves the work. I have enthused about the superbly idiomatic conducting of Serafin and the provocatively probing insights of Karajan. In a sense Mehta is a much plainer opera conductor, but he catches the blend of propulsiveness and expansion that make it so difficult to pace (Erede is rythmically stodgy, Molinari-Pradelli incisive to the point of rigidity). Turandot mixes a phantasmagoric oriental legend with elements of the italian commedia dell'arte, and Puccini lavished on the work incredibly elaborate and sumptuous choral and orchestral colours. The forces assembled for this recording have been marshalled by conductor, producer and texhnicians to a level of magnificence unattained previously. Only DGG's production really compares and yet, it has its own inadequacies to contend with.

Small imperfections that do not really detract from this recording then. It remains  a remarkable achievement.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 18, 2018, 12:33:27 AM
I listened to Mehta and Karajan more or less back to back myself recently, and I pretty much agree with all your points on both sets. Though it's a lot better here than on some of her other sets, Sutherland's muddy diction bothers me more than most, I suppose, especially when set beside Pavarotti's well nigh perfect enunciation of the text, but there is the compensation of the beauty of the voice itself, an aural equivalent of the beauty that so many princes risk their lives for. For me, Nilsson, for all her clarion top notes, doesn't sound, in any way shape or form, alluring, one of the problems I also have with her Salome. Ricciarelli is an experiment that doesn't quite come off. Callas, the most interesting of them all, was recorded just a few years too late. If only the Serafin's set had been recorded when she recorded In questa reggia for her Puccini recital.

Pavarotti is probably my favourite of modern day Calafs, for all the reaosons you mention. As for Liu, well Hendricks, gorgeously vulnerable and sweet-toned, takes the palm for me. I love both Caballé and Scwharzkopf, and they both sing divinely, but neither of them really sounds like a slave girl. Caballé is too much the grande dame and Schwarzkopf too much the Austrian duchess. Zaccaria is my favourite Timur, and Serafin also has a wonderfully characterful Ping, Pang and Pong, not to mention Giuseppe Nessi, who sang Pang at  the first performance of Turandot, as the Emperor.

Had Serafin been accorded the sort of sound Mehta and Karajan get, I might well also have placed him higher than either Mehta or Karajan. His unforced, totally natural, italianate conducting is rarely given the credit it deserves.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 18, 2018, 04:32:54 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71H5GlVsepL._SX425_.jpg)

I just love this performance, which has a passion and exuberance often missing from the cooler, more restrained performances that we have become used to. There are some big names amongst the singers and they tend to be quite expressive, but I like it, whatever the purists might have to say. Natalie Dessay's brilliantly charcterised Musica gets us off to a great start, and from then the performance never flags.

Highly enjoyable, even for those who normally don't respond to early music or HIP.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on November 18, 2018, 05:53:29 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 18, 2018, 12:33:27 AM
I listened to Mehta and Karajan more or less back to back myself recently, and I pretty much agree with all your points on both sets. Though it's a lot better here than on some of her other sets, Sutherland's muddy diction bothers me more than most, I suppose, especially when set beside Pavarotti's well nigh perfect enunciation of the text, but there is the compensation of the beauty of the voice itself, an aural equivalent of the beauty that so many princes risk their lives for. For me, Nilsson, for all her clarion top notes, doesn't sound, in any way shape or form, alluring, one of the problems I also have with her Salome. Ricciarelli is an experiment that doesn't quite come off. Callas, the most interesting of them all, was recorded just a few years too late. If only the Serafin had been recorded when she recorded In questa reggia for her Puccini recital.

Pavarotti is probably my favourite of modern day Calafs, for all the reaosons you mention. As for Liu, well Hendricks, gorgeously vulnerable and sweet-toned, takes the palm for me. I love both Caballé and Scwharzkopf, and they both sing divinely, but neither of them really sounds like a slave girl. Caballé is too much the grande dame and Schwarzkopf too much the Austrian duchess. Zaccaria is my favourite Timur, and Serafin also has a wonderfully characterful Ping, Pang and Pong, not to mention Giuseppe Nessi, who sang Pang at  the first performance of Turandot, as the Emperor.

Had Serafin been accorded the sort of sound Mehta and Karajan get, I might well also have placed him higher than either Mehta or Karajan. His unforced, totally natural, italianate conducting is rarely given the credit it deserves.


I agree pretty much with both of you about the relative pros and minuses of the Karajan and Mehta performances. A couple of weeks ago, I said pretty much the same thing as you about Hendricks (either here or in general listening thread). She is really the star of that set. Her voice is much more suited to the role and her characterization is just perfect.

I'm sorry I haven't been posting here much, but haven't really been listening to much of anything lately because of my job (and time limitations from that). But I have been reading everything even if I could not comment. It's been very enjoyable to read such well thought out comments.

I almost bought the new Semiramide on Opera Rara, so I'd love to hear how that compares to the Naxos, which was what I was originally going to buy (an opera i don't yet own on disc).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 18, 2018, 09:48:40 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 17, 2018, 01:00:14 AM
It's gone very quiet here recently. Where has everyone gone?
...
I haven't been listening to much opera lately, but I always read your contributions with interest, Tsaraslondon.

Cross-posted from the WAYLTN thread in the general forum:

Quote from: ritter on November 18, 2018, 09:41:47 AM
First listen to this rarity:

[asin]B00H87JYS2[/asin]

Walter Braunfels's Verkündigung is a setting (in German translation) of Paul Claudel's mystery play L'annonce faite à Marie, and thus can be seen as a reflection of i) the composer's fervent Catholicism  after his conversion  from Protestantism, ii) the allure Claudel's verse had for composers (cf. Honegger and Milhaud), and iii) the to me rather surprising positive reaction to Claudel's oeuvre in Germany (I remember once seeing a huge tome dealing with "Paul Claudel and the German Stage" in a bookstore in Berlin, but the subject matter was really too specialised for me to look into it any further).

This opera was completed in "internal exile" in 1935, but only premiered in 1948 (performances under the Nazi regime were out of the question  >:(, as Braunfels was partly of Jewish descent). To be honest, I don't find Claudel's (early) play very alluring (a medieval story of self-renunciation, involving leprosy and the resurrection of a dead child), and Braunfel's late-romantic style, with a declamated singing line, becomes rather tedious. The best bits IMHO are some orchestral passages and accompaniments, but these are unfortunately few and far between. One reviewer (https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2015/2/Recordings/BRAUNFELS__Verk%C3%BCndigung.html) of another, more recent recording, points out that the work is almost entirely uninfluenced by Wagner, but I can't help but thinking that long stretches of it do remind me of Wagner (Siegfried, that is, not Richard  ;)). Wagner junior's usually pagan medievalism sounds uncannily similar to Braunfel's Christian one... ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 19, 2018, 12:34:20 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on November 18, 2018, 05:53:29 AM


I almost bought the new Semiramide on Opera Rara, so I'd love to hear how that compares to the Naxos, which was what I was originally going to buy (an opera i don't yet own on disc).

I still haven't heard the new Opera Rara set, but the Naxos isn't bad at all. Penda is thrilling, if occasionally a little wayward, Pizzolato a bit dull, and the men, especially Osborn, really good. The Naxos is a good deal cheaper too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 19, 2018, 04:46:32 PM
Not listened to, but ordered last night
(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/non-muze2/large/2275874.jpg)

The blurb on Arkivmusic's item page
QuoteA vivid demonstration of how widely Fabio Biondi's musical imagination runs comes with his new recording of Giuseppe Verdi's work of genius, Macbeth, issued on Glossa. It is the original Florentine 1847 version of the work, shorn of the Paris revisions more typically found on record, which Fabio Biondi has opted to conduct, the director believing in its greater dramatic and stylistic coherence. Verdi was of the opinion that the Shakespearean tragedy was "one of the greatest creations of the human spirit" and set himself the task of rendering the fire of its drama into music during and following a period when his physical health had broken down. With its scenes of murder, battle and sleep-walking, brindisi and witches' choruses all creating a somber atmosphere drenched with paranoia and a lust for power, the dramatic flow of the opera places vast demands on the soloists, notably upon the unhappy title-role couple. Fabio Biondi's version comes with baritone Giovanni Meoni, a leading Verdi specialist as Macbeth whilst the larger-than-life role of Lady Macbeth is taken by a noted present-day Salome, Médée (and Medea), the soprano Nadja Michael. Bass Fabrizio Beggi assumes the part of Banquo, both when alive and as a ghost. Important also in the work is the chorus, a leading protagonist for the composer, and here the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir. Critical also is Verdi's orchestral writing for Macbeth, introducing rare and radical tonal colorings and Fabio Biondi, directing his Europa Galante from the violin, is just the radical, challenging musical spirit to breathe new life into Verdi's masterpiece and its search for dramatic truth
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 19, 2018, 11:45:02 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51qqlJAKEoL.jpg)

I saw Baltsa as Isabella at Covent Garden in the production on which this Vienna recording was based back in 1988. Common to it and the recording were Baltsa, Lopardo and Corbelli, but it was conducted by Gabriele Ferro and the Mustafa was the experienced buffo bass Paolo Montarsolo. I remember it as being particularly high spirited, with Baltsa hilarious as the Italian Girl, who runs rings round every man she comes in contact with. Unfortunately this studio recording, which was made the following year in Vienna, fails to take off in quite the same way, and it's all a bit earthbound, all a bit po-faced.

Something of a disappointment.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on November 20, 2018, 06:59:27 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/619FYXeTo7L._SY355_.jpg)

First listen to this opera. I'm not a huge fan of Rossini - his operas often sound like a bad copy of Mozart (and Mozart is not my top composers either) but this has been so far fairly interesting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 20, 2018, 09:24:51 AM
Quote from: Alberich on November 20, 2018, 06:59:27 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/619FYXeTo7L._SY355_.jpg)

First listen to this opera. I'm not a huge fan of Rossini - his operas often sound like a bad copy of Mozart (and Mozart is not my top composers either) but this has been so far fairly interesting.

I prefer the original French version, and fortunately there is a very good recording of it featuring Bacquier, Gedda and Caballé under Lamberto Gardelli.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on November 22, 2018, 03:30:49 AM
Almost a week after the premiere and almost five days after the second performance, I'm still listening to György Kurtág's amazing "Fin de partie" (and watching images from Pierre Audi's wonderful production).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 22, 2018, 07:54:27 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1dIhqPks8L._SL1500_.jpg)

This recording is based on hugely successful performances of the opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, which were largely responsible for putting the opera back on the map. Indeed it was one of the productions the Royal Opera took to La Scala in an exchange which saw the wonderful Strehler production of Simon Boccanegra come to Covent Garden. It was also the only time Dame Janet Baker sang in a staged opera outside the UK.

There are a few differences in the casts though. As far as I'm aware Von Stade and Popp never sang their respective roles at Covent Garden, and Stuart Burrows didn't sing Tito in the production until after this recording was made, and, whereas Sir Colin Davis was in the pit for the original production in 1974, he was replaced by Sir John Pritchard in 1975 nd 1976.

The cast is certainly a starry one, and this is probably the best of all modern instrument recorded versions. Baker's magisterial Vitellia is hard to beat, as is Minton's gloriously sung Sesto. Von Stade and Popp are absolutely adorable as Annius and Servilia and Burrows a melifluous Tito. It needs no saying that Davis is a wonderful Mozartean.

A great recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 22, 2018, 08:30:42 AM
Thanks, Tsaraslondon. I never managed to listen to Tito or Idomeneo in their entirety - except for the occasional Met broadcast. For some reason my emotions were not engaged on those occasions.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 22, 2018, 10:53:51 AM
Quote from: André on November 22, 2018, 08:30:42 AM
Thanks, Tsaraslondon. I never managed to listen to Tito or Idomeneo in their entirety - except for the occasional Met broadcast. For some reason my emotions were not engaged on those occasions.

Have you tried Jacobs? I confess these two operas are low in my list of Mozart favorites. I have the Davis performance: it's one of several recordings in that Decca Complete Mozart Operas I have never listened to.  Of 44 CDs, I have yet to get past CD13.

TD (crosspost from WAYLT)
[asin]B07BQNL5N5[/asin]
Just started on this.
Two observations:
1)singers sound like the mikes were placed next to them.
2)This is the first Rheingold I have encountered that needed three CDs.
CD1 65:45 CD2 52:12 CD3 48:23
CD breaks come about 2/3 of the way into Scene 2 and 6 1/2 minutes into Scene 4.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 23, 2018, 12:08:42 PM
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I haven't heard Pappano's recording of Guillaume Tell, but it would have to be very good indeed to improve on this excellently cast 1972 version, with Caballé absolutely superb as Mathilde, Gedda a fine, stylish Arnold and Bacquier wonderfully characterful as Tell. Also excellent are Mady Mesplé as Jemmy, Jocelyne Taillon as Hedwige and Gwynne Howell as Melchtal, and Lamberto Gardelli is a totally sympathetic conductor, if not so imaginative as Chailly on his recording of the Italian version. In any case, I rather prefer the opera sung in French.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 23, 2018, 12:10:48 PM
Quote from: André on November 22, 2018, 08:30:42 AM
Thanks, Tsaraslondon. I never managed to listen to Tito or Idomeneo in their entirety - except for the occasional Met broadcast. For some reason my emotions were not engaged on those occasions.

Nor mine, and I still don't have a recording of Idomeneo. That said, La Clemenza di Tito is late Mozart and there is some glorious music in it, all wonderfully sung here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 23, 2018, 12:17:18 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 23, 2018, 12:08:42 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51uRdKDAcaL.jpg)

I haven't heard Pappano's recording of Guillaume Tell, but it would have to very good indeed to improve on this excellently cast 1972 version, with Caballé absolutely superb as Mathilde, Gedda a fine, stylish Arnold and Bacquier wonderfully characterful as Tell. Also excellent are Mady Mesplé as Jemmy, Jocelyne Taillon as Hedwige and Gwynne Howell as Melchtal, and Lamberto Gardelli is a totally sympathetic conductor, if not so imaginative as Chailly on his recording of the Italian version. In any case, I rather prefer the opera sung in French.

I bought that Pappano set when it was issued. I still haven't listened to it yet  ??? ::). There: it's in the listening pile. I will make an effort, I promise.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 23, 2018, 03:06:10 PM
Quote from: André on November 23, 2018, 12:17:18 PM
I bought that Pappano set when it was issued. I still haven't listened to it yet  ??? ::). There: it's in the listening pile. I will make an effort, I promise.

And please report back.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 23, 2018, 03:58:46 PM
Will do !  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on November 23, 2018, 10:28:56 PM
NP:

[asin]B0036D7Y0W[/asin]

From:

[asin]B001EOOC3W[/asin]


For a first listen...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 24, 2018, 01:16:03 AM
So many good recordings of this opera.

I have Britten/Pears and Davis/Vickers, both of which I really like.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on November 24, 2018, 03:22:00 AM
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This new recording of the 1847 version of Verdi's Macbeth on what sounds like period instruments is completely ruined by Nadja Michael's horrible Lady. She's flat, she drags and smudges the coloratura. Absolutely horrible singing. A shame, because the orchestral playing is very good. The other voices are fine, if not top drawer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 24, 2018, 09:10:46 AM
Quote from: betterthanfine on November 24, 2018, 03:22:00 AM
(https://i.postimg.cc/QNWxpdzk/macbeth.jpg)

This new recording of the 1847 version of Verdi's Macbeth on what sounds like period instruments is completely ruined by Nadja Michael's horrible Lady. She's flat, she drags and smudges the coloratura. Absolutely horrible singing. A shame, because the orchestral playing is very good. The other voices are fine, if not top drawer.

I sampled the Sleepwalking Scene on youtube. Terrible, in the wrong sense. She has a vibrato you could drive the whole of Macbeth's army through, no legato to speak off and breath control practically non-existent, with breaths taken in all sorts of strange places.

Serendipitously, the next two versions to play on youtube were the wonderfull Shirley Verrett, followed by Callas meticulously analysing the scene (with illustrations). We're in a completely different world, both vocally and interpretively.

https://youtu.be/OebUPy6rrwU (https://youtu.be/OebUPy6rrwU)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 24, 2018, 12:15:25 PM
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Recorded in studio in 1954 in beautiful, wide-ranging mono. Top honours go to Keilberth's urgent, fluid conducting. The excellent Kölner Rundfunk orchestra is meticulously balanced, producing elegant, transparent textures.

The most impressive singer is Josef Greindl, a noble Sarastro endowed with a large, resonant yet perfectly focused bass voice. I found him substantially better than his own self in the 1955 Fricsay version. Schock (Tamino) and Kunz (Papageno) are very good, if ultimately serviceable rather than memorable. Wilma Lipp's Astrafiammante is vocally cool and accurate, but in her first aria she sounds emotionally distant. She doesn't help her case with lazy coloratura runs. Her revenge aria is suitably dynamic, with diamond-like staccato high Fs. She was the reigning Queen of the Night, singing the role under Furtwängler, Böhm, Karajan.

One of the work's important supporting roles is the Monostatos, pointedly sung by the excellent Kurt Marschner. Stich-Randall is in splendid voice as Pamina. Her creamy soprano sounds marvellously pure. Her act II aria is infinitely touching. Definitely a top three performance, up there with Price and Janowitz. Hans Hotter is an imposing, warm-voiced Sprecher. Excellent choristers, well-blended but incisive.

The main character of this production happens to be the Narrator. No spoken dialogues between characters then, but a 1-2 minute narration between each musical number. Tamino and Papageno have some spoken bits, too. It's the first time I hear The Flute in that concept. I've heard The Flute with and without dialogue, but never with a narrator. At first I feared that all these interruptions would cause the whole thing to sound too much oratorio-like, hanging fire. But no, it all segues naturally. I think this fits with the concept of a 1790s singspiel vs the modern-day opera production we may have come to expect.

In short, a performance worthy to stand near the top, with superb contributions from Keilberth, the Kölner Rundfunk orchestra, Stich-Randall, Greindl - all comparable to the very best. Schock's Tamino sounds well but is rather generic in feeling and unsubtle of voice (Simoneau, Dermota and Wunderlich are unassalaible in the role). A very satisfying mozartian experience.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on November 24, 2018, 01:27:05 PM
Agree, that Keilberth recording is pretty darn good!

I wish the 1951 live one by Furtwängler would turn up in pristine sound, then I'd have a clear favourite - but as it is, this one is a very good addition to the recordings from that era, which was a great one for Mozart singing (the finest maybe?).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on November 24, 2018, 06:58:58 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 24, 2018, 01:16:03 AM
So many good recordings of this opera.

I have Britten/Pears and Davis/Vickers, both of which I really like.

I had given away my copy of Britten/Pears to charity a few years back after finding the work a bit hard to get into - Pity as I really like Britten's music now. I wish I still had that recording. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 25, 2018, 05:34:22 AM
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I don't know if I was actually at this performance, but I was definitely at one of the series this recording was taken from.

My memory hasn't failed me and it really is as good as I remember.

Sir Colin Davis already had a famous studio recording to his credit and common to both are the saturnine Alfonso of Richard Van Allan. Other than that, his cast here is easily equal to that on the studio set, and, as far as the men are concerned, possibly surpasses it, with Burrows a more melifluous, if les characterful, Ferrando than Gedda and Allen absolutely splendid as Guglielmo.

On the distaff side, I find it hard to choose between the two casts. Caballé was a glorious Fiordiligi in the studio, but Te Kanawa is hardly less so, and she is a much more volatile performer here than she often was, possibly spurred on by the vividly acted and sung Dorabella of Baltsa. Baker, in the studio set, is less histrionic, more gently lovable. I love both performances. Mazzucato is a sprightly Despina, delightfully knowing in her exchanges with Alfonso, but yields something in individuality to Cotrubas in the studio set.

This is 1981, and speeds are occasionally a little slower than we are used to these days, and one should note that, being live, there is a fair amount of stage noise, audience laughter and applause. Otherwise the sound is fine, if not as well balanced as a studio production.

I really enjoyed re-aquainting myself with this wonderful performance, and, though I won't be throwing my studio Davis or Böhm/EMI recordings, it sits quite happily on the shelf beside them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 28, 2018, 04:23:19 PM
Quote from: betterthanfine on November 24, 2018, 03:22:00 AM
(https://i.postimg.cc/QNWxpdzk/macbeth.jpg)

This new recording of the 1847 version of Verdi's Macbeth on what sounds like period instruments is completely ruined by Nadja Michael's horrible Lady. She's flat, she drags and smudges the coloratura. Absolutely horrible singing. A shame, because the orchestral playing is very good. The other voices are fine, if not top drawer.

Listening to this recording now. I would say Lady M's vibrato is the only noticeable flaw...but reading the liner notes, I am wondering if perhaps the flaw was not intentional on Biondi's part.

I say this because liner notes devote a full paragraph to Verdi's comments on what he wanted from the soprano in this role. He wanted a "nasty and ugly" Lady who couldn't sing and whose voice was "harsh, stifled, and hollow" with something of the "diabolic" in it. He objected to one candidate for the role because she was too good a singer and had a voice that was too beautiful.

Still, if you listen to this recording be prepared for that vibrato. Or skip the scenes that include Lady Macbeth.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 28, 2018, 11:42:58 PM
Quote from: JBS on November 28, 2018, 04:23:19 PM
Listening to this recording now. I would say Lady M's vibrato is the only noticeable flaw...but reading the liner notes, I am wondering if perhaps the flaw was not intentional on Biondi's part.

I say this because liner notes devote a full paragraph to Verdi's comments on what he wanted from the soprano in this role. He wanted a "nasty and ugly" Lady who couldn't sing and whose voice was "harsh, stifled, and hollow" with something of the "diabolic" in it. He objected to one candidate for the role because she was too good a singer and had a voice that was too beautiful.

Still, if you listen to this recording be prepared for that vibrato. Or skip the scenes that include Lady Macbeth.

Condisering that Lady Macbeth is the character who drives the opera, much more so than Macbeth himself, that's pretty hard to do.

I always think one should take Verdi's notes with a pinch of salt. His main purpose was not to offend the originally engaged Tadolini, who had a beautiful, silvery voice  and whom he thought was completely miscast. Looking at the music, it is clear that it still requires someone who can sing the notes.

You only have to hear the role sung by a Callas or a Verrett to hear how it should sound. Michael is unlistenable, much worse n fact than Souliotis, who was practically voiceless by the time she recorded it for Decca with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on November 29, 2018, 03:54:01 PM
Quote from: JBS on November 28, 2018, 04:23:19 PM
Listening to this recording now. I would say Lady M's vibrato is the only noticeable flaw...

Do you not hear how flat she is at times? Or that awfully imprecise coloratura? The way she forces her voice in the higher regions (which also partly causes that very wide vibrato)? Or the fact that the orchestra has to slow down so she can keep up (try the banquet scene for this)? I agree with Tsaraslondon, any succesful Lady has to at least be able to sing the notes, beautiful voice or not.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 29, 2018, 05:26:08 PM
Quote from: betterthanfine on November 29, 2018, 03:54:01 PM
Do you not hear how flat she is at times? Or that awfully imprecise coloratura? The way she forces her voice in the higher regions (which also partly causes that very wide vibrato)? Or the fact that the orchestra has to slow down so she can keep up (try the banquet scene for this)? I agree with Tsaraslondon, any succesfulLady has to at least be able to sing the notes, beautiful voice or not.

I said it might be a conscious decision by Biondi to have an "ugly" singer in the role. I didn't say it was a good decision. :P
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 29, 2018, 05:28:06 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 28, 2018, 11:42:58 PM
Condisering that Lady Macbeth is the character who drives the opera, much more so than Macbeth himself, that's pretty hard to do.

I always think one should take Verdi's notes with a pinch of salt. His main purpose was not to offend the originally engaged Tadolini, who had a beautiful, silvery voice  and whom he thought was completely miscast. Looking at the music, it is clear that it still requires someone who can sing the notes.

You only have to hear the role sung by a Callas or a Verrett to hear how it should sound. Michael is unlistenable, much worse n fact than Souliotis, who was practically voiceless by the time she recorded it for Decca with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

Another point the liner notes make is that Verdi said he especially wanted people who could act in these roles. I think it is safe to say Callas would at least have satisfied him there.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 29, 2018, 11:58:41 PM
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Marriner and his Academy of St Martin in the Fields were well already known for their performances of Rossini Overtures and String Sonatas, when they turned to the operas, first with Il Barbiere di Siviglia (also with Baltsa) and then La Cenerentola, and playing here is as deft and sprightly as it is on the orchestra only discs.

Marriner also has an excellent cast at his disposal, though Baltsa might be thought to have a bit too much vocal muscle for the role of gentle Angelina, at least at the beginning of the opera, she develops the character wonderfully well, and a touch of darkness is not at all inappropriate for the put upon Angelina, whose "goodness triumphs" over all. Araiza is a forthright and masculine presence as the Prince, coping well with the intricacies of his role, if not without a hint of aspirates. Raimondi is an experienced Rossinian, but he can overdo the buffo on occasions.

All in all excellent traversal of the score, though it doesn't oust my favourite, which is the Ponnelle/Abbado DVD with Von Stade the best of all Angelinas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 30, 2018, 12:00:37 AM
Quote from: JBS on November 29, 2018, 05:28:06 PM
Another point the liner notes make is that Verdi said he especially wanted people who could act in these roles. I think it is safe to say Callas would at least have satisfied him there.

I think it's safe to say Callas would have satisfied him in every aspect of the role. Hers is not only the most pschologically probing, but also the most accurate execution of the score you are ever likely to hear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: betterthanfine on November 30, 2018, 02:16:39 AM
Quote from: JBS on November 29, 2018, 05:26:08 PM
I said it might be a conscious decision by Biondi to have an "ugly" singer in the role. I didn't say it was a good decision. :P

Fair enough, but you mentioned the vibrato as the 'only noticable flaw'. I beg to differ. ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 01, 2018, 12:50:47 AM
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(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Wxu-9hy9L._SL1500_.jpg)

Like the Karajan Der Rosenkavalier, Warner's luxury presentation of this latest re-mastering of the famed Giulini Don Giovanni just adds a little more lustre to one of the greatest opera recordings of all time.

It seems incredible now that Giulini was a last minute replacement for Otto Klemperer, who was originally scheduled to record the opera with this cast. We can be thankful now that he was available, for I can't imagine that Klemeperor could have produced the kind of quicksilver, thrillingly exciting performance we get here. The cast is, without exception, superb; Sutherland, in her first major recording, a beautiful and technically assured Anna; Schwarzkopf, who adopted, in her words, "a sharp, unfriendly tone" to offset Sutherland's creaminess, a real firebrand of an Elvira; Sciutti a delectably seducable Zerlina. The men are hardly less brilliant, with Wächter's dangerously seductive Don and Taddei's manipulative Leporello nicely differentiated. Cappuccilli is a real bully of a Masetto and Frick a commanding and ultimately terrifying Commendatore. If Alva makes slightly less of an impression, that has more to do with the rather passive character of Ottavio than his singing of Ottavio's lovely arias.

One of the all time classics, beautifully re-furbished in this new re-master.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2018, 05:21:13 AM
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When did the sheer joy of music making get lost? Ok, so the edition of the score used here wouldn't bear scrutiny now but the performance, as a whole, exudes such fun, such joi de vivre, such pleasure in the act of making music (a joy shared by such old time recordings as the Gui Barbiere di Siviglia, the old Glyndebourne Le Comte Ory, the Gavazzeni Il Turco in Italia and the Sabajno Don Pasquale) that reservations are swept aside.

Callas's Rosina was famously her only La Scala flop, but here she proves herself to be as adept at comedy as she was at tragedy, and her Rosina is a wonderfully spirited, mettlesome minx, the character perfectly summed up in that explosive 'ma' she utters in her aria Una voce poca fa, and technically and vocally she is at the top of her form, the coloratura executed with a fluidity and accuracy rarely encountered (and please note not an aspirate to be heard).

Gobbi is a superbly scheming Figaro, with a touch of the venal entirely apt for the character. Not surprisingly he and Callas play brilliantly off each other, as they do off Alva, who is here recording for the first time a role he would go on to record two more times. His divisions may not be quite as fluent as say Florez today, but he is alive to every comedic turn and presents a real character.

Great contrubutions from the buffo basses, Ollendorff and Zaccaria, and a nicely turned Berta from Gabirella Carturan.

Alceo Galliera conducts with a great sense of pace, and the whole enterprise fizzes and pops like a vintage champagne. Pure joy from beginning to end.

A fuller review of the set on my blog here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-barbiere-di-siviglia/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-barbiere-di-siviglia/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 03, 2018, 01:44:52 PM
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For some reason I always thought this recording of Le Nozze di Figaro was recorded after Giulini's Don Giovanni, when he was deputising for an indisposed Klemperer, but, no, it was recorded a couple of weeks beforehand.

It has never enjoyed quite the classic status of Giulini's Don, but I've always really liked it and it has an excellent cast, with plenty of Italians to make sure the recitatives go well. There are cuts (no arias for Marcellina and Basilio), but that doesn't bother me unduly. Taddei is a genial Figaro with a dark side to his character and a perfect foil for Wächter's blustering, arrogant Count, as he was to his Giovanni. Moffo is a charming, flirtatious Susanna and Schwarzkopf a Countess of patrician status, both her arias beautifully moulded. I find her final forgiveness of the Count almost unbearably moving. Cossotto might seem heavyweight casting for Cherubino, but this was recorded quite a few years before her assault on dramatic mezzo territory. One would never suspect that she would go on to sing Amneris and Lady Macbeth.

I like the fact that, in Giulini's hands, musical values are paramount and there isn't too much comedic mugging. We never forget that there is a serious side to this comedy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 04, 2018, 01:40:21 PM
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Interesting cover, suitable for internet blather. The conductor's baton thrust in the apple above his head is a nice idea. "William Tell in the original French" is an oxymoron. If it's the original French, then it's Guillaume Tell. If it's the italian translation, then it's Guglielmo Tell. Rossini's opera is an adaptation of Schiiler's play Wilhelm Tell. "William Tell non esiste", as Ping, Pang and Pong would have said.

The slimcase box houses a nice, fat booklet (190 pages) with a good historical essay, texts and translations. The sound is very good. The text is incomplete. A couple of numbers have been cut, rather inexplicably IMO. The role of Hedwige in particular got the axe. There would have been time to include them, as they amount to some 10 minutes of music and the last disc runs for less than 55 minutes. Also, the layout could have been improved: acts 3 and 4 could have been contained on the last disc instead of cutting act 3 between discs. Disc timings would thus have been 55+79 instead of the actual 79+55. Go figure...  ::)

This recording stems from a Rome concert. It was not staged, so there are no extraneous noises (except for occasional  cheers and bravos from the exceptionally well-behaved audience). This is a major blessing, since Tell is an opera where the scene is always crowded and where a lot of action goes on at all times. The excitement of a performance remains, Pappano making sure everything goes at a smart clip. His conducting - and the Santa Cecilia forces' playing - is the main reason to cheer this version. Rarely have I heard a grand opera move along so smartly.

The singing cast assembled is almost all anglophone, with the exception of Marie-Nicole Lemieux' Hedwige. None of the main singers is better than those on the EMI version - I haven't heard it complete - yet -, I'm figuring this from their work in other operas. Be that as it may, they are mostly very good. Gerald Finley's Tell is especially commendable, singing with good voice from top to bottom, dramatically involved and with a good french diction (easily the best of the cast in that respect). Malin Bystrom's Mathilde develops nicely after an initially shaky start - her voice has a bit of a hard time settling in her opening aria. Osborn's Arnold is quite well sung. The notes tell us that Arnold delivers 54 B flats, 15 Bs, 19 high Cs and 2 C sharps. Osborn struggles sometimes but never to the point of questioning his ability to get through the role - it's a cruelly taxing part. The booklet also informs us that Rossini bemoaned the fact that the then latter-day tenors like Duprez had taken to singing the role in chest voice rather than with the head voice as Nourrit sang it. As far as I can tell Osborn uses the head voice in his top register, resulting in sweeter, less stentorian top notes. BTW, Arnold's big scene surely inspired Verdi in Il Trovatore. The prayer, cabaletta and call to arms are eerily similar (Ah si ben mio...Di quella pira).

I doubt that Gardelli conducts as well as Pappano. I used to have a disc of highlights on lp and I recall being sorely disappointed with the famous overture, which lacked panache. Pappano is incredibly good here, making you notice how attentive he is to the many moods of that famous piece - surely one of the best operatic "tone poems" along with Beethoven's Leonore III.

Warmly recommended as a modern-day adjunct to the Gardelli version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 04, 2018, 03:21:48 PM
Thanks for the run down, Andre.

I assumed it would be worth hearing for Pappano, who impressed me a lot in his Aida, though none of the singers save Kaufmann can really compare with the greats of the past.

I suppose that is the age we live in.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 04, 2018, 04:02:38 PM
I rarely recommend listening to an opera set for its conductor, but that is definitely the case here, and it's not a case of faute de mieux. Conducting and playing are that good.

Mind you, none of the singers is weak, but as you say, I suppose we have to be content with what we have nowadays. If the opera had been recorded complete and another take on Sombre forêt spliced in, this might have swept the board.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 04, 2018, 04:20:56 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Xs%2By8bzPL.jpg)

Ravel's two short operas in these justly well known Maazel recordings. Both operas are, as you might imagine, wonderfully scored, though I prefer the magical L'Enfant et les Sortièges to L'heure Espagnole, which is nonetheless great fun. Both are superbly cast, and still among the best recordings of each piece.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 05, 2018, 07:45:23 AM
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This doesn't replace the Böhm recording in my affections, but, out of all the HIP recordings out there, it has much to commend it, not least the fact that it is based on actual performances from the Aix-en-Provence Festival. There's a tad too much dialogue included, which, for home listening, can get a bit tedious, but Christie's conducting is wonderfully stylish and high spirited, with the solemn moments still gven their due.

Mannion is a lovely Pamina, Blockwitz a lyrical but manly Tamino (though he doesn't erase memories of the sublime Wunderlich on the Böhm). Dessay is an accurate Queen, but she makes less of the role dramatically than one would expect. Roberta Peters on Böhm is more menacing (and Edda Moser, on a recital record, even better). Willard White is a gravely thoughtful Sarastro and the other roles are all well filled.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 05, 2018, 10:00:34 AM
I prefer Böhm's earlier Decca Flute, with not a weak link and singers clearly used to work as a team. Böhm's conducting is slightly more alert, too. But then, Wunderlich... ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 07, 2018, 02:01:55 AM
Quote from: André on December 05, 2018, 10:00:34 AM
I prefer Böhm's earlier Decca Flute, with not a weak link and singers clearly used to work as a team. Böhm's conducting is slightly more alert, too. But then, Wunderlich... ::)

Ah yes, Wunderlich. Simoneau was a great singer and a great Mozart stylist, but his voice doesn't have quite the heroic ring of Wunderlich, who is absolutely ideal. I treasure this performance above all for it being one of the few studio recordings, featuring Wunderlich in a complete role.

That said, I think I still prefer Böhm's second recording to his first, especially on the male side, Crass a firmer voiced Sarastro, and with superb contributions from Hotter as the Speaker, and King and Talvela as the Two Armed Men. The ladies are not quite so distinguished, it's true, but on the first Güden strikes me as a bit too pert, Loose too soubrettish. Evelyn Lear is the weakest link on the second recording, no match for such as Lemnitz, Seefried, Margaret Price, Te Kanawa, Janowitz or Popp certainly, but at least as good as Güden. So I'll stick with Böhm II.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 07, 2018, 02:24:13 AM
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Great singing never goes out of fashion and, though this recording dates from 1961 and therefore uses modern instruments, it still holds its head up amongst the many HIP recordings now available, not least for the 28 year old Janet Baker's incomparable Dido.

Downsides are the somewhat hammy witches, led by Monica Sinclair, but whenever Baker is before the microphone, the performance takes wing, culminating in the most emotionally devastating When I am laid in earth I've ever heard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 09, 2018, 12:37:22 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71fQU4sqCZL._SL1069_.jpg)

Gergiev's Boris Godunov was originaly issued in tandem with the original 1869 version, but this reissue is just the 1872 revision, which differs in quite a few respects, not least in the inclusion of the Polish act, which introduces us to Marina, superbly sung here by Olga Borodina.

The all Russian cast is a good one, particularly in the lower voices. Vaneev's Boris is not as powerful as those of Christoff, Ghiaurov or Talvela, but he is excellent in the more humane aspects of the character, especially with his son Fyodor. No complaints about the other singers and Gergiev paces the score well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on December 09, 2018, 04:26:23 AM
Jean-Baptiste Lully called this a "Pastorale héroïque", but I'm pretty sure it qualifies for this thread...  :)

[asin]B00000C2ER[/asin]
Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 09, 2018, 05:07:07 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81YjTqjVq5L._SL1425_.jpg)

Common opinion (and memory) tells us that Callas, having recorded the role of Turandot a little late in her career, is wobbly and vocally unstable, that Schwarzkopf is out of her element, Fernandi a complete non-entity, Serafin reliable but uninspired and the mono recording not up to the demands of this aurally spectacular opera.

Well memory, and therefore common opinion, turned out to be rather faulty on this occasion.

In one respect, that of the recording, it is correct. The mono sound is boxy and this, of all operas, cries out for the kind of aural spectacular we get in say the Mehta and Karajan performances. It is a great shame for the performance, led with a wonderfully natural sense of rhythm and balance by Serafin fully deserves a better aural soundscape. He even manages to make much more musical sense of Alfano's ending, which becomes much less of an anti-climax than usual. However no amount of re-mastering can disguise the fact that the mono sound cannot contain the splendours of the performance.

So to the singers.

Schwarzkopf might not sound quite Italianate, it is true, but her Liu is gorgeously sung and phrased right from the first moments when she sings that breathtaking piano top note on Perché un dì...nella reggia, mi hai sorriso. . Then in Signore, ascolta, she manages a perfect mesa di voce on the final note, as intrsucted in the score. Another highlight is the little mini aria before Tu che di gel sei cinta, again beautifuly shaded and shaped. It's a performance full of veiled sighs and tears and I like it very much.

Fernandi makes much more of an impression than I remembered, with a fine ring to his voice. His phrasing is occasionally a little four square, but, taken on his own terms, it is a thoroughly acceptable performance, if without the personality of a Bjoerling, Corelli or Pavarotti. Zaccaria is a sonorous, warmly sympathetic Timur.

As for Callas, well of course I might have wished that she'd recorded the role even three years earlier, when she sang a vocally resplendent In questa reggia on her Puccini Recital, and certainly there are times when the role is obviously stretching her to her limits, but her voice is a lot more secure than she is usually given credit for, and indeed we've heard much wider vibratos and wobbly singing from many of the singers who have followed, especially from some of the ones who are around now. What we also get is the most psychologically penetrating traversal of Turandot's psyche as you are likely to hear. This Turandot is not just a mythical creature with spendid top notes, she is a real person. We understand that it is Turandot's insecurity and fear that make her so cruel. We also understand why so many princes could have fallen under her spell. One might argue that Turandot is after all just a fairytale, and doesn't require such a degree of psychological complexity, and it's certainly a valid point. However I, for one, find the insights Callas brings to the role make it so much more interesting.

So, in all but matters of sound, I would call this a great Turandot.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 09, 2018, 08:03:03 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 09, 2018, 05:07:07 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81YjTqjVq5L._SL1425_.jpg)

Common opinion (and memory) tells us that Callas, having recorded the role of Turandot a little late in her career, is wobbly and vocally unstable, that Schwarzkopf is out of her element, Fernandi a complete non-entity, Serafin reliable but uninspired and the mono recording not up to the demands of this aurally spectacular opera.

Well memory, and therefore common opinion, turned out to be rather faulty on this occasion.

In one respect, that of the recording, it is correct. The mono sound is boxy and this, of all operas, cries out for the kind of aural spectacular we get in say the Mehta and Karajan performances. It is a great shame for the performance, led with a wonderfully natural sense of rhythm and balance by Serafin fully deserves a better aural soundscape. He even manages to make much more musical sense of Alfano's ending, which becomes much less of an anti-climax than usual. However no amount of re-mastering can disguise the fact that the mono sound cannot contain the splendours of the performance.

So to the singers.

Schwarzkopf might not sound quite Italianate, it is true, but her Liu is gorgeously sung and phrased right from the first moments when she sings that breathtaking piano top note on Perché un dì...nella reggia, mi hai sorriso. . Then in Signore, ascolta, she manages a perfect mesa di voce on the final note, as intrsucted in the score. Another highlight is the little mini aria before Tu che di gel sei cinta, again beautifuly shaded and shaped. It's a performance full of veiled sighs and tears and I like it very much.

Fernandi makes much more of an impression than I remembered, with a fine ring to his voice. His phrasing is occasionally a little four square, but, taken on his own terms, it is a thoroughly acceptable performance, if without the personality of a Bjoerling, Corelli or Pavarotti. Zaccaria is a sonorous, warmly sympathetic Timur.

As for Callas, well of course I might have wished that she'd recorded the role even three years earlier, when she sang a vocally resplendent In questa reggia on her Puccini Recital, and certainly there are times when the role is obviously stretching her to her limits, but her voice is a lot more secure than she is usually given credit for, and indeed we've heard much wider vibratos and wobbly singing from many of the singers who have followed, especially from some of the ones who are around now. What we also get is the most psychologically penetrating traversal of Turandot's psyche as you are likely to hear. This Turandot is not just a mythical creature with spendid top notes, she is a real person. We understand that it is Turandot's insecurity and fear that make her so cruel. We also understand why so many princes could have fallen under her spell. One might argue that Turandot is after all just a fairytale, and doesn't require such a degree of psychological complexity, and it's certainly a valid point. However I, for one, find the insights Callas brings to the role make it so much more interesting.

So, in all but matters of sound, I would call this a great Turandot.

I have listened to that in the old CD remastering, not the new Remastered version.  My biggest problem with the sonics was how they recorded the Emperor, barely audible and suggesting he was three studios away from the microphone.  Maybe they wanted to suggest that the Emperor was a remote and distant (and not merely elderly) personage, not directly involved in the action.  As it was, that problem got in the way of my enjoying anything else in the recording.  Does the new mastering fix that problem?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 09, 2018, 08:57:13 AM
Quote from: JBS on December 09, 2018, 08:03:03 AM
I have listened to that in the old CD remastering, not the new Remastered version.  My biggest problem with the sonics was how they recorded the Emperor, barely audible and suggesting he was three studios away from the microphone.  Maybe they wanted to suggest that the Emperor was a remote and distant (and not merely elderly) personage, not directly involved in the action.  As it was, that problem got in the way of my enjoying anything else in the recording.  Does the new mastering fix that problem?

I can't say that I noticed it being a problem when I listened today, so maybe they have. Which of the Callas re-masters did you have. The black box Callas edition were the ones with the most problems.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 09, 2018, 09:10:01 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 09, 2018, 08:57:13 AM
I can't say that I noticed it being a problem when I listened today, so maybe they have. Which of the Callas re-masters did you have. The black box Callas edition were the ones with the most problems.

This one, which the credit listing on the back says is the 2008 remastering.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/715xw2clkfL.jpg)

I'm pretty sure I gave it away when I got the remastered set, as I did with any other recording I had which was also in the Remastered set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 09, 2018, 09:55:32 AM
Quote from: JBS on December 09, 2018, 09:10:01 AM
This one, which the credit listing on the back says is the 2008 remastering.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/715xw2clkfL.jpg)

I'm pretty sure I gave it away when I got the remastered set, as I did with any other recording I had which was also in the Remastered set.


I assume you're referring to this set ?

(https://media1.jpc.de/image/w600/front/0/0825646339914.jpg)


I have this one:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Lr0nNTawL.jpg)
A review of which concentrates on the remastering (check for the review by R.W. Should be the first one):
https://www.amazon.ca/Callas-Complete-Studio-Recordings-Enhanced/dp/B00G2IS2HM/ref=sr_1_47?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1544381372&sr=1-47&keywords=Maria+callas+edition (https://www.amazon.ca/Callas-Complete-Studio-Recordings-Enhanced/dp/B00G2IS2HM/ref=sr_1_47?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1544381372&sr=1-47&keywords=Maria+callas+edition)

How would you say this set compares to the remastered one (with the original jackets) ?

Thanks in advance !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 09, 2018, 04:21:05 PM
I have the new one, with the red box, but have only heard the recitals, which I had as a separate set.  I am about halfway through the remastered Live box. What I have heard justifies the claim that these new remasterings are in general superior to the old ones.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 09, 2018, 06:01:43 PM
Thanks ! The remastered box is on sale at JPC. Food for thought...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2018, 12:13:58 AM
The general consensus is that the latest Warner box is better than the Callas edition, and better than those that appeared in the Great Recordings of the Century series, but not always better than EMI's original transfers.

I have the Warner box and I'm happy with it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2018, 01:08:30 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0001/178/MI0001178870.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

There are a bewildering array of editions (and recordings) of Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann and consequently none of them is entirely recommendable. I'm not sure Bonynge's are always the right choices, and it could be argued that including spoken dialogue rather than recitative goes against Offenbach's express wishes, for all that he never completed them. That said, I've always enjoyed this performance, not least for Domingo's youthful take on a role he sang many times. This is one of his best, most characterful recordings.

As usual, when one singer takes on all the soprano roles, Sutherland is more successful in some parts than others. Her Olympia is, as expected, spectacular, but her Giulietta is not particularly seductive and her Antonia suffers somewhat from her mooning manner and mushy diction. However there is no denying the beauty of the voice itself. Bacquier is a strong presence as the villains and Hugues Cuénod excellent as the four servants.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 11, 2018, 05:38:25 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pwwGunq2L._SL1500_.jpg)

Excellent performances of Puccini's tryptich, though, of the three, only Suor Angelica would be my absolute top choice.

A word first about the presentation of this budget release. These days I suppose we have to become used to not getting texts and translations, but documentation is really of the minimum, and tracking of the CDs is at ludicrous; just one for Il Tabarro, and two each for Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi.

Nothing really wrong with Maazel's conducting, which is spacious and warm throughout, though he misses some of the high spirits of Gianni Schicchi.

Despite the excellent performances of Scotto and Domingo in Il Tabarro, I still prefer the old mono recording conducted by Vincenzo Bellezza, which is dominated by Gobbi's darkly menacing, but troubled Michele. It is one of his greatest achievements on disc, and, good though Wixell is, he doesn't begin to match Gobbi in emotional range. Scotto and Domingo are far preferable to their counterparts on the older recording, but Gobbi is irreplaceable.

In Gianni Schicci, Gobbi is up against himself in an earlier recording, conducted by Gabriele Santini with a degree more urgency than we get here. Gobbi is as sharply characterful as ever, but the other soloists on that earlier recording are a tad more individual than those on this one, and it just generates a bit more fun and high spirits. Domingo, expertly lightening his voice, manages Rinuccio surprisingly well, but it's still a bit like getting a sledgehammer to crack a nut, and Ileana Cotrubas is a charming Lauretta, if not quite eclipsing memories of Victoria De Los Angeles on the earlier recording.

When it comes to Suor Angelica, I would have to admit that Scotto's top notes can be afflicted with hardness and unsteadiness, but that she presents the most intense, most psycholgically penetrating traversal of the role I've heard. Between them Scotto and Maazel turn what is often a piece of quasi religioso sentimentality into a mini psychodrama about the effects of repression, almost echoing some of the themes in Powell and Pressburger's darly intense movie Black Narcissus. Much as I like recordings featuring De Los Angeles and Ricciarelli, this one is much more gripping as drama. It's defnitely the prize of the set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 11, 2018, 07:51:08 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51DKwlYmI1L.jpg)

Very nice version of this beloved operetta. Boskovsky paces it naturally, which for a viennese operetta, means with inimitable lilt. I don't think that kind of ebb and flow can be imported. All the singers are excellent. The three principals sing and act spiritedly. Standouts among the supporting cast are Fischer-Dieskau's Falke and Fassbänder's Orlovsky. The recording from 1972 is naturally balanced and wide-ranging. A wonderful pair of discs.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on December 11, 2018, 08:10:59 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 11, 2018, 05:38:25 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pwwGunq2L._SL1500_.jpg)
and tracking of the CDs is at ludicrous; just one for Il Tabarro, and two each for Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi.

The lack of tracks was the case on the original full-price release.  It was an odd quirk of early CD mastering - I think - when some operas tracked Acts and sub-divided them using index markers which soon fell out of favour.  I personally don't worry about the lack of documentation since I find either a) I have other sets with libretti etc or b) sufficient info is available online.  My only observation is that this lack of tracking implies that Sony have not remastered the set for re-release.  What marks out their orchestral bargain re-releases is the 24-bit remastering which in some instances has had a substantial impact on the quality of the sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on December 11, 2018, 08:15:40 AM
Vedernikov recording of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Invisible City of Kitezh. Very impressive.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on December 11, 2018, 10:17:47 AM
(http://camillezamora.com/wdpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DerLiebeDerDanae-844px.jpg)

Returned once more to this exhilarating recording of R. Strauss's seldom heard gem. If Hofmannsthal would have written the final libretto, maybe this would have been more popular?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on December 11, 2018, 06:28:29 PM
This looks intriguing. Has anyone seen it? As I understood it, each singer has a 'dance partner' that expresses what the singer is singing. It definitely comes across as quite different! But the singing has been generally well received too. I like dancing, but I'm not sure if the two go together here.

[asin]B07438DBYP[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 12, 2018, 11:23:57 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61lQfECRyBL.jpg)

Incredibly skimpy documentation for this bargain release, but it's an excellent performance.

Conducted with élan and verve by Michel Plasson, it's strongly cast with Mady Mesplé and Michel Sénéchal superb as Eurydice and Orpheus. Great performances too from Jane Rhodes as Public Opinion, Michel Trempont as Jupiter and Charles Burles as Pluto/Aristaeus, plus some very well filled cameos, though, not for the first time, I found Jane Berbié tends to sing under the note.

My father loved Offenbach operettas and there's no doubt they have a way of lifting the spirits.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on December 13, 2018, 02:18:50 AM
I'm halfway through this Ring, which I got just last week. Loving it so far.

[asin]B008VNIA32[/asin]

I did take a break for something completely different.

[asin]B00000E4LB[/asin]

I wasn't really in the market for a new version of Adriana, but I saw it used in a store in New Orleans for just $4.00. Worth every penny.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 13, 2018, 02:35:59 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on December 13, 2018, 02:18:50 AM


I wasn't really in the market for a new version of Adriana, but I saw it used in a store in New Orleans for just $4.00. Worth every penny.

I have the Scotto recording, which is very good, but I don't have much patience with the piece itself. It's an opera I rarely listen to. In fact I hardly ever listen to verismo these days, even Puccini.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 13, 2018, 12:36:13 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 12, 2018, 11:23:57 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61lQfECRyBL.jpg)

Incredibly skimpy documentation for this bargain release, but it's an excellent performance.

Conducted with élan and verve by Michel Plasson, it's strongly cast with Mady Mesplé and Michel Sénéchal superb as Eurydice and Orpheus. Great performances too from Jane Rhodes as Public Opinion, Michel Trempont as Jupiter and Charles Burles as Pluto/Aristaeus, plus some very well filled cameos, though, not for the first time, I found Jane Berbié tends to sing under the note.

My father loved Offenbach operettas and there's no doubt they have a way of lifting the spirits.

Talk about intelligent programming: EMI had in their vaults a recital by Jane Rhodes recorded in Bordeaux with her husband, conductor Roberto Benzi. They also had recordings of the overtures to the same operettas set down in the studio in the seventies by Frémaux and Plasson. This reissue neatly offers the vocal numbers and the overtures from these different sources. 80 minutes of sheer pleasure:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fT4edcEJL.jpg)


Jane Rhodes has a voluminous voice, absolutely spot-on intonation and perfect diction. Very much like Crespin, but with a more telling lower mid-range. She is billed as a mezzo, but the upper range is absolutely free of any limitation.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 14, 2018, 12:09:21 AM
(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51V3IAlTMQL._SS500.jpg)

This was Callas's come back after a hiatus of almost two years. She was in better voice than anyone had dared hope and the Zeffirelli production was a huge success. Indeed the Royal Opera only replaced the production a few years ago, and many famous sopranos and baritones have filled the roles of Tosca and Scarpia since, though none accorded the legendary status these performances achieved.

The sound of these live performances is remarkably good, better than on any of the other live sets in the Callas Live Remastered box set, so few allowances need to be made in that respect and the performance is thrilling. It does not of course replace the irreplaceable De Sabata studio set, but I prefer it to the later studio recording under Prêtre. Caught live and on the wing Callas and Gobbi the connection between the two great singing actors is palpable, so vivid their responses that you feel you can see the performance as well as just hear it.

Fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2018/12/13/tosca-royal-opera-house-covent-garden-1964/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2018/12/13/tosca-royal-opera-house-covent-garden-1964/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 14, 2018, 12:10:25 AM
Quote from: André on December 13, 2018, 12:36:13 PM
Talk about intelligent programming: EMI had in their vaults a recital by Jane Rhodes recorded in Bordeaux with her husband, conductor Roberto Benzi. They also had recordings of the overtures to the same operettas set down in the studio in the seventies by Frémaux and Plasson. This reissue neatly offers the vocal numbers and the overtures from these different sources. 80 minutes of sheer pleasure:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fT4edcEJL.jpg)


Jane Rhodes has a voluminous voice, absolutely spot-on intonation and perfect diction. Very much like Crespin, but with a more telling lower mid-range. She is billed as a mezzo, but the upper range is absolutely free of any limitation.

Looks tempting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: david johnson on December 14, 2018, 11:40:32 PM
I just finished La Traviata/RCA/Anna Moffo
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 15, 2018, 12:42:12 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61u6zp4mcIL.jpg)

La Vie Parisienne might just be my favourite of all Offenbach's operettas, a piece I've known since I was a teenager, when my father conducted a production (I was one of the dancers in the show).

Plasson and his superb cast of French singers capture its effervescent high spirits brilliantly. Pure joy from beginning to end.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on December 15, 2018, 07:56:20 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61xSDaDpgyL._SX355_.jpg)

This is my first time listening to this magnificent Strauss opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on December 15, 2018, 08:00:00 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 15, 2018, 12:42:12 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61u6zp4mcIL.jpg)

La Vie Parisienne might just be my favourite of all Offenbach's operettas, a piece I've know since I was a teenager, when my father conducted a production (I was one of the dancers in the show).

Plasson and his superb cast of French singers capture its effervescent high spirits brilliantly. Pure joy from beginning to end.
I quite agree!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 16, 2018, 02:01:17 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51eOEYy0CwL.jpg)

Back in the late 1990s, and then in 2002, Puccini's quasi operetta had a surge in popularity, largely due to this recording and the production at Covent Garden that followed it with then golden couple Alagna and Gheorghiu in the leading roles.

Although there had been two previous recordings, both excellent in their own way, this one swept the board and won the prestigious Gramophone Record of the Year award, along with a plethora of others. What prinicapally sets it apart from the others is the superb conducting of Antonio Pappano and the playing of the London Symphony Orchestra at the tope of their form.

It also has both Gheorghiu and Alagna in ideal roles for them, at the height of their game, much more specific in their responses to the text and drama than the somewhat generalised Domingo and Te Kanawa, more vocally glamorous than Moffo and Baroni. We also have a nicely contrasted secondatu couple in Inva Mula and Wiliam Mateuzzi.

The recording adds a new entrance aria for Ruggero, based on a song by Puccini (Morire?), which is included as an appendix. The opera being rather short, EMI also included excerpts from Puccini's first opera Le Villi.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 17, 2018, 01:49:19 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41EipNmedmL.jpg)

Piazzolla's Tango Operita Maria de Buenos Aires, though seldom performed for many years, has been gaining currency since this Gidon Kremer recording, made in 1998.

It's a somewhat surrealist piece, blending music, song and dance and anyone who likes tango should enjoy it, especially in this fine performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 20, 2018, 01:48:57 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81SKDGq7uVL._SL1432_.jpg)

Manon Lescaut is far from being ny favourite Puccini opera, and I much prefer Massenet's setting of the L'Abbé Prévost novel, but I do dig it out from time to time.

Callas was far from being in her best voice when the opera was recorded, and, to my ears, she sounds far less secure on high than she did in Turandot, which she finished recording only a couple of days before. Callas and Legge must have had their doubts too, because EMI withheld release until 1960, three years after the recording was made.

That said her performance is full of little details glossed over by other more fulgent voices, and the often anticlimactic final act is harrowingly moving. This must be the reason that the set is often cited by commentators as a first choice for the opera, despite the rather flat mono sound. Di Stefano is perfectly cast as Des Grieux, youthfully charming in the first act, driven to destraction with despair in Act III, and the rest of the cast is more than adequate, with the young Cossotto especially lovely as the Madrigal Singer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 26, 2018, 03:41:02 AM
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CGkQCZhNs-M/W1H9KSeRxmI/AAAAAAAAIwU/99ZF6hF3QQ44vQtOCpvu7eJvJuzbVH25ACLcBGAs/s1600/71Bk9GlDDRL._SL1200_.jpg)

Really excellent recording of Bizet's once forgotten, but now quite popular opera, which goes as far as possible to recontruct what Bizet actually wrote.

Wonderfully cast as well. Cyrille Dubois has a lovely lyric high-lying tenor, which does full justice to the role of Nadir, if without quite erasing memories of the great Léopold Simoneau. A marvelous Zurga from Florian Sempey, and a rich voiced, but occasionally unsteady, Leïla from Julie Fuchs, and here my preference would be for Cotrubas on the Prêtre recording, which was the first to restore the original version of the famous duet Au fond du temple saint. Superb contributions from the L'Orchestre National de Lisle and Les Cris de Paris put this recording at the very top of the list.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 26, 2018, 09:03:40 AM
Here's what I wrote about this set:

Quote from: André on August 03, 2018, 06:23:46 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Bk9GlDDRL._SX522_PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg)

Bizet's 'other' opera. He wrote a few more of course, but none has really entered the standard repertoire. Pearlfishers is shorter than Carmen, a mere 105-110 minutes. It is still in the repertoire, esp in smaller houses. Its vocal requirements are not demanding in terms of size and it contains plenty of purple patches for the enjoyment of the « average » listener, as well as  benefiting from an exotic setting. Of late, another factor has contributed to the work's popularity. Bare chested barihunks and tenors are much in demand in the two main male parts, as shown for example in this Chicago Lyric Opera production from last year:
(http://www.stageandcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Mariusz-Kwiecie%C5%84_THE-PEARL-FISHERS_LYR171115b_0241_c.Todd-Rosenberg-1280x853.jpg)

This pic below is from a Seattle production, with the article's title giving away part of the explanation for its enduring appeal: « Going to the Opera with Grandma ». The Chicago Opera aptly describes it as escapist entertainment.
(https://www.seattleopera.org/globalassets/images/galleries/2015-pearl-fishers/01_pearl-fishers_gallery.jpg)

It is a little-known fact that the librettists had originally planned the opera to be set in Mexico. Maybe the french houses didn't have sombreros at hand ? That is only one of the numerous changes that took place, as was common at the time. A few years later the librettists stated that, had they known the music was of such quality, they would have worked a little bit harder. Bizet himself was no stranger to working under pressure (the delay was 4 months only) and facing mishaps and contingencies. Consequently, Pêcheurs de perles is larded with quotes and borrowings from other works of his. That, too, was quite common. Composers were expected to deal with every kind of circumstances.

The end result was not a huge success. Critics panned the new opera. The single laudatory review came from Hector Berlioz (Journal des débats, 1863). French audiences didn't buy this particular LaLaLand fantasy until after the composer's death a dozen years later.

To make the picture even muddier, the original score is « lost » (apparently it is in private hands and its owner will not make it public), so there is no way to know exactly what Bizet wrote in it. What's available is Bizet's piano reduction and a short score for the conductor. Moreover, following Bizet's death his editor Paul Choudens wanted to cash in on the success of Carmen and published a heavily edited version. New productions in Milan and other places fostered a mini industry of changes, alterations, with numbers added or substracted at will. All productions and recordings before 1965 derive from one of the corrupt editions. A new edition was published in 1975 and in 2002 a critical edition of Bizet's score was put together, followed in 2014 by the edition on which this recording is based.

............................

The disc at hand derives from a 2015 french concert, with no attempt at staging - no 6-pack pics here, everybody was fully dressed. Two things that should be taken for granted in this work have been conspicuously missing for decades - over 50 years as a matter of fact: first, it is a delicate bird that is very sensitive to that common virus, the wrong vocal technique and voice projection. And, secondly, unintelligible french pronunciation. Despite its exotic setting, Pêcheurs de perles is as french as baguette and croissants. The dearth of the appropriate type of voice in France since the 1960s has led to the opera being staged mostly on foreign ground, hence the second problem.

So, this all-french production has great assets in the credit column: a more faithful text, exempt from any non-Bizet alterations; young voices trained for the classical and baroque repertoire, where verbal acuity and musical sophistication are the name of the game; a dedicated team of musicians acutely aware of the importance of the enterprise. That being said, there are a couple of checks to be scored on the debit side of the ledger. The initial chorus is taken too fast, and the words become unintelligible. So much for authentic French if the singers can't enunciate properly. That initial misstep apart, things go very well with the orchestral and choral contributions.

The two bass voices are cardboard characters to be sure, but they have nice melodies to sing, and the voices are fine. Soprano Julie Fuchs was predicted to be a great asset in the role of LeÏla. She does have some delightful moments, but this is a live production, and there is a smidgen of insecurity and/or flutter to her voice in the first act. Later on in the opera the voice is perilously close to developing a wobble on the high notes. Even so, I count hers as a successful portrayal. I found her wanting only in comparison with Pierrette Alarie (Fournet, 1953), who endows her priestess with crystal clear diction and pure voice even in the highest reaches.

The revelation and real star of the recording is tenor Cyrille Dubois as Nadir. 30 years old at the time of the recording, he has been singing since the age of 7, as a boy soprano in the Maîtrise de Caen. He entered the Paris Opera Atelier lyrique at 20. His is a fully developed voice, free ranging up to the topmost notes. Despite a hint of a tight vibrato in the middle register, his high notes display a mesmerizing plangent quality that left me speechless. His vocal emission is very peculiar, reminding me of the squeezed toothpaste technique of czech sopranos, but without any edginess. He is also a poet with the words. In that respect another singer comes to mind: Ian Bostridge. To sum up, Dubois' vocal style has a slightly androgynous quality, and he displays all the qualities a true ténor lyrique.

Executive Summary:

- The version of choice remains the first one, with Simoneau and Alarie giving affecting portrayals as well as object lessons in great vocalism allied to perfect french diction - straight, clear, unaffected. It has been said that this recording is like a Vogue catalogue on glazed paper, with the implied criticism of over refinement. Despite its age the sound is clear as a bell - no fuzziness, no peaking, with a good sense of space.

- The 1959 Rosenthal, in very good but a bit crude sound, has the benefit of Alain Vanzo's amazing portrayal of Nadir. Manly yet delicately shaded singing, alternately cooing and stentorian - a curious combination, but it works superbly. The two low voices are excellent. Janine Michaud though is not entirely up to snuff as Leïla, lacking purity and innocence.

- In 1977 EMI issued the first recording based on the new edition. It is very good, but alas not perfect. Cotrubas is lovely as the love object of the pearl fishers. The two bass voices are adequate, but no more - and Mexican baritone Guillermo Sarabia's imperfect French is no match for that of his colleagues. Vanzo sings beautifully, but there is a slight feeling that this was another day at the office for him.

- The 2015 version benefits from great sound, a splendid orchestra and lively conducting - plus the nicety of a better text. Dubois is outstanding, not as perfect vocally as Simoneau or commanding as Vanzo, but I have a feeling that his portrayal will become some sort of landmark in the role. Zurga and Nourabad are very well sung and portrayed, among the best from the lot. Fuchs is uneven. The flutter on the high notes is irritating, but her tones are often beautiful. This is something that would have been put right in the recording studio.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 26, 2018, 06:43:57 PM
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A very good version of this magnificent score. Björling may lack stentorian power as Calaf, but to his credit he never cheapens the basic fabric of his vocal armoury. Nilsson is better here than under Stokowski, Gavazzeni or Molinari-Pradelli (if memory serves - have to relisten to that one), the voice not just gleaming, but secure in pitch. The glory of this cast is Tebaldi's Liù, perfect in characterization as well as vocalism. Listen to the utterly secure way she intones « pietà »  at the end of Signore ascolta. Most sopranos insert an extra e (« pie-e-ta ») to facilitate the ascent to the high B flat. Tebaldi's previous take as the slave girl, under Erede (1955), was less successful, the singing harder and unimaginative. Timur is sung by Mario Sereni. Dependable but unmemorable. The rest of the cast is fine, the important choir parts very well characterized.

I liked Leisdorf's conducting. He makes sure the important wind lines are clearly audible, from soft bassoon/contrabassoon notes to oboe or clarinet gurglings. Mind you, the orchestra is not of the top flight and lacks the power and beauty of the WP or LPO under Karajan and Mehta. I did not detect the presence of an organ. Curiously, Leinsdorf (or the producer?) adds an extra « il nome » in the torture acene, but skip the final « gloria » from the chorus.

The recording itself, from 1959 is not bad at all. It was produced and engineered by the experienced team of Richard Mohr and Lewis Layton. For the two ladies then, and for the assertive, attentive conducting of Leinsdorf this is an excellent version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 27, 2018, 10:16:38 AM
I agree with most of what you say regarding the Bloch Pecheurs de Perles. Many of the crits have raved about Julie Fuchs, but I find the vibrato and the unsteadiness gets in the way (not so long ago people were admonishing Callas for much less). Is that an indication that standards have fallen?

One only has to listen to the Turandot  that you were listening to to hear full, firm voices in the shape of Nilsson, Tebaldi and Bjørling.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on December 27, 2018, 10:27:09 PM
Recent Listening:

[asin]B000063DQA[/asin]


It will take me a long time to get the most out of this work but I am really enjoying it so far. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 28, 2018, 02:32:47 AM
Quote from: Undersea on December 27, 2018, 10:27:09 PM
Recent Listening:

[asin]B000063DQA[/asin]


It will take me a long time to get the most out of this work but I am really enjoying it so far. :)

One of my favourite operas, though I still tend to prefer Davis's earlier recording, mostly for the cast. Only Petra Lang, on the second recording, is an improvement on Lindholm in the first. For the rest, I prefer the earlier cast.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 31, 2018, 06:08:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91GW2QXcxEL._SL1434_.jpg)

You might read somewhere that Callas was in poor voice when she recorded this set in 1959, and that it is therefore not a patch on her Cetra recording of 1952.

Not true. She is actually in pretty secure voice, even managing a secure top C in the final act. True, the singing doesn't quite have the sheer force and abandon of the earlier one, but her portrayal here is more subtle and I find it hard to choose between the two of them.

Orchestral playing and sound is much better on this second recording, though the rest of the cast is marginally better on the earlier one. Cappuccilli and Cossotto, both near the beginning of their careers, are a little dull, set next to Silveri and Barbieri on the earlier set. On the other hand, Ferraro, though he hardly has the personality of a Di Stefano or Corelli, is an improvement on the ghastly Poggi on the earlier set.

But Callas is thrilling, and it is for that reason the set remains a top recommendation for this opera.

Interesting footnote. When Tebaldi was studying the role for her recording, her record producer advised her to listen to the Milanov recording, but, when he visited her, he found her listening to Callas. "But why didn't you tell me Maria's was best?" she asked him.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on January 02, 2019, 10:26:29 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 28, 2018, 02:32:47 AM
One of my favourite operas, though I still tend to prefer Davis's earlier recording, mostly for the cast. Only Petra Lang, on the second recording, is an improvement on Lindholm in the first. For the rest, I prefer the earlier cast.

Nice one - hopefully I will get to hear the earlier recording at some stage... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 03, 2019, 01:06:51 AM
Quote from: Undersea on January 02, 2019, 10:26:29 PM
Nice one - hopefully I will get to hear the earlier recording at some stage... :)

The latest recording under Nelson is also excellent, but I still tend to prefer Davis's first trailblazing recording. As a supplement, one also really needs Janet Baker's recording of the final scenes.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ln7ZNKEBL.jpg)

Baker first sang Didon with Scottish Opera, and later was a last minute substitute for an ailing Veasey at Covent Garden (singing Didon in English, whilst the rest of the cast sang in French), and it is a great pity she was not engaed for the recording. Not that Veasey is bad; just that Baker would have been even better.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on January 04, 2019, 11:04:53 AM
Puccini: Tosca
Caballé, Carreras, Wixell, etc.
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House/C. Davis

First time listening to this (the opera, not just this recording), having purchased it yesterday.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on January 04, 2019, 11:18:44 AM
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Exhilarating recording so far. "Nume custode e vindice" is brilliantly conducted and sung.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 04, 2019, 11:37:09 AM
Quote from: Maestro267 on January 04, 2019, 11:04:53 AM
Puccini: Tosca
Caballé, Carreras, Wixell, etc.
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House/C. Davis

First time listening to this (the opera, not just this recording), having purchased it yesterday.

I've always liked the Davis recording, whilst still finding that the mono Callas/De Sabata still trumps the lot. One of the undisputedly greatest opera recordings of all times, it demands to be heard. The sound is more than acceptable in its recent Warner transfer. Just be sure to go for the 1953 recording under De Sabata, not the 1964 under Prêtre which finds La Divina in much frailer voice.

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91ntirq8gdl-_sl1500_.jpg)

Review of it here

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 04, 2019, 11:41:21 AM
Quote from: Alberich on January 04, 2019, 11:18:44 AM
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Exhilarating recording so far. "Nume custode e vindice" is brilliantly conducted and sung.

The only thing I can remember about this recording is that Nilsson just didn't sound like an Aida to me. Much too steely and not nearly vulnerable enough. Shame, because I think it's Corelli's only studio recording of Radames.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 04, 2019, 12:40:30 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 04, 2019, 11:41:21 AM
The only thing I can remember about this recording is that Nilsson just didn't sound like an Aida to me. Much too steely and not nearly vulnerable enough. Shame, because I think it's Corelli's only studio recording of Radames.

This has always been a kind of ugly duckling among Aida recordings. Nilsson is not italianate enough, Mehta's conducting is erratic, blablabla. I love this performance. It may lack refinement but it doesn't lack excitement or involvement. Real 'stand and deliver' stuff.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 06, 2019, 02:49:35 AM
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As I say in my review on my blog, if your preference is for a recording which allows you to wallow in lush sounds, glorious tunes and gorgeous voices, then this recording is probably not for you. If however, like me, you think the opera is more than just a sentimental bot poiler, then this recording brings you face to face with real life in all its raw pain and tragedy. Butterfly's predicament has hardly, if ever been so heartrendingly expressed.

You would never guess that Callas was yet to sing the role on stage, so complete is her identification with the character, and Gedda is a lot better than he is often given credit for; not a down and out cad, but a charming young man, who does a terribly thoughtless thing, which he deeply regrets at the end of the opera.

Be advised though, listening to this recording (by which I mean giving one's full attention and not putting it on while you get on with something else) is a deeply upsetting experience. It's not one I can subject myself to too often.

Fuller review here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 07, 2019, 05:19:38 AM
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This first recording of Poulenc's opera has a great deal of historical significance. The French premiere took place on 21 June 1957 (the opera receieved its world premiere, in Italian, at La Scala, Milan the previous January) and in 1958 conductor Pierre Dervaux took most of the cast from the French premiere into the studio to record it. I must say it's a great pleasure to hear such clear, forwardly placed voices enunciate the text so clearly, not something we are used to so much these days.

A great recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 08, 2019, 01:16:50 PM
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Mehta's recording of Turandot is justly famous, but his recording of La Fanciulla del West is arguably just as good, and in fact won a tranche of awards when it was first released.

It is based on performances of a spectacular new production at Covent Garden (which I saw in revival with the same two leads). The main difference from the stage performances is that Sherrill Milnes replaced Silvano Carroli, presumbaly because he was a bigger name.

All three stars acquit themselves admirably and Carol Neblett, who for a short time was the Minnie to see is just about perfect in the role, warmer voiced than Nilsson, securer on high than Tebaldi. Supporting roles are all well characterised, with a superb contribution from Gwynne Howell as Jake Wallace.

I think the score one of Puccini's finest, but I still have a few problems accepting tough miners crying over missing their mothers and dancing together for entertainment. I just find it a bit hard to take. Nevertheless this is a great set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 08, 2019, 04:55:55 PM
+ 1.

Indeed, an excellent version. It helps that Neblett has such a great partner as Domingo. The other sets are not as judiciously cast. In this particular opera the excellent, atmospheric engineering works wonders. One of these opera sets where everything was right.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on January 08, 2019, 05:26:25 PM
Quote from: André on January 08, 2019, 04:55:55 PM
+ 1.

Indeed, an excellent version. It helps that Neblett has such a great partner as Domingo. The other sets are not as judiciously cast. In this particular opera the excellent, atmospheric engineering works wonders. One of these opera sets where everything was right.
+2. I bought it originally because I wanted to determine for myself if (and/or how much) Andrew Lloyd Webber had stolen from here. I remember thinking 'ah ha' when the part came, but I was so bowled over by the opera, that I didn't go back until I'd listened to it all. It's funny how for some pieces there are simply no sets available that quite get it all right and then there are sets like this where it all falls into place just right. A joy from start to finish and the rare opera with a (mostly) happy ending! :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 08, 2019, 06:29:46 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 08, 2019, 01:16:50 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ehJoCihwL.jpg)

Mehta's recording of Turandot is justly famous, but his recording of La Fanciulla del West is arguably just as good, and in fact won a tranche of awards when it was first released.

It is based on performances of a spectacular new production at Covent Garden (which I saw in revival with the same two leads). The main difference from the stage performances is that Sherrill Milnes replaced Silvano Carroli, presumbaly because he was a bigger name.

All three stars acquit themselves admirably and Carol Neblett, who for a short time was the Minnie to see is just about perfect in the role, warmer voiced than Nilsson, securer on high than Tebaldi. Supporting roles are all well characterised, with a superb contribution from Gwynne Howell as Jake Wallace.

I think the score one of Puccini's finest, but I still have a few problems accepting tough miners crying over missing their mothers and dancing together for entertainment. I just find it a bit hard to take. Nevertheless this is a great set.

I have that production on DVD, and agree about the quality.  Miners dancing with each other when no females were about happened quite a bit--they needed entertainment like everyone else--and occurred on other occasions when women were in short supply, especially among Civil War troops. The crying over mothers is not so heavily documented, but 19th century Americans seem to be more sentimental than we moderns.

At any rate, the opera is well worth seeking out.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 09, 2019, 01:22:16 AM
Quote from: JBS on January 08, 2019, 06:29:46 PM
I have that production on DVD, and agree about the quality.  Miners dancing with each other when no females were about happened quite a bit--they needed entertainment like everyone else--and occurred on other occasions when women were in short supply, especially among Civil War troops. The crying over mothers is not so heavily documented, but 19th century Americans seem to be more sentimental than we moderns.

At any rate, the opera is well worth seeking out.

I know you're right, of course. Certainly about the dancing, but all that crying about "la mia mamma" seems altogether too, well, Italian!  ;D All opera requires quite a lot of suspension of disbelief of course, but that stretches it just a bit too far. But, as I said, musically I think it one of Puccini's greatest scores.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 09, 2019, 03:16:34 AM
Indeed, the Mehta is an excellent recording of what I too consider one of Puccini"s greatest achievements (if not, the greatest). Especially, the second act is really wonderful.

La fanciulla... may be one of the few operas that would work much better in concert performance rather than fully staged...we'd be spared the spaghetti western visuals (and the libretto is too feeble to withstand any sort of Regietheater approach)...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 09, 2019, 06:11:32 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 09, 2019, 03:16:34 AM
Indeed, the Mehta is an excellent recording of what I too consider one of Puccini"s greatest achievements (if not, the greatest). Especially, the second act is really wonderful.

La fanciulla may be one of the few operas that would work much better in concert performance rather than fully staged...we'd be spared the spaghetti western visuals (and the libretto is too feeble to withstand any sort of Regietheater approach)...

Well, yes and no. The Covent Garden production on which the Mehta recording was based was really splendid and quite realistic, with a whole hut on stage (minus the fourth wall) for Act II and, strangely enouh, I don't remember being bothered by any spaghetti western connotations. Maybe my disbelief was more easily suspended back then. I've no doubt it was extremely expensive and I doubt anyone could afford to stage it like that these days.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 11, 2019, 12:56:59 AM
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The critics weren't particularly kind to this when it was performed by the LSO under Previn in a semi-staged version at the Barbican,. Andrew Clements in the Guardian was particularly vitriolic, but I have a lot of affection for it, as I played the doctor who takes Blanche off to the asylum at the end. I also doubled as one of Stanley's cronies and one of the soldiers in a dream sequence when she recounts visiting the baracks. It was quite something having Renee Fleming singing into my ear, as she draped herself over my naked torso!

The score is derivative no doubt, but very approachable, with elements of jazz and reminiscent of Korngold. It was premiered in San Francisco and has had quite a few different performances round the world, but whether it survives remains to be seen.

Janice Watson replaced Elizabeth Futral in London, but Fleming, Gilfrey and Griffey all reprised their roles from this production.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 12, 2019, 10:41:18 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81UVgI9EJ5L._SL1428_.jpg)

One wouldn't really think of Callas as a natural for Mimi, but then many would not count her a natural for Gilda or Amina either, and yet she made highly successful recordings of both. As is her wont, she enters fully into the character, charming and diffident in the first two acts, but revealing a deeper vein of tragedy in the latter two acts than is often the case.

The opera is cast from strength with Di Stefano in one of his best roles, Panerai a superb Marcello and Moffo a welcome relief from some of the sparky soubrettes who often play Musetta.

Along with Beecham and Karajan, one of the most successful recordings of La Bohème out there, depite Votto being reliable rather than inspired.

I review the set in more depth here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-boheme/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-boheme/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 13, 2019, 06:13:30 PM
Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in these three versions:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51uSFTGJuzL.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ApxbjIDjL.jpg)

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71yYZotrGyL._SS500_.jpg)

Composed around 1690, Dido as opera is a curious case, bearing only passing resemblance to the next centuries' works for the stage with their often elaborate plots and musical structure. The first of the 3 versions above presents only what seems to have been left by Purcell - although nothing is certain, as the opera was known only through private performances based on manuscripts. It was printed for the first time in 1840 and it took another 100 years or so before opera houses in England started to take interest. The Leppard version thus presents the music with no extra material, resulting in a chop chop structure where recits, arias and dances are strung together with little concern for dramatic continuity. IOW we get something like Zauberflöte with no dialogue. Except that in the latter case we get all of Mozart's music, whereas in Purcell's time one would most certainly have expected various pantomimes, dance or music interludes to be performed, whether from other Purcell works or from other composers'. As for the performance, it (Leppard's) is closer to an oratorio than a flesh and blood music drama.

The two other versions make a bold attempt at creating a fuller spectacle, with linking material (extra dances, a thunder and wind machine here, a guitar chaconne there). Also, the use of PI and a more interventionist hand from the conductor makes for far more lively and dramatically involving performances. Currentzis is the more interesting and imaginative - some would say provocative - influence here. Haïm is more refined in her shaping and handling of the numbers, but in the end hers sounds like a very good update of the conventional approach. It thus falls to Currentzis to really shake the cobwebs off the work. IMO he succeeds brilliantly, even if doubts arise here and there. There are too many differences, large and small, to detail, but both accounts present a rewarding and complete experience.

When it comes to the singers, just about anything goes, so a role by role comparison is impossible. Dido has been sung by contraltos (Ferrier), wagnerian sopranos (Flagstad), and all sorts of medium to dark female voices. Norman is regal to a fault, and her diction is not always impeccable. Kermes (Currentzis) is a light voice, but one with myriad nuances of light and shade. Her pianissimi are breathtakingly beautiful. Graham has a beautiful instrument, but IMO she doesn't use it to produce a strongly individual vocal portrayal. IOW she sounds slightly anonymous.

The role of Aeneas is similarly allotted to various kinds of male voices. Under Leppard we have bass-baritone Thomas Allen. Strong of voice but he doesn't convince as Dido's love interest. One wonders why she goes berserk over him. With Currentzis and Haïm we have Dimitris Tiliakos, a baritone and Ian Bostridge, a tenor. Both are sharply individual of voice and create a believable portrayal. Bostridge has the edge IMO. As Belinda, we always get a light soprano voice. For my taste Currentzis' Deborah York has it game, set and match over Haïm's Camilla Tilling. York's way with the tongue twisting "Haste, haste to town" is dazzling and a vocal high point of the work, something like Der hölle rache in Zauberflöte.

The important parts of the sorceress, the voice of Spirit and the chorus fare about equally. The choruses are more sizzling under Currentzis (superb laughing choruses), the Sorceress and Spirit more characterful and sharply individual under Haïm. I prefer Currentzis' Sailor to Haïm's.

And so it goes. Dido is such a short opera that listening to 2 performances in a row is shorter than going through the first act of Parsifal (!!), and since Currentzis and Haïm provide complementary virtues and contrasting experiences, I will listen to both again when Dido comes calling.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2019, 01:27:17 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61kzAOTs0iL.jpg)

This was the first opera set I ever owned and, as such, has a great deal of significance in my life. Norma swiftly became my favourte opera, though I despair of ever hearing it adequately sung and staged live.

Of Callas's two studio recordings this one has by far the better cast. Corelli and Zaccaria completely outshine the crudely inadequate Fillipeschi and woolly-toned Rossi-Lemeni in the first and, for my money, Ludwig outshines the over-the-hill Stignani. She was an unexpected, but very successful, piece of casting, sounding, as she should, like the younger woman. Her coloratura may not be as precise as Callas's, but the two singers blend their voices surprisingly well.

As for Callas, the voice has deteriorated in the 6 years since the first recording, though not as disastrously as one might expect. The middle and lower parts of the voice are still beautiful, her command of legato unparalleled, but the top of the voice can now sound edgy and hard. For all that she still makes more of the role than any other recorded singer. Furthermore her characterisation has deepened even further, with certain passages almost more experienced than sung.

John Steane put it very succinctly when he suggested that for Callas as Norma, you take 1954, but for Norma with Callas, then the second recording is the better option.

I might add that for Callas as Norma and Norma with Callas, then you opt for the live 1955 La Scala account, with Simionato and Del Monacao, which sounds very well, especialy in its Divina transfer, and captures Callas on a night when everything seemed to be going right.

Fuller review of the 1960 studio set on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/callass-1960-norma/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/callass-1960-norma/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2019, 01:41:41 AM
Quote from: André on January 13, 2019, 06:13:30 PM
Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in these three versions:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51uSFTGJuzL.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ApxbjIDjL.jpg)

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71yYZotrGyL._SS500_.jpg)

Composed around 1690, Dido as opera is a curious case, bearing only passing resemblance to the next centuries' works for the stage with their often elaborate plots and musical structure. The first of the 3 versions above presents only what seems to have been left by Purcell - although nothing is certain, as the opera was known only through private performances based on manuscripts. It was printed for the first time in 1840 and it took another 100 years or so before opera houses in England started to take interest. The Leppard version thus presents the music with no extra material, resulting in a chop chop structure where recits, arias and dances are strung together with little concern for dramatic continuity. IOW we get something like Zauberflöte with no dialogue. Except that in the latter case we get all of Mozart's music, whereas in Purcell's time one would most certainly have expected various pantomimes, dance or music interludes to be performed, whether from other Purcell works or from other composers'. As for the performance, it (Leppard's) is closer to an oratorio than a flesh and blood music drama.

The two other versions make a bold attempt at creating a fuller spectacle, with linking material (extra dances, a thunder and wind machine here, a guitar chaconne there). Also, the use of PI and a more interventionist hand from the conductor makes for far more lively and dramatically involving performances. Currentzis is the more interesting and imaginative - some would say provocative - influence here. Haïm is more refined in her shaping and handling of the numbers, but in the end hers sounds like a very good update of the conventional approach. It thus falls to Currentzis to really shake the cobwebs off the work. IMO he succeeds brilliantly, even if doubts arise here and there. There are too many differences, large and small, to detail, but both accounts present a rewarding and complete experience.

When it comes to the singers, just about anything goes, so a role by role comparison is impossible. Dido has been sung by contraltos (Ferrier), wagnerian sopranos (Flagstad), and all sorts of medium to dark female voices. Norman is regal to a fault, and her diction is not always impeccable. Kermes (Currentzis) is a light voice, but one with myriad nuances of light and shade. Her pianissimi are breathtakingly beautiful. Graham has a beautiful instrument, but IMO she doesn't use it to produce a strongly individual vocal portrayal. IOW she sounds slightly anonymous.

The role of Aeneas is similarly allotted to various kinds of male voices. Under Leppard we have bass-baritone Thomas Allen. Strong of voice but he doesn't convince as Dido's love interest. One wonders why she goes berserk over him. With Currentzis and Haïm we have Dimitris Tiliakos, a baritone and Ian Bostridge, a tenor. Both are sharply individual of voice and create a believable portrayal. Bostridge has the edge IMO. As Belinda, we always get a light soprano voice. For my taste Currentzis' Deborah York has it game, set and match over Haïm's Camilla Tilling. York's way with the tongue twisting "Haste, haste to town" is dazzling and a vocal high point of the work, something like Der hölle rache in Zauberflöte.

The important parts of the sorceress, the voice of Spirit and the chorus fare about equally. The choruses are more sizzling under Currentzis (superb laughing choruses), the Sorceress and Spirit more characterful and sharply individual under Haïm. I prefer Currentzis' Sailor to Haïm's.

And so it goes. Dido is such a short opera that listening to 2 performances in a row is shorter than going through the first act of Parsifal (!!), and since Currentzis and Haïm provide complementary virtues and contrasting experiences, I will listen to both again when Dido comes calling.

Thanks for the reviews, Andre.

Of the three recordings you review, the only one I know is the Leppard, which, I would agree with you, is a little too stately.

The Curentzis sounds interesting, but I do have something of a problem with Simone Kermes. In anything else I've heard, I find the vocal production somehwat eccentric and she wouldn't know a legato line if it slapped her in the face. Maybe she's better here?

My go to performance, for all that it might seem somewhat old fashioned these days, is the Antony Collins set with Dame Janet Baker, a non pareil of a Dido. Such impassioned, sincere and committed singing never goes out of fashion.

I also like the Christie version, mostly for the singing of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, who had many of Dame Janet's qualities, a quiet intensity and a gift for communication second to none.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/7150dPmPdIL._SL1400_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510TX0K8EWL.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2019, 04:38:38 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/fiuMdJtnPlgVWV3BRy4kSvfMKXM=/fit-in/600x595/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7124618-1434274700-7514.jpeg.jpg)

Oh, they don't make 'em like this anymore, and it's a great shame that the approach of war and the power of the Nazi regime precluded a complete recording of the opera under Walter, as was the original intention. Lehmann and Melchior might still just be the greatest Sieglinde and Siegmund on disc, and though there may have been more imaginative Hundings than List, his is still a strong, firm presence.

The sound is pretty amazing, considering the recording was made in 1935. Well worth having as an adjunct to any recording of the Ring cycle that one might own.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: North Star on January 14, 2019, 09:29:45 AM
Quote from: André on January 13, 2019, 06:13:30 PM
Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in these three versions:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ApxbjIDjL.jpg)

Composed around 1690, Dido as opera is a curious case, bearing only passing resemblance to the next centuries' works for the stage with their often elaborate plots and musical structure. The first of the 3 versions above presents only what seems to have been left by Purcell - although nothing is certain, as the opera was known only through private performances based on manuscripts. It was printed for the first time in 1840 and it took another 100 years or so before opera houses in England started to take interest. The Leppard version thus presents the music with no extra material, resulting in a chop chop structure where recits, arias and dances are strung together with little concern for dramatic continuity. IOW we get something like Zauberflöte with no dialogue. Except that in the latter case we get all of Mozart's music, whereas in Purcell's time one would most certainly have expected various pantomimes, dance or music interludes to be performed, whether from other Purcell works or from other composers'. As for the performance, it (Leppard's) is closer to an oratorio than a flesh and blood music drama.

The two other versions make a bold attempt at creating a fuller spectacle, with linking material (extra dances, a thunder and wind machine here, a guitar chaconne there). Also, the use of PI and a more interventionist hand from the conductor makes for far more lively and dramatically involving performances. Currentzis is the more interesting and imaginative - some would say provocative - influence here. Haïm is more refined in her shaping and handling of the numbers, but in the end hers sounds like a very good update of the conventional approach. It thus falls to Currentzis to really shake the cobwebs off the work. IMO he succeeds brilliantly, even if doubts arise here and there. There are too many differences, large and small, to detail, but both accounts present a rewarding and complete experience.

When it comes to the singers, just about anything goes, so a role by role comparison is impossible. Dido has been sung by contraltos (Ferrier), wagnerian sopranos (Flagstad), and all sorts of medium to dark female voices. Norman is regal to a fault, and her diction is not always impeccable. Kermes (Currentzis) is a light voice, but one with myriad nuances of light and shade. Her pianissimi are breathtakingly beautiful. Graham has a beautiful instrument, but IMO she doesn't use it to produce a strongly individual vocal portrayal. IOW she sounds slightly anonymous.

The role of Aeneas is similarly allotted to various kinds of male voices. Under Leppard we have bass-baritone Thomas Allen. Strong of voice but he doesn't convince as Dido's love interest. One wonders why she goes berserk over him. With Currentzis and Haïm we have Dimitris Tiliakos, a baritone and Ian Bostridge, a tenor. Both are sharply individual of voice and create a believable portrayal. Bostridge has the edge IMO. As Belinda, we always get a light soprano voice. For my taste Currentzis' Deborah York has it game, set and match over Haïm's Camilla Tilling. York's way with the tongue twisting "Haste, haste to town" is dazzling and a vocal high point of the work, something like Der hölle rache in Zauberflöte.

The important parts of the sorceress, the voice of Spirit and the chorus fare about equally. The choruses are more sizzling under Currentzis (superb laughing choruses), the Sorceress and Spirit more characterful and sharply individual under Haïm. I prefer Currentzis' Sailor to Haïm's.

And so it goes. Dido is such a short opera that listening to 2 performances in a row is shorter than going through the first act of Parsifal (!!), and since Currentzis and Haïm provide complementary virtues and contrasting experiences, I will listen to both again when Dido comes calling.
Good timing as I just got the Currentzis recording from the post, and am listening to it now for the first time (I've only heard the famous lament before). All in all, I agree with what you say of the recording. I would have liked to hear the ' dance gittars chacony' indicated in the libretto after 'Pursue thy conquest, Love' (track 11), the transition to the following chorus seems jarring without it.

Kermes's legato has no trouble here, her singing is gorgeously nuanced, as André says.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 14, 2019, 10:31:04 AM
There's more to Dido and Aeneas than the famous lament of course, but since it is still sung regularly I suppose it shows that aria's incredible beauty.

For your enjoyment, hear how Maureen Forrester phrases it here. She is accompanied by John Newmark at the piano - more appropriate than one might think IMO. "Remember me" lies a bit high for her, but it's even more poignant that way.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VncZznq-b90 (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VncZznq-b90)

Kermes and Currentzis can be heard in it, too (followed by a very droopy "With drooping wings"):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae1IUPHxFzs (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae1IUPHxFzs)

And, who can but shed tears when listening to the Dido of the ages, Kirsten Flagstad ?


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGappJ3EZc (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGappJ3EZc)

Finishing off with Janet Baker's heart-rending incarnation in a 1966 film with Charles Mackerras. Listen in particular to her way with the recitative "Thy hand, Belinda", and the ethereal pianissimi on the first cries of Remember me! It doesn't come any better than this.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_50zj7J50U (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_50zj7J50U)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 14, 2019, 10:35:11 AM
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
https://youtu.be/MYYY6QGzEJY

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510TX0K8EWL.jpg)

Although I don't particularly the recording for other reasons (IIRC, this is the one with the nasally Witches and the hokey Sailors).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on January 14, 2019, 04:14:03 PM
Quote from: André on January 14, 2019, 10:31:04 AM
There's more to Dido and Aeneas than the famous lament of course, but since it is still sung regularly I suppose it shows that aria's incredible beauty.

For your enjoyment, hear how Maureen Forrester phrases it here. She is accompanied by John Newmark at the piano - more appropriate than one might think IMO. "Remember me" lies a bit high for her, but it's even more poignant that way.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VncZznq-b90 (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VncZznq-b90)

Kermes and Currentzis can be heard in it, too (followed by a very droopy "With drooping wings"):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae1IUPHxFzs (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae1IUPHxFzs)

And, who can but shed tears when listening to the Dido of the ages, Kirsten Flagstad ?


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGappJ3EZc (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGappJ3EZc)

Finishing off with Janet Baker's heart-rending incarnation in a 1966 film with Charles Mackerras. Listen in particular to her way with the recitative "Thy hand, Belinda", and the ethereal pianissimi on the first cries of Remember me! It doesn't come any better than this.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_50zj7J50U (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_50zj7J50U)
Very interesting to compare. I find it odd that you liked the Kermes and Currentzis version when your comment was so negative about Norman's diction. I find Norman much easier to understand than Kermes (at least in this). Anyway, it's pretty, but I think the weakest of the bunch. Flagstad wouldn't be my first choice in this role either, but what a voice. Forrester didn't do it for me either.  Lorraine Hunt Lieberson does a nice job. But then, there is Baker. I heard this and I was shattered. To sit in front of a computer listening on headphones and simply be pierced with such emotion...she was phenomenal. The control of the voice and breath were outstanding. I wouldn't blame those actors/singers if they had real tears at the end!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 15, 2019, 12:27:36 AM
Quote from: André on January 14, 2019, 10:31:04 AM
There's more to Dido and Aeneas than the famous lament of course, but since it is still sung regularly I suppose it shows that aria's incredible beauty.

For your enjoyment, hear how Maureen Forrester phrases it here. She is accompanied by John Newmark at the piano - more appropriate than one might think IMO. "Remember me" lies a bit high for her, but it's even more poignant that way.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VncZznq-b90 (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VncZznq-b90)

Kermes and Currentzis can be heard in it, too (followed by a very droopy "With drooping wings"):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae1IUPHxFzs (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae1IUPHxFzs)

And, who can but shed tears when listening to the Dido of the ages, Kirsten Flagstad ?


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGappJ3EZc (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGappJ3EZc)

Finishing off with Janet Baker's heart-rending incarnation in a 1966 film with Charles Mackerras. Listen in particular to her way with the recitative "Thy hand, Belinda", and the ethereal pianissimi on the first cries of Remember me! It doesn't come any better than this.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_50zj7J50U (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_50zj7J50U)

Baker out in front by a mile for me. Such beauty, such emotional commitment, such restrained passion, such communication, aligned to such technical mastery, the voice spun out on a seamless legato which never breaks the musical line. Superb.

I still have a problem with Kermes. She uses what John Steane used to call the "squeeze box" style of emission, with almost every note given a little push, which destroys the long legato line. I know a lot of HIP singers used this method, but I'm afraid I don't like it, and find it unmusical.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 15, 2019, 06:23:11 AM
First approach to the big Eugen Jochum opera and choral box, with Così fan Tuttle:

(http://classicrecords.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/138861.jpg)

[asin]B0766FLLJW[/asin]

So far, the orchestral backdrop is working very well, and there's a lightness of touch in Jochum's approach that is most pleasing (and rather surprising, to be honest), coupled with a very warm sound of the strings.

The men are all superb, if slightly Germanic sounding (particularly Ernst Haefliger's otherwise very elegant Ferrando). Irmgard Seefried is a singer I very much appreciate, but I tend to agree with the extended opinion that she's not at her best in this recording (let's see how she manages Come scoglio...). Nan Merriman, on the other hand, clearly shows why she was so much in demand as Dorabella in the 50s and 60s. Enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 15, 2019, 07:44:37 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2019, 01:27:17 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61kzAOTs0iL.jpg)

This was the first opera set I ever owned and, as such, has a great deal of significance in my life. Norma swiftly became my favourte opera, though I despair of ever hearing it adequately sung and staged live.

Of Callas's two studio recordings this one has by far the better cast. Corelli and Zaccaria completely outshine the crudely inadequate Fillipeschi and woolly-toned Rossi-Lemeni in the first and, for my money, Ludwig outshines the over-the-hill Stignani. She was an unexpected, but very successful, piece of casting, sounding, as she should, like the younger woman. Her coloratura may not be as precise as Callas's, but the two singers blend their voices surprisingly well.

As for Callas, the voice has deteriorated in the 6 years since the first recording, though not as disastrously as one might expect. The middle and lower parts of the voice are still beautiful, her command of legato unparalleled, but the top of the voice can now sound edgy and hard. For all that she still makes more of the role than any other recorded singer. Furthermore her characterisation has deepened even further, with certain passages almost more experienced than sung.

John Steane put it very succinctly when he suggested that for Callas as Norma, you take 1954, but for Norma with Callas, then the second recording is the better option.

I might add that for Callas as Norma and Norma with Callas, then you opt for the live 1955 La Scala account, with Simionato and Del Monacao, which sounds very well, especialy in its Divina transfer, and captures Callas on a night when everything seemed to be going right.

Fuller review of the 1960 studio set on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/callass-1960-norma/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/callass-1960-norma/)
That stereo Norma was the recording with which I got to know both the opera and Callas's art, in this incarnation (on LP):

(https://img.discogs.com/DORsWQQeaICsZn01o3dtbEc9mL0=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8013674-1491359486-9525.jpeg.jpg)

I was bowled over! Coming from a teenage obsession with Wagner, Mozart and R. Strauss (as far as opera is concerned), I realised there was much beauty in this repertoire which I had frowned upon. Since then, my relation with Italian opera has cooled a bit (or rather, has its ebb and flow), but Norma will always remain a work I admire and enjoy, and Callas will always be Callas.

I went for the mono version on CD, and you are right: Filipescchi is insufferable! I also recall there being more poignancy and fragility in Callas's later portrayal , so I should get hold of it sometime soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 15, 2019, 01:33:08 PM
Quote from: ritter on January 15, 2019, 07:44:37 AM
That stereo Norma was the recording with which I got to know both the opera and Callas's art, in this incarnation (on LP):

(https://img.discogs.com/DORsWQQeaICsZn01o3dtbEc9mL0=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8013674-1491359486-9525.jpeg.jpg)

I was bowled over! Coming from a teenage obsession with Wagner, Mozart and R. Strauss (as far as opera is concerned), I realised there was much beauty in this repertoire which I had frowned upon. Since then, my relation with Italian opera has cooled a bit (or rather, has its ebb and flow), but Norma will always remain a work I admire and enjoy, and Callas will always be Callas.

I went for the mono version on CD, and you are right: Filipescchi is insufferable! I also recall there being more poignancy and fragility in Callas's later portrayal , so I should get hold of it sometime soon.

I listen to the 1960 recording more than the 1954, to be honest, but most of all I listen to La Scala 1955 live. It's the best Norma I've ever heard - from anyone.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 15, 2019, 05:24:23 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 15, 2019, 01:33:08 PM
I listen to the 1960 recording more than the 1954, to be honest, but most of all I listen to La Scala 1955 live. It's the best Norma I've ever heard - from anyone.

If I recall correctly, I bought the Divina Records issue of that 1955 performance a few years back, based solely your recommendation. It's an extraordinary performance indeed and it neatly solved that vexing conundrum: Callas I or Callas II ??  ???

;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 16, 2019, 12:05:51 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51joMHwW66L.jpg)

We have four different recordings of Callas as Amina; live from the La Scala prima under Bernstein, and two from the 1957 revival under Votto, recorded when the company toured to Cologne and Edinburgh.

The studio recording was made just prior to the 1957 revival, and, as you would expect, enjoys the best sound of the four, though it doesn't quite catch fire the way the live performances do, particularly La Scala 1955 and Cologne 1957, the fault for which can squarely be laid at the feet of Votto, who can be ploddingly dull.

On the other hand, Callas is in fine voice in the studio, her singing having a pearly softness entirely apt for the character, phrases spun out to prodigious lengths, her legato and cantilena well nigh impeccable. Though the revival saw her shed some of the more elaborate ornamentation Bersnetin had given her, the coloratura is still astounding. In the cadenza between the two verses of Ah non giunge she sails up to a fortissimo Eb in alt, effecting a diminuendo from this stratospheric note before cascading down a two octave chromatic scale, a feat un matched by any other singer. In addition the somewhat carboard character comes to life with a warmth and humanity rarely experienced. It is amazing how she can encapsulate the whole character in just a line of recitative, like the way she sings the simple words Il cor soltanto, when the notary asks what she brings as dowry. Those three words sum up all Amina's love, trust and warmth of heart. In its own way her Amina is as great a portrayal as her Norma, which reminds us that the two roles were written for the same singer, Giuditta Pasta.

The supporting cast is a good one too. Monti is a little wan, and no match for Valletti in the live 1955 La Scala broadcast, but good enough, and in fact recorded the role a few years later with Sutherland. Zaccaria is a melifluous Count and Cossotto a sympathetic Teresa.

Though I usually reach for either the Bernstein or the 1957 Cologne performance, where Votto wakes up and gives a much more alive account of the score, it is good to have Callas's Amina preserved in good (mono) studio sound, and I wouldn't want to be without the set.

More on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-sonnambula/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-sonnambula/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 16, 2019, 04:19:43 PM
This, in the form of its budget reissue
[asin]B00000AG7G[/asin]
This is the original 1835 version, but the usual lack of liner notes leave it up to the listener to figure out the differences.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 16, 2019, 11:41:49 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518E8apVvnL.jpg)

Konwitshcny's Der fliegende Holländer gets off to a rolicking good start with Wunderlich's gorgeously sung Steersman and actually has a lot more going for it. Fischer-Dieskau's darkly intellectual Dutchman won't be to everyone's taste, especially for those who prefer a true bass-baritone, but I rather like it, and Frick is an excellent Daland. Schock's Erich is as good as any, and a good deal better than some, but Schech's mature sounding Senta is a bit of a liability, though, truth to tell, this time round she didn't seem as bad as I remembered. Either I've become more forgiving or she just seems better in the light of what passes for good Wagner singing these days.

The sound is very good and Konwitschny has a fine grasp of the score. Well worth a listen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 17, 2019, 05:18:51 AM
Easily my favourite Dutchman !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 17, 2019, 04:47:25 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CE22Vx8LL.jpg)

Boieldieu's La Dame blanche was created in 1825. It was one of the most enduring hits of the Opéra Comique (1650 performances). Based on two novels by Walter Scott, it was the first opera to introduce a 'fantastic' element and as such influenced the operatic scene of the Romantic era (Lucia di Lammermoor, I Puritani, La Jolie fille de Perth, Robert le Diable, Faust). Its influence can also be felt in Guillaume Tell (1829). The lead role is not the Dame blanche of the title, but a character named Georges Brown. Rossini wrote the role of Arnold very much like that of Georges, with a suave head voice emission and plenty of high Cs (to be sung with the voix mixte, not in chest voice as Nourrit would do in the 1830s).

The production is from the 1964 Netherlands Festival at Hilversum, where Jean Fournet reigned for many years on the french repertoire. The cast is all-Dutch except for Gedda. There is nary a trace of a foreign accent to be heard. Gedda is in fine voice, with ringing top notes. The head voice is sometimes a bit rough, but who sings like that any more ? The important role of Gaveston, the villain who intends to spoil Georges from his family heirloom is impressively sung by bass Guus Hoekman. Erna Spoorenberg is the Dame blanche, a delicate presence with a beautiful voice - she was a well-known Mélisande.

Chorus, orchestra and the whole cast acquit themselves admirably and the sound is in impeccable stereo. There is another version under Minkowski with Rockwell Blake singing Georges Brown. I intend to explore this production soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on January 17, 2019, 05:30:14 PM
Quote from: André on January 17, 2019, 04:47:25 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CE22Vx8LL.jpg)

Boieldieu's La Dame blanche was created in 1825. It was one of the most enduring hits of the Opéra Comique (1650 performances). Based on two novels by Walter Scott, it was the first opera to introduce a 'fantastic' element and as such influenced the operatic scene of the Romantic era (Lucia di Lammermoor, I Puritani, La Jolie fille de Perth, Robert le Diable, Faust). Its influence can also be felt in Guillaume Tell (1829). The lead role is not the Dame blanche of the title, but a character named Georges Brown. Rossini wrote the role of Arnold very much like that of Georges, with a suave head voice emission and plenty of high Cs (to be sung with the voix mixte, not in chest voice as Nourrit would do in the 1830s).

The production is from the 1964 Netherlands Festival at Hilversum, where Jean Fournet reigned for many years on the french repertoire. The cast is all-Dutch except for Gedda. There is nary a trace of a foreign accent to be heard. Gedda is in fine voice, with ringing top notes. The head voice is sometimes a bit rough, but who sings like that any more ? The important role of Gaveston, the villain who intends to spoil Georges from his family heirloom is impressively sung by bass Guus Hoekman. Erna Spoorenberg is the Dame blanche, a delicate presence with a beautiful voice - she was a well-known Mélisande.

Chorus, orchestra and the whole cast acquit themselves admirably and the sound is in impeccable stereo. There is another version under Minkowski with Rockwell Blake singing Georges Brown. I intend to explore this production soon.
I cannot compare as I only have the Minkowski, but I find it a pure delight. Let us know what you think.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 17, 2019, 11:12:46 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61odkDudhBL.jpg)

This should have been a great recording of Berlioz's Légende dramatique, but it is badly let down by the perfunctory conducting of Georges Prêtre, which nowhere captures the fantasy and originality of Berlioz's score.

It is a great shame, because he has a near ideal cast at his disposal. Baker, in prime voice, is superb as Marguerite, singing with that specificity and intensity so peculiar to her. Gedda too could have been born to sing the Berlioz Faust. At least he got to re-record the part in better circumstances, under the baton of Sir Colin Davis, where he is the Romantic anti-hero ro the life. Bacquier could hardly be bettered as Méphistopheles, but all these wonderful singers are let down by the direction, and one is left wondering what they might have achieved under a Davis, a Munch or a Beecham.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 18, 2019, 04:38:30 PM
This was actually one of the greatest hits of Victorian theater
(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/naxos/large/730099044776.jpg)
Despite a rather silly plot that has more than a few holes
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_(opera)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 18, 2019, 05:33:03 PM

Ravel's Fantaisie lyrique:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ZvAPA%2BzkL._SX522_.jpg)

Still weaves its magic after almost 60 years.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 19, 2019, 01:02:43 AM
Quote from: André on January 18, 2019, 05:33:03 PM
Ravel's Fantaisie lyrique:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ZvAPA%2BzkL._SX522_.jpg)

Still weaves its magic after almost 60 years.

Pure magic indeed. Excellent performance too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 19, 2019, 01:39:01 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/12/imgL/119021080.jpg)

Giulini's Il Trovatore makes for very enjoyable listening, even if, in the final analysis, it lacks the sheer excitement and thrill of the Callas/Karajan set. As always with Giulini, tempos tend to be measured, gving his singers plenty of room to breathe and expand, but I do miss Karajan's superb rhythmic swagger and verve. It makes for a more reflective and thoughtful performance than usual, but I'm not sure that is what Il Trovatore needs.

That said there is some excellent singing from an unusual group of singers. Plowright has exactly the right tinta for Leonora, the tone darkly plangent, the coloratura well executed, but nowhere does she light up a phrase the way Callas does and Leonora remains a somewhat two-dimensional character. Domingo is actually better here than he was for Mehta, more inside the role and his voice more free on top, though the (unwritten) top Cs in Di quella pira still sound somewhat strained. Zancanaro is a most musical Di Luna, and Nesterenko gets the opera off to a rousing start.

The most controversial piece of casting is no doubt that of Fassbaender as Azucena, and her intelligent portrayal is thoroughly thought through and beautifully sung, with a lieder singer's attention to detail. She does not however erase memories of singers like Simionato and Barbieri in the role, both of whom are more naturally suited to the music.

In short, a musical and thoughtful traversal of the score, which just misses that last degree of passion and excitement. It certainly doesn't oust the Callas/Karajan set from my affections.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 19, 2019, 10:19:14 AM
Devoting the afternoon to
[asin]B07HSJ8978[/asin]
Typical Vivaldi opera...he even patched in a bit of the Four Seasons to accompany an appearance of the goddess Fortune.
The plot is based, rather remotely, on Byzantine history, with the hero being the emperor Justin I, uncle of Justinian. But unlike history, he gets to rescue the heroine who has been tied and left, Andromeda like, to be eaten by a sea monster.
This is actually the third recording of this opera, one of them being by Curtis/Complesso Barocco.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 19, 2019, 01:19:55 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 19, 2019, 01:39:01 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/12/imgL/119021080.jpg)

Giulini's Il Trovatore makes for very enjoyable listening, even if, in the final analysis, it lacks the sheer excitement and thrill of the Callas/Karajan set. As always with Giulini, tempos tend to be measured, gving his singers plenty of room to breathe and expand, but I do miss Karajan's superb rhythmic swagger and verve. It makes for a more reflective and thoughtful performance than usual, but I'm not sure that is what Il Trovatore needs.

That said there is some excellent singing from an unusual group of singers. Plowright has exactly the right tinta for Leonora, the tone darkly plangent, the coloratura well executed, but nowhere does she light up a phrase the way Callas does and Leonora remains a somewhat two-dimensional character. Domingo is actually better here than he was for Mehta, more inside the role and his voice more free on top, though the (unwritten) top Cs in Di quella pira still sound somewhat strained. Zancanaro is a most musical Di Luna, and Nesterenko gets the opera off to a rousing start.

The most controversial piece of casting is no doubt that of Fassbaender as Azucena, and her intelligent portrayal is thoroughly thought through and beautifully sung, with a lieder singer's attention to detail. She does not however erase memories of singers like Simionato and Barbieri in the role, both of whom are more naturally suited to the music.

In short, a musical and thoughtful traversal of the score, which just misses that last degree of passion and excitement. It certainly doesn't oust the Callas/Karajan set from my affections.

Trovatore is one of my very favourite operas and this is one of my very favourite versions. It may lack in vocal/dramatic individuality, but as a sum it is near the top. A large part of my pleasure comes from the conducting, playing and engineering. This de luxe showcase provides the perfect backdrop for the singers' performances. I have the same reaction to Giulini's DG Rigoletto. In a sense they are good foils to some other versions where the singing is more sharply individual - there are quite a few of those, including the Callas version above, the Corelli and/or Price recordings and a few live ones with Caballé. Like Aida, Trovatore is an extraordinary vehicle for great singing. Great conducting is a substantial bonus.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 19, 2019, 01:49:59 PM
Quote from: André on January 19, 2019, 01:19:55 PM
Trovatore is one of my very favourite operas and this is one of my very favourite versions. It may lack in vocal/dramatic individuality, but as a sum it is near the top. A large part of my pleasure comes from the conducting, playing and engineering. This de luxe showcase provides the perfect backdrop for the singers' performances. I have the same reaction to Giulini's DG Rigoletto. In a sense they are good foils to some other versions where the singing is more sharply individual - there are quite a few of those, including the Callas version above, the Corelli and/or Price recordings and a few live ones with Caballé. Like Aida, Trovatore is an extraordinary vehicle for great singing. Great conducting is a substantial bonus.

I hope I didn't sound churlish, because I do like this Giulini version. I see it as somehow complimentary to the Callas/Karajan set, which, however, remains my favourite.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 19, 2019, 02:00:43 PM
No churlishness at all. At least you have a clear favourite. I never got that far  ;D. There's always something that could be improved on. Giulini's Trovatore (and his Rigoletto) could use tighter tempi, for one. And Plowright's Leonora, gorgeously sung as it is, lacks the fil di voce high notes of some of her rivals. And Domingo's top notes do not match Corelli's (or Del Monaco's for that matter). So it goes !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 20, 2019, 04:51:21 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/nCt_nZBNE1LRJFzocMgMVUEKCUY=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2228676-1271090505.jpeg.jpg)

I saw Baltsa and Carreras in Carmen at Covent Garden shortly before this set was issued, and it remains one of the most thrilling performances (of anything) I've ever seen. Consequently I was very excited when this set was issued and snapped it up immediately.

Unfortunately, it proved something of a disappointment, the fault for which must lie squarely on Karajan's shoulders. By this time measured tempi were becoming the norm for him, and it is evident how much he loves ths score, but he rather loves it to death. For all the beautiful playing of the BPO, it lacks completely the wit and elegance of Beecham, or the swift visceral excitement of Prêtre.

Having taken the decision to record the version with spoken dialogue, it seems totally perverse to then use actors, who sound nothing like their singing counterparts, recorded in a totally different acoustic. It is hard to become involved when the differences are so profound. It's like listening to two different productions at the same time, and does the most harm to Baltsa and Carreras, who were so involving and communicative live at Covent Garden. Indeed neither of them really settles down to a real performance until the final duet, which is thrillingly powerful, as it should be.

What on earth prompted Karajan to think that Ricciarelli could be perfect as both Micaëla and Turandot? She is suited to neither, whereas Barbara Hendricks, who sings a wonderfull Liu on that Turandot he recorded the previous year would have been perfect.

Van Dam is a fine Escamillo, as he was for Solti.

I keep the recording for the contributions of Baltsa and Carreras, but listening to it is a curiously frustrating experience, and I mostly longed to be back chez Callas, Gedda and Prêtre.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 22, 2019, 12:21:21 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81hH2mHW-QL._SL1436_.jpg)

If only ... If only this 1953 set had never been made. Had it not been, Callas would have recorded the role of Violetta in 1955 under Serafin's baton, with Di Stefano and Gobbi as the Germonts, when she was at the height of her powers and fresh from the success of her appearances in the role at La Scala in Visconti's superb production. But the niceties of her contract with Cetra forbad her from re-recording the role for five years and Walter Legge decided to go on and record the opera without her. Antonietta Stella proved to be a poor substitute, so maybe he should have waited until 1958, when she was free to record the opera again.

Not that Callas is bad in this performance. She is still a more affecting Violetta than most sopranos can dream of being, but her surroundings are dull and prosaic, Santini's conducting plodding and dull, and Albanese and Savarese no better than average. Furthermore, Violetta was a role she was continually refining, and, by the time of the 1958 Covent Garden performance, the last of her recorded Violettas, it has become a charactersiation of infinite subtlety and nuance.

It is the 1958 Covent Garden performance I most often turn to, but it is good to listen to this one too, if only to be reminded of how she sounded in the role when she was in more robust voice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 24, 2019, 11:05:29 PM
Thanks for all the interesting posts over the last several weeks. Andre, you encourage me to get the Currentzis Dido off my shelf. When I got it, it struck me that he was becomming mannered with a kind of stop-go hell for leather speed suddenly contrasted with very slow. His approach to dynamics seemed similar and I really have not enjoyed Kermes. His Don Giovanni was rerecorded entirely and I have read that Kermes's singing had been part of the problem, she does not appear in the re-recording. He doed however shake us up with his rethinking of pieces, sometimes it works , other times, no. Great to see that Janet Baker still strikes listeners so very strongly in this and the Berlioz Faust. Again I agree, such a disappointing set due to the lax conducting.

I also love the Giulini Trovatore and the singers work with him to provide darkness rather than excitement. I am always torn between putting this on for a spin or choosing Mehta or Karajan. Ditto for singers, do I want Price/Plowright or Callas? And to be honest, I never ever really want Domingo, but we so very often got him.

I also agree with the remarks on the Karajan Carmen. I remember eagerly awaiting it and then being intensely disappointed, it felt stilted and to my ears Baltsa's voice sounds worn. For me, her best years were suddenly behind her when this set came out.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2019, 12:35:11 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0000/731/MI0000731877.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Peter Grimes has now become something of a repertory piece and there are many fine performances on disc, not least Colin Davis with Vickers and Hickox with Langridge. However this, its first recording, made in 1958 and conducted by the composer with the Grimes for whom the role was written will always hold a special place in the catalogue. It certainly sounds wonderful, considering it was recorded 60 years ago now.

Pears is quite different from the brutish Vickers, more the visionary, whilst Langridge steers a course somewhere between the two. I'd honestly find it hard to state a preference, whilst noting that Pears's infinitely moving performance has the stamp of authority and Britten is, as ever, a superb advocate for his own music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2019, 05:17:57 AM
Quote from: knight66 on January 24, 2019, 11:05:29 PM

I also agree with the remarks on the Karajan Carmen. I remember eagerly awaiting it and then being intensely disappointed, it felt stilted and to my ears Baltsa's voice sounds worn. For me, her best years were suddenly behind her when this set came out.

Mike

Yes. I suppose her best recorded roles would be her Eboli and Amneris, both recorded in the late 70s, though she still sounds in good vocal form on the Marriner Il Barbiere di Siviglia and La Cenerentola, which were recorded after the Carmen. Vocally, I think she still sounds OK on the Carmen, but, and it's only conjecture, maybe the cracks were beginning to show in her relationship with Karajan, as they famously fell out during the recording of his Don Giovanni, on which she sings Elvira. By the time she sings Dalila in the Davis set, the vibrato is becoming intrusive, though I still prefer her to most other modern Dalilas. A lot of mezzos and contraltos sound more maternal than seductive to me (Gorr for one), and Baltsa sounds alternatively seductive, dangerous and vengeful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2019, 06:29:53 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hQ%2BkP62dL.jpg)

Abbado's superb La Scala recording of Verdi's great masterpiece pretty much sweeps aside all others, but this one, despite less than brilliant mono sound, orchestra and chorus dimly recorded, despite Santini's ploddingly prosaic conducting, demands to be heard, due to three distinguised, transforming performances.

Gobbi was in prime vocal form when the set was recorded, and though he does not quite have the vocal reserves of Cappuccilli, he creates the most rounded, most movingly tortured Doge you are ever likely to hear. Christoff, too, could hardly be bettered, briliantly charting the change from implacable revenge to conciliation in the final scene with Gobbi's Doge. To make our cup runeth over, we have De Los Angeles in one of her rare excursions into Verdi, singing with rare communication, commitment and of course beauty of tone, particularly in the middle register, where most of the role lies. The downward runs in the final ensemble are absolutely exquisite. Campora may not be quite on their level (and Carreras on Abbado's set is almost ideal) but he isn't bad at all.

All three prinicpals, I'd take (just) over their DG counterparts, but that recording benefits from Abbado's superb pacing of the score, the wonderful playing of the La Scala orchestra, and warm, beautifully balanced stereo sound. So, for the opera itself, I'd take Abbado. For three superbly characterful performances, I choose Santini.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 26, 2019, 08:04:25 AM


Just bought:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81ByMoG6E%2BL._SX522_.jpg)


I've never heard this work but have a good idea what to expect.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 26, 2019, 11:20:09 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ZkQuTlFBL._SL1428_.jpg)

Callas's studio recording of Medea was recorded in 1957 shortly after La Scala's visit to Edinburgh. She had not been well in Edinburgh and indeed refused to sing the extra performance La Scala announced, and she was still not in good voice when this recording was made.

When I first listened to it I thought it was tremendous, but then I didn't know of the existence of the many live recordings, the best of which (from Florence and La Scala in 1953 and from Dallas in 1958) are absolutely thrilling, despite crumbly sound.

Part of the problem with the studio set is Serafin's classically conceived, but far too restrained conducting, and Callas's performance emerges as less vivid, less thrillingly dramatic. She is never less than effective of course, and she she still makes more of the role than either Sylvia Sass or Gwyneth Jones do in their complete recordings, but the performance never takes fire the way those mentioned above do, none of which I would be without. Nor is the cast particularly distinguished. In Florence and Milan we have Barbieri as Neris, in Dallas Berganza in the same role, Vickers as Giasone and Zaccaria as Creon. Game, set and match to Dallas 1958, I think.

Fuller review of the studio set here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/medea/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/medea/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 26, 2019, 11:44:03 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2019, 06:29:53 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hQ%2BkP62dL.jpg)

Abbado's superb La Scala recording of Verdi's great masterpiece pretty much sweeps aside all others, but this one, despite less than brilliant mono sound, orchestra and chorus dimly recorded, despite Santini's ploddingly prosaic conducting, demands to be heard, due to three distinguised, transforming performances.

Gobbi was in prime vocal form when the set was recorded, and though he does not quite have the vocal reserves of Cappuccilli, he creates the most rounded, most movingly tortured Doge you are ever likely to hear. Christoff, too, could hardly be bettered, briliantly charting the change from implacable revenge to conciliation in the final scene with Gobbi's Doge. To make our cup runeth over, we have De Los Angeles in one of her rare excursions into Verdi, singing with rare communication, commitment and of course beauty of tone, particularly in the middle register, where most of the role lies. The downward runs in the final ensemble are absolutely exquisite. Campora may not be quite on their level (and Carreras on Abbado's set is almost ideal) but he isn't bad at all.

All three prinicpals, I'd take (just) over their DG counterparts, but that recording benefits from Abbado's superb pacing of the score, the wonderful playing of the La Scala orchestra, and warm, beautifully balanced stereo sound. So, for the opera itself, I'd take Abbado. For three superbly characterful performances, I choose Santini.

Again, our opinions exactly mesh. I would not want to be without either set. And I don't feel that I need any other performances of the piece.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 27, 2019, 01:28:42 AM
Of course the Abbado has benchmark status as far as Simon Boccanegra recordings go (pity the videos of the Strehler from which it emerged are in such poor quality), and the Santini also boasts some great soloists (I haven't listened to it for many years, though, and it's no longer in my collection), but there's also an overlooked version that came out shortly before Abbado's, and has many good things to offer :

(https://img.discogs.com/Ajs87oWfMTHtztrXqFM_FWARHFE=/fit-in/230x230/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9891331-1488045709-6982.jpeg.jpg)

Same lead singer as for Abbado, but a wonderful Amelia in the very young Ricciarelli (in a repertoire that suited her like a glove), a strong Domingo in his prime as well, and the great Gavazzeni at the helm. Worth checking out; it's long OOP, but can usually be found used for a pittance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 27, 2019, 07:13:16 AM
Quote from: André on January 18, 2019, 05:33:03 PM
Ravel's Fantaisie lyrique:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ZvAPA%2BzkL._SX522_.jpg)

Still weaves its magic after almost 60 years.

Yep, one of my favorite operas and my favorite recording of it. I absolutely adore the section Toi, le coeur de la rose. Very short, but so touching.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 27, 2019, 10:04:36 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 27, 2019, 01:28:42 AM
Of course the Abbado has benchmark status as far as Simon Boccanegra recordings go (pity the videos of the Strehler from which it emerged are in such poor quality), and the Santini also boasts some great soloists (I haven't listened to it for many years, though, and it's no longer in my collection), but there's also an overlooked version that came out shortly before Abbado's, and has many good things to offer :

(https://img.discogs.com/Ajs87oWfMTHtztrXqFM_FWARHFE=/fit-in/230x230/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9891331-1488045709-6982.jpeg.jpg)

Same lead singer as for Abbado, but a wonderful Amelia in the very young Ricciarelli (in a repertoire that suited her like a glove), a strong Domingo in his prime as well, and the great Gavazzeni at the helm. Worth checking out; it's long OOP, but can usually be found used for a pittance.

An excellent version indeed !

..................................................

Latest acquisition:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Pm1C5T9nL.jpg)

Verrett is partnered here by an all-French cast and conductor. I don't expect much in terms of sound quality, but have high hopes for the performance !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 27, 2019, 10:59:17 PM
Quote from: André on January 27, 2019, 10:04:36 AM

..................................................

Latest acquisition:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Pm1C5T9nL.jpg)

Verrett is partnered here by an all-French cast and conductor. I don't expect much in terms of sound quality, but have high hopes for the performance !

I always think it a great shame Verrett never got to record Carmen in the studio.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on January 28, 2019, 04:55:52 AM
Wagner: Die Walküre
Cook (Siegmund), Ronge (Sieglinde), Wegner (Wotan), Nikolova (Fricka), Pohl (Brünnhilde)
Badische Staatskapelle/Neuhold

I've had this (along with the other Ring operas) for nearly two years, but it's only now I've gotten round to listening to it. As much as I really enjoy the music in these operas, I have to be in the mood to commit four hours to it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 28, 2019, 02:00:52 PM
Spinning the first disc of this new arrival:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51spL-O8ygL.jpg)

Sounds rather good so far. Haitink's ear for detail is paying dividends here. Otter and Holzmair also sound scintillating.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 28, 2019, 02:03:11 PM
Quote from: Maestro267 on January 28, 2019, 04:55:52 AM
Wagner: Die Walküre
Cook (Siegmund), Ronge (Sieglinde), Wegner (Wotan), Nikolova (Fricka), Pohl (Brünnhilde)
Badische Staatskapelle/Neuhold

I've had this (along with the other Ring operas) for nearly two years, but it's only now I've gotten round to listening to it. As much as I really enjoy the music in these operas, I have to be in the mood to commit four hours to it.

That's why you take breaks from it. Listen to an act a day or something like this. This was the only way I could get through a Wagner opera. I remember many years ago, I spent a good portion of the summer listening to the Ring (the HvK cycle, which is my personal preference). One of the great summers of my adult life.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 29, 2019, 12:00:28 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Sedjn3RYyXhSpJR8jBVOJHagVmw=/fit-in/600x601/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7473810-1513790477-2803.jpeg.jpg)

Domingo seems to come in for a lot of flak these days, but it is salutary to remember that this, his first recording of a role he became particularly associated with, was made over forty years ago. He has now of course turned to baritone roles (with qualified success, admittedly), but, by any standards, the man has had a long and illustrious career.

He made two further studio recordings of the role (one of them used for the soundtrack to the Zeffirelli film), and their are at least three official videos of him performing the role on stage, and a number of unofficial live accounts. This recording finds him early in his conquest of this signature role, but the it is already well sung in. Records cannot of course capture his superb acting and powerful stage presence, but his Otello is still, even at this early stage of his career, a great performance. Some, and I am probably one of them, would prefer a voice with a bit more squillo on top. My favourite Otello remains Vickers, who has musicality, dramatic intensity and squillo, but I prefer Domingo to Del Monaco, whose singing can indeed be thrilling, but who tends to let volume compensate for a lack of real dramatic awareness.

There are other reasons to enjoy this recording. Levine's conductiing, which derives from long stage acquaintance with the opera, is definitely one of his best Verdi recordings (though the recording itself is a tad congested in the climaxes) and Milnes is also caught at something close to his best, a suave, guileful and conniving Iago. Scotto, though she may not have Tebaldi's beauty of tone, is a much more communicative and moving Desdemona, and this is one of her most succesful perfromances on disc. The voice occasionally spreads on top when under pressure, but her pianissimo singing is exquisite and her phrasing wonderfully musical.

Despite reservations about Rysanek's Desdemona, the Serafin set with Vickers and Gobbi remains my favourite studio recording. That said, I would always want one of Domingo's studio recordings as well. Though Domingo himself may be even more moving in his later two recordings and many, I know, would go for his last recording under Chung, with Studer and Leiferkus, I still prefer this early one. I've never been a big fan of Studer and Leiferkus sounds unidiomatic to me, for all his intelligence and dramatic acumen. The Maazel is let down by some weird recording balances and Diaz's well sung but anonymous Iago, though Ricciarelli is also an affectingly touching Desdemona.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 29, 2019, 05:03:11 PM
I had the good fortune to see Milnes perform Iago on a MET tour in 1979, with Levine conducting. (Richard Cassilly and Gilda Cruz Romo were Otello and Desdemona.) For both acting and singing, Milnes performance would be hard to better.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 29, 2019, 08:38:58 PM
Disc 2:

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Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on January 30, 2019, 04:34:44 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 29, 2019, 12:00:28 AM
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Domingo seems to come in for a lot of flak these days, but it is salutary to remember that this, his first recording of a role he became particularly associated with, was made over forty years ago. He has now of course turned to baritone roles (with qualified success, admittedly), but, by any standards, the man has had a long and illustrious career.

He made two further studio recordings of the role (one of them used for the soundtrack to the Zeffirelli film), and their are at least three official videos of him performing the role on stage, and a number of unofficial live accounts. This recording finds him early in his conquest of this signature role, but the it is already well sung in. Records cannot of course capture his superb acting and powerful stage presence, but his Otello is still, even at this early stage of his career, a great performance. Some, and I am probably one of them, would prefer a voice with a bit more squillo on top. My favourite Otello remains Vickers, who has musicality, dramatic intensity and squillo, but I prefer Domingo to Del Monaco, whose singing can indeed be thrilling, but who tends to let volume compensate for a lack of real dramatic awareness.

There are other reasons to enjoy this recording. Levine's conductiing, which derives from long stage acquaintance with the opera, is definitely one of his best Verdi recordings (though the recording itself is a tad congested in the climaxes) and Milnes is also caught at something close to his best, a suave, guileful and conniving Iago. Scotto, though she may not have Tebaldi's beauty of tone, is a much more communicative and moving Desdemona, and this is one of her most succesful perfromances on disc. The voice occasionally spreads on top when under pressure, but her pianissimo singing is exquisite and her phrasing wonderfully musical.

Despite reservations about Rysanek's Desdemona, the Serafin set with Vickers and Gobbi remains my favourite studio recording. That said, I would always want one of Domingo's studio recordings as well. Though Domingo himself may be even more moving in his later two recordings and many, I know, would go for his last recording under Chung, with Studer and Leiferkus, I still prefer this early one. I've never been a big fan of Studer and Leiferkus sounds unidiomatic to me, for all his intelligence and dramatic acumen. The Maazel is let down by some weird recording balances and Diaz's well sung but anonymous Iago, though Ricciarelli is also an affectingly touching Desdemona.
I love Scotto here and she is, for me, the thing that tips the scales. The congestion really is an irritation, but then when you hear their (she and Domingo) singing at the end of Act I - it is just so captivating. It showcases Domingo at his best as well. Milnes has never been a favorite of mine, but I have to agree that he is caught here about as good as it gets.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 30, 2019, 05:53:24 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on January 30, 2019, 04:34:44 AM
I love Scotto here and she is, for me, the thing that tips the scales. The congestion really is an irritation, but then when you hear their (she and Domingo) singing at the end of Act I - it is just so captivating. It showcases Domingo at his best as well. Milnes has never been a favorite of mine, but I have to agree that he is caught here about as good as it gets.
I agree. Scotto makes far more of the rather placide character of Desdemona than, well, anyone else really. Yes, I suppose the likes of Tebaldi, Rethberg and Freni have probably sung it with more consistent beauty of tone, but with not quite Scotto's verbal and musical specificity.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 30, 2019, 11:56:55 PM
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Beecham's La Boheme has achieved something of a classic status, and with good reason. Beecham's conducting, spacious in the love music but with plenty of vitality in the lighter music, is always beautifully balanced and elegantly shaped, and often quite revelatory, and the recording, though only mono, is remarkably spacious and well balanced.

He has at his disposal one of the most ideal casts that has ever been assembled for the opera. Has there ever been a more perfect Mimi than De Los Angeles? I can't imagine the role ever being more perfectly fulfilled. Bjoerling makes a wonderfully poetic romantic dreamer, though, it has to be said, he is less comfortable in the episodes of bohemian high jinks, where someone like Di Stefano is much more at home. That said, he has much better musical manners, and much more ease on top. Merrill and Amara, the latter not too sparkily soubrettish, are also an ideal second couple and the bohemians all brilliantly characterful.

Karajan of course enjoys better sound and his recording is also wonderfully well cast, but I suspect that for many, and I might well consider myself one of them, this will be their first choice for the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on January 31, 2019, 12:18:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 30, 2019, 11:56:55 PM
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Beecham's La Boheme has achieved something of a classic status, and with good reason. Beecham's conducting, spacious in the love music but with plenty of vitality in the lighter music, is always beautifully balanced and elegantly shaped, and often quite revelatory, and the recording, though only mono, is remarkably spacious and well balanced.

He has at his disposal one of the most ideal casts that has ever been assembled for the opera. Has there ever been a more perfect Mimi than De Los Angeles? I can't imagine the role ever being more perfectly fulfilled. Bjoerling makes a wonderfully poetic romantic dreamer, though, it has to be said, he is less comfortable in the episodes of bohemian high jinks, where someone like Di Stefano is much more at home. That said, he has much better musical manners, and much more ease on top. Merrill and Amara, the latter not too sparkily soubrettish, are also an ideal second couple and the bohemians all brilliantly characterful.

Karajan of course enjoys better sound and his recording is also wonderfully well cast, but I suspect that for many, and I might well consider myself one of them, this will be their first choice for the opera.
It's a delight for sure. Luckily, which ever one we prefer, we can appreciate the wonderful music here. I prefer Pavarotti, but Bjoerling is so musical (even if at times the straight tone will spoil things just a bit). I find Bjoerling more believable as the ardent lover too.  On the other hand, De Los Angeles is so beautiful. The role almost seems written for her. Do you remember how old she was when she recorded this? She sounds so youthful, you never doubt her.

But then, we are spoilt for choice in this opera, don't you think? I can think of about a half dozen really good versions (you already mentioned De Stefano with Callas, there is Bergonzi with Tebaldi who I wouldn't want to be without either, Freni/Pavarotti under Schippers, Toscanini's recording, etc.). And there may be more that I have just not heard...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 31, 2019, 01:27:55 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on January 31, 2019, 12:18:26 AM
It's a delight for sure. Luckily, which ever one we prefer, we can appreciate the wonderful music here. I prefer Pavarotti, but Bjoerling is so musical (even if at times the straight tone will spoil things just a bit). I find Bjoerling more believable as the ardent lover too.  On the other hand, De Los Angeles is so beautiful. The role almost seems written for her. Do you remember how old she was when she recorded this? She sounds so youthful, you never doubt her.

But then, we are spoilt for choice in this opera, don't you think? I can think of about a half dozen really good versions (you already mentioned De Stefano with Callas, there is Bergonzi with Tebaldi who I wouldn't want to be without either, Freni/Pavarotti under Schippers, Toscanini's recording, etc.). And there may be more that I have just not heard...

My other favourite recording is Callas/Di Stefano. Callas is remarkably successful in an uncharacteristic role and Di Stefano has such charm and ebullience it is easy to forget the occasional hardness on top. Votto's dull, routine conducting rather lets his cast down though. You only have to listen to Beecham to realise what's missing. I enjoy it for the singers.

The Beecham and Votto recordings were recorded the same year, 1956, and Callas and De Los Angeles were almost exactly the same age. They would both have been 32 at the time of their respective recordings.

Pavarotti is on the Karajan recording, by the way. Gedda is Freni's partner on the Schippers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on January 31, 2019, 02:11:35 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 31, 2019, 01:27:55 AM
My other favourite recording is Callas/Di Stefano. Callas is remarkably successful in an uncharacteristic role and Di Stefano has such charm and ebullience it is easy to forget the occasional hardness on top. Votto's dull, routine conducting rather lets his cast down though. You only have to listen to Beecham to realise what's missing. I enjoy it for the singers.

The Beecham and Votto recordings were recorded the same year, 1956, and Callas and De Los Angeles were almost exactly the same age. They would both have been 32 at the time of their respective recordings.

Pavarotti is on the Karajan recording, by the way. Gedda is Freni's partner on the Schippers.
Ah, then there are two. One is with Pavarotti and the other is with Gedda. I have the one with Pavarotti, which was an RAI studio broadcast. Pavarotti and Freni are in slightly more youthful voice. It's one of Opera d'Oro's better recordings I think, because there is no audience noise.

32 is still a good age to sing this role. I find it hard to believe when the voice starts to get too heavy. I hadn't realized they'd recorded it in the same year. Fascinating.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 31, 2019, 02:57:28 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on January 31, 2019, 02:11:35 AM

32 is still a good age to sing this role. I find it hard to believe when the voice starts to get too heavy. I hadn't realized they'd recorded it in the same year. Fascinating.

There is a video of a production from San Francisco in 1988 with Freni and Pavarotti, when both would have been 53. It gets a lot of good reviews for the singing, but I just can't watch it. Both look far too old and Pavarotti can scarcely move anymore, he has got so fat. One of my favourites is an Australian Opera performance of a Baz Luhrmann production. None of the singers is in the top rank, but they are all believably young, and I find it incredibly touching.

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Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 31, 2019, 10:08:51 PM
I had not listened to Boheme for a long time, then last summer I was on Dorset Opera admin and was in on rehearsals and performances of it. And it reignited my love for it. It came home to me how tightly plotted each scene it and no padding at all in the music. It was extraordinarily moving, especially sad after the terrifically written high jinks.

The Beecham and Karajan versions are the two I have had since I was a teen, I have several others, including Callas, but those are the two I that I really connect with.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 04, 2019, 01:18:10 AM
Mobile Opera's doing Wolf-Ferrari's Il segreto di Susanna on Feb. 15th & 17th. I used to do a better job of preparing for operas I'm about to see, especially if I've never seen them live. Subtitles have made me lazy (I'm sure age has nothing to do with it). Though I bought the 1970s Decca recording of (Chiara/Weikl/Gardelli) not long after its release and have had CBS version (Scotto, Bruson/Pritchard) on CD for a while now, I really don't know it that well. I checked Amazon Music Unlimited yesterday (Sunday) to see what they had, and listened to both the Gardelli and a 1954 version, originally on Cetra, with Elena Rizzieri and Giuseppe Valdengo, Angelo Questa conducting. I listened to the latter following along with an online score, and was surprised to notice some cuts, since the Pritchard recording's only 49 minutes. I'll probably listen to the Pritchard and Gardelli versions again with the score in the next couple of days.

Despite its brevity, the Pritchard CD has no fillers. The Gardelli has Chiara singing Verdi Arias, the Questa an odd selection of Verdi Preludes that you wouldn't often hear outside the operas (Aida, Ballo, and Rigoletto), plus the Overture to La favorita and Humming Chorus from Butterfly.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 04, 2019, 12:03:37 PM
I have
[asin]B003KK7MH6[/asin]
There's also a recording on Naxos about which I know nothing.  I like the Petrenko, but I must admit I think it's an opera for which one recording will suffice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 04, 2019, 06:34:29 PM
Listened to the first disc of HvK's Pelléas et Mélisande on EMI (err...Warner) and found it to be very good. I'll listen to the rest of his performance later on in the week. It seems he really has an ear for French music that I wished he had pursued more often, although I don't think he could pull off an opera like Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges or Roussel's ballet Le festin de l'Araignée, but he was a conductor full of surprises.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 06, 2019, 12:03:52 AM
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The Boulez recording of Debussy's great opera was one of the first operas I owned on CD, a present from a friend, who loved the opera, though he had reservations about this performance. Mine had a different cover, and was a Japanese issue. It might have even been the only recording available on CD at the time.

Well, I too have always had my reservations. It seems to me that both recording and performance lack atmosphere. There is something cold and clinical about it, the score laid out to reveal its intricate workings, but in the process losing its heart.

Though there are no French singers in the cast, all have very clear French diction, and, even with my rusty French, it's easy to understand what they are singing without the aid of a libretto. I wish I liked it more, but It's not a recording I listen to very often. To be honest, I prefer the controversial Karajan recording, though my first choice remains with Desormière.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 06, 2019, 12:05:33 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 04, 2019, 06:34:29 PM
Listened to the first disc of HvK's Pelléas et Mélisande on EMI (err...Warner) and found it to be very good. I'll listen to the rest of his performance later on in the week. It seems he really has an ear for French music that I wished he had pursued more often, although I don't think he could pull off an opera like Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges or Roussel's ballet Le festin de l'Araignée, but he was a conductor full of surprises.

I also like the Karajan recording, though it has always been somewhat controversial, many claiming that Karajan Wagnerises the music. It wouldn't be my only recording of the opera, nor my favourite, but I do enoy it.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 06, 2019, 12:18:40 AM
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Verdi's first foray into comedy (he wasn't to attempt full blown comedy again until his final opera, Falstaff) owes a great deal to the comedies of Donizetti. Though it flopped at its La Scala premiere, it was something of a success five years later when given at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice, a theatre with a strong tradition of comedy.

Like all the recordings in Gardelli's series of early Verdi operas for Philips, this has a great deal to commend it, though, to my mind it lacks the buffa high spirits of an earlier recording under Alfredo Simonetto, with a cast that includes Renato Capecchi, Sesto Bruscantini and Lina Pagliughi. The ladies are, too my mind, a bit too heavy of voice, particularly Cossotto, who doesn't sound entirely at home in what is really a soprano leggiero role.

Still, we get the whole score here, where the Simonetto is about ten minutes shorter, and musically there is a lot to enjoy, not least Carreras's honeyed Edoardo. It's just that, next to the older recording, it all sounds a bit po-faced.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 07, 2019, 07:49:17 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 06, 2019, 12:03:52 AM
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The Boulez recording of Debussy's great opera was one of the first operas I owned on CD, a present from a friend, who loved the opera, though he had reservations about this performance. Mine had a different cover, and was a Japanese issue. It might have even been the only recording available on CD at the time.

Well, I too have always had my reservations. It seems to me that both recording and performance lack atmosphere. There is something cold and clinical about it, the score laid out to reveal its intricate workings, but in the process losing its heart.

Though there are no French singers in the cast, all have very clear French diction, and, even with my rusty French, it's easy to understand what they are singing without the aid of a libretto. I wish I liked it more, but It's not a recording I listen to very often. To be honest, I prefer the controversial Karajan recording, though my first choice remains with Desormière.

I certainly concur with your feelings regarding this Boulez recording. It's never been a favorite performance of mine (not that it's bad), but I also feel it lacks atmosphere. I generally like Boulez's conducting, especially earlier in his career, but I never felt this was a landmark performance. Right now, I have to say that Baudo and Abbado are my favorites.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on February 09, 2019, 06:27:14 AM
The Wagner Project - this two-disc album contains familiar vocal numbers sung by Matthias Goerne accompanied by Daniel Harding and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Harding also contributes several orchestral numbers. I wish I could be more enthusiastic but Harding' s contribution varies from dull to competent. He sinks Goerne's 'Wotan's Farewell' with his dullness, for example. The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra play beautifully in the Parsifal excerpts but these can be had better elsewhere.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 09, 2019, 12:32:02 PM
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I listened to Frau ohne Schatten some time last week. I will probably repeat it soon. The general concensus is that it's a complex work, some going as far as to accuse it of being purposely confusing. It is not so. Hoffmannsthal's libretto is straight out of the symbolist current. It is certainly more elaborate than, say, Maeterlinck's Pelléas et Mélisande, but one only need to pay attention and read along to know what's going on - and why. It is in good company, starting with Zauberflöte and extending down to Henze's L'Upupa (a wonderful work).

Sinopoli's version hails from a series of performances at the Semperoper, Dresden. There is the occasional rustle of stage movement, but no stomping (singers must have been wearing slippers), almost no coughs. Practically perfect conditions, then. All the singers are more than adequate. The Dyer's Wife has a slightly shaky start but recovers quickly. Deborah Voigt's Empress is powerful and well vocalized. Both sopranos sing very well but do not possess voices one recognizes instantly, which may be a problem in a few scenes. Ben Heppner's Emperor is excellent. Barak is solidly sung by the excellent Franz Grundheber, a noted Wozzeck. The role of the Nurse is dramatically and vocally the kind of part in which a strong singing actress (Martha Mödl for example) can easily steal the show. Hannah Schwarz is solid on all counts - a tower of strength. The voice of the Falcon and the Voice from Above could be more secure (that falcon has lead in its wings), but the Messenger Spirit is strong.

Orchestra and sound are very good. I expected more fireworks, but this is a performance that shows its strengths on the stage, not in the pit. The booklet notes are the best I've ever read for an opera production. They survey all aspects of the work, literary, philosophical, musical, in excellent prose - no obfuscating gobbledygook, thank God.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 09, 2019, 12:46:17 PM
It's been ages since I last listened to Sinopoli 's FroSch.i recall enjoying it a lot (even if it maintains the "standard" cuts to the score of early recordings—Böhm, Keilberth...). I should remedy that sometime soon. And yes, Hanna Schwarz is great (as is her magnificent Klytemnästra in Sinopoli's recording of Elektra).

The recording's genesis is peculiar, though. IIRC, the stage performances at the Dresden Semperoper had another Emperor, not Ben Hepper. So, all the scenes in which the character appears, were recorded in the studio and spliced into the composite of live takes.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 09, 2019, 12:50:29 PM
The booklet says "based on live performances". Pretty much like the caption "contains real juice"  :D.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 09, 2019, 05:09:59 PM
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This, Eugène Ysaÿe's only opera (1930) is something both familar and strange. Strictly bound by the 17th century rule of the three unities, it takes place in a continuous time frame, on a single set and is entirely based on the character's actions. No subplot, no 'One Month Later', no 'Meanwhile, in the Queen's room' or other distraction. Very much a verismo one-acter like Cavalleria, Il Tabarro or Pagliacci. Like them it is rather short (82 minutes). There's a tenor and soprano couple, a baritone (the girl's father) and a chorus that participates in or reflects on the events. That's the familiar part.

Ysaÿe's music adheres closely to the libretto (his own), with no orchestral set pieces, interludes and such. There's a couple of memorable themes that run through the opera. The strange part is the composer's decision to write his libretto in a language that does not have any literary tradition. Walloon is a dialect spoken in eastern Belgium. It was purely phonetic. No books, no written works whatsoever. Ysaÿe phonetically wrote it using the common alphabet. Since then a revival of sort has taken place and a transliteration has been performed, sometimes using diacritics that are foreign to the French language. In 1951 a new production 'walloonized' a few words that were too obviously french ! For this 2006 a written libretto was prepared. I quote fromthe notes:

Since for most dialect speakers Walloon is an exclusively oral language, writing it down poses the problem of how to render sounds that do not exist in French (...) this is why the libretto has been converted into a particular spelling convention (Feller's), as is usual with texts in Walloon. It is a compromise between a phonetic rendering of the dialect and French orthographical conventions and enables such texts to be rendered in print in a coherent manner, making them easier to read.

The work's title is a good example. Piére li houyeû = Pierre le houilleux (French: houille = coal) = Pierre the Coal Miner. The spelling in Walloon and French is close, but the phonetic rendering is so different that a French speaker today can't understand a conversation in Walloon.

Anyhow, linguistic issues aside this is a fine work, a bit unrefined but powerful. Dramatic elisions are intelligently used and there are big set pieces for the two main characters as well as the all-important chorus. There are three main sung roles and they are taken by big voices. The role of Piére in particular has more than a tinge of the heroic. It reminded me of Michele in Il Tabarro. The production values are superlative. Deluxe presentation, with interesting period photographs, some taken by Queen Elisabeth, a close friend of the composer.  Obviously a prestige production from the Opéra royal de Wallonie, Liège. Recommended for the curious and open-minded operaphile.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 10, 2019, 03:05:31 AM
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This was Callas's first recording for EMI, made with Florence forces shortly after singing the role of Lucia there in early 1953. She had caused a sensation when she debuted the role in Mexico the previous year, rescuing the opera from its reputation as a silly little Italian opera in which some pip squeak coloratura soprano got to show off her top notes and flexibility. Callas's performances revealed a tragic power that few had suspected was there.

Her Lucia probably reached its apogee in the Karajan La Scala production of 1954, which travelled to Berlin in 1955 and Vienna in 1956, and we are fortuate indeed that the 1955 Berlin performance has been preserved in excellent sound. That recording would be my top choice of all the Callas Lucias now available, but this one has a good deal to commend it too, not least Gobbi's Enrico, who makes as much of the single-mindedly villainous character of Enrico as is possible. Panerai, on the La Scala set is excellent too, but Gobbi sings with more subtlety. Edgardo was one of Di Stefano's best roles, and he is in good form here, though Karajan on the Berlin recording, coaxes more elegance out of him.

And Callas? Well, she is in fabulous voice, the top fuller and in better control than in Berlin, but there, encouraged by Karajan's spacious tempi, she spins out the phrases to even greater length, at times sounding as if she is extemporising on the spot.

Serafin conducts in the best Italian lyric tradition, but of course makes the cuts traditional at the time. The recording is reasonably clear, but tends to overload at climaxes.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 10, 2019, 08:35:38 AM
First listen to this recording of Georges Enesco's beautiful and noble Oedipe:

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Despite the so-so (but perfectly tolerable) sound and the cuts in the score, this is turning out to be the most convincing recording of this masterpiece I know (the others being Lawrence Foster's—with José van Dam—on EMI, and Michael Gielen's—live from Vienna, with Monte Pedersen—on Naxos).

This is a live concert given in the Salle Pleyel a fortnight after the composer's death—I presume it was a homage to him—, and AFAIK the first performance of the score after the 1936 Paris premiere. Charles Brück (who also recorded a magnificent French-language version of Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel) has a masterful grip of this complex score, and (as one reviewer put it) it sounds more "modern" and daring than in the later recordings. The cast are all native French speakers, and their renditions have a natural flow that is admirable. Xavier Depraz (despite some very occasional hoarseness) is simultaneously imposing and moving in the title rôle, Rita Gorr is appropriately menacing as the Sphinx, Geneviève Moizan is superb as Jocaste, Berthe Monmart is touching as Antigone, and so on even to the tiniest roles. The chorus is also first-rate: their screams near  the end of Act 3 (the blinding of Oedipus), replying to the lead's "Ouvrez les portes!" are chilling.

A wonderful document.  :)

EDIT: The "transfigurative" finale of the fourth act of Oedipe is one of the most intense endings in opera I have ever encountered (despite the difference in style, the ending of Parsifal comes to mind). Stunning!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 10, 2019, 10:30:52 AM
This looks great ! Too bad it's unavailable outside of Europe, though.  :(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 13, 2019, 01:57:25 AM
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Don Carlos has always been one of my favourite Verdi operas. It's a flawed masterpiece no doubt, but the characters are so beautifully drawn and the music displays Verdi at his most humane.

This Giulini recording can now be considered a classic, and remains, on balance, the best recording available. Not that it's that simple of course, for Don Carlos exists (and has been recorded) in a bewildering varierty of different editions. The Giulini represents Verdi's final revision, in Italian, of the five act version. I have three different recordings, all of different versions. IN addition to thise one, I have Karajan's four act Italian version and Abbado's five act French version, with appendices of music either cut or added for different performances.

Giulini's conducting is by turns magisterial and warmly sympathetic to his singers, though occasionally perhaps a tad too spacious. I'd have preferred a more propulsive tempo for Eboli's O don fatale, for instance.

His cast is excellent, Domingo at his golden toned best is more involved, less generic than was often the case in the many recordings he made in the 1970s, though he is even more inside the role by the time he recorded it in French with Abbado. Caballé is in gloriously rich voice for Elisabetta, Verrett excitingly vibrant as Eboli, that smoky lower register of hers used to great effect. Milnes is also at his best as the inherently noble Posa, but Raimondi is a little light of voice for the King, a role which really requires a darker, deeper bass sound. Still he contrasts nicely with the black-voiced Inquiistor of Giovanni Foiani. Simon Estes makes a strong impression as the Monk.

What a great opera this is, and how lucky we are to have this wonderful performance on disc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 13, 2019, 02:19:35 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 13, 2019, 01:57:25 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/u6JuFdgANiLk7FJyoya441CgJTo=/fit-in/600x527/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11484732-1529223973-4576.jpeg.jpg)

Don Carlos has always been one of my favourite Verdi operas. It's a flawed masterpiece no doubt, but the characters are so beautifully drawn and the music displays Verdi at his most humane.

This Giulini recording can now be considered a classic, and remains, on balance, the best recording available. Not that it's that simple of course, for Don Carlos exists (and has been recorded) in a bewildering varierty of different editions. The Giulini represents Verdi's final revision, in Italian, of the five act version. I have three different recordings, all of different versions. IN addition to thise one, I have Karajan's four act Italian version and Abbado's five act French version, with appendices of music either cut or added for different performances.

Giulini's conducting is by turns magisterial and warmly sympathetic to his singers, though occasionally perhaps a tad too spacious. I'd have preferred a more propulsive tempo for Eboli's O don fatale, for instance.

His cast is excellent, Domingo at his golden toned best is more involved, less generic than was often the case in the many recordings he made in the 1970s, though he is even more inside the role by the time he recorded it in French with Abbado. Caballé is in gloriously rich voice for Elisabetta, Verrett excitingly vibrant as Eboli, that smoky lower register of hers used to great effect. Milnes is also at his best as the inherently noble Posa, but Raimondi is a little light of voice for the King, a role which really requires a darker, deeper bass sound. Still he contrasts nicely with the black-voiced Inquiistor of Giovanni Foiani. Simon Estes makes a strong impression as the Monk.

What a great opera this is, and how lucky we are to have this wonderful performance on disc.
Very nice roundup of this excellent recording, Tsaraslondon! A classic, for sure, and successful at all levels. Don Carlo(s) is also a favourite of mine.  :) I have a feeling that its composer, attending to an important commission from a major foreign house, outdid himself in terms of the overall ambition of the work, and the orchestral aspect in particular.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 13, 2019, 01:25:05 PM
This is an opera in which I have recordings featuring Domingo and Pavarotti. And Domingo always seem to win these matchups.

I do have a different, I think more effective cover. Its current CD incarnation is this
[asin]B017OHASIA[/asin]

...and interestingly with a slight variance in the title...Don Carlo vs Don Carlos...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 13, 2019, 02:36:33 PM
The inset on yours is the cover of the original LP release (which I used to own). The one I detailed is of the first CD release.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 13, 2019, 04:23:28 PM
Quote from: JBS on February 13, 2019, 01:25:05 PM
This is an opera in which I have recordings featuring Domingo and Pavarotti. And Domingo always seem to win these matchups.

I do have a different, I think more effective cover. Its current CD incarnation is this
[asin]B017OHASIA[/asin]

...and interestingly with a slight variance in the title...Don Carlo vs Don Carlos...

EMI must have mixed up the titles. Don Carlos is the french title, it became Don Carlo in the italian translation.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 13, 2019, 04:43:20 PM
Quote from: André on February 13, 2019, 04:23:28 PM
EMI must have mixed up the titles. Don Carlos is the french title, it became Don Carlo in the italian translation.
Every Mistake Imagineable
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2019, 01:09:01 AM
Quote from: André on February 13, 2019, 04:23:28 PM
EMI must have mixed up the titles. Don Carlos is the french title, it became Don Carlo in the italian translation.

The five act version was sometimes referred to as Don Carlos to differentiate it from the four act Don Carlo, which was more usually performed back then. Italian was the more usual language for both versions.

The Visconti/Giulini production of 1958 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden was, I think, the first in the twentieth century to use the five act version (though it was still quite heavily cut), and they called it Don Carlos for that reason. Even the four act version was quite a rarity and wasn't held in the high esteem it is today. That Covent Garden production went a long way to putting it on the map.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 14, 2019, 02:56:00 AM
Quote from: André on February 13, 2019, 04:23:28 PM
EMI must have mixed up the titles. Don Carlos is the french title, it became Don Carlo in the italian translation.

Or maybe they stuck with Carlos since that was the name of the actual historical person? I always call it Don Carlos, regardless of the language (or version) it's performed in.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 14, 2019, 03:03:32 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2019, 01:09:01 AM
The five act version was sometimes referred to as Don Carlos to differentiate it from the four act Don Carlo, which was more usually performed back then. Italian was the more usual language for both versions.


Sometimes you'll see Don Carlos used even with the four-act Italian translation, as in the original LP cover of the Karajan recording.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/911CB7rmdrL._SL1500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2019, 10:23:00 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on February 14, 2019, 03:03:32 AM
Sometimes you'll see Don Carlos used even with the four-act Italian translation, as in the original LP cover of the Karajan recording.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/911CB7rmdrL._SL1500_.jpg)

I have that recording, and I would like it more if it weren't for the sonics, which are all over the place, the dynamic range ridiculously huge and nothing like what you would hear in the theatre. One particularly bad example is the beginning of Act III, where, even with headphones, you have to turn the volume right up in order to hear Carreras's opening lines, only to be deafened by the first orchestral tutti that comes in.

Incindentally I read recently that the reason the ROH billed the Visconti production as Don Carlos rather than Don Carlo was because it was the first time they were doing the five act version. I'm not sure why the Karajan recording would have been billed in the same way.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 15, 2019, 02:56:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2019, 10:23:00 AM
Incindentally I read recently that the reason the ROH billed the Visconti production as Don Carlos rather than Don Carlo was because it was the first time they were doing the five act version. I'm not sure why the Karajan recording would have been billed in the same way.

Of course, both the five-and four-act versions were completely set to French texts by Verdi. The only time he composed to an Italian text was for the Philippe-Rodrigue scene for a Naples performance, but that's not the version of the scene that we usually hear. So there's no particular reason to prefer one version of the title because of version (4 or 5-act) performed, though it would make sense to prefer one because of the language of the performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 18, 2019, 01:46:31 AM
Saw the new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni in Lucerne on Saturday - fantastic experience, although some of the singers were less than perfect ... but the production was great indeed, and it created a kind of maelstrom that sucked me in. The basic idea was that you see much of it from Giovanni's perspective - a live camera filmed over his shoulder, the images (in b/w) were projected onto a screen that closed off the larger part of the stage. The other characters were seen both in front of the screen and when they interacted with Giovanni in his perspective - often a voyeur's view through undergrowth - when they went behind the screen. Leporello turned into the main chararacter, the playmaker of the entire production actually. There were bridges over the pit on both sides, and Leporello actually acted from the stalls for some parts, and then went back onto the stage etc. The continuo fortepiano was located on the other bridge (but there was still enough room for entrances by various singers). The choir and some stage music were also placed on the balconys a couple of times, the small room was thus very well played (something which director Benedikt von Peter is doing quite often and indeed very well). Vuyani Mlinde as Leporello was outstanding, and the entire production, despite a less than ideal Anna/Ottavio (Rebecca Krynski Cox/Emanuel Heitz) couple (they're weak, or rather: uninteresting anyway and have too many arias ...), the full package was outstanding and pretty much of a piece. Clemens Heil conducted with a lot of care and the orchestra was playing very well. Special props to William Kelley for his fine continuo performance. And to Abigail Lewis and Flurin Caduff who are wonderful as Zerbina/Masetto. Jason Cox was a gruff, strong Giovanni, Solenn Lavanant Linke's Elvia was a bit shrill and almost too powerful at some moments, but pretty good. And Boris Petronje, finally, was good as the rather scary Commendatore.

The reviews I read are German only:
http://www.peterhagmann.com/?p=2000
https://www.nzz.ch/feuilleton/mozart-als-ego-shooter-ld.1451725

--

Sunday I felt like digging up some of the Giovanni recordings, familiar and as of yet unfamiliar ones ... I started by listening to these two:

[asin]B0000267P7[/asin]
[asin]B01HV9BQRI[/asin]
The Walter is maybe a bit on the mild side, but still pretty good, except for sound ... Pinza is magnificient, and it's no coincidence that it's Sayão's Zerlina that gets scene applause for both her big arias. The cast is good, and if you can deal with historic sound, this comes recommended!

The same goes for the Moralt - in good sound now (1955), and with another quite even cast. Simoneau is an outstanding Ottavio (the finest?) and his arias, sung like this, are heavenly indeed (although plotwise I'll stick with Kierkegaard's verdict on cutting Ottavio and Anna some) ... London may be a bit too much on the powerful side as Giovanni, a tad too heroic maybe. The women are well cast, with Jurinac a great Elvira, Berry is just great as Leporello, and Waechter and Weber (Masetto and Il Commendatore) are good, too. Again, Moralt is not one to engage too actively in shaping the music, but he lets it flow quite beautifully, so it all works really well. Glad I (just recently) added this to my collection!

Up next are re-listens to Krips (one of my favourite opera recordings of all times), Giulini (close) and some more recent ones (Gardiner, Jacobs - not sure I ever fully played these yet) ... maybe I'll check out Furtwängler's take (the possibly finest from 1953 I don't have, 1951 and 1954 I think?), and definitely I want to check out Böhm at the Met, 1957, with a fine cast. Maybe I'll also check out Davis and Busch for the first time, and revisit Currentzis, though maybe that'll have to wait ... Krips, Giulini and Böhm for sure though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 18, 2019, 04:14:02 AM
next up on stage - Saturday night - "Der Rosenkavalier" with Stoyanova ... and Sabine Devieilhe  :-* ... and Anna Stéphany  :-* - gotta pick up the programme on my way home tonight:

Der Rosenkavalier
Opera by Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Comedy for music in three acts by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Musical director Fabio Luisi
Producer Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Stage design Rolf Glittenberg
Costumes Marianne Glittenberg
Lighting designer Jürgen Hoffmann
Choir director Ernst Raffelsberger

Feldmarschallin Fürstin Werdenberg - Krassimira Stoyanova
Der Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau - Christof Fischesser
Octavian - Anna Stéphany
Sophie - Sabine Devieilhe
Herr von Faninal - Martin Gantner
Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin - Miranda Keys
Valzacchi - Spencer Lang
Annina - Irène Friedli
Polizeikommissar - Alexander Kiechle
Der Haushofmeister bei der Feldmarschallin - Leonardo Sanchez
Der Haushofmeister bei Faninal - Thobela Ntshanyana
Ein Notar - Stanislav Vorobyov
Ein Wirt - Iain Milne
Ein Sänger - Derrek Stark

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Kinderchor der Oper Zürich
Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/der-rosenkavalier/season_50348/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 18, 2019, 08:10:53 AM
Quote from: king ubu on February 18, 2019, 01:46:31 AM
Saw the new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni in Lucerne on Saturday - fantastic experience, although some of the singers were less than perfect ... but the production was great indeed, and it created a kind of maelstrom that sucked me in. The basic idea was that you see much of it from Giovanni's perspective - a live camera filmed over his shoulder, the images (in b/w) were projected onto a screen that closed off the larger part of the stage. The other characters were seen both in front of the screen and when they interacted with Giovanni in his perspective - often a voyeur's view through undergrowth - when they went behind the screen. Leporello turned into the main chararacter, the playmaker of the entire production actually. There were bridges over the pit on both sides, and Leporello actually acted from the stalls for some parts, and then went back onto the stage etc. The continuo fortepiano was located on the other bridge (but there was still enough room for entrances by various singers). The choir and some stage music were also placed on the balconys a couple of times, the small room was thus very well played (something which director Benedikt von Peter is doing quite often and indeed very well). Vuyani Mlinde as Leporello was outstanding, and the entire production, despite a less than ideal Anna/Ottavio (Rebecca Krynski Cox/Emanuel Heitz) couple (they're weak, or rather: uninteresting anyway and have too many arias ...), the full package was outstanding and pretty much of a piece. Clemens Heil conducted with a lot of care and the orchestra was playing very well. Special props to William Kelley for his fine continuo performance. And to Abigail Lewis and Flurin Caduff who are wonderful as Zerbina/Masetto. Jason Cox was a gruff, strong Giovanni, Solenn Lavanant Linke's Elvia was a bit shrill and almost too powerful at some moments, but pretty good. And Boris Petronje, finally, was good as the rather scary Commendatore.

The reviews I read are German only:
http://www.peterhagmann.com/?p=2000
https://www.nzz.ch/feuilleton/mozart-als-ego-shooter-ld.1451725

--

Sunday I felt like digging up some of the Giovanni recordings, familiar and as of yet unfamiliar ones ... I started by listening to these two:

[asin]B0000267P7[/asin]
[asin]B01HV9BQRI[/asin]
The Walter is maybe a bit on the mild side, but still pretty good, except for sound ... Pinza is magnificient, and it's no coincidence that it's Sayão's Zerlina that gets scene applause for both her big arias. The cast is good, and if you can deal with historic sound, this comes recommended!

The same goes for the Moralt - in good sound now (1955), and with another quite even cast. Simoneau is an outstanding Ottavio (the finest?) and his arias, sung like this, are heavenly indeed (although plotwise I'll stick with Kierkegaard's verdict on cutting Ottavio and Anna some) ... London may be a bit too much on the powerful side as Giovanni, a tad too heroic maybe. The women are well cast, with Jurinac a great Elvira, Berry is just great as Leporello, and Waechter and Weber (Masetto and Il Commendatore) are good, too. Again, Moralt is not one to engage too actively in shaping the music, but he lets it flow quite beautifully, so it all works really well. Glad I (just recently) added this to my collection!

Up next are re-listens to Krips (one of my favourite opera recordings of all times), Giulini (close) and some more recent ones (Gardiner, Jacobs - not sure I ever fully played these yet) ... maybe I'll check out Furtwängler's take (the possibly finest from 1953 I don't have, 1951 and 1954 I think?), and definitely I want to check out Böhm at the Met, 1957, with a fine cast. Maybe I'll also check out Davis and Busch for the first time, and revisit Currentzis, though maybe that'll have to wait ... Krips, Giulini and Böhm for sure though.

Coincidentally, I've been listening to one of Furtwängler's Salzburg performances, and one I hadn't heard before. (I have a 1953 performance, with a different cast, except for Schwarzkopf and Dermota.)

(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/037/MI0001037440.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

I haven't made a point by point comparison, but I have a feeling Furtwängler's tempi are a bit more propulsive in 1950, though this impression might have more to do with its cast (Gobbi more demonic, less suave than Siepi, Welitsch more thrillingly dramatic but less poised than Grümmer). It's certainly a very starry cast, and a very exciting performance.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 18, 2019, 12:59:34 PM
I have huge blue Furtwängler box, which contains the 1954 recording, as well as some 1950 excerpts (no Welitsch though, just half a dozen cuts) ... and a Gala issue of the 1951 recording (not sure why he had the "wrong" Elvira though ... Della Casa is on the recordings from 1955 on, but up to 1954's by Furtwängler it's always Schwarzkopf).

Btw, the guy at the ticket office of Zurich opera gave me the "Rosenkavalier" programme for free since it was the 1000st Monday (not sure what he meant) and he recognized me as a regular visitor (which is true for about three years now and I plan on sticking with it).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 19, 2019, 03:14:08 AM
Quote from: king ubu on February 18, 2019, 12:59:34 PM
I have huge blue Furtwängler box, which contains the 1954 recording, as well as some 1950 excerpts (no Welitsch though, just half a dozen cuts) ... and a Gala issue of the 1951 recording (not sure why he had the "wrong" Elvira though ... Della Casa is on the recordings from 1955 on, but up to 1954's by Furtwängler it's always Schwarzkopf).

Btw, the guy at the ticket office of Zurich opera gave me the "Rosenkavalier" programme for free since it was the 1000st Monday (not sure what he meant) and he recognized me as a regular visitor (which is true for about three years now and I plan on sticking with it).

I didn't know there was a 1951 performance too. I have a Gala issue of 1953 which has the same cast, I think, as the 1954 performance issued by EMI. The 1954 video must be from a different performance as Della Casa replaces Schwarzkopf.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 19, 2019, 04:01:18 AM
Quote from: king ubu on February 18, 2019, 01:46:31 AM
Saw the new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni in Lucerne on Saturday - fantastic experience, although some of the singers were less than perfect ... but the production was great indeed, and it created a kind of maelstrom that sucked me in. The basic idea was that you see much of it from Giovanni's perspective - a live camera filmed over his shoulder, the images (in b/w) were projected onto a screen that closed off the larger part of the stage. The other characters were seen both in front of the screen and when they interacted with Giovanni in his perspective - often a voyeur's view through undergrowth - when they went behind the screen. Leporello turned into the main chararacter, the playmaker of the entire production actually. There were bridges over the pit on both sides, and Leporello actually acted from the stalls for some parts, and then went back onto the stage etc. The continuo fortepiano was located on the other bridge (but there was still enough room for entrances by various singers). The choir and some stage music were also placed on the balconys a couple of times, the small room was thus very well played (something which director Benedikt von Peter is doing quite often and indeed very well). Vuyani Mlinde as Leporello was outstanding, and the entire production, despite a less than ideal Anna/Ottavio (Rebecca Krynski Cox/Emanuel Heitz) couple (they're weak, or rather: uninteresting anyway and have too many arias ...), the full package was outstanding and pretty much of a piece. Clemens Heil conducted with a lot of care and the orchestra was playing very well. Special props to William Kelley for his fine continuo performance. And to Abigail Lewis and Flurin Caduff who are wonderful as Zerbina/Masetto. Jason Cox was a gruff, strong Giovanni, Solenn Lavanant Linke's Elvia was a bit shrill and almost too powerful at some moments, but pretty good. And Boris Petronje, finally, was good as the rather scary Commendatore.

The reviews I read are German only:
http://www.peterhagmann.com/?p=2000
https://www.nzz.ch/feuilleton/mozart-als-ego-shooter-ld.1451725

--

Sunday I felt like digging up some of the Giovanni recordings, familiar and as of yet unfamiliar ones ... I started by listening to these two:

[asin]B0000267P7[/asin]
[asin]B01HV9BQRI[/asin]
The Walter is maybe a bit on the mild side, but still pretty good, except for sound ... Pinza is magnificient, and it's no coincidence that it's Sayão's Zerlina that gets scene applause for both her big arias. The cast is good, and if you can deal with historic sound, this comes recommended!

The same goes for the Moralt - in good sound now (1955), and with another quite even cast. Simoneau is an outstanding Ottavio (the finest?) and his arias, sung like this, are heavenly indeed (although plotwise I'll stick with Kierkegaard's verdict on cutting Ottavio and Anna some) ... London may be a bit too much on the powerful side as Giovanni, a tad too heroic maybe. The women are well cast, with Jurinac a great Elvira, Berry is just great as Leporello, and Waechter and Weber (Masetto and Il Commendatore) are good, too. Again, Moralt is not one to engage too actively in shaping the music, but he lets it flow quite beautifully, so it all works really well. Glad I (just recently) added this to my collection!

Up next are re-listens to Krips (one of my favourite opera recordings of all times), Giulini (close) and some more recent ones (Gardiner, Jacobs - not sure I ever fully played these yet) ... maybe I'll check out Furtwängler's take (the possibly finest from 1953 I don't have, 1951 and 1954 I think?), and definitely I want to check out Böhm at the Met, 1957, with a fine cast. Maybe I'll also check out Davis and Busch for the first time, and revisit Currentzis, though maybe that'll have to wait ... Krips, Giulini and Böhm for sure though.
That  Don Giovanni you attended does look great, king ubu! Glad you enjoyed it.

I own and admire both those recordings you've posted. The Walter of course has dismal sound (I have it in a bootleg Italian release—Memories—which probably sounds worse than the Naxos  >:(). It's great to have the legendary Pinza and Kipnis as the Don and his sidekick, respectively, but it's Sayão who steals the shows (the most endearing Zerlina ever? :-*). The other ladies didn't really impress me that much—contrary to expectations.

The Moralt is a great success IMO, with an all round stellar cast that acts as a team (George London had been IIRC the first Don Giovanni at the reopened Vienna State Opera at around the same time, albeit in German translation). Simoneau is an engaging Ottavio (and he makes you forget how bland the character is).

I suppose you're in no need of more recordings of the opera, but the (hard to find) one conducted by Hans Swarowsky from Vienna in 1950 (with another legend, Mariano Stabile, well advanced in age but as cunning and "simpatico' a Giovanni as you can imagine, and an echt-Wienerisch supporting cast of names not that well represented on record—e.g. H. Konetzni, Grob-Prandl) is well worth seeking out.

I also have the 1957 Böhm at the Met. I much admire this conductor, and am perhaps one of the few who really like his 1977 Salzburg version in DG—not so the earlier Prague recording, with severe problems in the cast and a heavy-handed approach to the score. In 1957, you have the glorious Steber and della Casa, but also an unsubtle Ottavio in Jan Peerce, and a too buffoonish Leporello in Corena (even if he "owned" the role at the time).

Strange I've never added the Krips to my collection. My dad, who new the whole opera by heart, had this on LP and swore by it.

I've never felt attracted to Furtwängler in this repertoire, I must confess. And, if I were you, I wouldn't rush to revisit Currentzis  ;). After a promising start to his da Ponte opera cycle with an interesting if idiosyncratic Figaro, both his Don Giovanni and (particularly) his Così are simply bizarre IMHO  ??? ::).

Oh, and the prospect of Sabine Devielhe as Sophie in Rosenkavalier is mouth-watering!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 19, 2019, 07:33:24 AM
Devieilhe on stage is wonderful ... I saw her on a concertant run of "La Fille du régiment", and she was superb! There were no real costumes and no stage design, rather the orchestra was on stage, but the singers did move around (and pass through the orchestra etc., and it was a really lively thing - with amazing singing! I am also waiting for the ticket sale of the new "Ariadne auf Naxos" in Milan, with Stoyanova and Devieilhe again (I plan to catch the April 30 show):
http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/2018-2019/opera/ariadne-auf-naxos.html
Actually found out by checking the schedule of Regula Mühlemann who I saw in an opera for the first time around x-mas (as Juliette in Gounod's "Roméo et Juliette", she was wonderful) and who will sing the small part of Echo in "Ariadne" ... I will also catch her as Susanna in Mozart's Figaro in Zurich later this season  :P (I will miss Mühlemann's Lucerne concert of her fine "Cleopatra" programme alas, because my short trip to Italy, for "Ariadne", starts the morning after and it would simply get too much ... I hope to be able to hear Mühlemann in concert and see her in operas many more times though, in the future).

--

Regarding Don Giovanni, this is the Furtwängler from 1953 I have(click to enlarge):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XdT%2BpPK9L.jpg)(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71qN%2B3NnXLL._SL1078_.jpg)

You ought to really check out Krips - to me, he's one of the finest Mozartians ever and it's such a pity that he didn't ever record the other Da Ponte operas! I'm looking forward a lot to hearing Steber with Böhm, and I have some doubts about Furtwängler's approach matching this opera, also I have a similar view on the Currentzis trilogy (which is run live at Lucerne festival this summer - I'm not even tempted to catch one of the three, but there are other concerts I plan to hear). I will try and look for the Swarowsky (that evil place that is nearby and that distributes alpha, Hyperion, Onyx and many other labels - since a few months also cpo - has huge stocks of Preiser, though I never explored them yet, maybe they have it there, even if it's OOP, which I didn't check, but assume it is if it's difficult to find?). With opera I hardly ever find THE perfect recording (although in the case of "Don Giovanni" the Krips may be it ...), so I don't feel bad about having a dozen or more recordings of operas I love - and Mozart's operas I love better than almost anything in life.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 19, 2019, 07:03:54 PM
Quote from: king ubu on February 18, 2019, 04:14:02 AM
next up on stage - Saturday night - "Der Rosenkavalier" with Stoyanova ... and Sabine Devieilhe  :-* ... and Anna Stéphany  :-* - gotta pick up the programme on my way home tonight:

Der Rosenkavalier
Opera by Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Comedy for music in three acts by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Musical director Fabio Luisi
Producer Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Stage design Rolf Glittenberg
Costumes Marianne Glittenberg
Lighting designer Jürgen Hoffmann
Choir director Ernst Raffelsberger

Feldmarschallin Fürstin Werdenberg - Krassimira Stoyanova
Der Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau - Christof Fischesser
Octavian - Anna Stéphany
Sophie - Sabine Devieilhe
Herr von Faninal - Martin Gantner
Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin - Miranda Keys
Valzacchi - Spencer Lang
Annina - Irène Friedli
Polizeikommissar - Alexander Kiechle
Der Haushofmeister bei der Feldmarschallin - Leonardo Sanchez
Der Haushofmeister bei Faninal - Thobela Ntshanyana
Ein Notar - Stanislav Vorobyov
Ein Wirt - Iain Milne
Ein Sänger - Derrek Stark

Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Kinderchor der Oper Zürich
Statistenverein am Opernhaus Zürich

https://opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/der-rosenkavalier/season_50348/

That sounds like a great production there. I should revisit the Strauss operas I remember liking besides Der Rosenkavalier: Elektra, Salome, and Die Frau ohne Schatten.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 19, 2019, 07:22:38 PM
I see Anton Dermota on that cast list. I once (in the days before CD) had him in at least one opera.  He seemed to do very well,  one of those singers Who Ought To Get More Respect.
BTW, there's actually a DVD of a Furtwangler Don Giovanni, with some of the same cast
[asin]B00005ONMJ[/asin]

ETA
He was David in the Knappertsbusch Meistersinger. Which I had on LP and now have on CD.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 19, 2019, 10:30:18 PM
Dermota is on the Krips "Giovanni" - reason enough for him to get a lot of respect in my house!

The DVD with Furtwängler is the same 1954 that exists as audio release as well, I presume?
Here's the back side with more info:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81cIuaxsPmL._SL1243_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 19, 2019, 11:37:27 PM
Quote from: king ubu on February 19, 2019, 10:30:18 PM
Dermota is on the Krips "Giovanni" - reason enough for him to get a lot of respect in my house!

The DVD with Furtwängler is the same 1954 that exists as audio release as well, I presume?
Here's the back side with more info:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81cIuaxsPmL._SL1243_.jpg)

There is also this perforance from 1954. Did Della Casa replace Schwarzkopf mid run, or just for the film?

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/h14AAOSwuLZY1QAB/s-l1600.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 20, 2019, 01:53:32 AM
Ah, right, good catch: the 1954 recording has Schwarzkopf, so the film (1954 with Lisa Della Casa) is not identical ... interesting!

One of the issues with the big Membran box is that they just give recording dates, but no recording venues or info about live or studio etc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 20, 2019, 12:43:07 PM
Latest opera purchase:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MqDFfupDL.jpg)

I first got to know Jenufa through another Supraphon version, with the same Kostelnicka, in its LP incarnation. I currently have the Mackerras version, which is kosher text-wise but IMO fails to deliver the theatre experience. When done well Jenufa rivals anything written by Puccini - although bothe composers are as different as rollmops are from filet mignon. This Jilek perormance is generally well regarded. I'm crossing my fingers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 21, 2019, 12:12:54 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 19, 2019, 07:03:54 PM
That sounds like a great production there. I should revisit the Strauss operas I remember liking besides Der Rosenkavalier: Elektra, Salome, and Die Frau ohne Schatten.

"Elektra" and "Salome" are the ones I've known for a while - the first is probably one of the most amazing operas ever to my ears. I saw the Chéreau/Salonen on tv and had to get the official release later on, Eva Herlitzius is outstanding in the title role:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41OEnexsxWL.jpg)

I actually have the good luck of seing Herlitzius (as well as Waltraud Meier in the role of Klytämnestra) in the re-run of an earlier Kusej production here in Zurich in July, with Simone Young conducting:
https://www.opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/calendar/elektra/season_50348/

So, "Rosenkavalier" on Saturday, "Ariadne auf Naxos" at the of April (at La Scala, just bought a ticket!), and "Elektra" in July ... should be three great nights at the opera (and some others in between, but not Strauss ...)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 21, 2019, 05:53:02 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GJ%2BE3g%2B-L.jpg)

Not a complete opera today, but an early recital by Katia Ricciarelli (with the addition of a couple of duets with Domingo), a singer who is often underrated, I feel. Admittedly the voice didn't retain its youthful freshness for long, but she is always a musical and intelligent singer with a fine dramatic instinct. I've always found her a most affecting singer, her Luisa Miller, for instance, more touching that Caballé or Moffo, though less vocally assured than either. We would be overjoyed to hear such accomplished Verdi singing today.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 21, 2019, 01:25:57 PM

Hans le joueur de flûte is an operetta (1906) by Louis Ganne, after the popular legend of the Pied Piper from Hamelin:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Pied_Piper2.jpg)


Louis Ganne's take on the story injects a love affair between the town's poet and the Mayor's daughter, with quotes from Martini's Plaisir d'amour. Excellent interpretation from experts in the field. Michel Dens is the Piper, Jules Gressier conducts the bubbly score with flair. The 2 disc set is completed by highlights from Les Saltimbanques (The Circus People) by Ganne.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81sU40RTHZL._SX522_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 22, 2019, 02:46:22 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 19, 2019, 11:37:27 PM
There is also this perforance from 1954. Did Della Casa replace Schwarzkopf mid run, or just for the film?

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/h14AAOSwuLZY1QAB/s-l1600.jpg)

According to the Salzburg Festival Archives, Schwarzkopf sang all the performances. Della Casa was singing at the the Salzburg Festival that month, but in the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 22, 2019, 04:43:22 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on February 22, 2019, 02:46:22 AM
According to the Salzburg Festival Archives, Schwarzkopf sang all the performances. Della Casa was singing at the the Salzburg Festival that month, but in the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos.

Hm, so what about the DG DVD pictured above?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 22, 2019, 05:18:49 AM
Quote from: king ubu on February 22, 2019, 04:43:22 AM
Hm, so what about the DG DVD pictured above?
I don't know the details, but IIRC the filmed Don Giovanni was not a public performance at the festival, but rather mounted ad hoc to make the film. Hence, it could be possible that it would not appear in the festival's performance annals. This same procedure was used—many years later—in Bayreuth (not any more, though, as the recent DVDs stem from actual open performances televised live, as is the case in most releases of this type these days from any opera house—given the improved technology and unobtrusive filming equipment).

If we're actually dealing with a "closed" performance mounted specifically for filming, then the substation of della Casa for Schwarzkopf would be perfectly feasible.  In 1960, AFAIK, the opposite happened: Schwarzkopf appeared in the film of the production of Der Rosenkavalier that opened the Grosses Festspielhaus, cinducted by Karajan, while on stage della Casa was the Marschallin.

[asin]B0043988GM[/asin]
[asin]B000026C3F[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 22, 2019, 10:00:53 AM
Okay, that does make sense. Thanks a lot for the explanation ad the further insight into opera film production at that time - I have no knowledge about that.

The Swarowski Don Giovanni on Preiser is oop alas and the "evil" place nearby doesn't have a remaining copy in stock (I bought about ten other things though, but no opera).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 22, 2019, 10:33:56 AM
Quote from: king ubu on February 22, 2019, 10:00:53 AM
The Swarowski Don Giovanni on Preiser is oop alas and the "evil" place nearby doesn't have a remaining copy in stock (I bought about ten other things though, but no opera).
Sorry to hear that. Now that you mention it, I recall that when I got it, it was already OOP, and it wasn't cheap at all (but I wanted to have Stabile as the Don). I know, I know, it's in bad taste to say that just the recording that is virtually unobtainable is a really worthwhile one.  ;) :D But I do hope the other ten things you got  were worthwhile.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 22, 2019, 10:43:00 AM
Quote from: king ubu on February 22, 2019, 10:00:53 AM
Okay, that does make sense. Thanks a lot for the explanation ad the further insight into opera film production at that time - I have no knowledge about that.

The Swarowski Don Giovanni on Preiser is oop alas and the "evil" place nearby doesn't have a remaining copy in stock (I bought about ten other things though, but no opera).

If you do vinyl,  Amazon US has two listings....
https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Chorus-Swarowsky-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B079V1FVPY/
https://www.amazon.com/Hans-Swarowsky-Vienna-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B01N1HGC8J/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: king ubu on February 22, 2019, 10:55:15 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 22, 2019, 10:33:56 AM
Sorry to hear that. Now that you mention it, I recall that when I got it, it was already OOP, and it wasn't cheap at all (but I wanted to have Stabile as the Don). I know, I know, it's in bad taste to say that just the recording that is virtually unobtainable is a really worthwhile one.  ;) :D But I do hope the other ten things you got  were worthwhile.  :)

Deleted in 2014 their notes said ... they had about ten other Dons, but I have a dozen or so already, so ...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2019, 11:56:03 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wmpBfEhWL.jpg)

Soundwise one of the best of all the La Scala live broadcasts, though not as clear as the studio recording made the previous year, also with Di Stefano, but with Votto in the pit. Despite that I would, in all but one instance, prefer this live performance to the studio recording.

Chief among its virtues is the much more propulsive and dramatically alive conducting of Gianandrea Gavazzeni. By comparison Votto, though he accompanies his singers well, is dull and prosaic.

The cast here on what was a stellar night for La Scala could hardly have been bettered. Callas is in enviable form, singing with the kind of assurance she was rarely able to achieve after the Rome walkout the following January, which garnered some of the most vitriolic tabloid press of her career. Her voice rides the orchestra with power to spare, and yet she still executes all the intricate details, such as trills and gruppeti with an accuracy that would be the envy of much lighter sopranos. Indeed her trills are much more cleanly articulated than those of the occasionally shrill Oscar of Eugenia Ratti. Di Stefano is also on top form in a role to which his natural charm and ebullience were well suited. If he lacks a certain sense of nobility, well we should remember that this production sets us firmly in America, not in the Swedish court of Gusrave III. Simionato's darkly misterious Ulrica is powerhouse casting in a relatively small role and Bastianini is in gloriously rich voice as Renato, his singing of Eri tu earning him one of the greatest rounds of applause of the evening. However, this is one of the only instances in which I would prefer the studio performance, for, though Bastianini has the more naturally Verdian voice, Gobbi gets far more out of the character. The way he sings the one word Amelia when he discovers the identity of Riccardo's paramour haunts the memory in a way the more forthright Bastianini cannot match.

Warmly recommended to all but those totally allergic to live performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 01, 2019, 12:17:43 AM
(https://e-cdns-images.dzcdn.net/images/cover/1d37d164ab6fe69cb0a1176c1dfb5023/500x500.jpg)

Elisabetta - Shirley Verrett
Maria Stuarda - Montserrat Caballé
Leicester - Ottavio Garaventa
Talbot - Raffaele Arie
Cecil - Giorgio Fioravanti
Anna - Nella Verri

Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan - Carlo Felice Cillario

Live. Milan 1971

Verrett all but steals the show as Elisabetta in this live La Scala performance, singing with wonderful concentration and dramatic power. She is the perfect foil for Caballé's gentler Maria, though she too pulls out all the stops in the confrontation scene, which is absolutely thrilling. Elsewhere Caballé sings beautifully, but, as so often, her singing can seem a little generic, and she lacks the specificity of someone like Janet Baker. None the less she in superb form, and rises brilliantly to the challenge of the final scenes.

That said, both ladies are the raison d'être of this performance, the men being not quite in their league. All are adequate, none outstanding.

Recording quality is a trifle recessed, but perfectly listenable.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 02, 2019, 12:26:11 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51l-B68JFVL.jpg)

Not usually considered one of Callas's best sets and rarely a top choice among Aida recordings, on this occasion I actually enjoyed it more than some of the more central recommendations like Muti, Karajan and, I suppose, Solti, whose unsubtle, overloud and unlyrical conducting ruins that set for me.

Though Callas sang Aida a good deal in the early part of her career, this studio recording was her farewell to the role and she hadn't in fact sung it on stage for two years. She doesn't command the sheer beauty of tone of such famous Aidas as Milanov, Tebaldi, Price and Caballé, but she brings the rather placid and passive character of Aida to life as none of those quite do, and her portrayal is full of incidental detail usually overlooked by those more entitled singers. Incidentally, the top C climax of O patria mia, though not exactly dolce as marked in the score, is a good deal more secure than she is usually given credit for, and preferable to the watery, wavery note sung by Harteros in the Pappano recording.

Amongst the rest of the cast, Gobbi's impacable Amonasro stands out and the Nile duet with Callas's Aida is the high point of the set, with both singers striking sparks off each other. Serafin, a conductor whose conducting is just unobtrusively right, is also at his best here. No other conductor I know quite manages to make the violins sob and cry the way he does at the moment Aida capitulates to her father.

The weakest link is probably Tucker, whose singing inclines to the lachrymose, continually breaking up the line with sobs and aspirates. He compensates with the quality of his manly, virile voice. Barbieri is an Amneris in the best Italian tradition, and a good deal more subtle than she is often given credit for, and the two basses Giuseppe Modesti and Nicola Zaccaria are both excellent.

I might prefer Callas's singing on the thrilling live Mexico performance of 1951 (with the legendary top Eb in the finale of Act II), but here her portrayal is a deal more subtle and varied and the sound, of course, much better.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 02, 2019, 10:58:01 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MqDFfupDL.jpg)

In a Time magazine interview Mirella Freni mentioned that her longevity as a singer was due in part to her avoiding heavy emotional roles like Butterfly. I guess it's no good if, as a singer, you are so involved emotionally that you always fear choking. True, she never sang it on stage, although she recorded it twice. But a recording is not like a stage performance.

I feel very much the same with Butterfly and Jenufa. Both works are musically magnificent and dramatically so intense that I usually break up the listening session to take a couple of welcome pauses. That's not the sort of thing that I experience when listening to Wagner, Strauss, Mozart, Gounod, Massenet or even Verdi - although Otello comes close. Jenufa is a heart-rending story saved from crudeness by its naturalistic setting and simple, flowing narrative. It is filled to the brim with musical wonders, both from the stage or from the pit. Rarely has an opera been supplied with such an endless stream of orchestral wonders.

From a vocal standpoint it is not easy casting. It must field a strong lyric soprano, strong dramatic soprano, strong lyric tenor and a good supply of strong character voices. The three main roles must have access to a gleaming, transparent, uncluttered top and must be very adept at voice characterization and word pointing. This 1977-78 recording supplies all that, plus excellent, alert playing from the pit. The sound is natural and solid, if a tad reverberant at times. It's hard to think of a better entry point into Jenufa than this splendid recording. The Mackerras version somewhat doesn't reach the same emotional level, despite its qualities.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on March 02, 2019, 05:13:39 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71BhtY77rDL._SX425_.jpg)


I dig Mattila and Silja, but Haitink not so much.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 04, 2019, 07:35:43 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Sc8QrkpbL.jpg)

I only have one studio recording of Andrea Chénier (I don't really like the opera enough to have more), and, of those I've heard (the others featuring Pavarotti, Corelli, Del Monaco and Carreras), this one strikes me as the best all round.

Domingo is more the poet than the revolutionary, and none the worse for that, though some may miss the squillo of a Corelli. Scotto, in a role that might have been considered a notch to big for her, sings with her customary intelligence, musicality and verbal acuity, only occasionally turning squallty on top, and Milnes makes a thoroughly believable Gérard, both melfluous and gruff when the role calls for it. There are some star names amongs the supporting cast as well, like Maria Ewing as Bersi, Michel Sénéchal as L'incredibile and Enzo Dara as Mathieu.

Levine sweeps the score along with real dramatic verve and flair. One of his best recordings.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 04, 2019, 04:28:05 PM
Currently:

Enescu
Oedipe, Op. 23
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orféon Donostiarra
Lawrence Foster, conductor
José van Dam (bass-baritone), Gino Quilico (vocals), Marcel Vanaud (vocals), Gabriel Bacquier (bass-baritone), Petits chanteurs de Monaco (vocals), Jean-Philippe Courtis (vocals), José van Dam (baritone), Laurence Albert (vocals), Cornelius Hauptmann (bass), Jocelynne Taillon (vocals), Jocelyne Taillon (vocals), John Aler (tenor), Barbara Hendricks (vocals), Nicolai Gedda (tenor), Brigitte Fassbaender (vocals), Marjana Lipovsek (vocals)


(https://d27t0qkxhe4r68.cloudfront.net/t_900/5099920883355.jpg?1461084723)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 04, 2019, 05:44:55 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/711wrpwjpoL._SX522_.jpg)

My justification for including this Requiem in the opera section is twofold. First, Decca isued it in its Grand Opera series  :D. Second, I haven't heard a more unashamedly operatic interpretation of the work, of which I own some two dozen versions. It is a live performance from 1951 at the Teatro alla La Scala. Considering the circumstances and date, the sound is okay. The soloists not only belt away their parts, but they do so with quite some flair, narrowly eschewing vulgarity. I was most impressed with Rossi-Lemeni's plangent, elegant bass. Too often he has come across on records as a woolly-sounding, tired second rank basso, but not here. His is the singing I enjoyed the most. Tebaldi is her unsubtle self, albeit on very good vocal form. The performance is of the fiery kind, more dramatic and, yes, operatic than De Sabata's EMI version with Schwarzkopf.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ken B on March 04, 2019, 05:50:16 PM
Quote from: André on March 04, 2019, 05:44:55 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/711wrpwjpoL._SX522_.jpg)

My justification for including this Requiem in the opera section is twofold. First, Decca isued it in its Grand Opera series  :D. Second, I haven't heard a more unashamedly operatic interpretation of the work, of which I own some two dozen versions. It is a live performance from 1951 at the Teatro alla La Scala. Considering the circumstances and date, the sound is okay. The soloists not only belt away their parts, but they do so with quite some flair, narrowly eschewing vulgarity. I was most impressed with Rossi-Lemeni's plangent, elegant bass. Too often he has come across on records as a woolly-sounding, tired second rank basso, but not here. His is the singing I enjoyed the most. Tebaldi is her unsubtle self, albeit on very good vocal form. The performance is of the fiery kind, more dramatic and, yes, operatic than De Sabata's EMI version with Schwarzkopf.

I assume, since this is Verdi, you mean unsubtle as high praise.

I confess I dislike this.  Leonard Bernstein's Mass is worse. If Webern wrote a mass, it's worse. But I cannot think of any other candidates off the top of my head  >:D ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on March 05, 2019, 05:10:20 PM
NP:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61hR6%2B075pL._SL1300_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518RRUSKZIL.jpg)

Verdi: Macbeth
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 06, 2019, 05:22:45 PM
Just finished
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516nTSuPaeL.jpg)
A PI  performance of the 1821 Weimar version, with the overture and a very brief instrumental piece appended from the first 1810 Paris version.

Sounds very much like a Mozart/Haydn epigone. Nothing wrong with the music, but....
If you want a look at opera from that era, this will do very well. But still a world of difference from the bel canto style that was about to appear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 07, 2019, 06:06:34 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Vdd2GkKWL.jpg)

This is the earlier of the two Welitsch Met performances, recorded in 1949. By the time of the 1952 performance the voice was already beginning to lose its lustre, and in fact in 1953 she was diagnosed with nodules and thereafter only sang character roles.

Here in 1949, she is at her absolute peak, and her performance is both enthralling and thrilling, the voice freely soaring over the orchestra. This is surely the Salome Strauss must have dreamed about, both vocally and histrionically. Amongst the commercial recordings that followed, Behrens for Karajan probably comes closest.

The Met surrounded Welitsch with a great cast, Herbert Janssen as Jokanaan, Frederick Jagel as Herod and Kerstin Thorborg as Herodias, all under Fritz Reiner's masterful baton.

Sound isn't bad for a 1949 radio broadcast but can't hope to compare with more modern recordings. Nonetheless, absolutely essential listening.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 08, 2019, 02:13:57 AM
(https://ecsmedia.pl/c/lehar-das-land-des-laechelns-die-lustige-witwe-b-iext41828009.jpg)

Of the two recordings of Die lustige Witwe featuring Schwarzkopf, I come down emphaticaly on the second under von Matacic, with Wächter as Danilo. That is one of the greatest recordings of an operetta ever committed to disc, and I would never want to be without it.

However this one too has its attractions, with Schwarzkopf and Gedda both in slightly fresher voice, though the difference is marginal. Here Schwarzkopf is more the young, flighty widow, whereas in the later recording, she is more mature, more experieced. Both are valid interpretations.

Hard to choose between the two Valenciennes, Emmy Loose and Hanny Steffek, but whe it comes to Danilo, I would come down emphatically on the side of Eberhard Wächter on the second recording. Erich Kunz was a great artist, adept and experienced in operetta as well as opera, but here he sounds too old and he often has to alter the vocal line when it lies uncomfortably high for his bass-baritone. Wächter is also a baritone, but has no trouble with a role which is often sung by a tenor, and his Danilo is much more convincing. Gedda is wonderfully ardent and lyrical on both sets, if a little more assured on the second.

Ackermann, as in all the other recordings in Legge's series of "champagne operetta" recordings, is superbly idiomatic and conducts with evident love for the score. Matacic was perhaps a more surprising choice for the second recording, but he too conducts with a fine sense of the echt Viennese style. That recording is also in excellent stereo, whereas as this one is in mono.

That said, this earlier recording is hugely enjoyable and well up to the standard of the others in the series.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on March 08, 2019, 06:46:45 PM
Recent listening:

[asin]B000002S38[/asin]

Puccini: Gianni Schicchi

From the Box-Set:

[asin]B001BO184Q[/asin]

More or less a first listen - Enjoyed the work, especially the (famous) aria "O mio babbino caro".
I intend to listen to the remaining 2 Operas from Il Trittico over the next few days...

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 09, 2019, 02:13:28 AM
(https://d27t0qkxhe4r68.cloudfront.net/t_900/190295771560.jpg?1509362591)

This recent re-mastering, overseen by the producer of the original stereo version, Christopher Parker, really is the best you are ever likely to hear. Parker has slightly adjusted the balance in the big trio and it really makes a big difference, Stich-Randall now not so shrill and blending better with Schwarzkopf and Ludwig.

What a performance it is, with a cast that could hardly be bettered anywhere, with Schwarzkopf's warmly feminine, noble Marschallin dominating the opera, as she should. Her singing is wonderfully detailed, Hofmannsthal's text superbly brought to life. Just listening to her you can see every fleeting facial expression, and I smply cannot understand those who bandy about the usual criticisms of over-artfulness and mannerisms, especially when the lyrical moments are also filled with gloriously refulgent tone. This might just be Schwarzkopf's greatest achievement on disc.

Ludwig's ardently impetuous Octavian is the perfect foil for this Marschallin, and if she doesn't have quite the same matchless control over her resources as Schwarzkopf, the extroverted outpouring of tone suits the character of Octavian to a nicety. Stich-Randall is a  slightly white-voiced Sophie, suitably innocent and naïve, sailing up to those stratospheric notes with a silvery purity second to none, and Edelmann remembers that Ochs may be a boor, but that he is also a nobleman.

Wonderful support from the likes of Gedda as the Italian tenor, Wächter, a wonderfully fussy Faninal and Welitsch as the Duenna, with a plethora of well known names amongst the supporting cast.

Karajan's direction is just right in every phrase, beautifully managing the dance elements of the score, whilst giving the many lyrical moments their due. He always knows just how to build to the climaxes and his sense of the structure of the opera is spot on, his pacing both quicksilver and expansive. Just to make our cup runneth over we have the Philharmonia on top form.

The recording may have been made in 1956, but sounds absolutely splendid in this latest remastering. My top recommendation for the opera, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 10, 2019, 01:58:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ermEpFpFL._SL1200_.jpg)

One wouldn't do Monteverdi like this now of course, but one has to remember that it was Raymond Leppard's realisations of these pieces that largely put Monteverdi, and other operas of the period on the map. Leppard also changed the pitch of some of the roles, so we get a tenor Nero, a baritone Ottone, a female alto Arnalta and a tenor Page to Ottavia (the excellet John Brecknock, whose diction is so perfect you can hear every single word).

Remembering all that, this is an excellent performance and well worrth investigating if you can get past the use of a modern orchestra and Leppard's romanticised orchestrations. The opera is sung in (very clear) English. Would that more of today's singers could sing with such natural, unforced diction. One hardly needs to follow along wth the libretto, which is provided (yet another rarity these days).

It might come as a surprise to find the great Dame Janet Baker as Poppea rather than Ottavia, but she is wonderfully scheming, kittenish and manipulative, the voice character she creates a million miles away from the suffering Ottavia she sings in recorded extracts.

Unsurprisingly none of the other singers is quite on her level of inspiration, but all are expressive and more than adequate. Would that the ENO could provide such a cast nowadays.

My favourite recording of the opera is the quite recent la Venexiana recording of the Naples version under Claudio Cavina, but this is worth listening to, both as a reminiscence of a bygone age and for the inestimable singing of Dame Janet Baker.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on March 10, 2019, 07:50:09 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 09, 2019, 02:13:28 AM
(https://d27t0qkxhe4r68.cloudfront.net/t_900/190295771560.jpg?1509362591)

This recent re-mastering, overseen by the producer of the original stereo version, Christopher Parker, really is the best you are ever likely to hear. Parker has slightly adjusted the balance in the big trio and it really makes a big difference, Stich-Randall now not so shrill and blending better with Schwarzkopf and Ludwig.

What a performance it is, with a cast that could hardly be bettered anywhere, with Schwarzkopf's warmly feminine, noble Marschallin dominating the opera, as she should. Her singing is wonderfully detailed, Hofmannsthal's text superbly brought to life. Just listening to her you can see every fleeting facial expression, and I smply cannot understand those who bandy about the usual criticisms of over-artfulness and mannerisms, especially when the lyrical moments are also filled with gloriously refulgent tone. This might just be Schwarzkopf's greatest achievement on disc.

Ludwig's ardently impetuous Octavian is the perfect foil for this Marschallin, and if she doesn't have quite the same matchless control over her resources as Schwarzkopf, the extroverted outpouring of tone suits the character of Octavian to a nicety. Stich-Randall is a  slightly white-voiced Sophie, suitably innocent and naïve, sailing up to those stratospheric notes with a silvery purity second to none, and Edelmann remembers that Ochs may be a boor, but that he is also a nobleman.

Wonderful support from the likes of Gedda as the Italian tenor, Wächter, a wonderfully fussy Faninal and Welitsch as the Duenna, with a plethora of well known names amongst the supporting cast.

Karajan's direction is just right in every phrase, beautifully managing the dance elements of the score, whilst giving the many lyrical moments their due. He always knows just how to build to the climaxes and his sense of the structure of the opera is spot on, his pacing both quicksilver and expansive. Just to make our cup runneth over we have the Philharmonia on top form.

The recording may have been made in 1956, but sounds absolutely splendid in this latest remastering. My top recommendation for the opera, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

I've been listening to this recording recently too - Love it!. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on March 10, 2019, 09:01:10 PM
NP:

[asin]B079P9BZCZ[/asin]

Verdi: Il Trovatore
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 11, 2019, 12:53:47 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510TX0K8EWL.jpg)

I bougt this recording of Dido and Aeneas for one of my favourite singers, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (billed simply as Lorraine Hunt here, as it predates her marriage to Peter Lieberson), and she does not disappoint. However the recording itself has a peculiarly lifeless air about it, and no amount of Cornish accents for the sailor and silly voices for the witches can enliven it. As a performance of the opera, I still prefer the old Antony Collins version, with Janet Baker as Dido, for all that it uses modern instruments.

That said, I would not want to be without Hunt Lieberson's take on the role of Dido. Her lament is one of the most moving I've heard, and the performance finally comes to life with her moving rendition and the lovely final chorus that follows.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 11, 2019, 12:56:17 AM
Quote from: Undersea on March 10, 2019, 07:50:09 PM
I've been listening to this recording recently too - Love it!. :)

Have you been listening to the most recent Warner re-master, as pictured in my post? It's part of Warner's DeLuxe Opera series and is well worth the extra outlay. I've had the recording in various pressings since my LP days, and it's never sounded so good as it does here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 11, 2019, 08:55:11 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 04, 2019, 04:28:05 PM
Currently:

Enescu
Oedipe, Op. 23
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orféon Donostiarra
Lawrence Foster, conductor
José van Dam (bass-baritone), Gino Quilico (vocals), Marcel Vanaud (vocals), Gabriel Bacquier (bass-baritone), Petits chanteurs de Monaco (vocals), Jean-Philippe Courtis (vocals), José van Dam (baritone), Laurence Albert (vocals), Cornelius Hauptmann (bass), Jocelynne Taillon (vocals), Jocelyne Taillon (vocals), John Aler (tenor), Barbara Hendricks (vocals), Nicolai Gedda (tenor), Brigitte Fassbaender (vocals), Marjana Lipovsek (vocals)


(https://d27t0qkxhe4r68.cloudfront.net/t_900/5099920883355.jpg?1461084723)

Finished up Oedipe earlier tonight and absolutely was enthralled from start to finish. Dare I say it's a masterpiece? Act IV, in particular, was especially moving.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on March 11, 2019, 11:07:53 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 11, 2019, 12:56:17 AM
Have you been listening to the most recent Warner re-master, as pictured in my post? It's part of Warner's DeLuxe Opera series and is well worth the extra outlay. I've had the recording in various pressings since my LP days, and it's never sounded so good as it does here.

The version I own is from the Richard Strauss Great Operas box - I think it's probably the 2001 Remaster and not the latest one as in your deluxe set.
I think the SQ in my version is good! - It's hard to believe it's a 50 YO recording. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on March 11, 2019, 11:16:58 PM
NP:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rR%2BrF85bL.jpg)

Puccini: Suor Angelica


Continuing to listen to Il Trittico with the work Suor Angelica which was a first listen.
I really liked this one - Beautiful work. It is more to my taste than Gianni Schicchi.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 12:38:13 AM
Quote from: Undersea on March 11, 2019, 11:07:53 PM
The version I own is from the Richard Strauss Great Operas box - I think it's probably the 2001 Remaster and not the latest one as in your deluxe set.
I think the SQ in my version is good! - It's hard to believe it's a 50 YO recording. :)

I think mine was the first EMI CD release. This new one is much warmer, much cleaner. One of the best digital remasters of any analogue recording I've ever heard. It's a deluxe presentation too, coming in a hard back book with full texts, translations, details about the recording and the remaster. I also have the Giulini Don Giovanni in the same series.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 12:40:22 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 11, 2019, 08:55:11 PM
Finished up Oedipe earlier tonight and absolutely was enthralled from start to finish. Dare I say it's a masterpiece? Act IV, in particular, was especially moving.

This is one opera that's been on my radar for some time, but I still haven't got round to acquiring it. I assume that the pressing you detail doesn't come with libretto and translation, though, as it's in French, I might get by with just the libretto.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 01:31:33 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/11/imgL/118990066.jpg)

Cosi fan tutte is a difficult opera for me these days. The music is sublime, but I find its subject matter and treatment of women abhorrent, far more so than the murder of Carmen, which a recent Florence production had such a problem with.

I find the best way to listen to it is to ignore as much as possible the plot and listen instead to the emotions the plot provokes, and this is where Mozart's genius rises above his subject matter, especially in a great performance such as this one.

Schwarzkopf and Ludwig are a wonderfully contrasted pair of sisters, the latter capturing Dorabella's more flighty, open hearted nature to perfection. Schwarzkopf is superb as her more haughty, serious sister, imperious in Come scoglio, truly troubled and emotionally shattered in Per pieta. Between them, she and Alfredo Kraus make their duet Fra gli'amplessi into a thing of quivering sighs and eroticism. In no other version does that moment of capitulation make qute the effect it does here. Hanny Steffek is just right as Depina, not too sparkily soubrettish, and enjoys herself enormously with Walter Berry's genially scheming Don Alfonso.

The male lovers are also wonderfully cast, Kraus ardent and poised as the more romantuc Ferrando, Taddei a mercurial and vibrant Guglielmo.

Böhm's experience shines through in every bar and the Philharmonia play sublimely.

I've had this recording (originally on LP) in my collection now for almost 50 years now and, though I've acquired and heard others since, it remains my first choice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 12, 2019, 01:53:54 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 01:31:33 AM
the murder of Carmen, which is garnering so much discussion elsewhere on this site.

Where?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 02:23:32 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 12, 2019, 01:53:54 AM
Where?

Sorry I pasted and copied my revew of this Cosi from another site, where there has been a lot of discussion about a recent production of Carmen in which Carmen doesn't die.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 12, 2019, 04:09:21 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 02:23:32 AM
Sorry I pasted and copied my revew of this Cosi from another site, where there has been a lot of discussion about a recent production of Carmen in which Carmen doesn't die.

Oh, I see. What bullshit.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 12, 2019, 07:55:47 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 12:40:22 AM
This is one opera that's been on my radar for some time, but I still haven't got round to acquiring it. I assume that the pressing you detail doesn't come with libretto and translation, though, as it's in French, I might get by with just the libretto.

It's definitely worth acquiring, Tsaraslondon. No, this particular issue (or reissue in this case) doesn't contain the libretto. If you can find the original issue, you'll have it, but I had looked around for an hour or so trying to find a copy of the original issue and I couldn't find one, so I had to settle on the reissue.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on March 12, 2019, 09:52:00 AM
Quote from: Undersea on March 08, 2019, 06:46:45 PM
Recent listening:

[asin]B000002S38[/asin]

Puccini: Gianni Schicchi

From the Box-Set:

[asin]B001BO184Q[/asin]

More or less a first listen - Enjoyed the work, especially the (famous) aria "O mio babbino caro".
I intend to listen to the remaining 2 Operas from Il Trittico over the next few days...



Poor cousin Buozzo
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on March 12, 2019, 09:54:30 AM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 12, 2019, 09:53:09 AM
Thread Duty:
Bruckner
Symphony #9 in d minor
Cologne Radio Symphony
Wand


Opera? An idiosyncratic take on Bruckner. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on March 12, 2019, 09:56:53 AM
Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on March 12, 2019, 09:54:30 AM
Opera? An idiosyncratic take on Bruckner. :)

Just plain ol' error 8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 10:04:43 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 12, 2019, 07:55:47 AM
It's definitely worth acquiring, Tsaraslondon. No, this particular issue (or reissue in this case) doesn't contain the libretto. If you can find the original issue, you'll have it, but I had looked around for an hour or so trying to find a copy of the original issue and I couldn't find one, so I had to settle on the reissue.

This reissue appears to have the libretto on a separate CD.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71guoH%2BpokL._SL1200_.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 12, 2019, 07:37:20 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2019, 10:04:43 AM
This reissue appears to have the libretto on a separate CD.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71guoH%2BpokL._SL1200_.jpg)

Ah, very nice. The reason question is have you bought it yet? ;) And, if you haven't, what are you waiting for?!?!? :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 13, 2019, 12:56:26 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 11, 2019, 08:55:11 PM
Finished up Oedipe earlier tonight and absolutely was enthralled from start to finish. Dare I say it's a masterpiece? Act IV, in particular, was especially moving.
Isn't it just gorgeous? And that Act IV you mention, wow! Oedipus's final lines, from "Et maintenant, Thésée, suis mois...", as the character has defeated his destiny, are one of the most intense endings in opera I have ever encountered. "Transfigurative" is the only word I find to describe it...

Tsaraslondon should really listen to this marvel... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 13, 2019, 01:19:28 AM
With two such recommendations, it seems I am going to have to part with more money.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 13, 2019, 06:28:50 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 13, 2019, 12:56:26 AM
Isn't it just gorgeous? And that Act IV you mention, wow! Oedipus's final lines, from "Et maintenant, Thésée, suis mois...", as the character has defeated his destiny, are one of the most intense endings in opera I have ever encountered. "Transfigurative" is the only word I find to describe it...

Tsaraslondon should really listen to this marvel... :)

Good day, Rafael. It is gorgeous, indeed. You know how particular I am about operas, but this one will be added to my short-list of favorites now and I can't wait to revisit it.

And, yes, Tsaraslondon should really know this mesmerizing work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on March 13, 2019, 05:33:50 PM
For those of you that have any of the Ediciones Singulares opera releases (from Palazetto Bru Lane), I just discovered that they have their librettos online in pdf files. I find this sort of thing very helpful. Here is the link: http://www.bruzanemediabase.com/eng/Document-and-image-bank/Librettos
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 13, 2019, 06:00:36 PM
Nice find, mc, thanks for that. Very useful indeed  :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 16, 2019, 02:26:16 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51L6HRtMsuL.jpg)

This isn't a complete recording of Il Trittico. Admittedly all the operas use Rome forces, but each opera is led by a different conductor, and they were all originally issued at different times. The first two, released respectively in 1956 and 1958 are mono, but Gianni Schicchi, released in 1959 is stereo. The only unifying element is that De Los Angeles and Gobbi both appear in two out of the three operas. Still, it was useful and inevitable that the individual releases would eventually be grouped together and, as far as I'm aware, they have not been available singly since.

This morning I'm listening to that terse piece of grand guignol Il Tabarro

(https://img.cdandlp.com/2012/11/imgL/115770328.jpg)

Bellezza's conducting is efficient rather than inspired and the recording is a bit muddy, but it has at its heart one towering performance in the Michele of Tito Gobbi, a characterisation fit to set next to his Scarpia and Rigoletto. Not only is the role powerfully sung, but we see deep into the man's tortured soul, the violence bubbling beneath. In no other studio performance of the opera do we feel Michele's pain with quite such terrifying immediacy.

None of the other singers is on his level, but they are apt enough for their roles. Margaret Mas, a singer who appears to have done nothing else on record, sounds a bit mature, but that suits the role of Giorgetta well enough, as does the slightly raw tone of Giacinto Prandelli's Luigi. The smaller roles are all well characterised.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on March 16, 2019, 03:24:59 AM
NP:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81TxrOZig9L._SL1429_.jpg) (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Ofgh5Fb2L._SL1200_.jpg)

Puccini: Suor Angelica


Listening to this work again - I particularly like the aria "Senza Mama" but there's plenty of other nice moments throughout the work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ciaccona on March 16, 2019, 08:55:36 PM
NP:

[asin]B01AMWKJO2[/asin]

Verdi: Luisa Miller


Maiden listen...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 17, 2019, 03:33:10 AM
Quote from: Undersea on March 16, 2019, 08:55:36 PM
NP:

[asin]B01AMWKJO2[/asin]

Verdi: Luisa Miller


Maiden listen...

I don't really know this set, as the cast has never quite grabbed me, but I do like the opera and know it quite well.

There are three excellent recordings I know of, and I'd find it difficult to choose between them.

(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/07/imgL/118880131.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513vpPcGzqL.jpg)

(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/12/imgL/119019310.jpg).

Maag is superb and his cast is probably the most vocally entitled, but I do miss a touch of vulernability and innocence in Caballé's Luisa, and the role of Federica is undercast.

Maazel has the most touching Luisa of all in Ricciarelli, but she is a little fallible vocally, and Obraztsova's blousy, overblown Federica goes too far in the other direction.

Moffo on the Cleva set steers a course midway between Caballé and Ricciarelli, not quite as inside the role as Ricciarelli, not quite so vocally plush as Caballé, and at last we have a perfect Federica in Verrett.

All three tenors, Pavarotti, Bergonzi and Domingo, are at somewhere near their best, and I find it hard to choose between them. Milnes would probably be my favourite Miller, but all three are excellent.

All in all the opera has been very well served on disc.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 17, 2019, 09:26:31 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/G2Rz5eu6zTOrDrP7HiITCSQIJ34=/fit-in/446x393/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4139965-1356640595-7797.jpeg.jpg)

Continuing with the 1950s EMI Il Trittico, I move on to Suor Angelica.

(http://classicrecords.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ALP1577.jpg)

This has always been my least favourite of the triptych, as I find its over-sentimentalised quasi religiosity a bit too much for my taste. However it is difficult not to resist such generous hearted sincerity as we get here from the adorable Victoria De Los Angeles, superbly supported by the veteran Tullio Serafin, who doesn't overdo the sentimentality. Fedora Barbieri presents a truly magisterial and implacable Zia Principessa, aristocratic, cold and dispassionate in her treatment of Angelica.

However even in a performance as committed as this, the ending stretches my suspension of disbelief just a bit too far and ultimately I prefer the sense of repressed passion and sexuality implied in the Scotto/Maazel version, which plays out almost like a scene from Powell and Pressburger's Black Narcissus. In their hands, Angelica's final vision comes across more as a drug-fueled hallucination, which helps to ameliorate my problems with the piece.

On the other hand I wouldn't want to be without De Los Angeles' beautifully sung and characterised Angelica. She is a little stretched by the highest reaches of the role, but in general the voice sounds absolutely lovely and her singing is as musical as ever.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 19, 2019, 01:59:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51L6HRtMsuL.jpg)

Moving on to the final opera in Puccini's triptych.

(https://img.discogs.com/sV2PovNtOyf5G-tjPFfkADB1whs=/fit-in/500x487/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3214102-1320768570.jpeg.jpg)

Verdi had his Falstaff and Puccini had his Gianni Schicchi, though Puccini's comedy is a lot blacker and more cruel than Verdi's.

Gobbi was brilliant in both comic roles of course, but he presents two very different characters. His Falstaff was all genial bluster, a lovable rogue, where his Schicchi is a clever schemer, with more than a touch of the venal tempered by a genuine love and affection for his daughter.

This is probably one of the best things Santini did for the gramophone, and the performance is superbly paced, with wonderfully pointed characterisations from the supporting cast, the libretto so crisply delivered that you can all but taste the words. Carlo Del Monte might seem a bit light of voice, but for once Rinuccio sounds like the young man he is supposed to be, and Victoria De Los Angeles is simply adorable as Lauretta - none better on disc.

Gobbi recorded the role again towards the end of his career (under Maazel, with Domingo as Rinuccio and Cotrubas as Lauretta), but this one, the only one of the operas in this set to be recorded in stereo, remains my first choice.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on March 19, 2019, 09:15:03 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719iMitQjuL._SY355_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 19, 2019, 09:53:56 AM
Quote from: Alberich on March 19, 2019, 09:15:03 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/719iMitQjuL._SY355_.jpg)

The first complete opera recording I ever owned, and I still have a great deal of affection for it. True, Callas's voice was in decline by then, but she is more inside the role than ever, and some passages, particularly those in the middle of the voice, are sung more beautifully and movingly than ever before.

My absolute fvourite Callas Norma  is the live La Scala peformance of 1955, with Del Monaco and Simionato, but I prefer this later studio recording to the first one, if only for the Pollione of Corelli, the Adalgisa of Ludwig, a surprising but unexpectedly successful bit of casting, and the superior recording.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 21, 2019, 01:33:08 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XdT%2BpPK9L.jpg)

With Furtwängler at the helm, this is a serious Don Giovanni, with the giacosa tending to get lost in in the drama. It is not what we are used to these days and some of his speeds are indeed far too slow, though sometimes they work, as for instance in the very slow speed he adopts for the Masque Trio, which would tax most singers to the limits, but is sublimely sung here by Grümmer, Schwarzkopf and Dermota.

The cast is indeed a brilliant one, with Siepi's demonically mercurial Don contrasting nicely with Edelmann's wily Leporella. Anton Dermota is a melifluous Ottavio and Walter Berry makes a very strong showing as Masetto. The women could hardly be bettered. Elvira was always one of Schwarzkopf's best roles and she is here in superb form, dominating every scene she is in, both dramatically and vocally up to every demand of her role. Her performance of Mi tradi gets the biggest round of the applause of the night. Grümmer is a creamy-voices Anna, singing with beauty and purity and Erna Berger, though in her 50s at the time, a delightful Zerlina.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 24, 2019, 01:38:15 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/VPDX8c9HcR3yHTHw0_ddwKVZc0k=/fit-in/600x602/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9324663-1542211156-9419.jpeg.jpg)

Though now considered one of the greatest opera recordings ever made, this justly famous recording of Tosca was not universally acclaimed when it was first issued, Alec Robertson comparing Callas's assumption of the title role unfavourably to Tebaldi's more dramatic performance. He died in 1982. I wonder if he ever ate his words. Dyneley Hussey made the observation that much of Callas's singing was unrhythmical, which, given Callas's legendary musical exactitude, now seems entirely incredible.

In all respects (conducting and singing) this Tosca is a more musical performance than the Tebaldi/Erede with which it was being compared, where dramatic effect is applied rather than arising from the music itself.

Despite the excellence of the three principals, the star of the recording for me is Victor De Sabata, who doesn't so much conduct as mould the score, and consequently the real winner is Puccini, as it should be. Apparently Karajan had John Culshaw play sections of the De Sabata recording to him during sessions for his own equally famous recording of the opera with Leontyne Price. According to Culshaw, "One exceptionally tricky passage for the conductor is the entry of Tosca in act 3, where Puccini's tempo directions can best be described as elastic. Karajan listened to de Sabata several times over during that passage and then said, 'No, he's right but I can't do that. That's his secret.'"

Of course De Sabata is immeasurably helped by his cast, who in turn are inspired to give of their best. How Alec Robertson could have thought Campora characterised Cavaradossi better than Di Stefano, who sings not only with his customary face but also with a degree of musical accuracy he didn't always achieve, is beyond me. Gobbi was, is, and no doubt will always be a touchstone for the role of Scarpia,  a gentleman thug, smoothly reptilian and much more interesting than the conventional villain he is often portrayed. As for Callas, the objections meted out at the time not only seem churlish, but far off the mark. Infinitely feminine and vulnerable, her Tosca is a long way from the cane-touting, flamboyantly capricious character she was usually portrtayed in those days, and maybe that was why AR found her less dramatic. She is in her best voice, with scalpel-like attack on the high notes, the voice wonderfully responsive and she brings a welcome bel canto approach to this verismo role.

66 years after it was recorded, it remains the best of all recorded Toscas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 26, 2019, 12:16:08 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81qhieYbDCL._SL1200_.jpg)

No doubt these days some might find Böhm's approach somewhat too portentous, and there is no denying the seriousness of his approach from the first few bars of the overture, but I like it, whilst admitting that it's not always how I would like to hear the opera.

His cast is stronger on the male side than the female, lead by Wunderlich's peerless Tamino, a treasurable example of him in a complete opera. Not always as stylish as Simoneau, he brings an approproately heroic dimension to the character, with the added advantage of the sheer beauty of that voice. There is none better on disc. Franz Crass's sonorous Sarastro is another asset, as are the Armed Men of James King and Marti Talvela. Hotter is an authortative Speaker, but his voice is beginning to show signs of age. Fischer-Dieskau was not a natural for Papageno, and I think I'm right in saying it wasn't one of his stage roles. He misses some of the wide-eyed charm of the best interpreters of the role, but his singing qua singing gives a lot of pleasure. In Bei Männern he gives Evelyn Lear a lesson in pure legato singing.

Which brings me to the women. Lear can be shrill on high, and hardly ever phrases with distinction, her legato leaving something to be desired. No patch, certainly, on the likes of Janowitz, Popp, Margaret Price, Lemnitz, Te Kanawa or even Rosa Mannion, who sings the role on my other recording conducted by William Christie. Roberta Peters, on the other hand, is a lot better than I remembered, and she does at least sound dangerous, her coloratura glitteringly precise. Lisa Otto is a pert Papagena.

So, still a worthy Die Zauberflöte, and one I woud not want to be without, for Wunderlich's Tamino at least.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 01, 2019, 02:00:38 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/UyqL4w54IHXipdi2487XMEB-Aqk=/fit-in/600x519/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6997709-1431339478-8972.jpeg.jpg)

This has always been one of my three favourite recordings of Madama Butterfly (the others being Callas/Karajan and De Los Angeles/Gavazzeni), and listening to it again today has been a most moving experience.

Though Sir John Barbirolli conducted a good deal of opera during his career, this and the Otello with James McCracken are, I think, the only studio examples of his work in the field, and I've always thought of this recording as being as much his as Scotto's, which is not quite the case with the two aforementioned Callas and De Los Angeles sets. Barbirolli's love for the score is evident in every bar, and he reveals many incidental details that sometimes get lost in more opulent readings, whilst he never loses track of the score's ebb and flow. The Rome orchestra, though not quite on the level of those in Vienna and Milan, nonetheless play brilliantly for him.

He has at his disposal a uniquely Italianate cast, who all sing wonderfully off the words. Scotto, 32 at the time (oddly enough about the same age as Callas and De Los Angeles at the time of their recordings) is a superb Butterfly and presents from start to finish a fully rounded character. The microphone placing doesn't always flatter her, and, just occasionally, one is aware of the intellect behind the characterisation, but she is still one of the most pathetically moving Butterflies on disc, even if she lacks a little of De Los Angeles's natural charm.

Bergonzi is an ardently lyrical Pinkerton, maybe not quite as charming as Di Stefano with De Los Angeles, but singing with glorious, golden tone, and less stiff than Bjoerling who sings Pinkerton on De Los Angeles's second recording. Panerai, who was a late replacement for Peter Glossop, is a superbly inciteful and sympathetic Sharpless and there is terrific support from the likes of Anna Di Stasio, Paolo Montarsolo as the Bonze and Piero de Palma as Goro.

Ultimately my favourite recording would still be Callas/Karajan but I find it so emotionally, so intensely shattering, that I can only take it once in a while (rather like Vickers's Tristan). On the other hand, sonically, the stereo sound is a great improvement on the boxy mono of that recording, though, in turn, not quite on the level of the glorious sound afforded Karajan on his second Decca recording with Freni and Pavarotti, which remains a first choice for many, I know.

There are other superb recordings, not least the early one with Dal Monte and Gigli. It has certainly been very lucky on disc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 04, 2019, 08:34:49 AM
Crosspost from WAYLT

A  vivid performance
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41QPKZYBJ0L.jpg)
I have it as part of this set
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TBtsn8SVL.jpg)
Fortunately the sonics are much better than the tinny Siegfried Idyll with which, in this incarnation, it shares the CD. (Tinny sound also afflicts the Mozart recordings included in this set.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 12, 2019, 01:55:58 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/E61zbhDjAOIY441zvF0jHdY0Iog=/fit-in/600x558/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11768315-1522054288-3835.jpeg.jpg)

Though performed fairly regularly in Italy and the US, La Gioconda has never gained a foothold on the repertoire here in the UK. It was given its British premiere in 1883, but was not seen at the Royal Opera House throughout the twentieth century and only in concert (in 2004) in the twenty-first. Who knows why? I find it musically more enjoyable than any of Giordano's operas, though it does require singing of great imagination to bring the characters to life.

Callas has always been closely associated with the title role no doubt due to the success of her two recordings, and it punctuates significant moments in her life, though she actually only sang it rarely on stage. It furnished her with her Italian debut in 1947 at the Arena di Verona, conducted by the man who was to become her mentor, Tullio Serafin. It was here too that she met her husband Gian Baptista Meneghini. The present set was her first ever complete opera recording (made for the Italian firm Cetra in 1952) and she recorded it again for EMI in 1959, when she was separating from Meneghini. Inbetween there had been a couple more performances in Verona in 1952 and a run of performances at La Scala at the end of 1952, and thereafter she never sang it on stage again.

I've always found it impossible to choose between the two. The voice has slimmed down considerably by the time of the second recording of course, but nowhere near so disastrously as some would have us believe, and her top register is in much better control than it was even in the recital records (Mad Scenes and Verdi Heroines) recorded the previous year. Furthermore her interpretation has deepened and has become more subtle.

However this earlier one affords us the chance of hearing Callas at her vocal peak and the range, both musical and emotional, is enormous. Very few sopranos, if any, bring the role of Gioconda so vividly to life, as she infuses every phrase with meaning.

When it comes to the two supporting casts, neither is ideal, and it is a bit swings and roundabouts. The best of them on the first set is Fedora Barbieri as Laura, who gives as good as she gets in the E un anatema duet, the worst the whiney Gianni Poggi, who has absolutely no sense of line or legato. Ferraro is better on the first set, but neither can match performances on complete sets by the likes of Pavarotti and Bergonzi. Votto conducts both sets, some of the best work he has done in the studio. As you might expect, the sound on the stereo 1959 set is a great improvement on the Cetra.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 12, 2019, 11:08:50 AM
I think the only recordings I have are the Callas recordings. I can't say that I particularly like it.
I'm also not sure how popular the opera was in the US compared to the UK. What fame it had seems to be linked to the "Dance of the Hours" and its use in Disney's Fantasia.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2019, 12:45:21 AM
Quote from: JBS on April 12, 2019, 11:08:50 AM
I think the only recordings I have are the Callas recordings. I can't say that I particularly like it.
I'm also not sure how popular the opera was in the US compared to the UK. What fame it had seems to be linked to the "Dance of the Hours" and its use in Disney's Fantasia.

Well, Metopera alone lists live recordings featuring Milanov, Farrell and Tebaldi.  It was one of Ponselle's Met roles, and Bumbry sang it there in 1979. Domngo sang Enzo there in the 1980s, and there has been at least one production there this century (Deborah Voigt in the title role). I don't know too much about the rest of the US, but I do remember seeing a telecast of one production (from San Francisco, I think) featuring Scotto and Pavarotti.

I was wrong to state that it hadn't been performed at Covent Garden since its 1883 premiere. Ponselle did sing it at the house in 1929, but that is the only performance I can find for the rest of the twentieth century.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on April 13, 2019, 02:34:06 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2019, 12:45:21 AM
Well, Metopera alone lists live recordings featuring Milanov, Farrell and Tebaldi.  It was one of Ponselle's Met roles, and Bumbry sang it there in 1979. Domngo sang Enzo there in the 1980s, and there has been at least one production there this century (Deborah Voigt in the title role). I don't know too much about the rest of the US, but I do remember seeing a telecast of one production (from San Francisco, I think) featuring Scotto and Pavarotti.

You're right about the Scotto/Pavarotti San Francisco production. I remember being frustrated at not being able to watch it because Hurricane Frederick struck Mobile, leaving my house without power for 16 days, which also prevented me from seeing Domingo's first telecast of Otello from the Met.

Checking the SF Opera's archives, I found these other productions there:

1947 Roman/Resnik (in her earlysoprano days, obviously), Baum, Warren
1948 Varnay, Baum, Valentino
1967 Gencer, Cioni, Ludgin
1983 Caballé/Slatiaru, Bonisolli, Manuguerra
1988 Marton, Polozov, Opthof

And at Lyric Opera of Chicago
1957 Farrell, Tucker/diStefano, Protti
1959 Farrell, Tucker, Taddei
1966 Soulioutis, Cioni, Guelfi
1987 Dimitrova, Ciannella (IIRC one of Pavarotti's many LOC cancellations)
1998 Eaglen, Botha, Putilin

Just statistics at the Met during my lifetime:

1956-57: La Gioconda: 4 performances: Statistics
1958-59: La Gioconda: 5 performances: Statistics
1960-61: La Gioconda: 7 performances: Statistics
1961-62: La Gioconda: 5 performances: Statistics
1966-67: La Gioconda: 22 performances: New Production: Margherita Wallmann//Beni Montresor: Statistics
1967-68: La Gioconda: 12 performances: Statistics
1975-76: La Gioconda: 16 performances: Statistics
1979-80: La Gioconda: 10 performances: Statistics
1982-83: La Gioconda: 11 performances: Statistics
1989-90: La Gioconda: 7 performances: Statistics
2006-07: La Gioconda: 8 performances: Statistics
2008-09: La Gioconda: 5 performances: Statistics

You can see see details at the Met's online database (http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/frame.htm)

There a recording of a 1960 New Orleans production with Milanov.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2019, 02:43:39 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on April 13, 2019, 02:34:06 AM
You're right about the Scotto/Pavarotti San Francisco production. I remember being frustrated at not being able to watch it because Hurricane Frederick struck Mobile, leaving my house without power for 16 days, which also prevented me from seeing Domingo's first telecast of Otello from the Met.

Checking the SF Opera's archives, I found these other productions there:

1947 Roman/Resnik (in her earlysoprano days, obviously), Baum, Warren
1948 Varnay, Baum, Valentino
1967 Gencer, Cioni, Ludgin
1983 Caballé/Slatiaru, Bonisolli, Manuguerra
1988 Marton, Polozov, Opthof

And at Lyric Opera of Chicago
1957 Farrell, Tucker/diStefano, Protti
1959 Farrell, Tucker, Taddei
1966 Soulioutis, Cioni, Guelfi
1987 Dimitrova, Ciannella (IIRC one of Pavarotti's many LOC cancellations)
1998 Eaglen, Botha, Putilin

There a recording of a 1960 New Orleans production with Milanov.

Which also supports my theory about the opera being much more popular in America than in the UK.

Where do you find all this information?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on April 13, 2019, 05:46:07 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2019, 02:43:39 AM
Which also supports my theory about the opera being much more popular in America than in the UK.

Where do you find all this information?

All three companies have online databases, of widely varying quality.

http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/frame.htm (Met)
https://www.lyricopera.org/about/production-archives (Lyric Opera of Chicago)
http://archive.sfopera.com/ (San Francisco)

and some others:

http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/ricerca.aspx (La Scala)
https://www.bayreuther-festspiele.de/en/fsdb/ (Bayreuth Festival)
http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performances.aspx (Covent Garden)
https://www.glyndebourne.com/about-us/our-archive/performance-archive/ (Glyndebourne)
https://archive.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/archive (Salzburg Festival)
https://archiv.wiener-staatsoper.at/ (Vienna State Opera)

As for what I'm listening to today, Barbirolli's 1968 Otello, with McCracken, Jones, and Fischer-Dieskau.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2019, 01:54:56 PM
Thanks. All very useful links.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 15, 2019, 01:43:24 AM
First listen to this Magic Flute:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/817TFYUkKLL._SS500_.jpg)
The other recordings of this opera in my collection (e.g .Böhm's DG version, Klemperer on EMI) are squarely in the "traditional" style, which IMO suits the work splendidly. Compared to those, of course, things here are much swifter and lighter, but also with an overall effect of blandness, I'm afraid. The vocal contributions are all good. I really got this for Dawn Upshaw as Pamina (there's not that many complete opera recordings available of this singer I much admire). She's very engaging, she tries to pronounce the spoken text with care, but--as was already the case with her Susanna in James Levine's Figaro on DG--it's surprising how soubrettish she sounds in this repertoire, compared to her forays into 20th century music. Still, it's nice to have her in this role.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 18, 2019, 04:35:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Gayjal9ML._SY355_.jpg)

First listen to this opera in its entirety. Funny, witty, supremely tuneful and eminently entertaining. Rossini's genius in full display. Marvelous.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 18, 2019, 05:11:21 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 18, 2019, 04:35:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Gayjal9ML._SY355_.jpg)

First listen to this opera in its entirety. Funny, witty, supremely tuneful and eminently entertaining. Rossini's genius in full display. Marvelous.

I reather like this set, though I'd have to admit that Baltsa never really sounds like an ingénue to me. She's much more suited to roles like Eboli and Amneris. My ideal would be Von Stade, the Cenerentola of the Ponnelle film, but she never made a studio recording.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 18, 2019, 05:28:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 18, 2019, 05:11:21 AM
I reather like this set, though I'd have to admit that Baltsa never really sounds like an ingénue to me. She's much more suited to roles like Eboli and Amneris. My ideal would be Von Stade, the Cenerentola of the Ponnelle film, but she never made a studio recording.

How about this? I have it too but haven't listened to it yet.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81MuGSVQxTL._SX355_.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: rickardg on April 18, 2019, 08:09:54 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 18, 2019, 04:35:46 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Gayjal9ML._SY355_.jpg)

First listen to this opera in its entirety. Funny, witty, supremely tuneful and eminently entertaining. Rossini's genius in full display. Marvelous.

Having just started listening to opera I can't comment on the recording but I must confess my love for La Cenerentola for basically the same reasons as Florestan.

The only recording I've seen is this one from Clyndebourne with Jurowski on medici.tv

https://www.medici.tv/en/operas/rossini-la-cenerentola-glyndebourne-peter-hall-2005/

[asin]B0017RRDPU[/asin]

which I really liked.

I have, however, listened to several versions of  'Nacqui all'affanno/Non più mesta' because, apart from it being fun to listen to, I wanted to find someone that could pull it of technically while keeping Angelina sounding naïve and innocent. (Since i'm not keeping notes I've promptly forgot which versions I've listened to... :) )
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 18, 2019, 01:54:19 PM
Quote from: Florestan on April 18, 2019, 05:28:02 AM
How about this? I have it too but haven't listened to it yet.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81MuGSVQxTL._SX355_.jpg)

I don't know it so can't comment. That said, I can't really imagine Horne being convincing in the role either.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 18, 2019, 06:41:23 PM
I first encountered the opera (and Joyce DiDonato)in this recording
[asin]B000AMMSOY[/asin]
Which I think holds its own compared to my other CD recording, the one conducted by Abbado. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 19, 2019, 02:44:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 18, 2019, 01:54:19 PM
I don't know it so can't comment. That said, I can't really imagine Horne being convincing in the role either.

Is this any better?  :)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nqJWVSofL._SX355_.jpg)

What's your favorite Cenerentola on disc?

As for me, I'm far from being an expert in voices and roles, let alone in matching them. I'm a hedonistic anarchist in this respect: if I like what I hear then it's good, and if no, no.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2019, 03:17:49 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 19, 2019, 02:44:26 AM
Is this any better?  :)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nqJWVSofL._SX355_.jpg)

What's your favorite Cenerentola on disc?

As for me, I'm far from being an expert in voices and roles, let alone in matching them. I'm a hedonistic anarchist in this respect: if I like what I hear then it's good, and if no, no.  :)

It wouldn't be for me because I don't like Bartoli, but I think it's been otherwise well received.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 19, 2019, 03:20:16 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2019, 03:17:49 AM
It wouldn't be for me because I don't like Bartoli, but I think it's been otherwise well received.

What's your favorite Cenerentola on disc?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2019, 07:35:46 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 19, 2019, 03:20:16 AM
What's your favorite Cenerentola on disc?

I haven't heard them all, but, of those I have heard, I'm happy enough with the Marriner on CD and the Ponnelle on DVD.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 19, 2019, 08:15:52 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2019, 07:35:46 AM
I haven't heard them all, but, of those I have heard, I'm happy enough with the Marriner on CD and the Ponnelle on DVD.

Thanks.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2019, 11:46:09 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vVyz1DKcL._SX425_.jpg)

This recording has always been my studio choice for La Traviata but for some reason it wasn't working for me today.

Maybe I was just feeling grumpy. Maybe I had Callas too much at the forefront of my mind for, truth to tell, nobody really comes anywhere near her total identification with the character of Violetta, particularly at Covent Garden in 1958, a performance that is a total experience rather than just a recording.

Cotrubas is an affecting Violetta, as she was when I saw her in the theatre, Domingo an involved Alfredo and Milnes a fine Germont, if a trifle young sounding, but somehow the performance never really got to me as the opera should. Part of the problem, and I am surprised to hear myself say this given the near reverence that usually greets his name, is Kleiber. I was just too aware of him. He drives the music forward, particularly in the choruses, and sometimes I felt the tempo fluctuations as in the beginning of the second scene of Act II, were just too extreme.

Or maybe, as I said before, I was just feeling a bit grumpy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on April 20, 2019, 10:55:42 PM
Someone posted the Janet Baker documentary earlier this month. It is now on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/v/ettouLk9_mM

I came across it just a little while before I had to be somewhere. 30 minutes in, I was so engrossed, I had to call to reschedule and watch to the end. It's not a dull doecumentary where they try to show her life evenly.  They focus on the bits that affected her most. But joyfully, it is mostly her singing. I thought one of the most interesting moments was when she talked about singing Elgar after Barbirolli had died and she refers to it as the most unprofessional moment in her life. It was very telling to see her expectations at such a high level despite her emotional turmoil of his having died. Most of us would give ourselves a pass on that one, but she just couldn't do it.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 21, 2019, 12:56:50 AM
It is one of the best music documentaries that I have seen. Very interesting to hear Baker explain about her early life and how it marked her approach to her professional life. I attended lots of her performances and was in chorus for quite a few, including in a short, tiny chamber-sized tour of Dido and Aeneas. Every appearance was memorable. One of her most remarkable gifts was her ability to project a pianissimo thread of sound to the back of a large hall, daring in a way that few professionals would risk in live circumstances.

She was always professional and pleasant, though not actually friendly and the documentary makes it clear where that all comes from. As a singer I listened closely to her technique. She coloured words so carefully, the word 'round' sung with the roundest tone, draining the life out of the tone as Lucrtia dies. The word golden coloured appropriately, all in service to the music and the words, done without distorting the musical line.

I found the documentary very moving. I described to my wife that final scene, her Mahler playing, Baker talking to her husband and breaking down. And my throat closed and I could not end my description of it. What a great legacy she has given us. One music critic I know a little has been commissioned to construct an anthology of her early and rare performances. A number of us have been piling in with our suggestions.

During its survey of all of the songs of Schubert, DG asked EMI to allow her to record all the songs suitable for a woman's voice. Fischer Dieskau was recording all the male ones. Despite her keeness do do this, EMI refused. She did not then renew her contract with them. Janowitz recorded the songs instead.

I suggest the following to any who don't know her work.

Mahler Das Lied von der Erde: Kubelik
Elgar Gerontius: Barbirolli
Bach Vergnungte Ruh BWV 170 Marriner
Mozart La Clemenza di Tito Davis
Anthology of English Song on Regis
Purcell Dido and Aneas Lewis
Berlioz Troyens La Mort de Cleopatre Gibson/Barbirolli Les Nuits d'Ete

She was superb in opera, but restricted her appearances to the UK. And as the documentary suggested, Covent Garden did not often offer her any work. She did appear in La Clemenza and as a last minute substitute for an indisposed singer in Les Troyens. Also subsequently she was in a run of that same opera. But they missed the boat majorly with her.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 21, 2019, 01:51:03 AM
I agree with everything Mike has said. The best classical music programme I have seen on the BBC for a long time. Like you, Mike, I was in tears by the end.

I'd stick my neck out and say Janet Baker is the greatest living singer in the world.

To Mike's list, I would add

Mahler: Kindertotenlieder, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Rückert Lieder - Barbirolli
Elgar: Sea Pictures - Barbirolli
Donizetti: Mary Stuart - Mackerras (1973 on Ponto) with Pauline Tinsley as Elizabeth I

But almost everything she ever recorded is wonderful.

She also sang Alceste at Covent Garden, albeit in her final year singing opera.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 21, 2019, 02:25:34 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 21, 2019, 01:51:03 AM
I agree with everything Mike has said. The best classical music programme I have seen on the BBC for a long time. Like you, Mike, I was in tears by the end.

I'd stick my neck out and say Janet Baker is the greatest living singer in the world.

To Mike's list, I would add

Mahler: Kindertotenlieder, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Rückert Lieder - Barbirolli
Elgar: Sea Pictures - Barbirolli
Donizetti: Mary Stuart - Mackerras (1973 on Ponto) with Pauline Tinsley as Elizabeth I

But almost everything she ever recorded is wonderful.

She also sang Alceste at Covent Garden, albeit in her final year singing opera.

Thanks, I think that between us we could keep adding favourites until her entire output was listed. I agree on her ststus, though I had never thought about that idea. Yes, that Alceste was also for John Copley I think.

And a track that cannot be omitted from the must hear discs is her singing the Wood-dove in Schoenberg's Gurrelieder. There are two recordings, both live. I think the one that is issued on BBC CDs with the Giulini Les Nuits is the one to have, astonishingly epic and she dares to sing so quietly as well as absolutely wellying out the big notes. The movement of Schoenberg is extracted, I assume, from a full performance and is coupled with a Les Nuits d'Ete. It is so slow, in a good way, and she manages Giulini's meditational tempi as few others could have. It is a surprising and very worthwhile disc.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on April 21, 2019, 04:25:41 AM
Very interesting guys and thanks for the recommendations. I haven't heard all of them and am now interested in a few. But surely there must be some Handel to add!?!?!?! :)  I am not as enthusiastic about Handel compared to others, but I did really like what she was singing here. I thought the quick throw away comment about what life would have been like to stay as a contralto was quite 'her'.

The first recording I ever bought of hers was the first disc of the Hyperion Schubert edition. Great stuff (and boy were they lucky to get her)!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 21, 2019, 05:09:09 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 21, 2019, 04:25:41 AM
Very interesting guys and thanks for the recommendations. I haven't heard all of them and am now interested in a few. But surely there must be some Handel to add!?!?!?! :)  I am not as enthusiastic about Handel compared to others, but I did really like what she was singing here. I thought the quick throw away comment about what life would have been like to stay as a contralto was quite 'her'.

The first recording I ever bought of hers was the first disc of the Hyperion Schubert edition. Great stuff (and boy were they lucky to get her)!

She recorded a superb Handel Arias collection for Philips under Leppard, as well as a complete Ariodante,and she is the mezzo soloist on Mackerras's EMI recording of Messiah, one of the first to make a nod in the direction of HIP performance, though it seems quite old fashioned now, I suppose. She is also on Mackerras's DG recording of Judas Maccabeus.

Then there is her Julius Caesar for ENO, captured both in sound and on Video.

All worth investigating.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 21, 2019, 08:19:31 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 21, 2019, 04:25:41 AM
Very interesting guys and thanks for the recommendations. I haven't heard all of them and am now interested in a few. But surely there must be some Handel to add!?!?!?! :)  I am not as enthusiastic about Handel compared to others, but I did really like what she was singing here. I thought the quick throw away comment about what life would have been like to stay as a contralto was quite 'her'.

The first recording I ever bought of hers was the first disc of the Hyperion Schubert edition. Great stuff (and boy were they lucky to get her)!

I thoroughly recommend this double CD: https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Handel-Cantatas-Vocal-Works/dp/B00005B5NN/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Janet+baker+handel+bach&qid=1555863204&s=music&sr=1-3-spell


Bach and Handel, whole cantatas, arias from cantatas and a dramatic scena.

I also bought the Hyperion Schubert disc as soon as it appeared, such great linear notes with that series. And I agree, they were lucky to get her. Much earlier she produced an LP set of Schubert songs accompanied by Gerald Moore, another collaborator who mentored her and grew to thoroughly appreciate her.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 22, 2019, 10:03:03 AM
Of course, I have thought of another Baker disc that I urge folk to explore, and it is an opera.

Holst Savitri: A short chamber opera for three singers. This has a really beautiful and haunting score. I saw Baker in it and Dido and Aeneas was paired with it.

This kind of music plays to Baker's gifts and the piece provides lots of long melodic lines, soft singing and passion. The husband dies early on and Savitri makes efforts with Death to return him to her. The recording is conducted by Holst's daughter, Imogen. Robert Tear is the husband and Thomas Hemsley is Death.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on April 25, 2019, 02:01:42 AM
Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea - Gabriel Garrido conducting Ensemble Elyma, Coro Antonio Il Verso & soloists. Completing an interrupted listening from yesterday. Generally well played and sung but lacking characterisation at times, probably because I am used to Harnoncourt and his more incisive style and flamboyant singers. Flavio Oliver as Nerone is the pick of the singers. Guilemette Laurens (who sings Nerone for Jacobs) has too much vibrato for my taste. Garrido uses a very full edition and it clocks in at around 3h 40m.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 25, 2019, 02:39:56 AM
Quote from: Biffo on April 25, 2019, 02:01:42 AM
Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea - Gabriel Garrido conducting Ensemble Elyma, Coro Antonio Il Verso & soloists. Completing an interrupted listening from yesterday. Generally well played and sung but lacking characterisation at times, probably because I am used to Harnoncourt and his more incisive style and flamboyant singers. Flavio Oliver as Nerone is the pick of the singers. Guilemette Laurens (who sings Nerone for Jacobs) has too much vibrato for my taste. Garrido uses a very full edition and it clocks in at around 3h 40m.

Have you heard the Claudio Cavina recording of the Naples version. Well worth seeking out. None of the singers is particularly well known, but all are excellent, especially the sexily scheming Poppea of Emanuela Galli.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512X%2BQRVBxL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on April 25, 2019, 02:58:48 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 25, 2019, 02:39:56 AM
Have you heard the Claudio Cavina recording of the Naples version. Well worth seeking out. None of the singers is particularly well known, but all are excellent, especially the sexily scheming Poppea of Emanuela Galli.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512X%2BQRVBxL.jpg)

I haven't heard this one. Not sure I want another version but it is interesting that it is the Naples version - most of the recordings I have come across are either conflations of Venice and Naples or give no indication what is being used.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 01, 2019, 07:19:14 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/9v7-CJcX7OmFYnL8T0aU0QS4f4k=/fit-in/600x588/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9981056-1542319568-4012.jpeg.jpg)

When it comes to a studio set of Norma, I find it very hard to make a choice between the two Callas recordings. I have a great deal of affection for the 1960 set, as it was the first complete opera set I owned. Callas's voice has deteriorated, it is true, but not so disastrously as people often think, and she is surrounded by a better cast; Corelli a vast improvement on the crude and unstylish Fillipeschi, Ludwig a younger sounding Adalgisa than Stignani, who, quite frankly, sounds plain matronly (she was 51 at the time of the recording). Zaccaria a more buttery toned Oroveso too, though Rossi-Lemeni is a more authorative presence. The second recording is also in stereo, so in much better sound. That said, Callas herself is in much more secure voice in this earlier set. Admittedly the characterisation has become even more subtly drawn by the time of the second recording (how much this had to do with  failing resources and how much with deepened understanding is a moot point), but we do lose some of Norma's heroic dimension.

I'd have to say I am torn between the two. I treasure the second recording for the beauty of her mezza voce singing in the middle voice, where sometimes phrases are almost more felt than sung (surprsingly, she blends better with Ludwig too) but we do miss the security on high.

If forced to choose just one of Callas's recordings of Norma, I would undoubtedly go for the live 1955 La Scala account, with Simionato, Del Monaco and Zaccaria, and particularly in its Divina Records transfer, which, apart from some radio interference at the beginning of Act II, is pretty good. However, as I would also want a studio recording of the opera, then I suppose I would just have to have both.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 01, 2019, 08:08:27 AM
JPC has an opera sets sale going on, some 150 new entries.

No bargain basement deals, but very decent prices none the less. Time to plug a few holes... :)


https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/offers (https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/offers)

List sorted by ascending prices.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 02, 2019, 01:30:54 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91b3-3eYHSL._SS500_.jpg)

This recording was taped at a performance n Munich in March 1965. It was a new production by August Everding, and, judging by the audience reaction, it was a tremendous success.

Teresa Stratas's shattering Violetta  is of course well known from the Zeffirelli film, brilliantly acted, if vocally stressed. Here she is  just a few months short of her twenty-seventh birthday and making her debut in the role, and, if the photos in the booklet are anything to go by, lshe ooked absolutely stunning. Vocally though, and divorced from her powerful stage presence, she has her problems, especially in the first act. She has to transpose down Sempre libera and, even then, it taxes her to the limit. There are other places too where her voice doesn't quite do what she wants it to, though, in intention at least, it has the seeds of a great performance. For instance the moments leading up to Violetta's outpouring of love at Amami, Alfredo are urgently and sincerely felt, but she can't quite swell the tone at Amami, Alfredo itself. In the last act she delivers a telling letter reading and a moving Addio del passato, but the performance doesn't yet add up to a complete whole.

No challenge then for Callas, whose Violetta is hors councours, and whose 1958 Covent Garden performance remains my all time favourite. In Zeffirelli's film, though vocally not much more comfortable, Stratas surpasses what she does here, where we are also able to see her touchingly vulnerable acting.

Hermann Prey, 36 at the time and only a year older than Wunderlich, sounds too young and tends to oversing, possibly in an attempt to sound more Italianate. Though there is pleasure to be derived from the voice itself, I don't get any sense of a real character.

No, the chief reason for hearing this set is the chance to hear Wunderlich sing a complete role in Italian. The Language suits him well and he is an ardently lyrical Alfredo, singing with honeyed tone, but with plenty of heft in the outburst at Flora's party. Very very occasionally he overplays his hand (mostly in recitative) but there is much that is treasurable; Dei miei bollenti spiriti has a lovely lilt and he and Stratas make a wonderfully touching moment out of tha brief moment of happiness, Parigi, o cara. Later perhaps he would have played down slightly the histrionics in his contribution to Gran Dio, morir si giovane, but it is already a treasurable performance and reason enough to hear this live recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on May 02, 2019, 02:20:39 AM
(https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0211/20/antigone-arthur-honegger-cd-bourg-en_1_4bb96701be0faf0dd37be36855f72b6b.jpg)

For Honegger's Antigone one needs to be prepared: libretto in hand & doors closed. It helps, I fear, to read french. Cocteau's  words are quite bare: there's no idle chatter and Honegger pushes these 50 minutes unrelentlessly forward with driving yet stuttering rythms. It must be a very difficult score to sing and conduct, as so many small parts have to fit perfectly in the general canvas.
This 1960 live performance has at least 4 superb stalwarts in Geneviève Serres, Claudine Verneuil, Janine Collard and Jean Giraudeau who master those tricky lines and rythmic complexities. Maurice Le Roux leads the French National Orchestra and ORTF chorus. There's real commitment here and it is good to hear the enthusiastic applause from the public.
The sound is quite boxy and brass and sax solos sound a bit awkward to me (the venue is not specified).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 02, 2019, 03:55:47 AM
Quote from: pjme on May 02, 2019, 02:20:39 AM
(https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0211/20/antigone-arthur-honegger-cd-bourg-en_1_4bb96701be0faf0dd37be36855f72b6b.jpg)

For Honegger's Antigone one needs to be prepared: libretto in hand & doors closed. It helps, I fear, to read french. Cocteau's  words are quite bare: there's no idle chatter and Honegger pushes these 50 minutes unrelentlessly forward with driving yet stuttering rythms. It must be a very difficult score to sing and conduct, as so many small parts have to fit perfectly in the general canvas.
This 1960 live performance has at least 4 superb stalwarts in Geneviève Serres, Claudine Verneuil, Janine Collard and Jean Giraudeau who master those tricky lines and rythmic complexities. Maurice Le Roux leads the French National Orchestra and ORTF chorus. There's real commitment here and it is good to hear the enthusiastic applause from the public.
The sound is quite boxy and brass and sax solos sound a bit awkward to me (the venue is not specified).
That's the most expensive CD I've ever bought  ::). I missed it when it first came out (at Rose Records in Chicago in the 80s) and never saw it again until a couple of years ago in a B&M shop here in Madrid (a sealed copy, and the owner of the store knew how rare it was   >:(). Me being an admirer—with reservations—of both Honegger and Cocteau, I needed to know the piece, but unfortunately wasn't all that impressed by it. You've given me a cue to revisit it, pjme, and see if my investment does in the end pay off  ;).

Cheers,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on May 02, 2019, 04:25:17 AM
Hmm, I was lucky then: I bought it for 2 or 3 € when one of Antwerp's last classical CD shops closed.

And, yes do try it again. This may be not "pleasant" music, but I do enjoy it once in a while.
I can easily imagine this Antigone being given in a cracking contemporary version with video, digital effects, a really "cool" direction. But the singers must be real linguistic virtuosi!
Combine it with another short opera and I will buy the ticket.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on May 02, 2019, 10:07:22 AM
Earlier today, this\:

https://www.youtube.com/v/YoprpgIY1Yw&t=2204s

Didn't like the setting at all --- although per Bacco!, Olga Peretyatko in negligee is not at all negligible... :D

But the music and the singing is simply glorious! I don't need no libretto (my Italian is serviceable enough) nor any closed doors (were there any in the opera house back then?) to be amused by, and have fun with, this farsa comica in one act. Nothing profound, of course: no earth-shattering spiritual revelation, nor any yet unheard of insight into the human condition --- just good clean fun, quid pro quo comedy --- and the sparkling, witty, toe-tapping, ebullient, yet at times most tender and heartwrenching, music of Rossini.

In the end, I was reminded of Stendhal's dictum that if music cannot reach the spiritual heights of Mozart and Beethoven, then it must at least entertain and amuse us and made us forget our daily cares even for a few hours, and if it succeeded then it would be no small achievement --- and I say: Amen!

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 04, 2019, 01:11:53 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51uQyIHlalL.jpg)

Davis's classic recording of La Damnation de Faust, better cast I think than his later LSO Live version, is still one of the most recommendable versions of Berlioz's non-opera.

Gedda may have been just a little past his vocal best but he still manages a gorgeous pianissimo top C sharp in the duet with Marguerite, which no other Faust can quite pull off, added to which his singing is always stylish and intelligently thought through. He is a great Faust. There are better Margeurite's on disc than Veasey (Baker, Von Stade and Von Otter come to mind); the difficult Roi de Thulé doesn't quite come off, but she is better in the duet and sings a fine Romance. Bastin makes a superb Méphistophélès, mercurial, sardonic and ultimately evil and Richard Van Allan puts in one of his best recorded performances as Brander.

Davis, as so often in Berlioz, has a wonderful sense of structure and paces the score just right, and the LSO play brilliantly for him, the brass powerful, woodwind and strings deliciously light in the Menuet des Follets, plus some wonderfully sensitive cor anglais playing in the introduction to D'amour l'ardente flamme.

Every time I listen to this piece, I am struck by its originality. Berlioz was and is unique, with an unmistakable voice. No other composer is remotely like him.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 04, 2019, 05:54:08 AM
Well put. When it's all said and done, this Philips set is still the one to go for. I have huge affection for some others (Monteux, Markevitch), and nobody has sung D'Amour, l'ardente flamme as Callas did. But I still return to the Davis set for its overall excellence.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 04, 2019, 06:32:28 AM
Quote from: André on May 04, 2019, 05:54:08 AM
Well put. When it's all said and done, this Philips set is still the one to go for. I have huge affection for some others (Monteux, Markevitch), and nobody has sung D'Amour, l'ardente flamme as Callas did. But I still return to the Davis set for its overall excellence.

Callas is hors concours. How I wish she'd sung more Berlioz. What a wonderful Didon or Cassandre she would have been! And why not a Nuits d'Eté? That said Shirley Verrett comes a close second on a recital disc of hers, recorded in 1967.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 04, 2019, 07:26:41 AM
Speaking of Verrett, I listened to this version of Carmen this week:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61OCNWxkxlL.jpg)

A strange production. Dated 12/14/1967, it presents a commercial broadcast from the RAI. The sound is distant and variable, but still listenable. We get a narrator briefly setting the scene (« Une manufacture de tabac sur la Place de Séville »). Strangely, the narrator and the character's dialogues are heard from a totally different perspective, obviously from a studio and very close to the microphones. The two principals are anglophones but have a very good, if scholarly diction. Lance in particular speaks slowly, detaches every syllable and sounds almost childish in his enunciation of the text. He made me think of Dr Shawn Murphy in The Good Doctor series. With its narrator and studio dialogues I had a feeling of listening to Carmen for Dummies. It was strangely effective.

Excellent singing, with Verrett particularly refulgent on top. You rarely hear such uninhibitedly big, luscious high notes. This is singing on the grand scale, but it is still vivacious. Lance is his usual self, with pinging tones and a good legato. La Scala tried to lure him away from the Paris Opera, but he remained faithful to the Hexagon. He received his French Citizenship from De Gaulle himself in 1967. Massard is a very good Escamillo, agile in his couplets, the voice firm yet free on top.

An interesting set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 04, 2019, 08:01:23 AM
How I wish Verrett had made a studio recording of Carmen.

Bunbry did of course, but she's unaccountably dull in the Fruhbeck de Burgos recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 09, 2019, 02:43:30 AM
Cropssposted from the WAYLTN thread:

Quote from: ritter on May 09, 2019, 02:41:54 AM
First listen to this vintage recording of Die Meistersinger (Act I only today):

[asin]B01MDP6H5E[/asin]
This is quite outstanding, by far the best I've ever listened to by  Hans Knappertsbusch; detailed phrasing, clarity of textures (which highlights the contrapuntal richness of this dazzling score), and great singing from all soloists (with particular attention to the diction--every word is understood!). A great recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 09, 2019, 10:51:48 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y9GW-qGKL._SY355_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 09, 2019, 11:54:42 AM
Quote from: Alberich on May 09, 2019, 10:51:48 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y9GW-qGKL._SY355_.jpg)

I bought Cardillac a few months ago, haven't listened to it yet. I'd be interested to read your comments.

Actually it's one of the approx 30 opera sets in my listening backlog  ::)  :-[
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Jaakko Keskinen on May 10, 2019, 08:36:20 AM
Quote from: André on May 09, 2019, 11:54:42 AM
I bought Cardillac a few months ago, haven't listened to it yet. I'd be interested to read your comments.

Actually it's one of the approx 30 opera sets in my listening backlog  ::)  :-[

It is marvellous! One of the (relatively) unsung German operas of his generation. Warmly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 10, 2019, 04:13:03 PM
Thanks, I appreciate!

As of Monday I'll be 'home alone' for the next 3 weeks. I should have time to listen to a few operas  :). Cardillac will be one of them - and maybe Mathis der Maler, which is also still under wraps.
.................................................

This one has just been issued and I'm seriously considering an acquisition:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61LXmKK2X-L._SY550_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on May 10, 2019, 04:22:48 PM
Quote from: André on May 10, 2019, 04:13:03 PM
Thanks, I appreciate!

As of Monday I'll be 'home alone' for the next 3 weeks. I should have time to listen to a few operas  :). Cardillac will be one of them - and maybe Mathis der Maler, which is also still under wraps.
.................................................

This one has just been issued and I'm seriously considering an acquisition:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61LXmKK2X-L._SY550_.jpg)

It's on my list too, as is the previously issued Messager. Presto has the Messager for download at a more reasonable price (with a digital booklet), but I suspect it is the libretto without the book. And I have rather enjoyed having the books....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 11, 2019, 12:59:17 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71-9QUlwaxL._SL1425_.jpg)

This is an infuriating set. Infuriating because the performance is so good but let down by the ridiculously wide dynamic of the recording. The balances are all over the place too, with the brass thrust relentlessly into the foreground. One particularly bad example is at the beginning of the garden scene (Act II, scene i in this version). Carreras is placed so far away from the microphone at his entrance that you can hardly hear him. The natural reaction is to turn up the sound, only to be blasted out of your seat at the next orchestral tutti. With the sound at a reasonably comfortable volume for the rest of the scene the brass reiteration of the friendship theme at the end is absolutely deafening. It might be ok if you live in the middle of nowhere, but if, like me, you live in a small flat in the heart of London, it makes listening a very nerve-racking experience, as you have to be prepared to adjust the volume all the time. It's no better with headphones either, as, with the sound turned up high enough for the quieter sections, you risk severe ear damage every time the full orchestra let fly.

Aside from the problems of the sound, though, the set has much to commend it. I regret the absence of the Fontainebleau act, as Karajan conducts here Verdi's 1884 revision, which excised the first act and moved Carlo's Io la vidi to the monastery scene, which now became Act I. This was the version usually adopted until Giulini included the Fontainebleau act in the famous Visconti/Covent Garden production of 1958. Since then the opera has been performed in a bewildering variety of different versions, but the four act version is rarely given these days, though, as far as I'm aware, Karajan always stuck to it.

Editions aside, this one has an excellent cast. Freni is captured at the beginning of her progress into more dramatic music. In 1977 she had been a superb Amelia in the Abbado/Strehler production of Simon Boccanegra, and the role of Elisabetta suits her very well. She doesn't quite command the beauty of tone of Caballé on the Giulini recording and she occasionally sounds a little cautious, but she makes a most sympathetic heroine, and articulates the text beautifully. Carreras is caught at his absolute best. Some might feel that, as with Freni, a larger, more heroic voice is what is required, but I'm not sure I'd agree. Carlo is one of Verdi's most complex tenor roles, a weak character stunted by his father's indifference to him, constantly in the shadow of his noble friend, Posa and Carreras brilliantly captures both his instability and his desperation. He might just be my favourite Carlo on disc. Cappuccilli is not so interesting a Posa as Gobbi or Milnes, nor is he quite as impressive here as he was in the Abbado Simon Boccanegra, but it is still an excellent performance, his breath control and legato very impressive. Ghiaurov is now sounding a little grey of voice, but that is not inapt for Filippo, and he too presents a believably complex character. I prefer a blacker voice than Raimondi's for the Inquisitor (like Foiani on the Giulini recording) and consequently the great scene between him and Filippo loses a little in tension.

Crowning the cast is Agnes Baltsa as Eboli in one of her best recorded roles. The voice is at its absolute peak, the lower voice rich and powerful, the top notes gleamingly firm. Her O don fatale is absolutely thrilling, as it was when I saw her in the role at Covent Garden, when she pretty much stopped the show. This luxury casting continues into the smaller roles with José Van Dam as the Monk, Edita Gruberova as Tebaldo and Barbara Hendricks as The Voice from Heaven.

Karajan's tempi are sometimes a little too measured, but he has the virtue of never letting the tempo sag. If only the sound were more maneagable, I might listen to it more often. As it is, Giulini remains my yardstick for the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 12, 2019, 06:10:18 AM
Just purchased from Pristine Classical, the newly remastered 1959 London Medea with Callas and Vickers

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1691/2535/products/PACO119_34605ae7-bb37-4b3f-89ff-2de2dc64a85b_530x.jpg?v=1487681959)

I really look forward to hear this one  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 12, 2019, 06:32:50 AM
Quote from: André on May 12, 2019, 06:10:18 AM
Just purchased from Pristine Classical, the newly remastered 1959 London Medea with Callas and Vickers

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1691/2535/products/PACO119_34605ae7-bb37-4b3f-89ff-2de2dc64a85b_530x.jpg?v=1487681959)

I really look forward to hear this one  :)

This is probably the best sounding of Callas's Medeas, but unfortunately it's not her best performance. It pales in comparison to the white hot intensity unleashed in Dallas the previous year (which has Berganza in the role of Neris), and is not so thrilling as Florence 1953 under Gui and La Scala 1953 under Bernstein.

It's still Callas of course, and she is still better in the role than anyone else. It just sounds a little underpowered in comparison to those other performances.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 12, 2019, 08:03:53 AM
I have them both  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 12, 2019, 08:18:54 AM
Quote from: André on May 12, 2019, 08:03:53 AM
I have them both  :)

I have the Florence, 1953 La Scala, studio and Dallas recordings. The others I find dispensable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 12, 2019, 06:10:34 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61dPlYCIwAL.jpg)

This works packs quite a good punch. It begins slowly but accelerates steadily until the last rambuctious scene, reminiscent of a keystone cops chase/escape. It is very strongly sung in this Decca production, which doesn't stint on the many sound effects imagined by the composer.

is a rival production with Lucia Popp, Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart, but from what I've read it consists of extracts, not the whole opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on May 13, 2019, 10:01:48 AM
Quote from: André on May 09, 2019, 11:54:42 AM
I bought Cardillac a few months ago, haven't listened to it yet. I'd be interested to read your comments.

Actually it's one of the approx 30 opera sets in my listening backlog  ::)  :-[

I saw "Cardillac" earlier this year in Antwerp. Dimitri Jurowski conductor : Simon Neal as Cardillac, Betsy Horne as "Die Tochter", Ferdinand von Bothmer as "Der Offizier", Theresa Kronthaler as "Die dame".
I definitely liked the music. Much of the score has a driving, neo-baroque, agile nervousness, some duetts and arias are wonderfully sweet and eloquent (with obligato woodwinds). Some climaxes have the Ur-noble Hindemithian grandeur of an oratorium.
The production in Antwerp was OK - much looked "rather cheap"....
A work I would be happy to rediscover in good sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 13, 2019, 11:25:06 AM
Must have been quite an evening !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on May 13, 2019, 11:45:04 AM
Yes , it was -aurally - a great experience.

These little clips give an idea:

https://www.youtube.com/v/opI1riTuDuo

https://www.youtube.com/v/tuTfZGvGpok
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 13, 2019, 01:07:40 PM
Great, thanks for sharing !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 22, 2019, 04:18:06 PM
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1691/2535/products/PACO119_34605ae7-bb37-4b3f-89ff-2de2dc64a85b_530x.jpg?v=1487681959)

Medea x 3.

Callas/Rescigno, Covent Garden 1959. Complete.
Callas/Gui, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, May 7, 1953. 45 minutes of Callas scenes.
Callas/Bernstein, La Scala, December 10, 1953. 45 minutes of Callas scenes.

I also listened a few months ago to the 1958 Dallas performance, and last year to the 1957 Serafin (from Cetra, now on EMI).

My tolerance for old, wiry live sound is severely tested in the La Scala performance. Obviously it is a powerhouse interpretation from all involved, but I have trouble figuring how much of the squalliness and sharpness must be attributed to the sound source. Compared to the Florence performance of the same year Callas sounds tense in the wrong sense. Bernstein is very attentive and a real asset in the fiery orchestral outbursts.

Under Gui Callas is immensely effective both as a tragédienne and as a singer. The last imprecation is hurled with immense gusto and stamina, with perfect intonation. Coming at the end of a long evening - Medea is on stage non stop from her initial entrance - it is simply spectacular. The sound is very good in a primitive sort of way. The performance took place in the Teatro Comunale. On the face of this sound recording it seems to be a very spacious venue. There is no overload in the ensembles, which I find a real problem at La Scala. This recording also allows one to hear the very involved prompter  ::).

The 1959 Covent Garden boasts sizable advantages over the previous versions: first, all the roles are taken by world class singers (Vickers, Cossotto, Joan Carlyle, Nicola Zaccaria). Medea is an opera that rests on the title role's interpreter, but there are important solos and scenes for Glauce, Néris, Giasone and Creonte. It's quite a relief to hear them taken by such superb singers. Callas herself is in very good voice. Second, the sound is dozens of miles ahead of the other live performances. If anything, the Pristine remastering sounds almost too comfortable to accommodate Callas' fiery Medea. Perversely, it may contribute to the feeling of being underpowered compared to the others. But to hear Cherubini's Medea as a total experience, I think it is almost as good as the Dallas performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2019, 11:15:21 PM
Quote from: André on May 22, 2019, 04:18:06 PM


My tolerance for old, wiry live sound is severely tested in the La Scala performance. Obviously it is a powerhouse interpretation from all involved, but I have trouble figuring how much of the squalliness and sharpness must be attributed to the sound source. Compared to the Florence performance of the same year Callas sounds tense in the wrong sense. Bernstein is very attentive and a real asset in the fiery orchestral outbursts.



I am completely mystified by this description of the 1953 La Scala performance. The sound is not great, it is true, but Callas is in superb voice, as she was just a few months earlier for Gui in Florence. I hear no squalliness or sharpness at all. It lacks some of the subtleties she brings to the role in Dallas, but the voice is spot on. If you'd been dscribing the 1961 La Scala performance under Schippers, it would have made more sense. Are you sure it hasn't been wrongly labelled?

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 23, 2019, 06:14:23 AM
It's labeled correctly. Maybe it's an inferior transfer. The set is issued by Membran and uses 24/96 technology - whatever that is supposed to mean. I find the sound in that particular performance very unpleasant to listen to - ditto the 1954 La Vestale and Alceste performances on disc 14, which I listened to yesterday. The Florence Medea otoh is rough-sounding but still quite listenable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 23, 2019, 07:19:33 AM
Quote from: André on May 23, 2019, 06:14:23 AM
It's labeled correctly. Maybe it's an inferior transfer. The set is issued by Membran and uses 24/96 technology - whatever that is supposed to mean. I find the sound in that particular performance very unpleasant to listen to - ditto the 1954 La Vestale and Alceste performances on disc 14, which I listened to yesterday. The Florence Medea otoh is rough-sounding but still quite listenable.

The sound was never great for any of them, and the La Vestale and Alceste are particularly bad, which is a terrible shame as it's the only time she sang these roles. The Medea sounds a lot better in both the Warner and Ars Vocalis issues. The only other one I knew was EMI, which was horrible. Still, even through the so so sound, you can tell Callas was in fabulous voice. Barbieri is an excellent Neris, as she was in Florence, but at least here she gets to sing her aria with the correct bassoon obligato, rather than the cello we hear in Florence.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 23, 2019, 10:38:50 AM
Thanks for the info. I assume this is the release you refer to:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51R-oKrAKfL.jpg)

I'll put it on my wishlist  :)

The Alceste and Vestale recordings are really terrible, which is a shame. Giulia seems to be a particularly difficult role, cruelly demanding on the voice with its relentlessly high tessitura. Callas' rendition of Caro oggetto is simply perfect.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 23, 2019, 11:29:22 PM
Quote from: André on May 23, 2019, 10:38:50 AM
Thanks for the info. I assume this is the release you refer to:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51R-oKrAKfL.jpg)

I'll put it on my wishlist  :)

The Alceste and Vestale recordings are really terrible, which is a shame. Giulia seems to be a particularly difficult role, cruelly demanding on the voice with its relentlessly high tessitura. Callas' rendition of Caro oggetto is simply perfect.

Yes, that's the one.

Giulia is something of an ungrateful role, and even confounds Callas's great gifts. She has none of Norma's inner turmoil or ultimate sacrifice, her sentiments, whether mooning over Licinio or gazing upward to Vesta, all too similar, and consequently the opera never really take's off.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on June 09, 2019, 05:39:47 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71AguiwIXrL._SY425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 10, 2019, 11:29:31 AM
After Schreker's wonderful Der ferne Klang, some more familiar stuff :

Quote
Quote from: André on June 10, 2019, 11:27:02 AM
Smetana's Bartered Bride in the german translation that brought it success on german/austrian stages. The Bamberger Symphoniker was made up of expats from the Prague German Opera. The idiom is pretty much in their blood. Splendid singing. The star of the show is Gottlob Frick's Osmin-like marriage courtier. I guess making fun of the stuttering character of Wenzel is not quite politically correct.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wka-nP91L.jpg)

Splendid production. I have the original czech language version lined up for listening some time later.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2019, 02:51:09 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/2kHx1WUZWHmP3yXQQeRIG0XHSQg=/fit-in/600x529/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8669332-1466352878-7082.jpeg.jpg)

Karajan's second recording of Aida was recorded, like the first one, in Vienna  in 1979 exactly twenty years later. For some reason, it is usually passed over in favour of the first, which starred the more obvious Aida cast of Tebaldi, Bergonzi, Simionato and MacNeil. Personally, I've always preferred this later one with a cast which, on paper, might seem lightweight, but actually works in practice very well.

Roughly contemporaneous with Karajan's Berlin recording of Don Carlo this Vienna recording, though still wide ranging, is much better, more natural, putting the voices in a more natural acoustic, and Karajan in so many places brings out the beauty and lyricism of the score. He paces the score brilliantly and is most attentive to his singers. Not that this is an undramatic reading. Far from it. Though tempi can be measured, Karajan is an experienced Verdian and still infuses them with energy. The orchestral climaxes are stunning and all the singers relish the text and sing off the words. It hardly needs be said that the Vienna Philharmonic play magnificently.

Freni is a little taxed in places, nor does she command the sheer beauty of sound Caballé does on the Muti recording, but what pleasure it is to hear the text so well enunciated, so clearly communicated. Her Aida is lyrically vulnerable and I actually prefer it to many who one might consider more vocally entitled. Carreras is likewise a lyrical Radames, and his voice was still very beautiful at this phase of his career. He too sings well off the text. I like, for instance, the reflective way he sings Se quel guerrier io fossi, becoming more forceful in the second part of the recitative when he sings about the applause of all Memphis, before softening his tone again when he sings about Aida. How much of this is Carreras, how much Karajan I don't know, but it makes for a more thoughtful reading than we often get.

Baltsa was also at her absolute vocal peak, though she is no barnstorming Amneris. She reminds us that Amneris is a young spoiled princess, used to getting her own way but also vulnerably feminine and a vaild rival for Aida. It is a very convincing portrayal and she is absolutely thrilling in the judgement scene. Cappuccilli is maybe not so implacable an Amonasro as Gobbi, but he also sings well off the words, and Raimondi and Van Dam are nicely contrasted as Ramfis and the King. The silken voiced Ricciarelli is luxury casting as the Priestess.

An excellent set, well worth investigating and, in my opinion, much more dramatically alive than the 1959 set, which has always seemed a little too self-consciously beautiful for my taste.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 14, 2019, 03:50:15 AM
I have had this set in one format or another since it was first issued. I don't connect all that well with Freni, I don't think she dominates the soundscape where I like a voice with more heft. But there is a lot to enjoy. And Baltsa sounds seductive where a number in her part sound like harridans.

I wish the voices were a bit more forward. Karajan is for me too fond of sinking the voices into the orchestral textures. However, I enjoy the whole thing more than Karajan's earlier recording.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2019, 04:07:00 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 14, 2019, 03:50:15 AM

I wish the voices were a bit more forward. Karajan is for me too fond of sinking the voices into the orchestral textures. However, I enjoy the whole thing more than Karajan's earlier recording.

Mike

I was listening on headphones this time round and I didn't feel I had to strain to hear the voices as often happens on his Don Carlo, though the voices are occasionally submerged as you say. It is perhaps a less natural acoustic than, say, the new Pappano, but Karajan's cast is, for the most part, superior.

I know what you mean about Freni. The role cries out for a Ponselle, a Tebaldi or a Price, but afterwards I lstened to some of Karajan's first recording and, though Tebaldi is much more vocally entitled, I found Freni more communicative. I suppose it's one of the reasons I still enjoy Callas in the role, though I don't think she was ever that suited to it vocally. Her Aida is more alive to the drama than any, and the Nile duet with her and Gobbi's Amonasro has never been bettered. Serafin is rarely given enough credit, but his conducting at this point, possibly spurred on by his two soloists, is pure brilliance.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 14, 2019, 12:12:46 PM
Cross posted from WAYLT thread:

Quote
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51IcD-19ApL.jpg)

Act III

I made it!

Quite enjoyable, actually. For me the crux lies in having two outstanding singing basses in the roles of Ochs and Faninal, as well as a conductor who can make the orchestra sing, swing and swoon when appropriate. As for the female leads, they have been lucky on record. I think I have an idea for the next version I'll buy. This one is excellent overall but a bit dated sonically. Plus, it's sometimes hard to distinguish some of the voices when they sing in the same vocal range (Weber and Poell for example).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 18, 2019, 01:17:24 AM
The recent Gramophone magazine had a long article on Pavarotti, interesting and informative. It was not a hagiographical piece, but an evaluation of him and there were some frank recollections of the very mixed blessing of working with him. I have his famous Puccini recordings, but the only Verdi I had of his was Otello and I ditched it.

I went on-line to look for bargains and found some. I am working my way through the arrivals.

Verdi Un Ballo, Pavarotti, Margaret Price, Bruson, Ludwig and Battle. The National Phil Orch is conducted by Solti.

The sound is glossy and very immediate, the feel is pretty red blooded. Pavarotti sings beautifully and is engaged. He does not blast it all out and really uses the words to propulse the music. He colours them and integrates the colours so that nothing sounds exaggerated. Price is just perfect for me with enough weight and her peerless phrasing and really fine acting. I never tire of hearing her. Bruson sounds much juicier than I had expected and I enjoyed his engagement with his role. Ludwig, well, this seems odd casting to me. I just don't think she makes that much of an impression. Battle is fine, though these lad parts are really quite odd, I think they inadvertently draw attention to the guying and away from the focus on the drama. Actually, I find them flat out irritating.

Solti does provide a lot of bite and drama, but to my ears he also allows contrasts of space and time so as not to exhaust the listener. I liked the whole set a lot, just as much as the other versions that I have had for a long time. And with full libretto etc, under £4 for the set, it was a real bargain.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 24, 2019, 07:23:15 AM
Next up in the Pavarotti sets is the Decca studio Il Trovatore. Sutherland, Pavarotti Horne, Wixell, Ghiaurov conductor Bonynge

This seems a very odd set it was recorded in 1976, a little past the best of Sutherland, she was 50, but her singing still sounds accurate, no disturbing vibrato or any other noticeable problem. The cast looks good, but this is not Verdi as we expect him. The pulse is often slow, the rhythms are rarely lifted and there is a lack of drama. Giulini's set has been criticised as slow, but it is dark and tense and has drama where this set sits in neutral. And it is evident that Bonynge has reshaped the piece as a bel canto opera somewhat akin to, say, Norma. Drama is kept in check until the final scene where things hot up.

Sutherland is not without expression, but it does not feel like she is putting her back into it. Pavarotti does not have the weight of voice for the heavier moments. di quella sounds constricted and he does not relish the words in the way we expect of him. Horne is fine, perhaps a bit lightweight for the part, which surprised me.

Overall, it lacks sweep, drama and weight. There is nothing awful here, but not much that sounds quite right.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 24, 2019, 04:42:34 PM
Quote from: knight66 on June 24, 2019, 07:23:15 AM
Next up in the Pavarotti sets is the Decca studio Il Trovatore. Sutherland, Pavarotti Horne, Wixell, Ghiaurov conductor Bonynge

This seems a very odd set it was recorded in 1976, a little past the best of Sutherland, she was 50, but her singing still sounds accurate, no disturbing vibrato or any other noticeable problem. The cast looks good, but this is not Verdi as we expect him. The pulse is often slow, the rhythms are rarely lifted and there is a lack of drama. Giulini's set has been criticised as slow, but it is dark and tense and has drama where this set sits in neutral. And it is evident that Bonynge has reshaped the piece as a bel canto opera somewhat akin to, say, Norma. Drama is kept in check until the final scene where things hot up.

Sutherland is not without expression, but it does not feel like she is putting her back into it. Pavarotti does not have the weight of voice for the heavier moments. di quella sounds constricted and he does not relish the words in the way we expect of him. Horne is fine, perhaps a bit lightweight for the part, which surprised me.

Overall, it lacks sweep, drama and weight. There is nothing awful here, but not much that sounds quite right.

Mike

+ 1

The cd reissue has ditched the ballet, a sound decision considering the general slackness of the performance. And yet I keep liking it. For some reason it reminds me of these silent movies where every gesture and facial expression is exaggerated.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 25, 2019, 02:28:55 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 24, 2019, 07:23:15 AM
Next up in the Pavarotti sets is the Decca studio Il Trovatore. Sutherland, Pavarotti Horne, Wixell, Ghiaurov conductor Bonynge

This seems a very odd set it was recorded in 1976, a little past the best of Sutherland, she was 50, but her singing still sounds accurate, no disturbing vibrato or any other noticeable problem. The cast looks good, but this is not Verdi as we expect him. The pulse is often slow, the rhythms are rarely lifted and there is a lack of drama. Giulini's set has been criticised as slow, but it is dark and tense and has drama where this set sits in neutral. And it is evident that Bonynge has reshaped the piece as a bel canto opera somewhat akin to, say, Norma. Drama is kept in check until the final scene where things hot up.

Sutherland is not without expression, but it does not feel like she is putting her back into it. Pavarotti does not have the weight of voice for the heavier moments. di quella sounds constricted and he does not relish the words in the way we expect of him. Horne is fine, perhaps a bit lightweight for the part, which surprised me.

Overall, it lacks sweep, drama and weight. There is nothing awful here, but not much that sounds quite right.

Mike

I heard it when it first came out and tried it again via spotifty a couple of years ago. Totally unimpressed both times. None of the voices are quite right for the roles they are singing and Bonynge's conducting is slack and just "not quite right" as you put it.
A good Leonora needs a good lower register, which has always been the weak chink in Sutherland's armoury, nor does her voice have the right tinta for the role. Think Ponselle, Callas, Price or Plowright. Same with Horne. Azucena needs a Simionato, a Cossotto or a Barbieri. Fassbaender is not really quite right either, but she is such an intelligent singer that she still convinces.

I expected Pavarotti to make a better Manrico than he does, but it doesn't quite come off. Di Stefano on the first Karajan set is also light of voice, but just about gets away with it because of his sheer personality.

I doubt it would figure high on anyone's list of recommendable Trovatores.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 25, 2019, 10:20:50 AM
I have this DVD which I watched once, and that was more than enough
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/717t8uMknXL.jpg)
Empty headed singing from everyone on hand is the best way I could describe it, although I should note that Milnes made so little an impact on me that I don't even remember him being in the cast....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 30, 2019, 05:50:05 PM
Granados's tragic opera in three scenes
[asin]B07PXD7SFQ[/asin]
Recorded in concert at the Barbican in January 2018.

The chorus is active, almost dominant in the first two scenes. But absent in the third scene. The plot and the characters are rather flimsy. 
Rosario is an aristocratic woman, Fernando an army officer who is her lover.
Paquiro is a bullfighter. Pepa is a maja, and to the extent Paquiro has a girlfriend, she is it.  Paquiro flirts with Rosario and makes both Pepa and Fernando jealous.   Paquiro invites Rosario to a ball that night. In the end, Rosario goes with Fernando and Pepa with Paquiro.  Fernando is rude to everyone, especially Paquiro,  who eventually arranges a duel with him. In the third scene, Rosario has an aria and a duet with Fernando in a garden before the duel. He leaves for the duel, and returns mortally wounded, dying in Rosario's arms. She faints when she realizes he is dead.
That's the plot, in 59'33" on this recording.

Sound is better than on many LSO Live recordings done in the same premises. Chorus good, singers capable. (Hard to say more, since of the four soloists only Rosario, sung here by Nancy Fabiola Herrera, has anything more than dialogue or scattered one liners.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 07, 2019, 09:12:12 AM
Cross-posted from the WAYLTN thread:

Quote from: ritter on July 07, 2019, 09:08:04 AM
Listening to this delightful curiosity :

[asin]B005FMQBBU[/asin]
Paul Le Flem's Aucassin et Nicolette is a hybrid, but thoroughly enchanting piece. This chantefable from 1909, conceived  as a chamber opera for puppets (or rather, as a shadow play) in some aspects reminds the listener of a perennial favourite of mine, Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro (which is from ca. 15 years later). The first chords and choral phrases, with their archaising and rather stern sound, seem right out of Frank Martin's Le vin herbé (which is from about 40 years later), but then we are plunged into vocal writing clearly inspired in Pelléas et Mélisande (it seems that Le Flem was obsessed with Debussy's opera, and attended 29 performances of its first run), combined with a tenderness and delicacy in the scoring which is almost Ravelian. Wonderfully performances by the soloists, conductor Nicolas Chalvin and his Savoyard forces. Highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: SurprisedByBeauty on July 07, 2019, 01:51:07 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-5LhOtWkAAAWOt.jpg)

#morninglistening to @OrchestraRAI in #Rossini's #LaGazzaLadra on @sony_classical w/#GianluigiGelmetti

: http://a-fwd.to/2V3PSuH
(http://a-fwd.to/2V3PSuH)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 14, 2019, 12:33:42 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Fmk0sFeBL._SL1430_.jpg)

I have a certain amount of affection for this recording of Tosca despite its shortcomings, as it was the first recording of the opera I owned. Despite Callas's vocal shortcomings in 1964, it is still a vital perforance, even if it is not in the same class as the De Sabata 1953 studio recording. I would also now prefer the live 1964 Covent Garden recording, especially in its recent Warner master. That said, I do still get this set down from the shelves from time to time, as in some ways, having gone through the experience of re-thinking the role for Zeffirelli's Covent Garden production, Callas has deepened her characterisation, even if she no longer quite has the vocal means to carry it off.

Fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/callass-stereo-tosca/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/callass-stereo-tosca/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 21, 2019, 07:52:55 AM
(https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/imgs/s500x500/0734032.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91PcNEiGkDL._SY550_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GwzRPY1DL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514W-XvKj%2BL.jpg)

The first three are DVDs, listed in order of preference for art direction, sets, lighting, costumes - that sort of thing. The last one is a cd of a live performance.

As for interpretations, the Braunfels work has no competition, but I really liked the involvement of everyone on board. The production by EntArte Opera marked the work's centenary (1913). This Ulenspiegel has little to do with the Strauss prankster. He's a self-serving, cynic punk who eventually finds a cause to channel his energies. Braunfels wrote his own libretto, based on Charles de Coster's famous novel. 16th century Flanders is transposed to a roughly contemporary period (1970-1980ish if one is to judge from the props). The thuggish occupying forces are suitably sinister. The characters and argument are quite close to Beethoven's Fidelio (same timeline and story setting, with a strong resemblance between some of the characters). Transposing the story to a contemporary setting was a good idea, superbly brought off by stage director Roland Schwab. Not a masterpiece, but a welcome exploration of the byways of the repertoire.

Karajan's Carmen is, thankfully, not a Karajan vehicle, but a faithful, artful and tasteful representation of the opera, in conventional setting. There are some departures: the scene at Lilas Pastia's inn includes a couple of dance numbers, with the participation of Ballet de España, to music from Bizet's L'Arlésienne. Nice touch. Unconscionably though, part of the last act is missing (the colourful crowd scene À deux cuartos). Why ? This is senseless. Also, this is a playback performance. Although well done, with the obvious intent of getting the most perfect singing and acting (not a given in a filmed live performance, where the camera shots can reveal the singers' teeth fillings, sweating, and other distracting bits), I think I could have lived with a real stage performance. It helps that some of the acting is indeed superb (Bumbry in particular) and the singing uniformly excellent - glorious indeed from principals Bumbry, Vickers and Díaz. As always, Freni manages to mangle the pronunciation, but she does it charmingly. As filmed performances of Carmen go, this one is of very high quality.

Settings and art direction let the Lucia di Lammermoor production down. Boring. Bonfadelli's Lucia starts shakily, but she gains strength and vocal focus as the performance builds. Her mad scene is quite good vocally and she acts really well. Alvarez perspires profusely and his acting is wooden, Pavarotti style. I don't think I'll watch this again.

Midway through Haitink's Damnation de Faust. Played by the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and recorded in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in 2001. As always, I find the first part mostly uninteresting. Past the superb prologue, the various peasant/student/pilgrim choruses, ballet numbers and tavern songs bore me no end. Personally I would trim a lot of it. Annoyingly, the Faust and Méphisto can't pronounce the french text properly. Vinson Cole's delivery of the lines is slightly cautious and scholarly, and Quasthoff's maddeningly inconsistent. Both sing very well, though. Karajan's decision to have a well-rehearsed studio performance for the audio portion of his Carmen may be a good one after all... Hopefully parts 3 and 4 will improve this overall impression.

EDIT: I have finished the recording of Damnation and fortunately the performance improves markedly in the last part, where the sizzle and drama of the Course à l'abîme and the Pandaemonium inspire the performers to give of their best. That is especially true of the conductor and chorus. Haitink is fired up in the proceedings, whereas previously he sounded merely attentive and dutiful. The Netherlands Radio Chorus is a sterling group, with impeccable diction. All the words are crystal clear even in the tumultuous last numbers. Its proximity to France and Belgium and the long tradition of visiting/resident french conductors (Monteux, Fournet) must have left a mark. Before that, we had Charlotte Margiono singing Marguerite in Part 3. Although the voice is good, the characterization is very bland. Her D'amour l'ardente flamme goes by without leaving a trace. To hear Callas in this extraordinary aria is to experience greatness. Margiono is merely efficient here. So, no cigar for this production despite the overall excellence of the last part.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 21, 2019, 06:46:05 PM
Cross-posted from the WAYL thread:

Quote
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91kL+fEpPwL._SS500_.jpg)

Spectacular singing from the principals, excellent choral and orchestral performances, all captured in beautiful sonics (from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw). All that's missing is a touch of daring and imagination from Orgonasova. Ah non giunge is sung almost timidly, as if this Amina couldn't believe her good luck. I miss the rythmic exuberance and vocal spunk of Callas here (Mado Robin too, but I know her take on italian coloratura roles is an acquired taste  :D). Orgonasova became a favourite singer of Harnoncourt's and Gardiner's, notably in mozartian roles. She is caught here in her early prime, the voice beautiful and the coloratura impeccable. Gimenéz, a Rossini specialist, is sweet-toned and flawless as Elvino. Lisa is sung by the Uyghur diva Dilber Yunus, giving Orgonasova a run for her money in the vocal pyrotechnics department.

This is a live performance from 1992. The normally well-behaved Amsterdamers go wild after each act. Other than this sign of enthusiasm, not a peep or a sneeze is heard from the audience - purrrrfect. A most satisfying release, possibly the best opera set ever issued on that label.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 23, 2019, 12:32:43 PM
Cross-posted from the WAYL thread:

Quote
Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71wSWOvWrHL._SX479_.jpg)

From this box:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71pb3Fe%2BdpL._SX372_.jpg)

This version of Offenbach's most successful stage work get very high marks on my scorecard. Foreign accents (Domingo, Sutherland, Plishka) are acceptable and practically all the other roles are expertly handled by francophone singers. The all-important chorus parts are crisp and lively, and Bonynge conducts with flair and not a hint of heaviness. Superb sound and effective production tricks, à la Decca. Bacquier, Cuénod and Sutherland carry all before them in their multiple roles. What's not to like?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 24, 2019, 12:15:00 PM
I have the Bonynge set and agree that it's a front-runner, though I do have a couple of problems with it. I like Domingo and Bacquier, but personally, I prefer different singers for the heroines, as each requires quite different vocal skills. Sutherland is spectacular as Olympia, but hardly makes a seductive Giulietta, and tends to resort to her moony, droopy manner for Antonia.

There are a couple of others on my radar; a live one with Domingo and Malfitano and the Cluytens with Jobin.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 24, 2019, 03:11:18 PM
 One downside on the first one (Jobin) is Jobin himself, not a very subtle performer IMO (nice voice notwithstanding) and another one is the casting of Bourvil as Pitichinaccio & Co. I find him insufferable  :-X. I am not familiar with the second, stereo performance. There's also the Nagano version. I wonder if he gets the flow of the work right? Bonynge really scores big here.

The various soprano and bass roles being sung by a single performer is a standard practice as they are supposed to be avatars of the same characters. It's not as objectionable as when a bass takes on Boris, Pimen and Varlaam. That being said, it's nice to have different voices too, provided they are of equal quality.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 24, 2019, 11:55:48 PM
It certainly makes dramatic sense to use the same soprano for the various soprano leads and Offenbach did intend them to be sung by the same singer, but, quite early on, they were allocated to different singers because of the difficulty of finding one singer who could bring them off both vocally and dramatically.

That was certainly the case back in the 1950s. Callas might have done it, but, when asked to do so, she famously replied, "But my dear, would you pay me three fees?"

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2019, 01:31:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Svq0CJIDL._AC_SX522_.jpg)

I was keen to hear this set after it was the reviewer's first choice for the opera in BBC's Building a Library programme, and it is very good indeed, though the sound of this live recording, made at the Salzburg Festival in 1981, rather lets it down. The solo voices are well recorded, but the sounds becomes boomy and congested when orchestra and chorus are at full tilt. Furthermore there are quite a few bangs and thuds associated with live performance.

That said the performance itself is thrilling with Domingo in superb voice and even more inside the role than he is on the Bonynge set. That of course has Sutherland in the female roles and it has to be said that Malfitano doesn't command her beauty of  tone. On the other hand, she is a much more convincing vocal actress. For all that Offenbach intended the roles to be sung by the same singer, the demands of each are quite different, and I often prefer to hear them sung by different singers as they are in the superb John Schlesinger Covent Garden production with Domingo again as Hoffmann, but with Luciana Serra as Olympia, Ileana Cotrubas as Antonia and Agnes Baltsa (a mezzo) as Giulietta. Malfitano rises to the challenge superbly however and reconciles me to the casting of the same singer.

The rest of the cast is also excellent with Ann Murray superb in the dual role of Niklausse/The Muse and Van Dam perfection in the roles of the four villains, vocally more resplendent than Bacquier on the Bonynge recording. Rémy Corazza is also excellent in the comic roles, if not quite erasing memories of Hugues Cuénod on the Bonynge set.

James Levine, whom I sometimes find too bombastic in Verdi, surprised me, his conducting both exciting and lyrical and the Vienna Philharmonic play superbly.

The Bonynge profits from superb Decca sound of course, but, in all other respects, I think I prefer this one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 23, 2019, 12:15:09 PM
This, as part of a DHM budget box (and therefore no hint of a libretto or synopsis)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51T229Xzd1L.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51I1gojGduL.jpg)
The spoken dialogue between the musical numbers, is replaced by narration spoken in the person of Samiel, by the actor performing that role.  With my minimal German,  that doesn't make much of a difference. One technical complaint: the finale of Act II, the Wolf's Glen scene could easily have been included in CD 1, but instead is marooned on CD2, with Act III.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 25, 2019, 01:52:23 AM
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Katia Ricciarelli is a name that does not come up too much these days and yet she recorded extensively for conductors such as Abbado, Karajan and Maazel and appeared regularly in the major opera houses of Europe and the USA. I've been listening to quite a bit of her work recently and must say I find her very impressive. Though I wouldn't necessarily place this recording at the top of the list of recordings of Luisa Miller, it is a very strong consider and Ricciarelli might just be my favourite Luisa. The other main contenders would be Cleva with Moffo, Bergonzi and MacNeil and Maag with Caballé, Pavarotti and Milnes and picking an outright winner is indeed difficult.

This recording was made during performances of the opera at Covent Garden, though in the stage performances Wurm was sung by Richard Van Allan, who appears on the Maag recording, and Federica by Elizabeth Connell. Unfortunately neither replacement can be considered a success. I know Wurm is an unpleasant character, but does he have to sound quite as nasty as Wladimiro Ganzarolli does here? Elena Obraztsova is also miscast, standing out in the wrong way, her singing bowzy and overblown. She sounds as if she has strayed in from the wrong opera and is certainly no match for Shirley Verrett on the Cleva recording.

The rest were all part of the Covent Garden cast of 1979 with the virtues that has of a cast being well sung in. Maazel has a tendency to be over-emphatic (of the conductors the wonderfully imaginative Maag would be my favourite) but all three principals are on fine form. Domingo, at his mid-career best, is a committed Rodolfo and Bruson an excellent Miller, but it is Ricciarelli who puts her seal on the performance. Not vocally qute as assured as either Caballé or Moffo, she presents the most fully rounded, most affecting Luisa of the three and she is the main reason I would revisit this set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 25, 2019, 09:46:04 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YuRO8SHVL.jpg)

The conducting here is what stands out most favourably. Great flair and perfect pacing, nice woodwind contributions. Gui keeps the music moving along and every aria/duet falls nicely within Da Ponte's fizzy narrative.

Unfortunately none of the singing performances attains the « Great Recordings of the Century » level. Bruscantini as Figaro is not funny and has little vocal face. Calabrese is a mean count with a good but unexceptional voice. Stevens as Cherubino is all wrong for the part. Sciutti is a nice, pert Susanna, but Gueden, Freni, Seefried or Popp have better voices and bring more character to the part. Sena Jurinac brings great sensitivity to her singing and her voice is at its creamy best. It's always a good sign when one is not tempted to reach for comparisons.

Figaro has been blessed with all-star casts from many labels, so there's a lot to choose from, making for a crowded top tier. Despite some nice features, this one does not belong to them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 25, 2019, 10:00:34 AM
Quote from: André on August 25, 2019, 09:46:04 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YuRO8SHVL.jpg)

The conducting here is what stands out most favourably. Great flair and perfect pacing, nice woodwind contributions. Gui keeps the music moving along and every aria/duet falls nicely within Da Ponte's fizzy narrative.

Unfortunately none of the singing performances attains the « Great Recordings of the Century » level. Bruscantini as Figaro is not funny and has little vocal face. Calabrese is a mean count with a good but unexceptional voice. Stevens as Cherubino is all wrong for the part. Sciutti is a nice, pert Susanna, but Gueden, Freni, Seefried or Popp have better voices and bring more character to the part. Sena Jurinac brings great sensitivity to her singing and her voice is at its creamy best. It's always a good sign when one is not tempted to reach for comparisons.

Figaro has been blessed with all-star casts from many labels, so there's a lot to choose from, making for a crowded top tier. Despite some nice features, this one does not belong to them.
I would be a bit more benevolent with some of the singers (particularly Jurinac and Sciutti), but do agree with you that the star of thus recording is Vittorio Gui...a great opera conductor!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 07, 2019, 04:41:49 PM
Not listening now, but will later  :D. I just bought these two:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/4178TBRE33L.jpg)

My first ever Mignon. This opera has plenty of well-known bits (the Overture, the Mignon and Philine arias, Wilhelm Meister's Adieu, Mignon, courage! but it is rarely recorded.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513JGO8hucL.jpg)

I already have the cd version of this opera on Decca, but clearly my appreciation should be increased by this rare production from the LA Opera conducted by James Conlon (a Braunfels specialist). Désirée Rancatore sings the difficult part of the Nightingale.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 08, 2019, 09:56:43 AM
Quote from: André on September 07, 2019, 04:41:49 PM
Not listening now, but will later  :D. I just bought these two:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/4178TBRE33L.jpg)

My first ever Mignon. This opera has plenty of well-known bits (the Overture, the Mignon and Philine arias, Wilhelm Meister's Adieu, Mignon, courage! but it is rarely recorded.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513JGO8hucL.jpg)

I already have the cd version of this opera on Decca, but clearly my appreciation should be increased by this rare production from the LA Opera conducted by James Conlon (a Braunfels specialist). Désirée Rancatore sings the difficult part of the Nightingale.

I always rather wished that Von Stade had been cast as Mignon rather than Horne, who sounds a bit heavy to me.

I don't know the Braunfels at all.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on September 10, 2019, 02:58:25 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 08, 2019, 09:56:43 AM
I always rather wished that Von Stade had been cast as Mignon rather than Horne, who sounds a bit heavy to me.



Me, too. Horne would have been a fun Frédérick. She recorded his aria "Me voici dans son boudoir". I much prefer the composer's Hamlet, in any case.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 21, 2019, 05:36:36 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61-WnsHdVmL._SX522_.jpg)

By most accounts this version of Rosenkavalier cannot pretend to be presented with the Silver Rose. And yet some aspects of it are simply irresistible and, I dare say, unequalled in other performances. For one thing, the sound of the WP under Karajan in the Grosser Saal made my jaw drop right from the opening. The horn swoops, sumptuous tapestry of strings and aristocratic winds offer a kaleidoscope of rich colours. And so it goes whenever the orchestra is to the fore. The act endings are indecently beautiful. The violin solo at the end of the first act in particular had me holding my breath. One could say this is overindulgent. I can only relate the effect it had on me: I was enthralled. The third act by contrast has plenty of hustle and bustle, so it's not just schlagobers and sachertorte.

Among the singers I didn't find any weak link. I've read in various accounts that Janet Perry's Sophie sounds thin and is no match for the best of them (Gueden, Popp, Donath). I haven't heard them all but she holds her own with the other ladies here and blends well with Baltsa's bold Octavian in the second act. Tomowa-Sintow's Marschallin is quite all right. I couldn't find any fault in her vocalism or characterization. Maybe she yields to others in vocal refinement and verbal acuity, but she doesn't disappoint either. Kurt Moll's Ochs is a whale of an interpretation, very much an Osmin in character and a Fafner in sound. Superb. As in all Karajan operatic productions, the small roles are cast from strength, with some famous veterans doing star turns (Wilma Lipp, Kurt Equiluz, Victor von Halem). The only disappointment I registered was with Vinson Cole's overparted, unitalianate Italian Singer. Wasn't Araiza available ? Karajan had him in his Vienna Schöpfung around that time... an opportunity missed.

In many places this opera is a symphony with voices. Both as interpretation and execution, Karajan and the Philharmoniker offer a most sumptuous repast. They certainly overpower the three sopranos in the final trio (Marie Theres'!), but I couldn't help thinking Strauss would have approved. The sound is big, transparent and rich at once.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2019, 02:14:02 AM
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Victoria De Los Angeles has long been a favourite singer of mine and her Violetta satisfies on so many levels. She is a little strained by the tessitura of the first act, but the voice is generally clear and beautiful, her singing always musical and deeply felt. As in everything she did, the sensitivity and sincerity of the performance are most affecting and she is without doubt one of the best Violettas on disc. What I miss is that sense of desperation and impulsiveness inherent in the character. Her Violetta is touching, but not overwhelmingly tragic as it is with Callas, who does tend to spoil me for all comers.

She has a good supporting cast with Carlo Del Monte a manly and forthright Alfredo and Sereni a sympathetic Germont, as he is in Callas's Lisbon performance.

I sometimes feel Serafin's virtues are rather underestimated. He paces the score brilliantly, particularly good in the choruses, which can sometimes outstay their welcome. If I'm honest, I rather prefer his approach to the more interventionist Kleiber. The cuts traditional at the time are observed, so no cabalettas to Alfredo and Germont's arias.

If Callas, particularly in London, remains my yardstick for this opera, this is nevertheless one of my favourite studio sets and I might even place it just above Cotrubas/Kleiber.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2019, 08:58:43 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/bn0ku_NakA0qopDs6KUaSQvwYfU=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6908104-1564329145-1229.jpeg.jpg)

I went to see Werther at Covent Garden on Friday night with Juan Diego Florez as Werther and Isabel Leonard as Charlotte. It was a mite disappointing, I'm afraid, Florez underpowered and Leonard rather uninvolved, and the Albert, Jacques Imbrailo, was completely ineffectual.

Though this recording wouldn't be my out and out favourite, I chose to listen to it today for the singing of Gedda and De Los Angeles in the main roles. The rest of the cast is very good too. Prêtre is the main problem. I feel he pushes too hard sometimes and the orchestra is often too loud. Both Pappano and Davis are much better.

That said Gedda is, as always in French opera, very impressive and De Los Angeles quite lovely as Charlotte. It was good to be reminded how the opera can pack quite a punch. Friday night's performance at Covent Garden came across as rather muted.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 24, 2019, 05:42:42 PM
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Antheil's one-acter is his last opera, a genre in which he got interested toward the end of his life. IOW it's late Antheil, meaning that any 'bad boy' antics will not be on display.

The Brothers is a modern adaptation of the story of Cain and Abel (here named Ken and Abe) and the subject of Ken/Cain's jealousy is that while Ken was at war (WWII of course) his sweetheart Mary got tired of waiting and ended up marrying his brother Abe.

This is a Trittico-length work, beautifully laid out in three scenes with short orchestral interludes and an almost continuous cantando dialogue. There are some lyrical ariosos for the main characters and a constant flow to the action. Not a dull moment, and a quite poignant storyline. The music reminds me of Copland (The Tender Land) and Barber (Knoxville: Summer of 1915) in its wave-like, undulating flow and simple melodies.

The performance could not be bettered (although it's the only one I know of). Despite originating from Germany, conductor and singers are American (or English in the case of Ken), so both language and style come as naturally as could be. Despite their lack of an international reputation, the singers are members of relatively well-known american or german opera houses. Teamwork is excellent and the three principal encompass their range beautifully: no strain, no register breaks, just the sound of well-trained singers giving their all to this unfamiliar work.

A really beautiful production. As of writing, it is still priced at 2.99€ at JPC. Top recommendation.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 03, 2019, 11:47:04 AM

Cross-posted from the main thread:

Quote

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This is a very different Flute indeed. There are some strong defining characteristics. Zauberflöte is the 6th Mozart opera performed and recorded live from the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus by Nézet-Séguin and the COE. You can tell how finely honed an instrument the orchestra is and  symbiotic relationship they have developed with the conductor. Basically, this is a « third generation » MI approach. After the big orchestra standard that reigned until the 1980s, there was a split between lean, classical small orchestra (Marriner, Abbado) and lean, leaner still PI performances (Christie, Kuijken). NS has incorporated a lot of PI practice features into his lean MI mix. What we hear is a dynamic, zippy, bubbly performance. I avoid using the word 'fast', because players and singers are such a well-oiled group that they never sound fast. The overture is dispatched in 5:58, the fastest timing of the dozen versions I have (most range from 6:30 to 7:00) and yet it is exhilarating, not merely breathless. Part of the trick is that the masonic bits are treated lightly, not funereally. For example, the long notes at the end of chords are unusually short. This was truly outstanding.

Singers are for the most part a very accomplished group. Although the work is a mere singspiel, all of the character's arias have come to be standard repertoire for the respective voice types employed by Mozart. In that sense, we have become accustomed to hear the most accomplished singers perform them. Nézet-Séguin has some splendid voices and vocal actors at his disposal. Tamino, Sarastro, the Queen of the Night and Monastatos are outstanding. Christiane Karg's Pamina is not bad, but she is up against legendary performances by Janowitz and Price, both of whom still dominate the field. The one questionable choice is that of Villazón as Papageno. As a baritone he has no low register to speak of, has trouble adjusting his voice to the lower tessitura and sounds just plain clumsy most of the time. In a sense, Papageno is just that: a clumsy, goofy birdcatcher. So, in a sense, his performance could be said to be in character. The whole Mozart operas project is supposed to be his brainchild, and he sings in all six operas recorded so far.

The chorus work is outstanding. N-S started his career as chorus trainer and choirmaster at the Montreal Opera, so he knows exactly what he wants and gets it from the famed RIAS Kammerchor and their director Justin Doyle. Nézet-Séguin's, Zauberflöte is more a funspiel than just the habitual singspiel. I was entertained and musically satisfied.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 04, 2019, 11:46:44 AM
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Apart from the two orchestral interludes (Cortège and Sarabande), I had never heard anything from Busoni's Faust. It shares traits with Puccini's Turandot, Berg's Lulu and Schoenberg's Moses und Aron, all of them considered as their respective composer's valedictory masterpiece, and all of them left unfinished at the composers' death. One more trait Doktor Faust shares with Moses und Aron is the prominence of a powerful high tenor voice in the main role. And that is not Faust, but Mephistopheles!

The music and dramatic progression are riveting. I was hooked right from the Prologue. The last act seemed a bit disjointed dramatically, and of course it doesn't help that the composer was unable to finish the opera. Even as it stands, Doktor Faust is a major operatic work.

Left unfinished upon Busoni's death in 1924, it was completed by two different hands: Philip Jarnach, the composer's pupil was first, but did not have access to all the musical material; then in the 1980s one Anthony Beaumont offered his own completion based on all the composer's manuscripts. There are three main recordings of the work (meaning stereo and issued commercially): The present one is from 2008 and is the most recent. The last act ends in media res, uncompleted. The DG Leitner from 1970 offers us the completed work (Jarnach), but with some cuts. The Erato/Warner is from 1999, is uncut and offers both endings. Sort of a Turandot conundrum, so to speak. It doesn't help matters any that the logical choice (Nagano) is generally considered the weakest musically.

The present recording is from a live performance at the Bavarian Opera. There is some stage noise, but it is discrete and totally unobtrusive. What is more important is that it is perfectly balanced, with good presence from the orchestra, good placement of the solo voices and the very important choral sections. Even better, the performances of all involved are tremendously effective.

John Daszak sings the hugely difficult role of Mephistopheles (he sings only in the first two acts, but the same singer becomes the Nightwatchman in the third act). Vocally and dramatically it's a cross between Mime and Aron. The tessitura is cruelly high and the writing calls for the ability to project the voice with force and clarity. Daszak got his big break as Steva in Jenufa, a role with pretty much the same vocal demands, but less difficult because of its much shorter duration. Interestingly, I read that Daszak is scheduled to sing Aron in Schoenberg's work in the 2019/2020 season. I found both his singing and characterization stunning.

The role of Faust is cast for a baritone, but I would think a bass-baritone might be a more appropriate description. It is a big role, as long and important as that of his nemesis, but because of its vocal character it yields pride of place to the tenor. Wolfgang Koch uses his Wotan-size voice to splendid effect. Busoni's Faust is as much a schemer - and a contemptible one at that - as Mephistopheles. Between the two of them they make a nasty pair of characters! Fischer-Dieskau sings the role in the Leitner version, and I would daresay that Koch must be as imposing and vivid as the Master (I will hear DFD in due course, as I intend to get the DG version later on).

The only female role is that of the Duchess of Parma in the second act. It is a hugely demanding role, the voice vaulting up on high pianissimo multiple times. Catherine Naglestad is fully up to the task. Indeed, I found her fearless flights on top breathtaking. I didn't expect the notes to be nailed so securely. The smaller roles are very well sung. Wagner, Faust's assistant, is not that small a role. It is taken up by bass Steven Humes, who brings  a dark, well focused voice to his part. Chorus and orchestra are caught up in the excitement and perform with a tangible fervor.

.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 09, 2019, 12:12:31 PM
From the main thread:

Quote
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xrREsgv1L.jpg)

Gluck introduced a revolutionary structure in opera, dispensing with much of the baggage of previous generations' fondness for secco recitative, da capo arias, mindless coloratura, and ballet numbers.  Narrative fluidity and emotional truthfulness became the new norm with operas such as Alceste, Armide, or the two Iphigénies (1770s).

Catel's Sémiramis dates from 1802, and is based on of Voltaire's most convoluted plays (1748), replete with theatrical pomp. Catoire's refusal to get mired in the trappings of operatic convention means that the action moves swiftly, with lots of accompanied recitatives, duets and ensembles and an enormously inventive orchestration.

The performance is one of the best from that source. All the voices sound pure, freely produced and well-versed in the declamatory style of the genre. They certainly attain the dramatic veracity aimed at by Gluck and his followers. Particularly fine is the Arsace of Mathias Vidal and the elegant villain of Nicolas Courjal's Assur.

While Sémiramis is a throwback to an earlier era when compared to Cherubini's Médée premiered in Paris 5 years earlier, it is still quite an achievement in its novel use of harmony and instrumentation. I thoroughly enjoyed its short duration (105 minutes, less than half that of Charpentier's and Lully's tragédies lyriques). Recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on October 10, 2019, 03:46:15 PM
Rigoletto and the much-less-familiar-to-me MacBeth.

A MacBeth has been in my collection for decades. For whatever reasons, it never really went beyond a couple cursory listens. (The witches not sounding very supernatural is probably what put me off.) But an upswing in my opera interest is coinciding with my Shakespeare class, so I dusted it off and also bought a new one.

The one I've had but neglected:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81BR12agU-L._SX522_.jpg)

New one:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81o%2BwQc-ByL._SX466_.jpg)


Funny, but when I first started exploring opera, the CD was still a new format, and two- and three-disc sets were extremely expensive. Not knowing much about various vocalists or conductors, I naturally tended to grab the cheapest set. Later, I realised these were cheap radio broadcasts or what-not and to a large extent, they didn't get listened to much (although some did), sometimes replaced with proper, big-name studio sets.

But later still, I looked at these neglected sets and realised I have some amazing, even legendary, recordings hiding in plain sight: The Bohm MacBeth, Grace Bumbry's Carmen, the 1955 Bayreuth Flying Dutchman, Pavarotti's early La Boheme, etc.

Actually the Flying Dutchman was the first opera I bought, and the first I ever listened to while following the libretto. While there are good and better-recorded versions out there, I'm spoiled on this one, especially the comprimario.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2019, 11:55:14 PM
Quote from: KevinP on October 10, 2019, 03:46:15 PM

New one:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81o%2BwQc-ByL._SX466_.jpg)




On balance, probably the best studio set around with excellent performances from all the singers, particularly Verrett.

That said Callas's Lady Macbeth was in a class all its own, but can only be heard in its entirety in a live recording from La Scala in 1952 (the only time she sang the role on stage). The latest Warner release is in a different world from the old EMI transfer and is presumably from a completely different source.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91F4Gw5d-ML._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

My review of the set here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on October 11, 2019, 02:16:56 AM
Much obliged! I have her recitals of the aria so will definitely check this out.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 11, 2019, 09:44:24 PM
So is the Myto release the same as the live one on EMI/Warner?
Same date, but two different releases? Is there an additional one from Milano?

[asin] B007O5CMXC[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 12, 2019, 12:08:38 AM
Quote from: Moonfish on October 11, 2019, 09:44:24 PM
So is the Myto release the same as the live one on EMI/Warner?
Same date, but two different releases? Is there an additional one from Milano?

[asin] B007O5CMXC[/asin]

No it's the same one. The Warner sounds slightly clearer to me, but there's not a lot in it.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 12, 2019, 10:07:33 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71oI2V-AkBL.jpg)

Not this individual issue, but as CDs 18-20 of the Warner Complete Berlioz box, where CD 3 is filled out by the fragments of Nonne Songlante.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2019, 01:23:20 AM
I love Benvenuto Cellini. I love its energy and vitality.

I have the Davis recording with Gedda in top form as Cellini.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 13, 2019, 04:22:02 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2019, 01:23:20 AM
I love Benvenuto Cellini. I love its energy and vitality.

I have the Davis recording with Gedda in top form as Cellini.

I have besides this one Davis's second recording, the one on LSO Live. I remember liking it when I listened to it, but it's been a while since then. This Erato/Warner recording is, per the track listings, the first recording of the original Paris version (1838), so presumably there are some differences with Davis's recordings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 13, 2019, 08:59:38 PM
I decided to revisit Mozart's 'Le nozze di Figaro' with the help of the Pappano/McVicar 2006 production at the Royal Opera House.
Delightful in every way! A great surprise to me was the soprano Miah Persson with a splendid voice. She is doing a fantastic job as Susanna.  However, the overall quality of the production and the singing is excellent. Just finishing act 2. So much fun!!  8)
Has Miah Persson had any other major roles that are relatively easy to access in the realm of the opera?

[asin] B0028O34SG[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 14, 2019, 02:49:51 AM
Quote from: Moonfish on October 13, 2019, 08:59:38 PM

Has Miah Persson had any other major roles that are relatively easy to access in the realm of the opera?



I've got the Blu-ray of the 2010 revival of the venerable Cox/Hockney Glyndebourne production of The Rake's Progress, with Persson as Anne Trulove. Highly recommended.

Closer to Figaro, she's the Fiordiligi in Yannick Nézet-Séguin's DG CD set of Così fan tutte. I haven't heard that one.

I only saw her once live, as the soprano soloist in Mahler's second, Haitink conducting the Chicago Symphony Opera. Come to think of it, that was released on the CSO's label, but I doubt anyone buys a Mahler 2nd just for the soprano.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 14, 2019, 03:15:42 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on October 14, 2019, 02:49:51 AM
I doubt anyone buys a Mahler 2nd just for the soprano.

I did many moons, when still a callow youth. I bought the Klemperer recording because Schwarzkopf was on it. That was my introduction to Mahler, followed by the Schwarzkopf/Fischer-Dieskau/Szell Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Not a bad way to start out really. I still have both performances on CD.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 14, 2019, 07:35:28 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on October 14, 2019, 02:49:51 AM
I've got the Blu-ray of the 2010 revival of the venerable Cox/Hockney Glyndebourne production of The Rake's Progress, with Persson as Anne Trulove. Highly recommended.

Closer to Figaro, she's the Fiordiligi in Yannick Nézet-Séguin's DG CD set of Così fan tutte. I haven't heard that one.

I only saw her once live, as the soprano soloist in Mahler's second, Haitink conducting the Chicago Symphony Opera. Come to think of it, that was released on the CSO's label, but I doubt anyone buys a Mahler 2nd just for the soprano.

Thank for the recommendation, Wendell! I will definitely check out the Stravinsky opera - I have actually never seen/heard it so it will be an experience.   Err, I can see myself getting Mahler's 2nd for Miah Persson. Ha ha! I noted that she also sang in Ivan Fischer's recording of Mahler's 4th!!!! Hmmmmm

Here: https://youtu.be/QFgH1xBOoDU?t=2891

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 14, 2019, 07:36:45 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 14, 2019, 03:15:42 AM
I did many moons, when still a callow youth. I bought the Klemperer recording because Schwarzkopf was on it. That was my introduction to Mahler, followed by the Schwarzkopf/Fischer-Dieskau/Szell Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Not a bad way to start out really. I still have both performances on CD.

I can definitely see how one would pursue a recording just to hear a small section with a favored vocalist. Sounds like a great start to Mahler's realm!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 14, 2019, 10:31:02 AM
Another dip into the Berlioz set
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VQCKd%2BCKL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 14, 2019, 10:36:13 AM
Quote from: JBS on October 14, 2019, 10:31:02 AM
Another dip into the Berlioz set
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51VQCKd%2BCKL.jpg)

JBS,
I tend to gravitate towards Munch when it comes to Berlioz. How is the Nelson recording?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 14, 2019, 10:43:52 AM
Quote from: Moonfish on October 14, 2019, 10:36:13 AM
JBS,
I tend to gravitate towards Munch when it comes to Berlioz. How is the Nelson recording?

It seems good, but I don't think I have heard the opera in full before.

I highly recommend HB's melodies to you. Much different from his grand orchestral stuff, and quite in line with later French melodistes.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 14, 2019, 10:53:12 AM
Quote from: JBS on October 14, 2019, 10:43:52 AM
It seems good, but I don't think I have heard the opera in full before.

I highly recommend HB's melodies to you. Much different from his grand orchestral stuff, and quite in line with later French melodistes.

Thanks JBS. I certainly sense that I have neglected them. Somehow these "minor" works tend to fall between the cracks in one's listening habits. Besides, it seems like one really needs to search them out as well.  That is the beauty of these types of compilations, don't you think? "Unexplored" (or rather rarely visited/recorded) gems....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 14, 2019, 11:36:59 AM
Quote from: Moonfish on October 14, 2019, 10:36:13 AM
JBS,
I tend to gravitate towards Munch when it comes to Berlioz. How is the Nelson recording?

Like many, I gravitate to Davis, whose life long love of Berlioz really put the composer on the map in the 70s and onwards. He recorded pretty much everything Berlioz wrote, in many cases more than once. He was one of the first conductors to revel in Berlioz's, well weirdness would be a good word, rather than try to iron it out and  align him to the early nineteenth century tradition. Misunderstood during his lifetime, it seems to me he is quite often still musunderstood today. His music is so original. There really is nobody else like him.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61RGDJ6iWIL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 14, 2019, 01:26:23 PM
So true Tsaraslondon. I don't know why Davis' name slipped my mind, but clearly he has put great emphasis on Berlioz's works and there are fortunately numerous wonderful recordings for us to enjoy. I tend to like his older recordings a bit more for some reason.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 15, 2019, 01:17:43 AM
Quote from: Moonfish on October 14, 2019, 01:26:23 PM
So true Tsaraslondon. I don't know why Davis' name slipped my mind, but clearly he has put great emphasis on Berlioz's works and there are fortunately numerous wonderful recordings for us to enjoy. I tend to like his older recordings a bit more for some reason.

I tend to prefer the earlier Philips recordings too.

Mind you, there's an even earlier Davis recording of Béatrice et Bénédict first issued on L'Oiseau Lyre in 1963. The singers are April Cantelo, Josephine Veasy, Helen Watts, John Mitchinson, John Cameron, John Shirley-Qiork and Eric Shilling.

(https://img.discogs.com/ZABgp7nMVFTVFR09KNpyc2fiVyA=/fit-in/600x591/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4882968-1379071906-5185.jpeg.jpg)

I've never heard it though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 15, 2019, 09:54:07 AM
Continuing with French opera but a different composer.
Possibly the epitome of grand opera
[asin]B00CD8SKGI[/asin]
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Vop--RKwL.jpg)

I'm pretty sure I have never heard it before, outside of one scene (the end of Act IV) that was included in a CD of great duets.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on October 16, 2019, 06:20:00 AM
I'll be spinning this one very soon:

(https://www.hbdirect.com/coverm/thumbnails/095115523728.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 16, 2019, 11:25:56 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 15, 2019, 01:17:43 AM
I tend to prefer the earlier Philips recordings too.

Mind you, there's an even earlier Davis recording of Béatrice et Bénédict first issued on L'Oiseau Lyre in 1963. The singers are April Cantelo, Josephine Veasy, Helen Watts, John Mitchinson, John Cameron, John Shirley-Qiork and Eric Shilling.

(https://img.discogs.com/ZABgp7nMVFTVFR09KNpyc2fiVyA=/fit-in/600x591/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4882968-1379071906-5185.jpeg.jpg)

I've never heard it though.
This sounds enticing. It seems as if it is available in a digital MP3 format....
I wonder how it compares to other Davis recordings of the same work?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Moonfish on October 16, 2019, 11:26:39 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on October 16, 2019, 06:20:00 AM
I'll be spinning this one very soon:

(https://www.hbdirect.com/coverm/thumbnails/095115523728.jpg)

Let us know how it compares with other renditions. You make me want to go and revisit the castle....!   >:D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on October 16, 2019, 08:22:30 PM
Quote from: Moonfish on October 16, 2019, 11:26:39 AM
Let us know how it compares with other renditions. You make me want to go and revisit the castle....!   >:D

:laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on October 27, 2019, 01:42:14 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81XIFB3TMrL._SY425_.jpg)


I bought Furtwangler's Ring quite a while ago, and only now, after at least a two month gap since Die Walküre, am I getting to Siegfried.  I must admit, this Ring has not at all lived up to expectations.  If I go for a 50s era recording, both Krauss and Keilberth are much more to my liking.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on October 29, 2019, 06:31:40 AM
Wagner: Parsifal (Act 1)
Bayreuth 1962/Knappertsbusch
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 07, 2019, 12:36:49 PM

From WAYLT thread:

Quote
(https://img.discogs.com/ExmBpc2yXY2Kl4v6APWA7VaA8lY=/fit-in/600x590/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8942134-1472001594-8606.jpeg.jpg)

Is there a limit to Britten's ingeniosity? For Screw he devised a perfectly symmetrical structure. It starts with a piano-accompanied Prologue. There follows an orchestral theme that precedes a short operatic scene. Then we have an orchestral interlude which is a variation of the theme, then the second scene, then variation no 2, scene 3, and so on until the end. Theme and 15 orchestral variations interspersing 16 scenes, divided in two acts of equal length. To make matters even more intricate Britten turns the screw on the music too, with tonality ascent (A, B, C, D etc, in the first act) followed by descent (G, F, E flat, C etc in the second act). That mathematical, cartesian structure gives a rigorous frame to a ghost story where reality, dream (nightmare) and madness freely intertwine.

Given the way the music is composed, every link in this perfect musical chain must be of equal quality. Any little fault would stand out and make the whole limp. No such worries need be entertained, though. Everything in this performance falls neatly in place musically and dramatically. As always with Britten, though, I get the impression that the most meaningful music takes place in the orchestra. When voices are heard they give dramatic meaning to the text but never introduce anything original musically - other than taking over or varying orchestral material. But that's Britten's way, his response to Debussy and Berg.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 08, 2019, 02:14:16 AM
I've loved The Turn of the Screw ever since I first saw it when I was a student in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It was a wonderfully atmospheric production by Anthony Besch, with the lovely Catherine Wilson as the Governess.

I've seen it several times snce too and it never fails to work its magic. I'm not sure I totally agree with you about the voices never introducing anything new musically. I'm thinking of the Quint's eerie melismas, which are first heard in the voice, the Malo theme sung by Miles and the gorgeous tune of the final duet between the Governess and Miles (So, my dear, we are alone), though it is echoed in the orchestra, I grant you.

My go to recording is still the composer's own with the original cast, despite it being in mono. It is a welcome reminder that it is possible to sing English and be perfectly understood. You don't really need to follow with a libretto, the singers' diction is so good. I used to have the Davis recording too, with Helen Donath, Heather Harper and Robert Tear but even they don't articulate the text as clearly.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Sxtphr7tL._AC_.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 08, 2019, 05:08:44 AM
The Quint theme is first heard in Act I, scene 3, on the celesta. This instrument characterizes Quint throughout the opera. Celesta = Quint. Miss Jessel's instrument is the gong. Gong = Jessel. Britten himself said « the orchestra is the story ». The fascinating musical commentary in the Collins booklet is worth reading for the light it sheds on Britten's method.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Cato on November 08, 2019, 08:27:59 AM
Revisiting the great performance from just a few years ago:

The Oresteia by Sergei Taneyev, Leon Botstein conducting the American Symphony Orchestra.

Available as an Amazon download only (incomprehensible as to why there is still no CD package):

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81A0j2vUtaL._SS500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2019, 03:13:40 AM
Quote from: André on November 08, 2019, 05:08:44 AM
The Quint theme is first heard in Act I, scene 3, on the celesta. This instrument characterizes Quint throughout the opera. Celesta = Quint. Miss Jessel's instrument is the gong. Gong = Jessel. Britten himself said « the orchestra is the story ». The fascinating musical commentary in the Collins booklet is worth reading for the light it sheds on Britten's method.

You're right of course. I'd momentarily forgotten about that, but the theme itself seems so vocally conceived, so tailored to Pears's voice that I wonder which came first.

I've seen various productions over the years. Some make the ghosts a very real presence, where others make them exist only in the Governess's imagination. I believe Britten preferred the former interpretation, but it can take both approaches.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on November 10, 2019, 06:05:23 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2019, 03:13:40 AM
You're right of course. I'd momentarily forgotten about that, but the theme itself seems so vocally conceived, so tailored to Pears's voice that I wonder which came first.

I've seen various productions over the years. Some make the ghosts a very real presence, where others make them exist only in the Governess's imagination. I believe Britten preferred the former interpretation, but it can take both approaches.
I love both approaches (I think it's almost a must to see both at least once). There are also some interesting video versions. I can't remember which one it is, but the video where the governess's dress changes color as the drama moves along was an interesting concept. I love how directors and singers have enough latitude to visually represent her mental condition as the opera moves along (in different ways).

It's still one of my favorite operas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 10, 2019, 07:02:29 AM
I'd like to get around to revisiting Sibelius' Maiden in the Tower. If I remember correctly, it was quite good. Normally one doesn't think of Sibelius as an opera composer, but imagine if he had turned his attention again to the medium in his mature years?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 10, 2019, 08:16:54 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2019, 03:13:40 AM
You're right of course. I'd momentarily forgotten about that, but the theme itself seems so vocally conceived, so tailored to Pears's voice that I wonder which came first.

I've seen various productions over the years. Some make the ghosts a very real presence, where others make them exist only in the Governess's imagination. I believe Britten preferred the former interpretation, but it can take both approaches.

That merely reflects the ambiguity present in the original story:  James wrote it in a way that would support either view. 
Britten being able to convey that same ambiguity can be seen as a mark of his excellence (and that of his librettist, Mrs. Piper, of whom I know nothing beyond what the Wikipedia article says).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 10, 2019, 08:53:04 AM

This is how I see the presence of Quint and Miss Jessel in the opra:

(https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/00-05-reflections-c-wang-ning-1563545075.jpg?resize=980:*)

Like in a house of mirrors, where reality exists somewhere, somehow. Or maybe not.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on November 10, 2019, 08:25:40 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PdWA42HiL.jpg)

Just finished my first listen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 11, 2019, 05:06:33 AM
Quote from: KevinP on November 10, 2019, 08:25:40 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PdWA42HiL.jpg)

Just finished my first listen.

And?

I haven't listened to it in years, practically forgot what it sounds like  :-X
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on November 11, 2019, 02:11:46 PM
I just ordered it from Amazon and so will take two weeks to get here. What I listened to was Amazon's autorip feature, which is to say I do not have the libretto (assuming it comes with the CD in the first place which is likely).

The dominating adjective is 'brutal' which is exactly what it should be. The male voices have surprisingly less stage time then I'd expected. The juxtaposing of Amazing Grace is very effective.

Will give it a second listen today or tomorrow.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 11, 2019, 03:31:10 PM
A 266 page libretto is included.  Unless yours is a newer incarnation, expect a 4cm thick box  :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 13, 2019, 02:16:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fADuPzP%2BL._AC_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mbaLJUQAL._AC_.jpg)

A much better and more interesting disc than the tacky presentation would suggest. From the cover you might assume it was one of those ubiquitous collections of Tchaikovsky pops, whereas what we have here is a selection of excerpts from mostly some of Tchaikovsky's more rarely performed operas, at least here in the West. The two sopranos, Inessa Galante and Marina Shaguch are both excellent, though it would have been nice to know who was singing what, as is the baritone, Sergei Leiferkus. If the tenor, Alexander Fedin, isn't quite in their class, the orchestral contribution from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden under Neeme Järvi is splendid.

The only really familiar item here is Tayana's Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin, and of course many will know the two arias from Queen of Spades (Hermann's Act I arioso and Yeletsky's Act II aria), but the rest of the excerpts are not at all well known. Aside from Eugene Onegin and Queen of Spades, I only have a recording of Mazeppa, but this disc certainly makes me want to explore more of Tchaikovsky's operas.

I simply cannot understand the reasoning behind such shoddy presentation, which meant the disc soon found its way to the remainder bin and never got the attention it deserved. The booklet gives a little background to each piece and helpfully tells you you can get texts and translations by writing to BMG, UK, though given the album was issued in 1997, I doubt that's still the case. I would have liked to know which soprano sings which piece too. A shame that such artistic excellence should be let down so badly by the presentation.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 13, 2019, 06:17:28 AM
This Amazon review identifies the singers, though it gives no indication of where he got the information
QuoteJulian Grant
5.0 out of 5 starsUnexpected pleasures
January 22, 2000
Format: Audio CD
You might, coming across a CD entitled 'The Tchaikovsky Experience', expect yet another compilation of over-familiar favourites - not so here. While Tchaikovsky's ballets and symphonies are in danger of over-exposure, his ten operas are, with two exceptions, unfamiliar.
This beautifully planned recital provides extracts from every one of them - even an abandoned one (Undine). Four singers: two sopranos, tenor and baritone perform a selection of arias and duets. Inessa Galante delivers an engrossing and very emotional performance of the most familiar item here, the Letter Scene from 'Eugene Onegin', she enters fully into Tatyana's world. She is just as good in an extended duet from Tchaikovsky's last opera 'Iolanta', partnered ably by tenor Alexander Fedin - and she darkens her voice convincingly for a plangent account of Joan of Arc's aria from 'The Maid of Orleans' - traditionally mezzo territory. Marina Shaguch (familiar from many recent Kirov Opera recordings)has a brighter timbre, which suits Undine's delectable song, and possibly the most ravishing aria on the disc, that from 'Vakula the Smith', a rustic comic opera that cries out for a modern recording - it is almost totally unknown and contains some of Tchaikovsky's most delicious music. She is less involving in the final scene and deranged lullaby from 'Mazeppa', which doesn't pack the necessary punch here, though it is beautifully sung. Alexander Fedin is less consistent, best in the familiar excerpts from 'The Queen of Spades'. Sergei Leiferkus has the least to do, but does it well, though his account of Yeletsky's aria from 'The Queen of Spades' does not bear comparison with Pavel Lisitsian's classic account. But it is the wealth of unfamiliar music here that counts, and with sparkling support from the Royal Opera House orchestra and Neemi Jarvi, this disc is a winner, and should be essential listening for every Tchaikovsky lover.
Don't be put off by the most awful jacket design - a green tinged Sloane-y young gel(presumably Tatiana)who looks as if she's strayed in from a photoshoot for 'Brides' magazine. Ridiculous,inappropriate and unimaginative, but we all know better than to judge a CD by its cover, don't we?

You're not the only one to dislike the cover, obviously.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 13, 2019, 11:55:10 AM
Quote from: JBS on November 13, 2019, 06:17:28 AM
This Amazon review identifies the singers, though it gives no indication of where he got the information
You're not the only one to dislike the cover, obviously.

I've scoured the CD insert again and still can't find any reference to which woman sings what. Maybe I missed it, but if the information is there, it's not easy to find, that's for sure.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on November 14, 2019, 05:05:50 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JaTyu7mQL._SY400_.jpg)

Been a long time since I've spun this. Still good.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on November 19, 2019, 09:49:42 PM
While waiting for this to arrive:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71JcYS5GSnL._SX466_.jpg)

I'm streaming this:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81UcWBYZAsL._SX466_.jpg)

A new-to-me opera that I'm enjoying immensely.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 10, 2019, 12:28:47 PM
Puccini's La Bohème.

Puccini's most popular opera is an adaptation of Henri Murger's Scènes de la vie de bohème (1852). Set in mid 19th century Paris it is filmed here by French television in black and white on indoor sets in 1960. I remember seeing a televised performance from the Met with an overweight Pavarotti. The garret was as big as an airplane hangar. So much for dramatic verisimilitude  ::).

This production is sung in French, which in this particular context is very appropriate. The cast has few world-renowned names but is uniformly excellent. The star of the show is of course the nonpareil Alain Vanzo. Xavier Depraz, a name familiar from dozens of opera sets of the time is an excellent Colline. I had never heard of the two sopranos or the baritone (Marcello). I found the acting very decent. I thoroughly enjoyed this performance.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu7NAx9Hhvg (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu7NAx9Hhvg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 10, 2019, 12:47:10 PM
I've been listening to Britten's operas, albeit slowly, but I've listened to The Rape of Lucretia and Billy Budd so far. Tonight, I'm planning on listening to The Turn of the Screw next, which I understand is one of his finest --- I recall having a lukewarm response to it the first-time I heard it, but that's been years ago and I've got much more listening experience under my belt since that time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2019, 02:00:28 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 10, 2019, 12:47:10 PM
I've been listening to Britten's operas, albeit slowly, but I've listened to The Rape of Lucretia and Billy Budd so far. Tonight, I'm planning on listening to The Turn of the Screw next, which I understand is one of his finest --- I recall having a lukewarm response to it the first-time I heard it, but that's been years ago and I've got much more listening experience under my belt since that time.

The Turn of the Screw was the first Britten opera I ever saw, and I've loved it ever since. I've seen quite a few different productions and it never fails to make an impression in the theatre. There are also quite a few different recordings now, but I think the first, albeit in mono, is still the best of the lot.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 10, 2019, 03:40:18 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2019, 02:00:28 PM
The Turn of the Screw was the first Britten opera I ever saw, and I've loved it ever since. I've seen quite a few different productions and it never fails to make an impression in the theatre. There are also quite a few different recordings now, but I think the first, albeit in mono, is still the best of the lot.

Yeah, I've read so many great things about this opera. Good to know you've really enjoyed it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 12, 2019, 06:12:40 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/7147pXK0QcL._SX522_PJautoripBadge,BottomRight,4,-40_OU11__.jpg)

Les Contes d'Hoffmann...à la française. This 1948 version of the opera (in excellent mono sound) is the only one to boast an entirely francophone cast. That is not to be belittled, as Hoffmann boasts a very large cast of characters and this production assigned a different singer to each and every one. No triple bill for the hero's love interests or the three villains (I don't object to that casting trick, as all three 'visions' are actually avatars of Hoffmann's amorous imagination). Clearly the producers wanted this to be a prestige offering from the Opéra-Comique.

Apart from the extravagant casting (not a single weak link vocally or dramatically, including the important choral parts) the main ingredient of this version's success is the conducting of André Cluytens: smart, vivacious, precise and elegant. The orchestra sports some very fruity horn solos, which may take some getting used to. My favourite singers here are the belgian Vina Bovy, a sultry, vocally alluring courtesan and Géori Boué as Antonia - dramatically touching and vocally enchanting. I've never been a fan of canadian tenor Raoul Jobin, who rarely sings below a healthy f, but he is in his element here as the impetuous poet. All the smaller roles are very well taken, especially the excellent Louis Musy as Lindorf and Roger Bourdin (husband of Géori Boué) as Dr. Miracle.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Introverted on December 15, 2019, 06:07:24 PM
NP:

[asin]B0001E8C14[/asin]


Listening to this recording for the first time on Spotify - Enjoying the performance so far. The SQ is quite acceptable for an old release. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Introverted on December 21, 2019, 11:48:28 PM
NP:

[asin]B00159679S[/asin]

Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer, WWV 63


Wolfgang Sawallisch leads this version of the work from the pictured Box-Set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 22, 2019, 11:59:04 AM

Cross-posted from the WAYL2 thread:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51l6C8c4zmL.jpg)

Act I. Goodall's Ring has a cult following in certain circles but is viewed with much suspicion in others. Being sung in English is its salient feature. It is also live, which some dislike. As for purely musical matters, it boasts superb voices, often much superior to most of the competition. Known for his very slow tempi, it should be stressed that Goodall's grasp of the wagnerian flow is unerring, the rythms are firm and the orchestral playing alert and pointed. Slow does not mean inert. In the right hands it's the opposite: Goodall makes music and words register with force and clarity, while insisting for to legato playing and singing. Fast tempi may translate into excitement but the result may sound hectic or choppy. The 1975 sound is outstanding: big, wide-ranging and vibrant, with voices and orchestra in perfect balance.

A word on the translation: the work of Andrew Porter, it is very natural and conversational. No stuffy 'thee, thy, thou' nor encumbered by victorian era epithets, it flows off the singers' tongues beautifully. I recently listened to a French language La Bohème and it was so perfectly done, so natural sounding that I found myself paying more attention to the music than usual. Such is the case here with this Walkyrie. Not for all occasions or all people then, but very special if met on its own terms.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on December 22, 2019, 04:52:18 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81x7WmR-KLL._SX425_.jpg)


[Cross-posted in WAYLTN]

Well, um, wow.  When the Goodall Ring was reissued by Chandos, I read some hoopla, but the timings were absurdly long, and, worse yet, the operas were sung in English.  Wagner in English.  What's the point?  (I mean, really, imagine Peter Grimes sung in German.)  Hard pass.

I saw the ClassicsToday review of Goodall's Tristan and my curiosity was piqued.  Yes, the slow tempi remain, but it's sung in German, as it should be.  The glowing review and perfectly reasonable price prompted me to buy, and boy, am I glad I did.  My last new Tristan was Fluffy's studio effort, which is quite good, but this is rather better.  To be sure, the singers and orchestra and recorded sound have all been bettered in other recordings, though not all at once, but the thing here is the conducting, the big picture. 

Act I is not revelatory, but it's something.  The entire opera is very long, coming in at 4'20", but it never feels slow.  Goodall's dramatic command ranks with the greats, and his presentation is at times relaxed and it flows perfectly at all times.  He never leads anything too slowly, never overemphasizes anything, never unduly underscores anything, all while leveraging early digital Decca sound to reveal pretty much every detail.  Are harps that distinct in person?  Nope.  Do violins get that type aural focus, as in the passages leading up to the reappearance of the Prelude?  Nuh uh.  So what?  Goodall also uses his slow overall tempo to perfection as he ratchets up intensity in the coda.  And if his singers don't set standards, they work very well, and when the soon to be lovers call each other's names, it's most affecting.  And that's just Act I.

In Act II, the exchange between Brangäne and Isolde is tense, and then the second scene starts off at a gallop, and only intensifies as the lovers meet, with Goodall showing he knows when to whip the band into a frenzy.  Nice.  The entire scene maintains a sense of tension belying any reputation for excess slowness, and it most certainly never sounds sluggish, though it does assume a more languid, sensual sound.  Perhaps one could object to the spotlighting and the almost syrupy string playing, but in this scene that can't really be considered a problem.  As a bonus, one gets a preview of the Liebestod, and Gwynne Howell sings King Mark's most effectively, paired with weighty and perfectly flowing accompaniment. 

Act III starts with a slow, weighty, grim and at times funereal Prelude, and John Mitchinson sings well.  Indeed, his singing may just sound too beautiful at times.  I will confess that here the intensity of Jon Vickers works exceedingly well, and when one matches the singing style with the acting (and, alas, dreadful visuals) as in Orange '73, one hears and sees what else can be done with the role and Act.  But here is where comparisons display limitations, because Vickers' approach, good as it is, isn't really suited to Goodall's conception whereas Mitchinson's blends in just fine.  One does feel the impact of the slow overall tempo of the Act at times, but somehow it actually enhances enjoyment, and again, when full force tuttis appear, the contrast and dramatic impact are enhanced, as in the build up to Isolde's arrival.  The opera moves forward from that moment on with an at times almost breathless intensity, aided by the careful pacing.  Linda Esther Gray delivers a fine Liebestod, with Goodall delivering on the promise shown in the prior act.  Sure, Catarina Ligendza still owns this little chunk of Wagner as far as I'm concerned, but within Goodall's conception, everything comes off just dandy.

After the positive review in CT, I expected good things, but this entirely crushed expectations.  I almost wanted to listen again immediately, and will again relatively soon - and soon for a Wagner opera - and I'd like to do A/Bs, but that's rather difficult to do.  Based on impact, this rates up there with Karl Böhm at Bayreuth in '66 and Carlos Kleiber at La Scala in '78.  In other words, this is top shelf stuff.

I have noticed that there's a German language Parsifal led by Goodall out there.  Might be worth hearing.  I'm kind of questioning the hard pass thing, too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on December 22, 2019, 05:01:48 PM
Quote from: André on December 22, 2019, 11:59:04 AM
Cross-posted from the WAYL2 thread:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51l6C8c4zmL.jpg)

Act I. Goodall's Ring has a cult following in certain circles but is viewed with much suspicion in others. Being sung in English is its salient feature. It is also live, which some dislike. As for purely musical matters, it boasts superb voices, often much superior to most of the competition. Known for his very slow tempi, it should be stressed that Goodall's grasp of the wagnerian flow is unerring, the rythms are firm and the orchestral playing alert and pointed. Slow does not mean inert. In the right hands it's the opposite: Goodall makes music and words register with force and clarity, while insisting for to legato playing and singing. Fast tempi may translate into excitement but the result may sound hectic or choppy. The 1975 sound is outstanding: big, wide-ranging and vibrant, with voices and orchestra in perfect balance.

A word on the translation: the work of Andrew Porter, it is very natural and conversational. No stuffy 'thee, thy, thou' nor encumbered by victorian era epithets, it flows off the singers' tongues beautifully. I recently listened to a French language La Bohème and it was so perfectly done, so natural sounding that I found myself paying more attention to the music than usual. Such is the case here with this Walkyrie. Not for all occasions or all people then, but very special if met on its own terms.
I found myself nodding with pretty much everything you wrote. Glad you are enjoying it...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on December 22, 2019, 11:55:55 PM
Quote from: Todd on December 22, 2019, 04:52:18 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81x7WmR-KLL._SX425_.jpg)


[Cross-posted in WAYLTN]

Well, um, wow.  When the Goodall Ring was reissued by Chandos, I read some hoopla, but the timings were absurdly long, and, worse yet, the operas were sung in English.  Wagner in English.  What's the point?  (I mean, really, imagine Peter Grimes sung in German.)  Hard pass.

I saw the ClassicsToday review of Goodall's Tristan and my curiosity was piqued.  Yes, the slow tempi remain, but it's sung in German, as it should be.  The glowing review and perfectly reasonable price prompted me to buy, and boy, am I glad I did.  My last new Tristan was Fluffy's studio effort, which is quite good, but this is rather better.  To be sure, the singers and orchestra and recorded sound have all been bettered in other recordings, though not all at once, but the thing here is the conducting, the big picture. 

Act I is not revelatory, but it's something.  The entire opera is very long, coming in at 4'20", but it never feels slow.  Goodall's dramatic command ranks with the greats, and his presentation is at times relaxed and it flows perfectly at all times.  He never leads anything too slowly, never overemphasizes anything, never unduly underscores anything, all while leveraging early digital Decca sound to reveal pretty much every detail.  Are harps that distinct in person?  Nope.  Do violins get that type aural focus, as in the passages leading up to the reappearance of the Prelude?  Nuh uh.  So what?  Goodall also uses his slow overall tempo to perfection as he ratchets up intensity in the coda.  And if his singers don't set standards, they work very well, and when the soon to be lovers call each other's names, it's most affecting.  And that's just Act I.

In Act II, the exchange between Brangäne and Isolde is tense, and then the second scene starts off at a gallop, and only intensifies as the lovers meet, with Goodall showing he knows when to whip the band into a frenzy.  Nice.  The entire scene maintains a sense of tension belying any reputation for excess slowness, and it most certainly never sounds sluggish, though it does assume a more languid, sensual sound.  Perhaps one could object to the spotlighting and the almost syrupy string playing, but in this scene that can't really be considered a problem.  As a bonus, one gets a preview of the Liebestod, and Gwynne Howell sings King Mark's most effectively, paired with weighty and perfectly flowing accompaniment. 

Act III starts with a slow, weighty, grim and at times funereal Prelude, and John Mitchinson sings well.  Indeed, his singing may just sound too beautiful at times.  I will confess that here the intensity of Jon Vickers works exceedingly well, and when one matches the singing style with the acting (and, alas, dreadful visuals) as in Orange '73, one hears and sees what else can be done with the role and Act.  But here is where comparisons display limitations, because Vickers' approach, good as it is, isn't really suited to Goodall's conception whereas Mitchinson's blends in just fine.  One does feel the impact of the slow overall tempo of the Act at times, but somehow it actually enhances enjoyment, and again, when full force tuttis appear, the contrast and dramatic impact are enhanced, as in the build up to Isolde's arrival.  The opera moves forward from that moment on with an at times almost breathless intensity, aided by the careful pacing.  Linda Esther Gray delivers a fine Liebestod, with Goodall delivering on the promise shown in the prior act.  Sure, Catarina Ligendza still owns this little chunk of Wagner as far as I'm concerned, but within Goodall's conception, everything comes off just dandy.

After the positive review in CT, I expected good things, but this entirely crushed expectations.  I almost wanted to listen again immediately, and will again relatively soon - and soon for a Wagner opera - and I'd like to do A/Bs, but that's rather difficult to do.  Based on impact, this rates up there with Karl Böhm at Bayreuth in '66 and Carlos Kleiber at La Scala in '78.  In other words, this is top shelf stuff.

I have noticed that there's a German language Parsifal led by Goodall out there.  Might be worth hearing.  I'm kind of questioning the hard pass thing, too.
Thanks for the interesting comments, Todd. I too was struck by ClasscsToday's positive review, particularly because the only recording by Goodall I know (his live 1970 IIRC Parsifal from Covent Garden pictured below) is possibly the worst recording pf that particular work I know. Parsifal is notorious for permitting very different approaches regarding tempi (one must only look at the statistics of performances in Bayreuth to realise that the opera can last one full hour more or less depending on the conductor). I am of the "swift Parsifal persuasion" (Boulez is my go-to recording), but find much to admire in slower, more ponderous approaches as well. But that, alas, is not the case with Goodall's live London account: there does not appear to be any coherence to the musical line,  the music grinds to a halt at moments, and I at least detect severe ensemble problems at many points. The singing ain't that gerat either (I must confess I've never been much of a fan of Jon Vickers, whom I saw live as Parsifal in Chicago towards the end of his distinguished career in the late 80s).  But in some quarters Goodall is highly esteemed, so perhaps that Tristan might be the recording that "redeems" him in my eyes. I'm tempted to explore it... :)

[asin]B00186FWGC[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 23, 2019, 06:22:24 AM
Quote from: ritter on December 22, 2019, 11:55:55 PM
Thanks for the interesting comments, Todd. I too was struck by ClasscsToday's positive review, particularly because the only recording by Goodall I know (his live 1970 IIRC Parsifal from Covent Garden pictured below) is possibly the worst recording pf that particular work I know. Parsifal is notorious for permitting very different approaches regarding tempi (one must only look at the statistics of performances in Bayreuth to realise that the opera can last one full hour more or less depending on the conductor). I am of the "swift Parsifal persuasion" (Boulez is my go-to recording), but find much to admire in slower, more ponderous approaches as well. But that, alas, is not the case with Goodall's live London account: there does not appear to be any coherence to the musical line,  the music grinds to a halt at moments, and I at least detect severe ensemble problems at many points. The singing ain't that gerat either (I must confess I've never been much of a fan of Jon Vickers, whom I saw live as Parsifal in Chicago towards the end of his distinguished career in the late 80s).  But in some quarters Goodall is highly esteemed, so perhaps that Tristan might be the recording that "redeems" him in my eyes. I'm tempted to explore it... :)

[asin]B00186FWGC[/asin]

:D

Since Boulez's recording is my candidate for worst recording of Parsifal, you just gave me a recommendation for  Goodall!
Though Amazon pricing being what it is, I am more likely to get his recording with the Welsh National Opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on December 25, 2019, 05:36:25 AM
Quote from: JBS on December 23, 2019, 06:22:24 AM
Though Amazon pricing being what it is, I am more likely to get his recording with the Welsh National Opera.


If I buy, I'm going for this recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on December 25, 2019, 02:05:22 PM
R-K's Sadko. Currently Gergiev on Youtube.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Introverted on December 25, 2019, 04:17:31 PM
Recent listening:

[asin]B00VVZUXRS[/asin]


Been listening to Wagner's Ring Cycle on and off for the last few months.
I have spent most of my Christmas holiday's so far listening to this recording... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 25, 2019, 09:02:44 PM
I'm definitely NOT listening to Wagner...

But I did finish Britten's The Turn of the Screw and found it riveting. So riveting that I plan on revisiting it on my New Year's break. Dare I say I liked it more than Peter Grimes. As it stands, it's definitely on par with Death in Venice (my favorite Britten opera). Looking forward to digging into Albert Herring, Billy Budd, and Gloriana in the upcoming weeks.

The performance of The Turn of the Screw I listened to:

(https://img.discogs.com/ExmBpc2yXY2Kl4v6APWA7VaA8lY=/fit-in/600x590/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8942134-1472001594-8606.jpeg.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 26, 2019, 12:04:00 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2019, 09:02:44 PM
I'm definitely NOT listening to Wagner...

But I did finish Britten's The Turn of the Screw and found it riveting. So riveting that I plan on revisiting it on my New Year's break. Dare I say I liked it more than Peter Grimes. As it stands, it's definitely on par with Death in Venice (my favorite Britten opera). Looking forward to digging into Albert Herring, Billy Budd, and Gloriana in the upcoming weeks.

The performance of The Turn of the Screw I listened to:

(https://img.discogs.com/ExmBpc2yXY2Kl4v6APWA7VaA8lY=/fit-in/600x590/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8942134-1472001594-8606.jpeg.jpg)

The first Britten opera I ever saw and the one that got me hooked on Britten. It's a tremendous work and I've never seen a bad production of it.

Do try also the composer's own recording with the cast of the premiere. The sound isn't up to that on Bedford's recording of course, but the singers are superb,  and David Hemmings is quite the best Miles you will ever hear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Introverted on December 26, 2019, 12:21:57 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2019, 09:02:44 PM
I'm definitely NOT listening to Wagner...


Do we share what we're not listening to on these threads now too? - Could make for some rather long posts... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 26, 2019, 11:12:46 AM

Darius Milhaud's Christophe Colomb

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71zeVk2BcyL._SS500_.jpg)

Milhaud the polystylist is very much in charge here. The libretto is a kaleidoscope of tableaux mixing scenes from Colombus' maritime adventures, his death, his critics' diatribes, his justifications to the critics, his calling as an adventurer, etc - in no particular order chronologically, and with various musical styles to depict the proceedings. As is often the case in the RTF productions the musical quality is very high and conductor Manuel Rosenthal runs a tight ship. Very good sound for 1956.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 26, 2019, 07:13:10 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 26, 2019, 12:04:00 AM
The first Britten opera I ever saw and the one that got me hooked on Britten. It's a tremendous work and I've never seen a bad production of it.

Do try also the composer's own recording with the cast of the premiere. The sound isn't up to that on Bedford's recording of course, but the singers are superb,  and David Hemmings is quite the best Miles you will ever hear.

TBH, I didn't like Britten's own recording of The Turn of the Screw, the sound quality just isn't up to snuff when this is an opera that relies so much on nuance and subtlety. It's a tremendous work, indeed and has become one of my favorite operas. I just love escaping into the sound-world this opera inhabits.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 27, 2019, 09:49:00 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YfdQV1fUL.jpg)

Musical felicities abound in this opera, but I still prefer to listen to the much longer Guillaume Tell. In any case, this is a good, solid Barbiere. I still hear in my mind's ears Almaviva's arias sung by Vanzo (in French), Una voce poco fa by Callas or even De los Angeles, but this set boasts my favourite La Calunnia, with Raimondi's  booming Basilio neatly abetted by Levine's orchestra - love the bass drum in 'come un colpo di cannone'. As usual the role of Berta is a drag and a letdown. It should be cut. Oh, and the harpsichord continuo is a bore.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 27, 2019, 10:40:04 AM
Berta is a role that is best seen, acted by a singer who knows how to mime comedy. 
And in a way the whole opera that suffers if it is only heard, and not scene.  And my favorite pieces from it are the duets and ensembles, not the arias.
My favorite recording is the first one I got thirty years ago or more....
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/21Y1CHV4PGL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on December 27, 2019, 06:25:38 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61N9iXdBkfL._SX450_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on December 28, 2019, 01:00:29 AM
Quote from: T. D. on December 27, 2019, 06:25:38 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61N9iXdBkfL._SX450_.jpg)

A Classic!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on December 28, 2019, 01:52:39 AM
Peter Grimes.

First time yet. Britten's been a bit of a blind spot.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 28, 2019, 05:12:40 AM
Quote from: KevinP on December 28, 2019, 01:52:39 AM
Peter Grimes.

First time yet. Britten's been a bit of a blind spot.

Which recording? It's been incredibly lucky on disc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on December 28, 2019, 04:57:57 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71eQrhh3RoL._SL1190_.jpg)

This one, but have also been listening to the Vickers on youtube.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 29, 2019, 05:19:52 AM
Quote from: KevinP on December 28, 2019, 04:57:57 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71eQrhh3RoL._SL1190_.jpg)

This one, but have also been listening to the Vickers on youtube.

You can't really go wrong with Britten's own recordings, though I also have the Vickers/Davis and I'd be hard pressed to say which one I prefer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on December 29, 2019, 06:28:18 PM
(http://www.arkivmusic.com/graphics/covers/non-muze/full/emi64180.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on December 29, 2019, 06:30:09 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71MRwAe7z8L._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 29, 2019, 08:37:29 PM
Strange seeing you listening to Verdi, San Antone. Verdi seems the very antithesis of what you normally listen to.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on December 30, 2019, 03:31:55 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 29, 2019, 08:37:29 PM
Strange seeing you listening to Verdi, San Antone. Verdi seems the very antithesis of what you normally listen to.

You're the second person to make that comment.  Here's what I wrote in the Top 10 Favorite Composers thread

Quote from: San Antone on December 30, 2019, 03:29:40 AM
There was a time when I was listening to a lot of opera, and Verdi was always the composer whose works appealed to me the most.  Vocal music in general is a big interest to me, choral works more so than lieder.  I've been listening and thinking about Bach cantatas and then I plan on delving into the Wagner Ring, so returning to Verdi was a natural evolution.

Anyway, it may not last, but for now, it is nice to revisit some of the works I used to love.

8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 30, 2019, 06:09:53 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 29, 2019, 08:37:29 PM
Strange seeing you listening to Verdi, San Antone. Verdi seems the very antithesis of what you normally listen to.

Mind you, as I pointed out in the main thread, Nadja Michael's Lady Macbeth is so awful, you'd get a very poor idea of what Verdi actually wrote. I know what he said about Lady Macbeth, but I'm sure he wanted someone who could at least sing the notes.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on December 30, 2019, 06:38:04 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 30, 2019, 06:09:53 AM
Mind you, as I pointed out in the main thread, Nadja Michael's Lady Macbeth is so awful, you'd get a very poor idea of what Verdi actually wrote. I know what he said about Lady Macbeth, but I'm sure he wanted someone who could at least sing the notes.

I know the opera fairly well, and have a clear idea of what Verdi wrote; Macbeth is one of my favorites of his works. But, I am astounded that Biondi allowed her to record the role.  It mars what would otherwise be a great recording, IMO.  I prefer the opera prior to the changes made for the French production, and I really like Biondi's HIP orchestra. 

Michael's vocal performance is a not so bad as to render the recording useless, but the fact that it could have been better cast looms over it like a giant shadow.

8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on December 30, 2019, 05:17:27 PM
(https://www.propermusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/0fdead0a669d795ba4265cee162c962a/4/7/473215.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Introverted on December 31, 2019, 03:04:37 AM
Quote from: San Antone on December 30, 2019, 05:17:27 PM
(https://www.propermusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/0fdead0a669d795ba4265cee162c962a/4/7/473215.jpg)

I like Verdi a lot too - I haven't heard I Lombardi before.
I may have to join you for some Verdi listening soon... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on December 31, 2019, 05:29:11 AM
Quote from: Introverted on December 31, 2019, 03:04:37 AM
I like Verdi a lot too - I haven't heard I Lombardi before.
I may have to join you for some Verdi listening soon... :)

It's not top shelf Verdi, but is worth a listen, and this new recording offers the best sound and the leads are decent.  The female singer is the best and raises the level of the recording above average.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 01, 2020, 03:01:21 AM
Quote from: San Antone on December 31, 2019, 05:29:11 AM
The female singer is the best and raises the level of the recording above average.

Thar's good to hear, as I think Deutekom is the weak link in the old Gardelli recording.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 02, 2020, 02:31:58 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 01, 2020, 03:01:21 AM
Thar's good to hear, as I think Deutekom is the weak link in the old Gardelli recording.

Sylvia Sass is very impressive on Gardelli's second I Lombardi recording, on Hungaroton.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 02, 2020, 05:03:50 AM
Here's what Opera Magazine had to say about the Czech I Lombardi recording cast:

Most impressive of the principals is Pavel Kudinov's Pagano, amply suggesting the out-and-out villain of Act 1 before developing further as the Hermit of later scenes. Kate Allen registers as a lively presence as Sofia, Anna Werle defines Viclinda in her forceful soprano and Daniel Dropulja is noticeable in the secondary role of Pirro.

Here's the Music-Web review summing up:

However, the great star of the performance is Polish soprano Ania Jeruc as Giselda. This is a big role with many opportunities to expose the talent of a good lirico-spinto – and she does so with knobs on. Her first solo, the beautiful Salve Maria in the first act (CD 1 tr. 12) is sung with great feeling and beauty of tone. There is some minimal unsteadiness but this is negligible considering how well she sings. And she grows throughout the performance. Just listen to O madre, dal cielo (CD 1 tr. 25) and even better in the final act Quel prodigio (CD 2 tr. 10). This is glorious singing that should appeal to any admirer of great singing!

Whether the recording as such is recommendable is a matter of taste. The recording was made live between 15 and 20 July 2018 but there is no sign of an audience – although there are some stage noises – but no applause anywhere and the silences between scenes are almost ghostly silent. The recording is SACD but I have heard it in regular 2-channel stereo; it is very good.

Competition isn't very keen, although I still recommend either of Lamberto Gardelli's studio recordings – personally I prefer the Hungaroton with Sylvia Sass as a superb Giselda, but Ania Jeruc runs her very close and Verdi enthusiasts should at least sample this latest incarnation of I Lombardi – a flawed opera and hardly a masterpiece, but still a valuable opera in the Verdi canon.
(Göran Forsling)

It is a little odd that they differ on which singers they choose to praise.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 02, 2020, 06:28:41 AM
Today's Verdi opera is ...

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Xt8k765wL.jpg)

Ernani (1844)

Ernani, a bandit - Marco Berti (tenor)
Don Carlo, King of Spain - Carlo Guelfi (baritone)
Don Ruy de Silva, a Spanish grandee - Giacomo Prestia (bass)
Elvira, Silva's niece and loved by Ernani - Susan Neves (soprano)
Don Riccardo, the King's equerry - Samuele Simoncini (tenor)
Jago, equerry to Silva - Alessandro Svab (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Reggio, Parma, Italy/Antonello Allemandi
Director, Set and Costume designer: Pier'Alli

Performed in the Critical Edition by Claudio Gallico.
rec. Teatro Reggio, Parma, May 2005, annual Verdi Festival


The present production and staging combines to overcome some vocal and acted weaknesses. It's a fully satisfactory performance of an under-performed opera brimming with the composer's compositional melody and vitality. Music-Web (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Feb13/Verdi_Ernani_720904.htm#ixzz69t31P72t)

Berti's Ernani has an effective vocal line and little stage persona, Carlo Guelfi's baritone suddenly springs into life with his aria, and Giacomo Prestia is a slightly woolly-toned da Silva. The production by Pier'Alli is fine, the sets monolithic, the costumes quite unflattering. Opera Now
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 02, 2020, 07:06:58 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on January 02, 2020, 02:31:58 AM
Sylvia Sass is very impressive on Gardelli's second I Lombardi recording, on Hungaroton.

But the other principals aren't of the same calibre. A shame she wasn't on the Philips/Gardelli, but I'm pretty sure it was recorded before Sass made such an impression in the role at Covent Garden.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 02, 2020, 01:49:00 PM
After listening to the Parma Ernani, I re-activated my Met Opera on Demand subscription and am half-way through the February 2012 production:

(https://www.metopera.org/ondemand/imagelinks/Video_webthumbs/811357015131_400x225.jpg)

Rising Met star Angela Meade is Elvira, the young woman caught between three men: her lover, the nobleman-turned-outlaw Ernani (Marcello Giordani); her guardian, the rich, elderly de Silva, who wants her for himself (Ferruccio Furlanetto); and Don Carlo, the King of Spain, who also desires Elvira (Dmitri Hvorostovsky). Verdi's early drama is full of sweeping melody and rousing rhythms, delivered masterfully by the Met Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Marco Armiliato.

I think that Ernani, despite the unbelievable aspects of the plot, is a near-great early Verdi opera.  There are some fantastic tunes and dramatic moments, trios, and arias.  Very enjoyable.  The Met production is really very good, IMO.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 02, 2020, 02:51:39 PM
Quote from: San Antone on January 02, 2020, 01:49:00 PM
After listening to the Parma Ernani, I re-activated my Met Opera on Demand subscription and am half-way through the February 2012 production:

(https://www.metopera.org/ondemand/imagelinks/Video_webthumbs/811357015131_400x225.jpg)

Rising Met star Angela Meade is Elvira, the young woman caught between three men: her lover, the nobleman-turned-outlaw Ernani (Marcello Giordani); her guardian, the rich, elderly de Silva, who wants her for himself (Ferruccio Furlanetto); and Don Carlo, the King of Spain, who also desires Elvira (Dmitri Hvorostovsky). Verdi's early drama is full of sweeping melody and rousing rhythms, delivered masterfully by the Met Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Marco Armiliato.

I think that Ernani, despite the unbelievable aspects of the plot, is a near-great early Verdi opera.  There are some fantastic tunes and dramatic moments, trios, and arias.  Very enjoyable.  The Met production is really very good, IMO.

Very enjoyable!  Despite the implausible plot, the 3rd and 4th acts really delivered a dramatic punch.  Some great music in this opera.

Now onto I due Foscari, tomorrow.

8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Carlo Gesualdo on January 02, 2020, 06:29:28 PM
Well actually I'm a newbie in Opera, I know only Stravinsky- Nightingale , Bartok fantastic- Blue Beard castle and I'm listening now to Penderecki the devil of loudon, based on a novel ,It's creepy as hell, I like it... the ambiance is pitch dar, I like dark stuff in small dose.Have a good night folks...

ps- I had to get rid of absinthe I purchase for new year eve, I realize, this was extreme, for the stomach and I had sutch a headache  waking up it lasted the entire days even whit 3-4 extra  potent  tylenol( minus detail) I wanna to stop drinking after new years.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 03, 2020, 04:53:28 PM
Crosspost from WAYLT2
First listen
[asin]B07WVNQ5RP[/asin]

Book is enhanced by a number of high quality photographs of pastoral Britain (mostly) and some thorough discussion of the work's political background and performance  practices.  The plot is utterly unhistorical, but by sticking firmly to the context of Arthur leading Britons in a war with the Saxons it's probably more historical than the medieval Matter of Britain...of which nothing  appears here, not even the Round Table.
Title: Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors
Post by: Cato on January 05, 2020, 06:59:18 AM
For the Epiphany, January 6th, we have...

https://www.youtube.com/v/gPAjNu4WW0I

The American television network, NBC, broadcast the opera via the Hallmark Hall of Fame series between 1951-1963. How times have changed!  Such a program is unthinkable today for prime time...or any other time, on a major network.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on January 06, 2020, 03:58:24 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/gtuyLgfruPCTqKVdeYS2n1YCrR0=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-12197330-1570160680-2179.jpeg.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: j winter on January 06, 2020, 06:03:37 PM
After a few stalled attempts over the years, I'm finally getting into the Ring.  This past week or so I've been listening to several different recordings of Das Rheingold, primarily Solti and Bohm, now moving on to Die Walkure.

What really has helped me is picking up Penguin's recent translation of the libretto, which I've read most of the way through.  Not that I've read very many translations for comparison, but this seems well done to me; it flows nicely, and it's very easy to follow along, German & English on facing pages....

[asin]0241305853[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on January 06, 2020, 06:17:10 PM
I listened to Goodall's (English language, Chandos) Rheingold last week via Youtube and was impressed. I don't need another Ring cycle, but may acquire either his Twilight of the Gods or Rheingold (my 2 favorites of the cycle). I was a Wagner fanatic about 25 years ago, still listen but not nearly as often, Parsifal gets the most play nowadays.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 07, 2020, 06:48:54 AM
Cross-posted from WAYLT

On Met Opera on Demand

(https://www.metopera.org/ondemand/imagelinks/Video_webthumbs/811357011300_400x225.jpg)

VERDI : Nabucco

Verdi's thrilling early opera is ideally served by the masterful conducting of Music Director James Levine and Elijah Moshinsky's powerful production. Juan Pons in the title role of the Babylonian King leads the cast of this biblical drama, opposite Maria Guleghina as the ambitious Abigaille and Samuel Ramey as the noble high priest of Jerusalem, Zaccaria. Gwyn Hughes Jones and Wendy White are the young lovers, Ismaele and Fenena.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 08, 2020, 04:44:01 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/-gEZaEOO43SGxPWV3UB6hvXa0J8=/fit-in/600x601/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12825025-1542663488-1356.jpeg.jpg)

Possibly not the recording to go for if you just want to wallow in the glorious tunes and orchestration. This one brings you face to face with real tragedy and is a deeply unsettling experience. Indeed it usually reduces me to a quivering wreck by the end.

A much more detailed reviwe of it on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/")
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 08, 2020, 05:02:44 AM
Quote from: San Antone on January 07, 2020, 06:48:54 AM
Cross-posted from WAYLT

On Met Opera on Demand

(https://www.metopera.org/ondemand/imagelinks/Video_webthumbs/811357011300_400x225.jpg)

VERDI : Nabucco

Verdi's thrilling early opera is ideally served by the masterful conducting of Music Director James Levine and Elijah Moshinsky's powerful production. Juan Pons in the title role of the Babylonian King leads the cast of this biblical drama, opposite Maria Guleghina as the ambitious Abigaille and Samuel Ramey as the noble high priest of Jerusalem, Zaccaria. Gwyn Hughes Jones and Wendy White are the young lovers, Ismaele and Fenena.

Yesterday I watched the 2001 Nabucco posted above (Levine had revived this Verdi gem in 2001 after a lapse of fifty years).  Today I am watching the production from 2017; so far it is no match for the earlier production, but I will give it until Domingo makes his entrance, at least.

(https://www.metopera.org/ondemand/imagelinks/Video_webthumbs/811357018965_400x225.jpg)

Legendary superstar Plácido Domingo and Met Music Director Emeritus James Levine continue their historic partnership in this performance of the opera that first made composer Giuseppe Verdi famous. Domingo portrays Nabucco, the King of Babylon, who is supernaturally driven mad when he proclaims himself God, then restored to health when he repents. Liudmyla Monastyrska is the cruel and treacherous Abigaille, supposedly Nabucco's oldest daughter but actually a slave, who seizes the crown and plots the death of her sister Fenena (Jamie Barton), who loves Ismaele (Russell Thomas), as does Abigaille. With Dmitry Belosselskiy as the High Priest of Jerusalem, Zaccaria.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 10, 2020, 01:29:32 AM
Quote from: Introverted on January 10, 2020, 12:49:38 AM
NP:

[asin]B0000254UX[/asin]


I finished ripping Karajan's Ring Cycle this morning and have been listening to Das Rheingold and Die Walküre most of the day.
No surprise comment - I like this Cycle so far. One of Herbert von Karajan's strengths is his Opera recordings IMO.
I have wanted to own his Ring Cycle for ages so very glad I finally have it in my collection now - I think I will probably end up listening to it a fair bit alongside Solti and Bohm.
One thing that puzzles me - I read online about this Ring and it was mentioned a couple of times that it was a "Chamber Ring?". I don't get it TBH... (maybe someone here knows what the reviewers were on about?)... :)

Interesting.  I just watched Act 1 of the Met's recent production, March 2019.

(https://www.metopera.org/ondemand/imagelinks/Video_webthumbs/810004201118_400x225.jpg)

Christine Goerke quickly has become one of the most electrifying dramatic sopranos currently appearing on the Met stage. The vocal powerhouse raised her artistry to the next level at the end of the 2018–19 season, singing the impetuous warrior maiden Brünnhilde in three full cycles of Richard Wagner's epic Ring cycle. In this Live in HD transmission of Die Walküre, the second and most popular installment in the composer's sweeping tetralogy, Goerke is joined by bass-baritone Greer Grimsley as Brünnhilde's godly father, Wotan, and mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as his unbending wife, Fricka. As the incestuous lovers Siegmund and Sieglinde, soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek and tenor Stuart Skelton—alongside bass Günther Groissböck as Sieglinde's bloodthirsty husband, Hunding—round out the principal cast. And on the podium, Maestro Philippe Jordan conducts Robert Lepage's innovative staging, which uses state-of-the-art stage technology to tell Wagner's mythic tale.

Weird: brother-sister marriage?  Beautiful music with strange libretto. I've watched Act 1; Act 2 will have to wait until tomorrow.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: j winter on January 12, 2020, 10:26:06 AM
Taking a slow tour through the Ring.  I watched Levine's Die Walkure on DVD last night, listening to Solti today.  Marvelous stuff.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41u5XUzyvSL._SX355_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 13, 2020, 08:11:28 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51q5dONMUEL.jpg)

Mesmerizing in its unrelenting intensity. I was surprised by the immediacy of the recording: mono, but clear, immediate and wide-ranging. I wish there was a libretto, though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 13, 2020, 08:24:06 AM
Quote from: André on January 13, 2020, 08:11:28 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51q5dONMUEL.jpg)

Mesmerizing in its unrelenting intensity.
Indeed,, next to Penthesilea, Strauss's Elektra sound like Bellini's  La sonnambula ;).
QuoteI was surprised by the immediacy of the recording: mono, but clear, immediate and wide-ranging.
Good to know. I don't really need another rceording of the work (to put alongsaide the Helga Dernesch/Gerd Albrecht live from Salzburg on Orfeo, and the Yvonne Naef/Mario Venzago on Musiques Suisses, but am an admirer of Martha Mödl, so might be tempted.
QuoteI wish there was a libretto, though.
You have it in German here (https://opera-guide.ch/operas/penthesilea/libretto/de/), but I haven't been able to locate an English or French translation online.

Regrads,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 13, 2020, 07:26:24 PM
Thanks for the comment (I am curious about the other versions, too!). Could you post again the url link? I can't open it. The german libretto will be fine. At least I'll know who sings what. There are 5 female roles in the opera, so it's confusing at times  :D.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2020, 12:24:24 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/715Z5i4McWL._SL1081_.jpg)

One of my three favourite recordings of my favourite Puccini opera (the others being Callas/Karajan and Scotto/Barbirolli) and better I think than De Los Angeles's second (stereo) recording. First and foremost, the conducting of Gianandrea Gavazzeni gives much more shape to the opera than Patané. Bjoerling might seem to be one of the attractions of the second set and as always of course there is a great deal of pleasure to be had from his singing per se, but Di Stefano is the more believably charming Pinkerton. He is in enviable vocal form here and I think this one of his best performances on record. Gobbi is quite simply the most sympathetic, most multi-faceted Sharpless you are ever likely to hear. Anna Maria Canali is an excellent Suzuki too. And De Los Angeles? Well she is in easy, golden voice in a role that she might have been born to sing, and one she made very much her own. Maybe not as searingly intense as Callas, but very much inside the role and absolutely adorable.

The recording is mono of course, but the transfer has been well managed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 14, 2020, 12:42:51 AM
Quote from: André on January 13, 2020, 07:26:24 PM
Thanks for the comment (I am curious about the other versions, too!). Could you post again the url link? I can't open it. The german libretto will be fine. At least I'll know who sings what. There are 5 female roles in the opera, so it's confusing at times  :D.
Sorry, there was a typo in my reply to you (which is now corected). The link is https://opera-guide.ch/operas/penthesilea/libretto/de/.

Cheers,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 14, 2020, 01:10:30 PM

Fantastisch !  :D

Muchas gracias, señor !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 14, 2020, 05:04:19 PM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on January 14, 2020, 04:05:28 PM
Britten
Death in Venice, Op. 88
Michael Chance (counter-tenor), Philip Langridge (tenor), Alan Opie (baritone)
BBC Singers, City of London Sinfonia
Richard Hickox


(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/CH10280.jpg)

One of the greatest operas I've ever heard and one that I still rank highly. Apparently, Pears said that Death in Venice was an 'evil opera' and it was killing Britten. I think this is true to some extent. As told in the documentary by John Bridcut titled Britten's Endgame, that Britten was supposed to have heart surgery but ignored his doctor's wishes and continued to work on this opera. The subject matter is also risky as it is essentially about a man who falls for a young teenaged boy. Britten was certainly wrestling with some demons of his own. The music itself harkens back to some of that Gamelan-influence found in the ballet, The Prince of the Pagodas. For those that loved The Turn of the Screw, will most definitely find much to savor here. I doubt I'll finish this entire opera tonight as I've got some other works I need to get to, but for anyone who hasn't heard this Hickox performance and enjoy this opera, then please run out and buy it.

A great article found here with some video presented by Colin Matthews:

https://brittenpears.org/explore/benjamin-britten/music/work-of-the-week/40-death-in-venice/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 15, 2020, 01:53:31 AM
"The subject matter is also risky as it is essentially about a man who falls for a young teenaged boy."

I would say, as Viconti did about the novella and the film, that it is about a man who beomes obsessed with an idealised form of beauty. Apparently Hollywood moguls were also concerned about the subject matter and requested that the boy be turned into a girl - as if lusting after an under age girl were more acceptable than lusting after a boy. I know that Visconti strove to make the boy fairly androngenous. I don't know if that were the case in the original production of the opera, but I was actually at drama college (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) with Robert Huguenin, who played Tadzio in the first production. In fact we danced together in a modern piece entered in a Royal Society of Arts Choreography Production by one of our movement teachers at Guildhall. He was a very good looking young man, quite short in stature. He would have been in his late teens at the premiere, but presumably looked younger.

(https://www.photostage.co.uk/cache/pcache2/00023191.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 15, 2020, 10:28:15 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 15, 2020, 01:53:31 AM
"The subject matter is also risky as it is essentially about a man who falls for a young teenaged boy."

I would say, as Viconti did about the novella and the film, that it is about a man who beomes obsessed with an idealised form of beauty. Apparently Hollywood moguls were also concerned about the subject matter and requested that the boy be turned into a girl - as if lusting after an under age girl were more acceptable than lusting after a boy. I know that Visconti strove to make the boy fairly androngenous. I don't know if that were the case in the original production of the opera, but I was actually at drama college (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) with Robert Huguenin, who played Tadzio in the first production. In fact we danced together in a modern piece entered in a Royal Society of Arts Choreography Production by one of our movement teachers at Guildhall. He was a very good looking young man, quite short in stature. He would have been in his late teens at the premiere, but presumably looked younger.

(https://www.photostage.co.uk/cache/pcache2/00023191.jpg)

Very interesting, Tsaraslondon. What would you say is your favorite Britten opera and why?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 15, 2020, 11:13:58 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 15, 2020, 10:28:15 AM
Very interesting, Tsaraslondon. What would you say is your favorite Britten opera and why?

I'm not sure which would be my out and out favourite.

The Turn of the Screw was the first Britten opera I ever saw and it made a definite impression on me. That first production made the ghosts very insubstantial so you never knew whether they actually existed or only existed in the Governess's imagination. I've seen others which make the ghosts much more real and the work can take both approaches. Its ambiguity is one of the things I like about it, plus the miraculous scoring, of course.

Peter Grimes would probably come next, a magnificent masterpiece, which is now more or less a repertory standard. It has a cumulative power that rarely fails in performance and, yet again, I've seen quite a few different productions. Its depiction of the power of the mob is quite terrifying.

Next would come Billy Budd, an opera I resisted for quite some time, because I didn't like the idea of an opera with no female voices. I need hardly have worried. Britten creates amazingly colourful soundscapes with his all male cast and, dramatically, it too has an inexorable power. Vere is a fascinating character because of his ambivalence, Billy is an example of pure goodness without being cloying and Claggart a vilain as black as Iago. As in Grimes, the depcition of the sea is superb.

I have no hesitation in claiming Britten as the pre-eminent opera composer of the post World War II age, and one of the greatest of any age. The only operas I never took to were Owen Wingrave and Albert Herring, but I should probably give them another try.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 15, 2020, 12:30:25 PM
I liked Albert Herring !  :D Admittedly light and slight but, being based on one of Maupassant's best short novels, I couldn't help liking it. Britten in a rare instance of comic mood.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 15, 2020, 02:29:30 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 15, 2020, 11:13:58 AM
I'm not sure which would be my out and out favourite.

The Turn of the Screw was the first Britten opera I ever saw and it made a definite impression on me. That first production made the ghosts very insubstantial so you never knew whether they actually existed or only existed in the Governess's imagination. I've seen others which make the ghosts much more real and the work can take both approaches. Its ambiguity is one of the things I like about it, plus the miraculous scoring, of course.

Peter Grimes would probably come next, a magnificent masterpiece, which is now more or less a repertory standard. It has a cumulative power that rarely fails in performance and, yet again, I've seen quite a few different productions. Its depiction of the power of the mob is quite terrifying.

Next would come Billy Budd, an opera I resisted for quite some time, because I didn't like the idea of an opera with no female voices. I need hardly have worried. Britten creates amazingly colourful soundscapes with his all male cast and, dramatically, it too has an inexorable power. Vere is a fascinating character because of his ambivalence, Billy is an example of pure goodness without being cloying and Claggart a vilain as black as Iago. As in Grimes, the depcition of the sea is superb.

I have no hesitation in claiming Britten as the pre-eminent opera composer of the post World War II age, and one of the greatest of any age. The only operas I never took to were Owen Wingrave and Albert Herring, but I should probably give them another try.

Interesting. I'm with you on Albert Herring --- I found nothing particular noteworthy about it. I haven't heard Owen Wingrave yet, but plan to get around to it soon. I love The Turn of the Screw, Peter Grimes, and I'm not sure how I feel about Billy Budd but there were some great moments in it for sure. Noye's Fludde was quite a revelation to me as well. I feel that Britten was not only one of the great opera composers, but one of the greatest composers of any time. Now that I've really gotten his music under my skin and into my blood, it's hard to shake it. I'm more and more impressed with his music as the days pass.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 17, 2020, 12:38:37 PM
Act III of Götterdämmerung from this Ring (of eventful gestation), Naděžda Kniplová in memoriam:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518L1TwGX1L.jpg)
Mme. Kniplová, who died on January 14 just two months shy of her 88th birthday, sings Brünnhilde in this "forgotten" budget Ring from 1968. She had sung the role in Die Walküre under Herbert von Karajan the previous year at the Salzburg Easter Festival.

This was the cover of Götterdammerung when it was released in the US by Westminster (the original release was in Europe by Fratelli Fabbri):

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-frTxFokfOm4/SNv0Ak7sfSI/AAAAAAAAAcs/_bLC4458y04/s1600/WGSO-8178-5c.jpg)

But that's nothing compared to the cover of The Walküre, one of the true classics in the field  ;D:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-M6XcQT99je8/SNv1G4jF4MI/AAAAAAAAAdE/LKl55eXa45w/s1600/700c91bb4fdb5a4f.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: j winter on January 21, 2020, 11:59:31 AM
Well, I'm off to the Volkswagon dealership...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: j winter on January 21, 2020, 12:30:57 PM
On a semi-related note, I'm still working through the Ring, now onto Siegfried.  Watched Levine's DVD yesterday, listening to Bohm today.  I'm greatly enjoying it... I really should have done this years ago, but for whatever reason I guess I just wasn't ready for the trip.  The parallels are so obvious and striking with so many of my favorite books, films, etc., everything from Tolkien and Spenser and Malory to how John Williams uses leitmotifs through all the Star Wars soundtracks...

I am attacking it one opera at a time, on multiple fronts:

First off, to get the general plot in my head, I re-read P. Craig Russell's excellent graphic novel adaptation.  Don't laugh -- it's actually very well done, reasonably faithful to the libretto, and it's an easy way to get a good quick grasp of the plot, with beautiful visuals.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81N2lPCJ7mL.jpg)(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51cNdOtprgL._SX321_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

Following that up with Levine's DVD.  I'm enjoying that quite a bit, particularly James Morris's Wotan.  I know some folks say it's a bit unimaginative as a production, but as an introductory performance of the Ring I think it's very well done (there's something to be said for Macbeth set on a Scottish heath, versus a corporate skyscraper or an Edwardian palace).

After that, I find I'm grounded enough that I can generally follow along with recordings without the text, and thus start sampling various approaches.  Having several recordings ripped to my phone means I can listen in the car and while taking a walk, though I do like to re-listen to certain passages while reading along when I can... the Penguin libretto I mentioned a few posts above is a very nice reading translation, much better than the subtitles on the Levine DVD for example.

As for recordings, I have Solti, Karajan, and Janowski SD on disc, and have recently ...ummm... acquired digital copies of Bohm, Haitink, Krauss, and Neuhold to supplement things.   

Anyhoo, keeping myself amused...  8)   
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 22, 2020, 06:52:33 AM
From the 'Listening' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on January 22, 2020, 06:46:54 AM
Britten
Gloriana, Op. 53
Josephine Barstow (Elizabeth), Philip Langridge (Essex), Della Jones (Lady Essex), Jonathan Summers (Charles Blount), Alan Opie (Cecil), Yvonne Kenny (Lady Rich), Bryn Terfel (Henry Cuffe), Richard van Allan (Walter Ralegh)
Welsh National Opera, Sir Charles Mackerras


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81hbVe6usEL._SL1500_.jpg)

This is my first-listen to this opera. Britten in twisted Elizabethan mode. :) I've known the symphonic suite from this opera for years, but it's nice to hear all of this music in context of the opera. Fantastic so far.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 22, 2020, 08:40:11 AM
I think Gloriana is a terrific work, and vastly under-rated. I loved it when I first saw it many years ago in a splendid ENO production starring Sarah Walker, which exists on video. The Mackerras recording is excellent and well up to the standard of all the others in the Decca catalogue.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 22, 2020, 08:50:32 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 22, 2020, 08:40:11 AM
I think Gloriana is a terrific work, and vastly under-rated. I loved it when I first saw it many years ago in a splendid ENO production starring Sarah Walker, which exists on video. The Mackerras recording is excellent and well up to the standard of all the others in the Decca catalogue.

Very good to read. Yes, you just don't hear this opera spoken of in the same breath as Peter Grimes or Billy Budd, but it's remarkable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 22, 2020, 08:52:56 AM
I had wondered why it was not included in the original "Britten Conducts" box - Wikipedia says why:

QuoteSeveral in the audience of its gala opening were disappointed by the opera, which presents the first Elizabeth as a sympathetic, but flawed, character motivated largely by vanity and desire. The premiere was one of Britten's few critical failures, and the opera was not included in the series of complete Decca recordings conducted by the composer. However, a symphonic suite extracted from the opera by the composer (Opus 53a), which includes the Courtly Dances, is often performed as a concert piece.

8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 22, 2020, 09:23:40 AM
Quote from: San Antone on January 22, 2020, 08:52:56 AM
I had wondered why it was not included in the original "Britten Conducts" box - Wikipedia says why:

QuoteSeveral in the audience of its gala opening were disappointed by the opera, which presents the first Elizabeth as a sympathetic, but flawed, character motivated largely by vanity and desire. The premiere was one of Britten's few critical failures, and the opera was not included in the series of complete Decca recordings conducted by the composer. However, a symphonic suite extracted from the opera by the composer (Opus 53a), which includes the Courtly Dances, is often performed as a concert piece.

8)

Failure or not, I enjoyed this opera tremendously. Britten wasn't afraid to dish out criticism of others or of certain composers, but when the mirror was turned on him, he often found himself unable to bode well with any criticism. A deeply flawed human being, but one that I still find endearing --- warts and all.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on January 22, 2020, 09:41:57 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 22, 2020, 09:23:40 AM
8)


Failure or not, I enjoyed this opera tremendously. Britten wasn't afraid to dish out criticism of others or of certain composers, but when the mirror was turned on him, he often found himself unable to bode well with any criticism. A deeply flawed human being, but one that I still find endearing --- warts and all.

+1 - very enjoyable "festival" work - Britten might have passed on conducting it himself but Mackerras does a very good job I reckon
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 22, 2020, 10:19:08 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on January 22, 2020, 09:41:57 AM
+1 - very enjoyable "festival" work - Britten might have passed on conducting it himself but Mackerras does a very good job I reckon

Yes, it does smell of festivals, indeed and I suppose this is a particular reason why it sounds the way it does. It's like Britten decided to write some court music and, knowing good and well that there will be people listening, he twisted in some sour lemon to musical proceedings. I love this opera and, again, it's remarkable just how different Britten could write, but yet you would never mistake this music for anyone else's.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on January 22, 2020, 02:54:26 PM
Quote from: j winter on January 21, 2020, 12:30:57 PM
On a semi-related note, I'm still working through the Ring, now onto Siegfried.  Watched Levine's DVD yesterday, listening to Bohm today.  I'm greatly enjoying it... I really should have done this years ago, but for whatever reason I guess I just wasn't ready for the trip.  The parallels are so obvious and striking with so many of my favorite books, films, etc., everything from Tolkien and Spenser and Malory to how John Williams uses leitmotifs through all the Star Wars soundtracks...

I am attacking it one opera at a time, on multiple fronts:

First off, to get the general plot in my head, I re-read P. Craig Russell's excellent graphic novel adaptation.  Don't laugh -- it's actually very well done, reasonably faithful to the libretto, and it's an easy way to get a good quick grasp of the plot, with beautiful visuals.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81N2lPCJ7mL.jpg)(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51cNdOtprgL._SX321_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

Following that up with Levine's DVD.  I'm enjoying that quite a bit, particularly James Morris's Wotan.  I know some folks say it's a bit unimaginative as a production, but as an introductory performance of the Ring I think it's very well done (there's something to be said for Macbeth set on a Scottish heath, versus a corporate skyscraper or an Edwardian palace).

After that, I find I'm grounded enough that I can generally follow along with recordings without the text, and thus start sampling various approaches.  Having several recordings ripped to my phone means I can listen in the car and while taking a walk, though I do like to re-listen to certain passages while reading along when I can... the Penguin libretto I mentioned a few posts above is a very nice reading translation, much better than the subtitles on the Levine DVD for example.

As for recordings, I have Solti, Karajan, and Janowski SD on disc, and have recently ...ummm... acquired digital copies of Bohm, Haitink, Krauss, and Neuhold to supplement things.   

Anyhoo, keeping myself amused...  8)   


Someday, I'll hit The Ring, myself.

But today:
Britten
The Turn of the Screw
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 22, 2020, 03:16:10 PM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 22, 2020, 02:54:26 PM
Someday, I'll hit The Ring, myself.

But today:
Britten
The Turn of the Screw


I keep trying to listen to the Ring, I even ordered those graphic novel versions since they looked so cool.  About every 2-3 years I make an attempt.  So far I've only gotten through Das Rheingold and Act 1 of Die Walkyrie. 

Who knows?

8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: j winter on January 22, 2020, 03:49:21 PM
Quote from: San Antone on January 22, 2020, 03:16:10 PM
I keep trying to listen to the Ring, I even ordered those graphic novel versions since they looked so cool.  About every 2-3 years I make an attempt.  So far I've only gotten through Das Rheingold and Act 1 of Die Walkyrie. 

Who knows?

8)

I'm having a fine time so far, I must confess... :)

Just to clarify, there's only one P Craig Russell graphic novel.  It was put out as single issue comic books, back in the day (1st picture above), and then collected (2nd picture).

There was also a comic adaptation several years earlier by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, which is much shorter and not as good... I love Kane's art, but he does give things a very 70s superhero aesthetic....

(https://comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_small/0/4/29032-4206-32260-1-ring-of-the-nibelung.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 22, 2020, 04:09:00 PM
Quote from: j winter on January 22, 2020, 03:49:21 PM
I'm having a fine time so far, I must confess... :)

Just to clarify, there's only one P Craig Russell graphic novel.  It was put out as single issue comic books, back in the day (1st picture above), and then collected (2nd picture).

There was also a comic adaptation several years earlier by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, which is much shorter and not as good... I love Kane's art, but he does give things a very 70s superhero aesthetic....

(https://comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_small/0/4/29032-4206-32260-1-ring-of-the-nibelung.jpg)

I ordered the collected edition, the second one pictured.   8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: j winter on January 22, 2020, 05:51:14 PM
Quote from: San Antone on January 22, 2020, 04:09:00 PM
I ordered the collected edition, the second one pictured.   8)

Cool, I hope you enjoy it!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 22, 2020, 06:30:25 PM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 22, 2020, 02:54:26 PMBut today:
Britten
The Turn of the Screw


A remarkable work, Karl. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on January 23, 2020, 07:21:04 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 22, 2020, 06:30:25 PM
A remarkable work, Karl. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Will be digging into it more and more!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 23, 2020, 07:37:05 AM
Quote from: San Antone on January 22, 2020, 04:09:00 PM
I ordered the collected edition, the second one pictured.   8)

+1  :). I have 3 Rings to listen to this year so it will come in handy!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on January 23, 2020, 11:50:02 AM
Quote from: André on January 23, 2020, 07:37:05 AM
+1  :) . I have 3 Rings to listen to this year so it will come in handy!

You certainly do not lack for ambition, Mon cher
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on January 23, 2020, 11:56:51 AM
Cross-posted from the WAYL2N thread

Quote from: San Antone on January 23, 2020, 11:37:32 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81B73C1JXJL._SS500_PIP.jpg)

A Quiet Place

I had not known that Bernstein had recorded the 1986 revision of A Quiet Place, and was interested to hear it after a discussion with Roasted Swan (hat tip) on the Bernstein thread. 

8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 27, 2020, 12:41:30 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61sskzlLXeL._AC_.jpg)

A very powerful piece. Alwyn's music is closely tailored to the text (the composer's own, after the Strindberg play). Only a brief orchestral introduction to both acts, no arias, no interludes, just through composed dialogues and short soliloquies. The vocal music for the title part highlights the character's complexity and unbalanced mind. That of the manservants is more direct, more simple. Considering the play is a rather sordid domestic tragedy, one can't say the experience is an enjoyable one, but it's emotionally powerful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 28, 2020, 06:29:04 AM
Quote from: André on January 27, 2020, 12:41:30 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61sskzlLXeL._AC_.jpg)

A very powerful piece. Alwyn's music is closely tailored to the text (the composer's own, after the Strindberg play). Only a brief orchestral introduction to both acts, no arias, no interludes, just through composed dialogues and short soliloquies. The vocal music for the title part highlights the character's complexity and unbalanced mind. That of the manservants is more direct, more simple. Considering the play is a rather sordid domestic tragedy, one can't say the experience is an enjoyable one, but it's emotionally powerful.

No arias, no interludes? Wow...another opera to ignore. ;) I'll stick with Britten.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 01, 2020, 12:58:39 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/81abzephn2l-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1024)

Callas and Karajan's rare collaborations always reaped gold and this live performance is no exception; an absoutely thrilling performance, which I review more fully on my blog.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/")

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 08, 2020, 10:23:05 AM
This afternoon
[asin]B07ZWBPLZR[/asin]
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71FnD8qJaJL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 10, 2020, 12:33:56 PM
Mirella Freni in memoriam.

Act II of Mascagni's L'amico Fritz, in the classic recording conducted by the great  Gianandrea Gavazzeni:

[asin]B00004VVZL[/asin]
I've always had a soft spot for this opera (particularly the second act), with its melancholic/bucolic/naive atmosphere, and the young Pavarotti and Freni are simply delightful in it... :)

EDIT:

Following the Mascagni with one of the rôles Signora Freni was most associated with—on record, as she never sung it onstage—, that of Cio-Cio San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The Act I duet, from her second recording (under Giuseppe Sinopoli).

[asin]B000001G9A[/asin]

"Butterfly, rinnegata, rinnegata e felice"  :'(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 10, 2020, 01:27:25 PM
The monodrama, Erwartung:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81EGoU1Gj4L._SL1500_.jpg)

"Write an opera text for me, Miss!" – August 1909: Schönberg and his family spent their vacation together with Alexander von Zemlinsky, Alban Berg, Anton Webern and Max Oppenheimer in Steinakirchen near Amstetten. It was through Zemlinsky and Karl Kraus that the young Viennese physician Marie Pappenheim was introduced to the circle around Schönberg. During her medical studies at the University of Vienna, Pappenheim wrote poetry under the pseudonym Maria Heim, and it was in the Lower Austrian summer resort that Schönberg invited her to write a libretto. Pappenheim, whose poetry had been issued by Kraus in 1906 in "The Torch" ("Die Fackel"), had graduated in 1909 and thereafter set up a practice as dermatologist, as she "did not want to wander through life as a lyric poet." Two days after Schönberg's invitation, she travelled on to friends in Traunkirchen, where within three weeks she had composed the text to the monodrama "Erwartung." "I wrote lying in the grass, with pencil, on large sheets of paper, had no copy, scarcely read through what I had written." Even while revising the text manuscript that Pappenheim had submitted to him at his vacation residence, Schönberg occasionally jotted down musical ideas here and there. The first copy of the short score was completed in the brief period between 27 August and 12 September 1909. (The hypothesis was subsequently voiced that the composer, with his ambitions towards numerical mysticism, had chosen the opus number 17 on the occasion of the publication by Universal Edition to reflect the compositional period of seventeen days.) The fair copy of the score is dated 4 October 1909. In an interview of 1949 Marie Pappenheim corrected the misconception among researchers that the basic idea for "Erwartung" stemmed from Schönberg: "I received neither a clue to nor an indication of what I should write (would also not have accepted it)." The establishment of the one-act work as autonomous generic form took as its point of departure the writings of August Strindberg, who was highly regarded by the (Second) Viennese School. Monodramatic elements include not only the abandonment of interaction between characters, but also the minimalization of plot devices – characteristics that in Pappenheim's expressionistic drama are thought out to their furthermost logical consequence. On this "empty" leaf, as it were, egocentricity assumes the most radical form: in expectation of her lover, the woman sets out in search and follows wrong trails to stations of uncertainty – remembrance – hope – "illusionary misunderstanding" (Erwin Ringel) – rationalization – jealousy – sorrow – and finally excessive exhaltation of the man who survives only as a dead object. The depth of the forest scenario becomes a projection room for distressing traumatic states – obscurity, danger, threat, fear, loneliness, horror, darkness – and naturalistically reinterprets the subjective ordeal of suffering the woman lives through in four scenes. Marie Pappenheim's syntax consists of a paratactic, disorganized series of sentence fragments that permit associations in the form of a lyric monologue to crystallize from the psyche of the woman: "I always wrote exaltedly, without direction, reflection, censorship, page after page, between the verses other thoughts." The dissolution of syntax in the concentrated language of the monologue corresponds to a liberation of the functional structures of tonality. Small motivic cells are subjugated to a permanent mutation and propelled by an inner impulse of the text (recitative-like motion without repetition or pause). Tempos change according to psychological impulses of fear, a "seismographic record of traumatic shock" (Theodor W. Adorno). Decentralization of the consonant, abolition of tonal center and cadence – characteristics of free atonality – reflect the forcible expressive freedom of the libretto. At the close of the fourth scene Pappenheim offers a topical parallel to John Henry Mackay's poem "By the Wayside" ("Am Wegrand"), set by Schönberg in his (still tonal) song op. 6, no. 6, and again quoted by him in the coda to "Erwartung," as a variant adaptation of the song line "Longing fills the confines of my life" ("Sehsucht erfüllt die Bezirke des Lebens"). While composing the monodrama, Schönberg kept concretely in mind the voice of Maria Gutheil-Schoder, who had sung the vocal part in the Second String Quartet op. 10 at its premiere: "You will remember that I have repeatedly spoken to you of a dramatic work in which there is a part for you. It is a monodrama, with only one part, a real part, conceived as a Gutheil-part" (letter of 22 August 1913). Even as early as 1910 Schönberg had begun to negotiate with the conductor Arthur Bodanzky of the Mannheim National Theater concerning a possible performance of "Erwartung." Planning was delayed until 1913 and ultimately abandoned because of the small size of the Mannheim orchestra. Discussions with the Vienna Folk Opera (1910) and the Vienna Academic League (1913) also proved fruitless. The premiere finally took place on 6 June 1924 at the German Opera House in Prague, as part of the music festival of the International Society for New Music directed by Alexander von Zemlinsky. The work was lauded in the musical press as a "protest against operatic rubbish" ("Signale für die musikalische Welt") and as "a frightfully intensive focusing upon the state of a soul" ("Die Musik").

Therese Muxeneder
© Arnold Schönberg Center

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Such an incredible piece of music. Written in close proximity to Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle, I find both of these works encapsulate some of the darkest contours of the human psyche that has ever been written at this point. I suppose one reason I feel this way is because both operas are 'psychological dramas' and there's very little action happening on the stage, which is I suppose is why they're not performed with a great deal of frequency (amongst other reasons). Anyway, I love these works.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on February 10, 2020, 06:14:17 PM
(https://www.col-legno.com/pics_db/shop/2_20059_hoeller.jpg)
York Höller, Der Meister und Margarita (image got cropped)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on February 11, 2020, 09:06:29 AM
Britten: Peter Grimes
Winslade (Grimes), Watson (Ellen), Michaels-Moore (Balstrode), Gunn (Keene)
London Symphony Chorus
London SO/C. Davis
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 12, 2020, 06:16:14 AM
I'll be revisiting this recording today (at some point):

(http://www.music-bazaar.com/album-images/vol26/959/959895/2821868-big/Bela-Bartok-Bluebeard-s-Castle-Pierre-Boulez-cover.jpg)

For me, this is the greatest recording of Bluebeard's Castle. Don't get me wrong there are some other fantastic ones like Haitink on EMI or Kertesz on Decca, but I feel Boulez captures this psychological drama to stunning yet chilling effect. His account is almost Expressionistic, which suits this music. Also, the soloists are top-notch. I don't think there's been a more a evocative Judith on record as that found in Tatiana Troyanos. The Bluebeard Siegmund Nimsgern has one of the deepest voices I've heard in this role and it has a certain resonance to it that I find pleasing to the ear. Add in Columbia's superb audio engineering and you have a recipe for success.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on February 12, 2020, 11:29:15 AM
I just went and checked, and yes I do have that recording, albeit as part of a 4-disc "Boulez conducts Bartok" box.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 12, 2020, 02:11:47 PM
Quote from: Maestro267 on February 12, 2020, 11:29:15 AM
I just went and checked, and yes I do have that recording, albeit as part of a 4-disc "Boulez conducts Bartok" box.

Very nice. One of great operas, IMHO.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 12, 2020, 02:19:35 PM
At some point I'll be listening to Schoenberg's Moses und Aron (the early Boulez recording). I've heard bit and pieces of this opera, but never listened to it in its' entirety. I imagine I won't listen to it in all one setting of course, but perhaps an act one day and another act the next.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 12, 2020, 04:20:46 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xaQcK2EDL._AC_.jpg)

This is a disc of highlights, some 70 minutes from Donizetti's popular comic opera. I have listened to a couple of Met broadcasts in the past and have the Sutherland/Pavarotti recording, but have listened to it only once a long time ago. I've always found the work very slight.

Pavarotti's timbre is pinched and the tessitura of Nemorino seems to lie too high for his 55 year old self.  A number of tenors have invested more pathos in Una furtiva lagrima. Pavarotti just doesn't seem interested any more. Battle is charming and sings beautifully. Not much fun is derived from Nucci's gruff Belcore. Not bad, but not recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 13, 2020, 12:51:21 AM
Quote from: André on February 12, 2020, 04:20:46 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xaQcK2EDL._AC_.jpg)

This is a disc of highlights, some 70 minutes from Donizetti's popular comic opera. I have listened to a couple of Met broadcasts in the past and have the Sutherland/Pavarotti recording, but have listened to it only once a long time ago. I've always found the work very slight.

Pavarotti's timbre is pinched and the tessitura of Nemorino seems to lie too high for his 55 year old self.  A number of tenors have invested more pathos in Una furtiva lagrima. Pavarotti just doesn't seem interested any more. Battle is charming and sings beautifully. Not much fun is derived from Nucci's gruff Belcore. Not bad, but not recommended.

The work is slight, though I've always liked it more than the rather cruel humour of Don Pasquale.

My favourite recording would be the Pritchard with Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell and Geraint Evans, which was based on performances at Covent Garden, though Carreras was the Nemorino in the stage production. Carreras at that stage in his career would probably have been a better choice as this was recorded round about the same time Doming was moving on to Otello, but it has to be said that Domingo performs miracles in lightening his voice.

Pavarotti is excellent on the Bonynge, but Sutherland is a bit po faced as Adina.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 13, 2020, 11:37:51 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41AXKVNK3HL.jpg)

Magic Flute is probably the opera I have listened to the most in my listening life. My first ever disc was an Heliodor LP of highlights from the Fricsay version purchased when I was in college, around age 16. The college store had a fine assortment of classical music back then, including the Bruckner symphonies by Jochum  :o.

I find MF can be listened to at different levels: the full operatic experience, complete with the dialogues, or in abridged, dialogueless form (as here). Or even in highlights, when one feels like having fun with just the great overture and best arias. Despite its origin as a singspiel composed for a small theater, it's an incredible vocal feast. No basso profundo or dramatic coloratura soprano has ever stayed away from the roles of Sarastro or Astrafiammante, the Queen of the Night. Some roles are written for modest voices (Monastatos), some require the highest level of vocal purity and technique (Pamina). And some parts like those of the Three Ladies or the Three Boys are conceived as one role spoken by three voices, an idea picked up by Verdi and Wagner 50-60 years later.

So, to the recording at hand: the original 3 cd issue contained the full dialogue and lasted over 160 minutes. When reissued, the dialogue was dropped and the timing shortened by 30 minutes. Other versions used the abridged sung-only solution, like Karajan (EMI), Böhm (Decca) and Klemperer (EMI). Others use a modicum of dialogue (Fricsay), but nowadays we usually get a full dialogue experience.

Davis conducts affectionately but IMO he misses some of the sparkle and is sometimes too smooth for the music's good. An instance in point is Papageno's entrance aria. Even given the singer's choice of tempo the conductor could have used a more pointed, fresher way with the accompaniment. So, a measure of fun and buoyancy is missing. Great playing from the orchestra, though. All the singers are good to superb. In order of excellence (best first) are Kurt Moll, the Three Boys (!), Margaret Price (creamy of voice but a tad marmoreal), Peter Schreier, Luciana Serra (very fine vocalism, a more vulnerable than usual Queen), Mikael Melbye, Theo Adam. In the 'adequate' category, Robert Tear and the Three Ladies. So, not a top contender, but a good one, especially for Moll's best incarnation of Sarastro on disc (others are with Solti and Sawallisch), and a classy account of Pamina by Margaret Price.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on February 13, 2020, 12:38:49 PM
Quote from: André on February 13, 2020, 11:37:51 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41AXKVNK3HL.jpg)

Magic Flute is probably the opera I have listened to the most in my listening life. My first ever disc was an Heliodor LP of highlights from the Fricsay version purchased when I was in college, around age 16. The college store had a fine assortment of classical music back then, including the Bruckner symphonies by Jochum  :o.

I find MF can be listened to at different levels: the full operatic experience, complete with the dialogues, or in abridged, dialogueless form (as here). Or even in highlights, when one feels like having fun with just the great overture and best arias. Despite its origin as a singspiel composed for a small theater, it's an incredible vocal feast. No basso profundo or dramatic coloratura soprano has ever stayed away from the roles of Sarastro or Astrafiammante, the Queen of the Night. Some roles are written for modest voices (Monastatos), some require the highest level of vocal purity and technique (Pamina). And some parts like those of the Three Ladies or the Three Boys are conceived as one role spoken by three voices, an idea picked up by Verdi and Wagner 50-60 years later.

So, to the recording at hand: the original 3 cd issue contained the full dialogue and lasted over 160 minutes. When reissued, the dialogue was dropped and the timing shortened by 30 minutes. Other versions used the abridged sung-only solution, like Karajan (EMI), Böhm (Decca) and Klemperer (EMI). Others use a modicum of dialogue (Fricsay), but nowadays we usually get a full dialogue experience.

Davis conducts affectionately but IMO he misses some of the sparkle and is sometimes too smooth for the music's good. An instance in point is Papageno's entrance aria. Even given the singer's choice of tempo the conductor could have used a more pointed, fresher way with the accompaniment. So, a measure of fun and buoyancy is missing. Great playing from the orchestra, though. All the singers are good to superb. In order of excellence (best first) are Kurt Moll, the Three Boys (!), Margaret Price (creamy of voice but a tad marmoreal), Peter Schreier, Luciana Serra (very fine vocalism, a more vulnerable than usual Queen), Mikael Melbye, Theo Adam. In the 'adequate' category, Robert Tear and the Three Ladies. So, not a top contender, but a good one, especially for Moll's best incarnation of Sarastro on disc (others are with Solti and Sawallisch), and a classy account of Pamina by Margaret Price.
I agree that there are some very good voices here. This was, in fact, the first version of the opera I got on disc. But it does have flaws, as you alluded to in your post. And I rarely pull it out to listen anymore. I am a little more negative about the women than you are, particularly the Queen of the Night.  Still, I have a soft spot for it. There are certainly worse versions of it, though better as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 15, 2020, 11:35:12 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516bbOCVRzL._AC_.jpg)

Not the most exciting or even the best sung version, yet I prefer it to most others, on account of Giulini's searching, probing conducting. He pays the composer the compliment of taking the work seriously (some might say too seriously), but his involvement carries everything before it, starting with the singers, who plunge head first into the drama like their lives depended on it.

Azucena's racconto  for example has Fassbaender singing her crazed, harrowing story with a hoarse tone and hair-raising intensity. And so it goes with the other singers, even normally tasteful, elegant vocalists like Domingo (his mal reggendo is a to-die-for lesson in legato and breath control). Plowright's tawny port tones resonate with a mix of fire and velvet that is hard to resist, even if she eschews all interpolated high notes (we have Leontyne Price for that, bless her).

I don't think the orchestra's colours have ever been showcased so warmly as here. Trovatore's orchestra has often been derided as nothing more than a jumbo guitar, but when played as vibrantly as here it's an aural feast. Because of the moderate speeds rythms register with unusual force. Listen to Di Luna's per me, ora fatale for a good example.

I have and love a dozen other versions, mostly on account of some particularly striking vocal performances by one of the principals, but also sometimes because of the conducting. This one checks all the boxes for me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on February 15, 2020, 02:50:47 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/P_9t10cvN0z6qvrUugrabbM3r6U=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-9203630-1476605927-3817.jpeg.jpg)
This just arrived, will take some time to digest. I previously listened to a CD containing most of act III (different cast) and to The Rhinegold on youtube. Own the Solti cycle in German, sold Levine. Don't intend to buy the whole Goodall Ring, but wanted to have one complete opera.
First thoughts: highly impressed by the singing, enjoy the English text, am OK with Goodall's slow tempi. Need much more listening to evaluate the orchestral playing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 18, 2020, 12:17:54 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xPBv%2BUDML.jpg)

Aida is an opera I admire rather than love, (I love the music but rarely feel involved in the characters' plights) but I seem to have acquired more recordings of it than any other Verdi opera, possibly in my quest to find one that satsfies on all levels.

This one is certainly a contender. Listening to it now for the first time in quite a while, I am newly impressed by Caballé's Aida; quite one of the best things she ever did on disc. Her voice was in prime condition when it was recorded and she doesn't over-exploit those famed pianissimi. Mind you, the ppp top C at the end of O patria mia is just exquisite. I've never heard it done better. Elsewhere she is dramatically involved and involving and there is no lack of power when she needs it. Domingo's performance is a bit generic, but the voice was certainly a beautiful instrument back then. The other soloists are all excellent, but I find Muti's conducting just a little rigid, no match for Pappano's on the most recent set, or, to my mind, the much under-rated Serafin on the Callas recording.

Nonetheless this is a very good recording, but, for my money, Caballé is the best thing in it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 29, 2020, 08:57:36 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-ED%2BFDAeL._AC_.jpg)

Nice vocal and dramatic touches from Callas cannot rescue this version from the other principals' inadequacies. Di Stefano's tenor voice is at least one size too small for Manrico, and singing at the top of his lungs doesn't succeed in pulling the wool over the listener's eyes (ears). Barbieri overacts like a femme fatale from a 1920s silent movie. Panerai's voice is quite unpleasant with its flickering vibrato and pitch unsteadiness. Callas herself is not trouble free (the last note from her big aria d'amor sull'alli rosee is very unsteady). Karajan conducts well. The sound is sub par for its time, the solo voices well caught but the chorus is woolly and very unclear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 29, 2020, 01:54:03 PM
Quote from: André on February 29, 2020, 08:57:36 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-ED%2BFDAeL._AC_.jpg)

Nice vocal and dramatic touches from Callas cannot rescue this version from the other principals' inadequacies. Di Stefano's tenor voice is at least one size too small for Manrico, and singing at the top of his lungs doesn't succeed in pulling the wool over the listener's eyes (ears). Barbieri overacts like a femme fatale from a 1920s silent movie. Panerai's voice is quite unpleasant with its flickering vibrato and pitch unsteadiness. Callas herself is not trouble free (the last note from her big aria d'amor sull'alli rosee is very unsteady). Karajan conducts well. The sound is sub par for its time, the solo voices well caught but the chorus is woolly and very unclear.

Sorry, Andre. Can't agree with you at all.

Aside from Callas, who is my favourite Leonora on disc, the only soprano who really makes sense of the notes (and accurately executes all the filigree and intricate coloratura in the role - and that includes Leontyne Price), I think Karajan's conducting is superb, quite outclassing that of any other version I've come across, including his other versions (live and studio). Panerai is a singer I've always enjoyed and actually I like his flicker vibrato. Di Stefano is admittedly a notch to small for Manrico, but he almost convinces and Barbieri is fine as Azucena, though more conventional than someone like Fassbaender.

My full review of the set here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 01, 2020, 08:30:53 PM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread:

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 01, 2020, 06:50:11 PM
Bartók
Bluebeard's Castle
Jessye Norman (soprano), László Polgár (bass)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Pierre Boulez


(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk0MTUwNC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwidG9Gb3JtYXQiOiJqcGVnIiwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX19LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjQ3OTM4MzJ9)

Having just finished listening to this performance, allow me to offer some criticism I have for it. I think one of the biggest problems with this performance is the mis-match of vocalists. I do not find Jessye Norman to be a compelling Judith and, in fact, I felt no empathy for the character at all and the vocal performance while technically superb failed to touch me in any way. Baritone László Polgár just doesn't have much of a commanding voice --- he sounds rather underwhelming compared to other performances I've heard like Siegmund Nimsgern or John Tomlinson. I think Boulez has a great command of the orchestra, but he can't quite match his earlier self on Columbia. I think the earlier Boulez had an Expressionistic quality to it that outclassed this one. This isn't to say I didn't think his performance was terrible as it certainly wasn't, but I think the sheer energy of the earlier performance was a better match than the more laser precision focus of this Chicago performance. Anyway, the earlier Boulez and Kertész are my go-to performances of this operatic masterpiece.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 02, 2020, 03:23:04 AM
I'll have to re-listen to that Bluebeard's Castle sometime soon, John.

THREAD DUTY:

This, the first commercially released recording ever of Puccini's La fanciulla del West, was difficult to obtain on CD at a reasonable price, but the other day by chance I located a cheap copy and grabbed it up:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513rU1Kk8UL.jpg)

IMHO (shared by many, AFAIK), La fanciulla conatains--along with Turandot--the best music Puccini ever wrote (with some very interesting harmonic twists and a really accomplished, dazzling orchestration). Unfortunately it also has the silliest libretto he ever set (which is saying something)...but the music (particularly in Act II--that long duet between Minnie and Dick!) makes up for any shortcomings in the drama.

This recording is actually very enjoyable. Arturo Basile conducts very naturally, nicely supporting the voices. There's no big stars here, but verismo specilaist Carla Gavazzi as Minnie (huge voice, slightly inexact at times, but beautifully passionate) and Vasco Campagano as Dick Johnson (more lyrical than other tenors in the role) do a splendid job. Perhaps a nostalgic trip,  but a great one in any case.

Whisky per tutti! ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 02, 2020, 06:43:46 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 02, 2020, 03:23:04 AMI'll have to re-listen to that Bluebeard's Castle sometime soon, John.

Cool. Let me know what you think of the performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 02, 2020, 07:59:13 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 02, 2020, 03:23:04 AM
I'll have to re-listen to that Bluebeard's Castle sometime soon, John.

THREAD DUTY:

This, the first commercially released recording ever of Puccini's La fanciulla del West, was difficult to obtain on CD at a reasonable price, but the other day by chance I located a cheap copy and grabbed it up:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513rU1Kk8UL.jpg)

IMHO (shared by many, AFAIK), La fanciulla conatains--along with Turandot--the best music Puccini ever wrote (with some very interesting harmonic twists and a really accomplished, dazzling orchestration). Unfortunately it also has the silliest libretto he ever set (which is saying something)...but the music (particularly in Act II--that long duet between Minnie and Dick!) makes up for any shortcomings in the drama.

This recording is actually very enjoyable. Arturo Basile conducts very naturally, nicely supporting the voices. There's no big stars here, but verismo specilaist Carla Gavazzi as Minnie (huge voice, slightly inexact at times, but beautifully passionate) and Vasco Campagano as Dick Johnson (more lyrical than other tenors in the role) do a splendid job. Perhaps a nostalgic trip,  but a great one in any case.

Whisky per tutti! ;D

I don't think the libretto is silly. It does contain all but one of the classic tropes of American Westerns (no gunfight a la High Noon), so perhaps it may strike others differently.  But the poker game is one of the most dramatic scenes in opera.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 07, 2020, 02:18:54 PM
Cross-posted from WAYL2:

Back from the theater where I saw Wozzeck from the Metropolitan Opera stage. The actual performance played a few weeks ago. The staging was brilliant, if sometimes veering off the play's plot details. The visual signature was strongly reminiscent of the work of Otto Dix. The singing was very strong. It was actually sung, not yelled, nor overacted. The orchestra was splendid. Berg's score offers many chamber music textures and important instrumental solos. They were luscious and transparent. Marie's death scene was suitably apocalyptic, the orchestra unleashing its might for the first and only time - there is sometimes a misconception that Wozzeck is a noisy score. It is not. Rather, it is unrelenting both in pace and intensity.

(https://www.metopera.org/globalassets/season/2019-20/operas/wozzeck/1600x685/wozzeck-0760-1600x685.jpg)

(https://www.olyrix.com/files/picture/photos/custom/30821/wozzeck-par-william-kentridge/660/null/crop/top-left.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 24, 2020, 11:35:52 AM
Crosspost from WAYLT2

This
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ChKto5z%2BL.jpg)
From this
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71i4wXzVc5L.jpg)

First listen as an adult to this recording.

When I was kid, my mother had a copy of the first half (through Act 2 Scene 1) of Traviata on 78s. (No idea why she didn't have the second half.) I played it...a lot.  [Perseveration is the technical term.] It was my introduction to opera. I am fairly certain it was this recording. It certainly matches my aural memories.

CD 1 contains Acts 1 and 2, CD 2 Act 3, filled out with a trio from I Lombardi, the third act of Rigoletto (Warren, Milanov, Peerce), and "Va pensiero".
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 25, 2020, 11:16:12 AM
Again, crossposting....

Continuing with the Toscanini Verdi box
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41VVQECVCQL.jpg)

Yesterday I listened to the La Traviata in this set, as filtered through Proust's madeline.  With Ballo in Maschera, no such filter.  It's fine, but the 1950s mono means it's not one I would listen to very often.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on March 25, 2020, 11:30:40 AM
Hindemith
Mathis


Scenes 1 & 2 rather lost me, but Scene 3 and on are a different story (so to speak)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 25, 2020, 04:02:27 PM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 25, 2020, 11:30:40 AM
Hindemith
Mathis


Scenes 1 & 2 rather lost me, but Scene 3 and on are a different story (so to speak)

My Mathis initiation is yet to be performed. In due time it will happen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on March 25, 2020, 04:15:08 PM
Quote from: André on March 25, 2020, 04:02:27 PM
My Mathis initiation is yet to be performed. In due time it will happen.

I don't know where my brain was. After listening through to the end (and smooth sailing, too) I went beck to try Scenes 1 and 2 afresh. I do like it!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 25, 2020, 04:48:46 PM
I shall hasten the initiation, then  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on March 25, 2020, 04:58:31 PM
Hindemith
Sancta Susanna, Op. 21
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 25, 2020, 04:59:39 PM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 25, 2020, 04:58:31 PM
Hindemith
Sancta Susanna, Op. 21


That's a good one !!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on March 25, 2020, 05:02:41 PM
Quote from: André on March 25, 2020, 04:59:39 PM
That's a good one !!

Aye!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 26, 2020, 11:11:17 AM
Crosspost again

Continuing on with Toscanini's Verdi
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71fwAiaE14L.jpg)

From two1949 broadcast performances--on TV, apparently.  That may be why the sound is somewhat better than usual for recordings of that vintage
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 26, 2020, 11:26:54 AM
Quote from: mc ukrneal on January 17, 2019, 05:30:14 PM
I cannot compare as I only have the Minkowski, but I find it a pure delight. Let us know what you think.

Belatedly... ::)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81T30bLJHgL._AC_SL450_.jpg)

This version is excellently produced. Everything in it is first rate. The female voices, esp. Mireille Delunsch as Jenny are particularly beautiful. Rockwell Blake is very good, with impeccable diction. In the patter dialogues he is replaced by another tenor, but I didn't notice anything unnatural.

La Dame blanche is a fount of good tunes, with a couple of earworms that remain obstinately in the mind. Even Tintin knew it !

(https://i2.wp.com/tintinomania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/dame-blanche-crabe.jpg?zoom=0.8999999761581421&resize=462%2C332&ssl=1)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on March 26, 2020, 05:04:24 PM
Yes, the singers are superb.  Boieldieu rushed the orchestration to be ready in time.  This is the opera weakness.
Just before all theaters got silenced, the Opera Comique did a new production of La dame blanche which I unfortunately did not see (Instead, I went to see Manon with Pretty Yende and Benjamin Bernheim)
This is the short teaser,

https://www.youtube.com/v/ooyFmMyZb7M
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 26, 2020, 07:40:48 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/9117dGFAqLL._AC_SL450_.jpg)

Bloch composed his opera a mere 8 years after Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande. As french operas go, it is aesthetically and musically its polar opposite. Bloch's music is colourful in the extreme, and he is not afraid to take the singers into overt displays of histrionics. Dramatically it is compactly built, with scenes and tableaux neatly linked for a continuous narrative.

The performance is excellent, despite some pronounced accents (Lady Macbeth's French is sometimes incomprehensible). The vocal acting though is absolutely thrilling. The last scene in particular (the walking forest) is hair-raising in its intensity. Live performance, no audience noise, excellent sound. Notes but no libretto, just a synopsis. It's quite easy to follow as the action follows the well-known play closely. This Capriccio release sells for a very reasonable price. Strongly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 29, 2020, 06:25:36 PM
Cross post from the  main listening thread

Listening to an opera by Wagner I never heard before
[asin]B0094BDOCM[/asin]

Honestly, this sounds nothing like the Wagner we know. Much more like an early Verdi opera sung for no obvious reason in German. A rather mediocre  Verdi opera, I might add.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 31, 2020, 01:23:54 PM
Just finished watching this (hat tip to Spineur):

[asin]B000PAA87U[/asin]
I had been after this DVD for quite a while, but it was OOP. A used copy surfaced recently at an affordable price at anAmaxon MP seller and I grabbed it right away. The production stages the Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and Jeux as telling the pre-story of The Fall of the House of Usher as ballets. The intended storyline is not easy to grasp (for me at least), but there is a unity to the whole thing that works quite well. The important thing IMO, though, is that this makes a very compelling case for the reconstructed and orchestrated (by Richard Orledge) La chute de la maison d'Usher. An opera which, even if devoid of any action as such, and at times almost a monologue for the character Roderick, works very well dramatically in its conciseness, and has some rather effective music. How much if it is echt-Debussy is hard to tell—perhaps I should listen to the piano excerpts included in the Warner box for comparison—but that doesn't really matter, because the end result is an arresting piece of music theatre that well could have been penned in its entirety by Debussy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 01, 2020, 09:40:15 AM
Hi Rafael !

I am happy that you liked this staged performance.  The staging suits "Jeux" best I found, with the mirrors and light effects with the drapes, it is indeed a visual games that fits Debussy well.  In the Edgar Poe book,  Roderick recalls his childhood friend, as a dream, but in this staged reconstruction, he is a real actor&singer.  With the dancers, it adds a bit of life which is good !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 04, 2020, 05:26:28 AM
Just started Richard Strauss Die Frau ohne Schatten, Hugo v. Hoffmannsthal librettist in Solti's version with Hildegard Berhens, Julia Varady, Placido Domingo, Reinhild Runkel, José van Dam.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41TDNGKVNSL.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on April 04, 2020, 03:29:51 PM
 Cross-post

Hindemith
Cardillac, Op. 39 (1926 version)

Gerd Albrecht, cond.


Excellent!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on April 06, 2020, 07:33:42 AM
Yesterday, on TV (Classica/Stingray):

Jenufa in the beautifully crazy version of director Alvis Hermanis. Alphonse Mucha -art- Nouveau -designs, Japanese kabuki movements, stylised choreography à la Nijinski and varied Moravian folk art are cleverly interwoven . I liked it.
Sally Mathews is a great Jenufa!

https://www.youtube.com/v/35p-u-9UASQ
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on April 06, 2020, 07:34:51 AM
Again: Mathis der Maler
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Spineur on April 07, 2020, 04:47:47 AM
I watched Rossini Il Barbiere di Siviglia Opera de Paris 2018 production with  René Barbera, Karine Deshayes,..staging Damiano Michieletto.  I liked this production which has a strong Almodovar flavor  and a touch of Georges Perec La vie mode d'emploi.

It is in open access this week (only)


https://www.france.tv/france-3/tous-a-l-opera-2018/965065-le-barbier-de-seville-de-rossini-a-l-opera-bastille.html (https://www.france.tv/france-3/tous-a-l-opera-2018/965065-le-barbier-de-seville-de-rossini-a-l-opera-bastille.html)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 07, 2020, 10:57:49 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510uT2BBC9L.jpg)
Sir Colin Davis conducting, Francesco Araiza and Barbara Hendricks among the soloists.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 08, 2020, 02:40:23 AM
(https://www.divinarecords.com/dvn017/dvn017_l.jpg)

The greatest performance of Norma I have ever heard, which I have just reviewed on
my blog (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2020/04/08/norma-7-december-1955/")
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 08, 2020, 07:42:50 AM
I concur. It is unique. Bellinissima!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 08, 2020, 07:49:03 AM
Quote from: André on April 08, 2020, 07:42:50 AM
I concur. It is unique. Bellinissima!

Bellinissima! I like it!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vers la flamme on April 09, 2020, 12:07:24 PM
I listened to disc 1 of Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk this morning/afternoon. Wow, that was excellent music. The plot seems kind of goofy, but it's opera, Soviet opera no less, and I was expecting nothing less. Seems to contain some of Shostakovich's darkest music. I see why Stalin may not have been fond of it. But moreover I see why people loved it so much, it's quite accessible.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 10, 2020, 12:30:34 PM
Cross-posted from the WAYLTN thread

Quote from: ritter on April 10, 2020, 12:10:44 PM
THREAD DUTY:

Inevitably...

[asin]B002PZDL54[/asin]
Act III

This recording, conducted by Armin Jordan, is the soundtrack to the beautiful and enigmatic film of Parsifal by Hans-Jürgen Syberberg. It hasn't received many accolades, but I'm fond of it, finding the conductor handling of the score quite admirable, and the singing first-class. Then, there's sentimental reasons: I was blown away by Syberberg's film when I saw it in the cinema in London when it was first released there in 1983, and then—almost 30 years later—attended a live performance in Bayreuth of the Stefan Herheim production, conducted by Armin's son, Philippe Jordan (one of the greatest theatrical evenings I've ever experienced, and one in which there was an uncanny, magical coincidence with the film regarding both conductors—father and son).
EDIT:
In a score that is overflowing with wonders, I'm always struck by a small passage, which may go by unnoticed, but is IMHO one if the most poetic moments in the history of opera, Parsifal's lines at the end of the Good Friday scene (just before the transformation music): "Ich sah sie welken, die einst mir lachten; ob heut sie nach Erlösung schmachten? Auch deine Träne ward zum Segenstaue; du weinest! Sieh! Es lacht die Aue!".
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 11, 2020, 12:02:34 AM
(Cross psoted from the WAYL2N thread)

First listen to this opera:

(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/43/68/0884977156843_600.jpg)

Act I.

A delightful work, full of melodic charm and a magical atmosphere. Splendid!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 11, 2020, 12:29:17 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 11, 2020, 12:02:34 AM
(Cross psoted from the WAYL2N thread)

First listen to this opera:

(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/43/68/0884977156843_600.jpg)

Act I.

A delightful work, full of melodic charm and a magical atmosphere. Splendid!

Whilst Horne is certainly not bad, I always felt she was mis-cast and wished that Von Stade had been the Mignon. She would seem tohave been a perfect fit.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 11, 2020, 12:34:06 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 11, 2020, 12:29:17 AM
Whilst Horne is certainly not bad, I always felt she was mis-cast and wished that Von Stade had been the Mignon. She would seem tohave been a perfect fit.

I'm far from being an expert on voices but it seems to me that Horne's fits the role quite nice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 11, 2020, 01:37:59 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 11, 2020, 12:34:06 AM
I'm far from being an expert on voices but it seems to me that Horne's fits the role quite nice.

She is pretty good, I grant you, but I always feel that if the set had been a couple of later, when Von Stade was a bit more famous, the role would have gone to her. Horne's voice and manner can be a bit too stentorian, whilst Von Stade excelled in roles that required charm, elegance and lightness of touch.

Here she is singing Mignon's Connais-tu le pays?

https://youtu.be/AA6pcIeqKcc (https://youtu.be/AA6pcIeqKcc)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 11, 2020, 02:41:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 11, 2020, 01:37:59 AM
She is pretty good, I grant you, but I always feel that if the set had been a couple of later, when Von Stade was a bit more famous, the role would have gone to her. Horne's voice and manner can be a bit too stentorian, whilst Von Stade excelled in roles that required charm, elegance and lightness of touch.

Here she is singing Mignon's Connais-tu le pays?

https://youtu.be/AA6pcIeqKcc (https://youtu.be/AA6pcIeqKcc)

Superb indeed, thanks.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 11, 2020, 08:42:23 AM
Sorry, but I can't abide von Stade's pursed mouth pronunciation. Every vowel is deformed in her singing. Compare with Kozena and you hear a totally different sound, with open vowels that sound just right:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH-dcFzYI1E (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH-dcFzYI1E)

There's another YT clip of Berganza singing the aria in 1986 with piano accompaniment. Her diction and voice production are ideal. Closer to is in time is Karine Deshayes, who sings it beautifully, too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2020, 02:31:50 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/ZlnRRsLjNT-59UtkCl3mH0jUUM4=/fit-in/600x616/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12796090-1542121881-1967.jpeg.jpg)

Callas wasn't scheduled to record Cavalleria Rusticana but stood in for a mezzo who was having trouble with her top notes (Stignani?). We should be glad that she did for she is superb and this recording, despite ageing sound, remains a top recommendation for the opera.

A full review of the set on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/cavalleria-rusticana/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/cavalleria-rusticana/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 13, 2020, 02:38:57 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2020, 02:31:50 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/ZlnRRsLjNT-59UtkCl3mH0jUUM4=/fit-in/600x616/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12796090-1542121881-1967.jpeg.jpg)

Callas wasn't scheduled to record Cavalleria Rusticana but stood in for a mezzo who was having trouble with her top notes (Stignani?). We should be glad that she did for she is superb and this recording, despite ageing sound, remains a top recommendation for the opera.

A full review of the set on my blog (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/cavalleria-rusticana/").
Interesting as usual, Tsaraslondon. One thing, though: I don't know if it's me, but the link to your blog doesn't seem to be working ("Safari can't find the server").

Regards,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on April 13, 2020, 03:56:27 AM
Quote from: ritter on April 13, 2020, 02:38:57 AM
Interesting as usual, Tsaraslondon. One thing, though: I don't know if it's me, but the link to your blog doesn't seem to be working ("Safari can't find the server").

Regards,

It's not working for me either. I tried another link from a previous page, with the same results.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 13, 2020, 05:09:08 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on April 13, 2020, 03:56:27 AM
... I tried another link from a previous page, with the same results.
Same here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2020, 08:06:33 AM
Quote from: ritter on April 13, 2020, 05:09:08 AM
Same here.

I've reposted it above.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 13, 2020, 08:08:19 AM
Working now. Many thanks!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 13, 2020, 10:39:56 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 13, 2020, 08:06:33 AM
I've reposted it above.

Thanks for the review. I listened to this performance only once many years ago. I really should get serious with that big Callas box. I bought it to replace a bunch of individual discs/opera sets from the early years of the cd era. The problem with them big boxes is that they have a tendency to just, well, stay there... :-X
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 13, 2020, 11:38:56 AM
Quote from: André on April 13, 2020, 10:39:56 AM
Thanks for the review. I listened to this performance only once many years ago. I really should get serious with that big Callas box. I bought it to replace a bunch of individual discs/opera sets from the early years of the cd era. The problem with them big boxes is that they have a tendency to just, well, stay there... :-X

Exactly the same for me. ...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 15, 2020, 01:53:24 AM
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/dc/c8/6e/dcc86eb552dbd96c4f07fbc85f0df3b2.jpg)

A very great performance of Cherubini's Medea, which I review more fully on my blog (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2020/04/15/callas-sings-medea-dallas-november-1958/").
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 15, 2020, 05:44:35 PM


(https://img.discogs.com/uFa1KBVyoqHOraLETXaAAJmH3qU=/fit-in/400x396/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8482390-1462475129-2218.jpeg.jpg)

And then the opera itself. 85 minutes.

Sternefeld (1905-1986) was an important musical figure in his country, holding academic and conducting positions (Antwerp, Brussels) as well as being a renowned composer. Booklet notes mention Mahler and Strauss as influences, but I think his music is much closer to that of Schoeck and Schreker. The plot is loosely based on an Andersen story, but it is heavily laced with symbolism à la Maeterlinck. Scenically it must be quite static, as it consists of a series of dialogs between the Mother and other characters (Death, Night, Water Nymphs). The music is powerfully evocative and magnificently orchestrated.

The 5 interludes have sometimes been recorded as an orchestral suite. It can be useful to listen to them first (like I did) as they contain some important thematic material from the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 18, 2020, 12:15:17 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91l6fuq3isl-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1011)

One of Callas's greatest studio sets and also one of Karajan's greatest opera recordings. Di Stefano is a little overparted, but sings with is own unique brand of slancio and there are strong contrubutions from Panerai, Barbieri and Zaccaria, but the stars of the recording are Callas and Karajan. Though the very top of the voice occasionally turns strident, the dark tinta of Callas's timbre is exactly right for the role, and she sings with her customary musicality and attention to detail. Karajan conducts one of his best performances, rhythms superbly sprung yet lyrically expansive in Leonora's solos.

A more detailed review on https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mjmosca on April 19, 2020, 08:41:09 AM
For the Easter Season, I always try to listen to Cavelleria Rusticana- this performance with Bjorling, Tebaldi and Bastianini under Erede. That cast is hard to beat [love the Callas performance too.]; that was a Golden Age for Italian opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on April 19, 2020, 04:45:11 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51iyEizWiLL._SX425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 20, 2020, 04:02:44 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41azWa3tk5L._AC_.jpg)

Recorded live from the Sydney Opera House in 2011. I bought this set new for a pittance in February. It is worth a whole lot more than many full price versions I know. The conducting is the most incisive, colourful and dynamic one could imagine. I've never heard so much wind detail as here, such forceful and trenchant attacks as those in the overture or the Supper Scene. The singing is never less than good. Standing out in the cast is the superb Elvira of Jacqueline Dark (never heard of her). Also excellent are the Leporello and Don Giovanni, both in fine voice and terrific vocal actors. Teddy Tahu Rhodes is a so-called barihunk, a baritone with an athlete's physique. His timbre is strange and takes a while to get used to: very dark, bottled, clouded on top. But it's a voice that cuts through the ensembles and rides over the orchestra, one that is never in danger of being mistaken for that of Leporello (happens rather frequently).

What I liked most here is the dashing movement, the care taken to characterize the scenes and the superb word-pointing of a fine ensemble cast. It has the unmistakable thrill of a truly exciting live performance. The sound is very good. I wish they had cut the work on two discs instead of three. It could have been done easily, with one act to a disc and would have made much more sense dramatically. Here, scene 5 of I is on the second disc, with the beginning of II, which concludes on the third disc. Strange and cumbersome.

I still cherish individual vocal performances from many other versions, as well as the superb conducting from the likes of Krips, Solti, Giulini or Nézet-Séguin. But for a great ensemble performance that gives as much Da Ponte as Mozart, this will be hard to beat.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2020, 12:21:58 AM
(https://cloud10.todocoleccion.online/musica-cds/tc/2015/05/19/12/49409133.jpg)

My annual visit to Der Ring des Niebelungen starting with Das Rheingold. A controversial choice of recording, no doubt, but it's the only one I have (I've heard a few others, but nowhere near as many as some people on here - they must have an awful lot of time on their hands  >:D) and I don't like Wagner enough to want to duplicate. In any case, I've always preferred Karajan's way to Solti's "orgasm in every bar" approach.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 28, 2020, 08:07:42 AM
Quote from: André on April 20, 2020, 04:02:44 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41azWa3tk5L._AC_.jpg)

Looks rather like Siegfried than Don Giovanni.  :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 28, 2020, 05:29:38 PM

Cross posted from the WAYL2 thread.

Quote
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71tRAljm1OL._AC_SL425_.jpg)

Well known in its film incarnation (best actress oscar for Susan Sarandon), Sister Helen Prejean's novel was turned into an opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally. It was premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 2000, reprised by opera houses the world over. It was to be staged at the Met this spring. I saw it in Montreal 7 years ago. This recording is from a Houston Grand Opera production in February 2011.

It's a powerful work, thanks to McNally's tight narrative and Heggie's voice-friendly, lucid musical lines and his resourceful use of the orchestra. The words are easily heard and understood. A good thing, as there is no printed libretto. The booklet mentions an online one on the Virgin website, but it leads to the Deutsche Grammophon online catalogue, where a search for Heggie among composers brings a 'no result' dead end.

Listening on disc to an unfamiliar opera I saw on stage is a bit strange. The words are clearer on record, but the visuals are gone, so something is lost one way or another. The singing is excellent, with an all-star female cast (Joyce Di Donato, Suzanne Mentzer, Frederica von Stade, Measha Brueggergosman) - the men are an unknown lot, but sing convicingly too. There is a nonstop hum throughout the recording, like something electronic, unless it's an AC unit (how warm is it in Houston in February?).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on April 29, 2020, 03:29:45 AM
Quote from: André on April 28, 2020, 05:29:38 PM
[Dead Man Walking] was to be staged at the Met this spring.

Next spring, actually, so we can hope it'll still happen. April 8th to May 2nd, 2021, "Live in HD" on April 17th, so maybe a commercial release to follow.

I've got the "original cast" San Francisco Opera recording, and have seen it live three times (once in New Orleans in 2016, twice in Pensacola in 2017) and find myself liking it more and more.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 29, 2020, 05:17:03 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on April 29, 2020, 03:29:45 AM
Next spring, actually, so we can hope it'll still happen. April 8th to May 2nd, 2021, "Live in HD" on April 17th, so maybe a commercial release to follow.

I've got the "original cast" San Francisco Opera recording, and have seen it live three times (once in New Orleans in 2016, twice in Pensacola in 2017) and find myself liking it more and more.

Is that so? The Met web site mentions April and May performances (no mention of the year), so I assumed it was 2020 ! It's supposed to be on screen as well. That would be terrific.

When I wrote my comment above, the second act was midway through. The final scenes are simply extraordinary. The role of Sister Helen is one mezzos would kill to sing. Di Donato is mind, body and soul into the role. Fabulous !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 29, 2020, 07:24:44 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/t4ZQYwNT4hXypq3hEuErfrV9wbo=/fit-in/600x538/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6617560-1498719341-4380.jpeg.jpg)

Continuing my Ring journey with Die Walküre. Sound and orchestral playing are superb. Listening to Act I at the moment. Vickers and Talvela are fantastic. Equivocal feelings about Janowitz as I often do. The voice has a sort of disembodied purity, which is slightly at odds with such a passionate woman.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 30, 2020, 02:46:01 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/812zcJOjNhL._SL1500_.jpg)

The recording is hard going, so I'm just listening to Callas's bits and she is incredible - literally. When do you ever hear singing like this these days? The power and accuracy of her coloratura, the fabulous top notes (right uo to an Eb n alt in the duet with Nabucco) cutting through the dim recording like laser beams, the way she can caress a phrase and spin out the cantilena in Abigaille's few tender moments. Has anyone since (or even before) sung like this?

Longer review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/nabucco-naples-1949/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/nabucco-naples-1949/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 30, 2020, 01:27:57 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51bmJLrUkbL._AC_.jpg)

from this box:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51yUqwiR0YL._AC_.jpg)

I played this set to the ground in its 3 LP incarnation on the Seraphim label. I believe it was my first ever complete opera set, bought in my late teens. With that long a connection it surprises me that many observations I made then still stand today. First of all, there are three extraordinary performances here. In order of importance, they are Callas, Serafin and Tucker.

It's hard to overstate the artistry of Callas here. Verbally, emotionally and musically she elevates the character of Leonora and the music Verdi wrote to iconic levels. There's no denying that her voice is often unstable on pianissimo notes, even in her middle register. But, strange as it may seem, her emission is very controlled and never threatens to become wobbly. Only the flutter at invan la pace makes me cringe. In the big outbursts, in the preghiera, in the big Act III aria she is simply sublime. Her way with the curse that crowns Pace, pace mio Dio is incredible: she hurls the final « MalediZZione » thrillingly. Most of the time sopranos make a meal of the word, losing its syllabic bite - something like 'malezione' or even simply an Ahhhh! Her death scene is a masterclass in singing (pointing words while always keeping a legato line) and interpretation.

Serafin conducts with great elan, attention to detail and rythmic incisiveness. It's apparent right from the opening brass chords - biting, slashing - that this will be a dramatic reading. The orchestra plays splendidly, too. Through the well-balanced mono recording one can hear excellent balances. The offstage brass in the battle scene are clearly heard but neatly distanced from the main soundstage. The boring Preziosilla scene is almost interesting for the verve Serafin brings to it.

Tucker's performance is the other vocal glory of this set. His impetuosity, his heart on sleeve singing, alternately tender and biting are thrilling. The timbre is unitalianate to be sure - dryish, like Gedda's for example - but the heft, ease on top and sheer gutsiness carry everything before him in his big scenes. Following Callas' example (?) his imprecations in the final scene (MalediZZione) are blood curdling. I forgive him the sobs and occasional whining tone. In this opera too much is better than restraint.

The other roles are decently taken, although I find Carlo Tagliabue a bore - decent singing but not really credible as the vengeance crazed psycho brother of Leonora. This recording was dismissed by purists because of some cuts. Personally I would dispense with all the buffo elements of the opera: Trabuco, Melitone, Preziosilla in the third Act really test my patience. I would have cut that silly scene altogether.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 01, 2020, 12:32:40 AM
One of Callas's greatest studio sets in my opinion. Leonora was actually her first Verdi role. She sang it in Trieste in 1948, then again in Ravenna in 1954 shortly before making this recording, but, unfortunately, never again.

She was emerging from her famous weight loss at this time and Walter Legge had said to her that if she didn't sort out the wobble he would have to give out sea sickness tablets with the records. Apparently one day during the sessions they were having lunch at Biffi Scala with Legge's wife, Elsiabeth Schwarzkopf and, whilst they were waiting to be seated, Callas turned to Schwarzkopf and said, "Elisabeth, show me how you sing top As and Bs and then make a diminuendo from them." Much to the delight of the lunch guests, Schwarzkopf at first demurred but then eventually complied, whilst Callas felt her ribs and diaphragm. "Thanks, I think I've got it. I'll let you know how it goes," she said, and the two ladies swept into the restaurant.

I agree with you absolutely that Serafin is the other star of the recording. He rarely gets enough credit, but his conducting is dramatically incisive, yet wonderfully lyrical. I'm less tolerant of Tucker than you. I always think it a shame that Corelli hadn't been engaged, but I suppose this would have been early days for him, though later that year he was singing with Callas in La Vestale at La Scala.

Review on my blog, if anyone's interested https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on May 03, 2020, 04:28:59 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 13, 2019, 02:19:35 AM
Very nice roundup of this excellent recording, Tsaraslondon! A classic, for sure, and successful at all levels. Don Carlo(s) is also a favourite of mine.  :) I have a feeling that its composer, attending to an important commission from a major foreign house, outdid himself in terms of the overall ambition of the work, and the orchestral aspect in particular.
+1 A favorite of mine!  Love the opera to begin with and the singing and portrayals in this recording are excellent!  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on May 03, 2020, 04:32:18 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on April 29, 2020, 03:29:45 AM
Next spring, actually, so we can hope it'll still happen. April 8th to May 2nd, 2021, "Live in HD" on April 17th, so maybe a commercial release to follow.

I've got the "original cast" San Francisco Opera recording, and have seen it live three times (once in New Orleans in 2016, twice in Pensacola in 2017) and find myself liking it more and more.
Same here...with Susan Graham.  Great that you've seen it live!  I imagine that it would have even more of an impact then.  It's certainly very relevant these days.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on May 03, 2020, 04:39:23 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 01, 2020, 12:32:40 AM
One of Callas's greatest studio sets in my opinion. Leonora was actually her first Verdi role. She sang it in Trieste in 1948, then again in Ravenna in 1954 shortly before making this recording, but, unfortunately, never again.

She was emerging from her famous weight loss at this time and Walter Legge had said to her that if she didn't sort out the wobble he would have to give out sea sickness tablets with the records. Apparently one day during the sessions they were having lunch at Biffi Scala with Legge's wife, Elsiabeth Schwarzkopf and, whilst they were waiting to be seated, Callas turned to Schwarzkopf and said, "Elisabeth, show me how you sing top As and Bs and then make a diminuendo from them." Much to the delight of the lunch guests, Schwarzkopf at first demurred but then eventually complied, whilst Callas felt her ribs and diaphragm. "Thanks, I think I've got it. I'll let you know how it goes," she said, and the two ladies swept into the restaurant.

I agree with you absolutely that Serafin is the other star of the recording. He rarely gets enough credit, but his conducting is dramatically incisive, yet wonderfully lyrical. I'm less tolerant of Tucker than you. I always think it a shame that Corelli hadn't been engaged, but I suppose this would have been early days for him, though later that year he was singing with Callas in La Vestale at La Scala.

Review on my blog, if anyone's interested (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/).
Great story!   ;D  I also have a soft spot for Richard Tucker.  Have you ever heard his singing of "Rachel, Quand du Signeur"?  I found this recording online (hadn't heard it before now).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyIJQ9cKID0  I'll have to see when mine was recorded.

Best,

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 03, 2020, 11:46:09 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/lCsCTz1SG9VjOVQ9l1WcSJJEaMA=/fit-in/600x540/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8734345-1467627670-7955.jpeg.jpg)

Is it sacrilege to say that Siegfried is my least favourite opera of the tetrology? It just seems to be a series of conversations that don't really hold my interest. I have to resist the urge to jump to the final, splendid scene when Siegfried awakes Brünnhilde.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on May 04, 2020, 12:53:16 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 03, 2020, 11:46:09 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/lCsCTz1SG9VjOVQ9l1WcSJJEaMA=/fit-in/600x540/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8734345-1467627670-7955.jpeg.jpg)

Is it sacrilege to say that Siegfried is my least favourite opera of the tetrology? It just seems to be a series of conversations that don't really hold my interest. I have to resist the urge to jump to the final, splendid scene when Siegfried awakes Brünnhilde.

No, its not sacrilege if that is how the work strikes you. For a long time Siegfried in the Karajan recording was the only instalment of the Ring cycle that I owned though I had heard all the others. I have to confess I listened to Act 3 more often than the rest of it. I think the work has grown on me over the years..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on May 04, 2020, 08:25:19 AM
I agree with Tsaraslondon. Or would, if I didn't find Gotterdammerung to be even less interesting as a drama. [What Wagner did musically is what saves it for me.] I like the forging scene, but I could jump to the final scene without regret.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 04, 2020, 08:52:30 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 03, 2020, 11:46:09 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/lCsCTz1SG9VjOVQ9l1WcSJJEaMA=/fit-in/600x540/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8734345-1467627670-7955.jpeg.jpg)

Is it sacrilege to say that Siegfried is my least favourite opera of the tetrology? It just seems to be a series of conversations that don't really hold my interest. I have to resist the urge to jump to the final, splendid scene when Siegfried awakes Brünnhilde.

I never have liked Siegfried, so, no, it's not sacrilege at all. To be honest, The Ring really isn't any of my favorite Wagner with the exception of Das Rheingold. I've always been more partial to Parsifal and Tristan und Isolde.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 05, 2020, 12:06:05 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 04, 2020, 08:52:30 AM
I never have liked Siegfried, so, no, it's not sacrilege at all. To be honest, The Ring really isn't any of my favorite Wagner with the exception of Das Rheingold. I've always been more partial to Parsifal and Tristan und Isolde.

I'm not sure why I've never become a real Wagnerite. I don't actively dislike his operas, far from it, but I do enjoy Italian and French opera much more. My favourite Wagner is probably Dutchman, to be honest, but I do like the other three operas in the Ring and I love the closing scene in Siegfried. It just seems to take an awful long time to get there.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on May 10, 2020, 09:48:52 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/3jbtn6l6VeqzO3Mme9sVsEqcEsg=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-9984941-1489684415-2610.jpeg.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 11, 2020, 10:33:16 AM
Quote from: T. D. on May 10, 2020, 09:48:52 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/3jbtn6l6VeqzO3Mme9sVsEqcEsg=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-9984941-1489684415-2610.jpeg.jpg)

What's this one like, T. D.? Noteworthy?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on May 11, 2020, 12:30:02 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 11, 2020, 10:33:16 AM
What's this one like, T. D.? Noteworthy?

I'd say "interesting" rather than really good. I enjoy it, but am a big fan of Gogol's writing so would have bought it in any case.
Performance, esp. singing, is good, the orchestration is novel (no violin section). Many scenes are rather loud and boisterous, vaguely reminiscent of DSCH's The Nose (also of course based on a work by Gogol) or Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. I'm not an audiophile, but will add that my old Melodiya CD pressing suffers from the harsh metallic sonics sometimes found in early CD releases (esp. Melodiya).

I'll equate it with DSCH's The Nose: recommended if you like Gogol, marginal at best otherwise. Maybe The Nose would get the slight nod because of the greater fame of the composer, but I actually listen to Dead Souls more often (disclaimer: I don't consider Shostakovich much of an opera composer).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 11, 2020, 02:55:56 PM
Quote from: T. D. on May 11, 2020, 12:30:02 PM
I'd say "interesting" rather than really good. I enjoy it, but am a big fan of Gogol's writing so would have bought it in any case.
Performance, esp. singing, is good, the orchestration is novel (no violin section). Many scenes are rather loud and boisterous, vaguely reminiscent of DSCH's The Nose (also of course based on a work by Gogol) or Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. I'm not an audiophile, but will add that my old Melodiya CD pressing suffers from the harsh metallic sonics sometimes found in early CD releases (esp. Melodiya).

I'll equate it with DSCH's The Nose: recommended if you like Gogol, marginal at best otherwise. Maybe The Nose would get the slight nod because of the greater fame of the composer, but I actually listen to Dead Souls more often (disclaimer: I don't consider Shostakovich much of an opera composer).

I love Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth, but I haven't really given a proper listen to The Nose. Anyway, thanks for the feedback.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2020, 12:22:46 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/YzoqdxCbGvhLSI8qTu1ma4v0E_A=/fit-in/600x598/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9910923-1488394480-3768.jpeg.jpg)

The front runners for this opera are probably Maag with Caballé and Pavarotti and Cleva with Moffo and Bergonzi, but this one has its attractions too, not least the affecting Luisa of Katia Ricciarelli. Vocally she is a little more fallible than either Caballé or Moffo, but she is very much inside the character and makes a vulneraby moving Luisa, no doubt helped by the fact that this recording was made during a highly successful run of performances at Covent Garden (actually a revival of a production that had been new the previous year). Much as I admire the two aforementioned ladies, I think ultimately I'd prefer Ricciarelli.

For the rest, honours are about even. Of the conductors, Maag is often revelatory and Cleva, whilst less imaginative, in the best Italian lyric tradition, but Maazel can be somehwat brash and vulgar. All three tenors are excellent and in their best form, as are the three baritones, Milnes, MacNeil and Bruson, so choice will depend on personal preference.

Federica was sung by Elizabeth Connell in the Covent Garden performances, but for some reason it was deemed necessary to bring in Obraztsova for the recording, who oversings and overpowers the role. The best Federica is Verrett on the Cleva; Reynolds on the Maag is completelyel anonymous. Richard Van Allan was Wurm in the stage performances but he is replaced by Ganzarolli, presumably because he had already recorded the role for Maag.

Still, for the three principals, this is a recommendable version of the opera and I'd be hard pressed to make a choice between it, Maag and Cleva.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 21, 2020, 11:56:02 PM
Yesterday I listened to this, inspired an operetta thread on another site.

(https://img.discogs.com/OPJi8PsctPSc-oGfPwubQ7MA4r0=/fit-in/600x519/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12033171-1527017586-5313.jpeg.jpg)

And this morning I've turned to this. Atrocious sound but some of the most stunning coloratura singing ever committed to disc.

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dvn016_l.jpg)

Full review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/armida-florence-1952/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/armida-florence-1952/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on May 22, 2020, 06:16:27 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 21, 2020, 11:56:02 PM
Yesterday I listened to this, inspired an operetta thread on another site.

(https://img.discogs.com/OPJi8PsctPSc-oGfPwubQ7MA4r0=/fit-in/600x519/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12033171-1527017586-5313.jpeg.jpg)

And this morning I've turned to this. Atrocious sound but some of the most stunning coloratura singing ever committed to disc.

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dvn016_l.jpg)

Full review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/armida-florence-1952/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/armida-florence-1952/)

Not really important, but both those covers are similar: you have to look hard at the photo to be sure who the singer is.  Especially Schwarzkopf.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 22, 2020, 04:50:05 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61iVLRBJVnL._AC_.jpg)

My own personal Boris curse: for some 40 years I've delayed buying and listening to this opera. When I started to get interested in acquiring it, the original unrimskyfied 1869 version was first issued on disc. I had no money to buy both versions and remained paralyzed for years between two equally interesting choices. So I procrastinated endlessly. To complicate matters further, new versions were issued, and critics started turning their back on Karajan (glitzy) and Christoff (tut-tutted fort his three-role stunt). I eventually settled on not making a choice and turned my back on the opera  ::). Until I found a cheap copy of the Karajan set.

I've read on the subject of the 1869 and 1872 versions (new scenes, different order, etc), attempts at conflating the two, as well as the subject of the original and the Rimsky orchestrations. My firs impression is that the Polish act jars. Dramatically and geographically it sounds out of place with the rest of the work, as well as being unnecessary to the work's narrative. However, it contains some superb music, and since I love Vishnevskaya (unlike Mike :D), I am happy to have it. It can be skipped. The St-Basil scene is not essential either, but it is important in fleshing out the character of the Simpleton, as well as to herald the Tsar's descending madness. I find that the Kromÿ Forest scene ends rather anticlimactically, but that's how Mussorgsky conceived it in both versions.

As for the orchestration, it obviously interferes with the many russian folk references by clothing them in too sumptuous a garb. One has to listen attentively to hear what are actually very simple tunes and motifs. Too much strings, woodwinds and brass tend to take away from the melodies. Conceived as musical characterizations of the soul and people of Old Russia, they should be easier to perceive than what Rimsky allows us to hear. This is especially obvious in the Prologue. I obviously need to hear the 1869 version to complement the 1872 reworking.

The cast of this version cannot be faulted. Ghiaurov's Tsar is human to a fault, the beautiful voice never suggesting the scheming murderer he is supposed to be. But I could not help warming to his noble delivery and moving portrayal. Talvela is an impressive Pimen, and all the other roles are strongly cast. Vishnevskaya is beyond reproach. I see that other singers who took the role include Arkhipova and Obraztsova, two formidable, fire-eating mezzos. I find that surprising and wonder if they transposed the role down, or if Vishnevskaya transposed it up. In any case, I'd rather have a minx Marina than a lioness one.

The orchestra's playing is sumptuous but also quite characterful (low brass and winds) and Karajan conducts powerfully. As is his wont in opera, his tempi are on the slow side, but he is splendidly supportive of the singers and manages the crowd scenes and the few moments of pageant with panache. Whatever details one may quibble with, Karajan always manages to convey his views with power and conviction. The late sixties sound is still magnificent.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on May 22, 2020, 06:37:38 PM
I have the Christoff version, and frankly the sound isn't good, and the scene in which Christoff as Pimen confronts Christoff as Boris might work on video with CGI, but on record it didn't work.

I have a live Salzburg Festival recording conducted by Karajan with Kim Borg as Boris. Meh.

And then I have Abbado, which is good, but I don't remember what version of the text and score they use. ( Amazon reviews say it's the second version, mostly, with Mussourgsky's original score, not the R-K version.)

I had the very good fortune of seeing the Met's production from the late 1970s. The version they presented was very similar to the one used by Abbado. The big difference in seeing it live was the importance of the chorus,  which turned out to be the real star of the show both musically and dramatically. The Abbado recording doesn't give them that prominence.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2020, 11:20:24 PM
Quote from: JBS on May 22, 2020, 06:16:27 AM
Not really important, but both those covers are similar: you have to look hard at the photo to be sure who the singer is.  Especially Schwarzkopf.

Well they've switched hair colour (Schwarzkopf is wearing a dark wig and Callas a blonde one) and this is pre weight-loss Callas, but otherwise they look pretty recognisable to me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2020, 11:40:56 PM
Quote from: André on May 22, 2020, 04:50:05 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61iVLRBJVnL._AC_.jpg)

My own personal Boris curse: for some 40 years I've delayed buying and listening to this opera. When I started to get interested in acquiring it, the original unrimskyfied 1869 version was first issued on disc. I had no money to buy both versions and remained paralyzed for years between two equally interesting choices. So I procrastinated endlessly. To complicate matters further, new versions were issued, and critics started turning their back on Karajan (glitzy) and Christoff (tut-tutted fort his three-role stunt). I eventually settled on not making a choice and turned my back on the opera  ::). Until I found a cheap copy of the Karajan set.

I've read on the subject of the 1869 and 1872 versions (new scenes, different order, etc), attempts at conflating the two, as well as the subject of the original and the Rimsky orchestrations. My firs impression is that the Polish act jars. Dramatically and geographically it sounds out of place with the rest of the work, as well as being unnecessary to the work's narrative. However, it contains some superb music, and since I love Vishnevskaya (unlike Mike :D), I am happy to have it. It can be skipped. The St-Basil scene is not essential either, but it is important in fleshing out the character of the Simpleton, as well as to herald the Tsar's descending madness. I find that the Kromÿ Forest scene ends rather anticlimactically, but that's how Mussorgsky conceived it in both versions.

As for the orchestration, it obviously interferes with the many russian folk references by clothing them in too sumptuous a garb. One has to listen attentively to hear what are actually very simple tunes and motifs. Too much strings, woodwinds and brass tend to take away from the melodies. Conceived as musical characterizations of the soul and people of Old Russia, they should be easier to perceive than what Rimsky allows us to hear. This is especially obvious in the Prologue. I obviously need to hear the 1869 version to complement the 1872 reworking.

The cast of this version cannot be faulted. Ghiaurov's Tsar is human to a fault, the beautiful voice never suggesting the scheming murderer he is supposed to be. But I could not help warming to his noble delivery and moving portrayal. Talvela is an impressive Pimen, and all the other roles are strongly cast. Vishnevskaya is beyond reproach. I see that other singers who took the role include Arkhipova and Obraztsova, two formidable, fire-eating mezzos. I find that surprising and wonder if they transposed the role down, or if Vishnevskaya transposed it up. In any case, I'd rather have a minx Marina than a lioness one.

The orchestra's playing is sumptuous but also quite characterful (low brass and winds) and Karajan conducts powerfully. As is his wont in opera, his tempi are on the slow side, but he is splendidly supportive of the singers and manages the crowd scenes and the few moments of pageant with panache. Whatever details one may quibble with, Karajan always manages to convey his views with power and conviction. The late sixties sound is still magnificent.

I used to have the Karajan on LP and I did really like it, but on CD I only have Gergiev's 1872 version (Borodina as Marina). It was originally issued with the 1869 version and he used different singers for the role of Boris (Putilin for 1869 and Vaneev for 1872), apparently because they are now considered very different works rather than 1872 just being a revision of 1869. I do like the Gergiev, but I do rather miss the sheer gorgeousness of the Karajan, however inauthentic we think it now.

We shouldn't be too hard on Rimsky-Korsakov. Without him the opera might well have disappeared completely.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 23, 2020, 12:03:08 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/ytwRw9_KE-h8fMd2Zjuhh8VaM_o=/fit-in/600x603/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12814117-1542470389-5900.jpeg.jpg)

Unalloyed joy from beginning to end and a sure way to lift the spirits. Those who seek textual accuracy should probably look elsewhere, but this one captures the spirit of the work like no other.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-turco-in-italia/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-turco-in-italia/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 24, 2020, 01:26:20 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71GdvY4QUfL._SX355_.jpg)

Prelude and Act I at the moment. Not sure how much time I will have today, so might have to listen over a few days. That's the problem with Wagner. One act can be as long as a whole Puccini opera. I think Götterdämmerung is my favourite of the four though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on May 24, 2020, 05:48:27 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 24, 2020, 01:26:20 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71GdvY4QUfL._SX355_.jpg)

Prelude and Act I at the moment. Not sure how much time I will have today, so might have to listen over a few days. That's the problem with Wagner. One act can be as long as a whole Puccini opera. I think Götterdämmerung is my favourite of the four though.

The idea that Wagner operas are mammoth size compared to other operas is a bit of an illusion, helped by the fact that there are no breaks in the music. I think the Prelude and Act I of Gotterdammerung is supposed to be the longest stretch of music with no break in all of opera.  And of course there's no Puccinian concision.  But some 19th century grand operas come close to the same overall length.  I think Les Huguenots hits the four hour mark, for instance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 24, 2020, 09:56:41 AM
Quote from: JBS on May 24, 2020, 05:48:27 AM
The idea that Wagner operas are mammoth size compared to other operas is a bit of an illusion, helped by the fact that there are no breaks in the music. I think the Prelude and Act I of Gotterdammerung is supposed to be the longest stretch of music with no break in all of opera.  And of course there's no Puccinian concision.  But some 19th century grand operas come close to the same overall length.  I think Les Huguenots hits the four hour mark, for instance.

It's not so much of an illusion. Act I of Götterdämmerung lasts about the same amount of time as the whole of La Bohème. The Puccini might take longer in the theatre, but that's more because of the extened intervals to ensure people spend money at the bars! Not that I want to listen to endless Puccini, but the point is that Wagner requires quite a time commitment. Yesterday I listened to the whole of Il Turco in Italia in not much more than an hour and a half.

I love Berlioz's Les Troyens (it's one of my favourite operas), which is almost as long as one of Wagner's longer operas, but I don't listen to it as often as I'd like, simply because it is so long and I've never been one for just listening to bits of an opera. I like to listen to the whole thing in one go.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on May 24, 2020, 02:00:53 PM
Quote from: André on May 22, 2020, 04:50:05 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61iVLRBJVnL._AC_.jpg)

My own personal Boris curse: for some 40 years I've delayed buying and listening to this opera. When I started to get interested in acquiring it, the original unrimskyfied 1869 version was first issued on disc. I had no money to buy both versions and remained paralyzed for years between two equally interesting choices. So I procrastinated endlessly. To complicate matters further, new versions were issued, and critics started turning their back on Karajan (glitzy) and Christoff (tut-tutted fort his three-role stunt). I eventually settled on not making a choice and turned my back on the opera  ::). Until I found a cheap copy of the Karajan set.

I've read on the subject of the 1869 and 1872 versions (new scenes, different order, etc), attempts at conflating the two, as well as the subject of the original and the Rimsky orchestrations. My firs impression is that the Polish act jars. Dramatically and geographically it sounds out of place with the rest of the work, as well as being unnecessary to the work's narrative. However, it contains some superb music, and since I love Vishnevskaya (unlike Mike :D), I am happy to have it. It can be skipped. The St-Basil scene is not essential either, but it is important in fleshing out the character of the Simpleton, as well as to herald the Tsar's descending madness. I find that the Kromÿ Forest scene ends rather anticlimactically, but that's how Mussorgsky conceived it in both versions.

As for the orchestration, it obviously interferes with the many russian folk references by clothing them in too sumptuous a garb. One has to listen attentively to hear what are actually very simple tunes and motifs. Too much strings, woodwinds and brass tend to take away from the melodies. Conceived as musical characterizations of the soul and people of Old Russia, they should be easier to perceive than what Rimsky allows us to hear. This is especially obvious in the Prologue. I obviously need to hear the 1869 version to complement the 1872 reworking.

The cast of this version cannot be faulted. Ghiaurov's Tsar is human to a fault, the beautiful voice never suggesting the scheming murderer he is supposed to be. But I could not help warming to his noble delivery and moving portrayal. Talvela is an impressive Pimen, and all the other roles are strongly cast. Vishnevskaya is beyond reproach. I see that other singers who took the role include Arkhipova and Obraztsova, two formidable, fire-eating mezzos. I find that surprising and wonder if they transposed the role down, or if Vishnevskaya transposed it up. In any case, I'd rather have a minx Marina than a lioness one.

The orchestra's playing is sumptuous but also quite characterful (low brass and winds) and Karajan conducts powerfully. As is his wont in opera, his tempi are on the slow side, but he is splendidly supportive of the singers and manages the crowd scenes and the few moments of pageant with panache. Whatever details one may quibble with, Karajan always manages to convey his views with power and conviction. The late sixties sound is still magnificent.
Hi André,

You might be interested in reading this (at least the parts about Boris) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-boris-christoff-1494547.html; From what I've read, it helps to set that HMV recording in context.  I haven't heard it before now, but would be interested in doing so.  :-)  And thank you so much for your comments; I have the Cluytens and Abbado (by Mussorgsky).  Will double check later on the RK version.  In any event, I'm delighted that you have found a version that you enjoy....that's what matters most of all! :-)

Best wishes and happy listening,

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 26, 2020, 01:54:30 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/hIbIUyIBGgVlGW5qXgoUAycf9d0=/fit-in/600x593/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12859618-1543350287-1300.jpeg.jpg)

Callas in better voice than I'd remembered and a much more interesting Turandot than we often get. The whole performance is actually really good, the main problem being that it isn't in spectacular stereo sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 26, 2020, 01:38:28 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 26, 2020, 01:54:30 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/hIbIUyIBGgVlGW5qXgoUAycf9d0=/fit-in/600x593/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12859618-1543350287-1300.jpeg.jpg)

Callas in better voice than I'd remembered and a much more interesting Turandot than we often get. The whole performance is actually really good, the main problem being that it isn't in spectacular stereo sound.

It's a very good one indeed. I enjoyed it more than I would have thought (spoiled by Callas' In questa reggia From the recital disc).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 26, 2020, 01:39:35 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on May 24, 2020, 02:00:53 PM
Hi André,

You might be interested in reading this (at least the parts about Boris) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-boris-christoff-1494547.html; From what I've read, it helps to set that HMV recording in context.  I haven't heard it before now, but would be interested in doing so.  :-)  And thank you so much for your comments; I have the Cluytens and Abbado (by Mussorgsky).  Will double check later on the RK version.  In any event, I'm delighted that you have found a version that you enjoy....that's what matters most of all! :-)

Best wishes and happy listening,

PD

Thanks, PD, excellent recension of a great singer's life and times !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 27, 2020, 01:37:35 AM
Quote from: André on May 26, 2020, 01:38:28 PM
It's a very good one indeed. I enjoyed it more than I would have thought (spoiled by Callas' In questa reggia From the recital disc).

Yes. If only they had recorded it then (1954).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 04, 2020, 02:30:00 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/yMsmzzSgHYdZ0fury-zPHt4dVes=/fit-in/600x541/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11874312-1523905749-6989.jpeg.jpg)

Who cares about sonics with singing like this. Callas's Lady Macbeth is so far ahead of the rest of the field it just has to be heard to be believed, as meticulous a realisation of Verdi's score as you are ever likely to hear. The other star of the recording is De Sabata whose direction is superb. Tajo and Penno are fine as Banquo and Macduff, but Mascherini is a bit wayward. I don't mind so much that he emerges as the weaker character as, both in Shakespeare and Verdi, it is his wife who drives the narrative, it's more that he's rather careless in musical matters. Nonetheless an important recording in the Macbeth discography.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 05, 2020, 10:24:29 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81yGBNisHML._AC_SL450_.jpg)

Powerful opera. The title does not refer to some russian princess or fair maid, but to a dark political period of 17th century Russia, the Khovansky Affair. Mixed in with the political intrigue is a religious conflict that pits the reformed Orthodox Church with the conservative Old Believers.

This version has the Shostakovich orchestration, but not his ending (at that point Shostakovich recomposed the conclusion and provided a more upbeat ending - cf. the Gergiev recording). Nagano chose the 1913 Stravinsky option for the finale, left unfinished by the composer.

The roles of Dosifeï and Marfa are very meaty and provide opportunities for in-depth characterization. They are well taken here by Anatoly Kotcherga and Doris Soffel, although the latter's bottom register could ideally be more powerful. The Khovanskys are Pasta Burchuladze and Klaus Florian Vogt. They are very good, too. The staging does not refer to any specific time frame, although the costumes faintly suggest the early 20th century. I found the sets and lighting too consistently pale and minimalist.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UL15Q13W3SQ/RoAu_UZxsJI/AAAAAAAAADE/xz1zuaxXo1Q/s1600/rsys_22009_45f6e8280263e.jpg)

What you see above is what you get - for 3 hours.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on June 05, 2020, 10:58:07 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkyMjc4NS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MzAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MDE5ODI0ODR9)
Earlier post got lost in a crash. I don't buy many opera recordings any more, but sprung for this relatively obscure release and have enjoyed it.

(https://img.discogs.com/6DOs6SUFDHevjSR4144TMoIdFAU=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-1592976-1230862826.jpeg.jpg)
Not particularly coherent, maybe incomprehensible, but I enjoy listening to it, though it's been years since the last spin. I haven't kept up with the prolific Rihm's subsequent work, however.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on June 07, 2020, 10:33:55 AM
Yesterday, on France 5: André Messager's 1907 "Fortunio". An Opéra Comique production from 2009/2019.
The libretto follows closely Alfred de Musset's play "Le chandelier", a very French (yet bitter sweet) affair.

After two hours Jacqueline (young & handsome, married to an old notary) falls really in love with Fortunio (a naive clerc) who acted as a "chandelier" (a sort of go between/ beau/ elegant sidekick/ distractor...) for her more lusty affair with a "capitaine"...

But the music is very eloquent, sweet, more Debussy than Massenet, more a conversation piece than a work with long monologues or big arias. It is not an operetta.
The production is really fine and quite traditional. Belgian soprano Anne Catherine Gillet is perfect as Jacqueline and Cyrille Dubois has the perfect looks & voice for Fortunio.
Elegant entertainment for those who have a romantic heart.

https://youtu.be/t-G_vgOQdKk
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 07, 2020, 10:40:54 AM
Quote from: pjme on June 07, 2020, 10:33:55 AM
Yesterday, on France 5: André Messager's 1907 "Fortunio". An Opéra Comique production from 2009/2019.
The libretto follows closely Alfred de Musset's play "Le chandelier", a very French (yet bitter sweet) affair.

After two hours Jacqueline (young & handsome, married to an old notary) falls really in love with Fortunio (a naive clerc) who acted as a "chandelier" (a sort of go between/ beau/ elegant sidekick/ distractor...) for her more lusty affair with a "capitaine"...

But the music is very eloquent, sweet, more Debussy than Massenet, more a conversation piece than a work with long monologues or big arias. It is not an operetta.
The production is really fine and quite traditional. Belgian soprano Anne Catherine Gillet is perfect as Jacqueline and Cyrille Dubois has the perfect looks & voice for Fortunio.
Elegant entertainment for those who have a romantic heart.

https://youtu.be/t-G_vgOQdKk
A delightful opera. I know it from 1987 Gardiner recording from Lyon.

I particularly like this bit from Act I:

https://www.youtube.com/v/Gm9RDcCb91s

EDIT:

P.S.: I see that staging at the Opéra Comique is by Denis Podalydès. I saw an interesting production by him of Hugo's Lucrèce Borgia at the Comédie Française in 2014; Lucrèce was played by a man, Guillaume Gallienne, and Gennaro by a woman, Suliane Brahim. Strange, but surprisingly effective. I'm not really that much into a Hugo's dramas, but that was a great night at the theatre.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on June 07, 2020, 11:36:40 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/m_EFut_EI-5YMqy77ZT4u4BBT48=/fit-in/600x512/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8965432-1507057282-5256.jpeg.jpg)

Minkowski made his best recordings at the end of the 90s and this one is a personal favorite.
His cast of young singers is excellent and I am surprised Mireille Delunsch did not have a bigger career.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 08, 2020, 02:19:56 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/GIgUfRpI8OWO_UnZDeqeNvp7m4I=/fit-in/450x450/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12133645-1528973974-5059.jpeg.jpg)

The first time I ever saw Fidelio (and the first time I'd ever heard it) was when Scottish Opera brought the opera to Newcastle-upon-Tyne with Helga Dernesch as Leonore. Though all the singers were very good, Dernesch was in a class of her own. I well remember her entry into the Canon in Act I, which was like a shaft of sunlight coming through the gloom. This was around the same time she made this recording with Karajan and the effect is exactly the same here. Famously Dernesch started having problems with the top of her voice and took time out, returning as a mezzo, though there is precious little sign of any strain in her voice here. Throughout she is a gleaming, radiant presence and this is arguably the greatest recording she ever made.

She is not the only reason I treasure this recording. Karajan's reading is bitingly dramatic and the whole cast one of the best ever assembled for the opera. Certainly I'm not sure anyone has ever equalled Vickers' searing intensity as Florestan. Ridderbusch as Rocco and Kéléman are superb as Rocco and Pizarro and Van Dam luxury casting as Don Ferando, as is Helen Donath as Marzelline. Dialogue is kept to a minimum and superbly delivered by the singers (thankfully no separate cast of actors).

I've lived with this recording for around forty-five years and it's still my favourite. When I was moving from LP to CD, I bowed to popular opinion and bought the Klemperer, but was profoundly disappointed, finding it less thrilling, less dramatic. It wasn't long before I bought the Karajan again.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 08, 2020, 08:59:13 AM
That's the Fidelio I have. EMI chose it for its big Beethoven box. Coincidentally, I'm awaiting the delivery of the Klemperer set any day. I'm curious about its hallowed reputation. Certainly Vickers is the great Florestan of our time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 10, 2020, 01:48:55 PM
First listen to Édouard Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys:

[asin]B079PTH8TP[/asin]
This short opera, based on a Breton legend (which also inspired Debussy's La cathédrale engloutie) is very enjoyable, nicely paced, and with strong choral passages. So far, so good...and then, in Act III, I was suddenly struck by a really beautiful aria (aubade) for the tenor, "Vainement, ma bien-aimée", which turns out to be the most famous piece of the work. This is followed by the soprano's "Pourquoi lutter de la sorte", which is also lovely. The opera, which is good enough in any case, is worth it even if it were only for these passages (well, all of Act III, actually).

The recording  is superb, lovingly led by Cluytens, and boasts an all-French cast with impeccable diction and that particularly French singing style that is so seldom encountered now. And Henri Legay is simply outstanding in the aubade:

https://www.youtube.com/v/rI7TiG5F1LI


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 10, 2020, 03:00:49 PM
+1. A superb opera. I don't have that Cluytens version, I guess I should remedy to that !

This is the one I have:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41EV2E0MTAL.jpg)

Allow me to offer « my » Aubade in turn  ;):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2TRnnx2sQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2TRnnx2sQ)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 10, 2020, 11:25:34 PM
Quote from: André on June 10, 2020, 03:00:49 PM
+1. A superb opera. I don't have that Cluytens version, I guess I should remedy to that !

This is the one I have:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41EV2E0MTAL.jpg)

Allow me to offer « my » Aubade in turn  ;):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2TRnnx2sQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2TRnnx2sQ)
Lovely performance as well, in the authentic French style.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2020, 03:13:57 AM
I only know the Aubade. In fact I used to sing it myself. I should give the complete opera a try. There was a third recording available at one time with Barbara Hendricks as Rozenn and Edouard Villa as Mylio. It seems to be out of print now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2020, 12:24:14 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Wxu-9hy9L._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

Listening to this classic recording in Warner's deluxe presentation.

Interesting to read that the sessions were linked to concert performances at the Royal Festival Hall and that both the recording and the concerts were to have been conducted by Klemperer. Ill health meant that Klemperer had to stand down and Giulini took over virtually last minute, even though he had never conducted the opera before. Giulini was not available for the concerts which were conducted, in what became a life changing event, by Colin Davis. Amazing how happenstance resulted in one of the greatest recordings of all time.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 13, 2020, 01:32:35 AM
I never knew any of that, really interesting. And quite something that Giulini had never conducted it, but produced one of the very best recorded versions. I have had it for about 40 years, still enjoy it though it has a lot of competition on my shelves.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 13, 2020, 02:06:18 AM
Last night I streamed the new Otello.

https://www.jonaskaufmann.com/en/191/



Jonas Kaufmann (Otello) Federica Lombardi (Desdemona), Carlos Álvarez (Jago), Liparit Avetisyan (Cassio), Virginie Verrez (Emilia), Choir and orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma; Conductor: Antonio Pappano

I liked it a lot. The opening scene was exciting, but I thought the chorus was very slightly ragged, not the orchestra. That apart it sounds very much together as a performance and I noticed details in the orchestra that I had never heard before. The key dramatic Points are all very well handled. I enjoyed the individual performances. Kaufmann seems well into the detail of the role, more so than when I saw the Covent Garden broadcast. By the end I felt he really had the heights and depths of the role. Lombardi is new to me. She is very good. I did not like the beat in her voice in her initial phrases, but was not aware of it as an issue elsewhere. It is quite a creamy voice and it opens out well when needed. Alverez is very experienced as Iago, committed and full of verbal expression.

I think it is on a level with the Aida from Pappano, I need to hear it some more. For a generation I have been wedded to the Vickers/Gobbi partnership and don't seem able to break it. I have quite a few versions and am tempted to buy this one, but will wait until I can find a bargain.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2020, 05:18:28 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 13, 2020, 02:06:18 AM
Last night I streamed the new Otello.

https://www.jonaskaufmann.com/en/191/



Jonas Kaufmann (Otello) Federica Lombardi (Desdemona), Carlos Álvarez (Jago), Liparit Avetisyan (Cassio), Virginie Verrez (Emilia), Choir and orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma; Conductor: Antonio Pappano

I liked it a lot. The opening scene was exciting, but I thought the chorus was very slightly ragged, not the orchestra. That apart it sounds very much together as a performance and I noticed details in the orchestra that I had never heard before. The key dramatic Points are all very well handled. I enjoyed the individual performances. Kaufmann seems well into the detail of the role, more so than when I saw the Covent Garden broadcast. By the end I felt he really had the heights and depths of the role. Lombardi is new to me. She is very good. I did not like the beat in her voice in her initial phrases, but was not aware of it as an issue elsewhere. It is quite a creamy voice and it opens out well when needed. Alverez is very experienced as Iago, committed and full of verbal expression.

I think it is on a level with the Aida from Pappano, I need to hear it some more. For a generation I have been wedded to the Vickers/Gobbi partnership and don't seem able to break it. I have quite a few versions and am tempted to buy this one, but will wait until I can find a bargain.

Mike

I should definitely try and listen to it. I'm sure that Kaufmann and Pappano will make it worthwhile. That said I bought the Aida with them and, although I liked it at the time, especially their contributions, I find it tends to get ignored in favour of others in my collection when I want to listen to the opera.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 13, 2020, 05:56:36 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2020, 05:18:28 AM
I should definitely try and listen to it. I'm sure that Kaufmann and Pappano will make it worthwhile. That said I bought the Aida with them and, although I liked it at the time, especially their contributions, I find it tends to get ignored in favour of others in my collection when I want to listen to the opera.

I very much liked everything about that Aida except that Aida. She is so lauded and famous etc and the dream team when with Kaufmann. But I can't get to grips with her voice. Another Nina Stem for me, I am deaf to what promotes the adulation. So, I have been back to Solti, which I know you dislike and Muti.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2020, 06:06:05 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 13, 2020, 05:56:36 AM
I very much liked everything about that Aida except that Aida. She is so lauded and famous etc and the dream team when with Kaufmann. But I can't get to grips with her voice. Another Nina Stem for me, I am deaf to what promotes the adulation. So, I have been back to Solti, which I know you dislike and Muti.

Mike

The Amneris was a bit of a problem for me too. She sounded a bit like Obrasztsova, who is another mezzo I've never taken to. My favourites in the role are Simionato, Dominguez and Baltsa. I'm afraid I'm a bit deaf to Gorr as well.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 13, 2020, 06:50:47 AM
I should have another listen as I don't remember the mezzo specifically.

I have been reading advocacy of Regina Resnik. I used to have her Carmen and thought it crude and her voice unpleasant. What I am reading does not sound like it could be the same singer.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2020, 01:34:32 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/52-BCEbihy-x2Hr8hWePZXyjy04=/fit-in/600x595/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8989536-1477413675-6457.jpeg.jpg)

One of those sets that is never quite the same. Each time I listen to it I notice some detail I'd missed the first time around. I find Callas's unconventional Carmen endlessly fascinating, "like Piaf singing La vie en rose, or Dietrich in The Blue Angel, which is inimitable, unforgettable, and on no account to be missed", according to Richard Osborne in The Gramophone.

My review here https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/the-callas-carmen/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/the-callas-carmen/")

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 16, 2020, 03:45:48 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71mGIsNOdmL._AC_SL444_.jpg)

Along with the EMI Karajan recording, this is by some margin the best conducted Aida I know of. Abbado leads an exciting, vital performance that carries all before it. Overall it is very well sung, too. Cossotto's fire-eating Amneris is rather crudely sung, the big voice overpowering all others. The voice itself is something to behold, but it's simply too loud most of the time. She reminds me of Obraztsova and Gorr on that respect. Arroyo's Aida is a more delicate, aristocratic creature. Her portrayal acquires more depth as the opera proceeds, and vocally she is quite beautiful to listen to. Domingo is in very good voice, singing with a lot more involvement than in the Muti or Abbado DGG recordings. Indeed, his Radamès is thrilling. The other men are excellent (Cappuccilli, Ghiaurov, Roni).

It's a live recording from La Scala on tour in Munich in 1972. The snag is the recording, which is very variable. Curiously the big crowd scenes come out best, with plenty of air and depth to the recording, with a big dynamic range. Elsewhere there is discoloration and a kind of intrusive radio signal, especially noticeable in the Prelude and the last scene. Because of the sound issues I cannot recommend this in preference to the best studio recordings. As a complement to those however it is quite a find. It pulses with life and drama like few of them do.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 16, 2020, 11:45:11 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/cyQPnB3QJuGpSva6mfljun8NwZ8=/fit-in/600x601/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12832231-1542816733-3411.jpeg.jpg)

Just fabulous. I honestly think this is one of the best things Karajan ever did. He conducts with splendid elan, rhythms superbly sprung but shaping the lyrical sections in long, heavenly phrases. And the cast could hardly be bettered. Di Stefano is probably its weakest link, a lyric tenor in a role that cries out for a bigger sound, but he almost gets away with it. Callas is slightly past her best and the top of the voice occasionally turns sour, but nobody sings Leonora's music with so much musicality, such elegant phrasing and such accuracy in the coloratura with which the role abounds. Barbieri is more conventional but still a barnstorming Azucena and Panerai and Zaccaria are absolutely splendid. I've always thought this recording was almost as much of a classic as the De Sabata Tosca

Full review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/")[/IMG]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 16, 2020, 11:58:35 PM
That set, the Mehta and the Giulini. I can't imagine needing any other performance. As so often Callas spins her music as though she was being inspired to invent it. It does not sound learned. I have never been fond of Di Stefano, but he does not let the side down. Karajan really is so acute, the piece moves in a great arc towards its inevitable conclusion.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 20, 2020, 02:44:22 PM
First listen to this recording of a favourite opera of mine:

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AzBVAB110jM/SxLDyTbovAI/AAAAAAAACHY/ob6hMN1U7s0/s1600/vestvitale.jpg)

I ordered this recording of Spontini's La Vestale (used and dirt cheap) weeks before the lockdown across Europe started, really forgot all about it, and then it was delivered last Friday. This is the opera's first recording, predating the famous 1954 La Scala revival (with Callas and Corelli, and which marked Luchino Visconti's debut as an operatic director) by three years. La Vestale never completely disappeared from the stage, and in the 20s it was given at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino with Rosa Ponselle under Vittorio Gui (in one performance, when Gui would not allow a bis of one of Ponselle's arias, someone in the audience shouted "Vittorio, think that she'll be returning to America, and who knows whether we'll ever hear her again!  ;D).

I already have the Callas live recording in my collection (initially on LP, and now on CD in the lavish Skira release, but still in atrocious sound), and the Muti from La Scala in the original French, but wanted to hear this recording for the conductor Fernando Previtali (whom I once saw conduct Turandot in Caracas, and was an expert opera conductor) and for the Grand Vestal of Elena Nicolai (one of the great mezzos in Italian repertoire of the 40s and 50s). The Giulia is the hitherto unknown to me Maria Vitale, who had a short but distinguished  career in Italy in the 50s), and the Licinio is Renato Gavarini (whose name I've only encountered in the cast of the 1954 La Scala AlcesteGluck—with Callas, a performance I haven't heard). So far (I've reached the third scene of Act I) this is most enjoyable. The overture is vigorously exposed by  PrevitaliNicolai is imposing in her part (as expected), and Gavarini is quite good in his role—with excellent diction. Perhaps Vitale is a bit impersonal as the lead, but the voice is steady across the while range (in any case, her big scenes are in Acts 2 and 3). The sound is perfectly tolerable.

Usually, these RAI / Cetra recordings from the 50s aren't the most subtle undertakings, but in my experience they invariably deliver committed and interesting renditions of the repertoire (both off the beaten track and standard), and give a rather charming glimpse of the Italian operatic scene of those years.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 21, 2020, 11:51:18 PM
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/rxAAAOSwRS9d1W8M/s-l640.jpg)

Beecham's recording of La Bohème is a big favourite of mine and almost as much of a classic as the De Sabata Tosca. A fantastic cast unified by Beecham's effortlessly elastic conducting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 23, 2020, 02:23:36 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Uwnr55bzY5ZeIQMtKDLXCoszzOM=/fit-in/600x604/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12832923-1542824522-3608.jpeg.jpg)

When one thinks of Mimi, Callas is probably the last name that comes to mind, but in fact she inhabits the role as well as anyone, revealing many details that others gloss over. This is a very fine recording of the opera, superbly cast from top to bottom. The only problem is the rather routine penny plain conducting of Votto. What heights these artists might have achieved under a Karajan or a Beecham. Still, Callas's Mimi is a lot more than a mere curiosity

Fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-boheme/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/la-boheme/")

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 26, 2020, 06:33:59 AM
First listen to this new arrival, Erich Leinsdorf's 1967 recording of Così fan tutte.

[asin]B01AMWKJFG[/asin]
Still in Act I, but this performance has already won me over (hat tip to JBS). Leinsdorf's relaxed but never sluggish tempi are just perfect for this score, and the New Philharmonia Orchestra plays wonderfully. One can notice the conductor's long and distinguished career in the opera pit, and his affinity to the Viennese Mozart "school" (his conception of the piece sounds very similar to that of Karl Böhm--who was probably the strongest defender of Così in the post-WW2 period). The voices range from the good to the very good. Troyanos is a wonderful Dorabella (she was to be a wonderful Cherubino under Böhm a year later in one of the greatest Nozze di Figaro ever committed to disc). Leontyne Price fruity, velvet voice so far is a pleasure as Fiordiligi (let's see how she acquits herself in the devilish Come scoglio aria *). One wouldn't immediately associate Sherrill Milnes with Mozart, but I've long admired his hyper-macho Don Giovanni under Böhm live in Salzburg (from 1977), and here he's also very good. George Shirley was a very versatile singer, who I've admired in different repertoires (Pelléas under Boulez, Haydn under Doráti), and he's equally admirable here. Judith Raskin's Despina is lively and agile, but not too soubrettish--her "In uomini, in soldati" is among the best I've ever heard. Perhaps Ezio Flagello's Don Alfonso is a touch below the rest of the cast (he was never the subtlest of singers, I'm afraid), but still quite good.

What a wonderful opera this is, despite its occasional longueurs, and its politically incorrect (for 19th century audiences, downright immoral) subject matter. Let's enjoy while we can, as we are entering an age where this kind of artworks might be censored.  >:(

*EDIT: Unforunately, she doesn't acquit herself all that well. She has trouble in the lower reaches of the aria, her trill is just hinted at, and the coloraturas are fine--without being spectacular. Not bad by any means, but not first-tier, I'm afraid. Still, this remains a great recording of the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 26, 2020, 09:18:24 AM
 :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on June 26, 2020, 10:28:49 AM
I enjoy that set quite a good deal, though it is not one that would get frst recommendation from anyone. The part is just not suited to the weight of Price's voice, but it is such a pleasure hearing her in most of the part. It might be old fashioned now, but there are plenty of pleasures to be had.

I also got hold of Price in Butterfly and that is also well worth catching.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 27, 2020, 07:26:11 AM
Quote from: knight66 on June 26, 2020, 10:28:49 AM
I enjoy that set quite a good deal, though it is not one that would get frst recommendation from anyone. The part is just not suited to the weight of Price's voice, but it is such a pleasure hearing her in most of the part. It might be old fashioned now, but there are plenty of pleasures to be had.

I also got hold of Price in Butterfly and that is also well worth catching.

Mike

I have three recordings of Cosí fan tutte, all of which I would prefer to Leinsdorf.

Böhm with Schwarzkopf, Ludwig, Steffek, Kraus, Taddei and Berry.
Davis wth Caballé, Baker, Cotrubas, Gedda, Ganzarolli and Van Allan
Davis (live) with Te Kanawa, Baltsa, Mazzucato, Burrows, Allen and Van Allan again, which I bought because I saw this cast in this production at Covent Garden during the same run of performances.

The Böhm, which was the first recording of the opera I owned, and the one by which I got to know the opera, is still my favourite.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2020, 01:36:40 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Bby-q1F40URe9MHaJfY0DI1puy8=/fit-in/600x596/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6122730-1544221014-6567.jpeg.jpg)

Un Ballo in Maschera is a unique work in Verdi's canon with a varied musical palette you will find nowhere else in his work. On the one hand we have Oscar's delightully sparkling music, sprinkled like fairy dust at various points in the score, then the dark, ironic humour of the conspirators's music all interwoven into the passionate beauty of the writing for the three principals. Throughout Verdi's gift for musical characterisation is at its best, and who better to reveal that than three of the greatest vocal actors of all time.

When this recording was made in 1956, Callas had yet to sing the role of Amelia on stage, but she is at her very best, stunningly accurate in the coloratura that is usually glossed over by less technically accomplished singers, her singing a model of Verdian style and eloquent phrasing. Others may have sung Renato's arias with greater beauty of tone (Bastianini, for instance, who sang the role with Callas and Di Stefano at live performances of the opera at La Scala the following year), but few have probed so deeply into the character and Di Stefano is here singing one of his best roles, occasionally careless of note values but utterly charming, eventually solicitous and ultimately noble. 

Votto is, as ever, a reliably good accompanist, but I do sometimes wonder what this performance might have been like with a Serafin or a Karajan at the helm, or indeed Gavazzeni, who conducted the La Scala live performances of the following year.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/un-ballo-in-maschera/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/un-ballo-in-maschera/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 30, 2020, 04:15:37 AM
After Spontini's La Vestale, and Gluck's ballet Don Juan, I continue in a neoclassical vein (with some Sturm und Drang touches) with Alceste. First listen to the live Callas recording from La Scala in 1954 (found at an attractive price at a department store here in Madrid).

[asin]B072MPK7L4[/asin]
Yes, the sound is atrocious, and the (then standard) version used is not philologically orthodox—essentially, the French version back-translated into Italian—, but Gluck's Alceste is a nobly expressive work, and IMHO one if the great operas of its (or any) era. Callas is in excellent voice, and deeply moving in the role; her long solos in Act I—leading to the famous aria "Divintés du Styx" (here "Divintà infernale") and in Act III are extraordinary. She is well supported by the rest of the cast (mostly forgotten names, including Renato Gavarini—who made a favourable impression on me in the Previtali / Cetra recording if La Vestale a couple of days ago), and Carlo Maria Giuilini's pacing of the score is most engaging (making it sound solemn and lively at the same time, odd as that may appear). It dawned on me this time that this is one of the few operas in which the ballets do not become a bothersome interpolation.

So, despite the reservations, it was well worth getting to know this.  :)

Next up, the Callas / Sanzogno Iphigénie en Tauride (again in Italian, from La Scala in 1957, the last collaboration between the soprano and producer Luchino Visconti), bought together with Alceste on Sunday.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on July 02, 2020, 01:47:55 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 21, 2020, 11:51:18 PM
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/rxAAAOSwRS9d1W8M/s-l640.jpg)

Beecham's recording of La Bohème is a big favourite of mine and almost as much of a classic as the De Sabata Tosca. A fantastic cast unified by Beecham's effortlessly elastic conducting.
That's a lovely one.  I have and enjoy it too.   :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2020, 01:59:06 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51IKSXNPkSL._AC_.jpg)

Berlioz's great opus is one of my favourite operas. I can never understand why people go on about it being too long and why, even these days, it is often split into two parts. It's shorter than a lot of Wagner operas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on July 04, 2020, 03:26:32 AM
I ran across a set of Boito's Mephistopheles with Domingo and Ramey yesterday:  $2 and in pristine shape, boxed and with libretto.  How could I say no?  Looking forward to listening to it soon, but not today (will be celebrating the Fourth of July).   :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 04, 2020, 09:25:29 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 04, 2020, 03:26:32 AM
I ran across a set of Boito's Mephistopheles with Domingo and Ramey yesterday:  $2 and in pristine shape, boxed and with libretto.  How could I say no?  Looking forward to listening to it soon, but not today (will be celebrating the Fourth of July).   :)

PD

I discovered Mefistofele only a few months ago and was quite pleasantly surprised. High quality operatic fare.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 04, 2020, 09:54:44 AM
Quote from: André on July 04, 2020, 09:25:29 AM
I discovered Mefistofele only a few months ago and was quite pleasantly surprised. High quality operatic fare.
I very much agree. A very, very interesting and enjoyable work...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 04, 2020, 12:19:00 PM
Right now listening for the very first time to this Britten opera:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Y5Zl4H7GL._AC_SL400_.jpg)

from this inexpensive box set:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BA3XiOz5L._AC_.jpg)

The libretto is available on line (opera-arias.com). Quite essential in this work, which Britten adapted directly from Shakespeare's Olde English text. As is his wont, Britten finds very ingenious solutions to give a musical identity to the characters. Instead of leitmotive, instrumental patterns are used, like celesta and harp = Oberon, glassy string glissandi for the group of fairies, horns and percussion for the rustics, trumpet and snare drum for Puck. Since the plot involves a constant flow of comings and goings, the musical characterization certainly helps the listener.

I found that very few recordings seem to exist, suggesting either a lack of popularity or a higher level of difficulty in terms of an audience relating to the complicated shenanigans of the fairies and rustics. OTOH there are a certain number of filmed performances on DVD, which in turn would point to the visual potential of the action and characters. Sort of like the last scene of Verdi's Falstaff, which is best experienced seen as well as heard.

So far I have heard Peter Grimes, Albert Herring, Paul Bunyan, The Turn of the Screw, Death in Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream from the above box, with The Rape of Lucretia and Billy Budd remaining. I have a video of Gloriana as well waiting in the wings. I will need to turn to other sources for the missing works, like Owen Wingrave and two of the three Church Parables (I have Noye's Fludde).

My experience with Britten's operatic oeuvre is that each work is very sophisticated in design and composition, possibly to the expense of dramatic punch and musical character, as if the composer was intent on keeping a layer or two of his personality from the listener's inquisitive ear. That means that repeated listenings will be necessary to carefully peel its different layers until the heart is exposed.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 06, 2020, 12:55:25 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAyOTE5MS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MjUzODAwNDl9)

I have always had a soft spot for Konwitschny's Dutchman and like Fischer-Dieskau's intellectual Dutchman more than most. Wunderlich gets the set off to a fantastic start. Has anyone else ever sung the Steersman's Mit Gewitter und Sturm with such headily beautiful tone? (He's billed on the front cover, whereas Rudolof Schock, who sings Erik is not.) Frick is superb as Daland and Schock fine as Erik. The real problem is the ghastly Senta of Marianne Schech, who sounds as if she would have been hard pressed to sing Mary.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 06, 2020, 01:21:43 AM
Quote from: André on July 04, 2020, 12:19:00 PM
Right now listening for the very first time to this Britten opera:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Y5Zl4H7GL._AC_SL400_.jpg)

from this inexpensive box set:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BA3XiOz5L._AC_.jpg)

The libretto is available on line (opera-arias.com). Quite essential in this work, which Britten adapted directly from Shakespeare's Olde English text. As is his wont, Britten finds very ingenious solutions to give a musical identity to the characters. Instead of leitmotive, instrumental patterns are used, like celesta and harp = Oberon, glassy string glissandi for the group of fairies, horns and percussion for the rustics, trumpet and snare drum for Puck. Since the plot involves a constant flow of comings and goings, the musical characterization certainly helps the listener.

I found that very few recordings seem to exist, suggesting either a lack of popularity or a higher level of difficulty in terms of an audience relating to the complicated shenanigans of the fairies and rustics. OTOH there are a certain number of filmed performances on DVD, which in turn would point to the visual potential of the action and characters. Sort of like the last scene of Verdi's Falstaff, which is best experienced seen as well as heard.

So far I have heard Peter Grimes, Albert Herring, Paul Bunyan, The Turn of the Screw, Death in Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream from the above box, with The Rape of Lucretia and Billy Budd remaining. I have a video of Gloriana as well waiting in the wings. I will need to turn to other sources for the missing works, like Owen Wingrave and two of the three Church Parables (I have Noye's Fludde).



It's performed quite frequently here in the UK and I've seen productions at the Royal Opera House and at the English National Opera. I have the same recording as you too. It's very good indeed. I think I marginally prefer it to the composer's own recording.

Of those you haven't heard yet, you have a treat in store with Billy Budd, one of the great operas of the twentieth century, and one that seems to be gaining in popularity. I put off hearing it for ages because I thought I wouldn't like an opera with no female voices and that there wouldn't be enough variety of vocal colour. Boy, was I wrong! I have Hickox's Chandos recording, which is superb, but I believe the Harding version included in your set is also excellent and reminds me that I heard a concert performance at the Barbican with pretty much the same performers some years ago.

I think Gloriana is still rather underrated, and never quite recovered from its not so successful premiere which was largely due to non musical matters. Britten was so dispirited by the whole experience that he never visited the opera again. Sadlers Wells revived it in 1973 in a production by Colin Graham and this production had an even greater success when revived in 1984, with Sarah Walker in the title role, a production I saw myself when it came to Leeds. This production was once available on video, but I don't know whether it's still available.

I'm still struggling with Owen Wingrave, not one I've warmed to, I'm afraid.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 09, 2020, 06:13:03 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71oOGce9u4L._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

It's a long time since I've listened to this set, but recent discussion of the opera on another platform prompted me to get it out and it isn't bad at all. Certainly preferable to the other studio recordings I've heard featuring Sills and Sutherland.

That said I wouldn't prefer it to the live 1957 La Scala set, with Callas in fabulous form as Anna. This one is a lot more complete, of course, though there are still a few minor cuts, so it gives you a better impression of the opera as Donizetti intended it. It's a shane Souliotis didn't record this at the same time she recorded Abigaille in Nabucco, but the voice has deteriorated quite a bit in three years, though nowhere near as disastrously as on the Macbeth which followed. However there are plenty of instances of hollow, unsupported tone, her coloratura has become a bit vague and she doesn't have a trill. At least she has the requisite vocal grandeur and makes something of the role dramatically, though nowhere near as much as Callas, who sounds as if she might have been born to sing it.

Horne is excellent, as you might expect, but I still prefer Simionato on the Callas set. Ghiaurov has a much more pleasing voice than the woolly toned Rossi-Lemeni, who is nevertheless more authoratative and presents a much nastier character, which is what Henry undoubtedly is in this opera. Alexander has a lot more music to sing than Raimondi, most of whose coloartura sections were cut, not that he executes it that well. To be honest, I don't mind losing some of Percy's music. He behaves like a lovesick schoolboy for most of the opera and I find him quite tedious.

Gavazzeni conducts a much more dramatically propulsive performance than Varviso, but it's good to hear the score almost complete. I have still to listen to the Theodossiou, nor have I heard the earlier live performance with Souliotis, Horne and Domingo, and Janet Baker no less as Smeton. I'm told it's a much better representation of Souliotis at her brief best.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 09, 2020, 12:13:23 PM
Thanks for the review ! This Souliotis set is sitting in the pile, still unwrapped. I might give it a go soon  :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 09, 2020, 12:28:32 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71%2B19KI%2Bi0L._AC_SL404_.jpg)

This film is a mix of an actual stage performance at Opera North with in the wings shots of some sections. I'm quoting an Amazon reviewer's description for better understanding of what we actually get in this DVD:

Quote
This is not, as you might expect, simply the filming of a stage performance. It is, in fact, a film in which the stage performance is the major part but not the only part of its substance. We get Phyllida Lloyd's staging of 'Gloriana' at Opera North as the heart of the film but we also get many backstage scenes interspersed as well (perhaps a throwback to Ingmar Bergman's approach in his film of 'The Magic Flute'), with a focus on Josephine Barstow, on-stage and off, in her preparation for and performance of the role of Elizabeth I in which she is so stunningly effective, both vocally and dramatically

Musically it is very strong, although Barstow's first scene finds her voice quite unsettled. She improves as the opera evolves (in real time). Two scenes were excised to tighten the action and focus on the Elizabeth and Essex relationship. Technically it is a superb achievement: sets, camera work, costumes, jewellery, hairpieces and the like add to the visual splendour. Barstow's acting (but not her singing) is stunning. The backstage bits add rather than detract to the realism of the action. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 10, 2020, 02:32:31 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xC8IaBBiL._AC_.jpg)

Khaikin's wonderful 1956 recording of Eugene Onegin may not have the best sound but in all other respects it's as close to ideal as you can get. There is something so intrinsically right about Khaikin's handling of the score, his pacing absolutely perfect, his control of his forces absolutely stunning.

His cast is also pretty much unbeatable, with the young Galina Vishneskaya capturing to perfection something of Tatyana's youthful sensuality, her Letter Scene one of the most erotic on disc, a young girl alone giving in to the passion in her heart. Belov is suitably reserved in the opening scenes but desparingly intense in the final scene. Lemeshev is caught a little late in his career as Lensky (he would have been 54 at the time of the recording) but sings with finesse and style.

Had the recording always been more readily available in the West, I have no doubt that it would enjoy the same elevated status as De Sabata's Tosca as one of the greatest opera recordings of all time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: AlberichUndHagen on July 10, 2020, 12:15:03 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2020, 01:59:06 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51IKSXNPkSL._AC_.jpg)

Berlioz's great opus is one of my favourite operas. I can never understand why people go on about it being too long and why, even these days, it is often split into two parts. It's shorter than a lot of Wagner operas.

I actually, nowadays, love Les Troyens, after initially a cold start (when it comes to me this is the case with most Berlioz works, at first listening - nothing, but with patience - some of the best music and drama I've ever heard.) Although I still prefer Davis' later recording of the work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 10, 2020, 12:41:08 PM
Quote from: AlberichUndHagen on July 10, 2020, 12:15:03 PM
I actually, nowadays, love Les Troyens, after initially a cold start (when it comes to me this is the case with most Berlioz works, at first listening - nothing, but with patience - some of the best music and drama I've ever heard.) Although I still prefer Davis' later recording of the work.

I've loved Berlioz since I was a teenager, when I first heard his Symphonie fantastique was was bowled over by its weirdness.

It's a close call between Davis's two recordings of Les Troyens but, by and large, I prefer the cast of the first one, except for Lindholm's Cassandre. I much prefer Petra Lang. The new Nelson recording is very good as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on July 11, 2020, 02:32:11 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 10, 2020, 02:32:31 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xC8IaBBiL._AC_.jpg)

Khaikin's wonderful 1956 recording of Eugene Onegin may not have the best sound but in all other respects it's as close to ideal as you can get. There is something so intrinsically right about Khaikin's handling of the score, his pacing absolutely perfect, his control of his forces absolutely stunning.

His cast is also pretty much unbeatable, with the young Galina Vishneskaya capturing to perfection something of Tatyana's youthful sensuality, her Letter Scene one of the most erotic on disc, a young girl alone giving in to the passion in her heart. Belov is suitably reserved in the opening scenes but desparingly intense in the final scene. Lemeshev is caught a little late in his career as Lensky (he would have been 54 at the time of the recording) but sings with finesse and style.

Had the recording always been more readily available in the West, I have no doubt that it would enjoy the same elevated status as De Sabata's Tosca as one of the greatest opera recordings of all time.

Such an epic recording, and the only one I know that fully satisfies.  :)

Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 11, 2020, 07:04:28 AM
Quote from: Que on July 11, 2020, 02:32:11 AM
Such an epic recording, and the only one I know that fully satisfies.  :)

Q

I agree. Despite the 1950s mono sound, it's still the best performance of the work I know.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 13, 2020, 01:50:10 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91nkir4mq2bl-_sl1470_.jpg?w=1011)

Not my favourite Puccini opera, nor a favourite Callas recording, but one I like to get out from time to time.

Fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/manon-lescaut/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/manon-lescaut/")
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 14, 2020, 01:27:28 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/YJKt70UNK8umyTibADe8gci_8jY=/fit-in/600x517/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8873786-1470566027-2833.jpeg.jpg)

Walter Legge always tried to capture the atmosphere of a live performance in his recordings of opera and operetta and this classic recording is particularly successful in that respect. The short introduction really does have that sense of expectancy of sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for the curtain to rise. Never fails to lift my spirits.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 16, 2020, 02:23:26 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/c4jvRlegDyLtC3bqbCdpuB9Rbhw=/fit-in/600x593/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12808866-1542374906-4777.jpeg.jpg)

Pagliacci is not a favourite opera of mine, but this superb cast almost brings me round.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on July 16, 2020, 04:38:37 AM
Quote from: Que on July 11, 2020, 02:32:11 AM
Such an epic recording, and the only one I know that fully satisfies.  :)

Q
I haven't heard of this recording before but will keep an eye out for it.  Thank you both for your comments.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on July 16, 2020, 03:04:19 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 16, 2020, 04:38:37 AM
I haven't heard of this recording before but will keep an eye out for it.  Thank you both for your comments.

PD

This seems to be its latest release (2013):

[asin]B007DCI0G4[/asin]
(Amazon.de has cheap copies)

Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 16, 2020, 07:47:58 PM
I should give it a spin. I have it in a budget issue from Preiser.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on July 17, 2020, 11:10:29 PM
Quote from: Que on July 16, 2020, 03:04:19 PM
This seems to be its latest release (2013):

[asin]B007DCI0G4[/asin]
(Amazon.de has cheap copies)

Q

I had heard of it, but because I find the soprano's voice edgy in later recordings, I never tried this early one out. I have found it on Spotify and will listen to it. Thanks.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on July 17, 2020, 11:14:14 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 14, 2020, 01:27:28 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/YJKt70UNK8umyTibADe8gci_8jY=/fit-in/600x517/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8873786-1470566027-2833.jpeg.jpg)

Walter Legge always tried to capture the atmosphere of a live performance in his recordings of opera and operetta and this classic recording is particularly successful in that respect. The short introduction really does have that sense of expectancy of sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for the curtain to rise. Never fails to lift my spirits.

I love this set so much. I have had it one way or another for about 50 years. When the Gardiner came out I got it, it is OK, but entirely misses the spontaneous, live feel of the Legge one. Everyone sounds inside their roles, voices all have  glamour and they sound like they are enjoying themselves. It is a great pity we did not get a lot more resordings than we did from this conductor.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on July 18, 2020, 01:47:41 AM
Quote from: knight66 on July 17, 2020, 11:10:29 PM
I had heard of it, but because I find the soprano's voice edgy in later recordings, I never tried this early one out. I have found it on Spotify and will listen to it. Thanks.

Mike

Vishnevskaya definitely sounds well past her best on later EMI recordings, but you'll see this sounds much better!

Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 21, 2020, 12:49:25 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81iSB%2BoEdHL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

The Beecham Carmen has a lot to commend it, not least Beecham's wonderfully elegant and stylish conducting, but, love De Los Angeles as I do, and wonderfully musical as her singing is, I just can't imagine this Carmen ever pulling a knife on a fellow worker. She is charming, playful, coquettish, but not dangerous. However well Gedda sings, he doesn't quite convince me as José here either. He is much more forceful in his recording with Callas.

The chief pleasures of this recording are musical. As a dramatic experience it doesn't work quite so wel
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 21, 2020, 04:18:27 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/81abzephn2l-_sl1500_.jpg)

What a night this must have been! Callas and Karajan, on the rare occasions they worked together, always reaped gold and this performance of Lucia di Lammermoor has justly entered the realms of legend. They had worked together on the opera at La Scala the previous year and would take it to Vienna the next. Karajan's tempi are wonderfully elastic and Callas's breath control prodigious, and the rest of the cast (Di Stefano, Panerai and Zaccaria) could hardly be bettered, outdoing that on both her studio recordings.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/")
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on July 21, 2020, 06:55:34 PM
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59 by Richard Strauss
Performer:  Luciano Pavarotti (Tenor), Yvonne Minton (Mezzo Soprano), Manfred Jungwirth (Bass),
Régine Crespin (Soprano)
Conductor:  Sir Georg Solti
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51i1SvjMBLL._SY355_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 22, 2020, 10:07:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71EBs5LpI1L._AC_SL450_.jpg)

Back in the lp days, in my late teens, From the House of the Dead was my first exposure to anythibg by Janacek. I was immediately hooked by the orchestral prelude. Another moment that stuck in my memory was the final chorus. That was from a Supraphon release, many years before the Mackerras critical edition had been in use. The orchestration was rather different - thicker, and the ending different.

This Boulez-Chéreau collaboration uses the critical edition. The important pantomimes of the second act must really been seen, not just heard (there's little in terms of spoken or sung dialog to point to what's happening: it's all in the orchestra). The camera work in the Prelude allows one to 'visit' the orchestra pit and visualize the very intricate and varied textures created by Janacek. Boulez conducts with his hands only, both going up or down together, never drawing attention to himself. Although the orchestra is a big one, textures are transparent and the orchestration often sparing.

A splendid production.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on July 23, 2020, 03:54:28 AM
Quote from: André on July 22, 2020, 10:07:23 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71EBs5LpI1L._AC_SL450_.jpg)

Back in the lp days, in my late teens, From the House of the Dead was my first exposure to anythibg by Janacek. I was immediately hooked by the orchestral prelude. Another moment that stuck in my memory was the final chorus. That was from a Supraphon release, many years before the Mackerras critical edition had been in use. The orchestration was rather different - thicker, and the ending different.

This Boulez-Chéreau collaboration uses the critical edition. The important pantomimes of the second act must really been seen, not just heard (there's little in terms of spoken or sung dialog to point to what's happening: it's all in the orchestra). The camera work in the Prelude allows one to 'visit' the orchestra pit and visualize the very intricate and varied textures created by Janacek. Boulez conducts with his hands only, both going up or down together, never drawing attention to himself. Although the orchestra is a big one, textures are transparent and the orchestration often sparing.

A splendid production.

A splendid DVD all round.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 23, 2020, 03:08:36 PM

Cross-posted from the WAYL2 thread:

(https://img.discogs.com/gYdqO4Gs3oTdZ9MZ1A-FAbCyIeo=/fit-in/600x539/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5028076-1382538383-7105.jpeg.jpg)

Middle-period Schreker, Der Schatzgreber was written in 1915-1918, a few years after his smash hit Der Ferne Klang. The music is what one familiar with Schreker might expect: lush, luminous, transparent, a work of great beauty and refinement.

The story mixes imaginary kingdoms of ancient times with the supernatural, much as Korngold did in Die Tote Stadt (1916) and as Strauss was doing at the same time in Die Frau Ohne Schatten (written 1910-1917, premiered in 1919). That kind of thing seemed to be very popular following the success of symbolist plays (Debussy's Pelléas had been premiered in 1902).

Marc Albrecht's dad, Gerd Albrecht, also recorded Der Schatzgreber on Capriccio, but numerous small cuts and some ungainly singing from the only female singer in the opera didn't help make that Capriccio effort a recommendation. Fortunately this deluxe issue by Challenge Records sets things right with a sumptuous and vibrant performance. The sound is spectacular.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 24, 2020, 12:59:52 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/wE-pT2Zya3han-eEL5Nxj1PlXps=/fit-in/517x442/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10847063-1558078553-5390.jpeg.jpg)

This performance, recorded during a rehearsal and five performances of the opera during the 1951 Bayreuth season was recorded on magnetic tape and issued both on LP and on 68 78rpm sides, the largest set of 78s ever devoted to one work. There are some superb performances here, Hans Hopf's Walther the only relative disappointment.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 27, 2020, 11:52:46 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/xRYDo7nPy0VEyLDJpcG-CgWyikE=/fit-in/600x518/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9418911-1480238927-2103.jpeg.jpg)

What a lovely opera this is. I have no idea why it is performed so rarely. Gavazzeni has the full measure of its gentle charrm and the young Pavarotti and Freni are perfectly cast as Fritz and Suzel, even if they don't quite erase memories of Schipa and Favero in the famous Cherry Duet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2020, 01:37:03 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/JleQpATZnUh9ZTkj4_gDdOP3f8M=/fit-in/600x582/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9020382-1473677913-3052.jpeg.jpg)

This 1965 recording still sounds absolutely gorgeous today. Less astringently dramatic than some, it brings out the compassion at the work's heart and enshrines a couple of terrific performances by the then husband and wife team of Berry and Ludwig.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2020, 02:46:40 AM
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/U6FdwEGFHjCA3kJHYZ8jVGV6S6cq-K2VKSQvLWYDETzO9TTZXyMCUWf0xkFZBQXKmLgnKaxMrQkZrLR4ZVfmHqFn3gNPD1KyzwXPiAM)

Not to be confused with the 1952 recording when Welitsch's voice was beginning to show signs of deterioration (she developed nodules in 1953), this 1949 performance finds her in terrific voice in a role for which she was coached by Strauss himself. The whole performance is absolutely thrilling with Welitsch's gleaming soprano cutting through the orchestral textures with ease.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on July 28, 2020, 05:44:47 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2020, 02:46:40 AM
(https://www.talkclassical.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=140452&d=1595931952&thumb=1)

Not to be confused with the 1952 recording when Welitsch's voice was beginning to show signs of deterioration (she developed nodules in 1953), this 1949 performance finds her in terrific voice in a role for which she was coached by Strauss himself. The whole performance is absolutely thrilling with Welitsch's gleaming soprano cutting through the orchestral textures with ease.

???
Image not showing. I think the host site security settings are interfering
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on July 28, 2020, 07:31:19 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2020, 01:37:03 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/JleQpATZnUh9ZTkj4_gDdOP3f8M=/fit-in/600x582/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9020382-1473677913-3052.jpeg.jpg)

This 1965 recording still sounds absolutely gorgeous today. Less astringently dramatic than some, it brings out the compassion at the work's heart and enshrines a couple of terrific performances by the then husband and wife team of Berry and Ludwig.

Pounds the table! Absolutely marvelous recording of this masterpiece. I also like the early Boulez recording on Columbia.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on July 28, 2020, 10:18:43 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 24, 2020, 12:59:52 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/wE-pT2Zya3han-eEL5Nxj1PlXps=/fit-in/517x442/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10847063-1558078553-5390.jpeg.jpg)

This performance, recorded during a rehearsal and five performances of the opera during the 1951 Bayreuth season was recorded on magnetic tape and issued both on LP and on 68 78rpm sides, the largest set of 78s ever devoted to one work. There are some superb performances here, Hans Hopf's Walther the only relative disappointment.

I have had this recording for quite a while. I much prefer Karajan's later studio recording and this one put me off buying live performances for some time. There is such a lot of stage noise, clodhumping, dancing, scuffling and voices go in and out of the betst microphone range. That all ruined it for me, good though a number of the singers were.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2020, 11:53:31 PM
Quote from: JBS on July 28, 2020, 05:44:47 PM
???
Image not showing. I think the host site security settings are interfering

Sorry. I don't know why. It shows up for me.

Salome from the Met in 1949 - Welitsch, Janssen, Thorborg, Jagel; Reiner - fabulous performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 29, 2020, 12:19:58 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71a8lP3eHhL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

Not a favourite opera of mine, by any means and I don't even have a copy on CD so was listening to this on Spotify. I used to own the Solti on LP and Marton here doesn't erase memories of Nilsson on that set. However I enjoyed this performance more than I usually enjoy the piece, which I put down to Sawallisch bringing out more of the lyricism in a score which is usually just too overwrought for me. There are other pluses too, Studer a much better, more accurate Chrysothemis than teh tremulous Collier on the Solti for one. Lipovšek, Weikl and Winkler are all excellent and Marton, a singer I don't normally like much, gives here surely her best performance on disc. If I were to get a recording on CD (still my preferred way of owning music) then this recording would be the one I'd go for.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 29, 2020, 06:35:00 AM
Quote from: Que on July 29, 2020, 01:11:36 AM
Because you're logged into your Talk Classical account?  ;)

That could be it. I'm a bit of a technophobe.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 29, 2020, 11:47:47 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/-EYS_YFnDNleF_TyI0ZHUaxoxFM=/fit-in/445x400/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6016639-1411317297-9301.jpeg.jpg)

Karajan's superb recording of Salome, brilliantly cast from top to bottom. Did Behrens ever do anything better for the gramophone?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on July 30, 2020, 12:28:27 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 21, 2020, 04:18:27 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/81abzephn2l-_sl1500_.jpg)

What a night this must have been! Callas and Karajan, on the rare occasions they worked together, always reaped gold and this performance of Lucia di Lammermoor has justly entered the realms of legend. They had worked together on the opera at La Scala the previous year and would take it to Vienna the next. Karajan's tempi are wonderfully elastic and Callas's breath control prodigious, and the rest of the cast (Di Stefano, Panerai and Zaccaria) could hardly be bettered, outdoing that on both her studio recordings.

https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/")
Don't know that specific recording.  I have her Lucia with Serafin (plus a highlights) and one with Sutherland.  How is the recording sound on it?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on July 30, 2020, 12:33:07 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2020, 11:53:31 PM
Sorry. I don't know why. It shows up for me.

Salome from the Met in 1949 - Welitsch, Janssen, Thorborg, Jagel; Reiner - fabulous performance.
Salomé and Welitsch:  a match made in heaven!  ;D

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 30, 2020, 12:53:11 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZtjKG%2BdTL._AC_.jpg)

Verdi worked on Boccanegra in 1856, but the public reception was frosty. Unsatisfied with the fate of an opera he deeply believed in, he set back to work on it almost 25 years later when he was already 'retired', having Boito rework the libretto. Boito wrote a new, elaborate finale for the first act, for which Verdi composed totally new music - his first compositional effort after the Requiem of 1875. Elsewhere, he introduced new harmonies, a different orchestration and did some rewriting due to Boito's changes. It was created at La Scala in 1881 and was a success. It has been performed and recorded in the revised version ever since. Chronologically, Boccanegra followed the Trovatore-Rigoletto-Traviata trio, but the revised version stands between the Requiem and Otello. It also inaugurated the collaboration with Boito. The rejuvenated composer went on to compose Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893).

This performance is from 1957, but the recording is in mono. Technically, it was DOA when issued in 1958, when stereophony had become standard. However, because of the lack of competition it's always been around and it was not before the seventies that new commercial versions were released (Gavazzeni in 1973 on RCA and Abbado in 1977 on DGG).

It is a somber work, and Verdi's orchestration often plumbs the depths of the register, with horns, trombones, bass trombone and bassoons lending a dark colouring. Vocally the most striking roles are for baritone (Boccanegra) and two basses (Fiesco and Paolo). The soprano role of Amelia is rather wan and conventional. Surprisingly for Verdi, it is also devoid of important musical material. Also, it is the only female role in the opera, a very unusual feature of verdian casting. The tenor role of Gabriele Adorno is also short and rather one-dimensional.

Gobbi and Christoff tower, both individually and in their confrontations, the voices immediately recognizable, and both at the height of their vocal and dramatic powers. Santini conducts with care and efficiency. The sound is okay.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 30, 2020, 03:25:31 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 30, 2020, 12:28:27 PM
Don't know that specific recording.  I have her Lucia with Serafin (plus a highlights) and one with Sutherland.  How is the recording sound on it?

PD

Well it's live so not as good as either studio recording, but this has always been the best of all Callas's live recordings, a lot clearer than any of her others, and the performance is legendary, one of her greatest nights in the theatre.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 30, 2020, 03:29:33 PM
Quote from: André on July 30, 2020, 12:53:11 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZtjKG%2BdTL._AC_.jpg)

Verdi worked on Boccanegra in 1856, but the public reception was frosty. Unsatisfied with the fate of an opera he deeply believed in, he set back to work on it almost 25 years later when he was already 'retired', having Boito rework the libretto. Boito wrote a new, elaborate finale for the first act, for which Verdi composed totally new music - his first compositional effort after the Requiem of 1875. Elsewhere, he introduced new harmonies, a different orchestration and did some rewriting due to Boito's changes. It was created at La Scala in 1881 and was a success. It has been performed and recorded in the revised version ever since. Chronologically, Boccanegra followed the Trovatore-Rigoletto-Traviata trio, but the revised version stands between the Requiem and Otello. It also inaugurated the collaboration with Boito. The rejuvenated composer went on to compose Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893).

This performance is from 1957, but the recording is in mono. Technically, it was DOA when issued in 1958, when stereophony had become standard. However, because of the lack of competition it's always been around and it was not before the seventies that new commercial versions were released (Gavazzeni in 1973 on RCA and Abbado in 1977 on DGG).

It is a somber work, and Verdi's orchestration often plumbs the depths of the register, with horns, trombones, bass trombone and bassoons lending a dark colouring. Vocally the most striking roles are for baritone (Boccanegra) and two basses (Fiesco and Paolo). The soprano role of Amelia is rather wan and conventional. Surprisingly for Verdi, it is also devoid of important musical material. Also, it is the only female role in the opera, a very unusual feature of verdian casting. The tenor role of Gabriele Adorno is also short and rather one-dimensional.

Gobbi and Christoff tower, both individually and in their confrontations, the voices immediately recognizable, and both at the height of their vocal and dramatic powers. Santini conducts with care and efficiency. The sound is okay.

I love this opera. I love its dark orchestration. I love the beautiful evocation of the sea just before Amelia's one aria. I have the Abbado recording, which takes a lot of beating, but I also have this one for the contributions of Gobbi, Christoff and De Los Angeles. Santini is a bit penny plain though.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2020, 12:36:25 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/wfoEX80XX_o3WXwBLS_BVERW4ZY=/fit-in/450x450/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12456509-1595782072-6775.jpeg.jpg)

A thrilling performance of Bellini's La Sonnambula with Callas at the top of her form and at the beginning of her annus mirabilis in 1955. The under-recorded Cesare Valletti is another asset and I always think it a shame he wasn't engaged for the studio recording in 1957.

A full review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/la-sonnambula-la-scala-1955/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/la-sonnambula-la-scala-1955/").

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2020, 02:15:30 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YFGsev6xL._AC_.jpg)

An excellent recording of Puccini's one act opera, which is often forgotten, probably because it is not associated with a complete recording of Il Trittico. Cossotto is a bit anonymous as the Zia Principessa, but Ricciarelli is a most affecting heroine and her voice was in good shape at this time (1972).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on July 31, 2020, 01:09:47 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 30, 2020, 03:25:31 PM
Well it's live so not as good as either studio recording, but this has always been the best of all Callas's live recordings, a lot clearer than any of her others, and the performance is legendary, one of her greatest nights in the theatre.
Ah, I was thinking that this was a new-to-me-one, but looking back, I see that it's on Warner, hence former EMI (with different cover).  It's one that I've been tempted to get in the past.  Have you noticed any differences in terms of remastering?  I've heard of horrible things in the past like lyrics/singing getting left out (cut)!   :( >:(  Any suggestions (going back to first question) as to best remaster of this one?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2020, 11:47:13 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 31, 2020, 01:09:47 PM
Ah, I was thinking that this was a new-to-me-one, but looking back, I see that it's on Warner, hence former EMI (with different cover).  It's one that I've been tempted to get in the past.  Have you noticed any differences in terms of remastering?  I've heard of horrible things in the past like lyrics/singing getting left out (cut)!   :( >:(  Any suggestions (going back to first question) as to best remaster of this one?

PD

The new Warner is taken from a different source and is a lot better than the EMI, which wasn't good at all. However the best master is on Divina https://www.divinarecords.com/dvn019/dvn019.html (https://www.divinarecords.com/dvn019/dvn019.html), though only available as a download at the moment.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 01, 2020, 01:01:56 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71lRPji5uRL._AC_SL1300_.jpg)

I used to own the Decca digital recording with Pavarotti, Freni and Ghiaurov but, for some reason, it appears to be no longer available as a download - certainly nowhere to be found on either iTunes or Spotify.

No matter, this recording is very good and in some ways betters its Decca rival. Caballé, who sings the smaller role of Helen on the Decca set, ia more vocally entitled Margherita than Freni and her singing is quite ravishing. On the other hand Josella Ligi can't hope to compare with Caballé as Helen. Domingo is in excellent voice as Faust and Rudel shapes the score very well indeed, especially in the Prologue. Which leaves the small matter of Mefistofele himself. Ghiaurov easily has the better voice, but Treigle does more with the role dramatically and sounds suitably demonic.

Quite incomprehensible to me why the opera is performed so rarely.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 01, 2020, 03:07:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2020, 11:47:13 PM
The new Warner is taken from a different source and is a lot better than the EMI, which wasn't good at all. However the best master is on Divina https://www.divinarecords.com/dvn019/dvn019.html (https://www.divinarecords.com/dvn019/dvn019.html), though only available as a download at the moment.
Thanks so much for the information!  I hadn't heard of Divina before now.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 07, 2020, 12:43:57 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71u6QcLcZrL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

Recorded in 1958, this set remains a strong contender for Der Freischütz with terrific performnces from, in particular, Elisabeth Grümmer and Gottlob Frick. I actually prefer it to Kleiber's celebrated recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on August 07, 2020, 01:28:08 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 07, 2020, 12:43:57 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71u6QcLcZrL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

Recorded in 1958, this set remains a strong contender for Der Freischütz with terrific performnces from, in particular, Elisabeth Grümmer and Gottlob Frick. I actually prefer it to Kleiber's celebrated recording.

So do I but then I had lived with the Keilberth (on battered secondhand LPs) for a couple of decades before the Kleiber came along. Nothing wrong with Kleiber but prefer Keilberth.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 07, 2020, 02:12:20 AM
Quote from: Biffo on August 07, 2020, 01:28:08 AM
So do I but then I had lived with the Keilberth (on battered secondhand LPs) for a couple of decades before the Kleiber came along. Nothing wrong with Kleiber but prefer Keilberth.

I think the Kleiber was the first recording of the work I heard. At the time it seemed revelatory but now I find it a bit manered. Schreier is not a god fit for Max and Janowitz coolly beautiful but almost completely inexpressive. Keilberth's reading is much more natural and Grümmer is beyond reproach. The only other soprano who comes close in her singing of the solos is Schwarzkopf.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on August 07, 2020, 09:42:30 AM
Did you guys ever head Furtwängler's Freischûtz?  :)

I was pleasantly surprised! It has a stellar cast.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/weber-der-freischütz-7 (https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/weber-der-freisch%C3%BCtz-7)

Q
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 08, 2020, 12:09:47 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/SJLAI6c66h6ca3fK_H2KbYLyIi8=/fit-in/600x601/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5103789-1526059147-1145.gif.jpg)

Scotto's Angelica is one of her greatest recorded performances (and the DVD from the Met is no less fine). My top choice for the opera, just ahead of De Los Angeles and Ricciarelli.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 08, 2020, 12:10:59 AM
Quote from: Que on August 07, 2020, 09:42:30 AM
Did you guys ever head Furtwängler's Freischûtz?  :)

I was pleasantly surprised! It has a stellar cast.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/weber-der-freischütz-7

Q

The link doesn't work (and I'm subscribed to Gramophone reviews). I don't know the recording.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on August 08, 2020, 09:22:52 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 08, 2020, 12:10:59 AM
The link doesn't work (and I'm subscribed to Gramophone reviews). I don't know the recording.

No, it doesn't, but if you copy the entire URL (including the "ütz-7" at the end) and paste it into your browser, it does, and I'm not subscribed.

Or click this:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/weber-der-freisch%C3%BCtz-7
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 08, 2020, 11:45:59 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on August 08, 2020, 09:22:52 AM
No, it doesn't, but if you copy the entire URL (including the "ütz-7" at the end) and paste it into your browser, it does, and I'm not subscribed.

Or click this:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/weber-der-freisch%C3%BCtz-7

Finally managed to read it. Alan Blyth makes no comment about the sound. How good is it? I'm not sure if I need more than one recording of the opera but, aside from Hopf, it would appear to have a great deal to commend it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on August 09, 2020, 01:23:31 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 07, 2020, 02:12:20 AM
I think the Kleiber was the first recording of the work I heard. At the time it seemed revelatory but now I find it a bit manered. Schreier is not a god fit for Max and Janowitz coolly beautiful but almost completely inexpressive. Keilberth's reading is much more natural and Grümmer is beyond reproach. The only other soprano who comes close in her singing of the solos is Schwarzkopf.

As it wasn't very expensive I finally replaced my Keilberth LPs with the CD version from Amazon - as cheap as anyone once postage was included. Also, effectively I got two for the price of one. The CDs came with a free mp3 download but rather oddly the mp3 version was the Jochum recording. The sound isn't brilliant but OK for a freebie.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: AlberichUndHagen on August 12, 2020, 07:52:10 AM
Does anyone know is there an existing recording/s of Alfred Bruneau's Messidor, preferably with english libretto (if such a thing exists)? I'm interested in it because no lesser writer than Emile Zola himself wrote the libretto to it. The musical parts that I heard from youtube seemed great as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 12, 2020, 09:02:43 AM
Quote from: AlberichUndHagen on August 12, 2020, 07:52:10 AM
Does anyone know is there an existing recording/s of Alfred Bruneau's Messidor, preferably with english libretto (if such a thing exists)? I'm interested in it because no lesser writer than Emile Zola himself wrote the libretto to it. The musical parts that I heard from youtube seemed great as well.
I only know of two recordings of Messidor ( either if which I've heard—actually, I don't know the work and have not been impressed by the Bruneau I have heard—the Requiem):

1) This (https://www.premiereopera.net/prodotto/messidor-by-bruneau-erfurt-2006/) live one, a "private", allegedly "very good in-house" recording. This  label issues decent (bootleg) recordings of obscure operas (albeit no-frills ones, with no libretto of course).

2) A historic (https://www.malibran.com/acatalog/Messidor---Alfred-Bruneau-2CD-MR639.html) recording under Albert Wolff from 1948 (I wouldn't expect there to be a libretto either, and the sound is bound to be so-so). Malibran specialises in (mainly French) historical opera performances.

Can't find any trace of the libretto online. Sorry!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 12, 2020, 09:15:44 AM
The vocal score is online via Google Books
https://books.google.com/books?id=-OYQAAAAYAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Alfred%20Bruneau%22&pg=PP11#v=onepage&q&f=false

Although naturally the text is French-only.

Some  of the orchestral music was recorded  on Marco Polo.
https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223498
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 12, 2020, 05:12:44 PM
Quote from: AlberichUndHagen on August 12, 2020, 07:52:10 AM
Does anyone know is there an existing recording/s of Alfred Bruneau's Messidor, preferably with english libretto (if such a thing exists)? I'm interested in it because no lesser writer than Emile Zola himself wrote the libretto to it. The musical parts that I heard from youtube seemed great as well.

Zola wrote the libretto of 5 operas by Bruneau. AFAIK only Messidor has been recorded.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 13, 2020, 12:04:32 PM
Newly arrived.
[asin]B07TJKC2DT[/asin]
The original 1805 version, in three acts. Jacobs modified the spoken dialogue in places. The dramatic action is somewhat different from the final version, including some musical numbers that did not survive later cuts, and fuller versions of numbers that did survive. In the liner notes Jacobs makes the argument that this version is the best version of the opera, and not the more familiar Fidelio.  Overture used is Leonore II.

Packaging is a bit luxe: hardbound book about the size of my hand.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: AlberichUndHagen on August 14, 2020, 07:51:08 AM
Heartfelt thanks for the info, friends! I had actually managed to find the French vocal score and even German version of the libretto by myself. Unfortunately, I am not fluent in French. I know German slightly better but not enough for a reading. Anyway, thank you for the info! At least now I know.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 18, 2020, 12:45:22 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41bUnsnNdBL._AC_.jpg)

Peter Grimes has been extraordinarily lucky on disc and I'd be hard pressed to choose a favourite recording. This one is certainly one of the finest and the sound is superb.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on August 18, 2020, 04:21:47 AM
Listening, and watching, this production of Hippolyte et Aricie.

(https://static.fnac-static.com/multimedia/Images/FR/NR/83/d6/5f/6280835/1540-1/tsp20140926094221/Hippolyte-et-Aricie-2-DVD.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 19, 2020, 04:00:31 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 18, 2020, 12:45:22 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41bUnsnNdBL._AC_.jpg)

Peter Grimes has been extraordinarily lucky on disc and I'd be hard pressed to choose a favourite recording. This one is certainly one of the finest and the sound is superb.
The only one that I know is the one with Peter Pears.  Which other ones do you like?  As an aside, I do love the Four Sea Interludes and the Passacaglia from the opera.   :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2020, 09:50:13 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on August 19, 2020, 04:00:31 AM
The only one that I know is the one with Peter Pears.  Which other ones do you like?  As an aside, I do love the Four Sea Interludes and the Passacaglia from the opera.   :)

PD

My favourites are the Britten with Pears, the Davis with Vickers and this one. The Britten and Davis both have slightly better supporting casts, but Langridge is also a great Grimes and the sound of the Chandos recording is amazing. The Davis also has my favourite Ellen in Heather Harper.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 19, 2020, 12:40:45 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2020, 09:50:13 AM
My favourites are the Britten with Pears, the Davis with Vickers and this one. The Britten and Davis both have slightly better supporting casts, but Langridge is also a great Grimes and the sound of the Chandos recording is amazing. The Davis also has my favourite Ellen in Heather Harper.
Thanks, I'll check into them via library.   :)  I must admit though, from what I recall, I wasn't keen on Vickers' voice...at least in terms of his Aida.  Will try and keep an open mind though.

Best wishes,

PD

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 19, 2020, 06:24:59 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2020, 09:50:13 AM
My favourites are the Britten with Pears, the Davis with Vickers and this one. The Britten and Davis both have slightly better supporting casts, but Langridge is also a great Grimes and the sound of the Chandos recording is amazing. The Davis also has my favourite Ellen in Heather Harper.

Vicker's voice was a much better fit for roles like Grimes than Aida.

While you're at the library check to see if they have the DVD of the Met's production. I thought that was an absolutely stunning version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2020, 11:31:20 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on August 19, 2020, 12:40:45 PM
Thanks, I'll check into them via library.   :)  I must admit though, from what I recall, I wasn't keen on Vickers' voice...at least in terms of his Aida.  Will try and keep an open mind though.

Best wishes,

PD

Vickers is one of my all time favourite singers with an immediatelty recognisable sound. He sang a great deal of Italian opera in his early career before turning to Wagner and then eventually concentrating on a handful of roles - Tristan, Grimes, Otello and Samson in particular. I like his Radames, though apparently it was not a happy recording experience as he and Solti did not get on.

Round about the time of his first recording of Otello he recorded a superb recital of Italian arias with Serafin. His singing is wonderfully musical and intensely dramatic at the same time with none of the bad habits of many of the Italian tenors of the period - aspirates and extraneous sobs etc. I've reviewed it on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/jon-vickers-italian-opera-arias/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/jon-vickers-italian-opera-arias/).

Incidentally, he was a favourite of Callas and she chose him to sing Giasone in the Dallas production of Medea and in all subsequent performances of the opera in London, Epidaurus and Milan. She wanted him for Pollione in her final performances of Norma, but he declined as he didn't have the high C in his Act I aria. He did eventually sing the role to Caballé's Norma in Orange, but omitted the top C. I don't think he ever sang it again.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on August 20, 2020, 01:05:18 AM
Vicker does not have what you may call a "beautiful voice", but his voice is so perfect for characterization, which makes him the perfect voice for certain opera roles.
I first heard him in 1981 in Das Lied von der Erde with Giulini and LAPO in concert.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 20, 2020, 02:19:57 AM
Quote from: springrite on August 20, 2020, 01:05:18 AM
Vicker does not have what you may call a "beautiful voice",

Oh I don't know. This sounds rather beautiful to me. https://youtu.be/CjpGohxUjVk (https://youtu.be/CjpGohxUjVk)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 20, 2020, 03:05:51 AM
Thank you for the suggestions.  I'll look into them.   :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on August 20, 2020, 03:13:28 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 20, 2020, 02:19:57 AM
Oh I don't know. This sounds rather beautiful to me. https://youtu.be/CjpGohxUjVk (https://youtu.be/CjpGohxUjVk)

Beautiful to me as well, of course.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 20, 2020, 05:33:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2020, 11:31:20 PM
Vickers is one of my all time favourite singers with an immediatelty recognisable sound. He sang a great deal of Italian opera in his early career before turning to Wagner and then eventually concentrating on a handful of roles - Tristan, Grimes, Otello and Samson in particular. I like his Radames, though apparently it was not a happy recording experience as he and Solti did not get on.

Round about the time of his first recording of Otello he recorded a superb recital of Italian arias with Serafin. His singing is wonderfully musical and intensely dramatic at the same time with none of the bad habits of many of the Italian tenors of the period - aspirates and extraneous sobs etc. I've reviewed it on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/jon-vickers-italian-opera-arias/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/jon-vickers-italian-opera-arias/).

Incidentally, he was a favourite of Callas and she chose him to sing Giasone in the Dallas production of Medea and in all subsequent performances of the opera in London, Epidaurus and Milan. She wanted him for Pollione in her final performances of Norma, but he declined as he didn't have the high C in his Act I aria. He did eventually sing the role to Caballé's Norma in Orange, but omitted the top C. I don't think he ever sang it again.


Thanks for the info, Tsaras. I put this disc in my cart and look forward to hear it !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 20, 2020, 09:16:38 AM
Quote from: JBS on August 19, 2020, 06:24:59 PM
Vicker's voice was a much better fit for roles like Grimes than Aida.

While you're at the library check to see if they have the DVD of the Met's production. I thought that was an absolutely stunning version.
JBS,

We can't yet go wandering through the stacks here.  I am able to sign into my account and request items to be put on hold for me though.  I'm then notified when they are available for pickup.  I did find an ROH recording (DVD) with Vickers and put a hold on it.

Quote from: springrite on August 20, 2020, 03:13:28 AM
Beautiful to me as well, of course.
Thank you for that youtube link Tsaras; I enjoyed it.  Think that I might have an Otello with him too.  Will look later.

Best wishes,

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2020, 12:00:32 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/xJgKFb4WBTREsTq8LmfSzgwcSsg=/fit-in/600x516/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5904254-1481394902-1582.jpeg.jpg)

This wouldn't be my top choice for the opera, but it's an enjoyable enough set and Freni is in fresher voice here than she is on the Levine, where she just sounds too old.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2020, 09:19:48 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/fJB3lTLSkLiB_4O8u5uGJNhS3qY=/fit-in/600x597/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7356187-1580404569-1311.jpeg.jpg)

I'd not heard this performance of Donizetti's charming comedy before, but it's really very good indeed. I slightly prefer Cotrubas on the Pritchard to Ricciarelli here, but I like Carreras much more than Domingo who can't quite disguise the fact that his voice was a bit heavy for the role by the time he came to record it. Nucci is better here than I've heard him before and Scimone conducts a sparkling account of the score.

Very enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 22, 2020, 09:51:27 AM

Cross posted:

Quote
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/WQsAAOSwll1WysXG/s-l1600.jpg)

Landowski's second opera dates from 1956 and is a dramatic/philosophical tale on WMD and the annihilation of mankind. Heady stuff. Nothing to do with the Gogol story, it inhabits the pessimistic world of Kafka and Orwell. The music is sensational. Landowski's use of the orchestra is that of a master painter. Every tune, every tone, every voice inflexion carries meaning. The whole 85 minutes experience is riveting.

I don't know if the original release on lp (pictured above) contained a libretto. The Landowski box maintains that copyright issues forbade the printing of texts (this box contains a few vocal works). This French production boasts superior singing (van Dam and Huttenlocher are very impressive), and Landowski keeps the vocal lines singable at all times (no stratospheric screeching from the soloists or chorus).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 23, 2020, 08:26:48 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/W69oNU6z6bZPd1sYwLlGsIAoAMI=/fit-in/600x517/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8968905-1514939665-8436.jpeg.jpg)

Another very enjoyable recording of Donizetti's comedy. Good to be reminded of the youthful Alagna, whom I saw in Roméo et Juliette at Covent Garden around the same time as this recording was made. He is a charmingly diffident Elvino and sings a lovely, inward Una furtiva lagrima. Devia hasn't the most individual of voices but is nonetheless perfectly cast as Adina. Spagnoli is a bit too "straight" as Belcore but sings well and Pratico is an excellent Dulcamara.

Viotti conducts a sprightly performance with the English Chamber Orchestra in sparkling form.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on August 24, 2020, 12:20:50 PM
During the weekend: Wagner and Massenet. On TV.

My first ever complete Tristan. Stuart Skelton (tenor), Nina Stemme (soprano) en René Pape (bass), Ekaterina Gubanova (mezzo/Brangaene). Metropolitan Opera House / New York in 2016. Simon Rattle / Mariusz Trelinski director.
I tried hard, grew increasingly impatient. Stemme and Skelton were extremely valiant but seemed just old and tired. Is it possible to both act and sing well in this never ending story?. The staging (very dark/ WWII war zones?) didn't help.  My heart stayed cold, my nerves painfully tested.
I'm not a Wagnerian.

Massenet : Cendrillon (1899). A huge contrast, of course, after Wagner (whom Massenet loved & knew well ). This fairy tale is  light,  sentimental, fun (almost an operetta),pleasant, quick paced and also full of vocal and orchestral fire works. A good evening out in Freiburg, but I wasn't moved.
The production from Freiburg (2017 – directed by Barbara Mundel / sets by Olga Motta) is colorful and ingenious but less refined/sharp and humorous as Laurent Pelly's  star studded version (La Monnaie/ Santa Fe/ London...see YT).
Soprano Kim-Lillian Strebel isn't Joyce DiDonato... with Katharina Melnikova, Anat Czarny, Anja Jung and Juan Orozco . Fabrice Bollon conducted.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 25, 2020, 12:27:09 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 18, 2020, 12:45:22 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41bUnsnNdBL._AC_.jpg)

Peter Grimes has been extraordinarily lucky on disc and I'd be hard pressed to choose a favourite recording. This one is certainly one of the finest and the sound is superb.

I am waiting eagerly for the new Chandos set from Ed Gardner. It is due in a couple of weeks. It has the cast of the concert tour of the work. I saw it in Edinburgh and it has to be one of my very top opera experiences. I am certain the discs will be terrific.

Since it was issued my mainstay has been Colin Davis with Vickers and Harper. Powerful and poetic, I would never want to be without it.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 25, 2020, 12:43:44 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 20, 2020, 02:19:57 AM
Oh I don't know. This sounds rather beautiful to me. https://youtu.be/CjpGohxUjVk (https://youtu.be/CjpGohxUjVk)

That was beautiful, thanks. Vickers seemed to have a chip on his shoulder. He felt he should have been given the chance to make more recordings, especially Parsifal and Don Carlo. Fortunately there are good live recordings of both and he did have a good run at a lot of his roles. Has anyone ever had a better line in heroic suffering? As you say, his voice is instantly recognisable and he always sang off the words. More modern Otellos make comparatively little of the words such as Gloria. He colours it, savours it and makes us hear the regret, grief, loss in one word. Most tenors simply sing the note and move on. To an extent, like very few other singers, Callas was one, he etched moments into your head and you can't here them sung any other way.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 25, 2020, 01:38:09 AM
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xT8yvi1zIbY/XYSGXPOx6BI/AAAAAAAAQWw/1yHILGPszZgiUx16iAGqaaZcqsx0atGggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/81xAhLQnxWL._SL1500_.jpg)

This recording of the 1859 score, as it was most likely performed at the Théatre Lyrique, is not really comparable to or competitive with all other recorded versions as it differs in so many ways, chief amongst them being the spoken dialogue which Gounod replaced with recitative for the 1869 production at the Paris Opéra. There are other differences too such as the omission of Valentin's famous Avant de quitter ces lieux (though, curiously we still hear the tune in the overture) and Méphistophélès's Veau d'or. Siebel and Marthe are also much bigger roles.

Splendidly performed here by the period ensemble Les Talens Lyriques under Christophe Rousset, the best of the soloists is undoubtedly Benjamin Bernheim as Faust, a lyric tenor, who fulfils all the requirements of the role, including a lovely voix mixte when required. Andrew Foster-Williams is a lighter voiced Méphisto than the ones we have become used to and Gens rather heavier than sopranos usually allotted the role of Margeurite. She is an intelligent singer but I still prefer De Los Angeles in the role.

I doubt it will ever replace the much more regularly performed 1869 version, but I found this excellent performance of the 1859 version very enjoyable on its own merits.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 25, 2020, 01:44:27 AM
Quote from: knight66 on August 25, 2020, 12:43:44 AM
That was beautiful, thanks. Vickers seemed to have a chip on his shoulder. He felt he should have been given the chance to make more recordings, especially Parsifal and Don Carlo. Fortunately there are good live recordings of both and he did have a good run at a lot of his roles. Has anyone ever had a better line in heroic suffering? As you say, his voice is instantly recognisable and he always sang off the words. More modern Otellos make comparatively little of the words such as Gloria. He colours it, savours it and makes us hear the regret, grief, loss in one word. Most tenors simply sing the note and move on. To an extent, like very few other singers, Callas was one, he etched moments into your head and you can't here them sung any other way.

Mike

The whole recital that aria is taken from is one of my favourite recital records. He doesn't just sing the music, he experiences it, each aria emerging as a mini drama of its own, but with none of the excesses of so many tenors.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 25, 2020, 08:27:18 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 25, 2020, 01:44:27 AM
The whole recital that aria is taken from is one of my favourite recital records. He doesn't just sing the music, he experiences it, each aria emerging as a mini drama of its own, but with none of the excesses of so many tenors.

I purchased the cd and it is on the table next to me  :).

Re: the 1859 Faust. I agree with your assessment. It is a substantially different work, lighter on its feet, more nimble (the 1869 version is sometimes made to sound as long as Parsifal). And yes, Bernheim is a real revelation, singing off the words like few do.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 25, 2020, 08:55:30 AM
Something light and fluffy
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61vJ6Y3%2BlxL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2020, 12:44:40 AM
Quote from: André on August 25, 2020, 08:27:18 AM
I purchased the cd and it is on the table next to me  :).



I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2020, 11:46:43 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/s-kxwmQUg1PpLDIUnGeZqM35uPU=/fit-in/600x590/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6144902-1412186577-2136.jpeg.jpg)

Dame Janet Baker's searing performance of Dido, recorded when she was only 28, has never been bettered. The HIP movement may have changed the way we perform this work nowadays, but such wonderful emotionally committed singing never goes out of fashion.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 27, 2020, 04:09:09 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2020, 11:46:43 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/s-kxwmQUg1PpLDIUnGeZqM35uPU=/fit-in/600x590/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6144902-1412186577-2136.jpeg.jpg)

Dame Janet Baker's searing performance of Dido, recorded when she was only 28, has never been bettered. The HIP movement may have changed the way we perform this work nowadays, but such wonderful emotionally committed singing never goes out of fashion.
About ten or fifteen years ago, someone told me about her Dido.  I remember watching a youtube upload of her at 10 in the morning singing "When I am Laid in Earth" and tears streaming down my face.  A rough but beautiful way to start the day.  :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_50zj7J50U

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on August 27, 2020, 07:38:35 AM
Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites in John Dexter's 42-year old production from the Met.

Sister Blanche: Isobel Leonard
Sister Constance: Erin Morley.
Mme de Croissy, the Old Prioress: Karita Mattila.
Mother Marie: Karen Cargill:
Mme Lidoine: Adrianne Pieczonka

The men have little to do in this opera.
Jean-François Lapointe as Blanche's father
David Portillo as her brother.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

A very good production with excellent singers, chorus and orchestra. Mattila goes all the way in the quite cruel dying scene.
However, I do prefer an even more austere approach  - Robert Carsen / Dutch National Opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 27, 2020, 11:51:02 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on August 27, 2020, 04:09:09 AM
About ten or fifteen years ago, someone told me about her Dido.  I remember watching a youtube upload of her at 10 in the morning singing "When I am Laid in Earth" and tears streaming down my face.  A rough but beautiful way to start the day.  :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_50zj7J50U

PD

Baker is one of my favourite singers. She had a tremendous ability to get to the emotional heart of all she was singing. Her operatic repertoire was small (her concert repertoire much larger), but she excelled in all that she did.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on August 28, 2020, 10:23:17 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2020, 11:46:43 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/s-kxwmQUg1PpLDIUnGeZqM35uPU=/fit-in/600x590/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6144902-1412186577-2136.jpeg.jpg)

Dame Janet Baker's searing performance of Dido, recorded when she was only 28, has never been bettered. The HIP movement may have changed the way we perform this work nowadays, but such wonderful emotionally committed singing never goes out of fashion.

Still my favourite version and no one touches her expressiveness in the part. I was in a short concert tour of the piece with her singing Dido and a young Thomas Hampson. The choir was about 30, so we were all very close to her, it was a great experience.

For more modern recordings I very much enjoy Sarah Connelly, conducted by Steven Devine and the usual music has been added to with some Purcell dance music buinging it closer to the kind of Contrasted entertainment Of the times.

Mike
Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2020, 12:31:36 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71kUf8SkQxL._AC_SL1300_.jpg)

Recorded in 1951, this was the first LP recording of Dido and Aeneas, based on performances at the Mermaid Theatre, though there the role of Belinda was sung by Maggie Teyte rather than Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Schwarzkopf's English is lightly accented, but that doesn't really bother me, though it was probably a mistake to have such a distinctive voice also double the Second Lady and The Attendant Spirit.

The performance as a whole sounds rather old fashioned nowadays with some unconscionably slow speeds and could never be considered a prime contender for the opera. Flagstad was nearing the end of her career but the voice is admirably firm and evenly produced and her Dido is grandly and eloquently sung, but it's all a bit too heavy and lugubrious. Nor do I find her as moving as either Janet Baker or Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.

Still, this is a valuable memento of a famous event in the annals of British opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2020, 12:33:22 AM
Quote from: knight66 on August 28, 2020, 10:23:17 PM
Still my favourite version and no one touches her expressiveness in the part. I was in a short concert tour of the piece with her singing Dido and a young Thomas Hampson. The choir was about 30, so we were all very close to her, it was a great experience.

For more modern recordings I very much enjoy Sarah Connelly, conducted by Steven Devine and the usual music has been added to with some Purcell dance music buinging it closer to the kind of Contrasted entertainment Of the times.

Mike
Mike

I rather like McGegan's version with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson as Dido.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 29, 2020, 05:06:26 AM
Quote from: knight66 on August 28, 2020, 10:23:17 PM
Still my favourite version and no one touches her expressiveness in the part. I was in a short concert tour of the piece with her singing Dido and a young Thomas Hampson. The choir was about 30, so we were all very close to her, it was a great experience.

For more modern recordings I very much enjoy Sarah Connelly, conducted by Steven Devine and the usual music has been added to with some Purcell dance music buinging it closer to the kind of Contrasted entertainment Of the times.

Mike
Mike
Oh, neat Mike!  Did you have a chance to talk to her at all?  I've heard of but don't know any of Sarah Connelly's recordings but will check for samples of them.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2020, 12:31:36 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71kUf8SkQxL._AC_SL1300_.jpg)

Recorded in 1951, this was the first LP recording of Dido and Aeneas, based on performances at the Mermaid Theatre, though there the role of Belinda was sung by Maggie Teyte rather than Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Schwarzkopf's English is lightly accented, but that doesn't really bother me, though it was probably a mistake to have such a distinctive voice also double the Second Lady and The Attendant Spirit.

The performance as a whole sounds rather old fashioned nowadays with some unconscionably slow speeds and could never be considered a prime contender for the opera. Flagstad was nearing the end of her career but the voice is admirably firm and evenly produced and her Dido is grandly and eloquently sung, but it's all a bit too heavy and lugubrious. Nor do I find her as moving as either Janet Baker or Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.

Still, this is a valuable memento of a famous event in the annals of British opera.
Am not familiar with this recording.  I believe that the only complete Dido that I have is the one with Baker.  Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is/was now sadly a wonderful singer!  I have a number of albums of hers.  Good to hear that she is appreciated across the pond.  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2020, 12:33:37 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on August 29, 2020, 05:06:26 AM
  Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is/was now sadly a wonderful singer!  I have a number of albums of hers.  Good to hear that she is appreciated across the pond.  :)

PD

She was very much appreciated over here, singing regularly at the Wigmore Hall and sang Irene in Handel's Theodora to great acclaim. I first became aware of her when watching a Prom on TV, which included Elgar's The Music Makers. I was immediately struck by her radiant commitment to the music and the beauty of her tone. She reminded me a bit of Janet Baker, which in my book is the highest of praise.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2020, 12:52:55 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/sNIMjE6Y7ehkw7te-Q0bHbg6bsE=/fit-in/600x519/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9282298-1477904013-9631.jpeg.jpg)

Recorded in 1941, this is a wonderful performance of Debussy's only opera. The orchestra is backwardly recorded, but it is amazing how much detail still comes through and Désormière's pacing of the score is just so unobtrusively right throughout. All the singers articulate the text so naturally, but with such incredible clarity that even those with only rudimentary French should be able to understand them. It thoroughly deserves its classic status.

This issue gives us the added bonus of some fourteen Debussy songs, sung by Maggie Teyte with Alfred Cortot at the piano and Mary Garden, the original Mélisande singing Mes longs cheveux descendent and three of the Ariettes oubliées with Debussy himself at the piano.

A really valuable release.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 30, 2020, 06:14:44 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2020, 12:33:37 AM
She was very much appreciated over here, singing regularly at the Wigmore Hall and sang Irene in Handel's Theodora to great acclaim. I first became aware of her when watching a Prom on TV, which included Elgar's The Music Makers. I was immediately struck by her radiant commitment to the music and the beauty of her tone. She reminded me a bit of Janet Baker, which in my book is the highest of praise.
I have one of her Wigmore Hall CDs (the one of Mahler, Handel, etc.) and have heard her Glyndebourne Theodora.  I had hoped to have seen her in concert, but alas, she died not too long before that.   :(  Have you heard her studio Theodora TL?  If so, how did you find it to be?

Love her Bach album.  I believe that that was the first album that I purchased of hers.  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2020, 07:28:36 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on August 30, 2020, 06:14:44 AM
I have one of her Wigmore Hall CDs (the one of Mahler, Handel, etc.) and have heard her Glyndebourne Theodora.  I had hoped to have seen her in concert, but alas, she died not too long before that.   :(  Have you heard her studio Theodora TL?  If so, how did you find it to be?

Love her Bach album.  I believe that that was the first album that I purchased of hers.  :)

PD

No, I only have the Glyndebourne version on which she is incomparable as Irene. The studio recording was made before she made the switch to mezzo and so she sings Theodora.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on August 30, 2020, 07:31:01 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2020, 07:28:36 AM
No, I only have the Glyndebourne version on which she is incomparable as Irene. The studio recording was made before she made the switch to mezzo and so she sings Theodora.
Thanks for the info; I didn't know that.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 01, 2020, 02:49:36 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on August 29, 2020, 05:06:26 AM
Oh, neat Mike!  Did you have a chance to talk to her at all?  I've heard of but don't know any of Sarah Connelly's recordings but will check for samples of them.
Am not familiar with this recording.  I believe that the only complete Dido that I have is the one with Baker.  Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is/was now sadly a wonderful singer!  I have a number of albums of hers.  Good to hear that she is appreciated across the pond.  :)

PD

No, I did not talk to her at all across those performances/rehearsals. I was in or at a lot of her concerts, but only spoke to her once. That was when I encountered her in a record shop. She was going to be singing Jocasta at the Proms and I mentioned that we were rehearsing the Oedipus and I was finding it tough. She was pleasant, encouraging, but not the sort you have a chat with.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 01, 2020, 04:27:12 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 01, 2020, 02:49:36 AM
No, I did not talk to her at all across those performances/rehearsals. I was in or at a lot of her concerts, but only spoke to her once. That was when I encountered her in a record shop. She was going to be singing Jocasta at the Proms and I mentioned that we were rehearsing the Oedipus and I was finding it tough. She was pleasant, encouraging, but not the sort you have a chat with.

Mike
You must be quite a good singer to have been singing at The Proms Mike..not to mention at other concerts with her!  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 01, 2020, 04:44:40 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 01, 2020, 04:27:12 AM
You must be quite a good singer to have been singing at The Proms Mike..not to mention at other concerts with her!  :)

PD

Those were the days, always in choir, not doing solo work apart from in little local concerts.

M
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 01, 2020, 05:04:24 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 01, 2020, 04:44:40 AM
Those were the days, always in choir, not doing solo work apart from in little local concerts.

M
Glad that you enjoyed them.  And I'm sure that your local concerts were a hit too; I suspect that you're being too modest.  ;)

I'm guessing that you have probably performed with other singers whose names (and work) that I might know?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 01, 2020, 06:23:37 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 01, 2020, 05:04:24 AM
Glad that you enjoyed them.  And I'm sure that your local concerts were a hit too; I suspect that you're being too modest.  ;)

I'm guessing that you have probably performed with other singers whose names (and work) that I might know?

PD

Yes, I was very fortunate, most of the top conductors of the 70s and 80s and a lot of singers. I wrote some posts here...

     https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,327.msg5580.html#msg5580[/sup]

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on September 01, 2020, 08:15:09 AM
It's an enticing week of Met broadcasts for 20th-century opera lovers: Elektra, Peter Grimes, Nixon in China, Lulu, Porgy and Bess, and The Tempest. I will certainly be tuning in to two or three of these.

https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/week-25/opera-streams-weekly-guide/

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 01, 2020, 09:32:50 AM
Quote from: knight66 on September 01, 2020, 06:23:37 AM
Yes, I was very fortunate, most of the top conductors of the 70s and 80s and a lot of singers. I wrote some posts here...

     https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,327.msg5580.html#msg5580[/sup]

Mike
Thanks Mike, I'll read it a bit later (currently watching Murray struggling to turn things around in his match against Nishioka).  :(
Quote from: Brewski on September 01, 2020, 08:15:09 AM
It's an enticing week of Met broadcasts for 20th-century opera lovers: Elektra, Peter Grimes, Nixon in China, Lulu, Porgy and Bess, and The Tempest. I will certainly be tuning in to two or three of these.

https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/week-25/opera-streams-weekly-guide/

--Bruce
Thank you for the heads up Bruce.  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on September 01, 2020, 11:01:04 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 01, 2020, 09:32:50 AM
Thank you for the heads up Bruce.  :)

PD

Most welcome!

PS, I watched Lulu earlier in the summer. The four hours just sped by. Marlis Petersen is incredible in the title role, said she's done it in 9 different productions (IIRC), and that this will be the last -- a fitting crown. And Susan Graham had to be coaxed into the role of Countess Geschwitz, which she did beautifully -- first time she had ever done the part, and she's quite moving.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 01, 2020, 06:03:58 PM
Quote from: knight66 on September 01, 2020, 06:23:37 AM
Yes, I was very fortunate, most of the top conductors of the 70s and 80s and a lot of singers. I wrote some posts here...

     https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,327.msg5580.html#msg5580[/sup]

Mike

Truly amazing, Mike !

PD, make sure to read all of Knight66' posts in that thread !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 01, 2020, 06:14:49 PM
Quote from: Brewski on September 01, 2020, 08:15:09 AM
It's an enticing week of Met broadcasts for 20th-century opera lovers: Elektra, Peter Grimes, Nixon in China, Lulu, Porgy and Bess, and The Tempest. I will certainly be tuning in to two or three of these.

https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/week-25/opera-streams-weekly-guide/

--Bruce

I've seen the Peter Grimes production when it was on Great Performances.  It's a truly excellent one.
If I understand the way the streaming works it's available right now until 6:30 NYC time tomorrow (Wednesday the 2nd).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on September 01, 2020, 10:57:32 PM
Quote from: André on September 01, 2020, 06:03:58 PM
Truly amazing, Mike !

PD, make sure to read all of Knight66' posts in that thread !

Thanks André, I did several more years in the Edinburgh Festival Chorus when I returned to live in Scotland five years ago, but I have not added to the anecdotes. There is not even a festival this year and it is unlikely that large choirs could rehearse together until there is a good vaccine.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 03, 2020, 12:45:07 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/wRqPLvCrz3PR8_Hyds6kiPj_LKk=/fit-in/600x596/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12868332-1543524361-5133.jpeg.jpg)

Considering this set was recorded in 1959 Callas was in suprisingly good voice and this is one of her greatest recordings. Hard to choose between this and the earlier Cetra set, except that this one is in much better sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 04, 2020, 12:42:33 PM
Quote from: André on September 01, 2020, 06:03:58 PM
Truly amazing, Mike !

PD, make sure to read all of Knight66' posts in that thread !
I did read several of them (will visit the rest at some point)...thanks! ;)
Quote from: JBS on September 01, 2020, 06:14:49 PM
I've seen the Peter Grimes production when it was on Great Performances.  It's a truly excellent one.
If I understand the way the streaming works it's available right now until 6:30 NYC time tomorrow (Wednesday the 2nd).
Crumbs, I missed it there; however, I did check out a CD of it (mentioned earlier) from my library.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 07, 2020, 01:40:31 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81im58gC4hL._AC_SX466_.jpg)

Gosh! This is fast! Or at least quite a lot of it is to the point of feeling rushed of its feet. Muti was in his straitjacketing phase so we are quite often deprived of climactic high notes (for instance at the end of Abigaille's cabaletta). Best of the soloists is Scotto, who sings with all her customary intelligence and musicality, even if, ultimately, the voice is a notch too small for the role. Manugeurra is in more youthful voice than the aging Gobbi on the Gardelli recording, but he is nowhere near as moving. Ghiaurov is fine as Zaccaria and Obraztsova luxury casting as Fenena. Still, I wouldn't prefer it to the Gardelli, which still strikes me as the best studio version of the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 07, 2020, 05:02:06 AM
To hear Scotto's high note in Abigaille's aria one needs to turn to this recital from 1975:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5116LhsulNL._AC_.jpg)

The high E-flat (?) and its subsequent plunge to chest register is a death-defying vocal stunt. I can't say it's beautiful, but it thrills me every time nonetheless. A great recital disc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 07, 2020, 06:16:47 AM
Quote from: André on September 07, 2020, 05:02:06 AM
To hear Scotto's high note in Abigaille's aria one needs to turn to this recital from 1975:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5116LhsulNL._AC_.jpg)

The high E-flat (?) and its subsequent plunge to chest register is a death-defying vocal stunt. I can't say it's beautiful, but it thrills me every time nonetheless. A great recital disc.

I have this recital and have reviewed it on my blog. It's very fine indeed.

If you're talking about Abigaille's aria, do you mean the top C with its two octave drop to a chest note middle C?  Souliotis is also terrific in the Gardelli recording. There is an opportunity for a top Eb in the duet with Nabucco but, as far as I'm aware, Callas is the only soprano to attempt it (in the live 1949 recording from Naples), and it's absolutely staggering.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 07, 2020, 07:31:44 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 07, 2020, 06:16:47 AM
I have this recital and have reviewed it on my blog. It's very fine indeed.

If you're talking about Abigaille's aria, do you mean the top C with its two octave drop to a chest note middle C?  Souliotis is also terrific in the Gadelli recording. There is an opportunity for a top Eb in the duet with Nabucco but, as far as I'm aware, Callas is the only soprano to attempt it (in the live 194i recording from Naples), and it's absolutely staggering.

You are right, of course. I got mixed up with the top C and the E flat in the duet. It is indeed the top C with the huge octave drop. A gasp inducing effect. Callas too does it thrillingly, but with Scotto one senses she's flying off the trapeze with no safety net. I doubt she would attempt it in a live performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 07, 2020, 11:53:32 PM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk2MjQ0Mi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MjYwNzM1NzF9)

This performance really is as good as I remembered. OK, the sound is better on the studio set and I ultimately prefer Gobbi to Bastianini, who is nonetheless superb here, but Gavazzeni's conducting tips the balance in its favour.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2020, 11:47:08 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/fu4-JpY5w80naS6HAEvXOpJUA58=/fit-in/600x527/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14790895-1581671125-1701.jpeg.jpg)

First time I've ever heard this opera and I must say I rather enjoyed it. Suprised it's performed so rarely here in the West.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2020, 01:25:47 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/613UpLrTMAL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

A superb recent recording of the 1753 Vienna score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 13, 2020, 11:53:29 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Fz0EwQE-L._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

One of my favourite operas in a performance which is unfortunately rather let down by its principals. By this time Vishneskaya was too old for the role of Lisa (and sounds it), Gougaloff is out of his depth and Iordaschescu is an ineffective Tomsky. This is a great shame, because musically it is excellent and Rostropovich brings out all the Romantic passion in the score. There are some excellent performances too from Weikl as Yeletsky, Resnik as the Countess and Hanna Schwarz as Pauline, with Popp putting in a cameo in the Act II pastiche.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 16, 2020, 01:02:56 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/055/MI0001055307.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

On balance and except in matters of recorded sound, this is probably the best recording of Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades with an excellent cast that ncludes Georgi Nelepp as Hermann and Pavel Lisitsian as Yeletsky. Smolenskaya sounds possibly a little mature for Lisa, but, unlike Vishneskaya on the Rostropvich set, retains enough lyricism in her voice to be convincing. Melik- Pashayev conducts a swiftly dramatic performance, utterly terrifying in the more grisly parts of the story.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 20, 2020, 02:14:48 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81SaCB13fyL._SS500_.jpg)

This famous performance is no doubt self-recommending, though I still have a slight preference for the Levine studio set, on which Scotto gives one of her greatest recorded performances.

That said, I'm not a big fan of verismo aside from Puccini.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 02, 2020, 11:56:59 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/BUjiLkqqq4YaAse1RcFy3J-662w=/fit-in/600x602/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12137829-1544969147-6824.jpeg.jpg)

Les Troyens is one of my favourite operas and this, its most recent recording, is excellent. Like the recent Rousset Faust it would suggest that French opera at least is well served these days.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 03, 2020, 11:58:18 PM
(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/101/MI0001101257.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Baker was at her absolute vocal peak in 1973 and this recording shows how thrilling she was in the theatre. Though the opera is sung in English her Maria can be considered as definitive as Callas's Anna Bolena and indeed it was one of the three roles she chose with which to say goodbye to the operatic stage almost ten years later.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 07, 2020, 01:05:27 AM
(https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-56676699049927/cosi-fan-tutte-cantelli-schwarzkopf-merriman-sciutti-alva-panerai-2-immortal-performances-ipcd-1083-5.jpg)

A really excellent performance of Così fan tutte from La Scala in 1956.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 08, 2020, 12:46:27 AM
(https://www.metoperashop.org/prodimages/1221-DEFAULT-l.jpg)

This looks more enticing than it is. Recorded live at performances at the Met in 2003, it is very close miked, resulting in a hard, brittle soundscape with quite a bit of stage noise. Levine doesn't really convince me he is a Berlioz conductor and he rarely gves the music that special colour one hears in the conducting of Colin Davis, Gardiner and, more recently, John Nelson. The cast is a fine one, but the chief reason for hearing this set is, without doubt, the superb Didon of the late, lamented Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. For some reason she was not a Met regular and, prior to these performances, the only complete opera she had sung there was John Harbison's The Great Gatsby, though she was scheduled to sing Orfeo in Gluck's opera there in 2007, a role taken over by David Daniels, with the performances being ultimately dedicated to her memory. Her Didon is musically and dramatically one of the best I've ever heard and fit to stand next to that of Janet Baker, which can be no higher praise.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 08, 2020, 01:44:24 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 08, 2020, 12:46:27 AM
(https://www.metoperashop.org/prodimages/1221-DEFAULT-l.jpg)

the chief reason for hearing this set is, without doubt, the superb Didon of the late, lamented Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. For some reason she was not a Met regular and, prior to these performances, the only complete opera she had sung there was John Harbison's The Great Gatsby, though she was scheduled to sing Orfeo in Gluck's opera there in 2007, a role taken over by David Daniels, with the performances being ultimately dedicated to her memory.

She wasn't even the originally-scheduled Didon for this production. Olga Borodina withdrew due to pregnancy, so we're particularly lucky to have this performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 08, 2020, 02:50:17 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on October 08, 2020, 01:44:24 AM
She wasn't even the originally-scheduled Didon for this production. Olga Borodina withdrew due to pregnancy, so we're particularly lucky to have this performance.

I didn't know that. How fortunate indeed. Borodina is a fine mezzo, with a beautiful voice,  but she doesn't have Hunt Lieberson's interpretive powers and inner radiance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 11, 2020, 01:22:29 AM
(https://www.talkclassical.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=144231&d=1602405624)

The sound on this Ars Vocalis release of the famous Callas Covent Garden La Traviata was taken from a first generation tape of the BBC Third Programe broadcast and includes the radio announcements by Walter Greenslade, who, in impeccable BBC English, introduces each act. Sonically it is a great deal better than any other version I've heard and it always suprises me it's never had an official release, not even on Covent Garden's own label, when they were issuing performances like the Sutherland 1959 Lucia di Lammermoor and the Visconti/Giulini Don Carlo.

For me Callas is Violetta and no other singer has ever challenged her total identification with the character. The music isn't so much sung as experienced, even whilsy executing Verdi's instructions with stunning accuracy. I have given the set a much fuller review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/ (http://"https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/")

John Steane once said that, whilst listening to some Callas recordings with a friend, his friend said, "But of course you had to see her," to which he replied, "Ah, but I can, and I do."
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 12, 2020, 11:48:01 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/viScqP6lse0vnO8L4Fqw8gpw1Hg=/fit-in/581x626/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10668815-1529266175-5972.jpeg.jpg)

This Ars Vocalis transfer of Callas's first ever Medea is probably the best sounding one we have, taken from the FonitCetra LP release.

Callas is in stupendous voice. As someone said at the time, she sounds as if she was born singing it. A more detailed review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/ (https://tsaraslondon.wordpress.com/2017/06/07/1986/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 19, 2020, 02:36:50 AM
On another forum someone had commented that they had found five different recordings of Tosca on the Decca label, so, just out of interest, I did a comparison over the last few days. These were my conclusions.

(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/097/MI0001097995.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

I revisited the Solti Tosca but have to say I got bored before the end of Act I and then just tried various bits in the other two acts. The sound is great. Apart from that the best thing in it is Aragall, though I wouldn't prefer him to Di Stefano, Domingo, Carreras or Bergonzi, all of whom appear on other more recommendable recordings. Nucci is a dead loss and Te Kanawa out of her depth as Tosca. Solti's conducting has little to commend it either, too slow in places and too fast in others. It just doesn't add up to a convincing whole, and considering, as Revitalised Classics points out above, it was all recorded piecemeal, then that's hardly a surprise. A totally forgettable performance.

(https://www.popsike.com/pix/20100324/330417296549.jpg)

Where I found the Solti a bit of a bore, this one is quite interesting, but often for all the wrong reasons. First of all Maazel's conducting is fussy beyond belief. He can hardly let a phrase go by without pulling around the tempo or trying to bring out some detail in the score. There is no lyrical flow or sweep and untilmately Puccini gets lost on the altar of Maazel's ego.

Fischer-Dieskau's Scarpia is, as you would expect, intelligently thought out, but it never sounds idiomatic. He is an artist I admire in the right repertoire but Puccini was not for him. Corelli is, well, Corelli. He is definitely the best of the three principals, but he emphasises the heroic at the expense of the seductive. Nonetheless, as always, there is much to enjoy in the sound of the voice itself.

Then there is Nilsson. Well the top notes are fabulous of course, but this isn't really a good role for her. She often overdoes the histrionics, as in her first scene with Scarpia where she adds a surfeit of sobs. She can also be a little clumsy in the ligher sections and Non la sospiri la nostra casetta is clumsy and unpolished. Ultimately, like Fischer-Dieskau, she sounds as if she had strayed into the wrong opera.

For all that I found this more enjoyable than the Solti, which is just plain dull. At least all the singers here have a personality.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71lFkMBSQ7L._SL1400_.jpg)

So I've moved on to the Rescigno in this mini challenge and there's little here to detain us. In fact I'd be tempted to place this below the Maazel, which at least has interest value. Rescigno was a favourite of Callas's, recording many of her recital albums and delivering at least one great performance in the live 1958 Covent Garden Traviata but his conducting here is just plain dull. Like Te Kanawa, Freni is completely out of her depth, the voice just too light even at this stage of her career. I expected Milnes to be more interesting, especially when you think of his Jack Rance, but for some reason his Scarpia just isn't nasty enough. Which leaves Pavarotti, who sounds out of sorts vocally. The velvet has gone from his voice and he often sounds plain whiney. Not surprisingly his Vittoria! is very small scale when set beside Corelli's. And small scale is what personifies the whole performance, but that's not what Tosca needs.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71P8XuMnjYL._SL1400_.jpg)

At last a real Tosca voice! Aside from at the very top of the voice when she can be a bit shrieky, Tebaldi fulfils almost all the demands the role asks of her. I say almost, because she doesn't quite have Callas's flexibility and lightness of touch in Non la sospiri la nostra casetta, but then few do. The beauty of the voice is well caught and she is a convincing Tosca. It's not a particularly subtle performance, from any of the singers, but they do all have splendid voices of the requisite size and weight. Del Monaco is much better than I remembered, though he still bawls from time to time and his arias lack poetry. George London is the best of the Scarpias so far, his voice dark and threatening.

What lets this set down is the routine conducting of Molinari-Pradelli. He is a good accompanist, nothing more. Still, worth hearing for the three lead singers.

(https://img.discogs.com/gWRfGsFbVFsVanQnx2Nv7GFSFsM=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4229151-1359147457-4134.jpeg.jpg)

So I've come to the end of my mini Decca Tosca challenge and what a difference the conductor makes. This recording is in an altogether different class than the others and the chief reason for that is Karajan's elastic conducting, which is incredibly controlled without being rigid. Where Maazel's conducting draws attention to itself because of the way he fusses with the rhythms, Karajan's rubato is entirely natural. He has at his disposal a cast as well nigh perfect as any other assembled on disc. Taddei's Scarpia is the best I've heard since Gobbi, sounding equally dangerous but in a completely different way. You feel this man could dangerously lash out viciously at any second. Gobbi's Scarpia would be unlikely to get his own hands dirty, but you feel Taddei's nt ony would but would enjoy doing so. Di Stefano is in slightly fresher voice for De Sabata but he is still an excellent Cavaradossi, and I actually prefer him to both Corelli and Del Monaco. He fulfils all aspects of the character, artist, lover and revolutionary, finding the poetry in his arias and an almost crazed fervour in his cries of Vittoria. He brings more "face" to his character than anyone. Truly this was one of his very best roles.

Which leaves us with Price and here I have a feeling I might be treading on controversial ground. The voice is, of course, absolutely gorgeous, her characterisation sensuous and feminine, and her singing is deeply felt (Vissi d'arte is really lovely). She is a good deal preferable to Nilsson, Freni or Te Kanawa, but I would still place Callas and Tebaldi ahead of her in the Tosca canon. The Callas/De Sabata I know so well that it tends to play in my mind's ear whenever I hear the opera, but I had also just listened to Tebaldi in the role and she sounds more like a natural for the role to me. It's hard to put my finger on what is missing, but I'd be perfectly happy with her Tosca if I hadn't heard Callas and Tebaldi in the role. Nonethless she is one of the best Toscas on record and in very good company.

So now having heard all five of the Decca recordings adriesba mentioned, my final ordering has slightly changed.

1. (by a fair margin) Karajan
2. Molinari-Pradelli (the only other really worth hearing, mostly for Tebaldi's Tosca)
3. Maazel
4. Rescigno
5. Solti

The De Sabata would still be my ultimate first choice, but the Karajan has also stood the test of time and anyone wanting an audio Tosca would be happy with either.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on October 19, 2020, 04:50:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 19, 2020, 02:36:50 AM
On another forum someone had commented that they had found five different recordings of Tosca on the Decca label, so, just out of interest, I did a comparison over the last few days. These were my conclusions.

(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/097/MI0001097995.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

I revisited the Solti Tosca but have to say I got bored before the end of Act I and then just tried various bits in the other two acts. The sound is great. Apart from that the best thing in it is Aragall, though I wouldn't prefer him to Di Stefano, Domingo, Carreras or Bergonzi, all of whom appear on other more recommendable recordings. Nucci is a dead loss and Te Kanawa out of her depth as Tosca. Solti's conducting has little to commend it either, too slow in places and too fast in others. It just doesn't add up to a convincing whole, and considering, as Revitalised Classics points out above, it was all recorded piecemeal, then that's hardly a surprise. A totally forgettable performance.

(https://www.popsike.com/pix/20100324/330417296549.jpg)

Where I found the Solti a bit of a bore, this one is quite interesting, but often for all the wrong reasons. First of all Maazel's conducting is fussy beyond belief. He can hardly let a phrase go by without pulling around the tempo or trying to bring out some detail in the score. There is no lyrical flow or sweep and untilmately Puccini gets lost on the altar of Maazel's ego.

Fischer-Dieskau's Scarpia is, as you would expect, intelligently thought out, but it never sounds idiomatic. He is an artist I admire in the right repertoire but Puccini was not for him. Corelli is, well, Corelli. He is definitely the best of the three principals, but he emphasises the heroic at the expense of the seductive. Nonetheless, as always, there is much to enjoy in the sound of the voice itself.

Then there is Nilsson. Well the top notes are fabulous of course, but this isn't really a good role for her. She often overdoes the histrionics, as in her first scene with Scarpia where she adds a surfeit of sobs. She can also be a little clumsy in the ligher sections and Non la sospiri la nostra casetta is clumsy and unpolished. Ultimately, like Fischer-Dieskau, she sounds as if she had strayed into the wrong opera.

For all that I found this more enjoyable than the Solti, which is just plain dull. At least all the singers here have a personality.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71lFkMBSQ7L._SL1400_.jpg)

So I've moved on to the Rescigno in this mini challenge and there's little here to detain us. In fact I'd be tempted to place this below the Maazel, which at least has interest value. Rescigno was a favourite of Callas's, recording many of her recital albums and delivering at least one great performance in the live 1958 Covent Garden Traviata but his conducting here is just plain dull. Like Te Kanawa, Freni is completely out of her depth, the voice just too light even at this stage of her career. I expected Milnes to be more interesting, especially when you think of his Jack Rance, but for some reason his Scarpia just isn't nasty enough. Which leaves Pavarotti, who sounds out of sorts vocally. The velvet has gone from his voice and he often sounds plain whiney. Not surprisingly his Vittoria! is very small scale when set beside Corelli's. And small scale is what personifies the whole performance, but that's not what Tosca needs.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71P8XuMnjYL._SL1400_.jpg)

At last a real Tosca voice! Aside from at the very top of the voice when she can be a bit shrieky, Tebaldi fulfils almost all the demands the role asks of her. I say almost, because she doesn't quite have Callas's flexibility and lightness of touch in Non la sospiri la nostra casetta, but then few do. The beauty of the voice is well caught and she is a convincing Tosca. It's not a particularly subtle performance, from any of the singers, but they do all have splendid voices of the requisite size and weight. Del Monaco is much better than I remembered, though he still bawls from time to time and his arias lack poetry. George London is the best of the Scarpias so far, his voice dark and threatening.

What lets this set down is the routine conducting of Molinari-Pradelli. He is a good accompanist, nothing more. Still, worth hearing for the three lead singers.

(https://img.discogs.com/gWRfGsFbVFsVanQnx2Nv7GFSFsM=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4229151-1359147457-4134.jpeg.jpg)

So I've come to the end of my mini Decca Tosca challenge and what a difference the conductor makes. This recording is in an altogether different class than the others and the chief reason for that is Karajan's elastic conducting, which is incredibly controlled without being rigid. Where Maazel's conducting draws attention to itself because of the way he fusses with the rhythms, Karajan's rubato is entirely natural. He has at his disposal a cast as well nigh perfect as any other assembled on disc. Taddei's Scarpia is the best I've heard since Gobbi, sounding equally dangerous but in a completely different way. You feel this man could dangerously lash out viciously at any second. Gobbi's Scarpia would be unlikely to get his own hands dirty, but you feel Taddei's nt ony would but would enjoy doing so. Di Stefano is in slightly fresher voice for De Sabata but he is still an excellent Cavaradossi, and I actually prefer him to both Corelli and Del Monaco. He fulfils all aspects of the character, artist, lover and revolutionary, finding the poetry in his arias and an almost crazed fervour in his cries of Vittoria. He brings more "face" to his character than anyone. Truly this was one of his very best roles.

Which leaves us with Price and here I have a feeling I might be treading on controversial ground. The voice is, of course, absolutely gorgeous, her characterisation sensuous and feminine, and her singing is deeply felt (Vissi d'arte is really lovely). She is a good deal preferable to Nilsson, Freni or Te Kanawa, but I would still place Callas and Tebaldi ahead of her in the Tosca canon. The Callas/De Sabata I know so well that it tends to play in my mind's ear whenever I hear the opera, but I had also just listened to Tebaldi in the role and she sounds more like a natural for the role to me. It's hard to put my finger on what is missing, but I'd be perfectly happy with her Tosca if I hadn't heard Callas and Tebaldi in the role. Nonethless she is one of the best Toscas on record and in very good company.

So now having heard all five of the Decca recordings adriesba mentioned, my final ordering has slightly changed.

1. (by a fair margin) Karajan
2. Molinari-Pradelli (the only other really worth hearing, mostly for Tebaldi's Tosca)
3. Maazel
4. Rescigno
5. Solti

The De Sabata would still be my ultimate first choice, but the Karajan has also stood the test of time and anyone wanting an audio Tosca would be happy with either.
A nice summary! I totally agree about the Solti Tosca. It was my first purchase of this opera and I knew it was a dud early on. When I was auditioning new ones, I picked the Karajan, in part because of the wonderful singing and excellent pacing. But also in part for the blood curdling 'Vittoria'. I sampled every version I could find, and this one won that small phrase hands down. But that small moment is something that is repeated time and time again with the Karajan - because it's full of passion and gripping drama. I don't think anyone has sung the role better than DiStefano. I always come away wishing he'd had more to sing, he's that good.

I love Price in this role, and when one is in that exalted company (that you mention), it really becomes a preference thing. And I'd go with Price/Karajan myself. I would mention that the sound in this latest incarnation is better than in previous, though there is some congestion at times. Still, it's better sounding than the recordings before it and the sheer drama is as good as any in the roles across the board. Besides, one can never have too many good recordings! It's wonderful to have such great choices!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 19, 2020, 08:36:28 AM
Nice summary indeed! Haven't heard that Solti Tosca, wouldn't do it anyway (Te Kanawa is not a singer I really like). For Freni's Tosca (a role too heavy for her) I much prefer her portrayal under Sinopoli. Not vocally lovely, but very effective dramatically. And Sinopoli's conducting is quite arresting. I also very much like Vishnevskaya's version. She sounds as sweet as a cup of plain yogurt, but my! what character !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 19, 2020, 08:38:31 AM
Hmm...I have Milnes in two other perfornances, one on DVD, one on CD. Both with Domingo, the CD one with Price [on RCA], and I remember them as fairly good. Perhaps he got better in the role as time went on? [I don't have recording dates in front of me.]  I don't have any of the Decca recordings.  I'm another one for whom Callas just owns this role.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 19, 2020, 10:34:48 AM
Quote from: JBS on October 19, 2020, 08:38:31 AM
Hmm...I have Milnes in two other perfornances, one on DVD, one on CD. Both with Domingo, the CD one with Price [on RCA], and I remember them as fairly good. Perhaps he got better in the role as time went on? [I don't have recording dates in front of me.]  I don't have any of the Decca recordings.  I'm another one for whom Callas just owns this role.
I remember being wowed when watching this video (on youtube) years ago by Milnes:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHOJCdfBFQg

Nice to read your operatic comments, as always, TL.  :)  Like you, I always come back to Callas as being my ultimate favorite re Tosca.  I have her live recording with Pretre and her other one with De Sabata.  Haven't listened to my Leontyne Price/Karajan recording in some time.  Will have to revisit that one.  I'm a huge fan of her Aida as well as her singing overall.

Well, I finally got around to watching Britten's Peter Grimes with Jon Vickers.  Excellent!  Thoroughly loved it!  Really impressed by Jon Vickers singing and acting--extremely powerful and poignant at times.  Also, by the compassion and restraint of Heather Harper's character and singing.  I wasn't able to get my little mitts on the Met DVD but did get ahold of the Kultur one which was filmed at the Royal Opera House with Heather Harper, etc.  Particularly impressed by the characters/acting/and singing of Capt. Balstrode (Norman Bailey) and I believe the characters name was Mrs. Sedley (Patricia Payne)...the opium addicted (via Laudanum) character who keeps ranting (and gossiping) about Peter Grimes' crimes and guilt.  Time well spent.  The only negative:  it was filmed in 1981, so the picture is rather more grainy and blurred than I would like, but hey, I adapted to it.  ;)  Enjoyed, too, the shots of the opera (and the conductor) during the interludes and the passacaglia.

PD

EDIT:  Sorry, I had meant to type "orchestra" rather than "opera" re the interludes and the passacaglia.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on October 19, 2020, 10:46:59 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 19, 2020, 10:34:48 AM
Well, I finally got around to watching Britten's Peter Grimes with Jon Vickers.  Excellent!  Thoroughly loved it!  Really impressed by Jon Vickers singing and acting--extremely powerful and poignant at times.  Also, by the compassion and restraint of Heather Harper's character and singing.  I wasn't able to get my little mitts on the Met DVD but did get ahold of the Kultur one which was filmed at the Royal Opera House with Heather Harper, etc.  Particularly impressed by the characters/acting/and singing of Capt. Balstrode (Norman Bailey) and I believe the characters name was Mrs. Sedley (Patricia Payne)...the opium addicted (via Laudanum) character who keeps ranting (and gossiping) about Peter Grimes' crimes and guilt.  Time well spent.  The only negative:  it was filmed in 1981, so the picture is rather more grainy and blurred than I would like, but hey, I adapted to it.  ;)  Enjoyed, too, the shots of the opera (and the conductor) during the interludes and the passacaglia.

PD

Thanks for the comments. I've actually heard (but not seen) Vickers in this performance, and he's excellent. Do try to see the Met version with Anthony Dean Griffey, who gives the role a different slant. Plus, Donald Runnicles and the Met Orchestra are clearly having a great time with the score.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on October 19, 2020, 11:38:22 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 08, 2020, 12:46:27 AM
(https://www.metoperashop.org/prodimages/1221-DEFAULT-l.jpg)

This looks more enticing than it is. Recorded live at performances at the Met in 2003, it is very close miked, resulting in a hard, brittle soundscape with quite a bit of stage noise. Levine doesn't really convince me he is a Berlioz conductor and he rarely gves the music that special colour one hears in the conducting of Colin Davis, Gardiner and, more recently, John Nelson. The cast is a fine one, but the chief reason for hearing this set is, without doubt, the superb Didon of the late, lamented Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. For some reason she was not a Met regular and, prior to these performances, the only complete opera she had sung there was John Harbison's The Great Gatsby, though she was scheduled to sing Orfeo in Gluck's opera there in 2007, a role taken over by David Daniels, with the performances being ultimately dedicated to her memory. Her Didon is musically and dramatically one of the best I've ever heard and fit to stand next to that of Janet Baker, which can be no higher praise.

I tried hard to get a copy of these discs, but failed. Thet were available from the Met shop and last time I was there I went to the shop to buy them, but they said it was perm out of stock. I don't like Levine's way with Berlioz, he submerges the woodwind and soups up the sound generally. I was really keen to hear Hunt Lieberson, I bet she was terrific.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 19, 2020, 11:53:51 AM
Quote from: Brewski on October 19, 2020, 10:46:59 AM
Thanks for the comments. I've actually heard (but not seen) Vickers in this performance, and he's excellent. Do try to see the Met version with Anthony Dean Griffey, who gives the role a different slant. Plus, Donald Runnicles and the Met Orchestra are clearly having a great time with the score.

--Bruce
Thanks for the suggestion:  I'll *jot it down.  I was going to ask anyway, but since you've brought it up....did Vickers do a studio recording of Peter Grimes?  Or are there various 'off air' ones?

*the trick is putting it somewhere that I'll remember to look there (if you know what I mean?)!  ::)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on October 19, 2020, 01:07:24 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 19, 2020, 11:53:51 AM
Thanks for the suggestion:  I'll *jot it down.  I was going to ask anyway, but since you've brought it up....did Vickers do a studio recording of Peter Grimes?  Or are there various 'off air' ones?

*the trick is putting it somewhere that I'll remember to look there (if you know what I mean?)!  ::)

PD

Here's the recording, I think. It's been a long time, and I heard it at a friend's house. (I don't own the recording.) But there must be some airchecks lying around somewhere!

https://www.amazon.com/Britten-Peter-Grimes-Benjamin/dp/B00000E4UM/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=Grimes+vickers&qid=1603141508&s=movies-tv&sr=1-4-catcorr

--Bruce


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 19, 2020, 04:31:37 PM
New arrival. Now at the start of Act II
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51y4DoYUReL.jpg)
Kauffman's voice seems a bit strained on his initial entrance but improved after that. I didn't look for timings but the first act seems very fast paced until it slows down for the love duet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 20, 2020, 12:24:20 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 19, 2020, 11:53:51 AM
Thanks for the suggestion:  I'll *jot it down.  I was going to ask anyway, but since you've brought it up....did Vickers do a studio recording of Peter Grimes?  Or are there various 'off air' ones?

*the trick is putting it somewhere that I'll remember to look there (if you know what I mean?)!  ::)

PD

The Davis studio recording of Peter Grimes is one of my favourites and preserves most of the cast of the stage production. It's on Philips and definitely worth having.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on October 20, 2020, 12:35:37 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 20, 2020, 12:24:20 AM
The Davis studio recording of Peter Grimes is one of my favourites and preserves most of the cast of the stage production. It's on Philips and definitely worth having.

I saw Vickers and this cast back in the 80's when this recording was made.  It really was an extraordinary stage performance - this great lumbering obsessed bully with a visionary and damaged psyche.  The contrast between the physical presence and the tortured soul was utterly compelling in the theatre.  It still "works" on disc but I find that it was the visual element that lifted this into the pantheon of the greats as a performance.  The rest of the cast and Davis and the ROH orchestra and chorus were on electric form too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 20, 2020, 01:06:13 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on October 20, 2020, 12:35:37 AM
I saw Vickers and this cast back in the 80's when this recording was made.  It really was an extraordinary stage performance - this great lumbering obsessed bully with a visionary and damaged psyche.  The contrast between the physical presence and the tortured soul was utterly compelling in the theatre.  It still "works" on disc but I find that it was the visual element that lifted this into the pantheon of the greats as a performance.  The rest of the cast and Davis and the ROH orchestra and chorus were on electric form too.

What a wonderful memory to have. Performances like that stay with us for a lifetime.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 20, 2020, 03:09:04 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/0f85FlTAtuB10tXNMlyS7OlPgM0=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7036694-1505465877-1646.jpeg.jpg)

Enjoyable enough, but nowhere likely to challenge the Bonynge set with Sutherland and Pavarotti. First of all, this being live, there is quite a lot of stage noise. Anderson often sounds a bit like Sutherland, but she doesn't have Sutherland's sparkle, or her sheer vocal beauty and dexterity. She has no trill and intonation is occasionally suspect (she ends "Il faut partir" terfibly flat). Kraus is something of a miracle. Just shy of his sixtieth birthday at the time of this performance, he executes its difficulties, including those top Cs with an ease that would be the envy of many a younger man, added to which his singing is, as always, stylish and refined. However, there is no denying his tone has dried out a bit and his voice is nowhere as sappy as Pavarotti at his best.

I'm sure I'd have enjoyed this performance had I been at the theatre, but it is no competition for the Bonynge set, which was recorded in the studio but based on performances at Covent Garden.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 20, 2020, 07:38:54 AM
Thanks Bruce for that link and others for your comments.

And, yes, RS, what a great night at the opera that must have been for you!

I'll keep an eye out for a copy of the CD--or DVD.

Best wishes,

PD

p.s.  The copy that I have (on CD) is the one with Peter Pears.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: arpeggio on October 20, 2020, 09:20:51 AM
Ghosts of Versailles by John Corigliano:

[asin]B01BYRP9S0[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on October 20, 2020, 10:14:36 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 19, 2020, 10:34:48 AM
I remember being wowed when watching this video (on youtube) years ago by Milnes:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHOJCdfBFQg

Nice to read your operatic comments, as always, TL.  :)  Like you, I always come back to Callas as being my ultimate favorite re Tosca.  I have her live recording with Pretre and her other one with De Sabata.  Haven't listened to my Leontyne Price/Karajan recording in some time.  Will have to revisit that one.  I'm a huge fan of her Aida as well as her singing overall.

Well, I finally got around to watching Britten's Peter Grimes with Jon Vickers.  Excellent!  Thoroughly loved it!  Really impressed by Jon Vickers singing and acting--extremely powerful and poignant at times.  Also, by the compassion and restraint of Heather Harper's character and singing.  I wasn't able to get my little mitts on the Met DVD but did get ahold of the Kultur one which was filmed at the Royal Opera House with Heather Harper, etc.  Particularly impressed by the characters/acting/and singing of Capt. Balstrode (Norman Bailey) and I believe the characters name was Mrs. Sedley (Patricia Payne)...the opium addicted (via Laudanum) character who keeps ranting (and gossiping) about Peter Grimes' crimes and guilt.  Time well spent.  The only negative:  it was filmed in 1981, so the picture is rather more grainy and blurred than I would like, but hey, I adapted to it.  ;)  Enjoyed, too, the shots of the opera (and the conductor) during the interludes and the passacaglia.

PD

EDIT:  Sorry, I had meant to type "orchestra" rather than "opera" re the interludes and the passacaglia.

Interesting that you picked out Bailey's Balstrode.  In the theatre the moment when he speaks to Peter and says; "Sail out 'till you lose sight of the Moot Hall then sink the boat, D'you hear?  Sink her!  Good-bye Peter." was extraordinarily powerful and moving.  A real coup de theatre.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 21, 2020, 12:02:03 AM
Quote from: arpeggio on October 20, 2020, 09:20:51 AM
Ghosts of Versailles by John Corigliano:

[asin]B01BYRP9S0[/asin]


I really enjoyed this opera when I saw the video of the original production, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be available at the moment. It had a pretty starry cast that included Teresa Stratas, Renee Fleming, Hakan Hagegard, Gino Quilico and Marilyn Horne!

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51lGwbbSGrL._AC_.jpg)

How is the Pentatone disc?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 22, 2020, 12:31:14 PM
I felt a sudden urge—as happens every so often—to listen to one of my favourite pieces of music ever, the sublime third act of Die Meistersinger. This time around , I pulled out the 1956 broadcast from Bayreuth conducted by André Cluytens:

(https://img.discogs.com/1t-aV7iPB2exmBWe-f5395KGQSE=/fit-in/600x514/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11137581-1510532101-4116.jpeg.jpg)
Even with the subpar sound, the magnificence of this music shines through. This act is miraculous: the prelude, David's entrance and his "Am Jordan Sankt Johannes stand", the "Wahn!" monologue, the interlude preceding Beckmesser's appearance, and everything from the luminous quintet to the jubilant end...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Carlo Gesualdo on October 23, 2020, 07:22:46 PM
Anyone heard Teufel Von Loudon ,It's one of my first opera listen Love it but it's spooky folks, I feel a presence in the room when it play no kidding...

???
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 28, 2020, 12:10:42 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/uDxECq3HYfL3PEHEntyXbDcNuuk=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14775250-1581350289-2978.jpeg.jpg)

My first ever listen to this set, and probably my last. I have seen Fedora once at Covent Garden in a lavish production that starred Carreras and, it has to be said, an ageing Freni. It didn't make much impression on me then and it doesn't do now. It seems very musically slight to me.

Olivero displays her great technique and superb vocal control, but she was around 60 when it was recorded and, to my ears, she does sound it, however thrilling her dramatic commitment. As for Del Monaco, by this time he had resorted to bawling most of the time. Amor ti vieta, the best aria in the score, is really unpleasant.

Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd heard Callas and Corelli sing it at La Scala, but, like Andrea Chénier it remains an oddity in her career, and a very strange substitute for the originally planned Parsifal that was cancelled when Erich Kleiber died suddenly.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 28, 2020, 12:12:21 AM
(https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-56676699049927/i-capuleti-e-i-montecchi-larmore-hong-2-teldec-21472-5.jpg)

Thought I'd give this recording a try as I hadn't heard it before. I quite enjoyed it, but I wouldn't prefer it to either Patanè or Muti. Compared to Gruberova and even Sills, I find Hong's tone pallid and unvaried. Larmore I liked a lot more, but I still prefer both Baker and Baltsa. All three give dramatically alive performances but I just prefer Baker's and Baltsa's voices.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 28, 2020, 02:56:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 28, 2020, 12:10:42 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/uDxECq3HYfL3PEHEntyXbDcNuuk=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14775250-1581350289-2978.jpeg.jpg)

My first ever listen to this set, and probably my last. I have seen Fedora once at Covent Garden in a lavish production that starred Carreras and, it has to be sai, an aging Freni. It didn't make much impression on me then and it doesn't do now. It seems very musically slight to me.

Olivero displays her great technique and superb vocal control, but she was around 60 when it was recorded and, to my ears, she does sound it, however thrilling her dramatic commitment. As for Del Monaco, by this time he had resorted to bawling most of the time. Amor ti vieta, the best aria in the score, is really unpleasant.

Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd heard Callas and Corelli sing it at La Scala, but, like Andrea Chénier it remains an oddity in her career, and a very strange substitute for the originally planned Parsifal that was cancelled when Erich Kleiber died suddenly.
I purchased that set (used) some years ago for Magda Olivero, and artist I admire and had the chance to see live in recital late (1978 IIRC) in her very long career. I agree with you, Fedora is musically slight (that's possibly an understatement, its really quite an awful piece IMHO). Umberto Giordano was not the greatest opera composer ever, but he was capable of much more than what he offers us here. The excerpts from Francesca da Rimini that serve as a filler are much, much better. Pity they did not record the whole thing, and that the live recording from La Scala with the same lead singers under Gavazzeni has dismal sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 28, 2020, 03:12:06 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0003/047/MI0003047862.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Muti's set really is as good as I remembered. The live sound lets it down a bit, but the performance is superb and it's no surprise that EMI decided it should be recorded for posterity. Gruberova is not a singer I usualy like, but here she is wonderful, spinning out her phrases in masterly fashion. But in Bellini's opera the leading character is undoubtedly Romeo and this has to be one of Baltsa's best roles. Tender in the duets, quick to anger in her exchanges with Tebaldo, her voice firm and free throughout its range. Her delivery of the recitatives is particularly thrilling.

None of the other singers are quite in their class, but none of them let the side down and Muti's pacing of the score is just right.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 29, 2020, 12:33:41 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/mrL-NZjp9sxN3lu1RAYMWBlxdJE=/fit-in/600x521/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9855581-1487490572-6966.jpeg.jpg)

The best things on this recording are Sass's Elvira and Gardelli's idiomatic conducting. Otherwise there is not a great deal to commend it. Lamberti's whining Ernani is a bit tiresome and both Miller and Kovats are a bit provincial. No doubt it would be enjoyable enough if you came across it on a night in Budapest, but the recording doesn't challenge either Schippers or Muti. I did enjoy Sass's Elvira though. This was one of her earliest recordings and the voice is in fine shape. She may not have Price's beauty of tone but she makes more of the character.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 30, 2020, 01:36:49 AM
(https://img.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/400/94/5/0/917.jpg)

What a pleasure it is to hear French opera sung so idiomatically. Thill and Vallin enunciate the text so clearly here that even people with only a smattering of French should be able to understand them. Were it not for the 1931 sound (not bad for its age but nowhere near as good as those of modern alternatives like Pappano and Davis) I'd probably have made this recording my first choice for the opera.

The last time I saw the opera was at Covent Garden last year. Though the role of Werther has been sung with success by lyric tenors like Schipa and Tagliavini, Juan Diego Florez was just too light of voice to do justice to the part. Half the time it seemed as if he were husbanding his resources and, when he did let the voice out, he was still overpowered by the orchestra. His Charlotte, Isabel Leonard, had a pleasant enough voice, but was so reticent as to seem impassive, and only mildly concerned by Werther's suicide. Jacques Imbrailo's Albert was similarly low key resulting in a rather dull performance of an opera that should be seeting with barely suppressed passion. This classic recording certainly redresses the balance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 02, 2020, 01:50:28 AM
Revisting thet absolute jewel that is Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges, in what I understand is its first recording (from 1947), conducted by Ernest Bour.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CtrxawefL.jpg)
The sound is excellent for its vintage, the performance has a natural flow to it that is admirable, Colette's text is beguiling, and the music is simply wonderful. C'est magnifique!

"Keng-ça-fou, Mah-jong, Keng-ça-fou, puis' -kong-kong-pran-pa, Ça-oh-râ, Ça-oh-râ...Ça-oh-râ, Cas-ka-ra, harakiri, Sessue Hayakawa Hâ! Hâ! Ça-oh-râ toujours l'air chinoâ."  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 02, 2020, 02:56:20 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 02, 2020, 01:50:28 AM
Revisting thet absolute jewel that is Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges, in what I understand is its first recording (from 1947), conducted by Ernest Bour.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CtrxawefL.jpg)
The sound is excellent for its vintage, the performance has a natural flow to it that is admirable, Colette's text is beguiling, and the music is simply wonderful. C'est magnifique!

"Keng-ça-fou, Mah-jong, Keng-ça-fou, puis' -kong-kong-pran-pa, Ça-oh-râ, Ça-oh-râ...Ça-oh-râ, Cas-ka-ra, harakiri, Sessue Hayakawa Hâ! Hâ! Ça-oh-râ toujours l'air chinoâ."  :)

An absolutely magical recording of this enchanting work. I'm not sure it's ever been bettered.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on November 02, 2020, 07:57:53 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51RGQgkY%2BQL._SX450_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 04, 2020, 12:00:34 PM
Julius Caesar from Glyndebourne directed by David McVicar. I don't know how much of it Handel would have recognised but he would've loved the music and the way it is done. A tremendous production. Are rattling good show with Denise and Connolly. And much else besides that is really good

(https://operaplus.cz/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bosjulius-caesarmet.jpg)

(http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/gly-cesare-2.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 05, 2020, 12:14:24 PM
(https://plade-klassikeren.dk/54661-thickbox_default/handel-cleopatra-natalie-dessay-emmanuelle-haim-1-cd-virgin.jpg)

Arrived today. Get a load of this!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 05, 2020, 01:28:39 PM
An excellent disc !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Scion7 on November 06, 2020, 03:44:57 AM
(https://i.postimg.cc/kXjYMKJ2/1931-Tape-Hiss.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 06, 2020, 11:12:01 AM
Quote from: Scion7 on November 06, 2020, 03:44:57 AM
(https://i.postimg.cc/kXjYMKJ2/1931-Tape-Hiss.jpg)

Must confess that guy Werther gets on my nerves. Last time Kaufmann sang it he said he had problems with the character and wanted to tell him to 'snap out of it'. I keep wanting to tell him to get a job!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Carlo Gesualdo on November 06, 2020, 11:30:44 AM
hello I am listening to Jacob Clemens on Huelgas ensemble and that it, have a nice pink coat wonderful way, blue sky cloudless heaven, a bright sun light and that it  folks I am depress I got suck almost 1400$ I never gonna see my money back no one while back me up, not even my parent in my sorrow $$$  :'(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on November 06, 2020, 12:18:17 PM
Quote from: Handelian on November 06, 2020, 11:12:01 AM
Must confess that guy Werther gets on my nerves. Last time Kaufmann sang it he said he had problems with the character and wanted to tell him to 'snap out of it'. I keep wanting to tell him to get a job!

not operatic but I always get cross at Angel Clare in Tess of the D'Urbervilles.  If he were just a little bit sensible and not quite so precious the rest of the story wouldn't happen.  Period morality or not he's just a wimp!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Scion7 on November 06, 2020, 12:21:16 PM
Well, considering the character is based partly on real-life person(s), who obviously suffered from a mental disorder, I think it best to take him as he is.  The novel is a great piece of literature.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 06, 2020, 10:07:17 PM
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MR2pBGk6RUw/U9J_XyK3EzI/AAAAAAAAIcc/wdC10Clp7qg/s1600/706301713020A.jpg)

Came yesterday. All set for a rollocking time if what I've heard already is anything to go by.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on November 07, 2020, 03:43:54 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 06, 2020, 12:18:17 PM
not operatic but I always get cross at Angel Clare in Tess of the D'Urbervilles.  If he were just a little bit sensible and not quite so precious the rest of the story wouldn't happen.  Period morality or not he's just a wimp!

I also think he is a hypocrite and it is definitely dodgy the way he goes after Tess' younger sister at the end. At least the odious Alec D'Urbeville married Tess even if his motives seem unclear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 07, 2020, 04:09:03 AM
Quote from: Handelian on November 06, 2020, 10:07:17 PM
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MR2pBGk6RUw/U9J_XyK3EzI/AAAAAAAAIcc/wdC10Clp7qg/s1600/706301713020A.jpg)

Came yesterday. All set for a rollocking time if what I've heard already is anything to go by.
I enjoy Jennifer Larmore's voice/singing.  Don't know the rest of the cast, but am looking forward to your review!  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2020, 04:32:35 AM
Quote from: Handelian on November 06, 2020, 11:12:01 AM
Must confess that guy Werther gets on my nerves. Last time Kaufmann sang it he said he had problems with the character and wanted to tell him to 'snap out of it'. I keep wanting to tell him to get a job!

A typically modern response to a movement that was prevalent in early nineteenth century Romanticism. The original Goethe story, told in a series of letters, was so popular that it started a phenomenon known as "Werther Fever", young men dressing up as Werther is described in the novel and even led to a series of copycat suicides, where the book woud be found at the scene. You have to remember that  Werther is not a middle aged man, but a young man with all the seething passions of a young hothead. His character is central to the whole German "Sturm und Drang" movement.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2020, 04:36:51 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 06, 2020, 12:18:17 PM
not operatic but I always get cross at Angel Clare in Tess of the D'Urbervilles.  If he were just a little bit sensible and not quite so precious the rest of the story wouldn't happen.  Period morality or not he's just a wimp!

Angel Clare's reaction to Tess's relevations always upsets me too, but you have to remember the time it was written. Hardy was much berated for subtitling his novel "The Story of a Pure Woman". Contemporary commentators just couldn't understand his point of view. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 07, 2020, 10:40:12 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2020, 04:32:35 AM
A typically modern response to a movement that was prevalent in early nineteenth century Romanticism. The original Goethe story, told in a series of letters, was so popular that it started a phenomenon known as "Werther Fever", young men dressing up as Werther is described in the novel and even led to a series of copycat suicides, where the book woud be found at the scene. You have to remember that  Werther is not a middle aged man, but a young man with all the seething passions of a young hothead. His character is central to the whole German "Sturm und Drang" movement.

Yes b ut I don't think the 'Werther Fever' (complete with suicides) was a terribly good thing.  Sign of young men with nothing to do. Some of us have also been thwarted in love in the modern age but we did realise we had to get on with life and earn a living.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 07, 2020, 12:00:25 PM
Quote from: Handelian on November 06, 2020, 10:07:17 PM
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MR2pBGk6RUw/U9J_XyK3EzI/AAAAAAAAIcc/wdC10Clp7qg/s1600/706301713020A.jpg)

Came yesterday. All set for a rollocking time if what I've heard already is anything to go by.

Listening to this. Spiffing performance full of verve. Lamore excellent as the girl and Gimenez (a name I hadn't heard of) a really fine bel canto tenor. Everyone else really good. What's not to like with Rossini and comedy? .
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 08, 2020, 03:13:14 AM
Quote from: Handelian on November 07, 2020, 10:40:12 AM
Yes b ut I don't think the 'Werther Fever' (complete with suicides) was a terribly good thing.  Sign of young men with nothing to do. Some of us have also been thwarted in love in the modern age but we did realise we had to get on with life and earn a living.

I'm not saying it was a good thing. I'm just saying it's understandable in its context. However it is not confined to the early nineteenth century. According to Wikipedia,

QuoteExamples of celebrities whose suicides have triggered suicide clusters include Ruan Lingyu, the Japanese musicians Yukiko Okada and hide, the South Korean actress Choi Jin-Sil, whose suicide caused suicide rates to rise by 162.3%[34] and Marilyn Monroe, whose death was followed by an increase of 200 more suicides than average for that August month.[2] Another famous case is the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire on December 17, 2010, an act that was a catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and sparked the Arab Spring, including several men who emulated Bouazizi's act. A 2017 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found the online series 13 Reasons Why which chronicled a fictional teen's suicide was associated with an increase in suicide related Internet searches, including a 26% increase in searches for "how to commit suicide", an 18% increase for "commit suicide" and 9% increase for "how to kill yourself."[35] On May 29, 2019, research published in JAMA Psychiatry outlined an association of increased suicides in 10- to 19-year-olds in the United States in the 3 months following the release of 13 Reasons Why, consistent with a media contagion of suicide in the show.

Nowadays, when we are much more aware of mental health and depression, if anything Werther's tragedy becomes even more believable. Someone just telling him to "snap out of it" is never going to work.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 08, 2020, 12:13:45 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 08, 2020, 03:13:14 AM

Nowadays, when we are much more aware of mental health and depression, if anything Werther's tragedy becomes even more believable. Someone just telling him to "snap out of it" is never going to work.

Yes but we must separate fact from fiction. Werther is a fictional character and not a real person. We have dealt with people with mental health problems and someone like Werther would not be described as mentally ill. I was talking about when I'm listening to the fictional opera not dealing with someone in real life. We have to make a distinction. I listen to opera as a recreation and have dealt with people as a profession!
In the case of Marilyn Monroe mental illness did not come into it but rather an apparent attachment syndrome which was linked to her dysfunctional past. Her death was very unlikely suicide but probably an accidental OD or even murder, although the latter is unlikely. The same with Elvis Presley in that his death was caused by the dysfunctional lifestyle he lived and the prescription drugs he was taking. Glenn Gould as well for that matter. There was someone who was possibly autistic but not mentally ill as such.
I have known cases of people commit suicide when some tragedy hits them but they are very rare thankfully. A man I knew lost his wife and put all his affairs in order and went to join her by OD. Very sad. Nice man but there was just him and his wife and he couldn't live without her. No sign of mental illness or anything. Who knows what you can do in that situation as he kept himself to himself. No one knew what he was contemplating. Quite unlike Werther though. But anyway we're talking about opera!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 12:27:04 AM
Quote from: Handelian on November 08, 2020, 12:13:45 PM
Yes but we must separate fact from fiction. Werther is a fictional character and not a real person. We have dealt with people with mental health problems and someone like Werther would not be described as mentally ill. I was talking about when I'm listening to the fictional opera not dealing with someone in real life. We have to make a distinction. I listen to opera as a recreation and have dealt with people as a profession!
In the case of Marilyn Monroe mental illness did not come into it but rather an apparent attachment syndrome which was linked to her dysfunctional past. Her death was very unlikely suicide but probably an accidental OD or even murder, although the latter is unlikely. The same with Elvis Presley in that his death was caused by the dysfunctional lifestyle he lived and the prescription drugs he was taking. Glenn Gould as well for that matter. There was someone who was possibly autistic but not mentally ill as such.
I have known cases of people commit suicide when some tragedy hits them but they are very rare thankfully. A man I knew lost his wife and put all his affairs in order and went to join her by OD. Very sad. Nice man but there was just him and his wife and he couldn't live without her. No sign of mental illness or anything. Who knows what you can do in that situation as he kept himself to himself. No one knew what he was contemplating. Quite unlike Werther though. But anyway we're talking about opera!

Why must we separate fact from fiction? Opera is surely an excellent place to represent the extremes of human nature. In any case, and as I pointed out earlier, placing Werther in its historical context makes it easier to understand its theme, which is really not that much from different from the themes of Schubert's Winterreise or Schumann's Dichterliebe.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 12:27:35 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/oZ0DwxLlITiBrK8PIzuZ35O-_gE=/fit-in/600x589/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5441449-1571588145-3943.jpeg.jpg)

If you think the tune to which Rosina sings Io sono docile in Il Barbiere di Siviglia perfectly establishes the sweet side of her character, you might be surprised to find it also serves as part of Elisabetta's entrance aria in this earlier tragic opera by Rossini. You might also be surprised to find that the overture, which always seems the perfect curtain-raiser for the comic opera is the same as the one for this tragic opera, although it had also served as the overture for an even earlier opera, Aureliano in Palmira. The closing section of the overture also puts in an appearance in the finale of Act I of Elisabetta.

This recording was based on performances at the Aix-en-Provence festival in 1975, though the part of Leicester, sung here by the more well-known José Carreras, was there taken by by Gösta Winbergh. Valerie Masterson, who had recently made her French debut as Manon in Toulouse had made quite an impression in the seconda donna role of Matilde, and her services were retained for the recording which was made in London the following year. She is excellent in the role and her clear, bright soprano both contrasts and blemds with Caballé's richer tones.

Caballé has all the necessary grandeur for the role of Elisabetta. Her coloratura is not always as clean as it might be, but the recording captures her at somewhere near her career best and the voice is arrestingly beautiful. Carreras is golden toned and, as always, dramatically committed and Ugo Benelli perfectly cast as the nasty Norfolk.

The LSO play beautifully for Gianfranco Masini and all in all this is a worthy version of Rossini's early dramma per musica.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 09, 2020, 12:51:24 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 12:27:04 AM
Why must we separate fact from fiction? Opera is surely an excellent place to represent the extremes of human nature. In any case, and as I pointed out earlier, placing Werther in its historical context makes it easier to understand its theme, which is really not that much from different from the themes of Schubert's Winterreise or Schumann's Dichterliebe.

Simply because Werther is not a real character. Opera is not reality. I don't reckon that Schubert's great song cycles represent reality, much as I love them. They are a romantic's dream.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 01:38:34 AM
Quote from: Handelian on November 09, 2020, 12:51:24 AM
Simply because Werther is not a real character. Opera is not reality. I don't reckon that Schubert's great song cycles represent reality, much as I love them. They are a romantic's dream.

Agreed. Which is why I don't quite understand your original point about Werther having to "Snap out of it and get a proper job".
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 09, 2020, 05:56:31 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 01:38:34 AM
Agreed. Which is why I don't quite understand your original point about Werther having to "Snap out of it and get a proper job".

I was talking about my reaction to the character in the opera who is fictional. He is not a character in real life. Also to the remark Kaufman made about him. It wouldn't have happened if Werther had got a job. People need work to occupy themselves. You don't find it happening in Africa where people are so busy trying to keep body and soul together they don't have time for that
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 07:12:25 AM
Quote from: Handelian on November 09, 2020, 05:56:31 AM
I was talking about my reaction to the character in the opera who is fictional. He is not a character in real life. Also to the remark Kaufman made about him. It wouldn't have happened if Werther had got a job. People need work to occupy themselves. You don't find it happening in Africa where people are so busy trying to keep body and soul together they don't have time for that

I'm sorry I seem to be missing your point. On the one hand you talk about your reaction to a fictional character in an opera and on the other start talking about real life and people today, which has absolutely nothing to do with the opera. I just tried to point out the character of Werther is much easier to understand if you take into account the Sturm und Drang movement, of which the original Goethe novel was a part. Works of art sometimes need to be put in context for us to understand them better.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 09, 2020, 07:36:09 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 07:12:25 AM
I'm sorry I seem to be missing your point. On the one hand you talk about your reaction to a fictional character in an opera and on the other start talking about real life and people today, which has absolutely nothing to do with the opera. I just tried to point out the character of Werther is much easier to understand if you take into account the Sturm und Drang movement, of which the original Goethe novel was a part. Works of art sometimes need to be put in context for us to understand them better.

I think we are both missing each other's points. I was only making the point initially that the character gets on my nerves mooning around. It was a very popular character in the romantic movement among people who had nothin else to occupy them. At the time the majority of the population were too busy trying to scrape a living and to avoid starvation. Life at the time was full of harsh realities
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 09, 2020, 08:33:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 12:27:35 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/oZ0DwxLlITiBrK8PIzuZ35O-_gE=/fit-in/600x589/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5441449-1571588145-3943.jpeg.jpg)

If you think the tune to which Rosina sings Io sono docile in Il Barbiere di Siviglia perfectly establishes the sweet side of her character, you might be surprised to find it also serves as part of Elisabetta's entrance aria in this earlier tragic opera by Rossini. You might also be surprised to find that the overture, which always seems the perfect curtain-raiser for the comic opera is the same as the one for this tragic opera, although it had also served as the overture for an even earlier opera, Aureliano in Palmira. The closing section of the overture also puts in an appearance in the finale of Act I of Elisabetta.

This recording was based on performances at the Aix-en-Provence festival in 1975, though the part of Leicester, sung here by the more well-known José Carreras, was there taken by by Gösta Winbergh. Valerie Masterson, who had recently made her French debut as Manon in Toulouse had made quite an impression in the seconda donna role of Matilde, and her services were retained for the recording which was made in London the following year. She is excellent in the role and her clear, bright soprano both contrasts and blemds with Caballé's richer tones.

Caballé has all the necessary grandeur for the role of Elisabetta. Her coloratura is not always as clean as it might be, but the recording captures her at somewhere near her career best and the voice is arrestingly beautiful. Carreras is golden toned and, as always, dramatically committed and Ugo Benelli perfectly cast as the nasty Norfolk.

The LSO play beautifully for Gianfranco Masini and all in all this is a worthy version of Rossini's early dramma per musica.
Oh, that sounds like a lovely set!  I don't have any recordings of that opera, but will keep an eye out for it.  I also don't have many complete opera recordings with Caballé either.   :(  Yes, I know about composers recycling pieces of music, but it's always interesting to know the wheres and whens of it all.  He must have really liked that overture! Thank you for the information TL.  :)

PD

p.s.  Out of curiosity, where was your Philips set pressed?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 09:07:36 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on November 09, 2020, 08:33:26 AM
Oh, that sounds like a lovely set!  I don't have any recordings of that opera, but will keep an eye out for it.  I also don't have many complete opera recordings with Caballé either.   :(  Yes, I know about composers recycling pieces of music, but it's always interesting to know the wheres and whens of it all.  He must have really liked that overture! Thank you for the information TL.  :)

PD

p.s.  Out of curiosity, where was your Philips set pressed?

I was listening to it on Spotify. I used to have the LPs, which had the above cover, but I don't have a turntable anymore and got rid of all my LPs. It's been reissued on CD with the following two covers.

(https://img.discogs.com/yQ2yXHeQNje7B6WbC1N0aTB9Xhg=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8055023-1564849030-1480.jpeg.jpg)

(https://img.discogs.com/2GqmQTSg5a5bhINILoH5XjHcMCU=/fit-in/600x594/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11958064-1525468670-2225.jpeg.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 09, 2020, 10:17:05 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 09:07:36 AM
I was listening to it on Spotify. I used to have the LPs, which had the above cover, but I don't have a turntable anymore and got rid of all my LPs. It's been reissued on CD with the following two covers.

(https://img.discogs.com/yQ2yXHeQNje7B6WbC1N0aTB9Xhg=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8055023-1564849030-1480.jpeg.jpg)

(https://img.discogs.com/2GqmQTSg5a5bhINILoH5XjHcMCU=/fit-in/600x594/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11958064-1525468670-2225.jpeg.jpg)
No LPs?  :(  Well, one good thing about that is that you have a lot more room in your home.  Those boxed opera sets (particularly Wagnerian) take up a LOT of room!  ::)  Do you have a ton of opera CDs or listen mostly online these days?  Just curious.  :)

Must admit that I like the cover at the bottom of your posting much better than the top one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 09, 2020, 10:37:12 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on November 09, 2020, 10:17:05 AM
No LPs?  :(  Well, one good thing about that is that you have a lot more room in your home.  Those boxed opera sets (particularly Wagnerian) take up a LOT of room!  ::)  Do you have a ton of opera CDs or listen mostly online these days?  Just curious.  :)

Must admit that I like the cover at the bottom of your posting much better than the top one.

Oh I have thousands of CDs and mostly play them. Just occasionally I remember  things I used to have on LP but never replaced on CD. That's when Spotify comes in useful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 10, 2020, 11:49:19 AM
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MR2pBGk6RUw/U9J_XyK3EzI/AAAAAAAAIcc/wdC10Clp7qg/s1600/706301713020A.jpg)

Act 2
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on November 10, 2020, 03:36:33 PM
R. Strauss: Salome (Met Opera broadcast)

I mean, Karita Mattila, end of story.  ;D

https://www.metopera.org/season/on-demand/opera/?upc=811357012031

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 11, 2020, 03:49:17 PM
Quote from: ritter on November 02, 2020, 01:50:28 AM
Revisting thet absolute jewel that is Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges, in what I understand is its first recording (from 1947), conducted by Ernest Bour.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CtrxawefL.jpg)
The sound is excellent for its vintage, the performance has a natural flow to it that is admirable, Colette's text is beguiling, and the music is simply wonderful. C'est magnifique!

"Keng-ça-fou, Mah-jong, Keng-ça-fou, puis' -kong-kong-pran-pa, Ça-oh-râ, Ça-oh-râ...Ça-oh-râ, Cas-ka-ra, harakiri, Sessue Hayakawa Hâ! Hâ! Ça-oh-râ toujours l'air chinoâ."  :)

Indeed, Rafael. One of the most magnificent operas I've ever heard. I don't know this recording, but I have many others --- my favorite is Maazel on Deutsche Grammophon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 12, 2020, 10:16:16 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61diN2lgZRL._AC_SX466_.jpg)

Wondrous music with the wondrous voice of Natalie Dessay.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 12, 2020, 10:27:34 AM
Quote from: Handelian on November 12, 2020, 10:16:16 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61diN2lgZRL._AC_SX466_.jpg)

Wondrous music with the wondrous voice of Natalie Dessay.
The aria Tief gebückt und voller Reue from BWV 199 is breathtakingly beautiful, and Dessay and Haïm are truly outstanding  in it. Great stuff!

My favourite, though, remains Dawn Upshaw. A desert island disc for me:

https://www.youtube.com/v/4XeuHyWpTLE
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 12, 2020, 12:05:59 PM
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KgfuwgxwMHo/XDoc0kraaDI/AAAAAAAADGE/kV71EAvqAwY1-jdqwT8K80lwbrskz3e4QCLcBGAs/s320/Handel-Rodelinda-NKraemer-front.jpg)

Handel Rodelinda

Never understand why Handel's operas were neglected for so long. They contain such splendid music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on November 13, 2020, 11:17:54 AM
Quote from: Handelian on November 12, 2020, 12:05:59 PM
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KgfuwgxwMHo/XDoc0kraaDI/AAAAAAAADGE/kV71EAvqAwY1-jdqwT8K80lwbrskz3e4QCLcBGAs/s320/Handel-Rodelinda-NKraemer-front.jpg)

Handel Rodelinda

Never understand why Handel's operas were neglected for so long. They contain such splendid music.

Maybe he increasing expertise and publicity of period instruments? Looks like this group, the Raglan Baroque Players, is one of those? For me, the whole period instrument movement revived my appreciation for Baroque works; it just "feels right." I wonder if other audience members may have been similarly influenced. Groups like Il Giardino Armonico and Concerto Italiano, for example, completely rehabilitated Vivaldi, after I had become a bit weary of his music decades ago.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 13, 2020, 11:36:06 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41K%2Bs2tJdmL._SX425_.jpg)

The late great Helen Hunt singing Handel. Unbelievable singing!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: MusicTurner on November 13, 2020, 12:25:39 PM
Monteverdi  - L'Orfeo /Corboz /erato CD

Happens quite often ... returning to this rich and pioneering, fine work, somehow also ritualized or archaic, yet abundant with melodic beauty too. What a great composer he was.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 13, 2020, 02:24:48 PM
Quote from: ritter on November 12, 2020, 10:27:34 AM
The aria Tief gebückt und voller Reue from BWV 199 is breathtakingly beautiful, and Dessay and Haïm are truly outstanding  in it. Great stuff!

My favourite, though, remains Dawn Upshaw. A desert island disc for me:

https://www.youtube.com/v/4XeuHyWpTLE
That's a lovely CD (the Upshaw one though I do also like Dessay).  I have a number of discs with recitals by Dawn Upshaw (and some complete operas if my memory is serving me correctly)..yes, at least Alcina.  What a lovely crystalline voice and intelligent singing/phrasing.   :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 15, 2020, 03:58:59 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/bn0ku_NakA0qopDs6KUaSQvwYfU=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6908104-1564329145-1229.jpeg.jpg)

Werther is an opera I like more each time I hear it. I first saw it back in 1970, in a lovely production by Sir Michael Redgrave, when it toured to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Werther was sung by David Hughes, who had enjoyed quite a success as a pop singer before retraining as an opera singer. He suffered from heart problems and sadly died from heart failure the day after collapsing on stage during a performance of Madama Butterfly at the London Coliseum. He was only 47. Looking at the Glyndeboure archives for 1970, I see the role of Charlotte was sung by Yvonne Fuller, who looks absolutely ideal in photographs. I wonder what happened to her.

To be honest I can't remember all that much about the performance other than that I enjoyed it immensely and it has remiained one of my favourite operas ever since. These days I often hear people berating the character of Werther for being so "wet", for want of a better word, but surely that is a rather glib reaction, which betrays a lack of understanding of the whole Romantic movement, and especically the Sturm und Drang movement that the original Goethe novel partly inspired. Musically, it is one of Massenet's best operas and I like it a lot more than some of his crowd pleaser operas, like Esclarmonde and Le roi de Lahore.

Werther has been extraordinarliy lucky on disc, right from its first recording, made in 1931 and featuring Georges Thill and Ninon Vallin under Elie Cohen. Other strong contenders include Alfredo Kraus and Tatiana Troyanos under Michel Plasson, José Carreras and Frederica Von Stade under Colin Davis and, possibly best of all, Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu under Antonio Pappano.

Though the title role has been sung by lyric tenors such as Tito Schipa and Ferrcuio Tagliavini, it still needs a fair amount of heft, as was demonstrated when I saw the opera not long ago at Covent Garden. Both musically and dramatically Juan Diego Florez was underpowered and the opera consequently failed to make its usual effect. Gedda was also a lyric tenor, but his essentially lyric voice had a great deal more carrying power than that of Florez and he is an effective Werther, his singing, as always, musical and involved.

By his side is one of the best Charlottes on disc, maybe even the best. Though a soprano, De Los Angeles's lower and middle voice has the richness the role demands and her characterisation is spot on. Only Von Stade on the Davis recording approaches her for charm and vulnerability. This is a great performance. There is also excellent support from Mady Mesplé as a delightful Sophie and Roger Soyer as Albert.

Prêtre tends to overdo the histrionics and the Cohen, Davis and Pappano are all much better conducted, with the Davis and Pappano also enjoying better sound. Nonetheless this is one of the best recordings of the opera around, and absolutely essential for De Los Angeles's superb Charlotte.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 15, 2020, 05:49:12 AM
Excellent review, Tsaras, thanks! I'm slowly getting into Massenet. Werther (the Davis version) and Esclarmonde are patiently waiting on my shelves...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 15, 2020, 06:39:26 AM
Quote from: André on November 15, 2020, 05:49:12 AM
Excellent review, Tsaras, thanks! I'm slowly getting into Massenet. Werther (the Davis version) and Esclarmonde are patiently waiting on my shelves...

Esclarmonde goes into my "crowd pleaser" category. The music strikes me as flashy but rather empty. Sutherland is in spectacular form, if you can cope with not being able to make out a word of what she is singing. I can't, I'm afraid.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on November 15, 2020, 11:38:59 AM
Quote from: Brewski on November 13, 2020, 11:17:54 AM
Maybe he increasing expertise and publicity of period instruments? Looks like this group, the Raglan Baroque Players, is one of those? For me, the whole period instrument movement revived my appreciation for Baroque works; it just "feels right." I wonder if other audience members may have been similarly influenced. Groups like Il Giardino Armonico and Concerto Italiano, for example, completely rehabilitated Vivaldi, after I had become a bit weary of his music decades ago.

--Bruce

Hi Bruce!

Yes the Raglan is one of these groups. Bit too careful really but a good performance none the less. You cannot really play Handel, etc satisfactorily without some historically informed practice these days as we have learned that to perform it the way he intended is the best.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 19, 2020, 03:27:52 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/KWhMVaLuak0LiDiMfbeUEUG8-t4=/fit-in/600x521/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10941077-1506885962-6760.jpeg.jpg)

I sometimes wonder if the subject mater of Mazeppa would have been more suited to Mussorgsky, but I enjoy Tchaikovsky's opera more every time I hear it, whilst still preferring both Eugene Onegin and Queen of Spades. It seems to me that both of them engaged Tchaikovsky's sympathies more.

I haven't heard the Gergiev version on Philips but this one from Sweden with Neeme Järvi at the helm and that fine artist Sergei Leiferkus as Mazeppa seems pretty good to me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 19, 2020, 03:29:32 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/RxgtB96C0pbDnAOqpQ-7fT9NynQ=/fit-in/600x508/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8805734-1469146643-6058.jpeg.jpg)

Really enjoying this recording today. Ultimately I'd still find it difficult to choose between it and the Gardelli, but in one respect it definitely improves on its predecessor. Studer is a lot better than the pallidly voiced Deutekom on the Gardelli. That said, I'd have loved to hear the role sung by a voice with a bit more steel in it. Nonetheless Studer sings the role very well and the male roles are all very well taken too, with Muti at his exciting best.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 21, 2020, 02:21:35 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/UKKyG5ir8nG-SpAX7w6YHY73-fM=/fit-in/500x435/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10964917-1569603528-4555.jpeg.jpg)

Pushkin's dark tale of obsession and addiction, brilliantly put to music by Tchaikovsky is one of my favourite operas and it's good to see it's performed far more in the West now than was once the case.

On balance I'd say this Gergiev recording is the best reasonably modern recording available. Gergiev certainly has the measure of this turbulently swirling score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 22, 2020, 02:04:04 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Bl9mgHtUL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

Admittedly on modern instruments, but this really is a terrific performance and, were it in Italian, I'm sure it would be one of the most recommendable versions.

It seems incredible now that the English National Opera could field such a team of great singers, but that was the norm back then. Sarah Walker, Della Jones and John Tomlinson are all superb, but Janet Baker and Valerie Masterson are both exceptional. Indeed Masterson's Cleopatra is one of the best I've ever heard, her coloratura absolutely stunning and  yet she is infinitely moving in the slower arias. Piangero  had me in tears. Furthermore her diction is well nigh perfect. The voice wasn't large but I seem to remember she had no trouble being heard in either the London Coloseum or the Royal Opera House.

The one relative disappointment is James Bowman's Ptolemy is a bit hooty. Countertenors these days are so much better.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on November 22, 2020, 02:41:40 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61fLjUioIPL._SY425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: listener on November 22, 2020, 10:01:18 PM
on DVD:VERDI:  Les  Vêpres Siciliennes  -
original French version, some of the famous ballet extracted and used throughout,
3 hours    The Royal Ballet Covent Garden     Antonio Pappano cond.
[asin]B00QL478KE[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on November 23, 2020, 12:43:18 AM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61m9jRE43wL._SL1200_.jpg)

Verdi: Simon Boccanegra
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on November 23, 2020, 03:09:37 AM
Quote from: listener on November 22, 2020, 10:01:18 PM
on DVD:VERDI:  Les  Vêpres Siciliennes  -
original French version, some of the famous ballet extracted and used throughout,
3 hours    The Royal Ballet Covent Garden     Antonio Pappano cond.


IIRC, though there's dance throughout, they didn't use any of Verdi's actual Four Seasons ballet. I guess now I'll need to rewatch it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on November 23, 2020, 12:27:10 PM
A re-run at Stingray - Classica.
A great evening with Fun & magic & vocal fireworks.
Prokofiev: l'Amour des trois oranges.
(Barry Banks is superb!)
Mise en scène : Gilbert Deflo
Décors & costumes : William Orlandi
Lumières : Joël Hourbeigt
Chorégraphie : Marta Ferri

(https://i0.wp.com/www.operawarhorses.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PHIL-LOVE-9-BANKS-400.jpg?w=267&ssl=1)

Philippe Rouillon : le Roi de Trèfle
Charles Workman : le Prince
Hannah Esther Minutillo : la Princesse Clarice
Guillaume Antoine : Léandre
Barry Banks : Truffaldino
Jean-Luc Ballestra : Pantalon
José van Dam : Tchélio
Béatrice Uria-Monzon : Fata Morgana
Letitia Singleton : Linette
Natacha Constantin : Nicolette
Aleksandra Zamojska : Ninette
Victor von Halem : la Cuisinière
Jean-Sébastien Bou : Farfarello
Lucia Cirillo : Sméraldine
Nicolas Marie : le Maître de cérémonies
David Bizic : le Héraut

Orchestre et Chœurs de l'Opéra de Paris
Direction musicale : Sylvain Cambreling

Enregistré à l'Opéra National de Paris-Bastille en décembre 2005
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on November 23, 2020, 11:40:45 PM
Quote from: Undersea on November 23, 2020, 12:43:18 AM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61m9jRE43wL._SL1200_.jpg)

Verdi: Simon Boccanegra

One of my favourite sets. The plot is tangled, but the music is great. I did not know this Verdi until this set came out. I do now have an earlier on with Gobbi, Christoff and de los Angeles, I listen to it for those three voices, but Abbado provides a more dramatic performance and his cast is very good.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 24, 2020, 01:38:27 AM
Quote from: knight66 on November 23, 2020, 11:40:45 PM
One of my favourite sets. The plot is tangled, but the music is great. I did not know this Verdi until this set came out. I do now have an earlier on with Gobbi, Christoff and de los Angeles, I listen to it for those three voices, but Abbado provides a more dramatic performance and his cast is very good.

Mike

Same here, Mike. I got to know the opera from this superb Abbado recording, which has now become something of a classic. Later on I bought the Santini for the performances of those three great singers (Gobbi, Christoff and De Los Angeles) but the Abbado is the better all round performance.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on November 25, 2020, 01:48:22 PM
Quote from: knight66 on November 23, 2020, 11:40:45 PM
One of my favourite sets. The plot is tangled, but the music is great. I did not know this Verdi until this set came out. I do now have an earlier on with Gobbi, Christoff and de los Angeles, I listen to it for those three voices, but Abbado provides a more dramatic performance and his cast is very good.
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 24, 2020, 01:38:27 AM
Same here, Mike. I got to know the opera from this superb Abbado recording, which has now become something of a classic. Later on I bought the Santini for the performances of those three great singers (Gobbi, Christoff and De Los Angeles) but the Abbado is the better all round performance.

Also have the Santini recording and a second recording by Abbado (it's a Live one I think) - plan to give all 3 of these a good listen this week...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on November 26, 2020, 12:44:49 PM
Quote from: knight66 on November 23, 2020, 11:40:45 PM
The plot is tangled, but the music is great.

Opera in a nutshell.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 27, 2020, 02:45:11 PM
Quote from: Florestan on November 26, 2020, 12:44:49 PM
Opera in a nutshell.  :D

Pretty much! ;) ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 28, 2020, 04:22:41 PM
Janáček
The Makropulos Case
Vladimir Krejcik (tenor), Anna Czakova (mezzo-soprano), Elisabeth Söderström (soprano), Ivana Mixova (mezzo-soprano), Vaclav Zitek (tenor), Peter Dvorsky (tenor), Blanka Vitkova (contralto), Jiri Joran (bass), Beno Blachut (tenor), Dalibor Jedlicka (bass), Zdenek Svehla (tenor)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Staatsoper
Sir Charles Mackerras


(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzOTQwMi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NzExMzcwMzF9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 29, 2020, 07:57:21 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515urAsuFeL._AC_.jpg)

A splendid recording of Aroldo, Verdi's re-working of his Stiffelio. I prefer the earlier opera, which is dramatically more cohesive, but there is some excellent new music in Aroldo even if, ultimately, it is a less moving piece.

Hard to choose between this and the Queler recording. I prefer Caballé to Vaness, whose voice by this time has become to harden on top, but Luisis directs the better performance. Not much to choose between the tenors, but Anthony Michaels-Moore is excellent and one of the newer recording's chief assets.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 30, 2020, 11:52:08 AM

Latterly:

(https://img.discogs.com/n0vaGlLD16VEMg_uapu3KQg1EAk=/fit-in/500x500/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4410150-1364159225-2218.jpeg.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71E5IAfxUZL._AC_SL425_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91J4DbraSTL._AC_SL425_.jpg)

I must state I've been lucky with these three sets, as all are superb phonographic representations of the works, sumptuously sung, played and recorded - somewhat surprisingly, since the Sinding and d'Albert are cast with little-known names. And, despite their differences in style, all are easy to like.

The Berlin Classics production of Tiefland boasts the superbly full and refined playing of the Staatskapelle, Dresden. In this opera the orchestra is on its collective toes throughout, as not a moment passes by without it commenting and leading words and action. The 1963 recording (from the Lukaskirche) is full, clear as a bell, wonderfully transparent. Better and more natural-sounding than many a digital effort.

Sinding's way is recognizably wagnerian in its use of orchestral leitmotivs to introduce characters or comment on the action. None of the singers is a 'name', but all have very good voices. No fluttery vibrato, no wobble, no missing low notes or screechy high tones. The engineering is excellent as well (a 1986 digital production). Musically this is much stronger than I expected.

Gloriana is sumptuously cast, with strong singers in every role. I was very impressed with Richard van Allan's Walter Raleigh and Willard White's Blind Singer. Barstow is strong of voice. In the spoken epilogue she is suitably moving in conveying Elizabeth's selflessness and determination to sacrifice love for duty. I can understand why this work may have struck the musical establishment as unsuited for a coronation celebration. The plot's emphasis on deceit, treason and the loneliness of the queen is rather chilling. A deluxe production.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2020, 05:15:56 AM
Quote from: André on November 30, 2020, 11:52:08 AM


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91J4DbraSTL._AC_SL425_.jpg)



Gloriana is sumptuously cast, with strong singers in every role. I was very impressed with Richard van Allan's Walter Raleigh and Willard White's Blind Singer. Barstow is strong of voice. In the spoken epilogue she is suitably moving in conveying Elizabeth's selflessness and determination to sacrifice love for duty. I can understand why this work may have struck the musical establishment as unsuited for a coronation celebration. The plot's emphasis on deceit, treason and the loneliness of the queen is rather chilling. A deluxe production.

I have this set too, and I must say I like the opera more and more each time I listen to it. Many moons ago I remember a fabulous ENO production, with Ava June in the title role. It was revived a few years later, this time with Sarah Walker in the role of Elizabeth and that production exists on DVD.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2020, 05:16:20 AM
(https://ecsmedia.pl/c/delibes-lakme-w-iext53008908.jpg)

I don't know why I hadn't heard this recording before, but, whatever the reason, I like it a lot more than the famous Sutherland one. Mesplé, with her small, bright, very French soprano, her perfect intonation, superb diction and needle-fine accuracy in the coloratura is almost at the opposite pole from Sutherland. Who knows what language she is singing in or about? I doubt she even knew herself. In terms of mushy diction, it's one of her worst recordings. Vanzo was the best thing on the Sutherland recording, but Charles Burles is honestly just as good and Roger Soyer excellent as Nilakantha. The acoustic is a bit boomy, as was often the case in the Salle Wagram, but Lombard's conducting is much more stylish than Bonynge. All in all a very pleasant surprise.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on December 02, 2020, 01:17:54 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2020, 05:16:20 AM
(https://ecsmedia.pl/c/delibes-lakme-w-iext53008908.jpg)

I don't know why I hadn't heard this recording before, but, whatever the reason, I like it a lot more than the famous Sutherland one. Mesplé, with her small, bright, very French soprano, her perfect intonation, superb diction and needle-fine accuracy in the coloratura is almost at the opposite pole from Sutherland. Who knows what language she is singing in or about? I doubt she even knew herself. In terms of mushy diction, it's one of her worst recordings. Vanzo was the best thing on the Sutherland recording, but Charles Burles is honestly just as good and Roger Soyer excellent as Nilakantha. The acoustic is a bit boomy, as was often the case in the Salle Wagram, but Lombard's conducting is much more stylish than Bonynge. All in all a very pleasant surprise.
That's a recording that I've heard good things about in the past but don't have a copy of yet.

By the way and thinking of you and other fans (including moi   ;) ):  Happy Birth anniversary to Maria Callas!  I'd read that it was not certain of the exact date:  anywhere from December 2nd to the 4th.

Best wishes,

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: AlberichUndHagen on December 03, 2020, 07:24:26 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on December 02, 2020, 01:17:54 PM
By the way and thinking of you and other fans (including moi   ;) ):  Happy Birth anniversary to Maria Callas!  I'd read that it was not certain of the exact date:  anywhere from December 2nd to the 4th.

Really? That's interesting. Mine is 4th December and I was pretty much certain that the only (in)famous person that shares my birthday is Franco which isn't exactly flattering.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: AlberichUndHagen on December 03, 2020, 07:29:10 AM
J/K, I am sure there are countless famous and infamous people sharing my birthday. But Franco's is the only one of those that I remember.  ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on December 03, 2020, 09:36:40 AM
Quote from: AlberichUndHagen on December 03, 2020, 07:29:10 AM
J/K, I am sure there are countless famous and infamous people sharing my birthday. But Franco's is the only one of those that I remember.  ::)

Google is your friend: Andre Campra,  Michel Pignolet de Monteclair, Thomas Carlyle, Samuel Butler...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on December 03, 2020, 09:49:54 AM
Quote from: AlberichUndHagen on December 03, 2020, 07:24:26 AM
Really? That's interesting. Mine is 4th December and I was pretty much certain that the only (in)famous person that shares my birthday is Franco which isn't exactly flattering.
:laugh:  Well, now you're in much better company!  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 04, 2020, 01:40:54 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/qB5laM_YKhMjJC2fwSQ6XbXTOVk=/fit-in/600x527/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13364268-1552825189-6912.jpeg.jpg)

My knowlegde of Russian opera is relatively scant. Just Tchaikovsky's Onegin, Queen of Spades and Mazeppa and Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, so I'm trying to do a bit of catch up. A few days ago it was Borodin's Prince Igor and tonight Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsar's Bride. It's full of wonderful tunes and gorgeous orchestrations, as you might expect from Rimsky-Korsakov. The performance under Gergiev is very good with some outstanding singing from the likes of Hvorostovsky and Borodina.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 04, 2020, 01:41:38 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Rba0Ubn84gg0kFahEduue5jDFL8=/fit-in/600x590/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14261187-1570960200-5646.jpeg.jpg)

Jochum conducts a great performance of Mozart's Singspiel. Erika Köth is a better Kostanze than I remember, but she still sounds more like a Blonde to me. On the other hand, Wunderlich is even better than I remembered, both heroic and meltingly lyrical. None better on disc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 05, 2020, 02:50:16 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/NoA1LFp7cVflLHZmaopnECxkzA8=/fit-in/600x533/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12482261-1536166292-3560.jpeg.jpg)

Caballé is the undoubted star of this recording, taped at a concert performance at Carnegie Hall in 1976. A re-working of the earlier Stiffelio, I don't think it hangs together quite as well, but Verdi did write some superb new music for it and I would always want a recording of both works. Cecchele and Pons are not quite in Caballé's class, but are never less than adequate and sometimes more than that.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on December 05, 2020, 05:21:25 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ZvzD4BYWL._SS500_.jpg)

https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7641.msg1335613.html#msg1335613
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on December 05, 2020, 07:01:12 AM
 Now listening:

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/12/ba/9a/12ba9a71c604af10e0249f10cd8426b4.jpg)

From:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/812uVbt-o4L._SL1500_.jpg)


Quite an awesome recording - Have been listening to bits and pieces of the Ring Cycle the last few days... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 06, 2020, 03:36:25 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JEBIiyqQL.jpg)

Britten's final opera was also his last love song to the man who was his lifelong partner and the role of Aschenbach was written with Pears' vocal timbre and idiosyncracies in mind. It was the summation of both their careers, but unfortunately Britten was too unwell to conduct either at the premiere in Aldeburgh or the recording, which were conducted by Steuart Bedford, though Britten remained involved.

Britten creates some amazing soundscapes, especially with the gamelan-like percussion, which accompanies Tadzio's movements, but the score is quite acerbic. This historic recording, like all of Britten's own recordings of his works, will always be a reference recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on December 06, 2020, 10:09:11 AM
Quote from: Undersea on December 05, 2020, 07:01:12 AM
Now listening:


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/812uVbt-o4L._SL1500_.jpg)


Quite an awesome recording - Have been listening to bits and pieces of the Ring Cycle the last few days... :)

The opera gala box certainly has an interesting mix of discs. Some I recognise from way back. I can't remember who the featured singer was, possible Ghiaurov. There do seem to be some deservedly obscure items in, perhaps they will be surprising.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 06, 2020, 11:04:35 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 06, 2020, 03:36:25 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JEBIiyqQL.jpg)

Britten's final opera was also his last love sing to the man who was his lifelong partner and the role of Aschebach was written with Pears' vocal timbre and idiosyncracies in mind. It was the summation of both their careers, but unfortunately Britten was too unwell to conduct either at the premiere in Aldeburgh or the recording, which were conducted by Steuart Bedford, though Britten remained involved.

Britten creates some amazing soundscapes, especially with the gamelan-like percussion, which accompanies Tadzio's movements, but the score is quite acerbic. This historic recording, like all of Britten's own recordings of his works, will always be a reference recording.

This could be debated. The fidelity of Britten's own recording of The Turn of the Srew leaves much to be desired. The performance is outstanding, but when the audio quality hinders the performance, which, in my mind, is a part of the package, then I find it difficult to appreciate. So, with this in mind, I prefer the Steuart Bedford recording, which, thankfully is just as inspired as Britten's and obviously the audio quality is up to the performance's high standard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 07, 2020, 12:24:02 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 06, 2020, 11:04:35 AM
This could be debated. The fidelity of Britten's own recording of The Turn of the Srew leaves much to be desired. The performance is outstanding, but when the audio quality hinders the performance, which, in my mind, is a part of the package, then I find it difficult to appreciate. So, with this in mind, I prefer the Steuart Bedford recording, which, thankfully is just as inspired as Britten's and obviously the audio quality is up to the performance's high standard.

But, in a manner of speaking, the Bedford is Britten's recording of Death in Venice. Britten wasn't well enough to conduct the opera either in Aldeburgh or for the recording and Steuart Bedford took over, but Britten oversaw them both.

When it comes to The Turn of the Screw, I still prefer Britten's own recording, despite the mono sound. It still has the best cast. On the other hand I prefer Hickox's Billy Budd and A Midsummer Night's Dream and Peter Grimes has had quite a few excellent recordings. That doesn't prevent Britten's own from being reference recordings, which is not the same as saying they are the best.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 07, 2020, 01:00:23 AM
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0056/8121/7651/products/0f389b89e7d3eb98e8fb63028e9e9974_2000x.jpg?v=1536830454)

These days Poliuto is chiefly remembered as the vehicle for Callas's return to La Scala in 1960 after a hiatus of almost two years, a performance preserved in sound and issued in Warner's Callas Live Remastered series. Callas is in slightly parlous voice but Corelli, who plays Poliuto, is splendid.

Carreras is not quite Corelli, but he sings with his customary passion and sincerity and Ricciarelli is lovely as Paolina. The sound of this 1986 concert performance is of course a good deal better than the live Callas and it is probably the safest bet for anyone wanting this opera on disc. That said, I would never be without the Callas/Corelli set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 07, 2020, 08:00:51 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 07, 2020, 12:24:02 AM
But, in a manner of speaking, the Bedford is Britten's recording of Death in Venice. Britten wasn't well enough to conduct the opera either in Aldeburgh or for the recording and Steuart Bedford took over, but Britten oversaw them both.

When it comes to The Turn of the Screw, I still prefer Britten's own recording, despite the mono sound. It still has the best cast. On the other hand I prefer Hickox's Billy Budd and A Midsummer Night's Dream and Peter Grimes has had quite a few excellent recordings. That doesn't prevent Britten's own from being reference recordings, which is not the same as saying they are the best.

I have no issues with Bedford's Death in Venice, which I knew that Britten was heavily involved in and had a lot of input. Death in Venice and The Turn of the Screw are my favorite Britten operas. I have much respect for Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, Gloriana, etc. but it's the afore mentioned operas that have made the greatest impression on me and I like their psychological stories. They're also just strange operas to me and seem to revel in that Britten eeriness that I love so much.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on December 07, 2020, 08:14:40 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 06, 2020, 03:36:25 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JEBIiyqQL.jpg)

Britten's final opera was also his last love sing to the man who was his lifelong partner and the role of Aschebach was written with Pears' vocal timbre and idiosyncracies in mind. It was the summation of both their careers, but unfortunately Britten was too unwell to conduct either at the premiere in Aldeburgh or the recording, which were conducted by Steuart Bedford, though Britten remained involved.

Britten creates some amazing soundscapes, especially with the gamelan-like percussion, which accompanies Tadzio's movements, but the score is quite acerbic. This historic recording, like all of Britten's own recordings of his works, will always be a reference recording.
I am just reminded that my DVD of Death in Venice has arrived for months and I should open and watch it this week or next.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 08, 2020, 05:52:08 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 07, 2020, 08:00:51 PM
I have no issues with Bedford's Death in Venice, which I knew that Britten was heavily involved in and had a lot of input. Death in Venice and The Turn of the Screw are my favorite Britten operas. I have much respect for Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, Gloriana, etc. but it's the afore mentioned operas that have made the greatest impression on me and I like their psychological stories. They're also just strange operas to me and seem to revel in that Britten eeriness that I love so much.

The Turn of the Screw was the first Britten opera I ever saw and it's always been one of my favourites. The Bedford recording is certainly excellent, and sonically of course outclasses the Britten, though I think Britten's singers (the women at least) enunciate the text more clearly. The Britten also has David Hemmings as Miles, who is much better at conveying the ambiguity in Miles's character than any of the other boys I've heard. As an adult, Hemmings of course went on to become a successful actor.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 08, 2020, 05:40:46 PM
Act I from Karajan's Parsifal:

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkyNDA0My4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MjUwMzY4NjF9)

I don't have a lot lot of experience with Wagner (aside from a summer I spent listening through Karajan's Ring), but this seems like a rather formidable performance of Wagner's swan song as I've ever heard. I also own Solti and Barenboim in this opera. Solti's was 'okay' the best I can remember. Barenboim's sounded rather good, but Karajan's is hitting all the right spots for me right now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 09, 2020, 06:58:55 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/81cwoavsenl-_sy355_.jpg)

This was Callas's much anticipated return to La Scala after an absence of more than eighteen months and audience anticipation was at fever point, exemplified by the uproar that breaks out in the theatre on her entrance, forcing Votto to stop the orchestra before they can continue with the opera. Understandably she sounds rather tentative to begin with, though she gains confidence by the end of the opera, phrasing her music with an eloquence reminiscent of her best work.

But this is really the tenor's opera and Corelli is the undoubted star of the performance, reminding me of his splendid Pollione which he had recorded with Callas a few months earlier. Votto conducts a much more vitally dramatic performance than Caetani , who conducted the Carreras performance I listened to a couple of days ago. That one has better sound, but this one is much more thrilling.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2020, 02:23:41 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk5MjEzMC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Mjk1NDM5NTh9)

This is my first listen to this opera, which is probably best known for its overture. Of the two recordings on Spotify (I also sampled the one conducted by Lü Jia on Dynamic) this one, conducted by Rossini specialist Alberto Zedda would appear to be better. It's a strange work, somewhere between comedy and tragedy with secco recitatives (here played on the piano).

I found it enjoyable enough, if not particularly memorable. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on December 10, 2020, 04:41:43 AM

I have been listening to Strauss' Elektra. The version is played by the VPO and conducted by Sinopoli. Alexandra Marc has the main role, her mother is Hanna Schwarz and the sister is Deborah Voigt. Jerusalem is Aegisth and Ramey is Orest.

The voices are well forward, but words are frequently indistinct, the men show up the lack of consonants in the other singers. The pacing is fine and all three women's voices cope well with what they have to accomplish. However, those voices are insufficiently distinct, it is often a puzzle to understand who is singing unless the libretto is followed. This rather undermines the central conflict between mother and daughter, as neither establish a vocal personality.

The orchestra sounds terrific both in filigree patches and the occasional wall of sound. I don't sense that push and pull that Sinopoli often imposed and this kind of histrionic piece suits him.

I still prefer the visceral Solti where the voices of the three women are easy to differentiate. And no one has been recorded in such steely vocal health as Nilsson. I saw her in the part and it was not a matter of it seeming easy, rather that she sounded as fresh at the end as at the start. When I have seen other singers in the part, it has really taken it out of them.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2020, 06:56:39 AM
Quote from: knight66 on December 10, 2020, 04:41:43 AM
I have been listening to Strauss' Elektra. The version is played by the VPO and conducted by Sinopoli. Alexandra Marc has the main role, her mother is Hanna Schwarz and the sister is Deborah Voigt. Jerusalem is Aegisth and Ramey is Orest.

The voices are well forward, but words are frequently indistinct, the men show up the lack of consonants in the other singers. The pacing is fine and all three women's voices cope well with what they have to accomplish. However, those voices are insufficiently distinct, it is often a puzzle to understand who is singing unless the libretto is followed. This rather undermines the central conflict between mother and daughter, as neither establish a vocal personality.

The orchestra sounds terrific both in filigree patches and the occasional wall of sound. I don't sense that push and pull that Sinopoli often imposed and this kind of histrionic piece suits him.

I still prefer the visceral Solti where the voices of the three women are easy to differentiate. And no one has been recorded in such steely vocal health as Nilsson. I saw her in the part and it was not a matter of it seeming easy, rather that she sounded as fresh at the end as at the start. When I have seen other singers in the part, it has really taken it out of them.

Mike

It's not an opera I like particularly. For too much of the time it sounds like a load of women screaming at each other and the Solti recording tends to emphasise the hysteria at the expense of the lyrical side of the score, something that Sawallisch brings out better in his recording. I agree, though, that Nilsson is by far the best Elektra on disc. Marton, who is on the Sawallisch, is not a singer I usually like and, compared to Nilsson, she does occasionally sound strained, but it's a fine performance nonetheless, probably her best on disc. I also prefer Studer to Collier and Lipovsek to Resnik. Weikl is also very fine as Orest. If I were to buy a recording, the Sawallisch is probably the one I'd go for, but it's not something I'd listen to very often.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on December 11, 2020, 02:53:35 AM
Three women yelling at one another for 90 minutes is not that far from it. I can imagine it is a Marmite piece for many people.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 11, 2020, 03:36:02 AM
Today I'm listening to Les Huguenots in the famous Sutherland recording. If I'm honest, it's not really holding my interest any more than it did the last time I listened to it, which must be a god twenty years ago now at least. There are a few good tunes, but generally there's quite a lot of empty rhetoric and padding. The lighter sections of the score reminded me of Offenbach without the invention. The recording has its problems as well, chief of them being Vrenios's Raoul, which seems to me lightweight and a little whiney. Sutherland has her usual problems with diction, but the voice itself is gorgeous of course. I'm into Act II now, but not at all sure I'll persevere to the end.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71hk8ZRIBRL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: mc ukrneal on December 11, 2020, 04:33:33 AM
Quote from: knight66 on December 10, 2020, 04:41:43 AM
I have been listening to Strauss' Elektra. The version is played by the VPO and conducted by Sinopoli. Alexandra Marc has the main role, her mother is Hanna Schwarz and the sister is Deborah Voigt. Jerusalem is Aegisth and Ramey is Orest.

The voices are well forward, but words are frequently indistinct, the men show up the lack of consonants in the other singers. The pacing is fine and all three women's voices cope well with what they have to accomplish. However, those voices are insufficiently distinct, it is often a puzzle to understand who is singing unless the libretto is followed. This rather undermines the central conflict between mother and daughter, as neither establish a vocal personality.

The orchestra sounds terrific both in filigree patches and the occasional wall of sound. I don't sense that push and pull that Sinopoli often imposed and this kind of histrionic piece suits him.

I still prefer the visceral Solti where the voices of the three women are easy to differentiate. And no one has been recorded in such steely vocal health as Nilsson. I saw her in the part and it was not a matter of it seeming easy, rather that she sounded as fresh at the end as at the start. When I have seen other singers in the part, it has really taken it out of them.

Mike

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2020, 06:56:39 AM
It's not an opera I like particularly. For too much of the time it sounds like a load of women screaming at each other and the Solti recording tends to emphasise the hysteria at the expense of the lyrical side of the score, something that Sawallisch brings out better in his recording. I agree, though, that Nilsson is by far the best Elektra on disc. Marton, who is on the Sawallisch, is not a singer I usually like and, compared to Nilsson, she does occasionally sound strained, but it's a fine performance nonetheless, probably her best on disc. I also prefer Studer to Collier and Lipovsek to Resnik. Weikl is also very fine as Orest. If I were to buy a recording, the Sawallisch is probably the one I'd go for, but it's not something I'd listen to very often.

Have you seen the video with Marton/Fassbender/Abaddo/Vienna State Opera? Marton is pretty great there, though I cannot compare to the Sawallisch having seen this so long ago.  I'm not much a fan of Marton either, and only watched this (it's a DVD or was) because of Fassbender, who is usually so good. The production was quite dark too, but that can be a positive or negative depending on your view. Anyway, perhaps something to keep an eye out for if you get the itch.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 11, 2020, 05:25:53 AM
 
QuoteThree women yelling at one another for 90 minutes is not that far from it. I can imagine it is a Marmite piece for many people.

Mike

A friend of mine said that was much like any Sunday lunch at his house. I said he'd forgive me if I declined any invitation to Sunday lunch then.  :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on December 12, 2020, 05:22:00 AM
Recent listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71xOU0xMJBL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)


Received this set yesterday and have listened to it a couple of times already - It's the first time I have heard a complete Rossini Opera.
I loved the work - I will definitely be adding more Rossini Operas to my collection in future. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on December 12, 2020, 08:01:39 AM
Latest arrival in the essential (for barrochists) Vivaldi series from Naive

(https://static.fnac-static.com/multimedia/Images/FR/NR/0d/50/c2/12734477/1540-1/tsp20201002093406/Argippo.jpg)

The usual fine quality to expect from these forces, though slightly too much vibrato from Marie Lys as Osira.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 12, 2020, 12:22:15 PM
Cross-posted from the WAYL2 thead.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71cNjlEd8OL._AC_SL425_.jpg)

Schreker's first opera (1901). Libretto on symbolist themes. Despite the wordiness there is a constant lyric flow. The composer could not envision opera without music as its main driving force. The music itself is of the late-romantic persuasion, the musical lines always falling gratefully on the ear (no shrieks or dissonant sounds here). Fortunately it is performed by a strong cast of singers. Conducting/playing are very committed. This being a live production, there are stage noises, but the recorded sound is excellent. One disc, 80 minutes. Fine essays on the composer, music, symbolism in opera at the turn of the century, complete libretto with translation.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on December 12, 2020, 12:25:30 PM
Quote from: André on December 12, 2020, 12:22:15 PM
The composer could not envision opera without music as its main driving force.

Was there any opera composer who envisioned opera without music as its main driving force? I am not aware of any.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on December 12, 2020, 05:34:30 PM
Quote from: knight66 on December 06, 2020, 10:09:11 AM
The opera gala box certainly has an interesting mix of discs. Some I recognise from way back. I can't remember who the featured singer was, possible Ghiaurov. There do seem to be some deservedly obscure items in, perhaps they will be surprising.

Mike

Haven't listened to all of the set yet but I was pleased with what I heard so far - I have played the Disc with excerpts from Mefistofele (with Ghiaurov) a few times as I liked it so much. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 12, 2020, 06:23:38 PM
Quote from: The new erato on December 12, 2020, 08:01:39 AM
Latest arrival in the essential (for barrochists) Vivaldi series from Naive

(https://static.fnac-static.com/multimedia/Images/FR/NR/0d/50/c2/12734477/1540-1/tsp20201002093406/Argippo.jpg)

The usual fine quality to expect from these forces, though slightly too much vibrato from Marie Lys as Osira.

US release date is Jan. 1. But checking on that made realize I missed this one from earlier this year. Ordered it just now.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jrTpFIM3L.jpg)
Thank you!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 13, 2020, 03:20:57 AM
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jd9h1-zXhlo/maxresdefault.jpg)

I saw War and Peace on stage once many moons ago in a splendid production by Engish National Opera. This recording, with many of the same soloists who sang at the premiere, is excellent, with Vishnevskaya as Natasha at somewhere near her best. It's also good to hear Pavel Lisitsian as Napoleon and Irina Arkhipova as Elena.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on December 13, 2020, 07:40:09 AM
First listen to this new acquisition. Only Act I today.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71sKnQbhbKL._SX522_.jpg)
André Cluytens' performances of Parsifal in Bayreuth (in 1957–when the performances were shared between him and Hans Knappertsbusch—and 1965–when he succeeded Knappertsbusch, before Pierre Boulez took over the production the following year—) seem never to have been released in any format. What we do have by him from Bayreuth (Tannhäuser in 1955, Lohengrin in 1958, and Die Meistersinger in 1956 & 1957) is very impressive, so this 1960 Parsifal from La Scala was something I had been considering for a while.

The cast is strong: Boris Christoff actually sounds younger as Gurnemanz here than in the heavily cut, Italian language RAI broadcast under Vittorio Gui (with Maria Callas) from 10 years earlier, is in impressive voice, but his remains an unsubtle performance. It would also seem that Christoff tries very hard to pronounce correctly, but doesn't quite succeed. Gustav Neidlinger (best known as Klingsor in Bayreuth) is an unexpected, but perfectly adequate Amfortas. Both Sándor Kónya and Rita Gorr sound excellent as the lead role and Kundry, respectively (and Kónya is stronger here than under Boulez in Bayreuth six years later), but we'll only know in Act II if they're really that good (both characters have relatively little to do in Act I).

André Cluytens conducts splendidly, on the swift side (with some minor cuts, the whole opera lasts 3h52m—according to this webpage (https://www.monsalvat.no/parsifal-discography.htm)), but shaping the music magisterially. The La Scala orchestra plays very well, and the chorus is very good too (even if perhaps a bit undernourished at times). The sound is perfectly tolerable, and actually better than what has come to expect from these 1960s La Scala broadcasts. The prompter should be credited in the booklet, though, so prominent is his intervention at some points.

So far, a very good Parsifal.



(https://static.archiviolascala.org/upload/fotografie/full/196/19600509PARS_2000_O.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 14, 2020, 08:24:38 AM
Quote from: André on December 12, 2020, 12:22:15 PM
Cross-posted from the WAYL2 thead.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71cNjlEd8OL._AC_SL425_.jpg)

Schreker's first opera (1901). Libretto on symbolist themes. Despite the wordiness there is a constant lyric flow. The composer could not envision opera without music as its main driving force. The music itself is of the late-romantic persuasion, the musical lines always falling gratefully on the ear (no shrieks or dissonant sounds here). Fortunately it is performed by a strong cast of singers. Conducting/playing are very committed. This being a live production, there are stage noises, but the recorded sound is excellent. One disc, 80 minutes. Fine essays on the composer, music, symbolism in opera at the turn of the century, complete libretto with translation.

I wonder what Schreker's best opera is or regarded to be? Der ferne Klang? Die Gezeichneten?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on December 14, 2020, 08:32:44 AM
(https://www.apartemusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ap208-3000.jpg)

Slowly making my way through this gloriously produced set from the early classical period, musically not quite unlike Gluck (who have a more striking melodical vein, though). Not bad at all musically.

Lots of interesting background here:

https://operascribe.com/2019/12/12/165-tarare-salieri/ (https://operascribe.com/2019/12/12/165-tarare-salieri/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 14, 2020, 08:44:12 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 14, 2020, 08:24:38 AM
I wonder what Schreker's best opera is or regarded to be? Der ferne Klang? Die Gezeichneten?

Both, probably  :).

Die Gezeichneten is viewed by some as his most accomplished, while Der ferne Klang is his most often performed (and recorded). I have Der ferne Klang, Flammen and Der Schatzgräber. My preference goes for the latter, followed by Der ferne Klang. Irrelohe is also highly regarded and there is an excellent recording of it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on December 14, 2020, 11:14:51 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/gjyCM0Amwbi7PIRqXXOU7FdT8bc=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-10093852-1504371652-3966.jpeg.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on December 14, 2020, 01:56:31 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 11, 2020, 03:36:02 AM
Today I'm listening to Les Huguenots in the famous Sutherland recording. If I'm honest, it's not really holding my interest any more than it did the last time I listened to it, which must be a god twenty years ago now at least. There are a few good tunes, but generally there's quite a lot of empty rhetoric and padding. The lighter sections of the score reminded me of Offenbach without the invention. The recording has its problems as well, chief of them being Vrenios's Raoul, which seems to me lightweight and a little whiney. Sutherland has her usual problems with diction, but the voice itself is gorgeous of course. I'm into Act II now, but not at all sure I'll persevere to the end.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71hk8ZRIBRL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)
What about that famous duet between Corelli and Simionato in the Italian version (Gli Ugonotti)?   ;D  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FTRRtBzT04  I love it!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 14, 2020, 03:31:46 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on December 14, 2020, 01:56:31 PM
What about that famous duet between Corelli and Simionato in the Italian version (Gli Ugonotti)?   ;D  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FTRRtBzT04  I love it!

PD

Well that's just over fifteen minutes in a very long opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 15, 2020, 05:07:53 PM
Quote from: André on December 14, 2020, 08:44:12 AM
Both, probably  :).

Die Gezeichneten is viewed by some as his most accomplished, while Der ferne Klang is his most often performed (and recorded). I have Der ferne Klang, Flammen and Der Schatzgräber. My preference goes for the latter, followed by Der ferne Klang. Irrelohe is also highly regarded and there is an excellent recording of it.

Excellent, Andre. Thanks for the feedback. I've been meaning to look into more of Schreker's music and it seems since he's an opera composer, it might be a good idea to see where I can start.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 18, 2020, 12:17:46 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/8sHmI6rMAHbHt6LhGGnziW7f1kM=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12593748-1587025369-3851.jpeg.jpg)

Smetana's most performed opera is not as popular outside the Czech Republic as it once was, but this is a very enjoyable recording and the work is quite charming.

Strange to think that Jon Vickers once played the role of the stuttering Vasek at the Metropolitan Opera back in the 1980s.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on December 18, 2020, 12:57:39 AM
Quote from: JBS on December 12, 2020, 06:23:38 PM
US release date is Jan. 1. But checking on that made realize I missed this one from earlier this year. Ordered it just now.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jrTpFIM3L.jpg)
Thank you!
I passed on this (my only miss in the series!) since it is basically the same opera as this fine recording which I have:

(https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.2XRMQlEbrSkRyzZUYChGFgHaFx?pid=Api&rs=1)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on December 18, 2020, 01:01:11 AM
I finished the lasrt act of this yesterday:

(https://www.apartemusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ap208-3000.jpg)

Joyful stuff, and Salieri is a much more interesting composer than Milos Forman might have you think.

I see Rousset has a couple more Salieri operas recorded.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 18, 2020, 01:00:34 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51pG7-XL0YL._AC_.jpg)

Vogel was a contemporary of Mozart (b. 1756) and a Gluck follower. The Medea story fascinated baroque/classical era composers. I like Charpentier's and esp. the Cherubini version. Vogel's is dramatically taut and achieves a good balance between recitatives, arias and choruses. The sumptuous hardcover book that houses the 2 cds contains essays and a full libretto, all in French. Not a word in another language. It's hard to imagine how this could help the work gain widespread exposure.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 19, 2020, 01:07:08 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/pAcT44YrU5_5Jb7YLxBHUca53-g=/fit-in/600x506/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11641515-1534077710-9860.jpeg.jpg)

Listening today on Spotify.

I used to have this set on LP but never really felt the need to get in on CD. It seems to me that the opera itself pales in comparison to Norma, which preceded it and I Puritani that followed it, and more than ne of the choruses at least reminds me of Gilbert & Sullivan.

This recording would seem to be self-recommending, but I wouldn't say it was perfect. Veasey sounds a little strained in places (and I note that in the alternative live performance with Sutherland her role is taken by a soprano, Raina Kabaivanska). I also feel that the title role needs a slightly more postively dramatic presence than Sutherland's. The voice is, as usual, very beautiful, but there is a good deal of mooning and swoopy portamentos that robs the music of energy, not to mention her mushy diction. I also wonder if the recording doesn't really capture the size of the voice, which, by all accounts, was really impressive. Pavarotti is at his youthful best, but the tenor is something of a secondary character.

I find the whole thing just a little dull.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 20, 2020, 12:17:37 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/GlinhWnaxKTcuKtHd3qJFzX5J4E=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7329137-1485770849-4331.jpeg.jpg)

Friedrich von Flotow's Martha is nowhere near as popular as it once was, at least over here in the UK. Maybe its slight tale of ladies masquerading as ladies' maids doesn't fit well with today's sensibilities. However it is a delightfully tuneful work with at least one famous aria, Lyonel's Ach, so fromm, once known better in its Italian translation of M'appari. Flotow also incorproated into the score the traditional Irish melody The last rose of Summer, frst for Lady Harriet in Act II and then used as a leitmotif representing Lyonel's longing. I have a stunning recording of it, sung by Leontyne Price.

I did once see the opera many, many years ago, but can't now recall that much about it. It has had quite a few recordings but this one starring Anneliese Rothenberger, Brigitte Faßbänder, Nicolai Gedda and Hermann Prey seems pretty good to me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on December 20, 2020, 12:34:07 AM
How can it be otherwise with that cast?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 20, 2020, 12:52:16 AM
Quote from: The new erato on December 20, 2020, 12:34:07 AM
How can it be otherwise with that cast?

Indeed, and Robert Heger has a few good recordings to his credit, including one of Nicolai's Die lustgen Weiber von Windsor, which stars Gottlob Frick and Fritz Wunderlich. I see that he joined the Nazi party in 1937 but that didn't prevent him from conducting at Covent Garden in 1953. He also seems to have quite a lot of Wagner recordings to his credit.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 20, 2020, 04:38:01 PM
From Warner's Complete Ravel box
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/616b13acAxL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 22, 2020, 02:02:44 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/-znRNgfs8Ost1xyUmrNtLtRh98Y=/fit-in/600x608/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12061971-1550428384-6585.jpeg.jpg)

There is some wonderful music in this opera that was almost lost to us competely, Magnard having been murdered by the Germans in the 1914-1918 war and the orchestral score was lost when they burned down his mansion. Magnard's friend Guy-Ropartz recontonstructed the score from the vocal score and it was finally given its premiere in 1931.

Like Chausson's slightly earlier Le roi Arthur, its Wagnerian influences are easy to spot, but Magnard still retains his own voice. Magnard's own libretto refelcts his misanthropic beliefs and weirdly parallels events of today with the hero Guercoeur failing in his quest to lead humanity out of tyranny and Truth looking foward to the time when man will at last learn reason and choose freedom.

Musically it is well worth investigating though I'm not sure if it would dramatically hold the attenton on stage. The performance here is excellent, with José Van Dam particularly fine as the Guercoeur.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 22, 2020, 05:54:36 PM
Again from the Warner Complete set, Ravel's other opera in this performance
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517rVau%2BgsL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 23, 2020, 04:50:54 AM
Quote from: JBS on December 22, 2020, 05:54:36 PM
Again from the Warner Complete set, Ravel's other opera in this performance
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517rVau%2BgsL.jpg)

I don't know this version, nor the Debussy that accompanies it. My go to recordings for L'Enfant et les sortilèges have always been Ernest Bour and Maazel. I once had the Previn on LP, and it has quite a lot in its favour but Susan Davenny Wyner's child is a bit of a problem.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 23, 2020, 01:19:50 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 23, 2020, 04:50:54 AM
I don't know this version, nor the Debussy that accompanies it. My go to recordings for L'Enfant et les sortilèges have always been Ernest Bour and Maazel. I once had the Previn on LP, and it has quite a lot in its favour but Susan Davenny Wyner's child is a bit of a problem.

This seems to be a relatively new one: Amazon gives a release date of 2017.  I have the Maazel and Rattle. I don't think the Franck is better than them. I don't know the Bour or Previn. You might find the Rattle worth your attention.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 25, 2020, 04:25:06 PM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 25, 2020, 01:28:34 PM
Strauss
Elektra
Marie Collier (soprano), Gerhard Unger (tenor), Gerhard Stolze (tenor), Birgit Nilsson (soprano), Helen Watts (contralto), Regina Resnik (mezzo-soprano), Margarita Lilowa (mezzo-soprano), Tugomir Franc (bass), Felicia Weathers (soprano), Leo Heppe (bass), Tom Krause (baritone), Pauline Tinsley (soprano), Jane Cook (singer), Margarita Sjostedt (soprano), Maureen Lehane (mezzo-soprano), Yvonne Minton (mezzo-soprano)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Staatsoper
Sir Georg Solti


(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/00028948316021.jpg)

One of the most magnificent operas of the 20th Century.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on December 26, 2020, 01:23:09 PM
Now listening:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ohl92jZoL.jpg)

From the Box-Set of Live recordings made at Bayreuth:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/sdp1YCoHsyReNzh2zmd-6gfExT5l-E1ZOUC2WQSaJwqv3PRsFjkiwffCS0oI7OFWvuw4rZOX1hOCGVpiJySOSItec78)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on December 26, 2020, 03:58:24 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81YMaQyLf0L._SX425_.jpg)


First time in a while.  Sweet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 29, 2020, 01:09:53 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/QO-rL9juX-7uBsvT3b1301II3Nk=/fit-in/600x528/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-15871737-1599330508-9790.jpeg.jpg)

With music as tuneful and colourful as this, one has to wonder why Rimsky-Korsakov's operas are performed so rarely in the West.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on December 29, 2020, 03:39:55 AM
Indeed, but I saw a live Kitezh in Bergen about 3 years ago.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on December 31, 2020, 04:41:50 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 29, 2020, 01:09:53 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/QO-rL9juX-7uBsvT3b1301II3Nk=/fit-in/600x528/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-15871737-1599330508-9790.jpeg.jpg)

With music as tuneful and colourful as this, one has to wonder why Rimsky-Korsakov's operas are performed so rarely in the West.

Probably not many Western operatic singers who can tackle Russian decently? I mean, hearing R-K's operas in English, French or German (or Romanian, for that matter) would be a desecration.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on December 31, 2020, 05:32:23 AM
Quote from: The new erato on December 29, 2020, 03:39:55 AM
Indeed, but I saw a live Kitezh in Bergen about 3 years ago.

2016 De Munt / La Monnaie did a (imho) splendid Golden cockerel in Brussels. Apparently it isn't too difficult to "import" Russian ( Polish, Armenian...)singers:

Tzar Dodon: PAVLO HUNKA
ALEXEY TIKHOMIROV (14, 16, 20, 22 & 27 DEC)
Tzarevich Guidon: ALEXEY DOLGOV
Tzarevich Afron: KONSTANTIN SHUSHAKOV
General Polkan: ALEXANDER VASSILIEV
Amelfa: AGNES ZWIERKO
Astrologer: ALEXANDER KRAVETS
Tzaritza of Shemakha: VENERA GIMADIEVA
NINA MINASYAN (14, 16, 20, 22 & 27 DEC)
Little Golden Cockerel: SHEVA TEHOVAL




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 31, 2020, 11:44:04 AM
Quote from: Florestan on December 31, 2020, 04:41:50 AM
Probably not many Western operatic singers who can tackle Russian decently? I mean, hearing R-K's operas in English, French or German (or Romanian, for that matter) would be a desecration.  :D

I don't see why. The ENO did a wonderful production of Christmas Eve some years ago. I don't recall being bothered that it was in English. Indeed many opera houses do Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in English, or the language of their own country, which no doubt contributed to it becoming one of the most popular operas in the repertoire. Generally I too prefer operas in the language they were written but performing them in the vernacular probably ony contributed to their popularity. In Italy they only ever performed Wagner in Italian until around the late 1950s.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 31, 2020, 01:25:09 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 31, 2020, 11:44:04 AM
I don't see why. The ENO did a wonderful production of Christmas Eve some years ago. I don't recall being bothered that it was in English. Indeed many opera houses do Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in English, or the language of their own country, which no doubt contributed to it becoming one of the most popular operas in the repertoire. Generally I too prefer operas in the language they were written but performing them in the vernacular probably ony contributed to their popularity. In Italy they only ever performed Wagner in Italian until around the late 1950s.

A friend of mine in college told me of seeing a Vienna production of Boris Godunov in German.

But Russian can be a very melodious language. No reason not to use it if other works are given in French, Italian, or other languages.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on December 31, 2020, 02:04:12 PM
Quote from: The new erato on December 29, 2020, 03:39:55 AM
Indeed, but I saw a live Kitezh in Bergen about 3 years ago.

Nice!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on December 31, 2020, 02:30:43 PM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on December 31, 2020, 02:04:12 PM
Nice!
Great opera. Now Langgaards Antikrist on DVD. A fitting finish to 2020.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Xenophanes on December 31, 2020, 10:18:03 PM
My wife wanted to listen to Carmen, so I got out the old 1951 recording conducted by Fritz Reiner with Rise Stevens, Jan Peerce, Robert Merrill, and Licia Albanese on RCA LPs.  It was quite lively and the sound is good mono.

Now she wants to hear Butterfly but we haven't yet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 01, 2021, 03:14:02 AM
Quote from: Florestan on December 31, 2020, 04:41:50 AM
Probably not many Western operatic singers who can tackle Russian decently? I mean, hearing R-K's operas in English, French or German (or Romanian, for that matter) would be a desecration.  :D

New Orleans Opera did Tchaikovsky's Maid of Orleans (billed as Joan of Arc) in English last February, their last production before the pandemic shut things down. They did Eugene Onegin in Russian back in 1995, but they had two Russians (Yuri Mazurok and Natalia Rom) in the leads. Western singers often sing Onegin, Boris, and Queen of Spades in the original language. I wonder if they're less willing to devote the time and effort to less common works, that they'll not have much chance of repeating in other productions?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on January 01, 2021, 08:59:37 AM
We've had Eugen Onegin twice in Bergen in the last two decades. Wonderful opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on January 01, 2021, 09:43:11 AM
Quote from: The new erato on December 31, 2020, 02:30:43 PM
Great opera. Now Langgaards Antikrist on DVD. A fitting finish to 2020.

Indeed!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on January 01, 2021, 09:44:24 AM
Quote from: The new erato on January 01, 2021, 08:59:37 AM
We've had Eugen Onegin twice in Bergen in the last two decades. Wonderful opera.

Yes! Tchaikovsky/Pushkin is a great "collaboration."
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on January 04, 2021, 05:47:59 AM
On Tv - Saint-Saëns " Samson et Dalila" - complete from the Met.
Very kitschy "Jean Paul Gautier meets Cecil B. DeMille" staging (Darko Tresnjak). Saint-Saëns music is too "stiff", too formal & oratorio-like for such a pink, purple & gold, display...
Opera on Tv is cruel for singers in heavy stage make-up and costumes. Roberto Alagna and Elina Garanca weren't too bad (Alagna isn't a jeune premier anymore) and Garanca has moments when the voice turns almost baritone-like...a very dark, deep voice...that I found hardly sensual.
Still, I enjoyed listening to Saint-Saëns music in all its 19th century splendor (Bachian fugues in Dagon's temple!).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 04, 2021, 05:53:13 AM
Quote from: pjme on January 04, 2021, 05:47:59 AM
On Tv - Saint-Saëns " Samson et Dalila" - complete from the Met.
Very kitschy "Jean Paul Gautier meets Cecil B. DeMille" staging (Darko Tresnjak). Saint-Saëns music is too "stiff", too formal & oratorio-like for such a pink, purple & gold, display...
Opera on Tv is cruel for singers in heavy stage make-up and costumes. Roberto Alagna and Elina Garanca weren't too bad (Alagna isn't a jeune premier anymore) and Garanca has moments when the voice turns almost baritone-like...a very dark, deep voice...that I found hardly sensual.
Still, I enjoyed listening to Saint-Saëns music in all its 19th century splendor (Bachian fugues in Dagon's temple!).

Dagon se révè-è-è-è-è-le !  ;D.

Love that tune!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on January 12, 2021, 06:05:52 AM
Today : Michael Tippett 's A midsummer marriage.

(https://media.s-bol.com/Yj13kvWlP69/550x551.jpg)

A couple of years ago I bought this set for a few euros on a flea market... put aside and forgot it. But I knew the Ritual dances -which I dearly love - and took the plunge today. I followed with the libretto and enjoyed this extatic  "riot of of symbols drawn from Greek, Celtic, Christian and Hindu mythologies" (David Cairns, in the booklet).
The 1971 performance is excellent and the youthful voices of Remedios, Carlyle, Herincx, Harwood, Burrowes, Watts, Dean and Bainbridge ring out in splendor.
Tippett's orchestra is another "wondrous machine", shimmering, chirping, broadly caroling or violently stuttering.
The Midsummer marriage needs to be seen in a large opera house, with all the latest tricks of digital scenery. Superb!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 12, 2021, 12:12:13 PM
Quote from: pjme on January 04, 2021, 05:47:59 AM
On Tv - Saint-Saëns " Samson et Dalila" - complete from the Met.
Very kitschy "Jean Paul Gautier meets Cecil B. DeMille" staging (Darko Tresnjak). Saint-Saëns music is too "stiff", too formal & oratorio-like for such a pink, purple & gold, display...
Opera on Tv is cruel for singers in heavy stage make-up and costumes. Roberto Alagna and Elina Garanca weren't too bad (Alagna isn't a jeune premier anymore) and Garanca has moments when the voice turns almost baritone-like...a very dark, deep voice...that I found hardly sensual.
Still, I enjoyed listening to Saint-Saëns music in all its 19th century splendor (Bachian fugues in Dagon's temple!).

I have a CD set with Rita Gorr, I like her voice, but her approach here really should have warned Samson off, like a butch Sergeant Major in a bad mood. 


I have never heard that Tippet, what a terrific cast, I used to see all those singers when I was young. I will look for it on Streaming.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Herman on January 14, 2021, 09:12:23 AM
I don't know what happened but I find myself listening to Parsifal for a couple of days, which I had not heard in maybe fifteen years. I'm listening to the Salzburg Karajan and the Knappertsbusch Bayreuth 62.

Amazing music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 14, 2021, 11:29:52 AM
It took me a long time to catch the Parsifal bug, but now I go through phases of immersing myself in it. It provides quite a journey. I tend to prefer to listen than to also watch it. It makes a very good opera of the mind.


Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 14, 2021, 11:31:26 AM
Quote from: pjme on January 12, 2021, 06:05:52 AM
Today : Michael Tippett 's A midsummer marriage.

(https://media.s-bol.com/Yj13kvWlP69/550x551.jpg)

A couple of years ago I bought this set for a few euros on a flea market... put aside and forgot it. But I knew the Ritual dances -which I dearly love - and took the plunge today. I followed with the libretto and enjoyed this extatic  "riot of of symbols drawn from Greek, Celtic, Christian and Hindu mythologies" (David Cairns, in the booklet).
The 1971 performance is excellent and the youthful voices of Remedios, Carlyle, Herincx, Harwood, Burrowes, Watts, Dean and Bainbridge ring out in splendor.
Tippett's orchestra is another "wondrous machine", shimmering, chirping, broadly caroling or violently stuttering.
The Midsummer marriage needs to be seen in a large opera house, with all the latest tricks of digital scenery. Superb!

I listened to some of it on Youtube. That meant that the discs arrived today and I have time set aside on Saturday to listen to it.

Thanks.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Herman on January 15, 2021, 12:57:32 AM
Quote from: knight66 on January 14, 2021, 11:29:52 AM
[Parsifal] makes a very good opera of the mind.


That's exactly what it is.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2021, 12:51:55 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71eBHX532XL._SL1200_.jpg)

Yes, I know it's a product of the gramophone but this has always been a favourite performance of Wagner's great love story. Margaret Price may never have been able to sing the role on stage but who can deny the beauty of her singing? Kollo is better than I remembered too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 25, 2021, 06:17:53 AM
Quote from: Herman on January 14, 2021, 09:12:23 AM
I don't know what happened but I find myself listening to Parsifal for a couple of days, which I had not heard in maybe fifteen years. I'm listening to the Salzburg Karajan and the Knappertsbusch Bayreuth 62.

Amazing music.

Parsifal along with Das Rheingold are my favorite operas from Wagner. Amazing music, indeed. Parsifal is a fitting swansong as it does feel like a farewell to the world at many points throughout the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on January 25, 2021, 09:56:54 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 25, 2021, 06:17:53 AM
Parsifal along with Das Rheingold are my favorite operas from Wagner. Amazing music, indeed. Parsifal is a fitting swansong as it does feel like a farewell to the world at many points throughout the opera.

Those are my 2 favorite Wagner operas as well. I always thought my preference for Rheingold (even just within the Ring cycle) was unusual and that I was a weirdo. Granted I likely am a weirdo, but perhaps not for that reason.  :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 25, 2021, 10:29:57 AM
Another weirdo here...but to make me even weirder, my Wagner "trifecta" also includes Meistersinger.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on January 25, 2021, 10:31:50 AM
I dislike Rheingold enormously, especially that long long long second scene. The whole opera can be torture.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on January 25, 2021, 10:32:49 AM
Quote from: Herman on January 15, 2021, 12:57:32 AM
That's exactly what it is.

But he kisses her in Act 2! And flirts with the flowers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on January 25, 2021, 10:37:54 AM
I had a really nasty opera experience last week. I watched a video of Death in Venice.


Every time I've seen it in the past I've always identified with Tadzio. And that's kind of cool. But this time . . . I saw myself in Aschenbach.


I still haven't got over it. It is NOT an opera recommended for any male over a certain age. I think I need to book myself in for some psychoanalysis.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 25, 2021, 10:40:04 AM
Quote from: Mandryka on January 25, 2021, 10:31:50 AM
I dislike Rheingold enormously, especially that long long long second scene. The whole opera can be torture.

Same here  :-[. I much, much prefer Walküre and Lohengrin, then Götterdämmerung. Then Siegfried and Tristan, despite their longueurs. I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of molasses in Parsifal...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 25, 2021, 12:18:11 PM
Quote from: ritter on January 25, 2021, 10:29:57 AM
Another weirdo here...but to make me even weirder, my Wagner "trifecta" also includes Meistersinger.

Rheingold, Meistersinger, and Parsifal are my three favorites.

So you're not a wierdo.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 25, 2021, 01:55:33 PM
Quote from: T. D. on January 25, 2021, 09:56:54 AM
Those are my 2 favorite Wagner operas as well. I always thought my preference for Rheingold (even just within the Ring cycle) was unusual and that I was a weirdo. Granted I likely am a weirdo, but perhaps not for that reason.  :laugh:

Quote from: ritter on January 25, 2021, 10:29:57 AM
Another weirdo here...but to make me even weirder, my Wagner "trifecta" also includes Meistersinger.

If I'm weirdo for preferring these operas, then so be it! :D Rafael, I'm ashamed in that I don't believe I've ever listened to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. I only own the Barenboim recording of it, but perhaps I need to buckle down and listen to it. Why does it rank so highly with you? Any particular thoughts you'd like to share about this opera?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 25, 2021, 02:01:57 PM
Quote from: JBS on January 25, 2021, 12:18:11 PM
Rheingold, Meistersinger, and Parsifal are my three favorites.

So you're not a wierdo.

Thumbs up, Jeffrey! 8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on January 25, 2021, 06:21:36 PM
Quote from: Mandryka on January 25, 2021, 10:37:54 AM
I had a really nasty opera experience last week. I watched a video of Death in Venice.


Every time I've seen it in the past I've always identified with Tadzio. And that's kind of cool. But this time . . . I saw myself in Aschenbach.


I still haven't got over it. It is NOT an opera recommended for any male over a certain age. I think I need to book myself in for some psychoanalysis.

The last performance of Death in Venice I attended heavily stressed the psychosexual aspects, with little if any subtlety, and seriously creeped me out. It was relentlessly depressing. Britten operas (notably Peter Grimes) tend to elicit such a response in me, but this was extreme. No ambition to see it again at this time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 25, 2021, 07:17:30 PM
Quote from: T. D. on January 25, 2021, 06:21:36 PM
The last performance of Death in Venice I attended heavily stressed the psychosexual aspects, with little if any subtlety, and seriously creeped me out. It was relentlessly depressing. Britten operas (notably Peter Grimes) tend to elicit such a response in me, but this was extreme. No ambition to see it again at this time.

It seems that it's more important these days to depict the material in a way that is more subversive and shocking rather than anything thought-provoking. I think Death in Venice is a brilliant opera, but I have no desire to see it in a production due to the fact that I think the material that is more subtle and hidden in the text is exploited in a way that would make it unappealing to see in a live context. Just to throw this out there, my other favorite Britten opera is The Turn of the Screw.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 25, 2021, 10:11:58 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2021, 12:51:55 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71eBHX532XL._SL1200_.jpg)

Yes, I know it's a product of the gramophone but this has always been a favourite performance of Wagner's great love story. Margaret Price may never have been able to sing the role on stage but who can deny the beauty of her singing? Kollo is better than I remembered too.

Good to see this.

I have quite a few Tristans and this one has my favourite Act 2. I don't mind all the falseness of how it was recorded, it makes a very satisfying whole. I like my Tristan as narcotic as possible. And this act two has that dreamlike quality of trying to walk under water. I would have Furtwangler for Act 1 and Karajan with Vickers for Act 3.

That daftness aside. I have always loved the sheer glamour that Kleiber achieves and the beautiful recorded sound. On the original LPs Kleiber insisted on a fade out and fade in for interrupted side changes, that involved listening to tiny sections of the music twice. I so disliked that it almost stopped me listening to it, so it was great for me when the CDs were issued and I could junk those LPs.

Price sounds altogether wonderful, very womanly and the voice itself was so beautiful. She had terrific breath control and Kleiber cushions her so she does not have to push for extra amplitude. Fassbaender is first rate too and her highly individual voice contrasts well with Price: unlike the Studio Karajan, where in passages the two female leads sound too similar. Kolo is always alert to word meaning, so never dull, though he also never sounds glamorous. But there were so few tenors around at that point who could deal with the part. In the main I enjoy his singing. It is a great set. Time to give it another spin.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on January 26, 2021, 12:58:10 AM
Quote from: knight66 on January 25, 2021, 10:11:58 PM
Good to see this.

I have quite a few Tristans and this one has my favourite Act 2. I don't mind all the falseness of how it was recorded, it makes a very satisfying whole. I like my Tristan as narcotic as possible. And this act two has that dreamlike quality of trying to walk under water. I would have Furtwangler for Act 1 and Karajan with Vickers for Act 3.

That daftness aside. I have always loved the sheer glamour that Kleiber achieves and the beautiful recorded sound. On the original LPs Kleiber insisted on a fade out and fade in for interrupted side changes, that involved listening to tiny sections of the music twice. I so disliked that it almost stopped me listening to it, so it was great for me when the CDs were issued and I could junk those LPs.

Price sounds altogether wonderful, very womanly and the voice itself was so beautiful. She had terrific breath control and Kleiber cushions her so she does not have to push for extra amplitude. Fassbaender is first rate too and her highly individual voice contrasts well with Price: unlike the Studio Karajan, where in passages the two female leads sound too similar. Kolo is always alert to word meaning, so never dull, though he also never sounds glamorous. But there were so few tenors around at that point who could deal with the part. In the main I enjoy his singing. It is a great set. Time to give it another spin.

Mike

Of course, the even more bizarre nature of the recording was revealed when it emerged that Kleiber had not actually finished it Ashe has stormed off in one of his temperamental (and unprofessional) rages and DG had to patch the final product from rehearsal tapes. Worth having for Price's Isolde and Kleiber's incandescent conducting, which almost makes me like this work instead of admiring it. Kollo's Tristan is not really up to it and D F-D is absolutely shot. Why Kleiber picked him is a mystery. So abit of a curate's egg
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 26, 2021, 05:11:56 AM
Quote from: Handelian on January 26, 2021, 12:58:10 AM
Of course, the even more bizarre nature of the recording was revealed when it emerged that Kleiber had not actually finished it Ashe has stormed off in one of his temperamental (and unprofessional) rages and DG had to patch the final product from rehearsal tapes. Worth having for Price's Isolde and Kleiber's incandescent conducting, which almost makes me like this work instead of admiring it. Kollo's Tristan is not really up to it and D F-D is absolutely shot. Why Kleiber picked him is a mystery. So abit of a curate's egg

Unless stories of the odd way the recording was put together were in the public domain, I don't believe anyone would detect the processes. Many recordings have been assembled using whatever tapes had been made whether from rehearsals, patching or the planned recording sessions. I have been involved in such recordings. I have also been involved in performance where the conductor never managed a single full run through of the piece because of his temperamental behaviour. Many conductors could do with a kick up the backside and told to get over themselves. But what ultimately counts is what goes before the public.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 26, 2021, 05:58:38 AM
C'mon, Mike, regale us with a few stories !  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on January 26, 2021, 07:46:54 AM
Quote from: knight66 on January 26, 2021, 05:11:56 AM
Unless stories of the odd way the recording was put together were in the public domain, I don't believe anyone would detect the processes. Many recordings have been assembled using whatever tapes had been made whether from rehearsals, patching or the planned recording sessions. I have been involved in such recordings. I have also been involved in performance where the conductor never managed a single full run through of the piece because of his temperamental behaviour. Many conductors could do with a kick up the backside and told to get over themselves. But what ultimately counts is what goes before the public.

Mike

Yes one would not tell unless it was out there. I believe Kleiber was absolutely furious that it had been released without his sovereign permission. One of those conductors who definitely needed a kick up the backside, for all his vaunted genius. I must confess I have no sympathy for these men however talented. If a second violin cannot behave like that then why should a vastly talented conductor? Of course the only reason he does this because he knows he will get away with it and the second violin won't. Why I called the behaviour completely unprofessional
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 26, 2021, 08:50:54 AM
Quote from: Handelian on January 26, 2021, 07:46:54 AM
Yes one would not tell unless it was out there. I believe Kleiber was absolutely furious that it had been released without his sovereign permission. One of those conductors who definitely needed a kick up the backside, for all his vaunted genius. I must confess I have no sympathy for these men however talented. If a second violin cannot behave like that then why should a vastly talented conductor? Of course the only reason he does this because he knows he will get away with it and the second violin won't. Why I called the behaviour completely unprofessional

I think there is less of this kind of behaviour going on now. And orchestral bodies as well as individuals have brought various conductors to book about unacceptable behaviour. Kleiber always was unpredictable and to an extent unreliable. He got away with it because when he did work, he almost spoiled many musicians for working with conductors who had less talent.

Andre, I spilled the beans pretty thoroughly on the conductor thread. But Sir Alex Gibson could be terrifically unprofessional. In both Berlioz Te Deum and the Requiem he never covered the ground with the choir in rehearsal. In the only full orchestral rehearsal of the Requiem he walked off because the organ made such a puny sound. We lost about half an hour and he disappeared off again before the end of the session in sheer temper, end of rehearsal. During the actual performance he spreadeagled himself over the music and left us to fend for ourselves in the Lacrimosa, eventually he joined us again after a minute or so.

And his behaviour during the rehearsals and performance of the Te Deum meant for a very difficult performance. It was paired, unbelievably, with Belshazzar's Feast on the same programme. He had had a drink and again, simply phased out near the very start. During the interval he must have topped himself up, for the Te Deum he was so erratic it was impossible to follow him. When we did Bach Magnificat, there was one orchestral rehearsal and he suddenly stopped and letting the cat out of the bag, looking puzzled at a player he said, "Oh....there's one of you in this is there?" When he was good he was very good, but....

Mike

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on January 26, 2021, 11:53:27 AM
Quote from: knight66 on January 26, 2021, 08:50:54 AM
I think there is less of this kind of behaviour going on now. And orchestral bodies as well as individuals have brought various conductors to book about unacceptable behaviour. Kleiber always was unpredictable and to an extent unreliable. He got away with it because when he did work, he almost spoiled many musicians for working with conductors who had less talent.

Andre, I spilled the beans pretty thoroughly on the conductor thread. But Sir Alex Gibson could be terrifically unprofessional. In both Berlioz Te Deum and the Requiem he never covered the ground with the choir in rehearsal. In the only full orchestral rehearsal of the Requiem he walked off because the organ made such a puny sound. We lost about half an hour and he disappeared off again before the end of the session in sheer temper, end of rehearsal. During the actual performance he spreadeagled himself over the music and left us to fend for ourselves in the Lacrimosa, eventually he joined us again after a minute or so.

And his behaviour during the rehearsals and performance of the Te Deum meant for a very difficult performance. It was paired, unbelievably, with Belshazzar's Feast on the same programme. He had had a drink and again, simply phased out near the very start. During the interval he must have topped himself up, for the Te Deum he was so erratic it was impossible to follow him. When we did Bach Magnificat, there was one orchestral rehearsal and he suddenly stopped and letting the cat out of the bag, looking puzzled at a player he said, "Oh....there's one of you in this is there?" When he was good he was very good, but....

Mike

And of course Gibson relied on the goodwill and skill of others to get him out of the mess he made. If everyone behaved like him there wouldn't have been much of a concert.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 27, 2021, 02:14:13 AM
The recently released Blu-Ray of a 2019 Rome opera production of The Fiery Angel. Devilishly good!

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/718qRbPL9pL._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 27, 2021, 02:43:53 AM
I am now listening to the Carlos Kleiber Tristan. Beside it on the shelf is the Goodall set. My liking for his work is tidal, it comes and it goes. Although this Tristan is slow, it keeps me interested. There is an overall feeling of the inevitable trajectory of each act. And in Linda Esther Gray we have basically a wonderful lost Isolde. Her main problem was said to be stage fright. She acts well with the voice and there is a telling and expressive use of portamento, I assume she was coached in detail by Goodall. I think the set is now available at mid price. Not a first choice, Mitchinson's Tristan is good, but the voice is not fresh and has a beat under pressure. But there are lots of very fine elements to the set.

I missed out on singing in a Goodall Beethoven 9th, he was ill, we got Maazel instead. So it was efficient and forgettable.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on January 27, 2021, 08:32:38 AM
Quote from: knight66 on January 27, 2021, 02:43:53 AM
I am now listening to the Carlos Kleiber Tristan. Beside it on the shelf is the Goodall set. My liking for his work is tidal, it comes and it goes. Although this Tristan is slow, it keeps me interested. There is an overall feeling of the inevitable trajectory of each act. And in Linda Esther Gray we have basically a wonderful lost Isolde. Her main problem was said to be stage fright. She acts well with the voice and there is a telling and expressive use of portamento, I assume she was coached in detail by Goodall. I think the set is now available at mid price. Not a first choice, Mitchinson's Tristan is good, but the voice is not fresh and has a beat under pressure. But there are lots of very fine elements to the set.

I've seen Parsifal many times since, but I don't think I've seen an entirely satisfactory one.

I missed out on singing in a Goodall Beethoven 9th, he was ill, we got Maazel instead. So it was efficient and forgettable.

Mike

I saw Goodall conduct Parsifal with Siegfried Jerusalem. It was my first live Parsifal and I remember being so excited I could hardly eat beforehand. The opera was fine but there were two memorable mishaps. First, Jerusalem was standing in for someone (I was very happy to see him!) But of course he sang in German while everyone else sang in English! I suspect that they had hardly rehearsed it and there were moments when you could sense that they were on a wing and a prayer.  And in Act 3. Parsifal was wearing some sort of armour with boots tied with long laces. Somehow one of the laces came undone and he had to wonder around the stage trailing it along for quite some time.

I don't remember if I ever saw Goodall conduct a symphony, a vague memory of some Bruckner one Sunday afternoon, but it may have been someone else.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 27, 2021, 12:11:48 PM
Thanks for the memories, gents! Live performances provide unique moments, to be sure. The only 'incidents' I recall are Brendel making a fuss about the tuning of his piano. Technicians changed the whole keyboard (I didn't know it could be done). Oh, and a Ida Handel violin problem, when a string snapped. The orchestra leader graciously handed her his instrument and she continued the performance. Minor mishaps.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 28, 2021, 12:36:14 AM
Quote from: knight66 on January 27, 2021, 02:43:53 AM
I am now listening to the Carlos Kleiber Tristan. Beside it on the shelf is the Goodall set. My liking for his work is tidal, it comes and it goes. Although this Tristan is slow, it keeps me interested. There is an overall feeling of the inevitable trajectory of each act. And in Linda Esther Gray we have basically a wonderful lost Isolde. Her main problem was said to be stage fright. She acts well with the voice and there is a telling and expressive use of portamento, I assume she was coached in detail by Goodall. I think the set is now available at mid price. Not a first choice, Mitchinson's Tristan is good, but the voice is not fresh and has a beat under pressure. But there are lots of very fine elements to the set.

I missed out on singing in a Goodall Beethoven 9th, he was ill, we got Maazel instead. So it was efficient and forgettable.

Mike

I actually saw Linda Esther Gray very early in her career, as Mimi in a Glyndebourne Touring production. It was a traditional prodiction and the performance was one of those where everything seemed to work. I can't remember the other singers but Gray's performance has remained in my mind. I do like her Isolde, which is beautifully sung and, unlike Price, she did actually sing the role on stage. What a shame her career came to an abrupt end. She has written her own story in the book A Life Behind Curtains.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mandryka on January 28, 2021, 02:02:23 AM
Quote from: André on January 27, 2021, 12:11:48 PM
Thanks for the memories, gents! Live performances provide unique moments, to be sure. The only 'incidents' I recall are Brendel making a fuss about the tuning of his piano. Technicians changed the whole keyboard (I didn't know it could be done). Oh, and a Ida Handel violin problem, when a string snapped. The orchestra leader graciously handed her his instrument and she continued the performance. Minor mishaps.

That reminds me of seeing Tureck play some Bach. She made us wait a long time, eventually turned up, went to the piano and looked at it, then took out a Kleenex and began to clean the keys.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on January 28, 2021, 04:45:18 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 28, 2021, 12:36:14 AM
I actually saw Linda Esther Gray very early in her career, as Mimi in a Glyndebourne Touring production. It was a traditional prodiction and the performance was one of those where everything seemed to work. I can't remember the other singers but Gray's performance has remained in my mind. I do like her Isolde, which is beautifully sung and, unlike Price, she did actually sing the role on stage. What a shame her career came to an abrupt end. She has written her own story in the book A Life Behind Curtains.

I was supposed to see her in a Scottish Opera Turandot. On opening night we sat, time moved on and an announcement was made, she was indisposed. We then waited until a stand-in was in the building. I don't think she sang on stage after that.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 29, 2021, 02:01:45 AM
Quote from: knight66 on January 28, 2021, 04:45:18 AM
I was supposed to see her in a Scottish Opera Turandot. On opening night we sat, time moved on and an announcement was made, she was indisposed. We then waited until a stand-in was in the building. I don't think she sang on stage after that.

Mike

I must say I'm quite interested to read her book now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 31, 2021, 01:22:24 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91pj158binl-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1024)

This was actually the first opera set I ever owned, a Christmas present from my brother. I'd have been about eighteen at the time and I played it incessantly, so got to know it pretty well and I've known it now for around fifty years.

Since then my favourite recording of the opera has become the live 1955 La Scala relay with Callas, Simionato and Del Monaco, but this one still has a special place in my heart and is the recording I would always turn to if I want to hear the opera in decent stereo sound. Callas's voice has deteriorted since the earlier studio recording and since that miraculous 1955 live performance, it is true, but she is completely inside the role and I find some parts more movingly voiced here than in any of her other performances.

There are other reasons to cherish the recording, amongst them Ludwig's youthfully fresh Adalgisa, an unlikely casting choice that completely pays off, Corelli on his best behaviour as a noble and clarion voiced Pollione and Zaccaria as a patrician Oroveso. Serafin is a paragon in the pit and I have no hesitation recommending this recording as the best of all studio recordings of the opera.

A more extensive review on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/07/callass-1960-norma/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/07/callass-1960-norma/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 31, 2021, 03:58:31 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/I1umpefmL8wzjSYu7eXW1f2-Dps=/fit-in/600x526/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11600246-1519207408-7249.jpeg.jpg)

The 1964 stereo production under Stravinsky. I am impressed by the clarity and immediacy of the sound, eminently suitable for Stravinsky's neo-classical textures with their mix of bite and succulence. The singing is vivid and youthful-sounding (the low voice roles, both male and female are sometimes taken by over-the-hill singers).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 01, 2021, 03:01:25 AM
Quote from: André on January 31, 2021, 03:58:31 PM


The 1964 stereo production under Stravinsky. I am impressed by the clarity and immediacy of the sound, eminently suitable for Stravinsky's neo-classical textures with their mix of bite and succulence. The singing is vivid and youthful-sounding (the low voice roles, both male and female are sometimes taken by over-the-hill singers).

The first Rake's Progress I ever heard, and I absolutely hated it. Now older and wiser, it's one of my favorite operas. I do like that recording now, but it's probably my least favorite of the five I have in my collection.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 01, 2021, 12:38:27 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on February 01, 2021, 03:01:25 AM
The first Rake's Progress I ever heard, and I absolutely hated it. Now older and wiser, it's one of my favorite operas. I do like that recording now, but it's probably my least favorite of the five I have in my collection.

Which one would be your first choice?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 09, 2021, 02:28:57 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 01, 2021, 12:38:27 PM
Which one would be your first choice?

Just saw your question. I'd be hard-pressed to pick just one, but probably John Eliot Gardiner's DG set, with Bostridge, Terfel, Deborah York, and von Otter. I also really like the Blu-ray of the 2010 Glyndebourne revival of the venerable John Cox production, with Topi Lehtipuu, Miah Persson, and Matthew Rose, Vladimir Jurowski conducting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 09, 2021, 09:24:02 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on February 09, 2021, 02:28:57 AM
Just saw your question. I'd be hard-pressed to pick just one, but probably John Eliot Gardiner's DG set, with Bostridge, Terfel, Deborah York, and von Otter. I also really like the Blu-ray of the 2010 Glyndebourne revival of the venerable John Cox production, with Topi Lehtipuu, Miah Persson, and Matthew Rose, Vladimir Jurowski conducting.

Very nice. Thanks for the feedback. I own the Gardiner (twice actually --- the single issued set and as part of the DG box set Complete Works). 8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 10, 2021, 01:33:57 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Vz%2BEJeomL._AC_.jpg)

This version has no doubt been superseded by HIP versions under the likes of Minkowski, Curtis, McGegan and Bolton, but it still has its attractions, not the least of which is Janet Baker's superb Ariodante. Edith Mathis is quite impressive too. I'm enjoying it despite the use of modern instruments.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on February 10, 2021, 08:42:14 PM
Quote from: Mandryka on January 28, 2021, 02:02:23 AM
That reminds me of seeing Tureck play some Bach. She made us wait a long time, eventually turned up, went to the piano and looked at it, then took out a Kleenex and began to clean the keys.

Just caught this by accident, and hilarious. Thanks for posting. (I never saw her perform.)

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Handelian on February 10, 2021, 09:15:07 PM
Quote from: Brewski on February 10, 2021, 08:42:14 PM
Just caught this by accident, and hilarious. Thanks for posting. (I never saw her perform.)

--Bruce

John Culshaw told of a recording session with Michelangeli. They had lined up for pianos for him to try and he walked in, kicked each piano in turn and walked out again
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on February 11, 2021, 08:01:52 AM
Quote from: Handelian on February 10, 2021, 09:15:07 PM
John Culshaw told of a recording session with Michelangeli. They had lined up for pianos for him to try and he walked in, kicked each piano in turn and walked out again

Thanks, that's a good one, and hadn't heard it.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2021, 01:47:24 AM
(https://www.game-ost.ru/static/covers_soundtracks/1/5/159263_685907.jpg)

German's light opera Merrie England has particular significance for me, as it was the last show my father conducted before his untimely death from cancer at the age of 47. My father was an amateur conductor, who took his "hobby" very seriously. At one time he had contemplated a career in music but the war and family responsibility intervened and he ended up running the family business. However he became quite well known locally as a conductor of musicals and operatta and was musical director of several local operatic societies, conducting both American shows like The Music Man and Annie Get Your Gun, as well as the operettas of his favourite composer, Offenbach.

As far as I know, this is Merrie England's only recording and, though it does sound a little studio bound, it will certainly do very nicely. The principal singers were all Sadlers Wells Opera stalwarts and it was a pleasure to be reminded how easily and naturally people sang English back then. All of them have superb diction. German was considered the successor to Sir Athur Sullivan and you can certainly hear the influences of Gilbert and Sullivan on the score. I suppose it would all be considered a little twee and old fashioned these days, but I must say I rather enjoyed listening today.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on February 14, 2021, 01:59:13 AM
I used to have an LP of excerpts of Merrie England on, I think, Ace of Clubs, which I think was a label of Decca. I also think that the cast was from an earlier generation, though I cannot recall names. The way I feel about GB just now, it may be some time before I go near a piece that is so blatantly patriotic. But it does have some good tunes.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2021, 02:04:38 AM
Quote from: knight66 on February 14, 2021, 01:59:13 AM
I used to have an LP of excerpts of Merrie England on, I think, Ace of Clubs, which I think was a label of Decca. I also think that the cast was from an earlier generation, though I cannot recall names. The way I feel about GB just now, it may be some time before I go near a piece that is so blatantly patriotic. But it does have some good tunes.

Mike

I do know what you mean (and I have a feeling I probably feel the same about GB as you do at the moment) but, as I said, the show does bring back certain memories for me. I'm still astonished at how easy it is to hear the words on this recording. Very few of today's singers sing with such clear diction, Why is that?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on February 14, 2021, 02:37:36 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2021, 02:04:38 AM
I do know what you mean (and I have a feeling I probably feel the same about GB as you do at the moment) but, as I said, the show does bring back certain memories for me. I'm still astonished at how easy it is to hear the words on this recording. Very few of today's singers sing with such clear diction, Why is that?

The Tenor Wilfred Owen made the touchstone version of Finzi's Dies Natalis. He sings in what was then Received Pronunciation and every word is clear. With the passage of time I now find it increasingly irritating and affected. Parallel to that is to hear John Gielgud in Shakespeare. I frankly find it overdone and absurd now. There was a substantial shift when the actors of the 30s and 40s were superseded by working class men and women who injected into the theatre more natural ways of speaking. Even Elizabeth II sounds very different in say 2010 than she did in 1954.

I have no doubt that this shift translated into how people were taught to sing. My recollection of June Bronhill is that she sounds very Julie Andrews, kind of precious to modern ears. But I agree, it would be good if more singers took care to ensure the words were clear in the theatre.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2021, 03:00:04 AM
Quote from: knight66 on February 14, 2021, 02:37:36 AM
The Tenor Wilfred Owen made the touchstone version of Finzi's Dies Natalis. He sings in what was then Received Pronunciation and every word is clear. With the passage of time I now find it increasingly irritating and affected. Parallel to that is to hear John Gielgud in Shakespeare. I frankly find it overdone and absurd now. There was a substantial shift when the actors of the 30s and 40s were superseded by working class men and women who injected into the theatre more natural ways of speaking. Even Elizabeth II sounds very different in say 2010 than she did in 1954.

I have no doubt that this shift translated into how people were taught to sing. My recollection of June Bronhill is that she sounds very Julie Andrews, kind of precious to modern ears. But I agree, it would be good if more singers took care to ensure the words were clear in the theatre.

Mike

I agree that "received pronunciation" has rather had its day, though we still sometimes say it of voices with no discernible regional accent. What we are in danger of losing now is intelligibility. I have absolutely no problem with regional accents in theatre or on stage as long as I can understand what the person is saying. Apparently when the acclaimed TV series The Wire was aired over here, many people found the only way of understanding what was going on was to watch with hard of hearing subtitles turned on. In an effort to make things sound authentic we sometimes forget that it is also important that we are understood.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on February 15, 2021, 10:33:12 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2021, 01:47:24 AM
(https://www.game-ost.ru/static/covers_soundtracks/1/5/159263_685907.jpg)

German's light opera Merrie England has particular significance for me, as it was the last show my father conducted before his untimely death from cancer at the age of 47. My father was an amateur conductor, who took his "hobby" very seriously. At one time he had contemplated a career in music but the war and family responsibility intervened and he ended up running the family business. However he became quite well known locally as a conductor of musicals and operatta and was musical director of several local operatic societies, conducting both American shows like The Music Man and Annie Get Your Gun, as well as the operettas of his favourite composer, Offenbach.

As far as I know, this is Merrie England's only recording and, though it does sound a little studio bound, it will certainly do very nicely. The principal singers were all Sadlers Wells Opera stalwarts and it was a pleasure to be reminded how easily and naturally people sang English back then. All of them have superb diction. German was considered the successor to Sir Athur Sullivan and you can certainly hear the influences of Gilbert and Sullivan on the score. I suppose it would all be considered a little twee and old fashioned these days, but I must say I rather enjoyed listening today.
Oh, nice to hear about your father's hobby!  Thank you for sharing that.  Not familiar with Merrie England.  Any favorite songs from it for you?

And so sorry to hear that he past away so young.  You must have been quite young then yourself?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on February 15, 2021, 12:03:29 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 14, 2021, 03:00:04 AM
I agree that "received pronunciation" has rather had its day, though we still sometimes say it of voices with no discernible regional accent. What we are in danger of losing now is intelligibility. I have absolutely no problem with regional accents in theatre or on stage as long as I can understand what the person is saying. Apparently when the acclaimed TV series The Wire was aired over here, many people found the only way of understanding what was going on was to watch with hard of hearing subtitles turned on. In an effort to make things sound authentic we sometimes forget that it is also important that we are understood.

A lot of the difficulty with The Wire was the argot being used in many scenes. I was happy to have the subtitles on. About the best TV I have ever seen.

M
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 16, 2021, 04:04:10 PM
Hindemith The Long Christmas Dinner (Janowski et. al.)

(https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=29166.0;attach=71312;image)

An interesting article written by Leon Botstein:

Every American high school student must confront the work of Thornton Wilder; in a way his incredible success, especially with the iconic Our Town, has led us to take him a bit for granted. Thornton Wilder was a prolific author of plays and novels. He is one of those writers who is continually the subject of such comments as "I didn't know that was by Thornton Wilder!" when one learns, for instance, that Hello, Dolly! is based on a Wilder play. Wilder was the recipient of multiple Pulitzers and a force to be reckoned with in American literature. There is more to him than we have come to assume.

Paul Hindemith, however, has as his Pulitzer equivalent the honor of being called a "degenerate" and "atonal noisemaker" by Josef Goebbels. Although Hindemith was considered a great composer during his lifetime, his career suffered great peaks and slides, especially in the 1930s, after the opera Mathis der Maler. Owing to his emigrations between Europe and the U.S., and the scandalous reception of some of his early works, he was forced to reinvent himself. His reputation posthumously has declined somewhat, though one can hear his influence on American music in the work of his students at Yale, notably Easley Blackwood and Lukas Foss. Hindemith's work during the last fifteen years of his life, the period into which The Long Christmas Dinner falls, have been quite neglected.

One aspect that Thornton Wilder and Paul Hindemith both shared was their mastery of the short form in their respective fields: the single-act work. Nowhere is Wilder's skill in this dramatic form so ambitiously and thrillingly demonstrated than in The Long Christmas Dinner, which transforms the concept of duration by compressing 90 years into under an hour, and thereby exposes fundamental issues of life and its rebirths. Hindemith, too, loved the form, and used it to invoke sudden spikes of emotion, whether it be horror, laughter, or astonishment: that is the progression of emotions in his triptych of one-acts, Murder, Hope of Women; The Nusch-Nuschi; and Sancta Susanna (all performed in an evening by the ASO in 2004). That these two great artists collaborated on a form that they both dominated and reinvigorated is a rare and happy historical convergence.

It is therefore with the greatest pleasure and profound gratitude that I have the opportunity to perform this rare work, to help make a case for the late, neglected work of a great composer, and for one of the lesser-known masterpieces of a premier voice of American literature.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 16, 2021, 04:42:47 PM

Cross-posted from the WAYL2 thread:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/715oArYLX5L._AC_SL492_.jpg)

A very successful opera, even without the visuals (the very detailed booklet and libretto describes all the moves, costume and scenic changes). The story intertwines The Trial's storyline with short 'counter-scenes' (Ruder's own term) lifted from Kafka's bio, real-life incidents that actually triggered the idea for the book. The pace is taut and the whole 2 hour thing goes by very quickly. A kind of dissonant prosody is liberally used in the Trial scenes, which as a consequence sound very 'modern', while freely tonal episodes are used in the counter-scenes (from Kafka's life events). These in turn are are almost melodic, as if experienced in a dream. Powerful on many levels. I was reminded at times of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking. Recommended to the modern-minded.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on February 19, 2021, 04:41:28 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/9ayOPXrlppplFhWNaRXyIjox-AY=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-1499392-1300545452.jpeg.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 27, 2021, 06:22:07 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91l6fuq3isl-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1011)

Still my favourite Trovatore and one that adds up to more than the sum of its parts. The cast is an excellent one, if not the best ever assembled for the opera, but they all acquit themselves superbly. The recording was made in 1956, around nine months after Callas's final stage performances in the role in 1955 and, though there is now some shrillness on high, it represents her final thoughts on the role. The voice has a dark plangency which is absolutely right for the role and she fills the role's filigree with a significance no other singer quite matches. Di Stefano's voice was really too light for Manrico, but he almost convinces us he isn't, Barbieri is a splendid Azucena, one of the best on disc, Panerai a superb Di Luna, his high baritone absolutely right for the role and Zaccaria gets the whole thing off to a rousing start with his sonerous basso cantante.

However, what sets the seal on the performance is Karajan's wonderful realisation of the score, which seems to me absolutel right from first note to last, expansive when necessary, rhythms superbly sprung in the more energetic numbers. Furthermore he brings out little details in the orchestration, highlighting some of the countermelodies in the orchestra that we don't always hear.

A classic. https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91l6fuq3isl-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1011[/img]

(http://[img%20width=480%20height=486)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 27, 2021, 01:18:42 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51pcS9XtlHL._AC_.jpg)

A Salzburg Festival production from 2005. There are three important roles and they are very well cast: Robert Brubaker as Alviano, Anne Schwanewilms as Carlotta and Michael Volle as Count Tamare. The scenery is rather static (a single set throughout) as is the action. It's a philosophical tale, quite in the same vein as Schreker's Der ferne Klang.

Interestingly, Die Gezeichneten (1911-1915) was started at the instigation of Schreker's good friend Zemlinsky, who needed a libretto for an opera on an ugly man spurned by an extremely beautiful woman. Of course that was his own life story, based on Alma Mahler's crushing rejection of him. Schreker was so taken by the project that he kept the libretto for himself and ended up composing the whole opera. Zemlinsky would eventually compose Der Zwerg in 1919, his own take on the subject of rejection, this time based on Oscar Wilde's novel The Birthday of the Infanta, from which Schreker had already composed a ballet 10 years earlier. It's a small world...

Despite the static action and some ugly shots of Michael Volle sweating profusely, it's an excellent production. Anne Schwanewilms sings enchantingly (it's a treacherous part). Kent Nagano and the Deutsches Oper Berlin are excellent. That's one opera where the audio component (meaning: a cd set) will be just as fine as the full monty.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 28, 2021, 04:38:59 PM
Cross-posted

Quote
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mIpBZgwxL._AC_.jpg)

This will be listened to on more than one session. At 4 hours, this is as long - if not longer -  as Walküre or Siegfried. Compared to the other French language version available (Pappano's) I prefer both singers and orchestra, though it's sometimes a close call. Where the EMI performance scores is in the production's casting of major voices right down to the secondary roles. EMI has gone all out and here and this is unquestionably one of the best cast ever assembled for a large opera.

The producers must also be commended for their handling of the difficult language issue. Rossini's vocal lines are meant to be sung 'on the words', meaning that every word is exposed and must be properly articulated. The two first and one important secondary roles are sung by non francophones, but Gedda (Arnold) and Gwynne Howell (Mechtal) have superb french diction. Caballé's French has a subtly exotic flavour to it but since Mathilde is from Austria, not Switzerland, it can be justified. And after all, she is one of the great prima donnas so, pourquoi pas?  :D. The only problem I have is the recording of the chorus. They are recorded close to the microphones and the ear grows tired after a while. Other than that the sound is extremely fine, with the many spatial effects finely judged.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 01, 2021, 04:40:25 PM
Cross-posted:

(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/jun06/Verdi_Carlos_ORCV305.jpg)

The French language original version of Don Carlo in its first ever complete recording.

There are big and small differences with the more familiar revision in Italian. The language is one, obviously and just as obvious is that Verdi's writing for french voices is different from that we are used to from this composer. That is apparent in the roles of Carlos, Elisabeth, Posa and Eboli, which Verdi wrote for the lighter voices of the Paris Opera. Listening to the big duet between Carlos and Posa one readily hears how different it sounds - tender, elegant - compared to the usual bellowing familiar from can belto singers. The conducting is very good, lively and attentive. The whole troupe was coached by Jeffrey Tate and the tightness of ensemble is quite an asset. The orchestra brass is seriously out of tune in one place (the big rum-ti-tum Act III chorus) - unavoidable perhaps in a live performance. Classicstoday deems this performance indispensable and I concur: it is so different from the 4 act italian revision as to be a different work altogether.

Recorded in studio by the BBC in 1972 before a small invited audience, it is in very good sound and sung mostly excellently by Canadian and English singers from the Covent Garden roster. The release I have is from a different label but I decided against showing a picture of the cover as the singers' names are printed in minuscule font and contain multiple spelling errors  ???.


Full cast listing:

Don Carlos, Infant d'Espagne: André Turp
Rodrigue, Marquis de Posa:Robert Savoie
Philippe II, roi d'Espagne: Joseph Rouleau
Elisabeth de Valois: Edith Tremblay
Comtesse Eboli: Michèle Vilma
Le Grand Inquisiteur: Richard van Allan
Un moine / Charles Quint: Robert Lloyd
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 01, 2021, 07:57:58 PM
Quote from: André on March 01, 2021, 04:40:25 PM
Cross-posted:

(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/jun06/Verdi_Carlos_ORCV305.jpg)

The French language original version of Don Carlo in its first ever complete recording.

There are big and small differences with the more familiar revision in Italian. The language is one, obviously and just as obvious is that Verdi's writing for french voices is different from that we are used to from this composer. That is apparent in the roles of Carlos, Elisabeth, Posa and Eboli, which Verdi wrote for the lighter voices of the Paris Opera. Listening to the big duet between Carlos and Posa one readily hears how different it sounds - tender, elegant - compared to the usual bellowing familiar from can belto singers. The conducting is very good, lively and attentive. The whole troupe was coached by Jeffrey Tate and the tightness of ensemble is quite an asset. The orchestra brass is seriously out of tune in one place (the big rum-ti-tum Act III chorus) - unavoidable perhaps in a live performance. Classicstoday deems this performance indispensable and I concur: it is so different from the 4 act italian revision as to be a different work altogether.

Recorded in studio by the BBC in 1972 before a small invited audience, it is in very good sound and sung mostly excellently by Canadian and English singers from the Covent Garden roster. The release I have is from a different label but I decided against showing a picture of the cover as the singers' names are printed in minuscule font and contain multiple spelling errors  ???.


Full cast listing:

Don Carlos, Infant d'Espagne: André Turp
Rodrigue, Marquis de Posa:Robert Savoie
Philippe II, roi d'Espagne: Joseph Rouleau
Elisabeth de Valois: Edith Tremblay
Comtesse Eboli: Michèle Vilma
Le Grand Inquisiteur: Richard van Allan
Un moine / Charles Quint: Robert Lloyd

I found them on Amazon MP. One is listed for $903, making the other one a bargain at only $110....

This is listed as being the original French version. There's a DVD version as well. Have you ever heard it?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ez2Fc4i-L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 02, 2021, 03:40:55 AM
Quote from: André on March 01, 2021, 04:40:25 PM
Cross-posted:

(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/jun06/Verdi_Carlos_ORCV305.jpg)

The French language original version of Don Carlo in its first ever complete recording.

There are big and small differences with the more familiar revision in Italian. The language is one, obviously and just as obvious is that Verdi's writing for french voices is different from that we are used to from this composer. That is apparent in the roles of Carlos, Elisabeth, Posa and Eboli, which Verdi wrote for the lighter voices of the Paris Opera. Listening to the big duet between Carlos and Posa one readily hears how different it sounds - tender, elegant - compared to the usual bellowing familiar from can belto singers. The conducting is very good, lively and attentive. The whole troupe was coached by Jeffrey Tate and the tightness of ensemble is quite an asset. The orchestra brass is seriously out of tune in one place (the big rum-ti-tum Act III chorus) - unavoidable perhaps in a live performance. Classicstoday deems this performance indispensable and I concur: it is so different from the 4 act italian revision as to be a different work altogether.

Recorded in studio by the BBC in 1972 before a small invited audience, it is in very good sound and sung mostly excellently by Canadian and English singers from the Covent Garden roster. The release I have is from a different label but I decided against showing a picture of the cover as the singers' names are printed in minuscule font and contain multiple spelling errors  ???.


Full cast listing:

Don Carlos, Infant d'Espagne: André Turp
Rodrigue, Marquis de Posa:Robert Savoie
Philippe II, roi d'Espagne: Joseph Rouleau
Elisabeth de Valois: Edith Tremblay
Comtesse Eboli: Michèle Vilma
Le Grand Inquisiteur: Richard van Allan
Un moine / Charles Quint: Robert Lloyd
Do you think that there is a lot of material here in the uncut version which is 1) essential to the opera's plot and 2) is worth spending the extra time listening to in terms of quality?  Reminds me:  I have about 5 complete recordings of (one of) the Italian versions, but none of the French one.  ???
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 02, 2021, 04:47:33 AM
Quote from: JBS on March 01, 2021, 07:57:58 PM
I found them on Amazon MP. One is listed for $903, making the other one a bargain at only $110....

This is listed as being the original French version. There's a DVD version as well. Have you ever heard it?

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ez2Fc4i-L.jpg)
I haven't seen/heard this production, presumably rather recent. Alagna would of course be a good fit for the title role and the other names certainly appeal, too. The extra material was uncovered as recently as 1970, which is why the 1972 BBC production made a splash at the time.

The Opera rara issue is very expensive but it contains a 300 page booklet with libretto, essay, etc. I haven't seen it. The Ponto issue is the one I have:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41j1dNm2dbL._AC_.jpg)

It is much more affordable and presumably identical in terms of sound. Ponto manages to misspell 3 of the singers' names on the front cover as well as giving a wrong date for the performance. There's a short but interesting essay on the original version, plus full track listings. In addition, it gives an hour of excerpts from another performance of the French language version, with Alain Vanzo to fill the 4th cd. Excellent value for money, then.

Rare as this performance may seem, it has been extensively commented, with articles in Classicstoday, Musicweb as well as numerous in-depth recensions by Amazon reviewers (a rare thing). You can read them on this Amazon.fr web page: some are in French but are translatable on the Amazon page, others in English. It obviously provoked a lot of interest.


https://www.amazon.fr/Verdi-Don-Carlos-John-Matheson/dp/B00006CJPT/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_fr_FR=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&dchild=1&keywords=Don+carlos+ponto&qid=1614692087&s=music&sr=1-1 (https://www.amazon.fr/Verdi-Don-Carlos-John-Matheson/dp/B00006CJPT/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&dchild=1&keywords=Don+carlos+ponto&qid=1614692087&s=music&sr=1-1)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 02, 2021, 05:15:55 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 02, 2021, 03:40:55 AM
Do you think that there is a lot of material here in the uncut version which is 1) essential to the opera's plot and 2) is worth spending the extra time listening to in terms of quality?  Reminds me:  I have about 5 complete recordings of (one of) the Italian versions, but none of the French one.  ???

The extra material is worth hearing as it completes the story line, especially the first act. Without it, the action starts in media res, which hampers the appreciation of the whole structure IMO. Verdi took pains to produce a huge work faithful to Schiller's play, only to see it cut, cut, cut as rehearsals, performances and other productions took place. The ending is substantially different, too. Here's an interview with Jeffrey Tate, opera coach at Covent Garden at the time. Scroll down to find the bit about Don Carlos, next to the picture of the Opera Rara release: http://www.bruceduffie.com/tate.html

You mention the 'extra time' required to get acquainted with the additional material. It's a good point. My opinion is that the structure becomes substantially different, a bit like the Guillaume Tell I listened to, with the same premise: hearing it as intended is a different experience. Both composers knew exactly how to compose for french voices of the time, which were lighter, brighter and verbally pointed. This can be heard and felt. French has more consonants than Italian, which is a vowel-based language. Also, French has tons of diphtongs which, to be properly pronounced require a very specific placement of the tongue and larynx. That in turns creates a rythmic pattern of enunciation that changes the flow of the conversation - sharper, more pointed. The end result is that the flow of the work seems tighter, faster.

Don Carlo (in Italian) has always seemed to me stodgy and bizarrely formal - sounds as thick as porridge. I have 5 versions of it, plus 2 of Don Carlos (in French). The other one is Abbado's and none of the singers is comfortable with the language.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 02, 2021, 05:58:03 AM
Quote from: André on March 02, 2021, 05:15:55 AM
The extra material is worth hearing as it completes the story line, especially the first act. Without it, the action starts in media res, which hampers the appreciation of the whole structure IMO. Verdi took pains to produce a huge work faithful to Schiller's play, only to see it cut, cut, cut as rehearsals, performances and other productions took place. The ending is substantially different, too. Here's an interview with Jeffrey Tate, opera coach at Covent Garden at the time. Scroll down to find the bit about Don Carlos, next to the picture of the Opera Rara release: http://www.bruceduffie.com/tate.html

You mention the 'extra time' required to get acquainted with the additional material. It's a good point. My opinion is that the structure becomes substantially different, a bit like the Guillaume Tell I listened to, with the same premise: hearing it as intended is a different experience. Both composers knew exactly how to compose for french voices of the time, which were lighter, brighter and verbally pointed. This can be heard and felt. French has more consonants than Italian, which is a vowel-based language. Also, French has tons of diphtongs which, to be properly pronounced require a very specific placement of the tongue and larynx. That in turns creates a rythmic pattern of enunciation that changes the flow of the conversation - sharper, more pointed. The end result is that the flow of the work seems tighter, faster.

Don Carlo (in Italian) has always seemed to me stodgy and bizarrely formal - sounds as thick as porridge. I have 5 versions of it, plus 2 of Don Carlos (in French). The other one is Abbado's and none of the singers is comfortable with the language.
Thank you for your helpful comments André!  Interesting that you feel like the Italian version seems to be stodgy and formal.  I love it!  I remember being bowled over  when I heard Angela Gheorghiu singing Tu che le vanita on a recital CD that I had purchased of hers...and the duet between two friends with Bergonzi and Fischer-Dieskau...and the famous speech from King Phillip...and on and on....So many wonderful storylines and characters and the drama!  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 06:41:33 AM
I had a surprising (for me) experience yesterday. I turned on BBC Radio 3 and there was a great piece of choral, vocal, orchestral music playing. I went on to the Radio 3 schedules online page, only to discover that it was the 'Te Deum' from Puccini's 'Tosca' - a piece that I imagined could have no interest for me! What have I been missing all these years? By an odd coincidence I received an email yesterday from a classical music loving former colleague/friend, who happened to mention that the formative moment in his youth was hearing 'Tosca', which gave him his initial enthusiasm for classical music. Anyway I ordered a second-hand CD of what I heard on the radio - Bryn Terfel 'Bad Boys' DGG CD, Swedish RSO. I'm now tempted to listen to the opera itself. What is a recommendable (cheap) recording? This is possibly my first posting in this thread:
:)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 02, 2021, 07:32:04 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 06:41:33 AM
I had a surprising (for me) experience yesterday. I turned on BBC Radio 3 and there was a great piece of choral, vocal, orchestral music playing. I went on to the Radio 3 schedules online page, only to discover that it was the 'Te Deum' from Puccini's 'Tosca' - a piece that I imagined could have no interest for me! What have I been missing all these years? By an odd coincidence I received an email yesterday from a classical music loving former colleague/friend, who happened to mention that the formative moment in his youth was hearing 'Tosca', which gave him his initial enthusiasm for classical music. Anyway I ordered a second-hand CD of what I heard on the radio - Bryn Terfel 'Bad Boys' DGG CD, Swedish RSO. I'm now tempted to listen to the opera itself. What is a recommendable (cheap) recording? This is possibly my first posting in this thread:
:)
Oh, wow!  Great Jeffrey!

One of the first ones that I listened to (and still love):  Originally on EMI with Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano and Tito Gobbi and conducted by Victor de Sabata.   :)  From 1953, so be warned that the sound is rather dated. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on March 02, 2021, 08:06:57 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 06:41:33 AM
I had a surprising (for me) experience yesterday. I turned on BBC Radio 3 and there was a great piece of choral, vocal, orchestral music playing. I went on to the Radio 3 schedules online page, only to discover that it was the 'Te Deum' from Puccini's 'Tosca' - a piece that I imagined could have no interest for me! What have I been missing all these years? By an odd coincidence I received an email yesterday from a classical music loving former colleague/friend, who happened to mention that the formative moment in his youth was hearing 'Tosca', which gave him his initial enthusiasm for classical music. Anyway I ordered a second-hand CD of what I heard on the radio - Bryn Terfel 'Bad Boys' DGG CD, Swedish RSO. I'm now tempted to listen to the opera itself. What is a recommendable (cheap) recording? This is possibly my first posting in this thread:
:)

I will be interested what you think of the complete opera. I am sure mine is a minority opinion but I find it insufferably tedious. There are a few fine moments and the Te Deum scene is the best. I have seen it live a couple of times and heard a concert performance. I have various arias on recital discs which get an airing from time to time but I can't imagine ever enduring the whole thing. I am not much of a Puccini fan and La Boheme is the only one of his operas I can say I like.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 02, 2021, 08:34:56 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 06:41:33 AM
I had a surprising (for me) experience yesterday. I turned on BBC Radio 3 and there was a great piece of choral, vocal, orchestral music playing. I went on to the Radio 3 schedules online page, only to discover that it was the 'Te Deum' from Puccini's 'Tosca' - a piece that I imagined could have no interest for me! What have I been missing all these years? By an odd coincidence I received an email yesterday from a classical music loving former colleague/friend, who happened to mention that the formative moment in his youth was hearing 'Tosca', which gave him his initial enthusiasm for classical music. Anyway I ordered a second-hand CD of what I heard on the radio - Bryn Terfel 'Bad Boys' DGG CD, Swedish RSO. I'm now tempted to listen to the opera itself. What is a recommendable (cheap) recording? This is possibly my first posting in this thread:
:)

The De Sabata with Callas, Gobbi and Di Stefano is considered one of the greatest opera recordings of all time, not just one of the greatest Tosca recordings of all time, but it is mono albeit excellently balanced mono. You should be able to get it pretty cheaply. The recent Warner transfer is probably the best.

Failing that, then an excellent stereo alternative would be the first Karajan recording on Decca, with Leontyne Price, Giuseppe Taddei and Di Stefano again. I've reviewed the De Sabata twice on my blog.

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/) and http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/06/callass-1953-tosca-revisited/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/06/callass-1953-tosca-revisited/)

and I also did a comparative review of a clutch of recordings available from Decca (including the Karajan) http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/12/08/a-clutch-of-decca-toscas/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/12/08/a-clutch-of-decca-toscas/).

Maybe that will help.

Happy listening.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 08:50:35 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 02, 2021, 07:32:04 AM
Oh, wow!  Great Jeffrey!

One of the first ones that I listened to (and still love):  Originally on EMI with Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano and Tito Gobbi and conducted by Victor de Sabata.   :)  From 1953, so be warned that the sound is rather dated.
Thanks PD - my friend recommended that recording as well. I don't think that I have any Maria Callas recordings in my collection!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 08:53:31 AM
Quote from: Biffo on March 02, 2021, 08:06:57 AM
I will be interested what you think of the complete opera. I am sure mine is a minority opinion but I find it insufferably tedious. There are a few fine moments and the Te Deum scene is the best. I have seen it live a couple of times and heard a concert performance. I have various arias on recital discs which get an airing from time to time but I can't imagine ever enduring the whole thing. I am not much of a Puccini fan and La Boheme is the only one of his operas I can say I like.
Thanks Biffo. Well, for now, I've just ordered a second-hand CD featuring that scene. I think that I might sample some more Tosca excerpts online before I take the plunge with the opera. I don't have any Puccini in my collection.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 08:54:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 02, 2021, 08:34:56 AM
The De Sabata with Callas, Gobbi and Di Stefano is considered one of the greatest opera recordings of all time, not just one of the greatest Tosca recordings of all time, but it is mono albeit excellently balanced mono. You should be able to get it pretty cheaply. The recent Warner transfer is probably the best.

Failing that, then an excellent stereo alternative would be the first Karajan recording on Decca, with Leontyne Price, Giuseppe Taddei and Di Stefano again. I've reviewed the De Sabata twice on my blog.

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/) and http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/06/callass-1953-tosca-revisited/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/06/callass-1953-tosca-revisited/)

and I also did a comparative review of a clutch of recordings available from Decca (including the Karajan) http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/12/08/a-clutch-of-decca-toscas/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/12/08/a-clutch-of-decca-toscas/).

Maybe that will help.

Happy listening.
Thanks very much! Greatly appreciated  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 02, 2021, 11:01:16 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 08:50:35 AM
Thanks PD - my friend recommended that recording as well. I don't think that I have any Maria Callas recordings in my collection!
???  Well, then you have a treat in store!  She was a truly fabulous Tosca....and the others, well, I figured (rightly) that I'd let Tsaraslondon sing its praises.  ;) ;D  Please do give the whole opera a shot Jeffrey.  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 03, 2021, 12:49:06 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/wSlcm_jcDhO7qgqEhonEK40_1wI=/fit-in/600x595/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14369220-1573141026-9382.jpeg.jpg)

I almost never listen to highlights discs. Except for Don Giovanni. It's been recorded so often that once you have half a dozen complete versions it becomes rather redundant to buy another one just for this or that singer's participation. Toscanini once said that casting Il Trovatore is easy: you just book the four greatest singers in the world and voilà. The same could be said of Giovanni, except make that six or eight. Even the insignificant role of Masetto gets a good aria! Actually Masetto is the only character where less than stellar singing is acceptable.

If Bonynge's version of the complete opera was available I'd buy it right away. Conducting, playing, singing and sound are outstanding through and through. There are a couple of annoyances: a too busy harpsichord in the recitatives (nice instrument and fine sonic presence, though) and an unusual amount of vocal embellishments, some of which sound plain silly. Each and everyone of the singers are superb both vocally and dramatically. The other singers (not listed on the cover) are Clifford Grant (a terrifying Commendatore), Donald Gramm (an excellent Leporello), Leonardo Monreale (Masetto) and Werner Krenn (Ottavio). A nice supplement to other favourite versions.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 03, 2021, 04:08:13 PM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 02, 2021, 08:53:31 AM
Thanks Biffo. Well, for now, I've just ordered a second-hand CD featuring that scene. I think that I might sample some more Tosca excerpts online before I take the plunge with the opera. I don't have any Puccini in my collection.

Tosca is an opera that a highlights CD can't really do justice to. For one thing, some of its most memorable moments are non-musical--the end of Acts 2 and 3 depend for their impact on what Tosca is doing onstage, not what she is singing. (Although the last line of Act 2 is one of opera's great exit lines.) Plus it's only about 110-115 minutes total.

The Callas recording is one of the best.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 04, 2021, 12:42:27 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/So4r7mxkvm-geWbAZYxWntKuJIE=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11781288-1522266981-6609.jpeg.jpg)

The most lyrical and gentle opera I've ever heard. Superb.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 04, 2021, 02:10:10 PM
Quote from: Florestan on March 04, 2021, 12:42:27 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/So4r7mxkvm-geWbAZYxWntKuJIE=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11781288-1522266981-6609.jpeg.jpg)

The most lyrical and gentle opera I've ever heard. Superb.

And such a lovely recording, which I was listening to myself just a couple of days ago. The Cherry Duet is a particular favourite, even more magical in this performance featuring Tito Schipa and Mafalda Favero.

https://youtu.be/CZSewl5wT4k (https://youtu.be/CZSewl5wT4k)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 05, 2021, 12:02:09 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 04, 2021, 02:10:10 PM
The Cherry Duet is a particular favourite, even more magical in this performance featuring Tito Schipa and Mafalda Favero.

https://youtu.be/CZSewl5wT4k (https://youtu.be/CZSewl5wT4k)

That's my favorite version as well. I knew it long before I listened to the whole opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 06, 2021, 12:07:32 AM
Janacek's Kata Kabanova from the Vienna State Opera House (Thanks to a heads up from another forum member here).  Very enjoyable!  First time that I've seen it performed.  Available for several more hours on their website for free--all you need to do is register.  :)  And I did figure out too that they do have closed captioning (in a number of languages).  After you click on "play" at the bottom right side of the screen is an icon with a "cc" under it.  You just click on it and pick your language.  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 06, 2021, 01:52:55 AM
(https://img1.doubanio.com/lpic/s2761997.jpg)

Gosh! A Callas performance I hadn't heard before! Or rather part of a performance because some sections have been lost and so we don't get all the music.

Callas is in fabulous voice for this performance, her top register in fine shape, but it isn't as moving a performance as the 1955 performances (Rome concert and La Scala), although as always there is some wonderfully eloquent singing especially in the finale. Ah padre ah padre and the whole of Deh non volerli vittime are absolutely heart wrenching.

It's also wonderful to have her paired with Corelli when still in such great voice, as it has to be admitted that by the time of the second studio recording (love it though I do) she is having to deal with failing resources. Christoff too makes a great deal of the role of Oroveso, his voice in absolutely terrific shape.

Though not my favourite Callas performance of Norma, it still adds to her lustre and confirms why she is still considered the greatest of all recorded Normas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 06, 2021, 03:18:18 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 06, 2021, 01:52:55 AM
(https://www.talkclassical.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=151921&d=1615027923)

Gosh! A Callas performance I hadn't heard before! Or rather part of a performance because some sections have been lost and so we don't get all the music.

Callas is in fabulous voice for this performance, her top register in fine shape, but it isn't as moving a performance as the 1955 performances (Rome concert and La Scala), although as always there is some wonderfully eloquent singing especially in the finale. Ah padre ah padre and the whole of Deh non volerli vittime are absolutely heart wrenching.

It's also wonderful to have her paired with Corelli when still in such great voice, as it has to be admitted that by the time of the second studio recording (love it though I do) she is having to deal with failing resources. Christoff too makes a great deal of the role of Oroveso, his voice in absolutely terrific shape.

Though not my favourite Callas performance of Norma, it still adds to her lustre and confirms why she is still considered the greatest of all recorded Normas.
I'm afraid that I can't see your picture (I just get a little blue and white box).  Would you mind creating a link to it?  And a Callas recording that you hadn't heard before now?!  :o  ;)  And who sings Adalgisa?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 06, 2021, 04:15:57 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 06, 2021, 03:18:18 AM
I'm afraid that I can't see your picture (I just get a little blue and white box).  Would you mind creating a link to it?  And a Callas recording that you hadn't heard before now?!  :o  ;)  And who sings Adalgisa?

PD

Does it show up now?

It's from Treiste in 1953 and Elena Nicolai is the Adalgisa. She's ok, but not in the Simionato or Stignani class. I'd also prefer Ludwig on the second studio recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 07, 2021, 04:59:04 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 06, 2021, 04:15:57 AM
Does it show up now?

It's from Treiste in 1953 and Elena Nicolai is the Adalgisa. She's ok, but not in the Simionato or Stignani class. I'd also prefer Ludwig on the second studio recording.
Yes, I can see it now...thanks!  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 07, 2021, 05:15:44 AM
(Cross-posted)

(https://img.cdandlp.com/2015/07/imgL/117600206.jpg)

Belcanto goes French in this hilarious little opera full of charm and wit.

Me voici, me voici, militaire et mari! --- indeed, double reason for merriment...

Vive la guerre, vive la mort! --- I wonder if General Millan Astray was a Donizetti fan...

Je suis la duchesse de Crackentorp! --- Glad to meet you, Ma'am.

The only quibble I have with this recording is Sutherland's French diction which is, let's say, a little fuzzy. Par contre, Pavarotti's is surprisingly good.

Excellent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 07, 2021, 10:06:12 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 07, 2021, 05:15:44 AM
(Cross-posted)

(https://img.cdandlp.com/2015/07/imgL/117600206.jpg)

Belcanto goes French in this hilarious little opera full of charm and wit.

Me voici, me voici, militaire et mari! --- indeed, double reason for merriment...

Vive la guerre, vive la mort! --- I wonder if Gen :laugh:eral Millan Astray was a Donizetti fan...

Je suis la duchesse de Crackentorp! --- Glad to meet you, Ma'am.

The only quibble I have with this recording is Sutherland's French diction which is, let's say, a little fuzzy. Par contre, Pavarotti's is surprisingly good.

Excellent.

I always say Pavarotti's diction is so good you can gear how bad his French is!   :laugh:

As for Sutherland, who knows what language she is singing in.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 07, 2021, 10:23:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 07, 2021, 10:06:12 AM
I always say Pavarotti's diction is so good you can gear how bad his French is!   :laugh:

I don't think his French was bad in this particular recording. I mean, compared to Sutherland's he sounds like French-born.  ;D

Jokes apart, I understood 90% of his singing. For Sutherland the percentage is 50%.

Be it as it might, my approach to opera is prima la musica poi le parole: I wallow in the music and treat the voice as just another instrument, albeit a very expressive one; if I understand anything, all the better.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 07, 2021, 11:21:55 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51j7XQ5SoVL._AC_.jpg)

Conductor Michi Gaigg graces the booklet cover of this release. Although she looks as spirited and congenial as Angela Merkel, her conducting is sprightly, sensitive and totally attuned to the italian sensibility of Mozart's Azione sacra. Operas were forbidden during Lent, but the Italians happily resorted to that kind of subterfuge - operas on a sacred subject. Here it's the story of Judith slaying Holopherne. The latter is not a character in the action, he is referred to in the recitatives only and the slaying happens offstage. Oratorios of the time were operas without costume or staging. And yet, overture, recitatives, arias, duets, choruses - it's all there and the mood is not really different from that of an opera seria. The amazing thing is that Mozart, just turned 15, could write so idiomatically in a genre and a language that were still quite new to him.

The orchestra is warm, sonorous yet crisp and transparent. There is not a rough sound to be heard. As its name implies it is a HIP band. Maestro (Maestra?) Gaigg conducts with a welcome balance of energy and suppleness. All the voices are excellent, but I particularly enjoyed the tenor Christian Zenker, a former pupil from the famed Windsbacher Knabenchor. I had never heard of him - or from any of the others, actually. Two decades ago such a work would have sold only if big names were involved. There's actually a  1952 recording with Boris Christoff, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Cesare Valletti. We have come a long way indeed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on March 07, 2021, 11:34:45 PM
Quote from: Florestan on March 07, 2021, 10:23:10 AM
Be it as it might, my approach to opera is prima la musica poi le parole: I wallow in the music and treat the voice as just another instrument, albeit a very expressive one; if I understand anything, all the better.

And sometimes it's better if you don't understand anything, if you libretto what I mean.  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on March 08, 2021, 12:00:57 AM
With opera, not understanding the words can be a plus. You can just concentrate on the music, which is probably why I don't listen to opera in English much. The understanding gets in the way of musical enjoyment  :P
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 08, 2021, 12:18:48 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on March 07, 2021, 11:34:45 PM
And sometimes it's better if you don't understand anything, if you libretto what I mean.  ;)

Quote from: springrite on March 08, 2021, 12:00:57 AM
With opera, not understanding the words can be a plus. You can just concentrate on the music, which is probably why I don't listen to opera in English much. The understanding gets in the way of musical enjoyment  :P

Yes, most libretti are silly anyway so why even bother?  :D

TD and case in point:

(https://s13emagst.akamaized.net/products/120/119265/images/res_123a47a495ee8328367058f279e89b08.jpg)

From time to time I understood just enough to have a pretty good idea of the plot while at all times wallowing in the gorgeous music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 08, 2021, 04:58:45 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 07, 2021, 10:23:10 AM
I don't think his French was bad in this particular recording. I mean, compared to Sutherland's he sounds like French-born.  ;D

Jokes apart, I understood 90% of his singing. For Sutherland the percentage is 50%.

Be it as it might, my approach to opera is prima la musica poi le parole: I wallow in the music and treat the voice as just another instrument, albeit a very expressive one; if I understand anything, all the better.

The distinction I was making is that Pavarotti's diction was, as always, excellent, so good that you can hear that his pronunciation of the French language is not. But I'd sooner that than the mush Sutherland comes up with. Pavarotti may not have been the greatest actor in the world (his size rather precluded it) but he did connect with the text and create character through sound alone.

I also think that it should be prima la musica doppo le parole, but I also recognise that composers set texts and often went to great lengths to find the right one, so the musica depends on the parole. Nobody expects every word to be intelligible, and sopranos have a particularly hard time of it, but I do expect to be able to make out most of what is being sung. Even in a language that I don't understand, the clarity of the words enlivens the music and ignoring them turns opera into just vocalise. You could argue, why stage them at all?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 08, 2021, 05:06:03 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 08, 2021, 04:58:45 AM
The distinction I was making is that Pavarotti's diction was, as always, excellent, so good that you can hear that his pronunciation of the French language is not. But I'd sooner that than the mush Sutherland comes up with. Pavarotti may not have been the greatest actor in the world (his size rather precluded it) but he did connect with the text and create character through sound alone.

Agreed

QuoteI also think that it should be prima la musica doppo le parole, but I also recognise that composers set texts and often went to great lengths to find the right one, so the musica depends on the parole. Nobody expects every word to be intelligible, and sopranos have a particularly hard time of it, but I do expect to be able to make out most of what is being sung. Even in a language that I don't understand, the clarity of the words enlivens the music and ignoring them turns opera into just vocalise. You could argue, why stage them at all?

Fair enough but I was talking specifically about listening operas on CD. Watching them live or on DVD is a different matter altogether and in these cases there are subtitles.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: premont on March 08, 2021, 05:07:47 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 08, 2021, 12:18:48 AM
Yes, most libretti are silly anyway so why even bother?  :D

Precisely. I never care about the words.

BTW hope you and your wife are still doing well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 08, 2021, 05:22:36 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 08, 2021, 05:06:03 AM


Fair enough but I was talking specifically about listening operas on CD. Watching them live or on DVD is a different matter altogether and in these cases there are subtitles.

I think, even listening to them at home on CD, the musci loses something of its power if the words are ignored. That's the case for me anyway. There was a time when I would always listen along with the libretto. I don't always do that nowadays, but I do like to at least have an idea about what is going on and will refer to the synopsis if I don't know the opera. Opera is music drama, however much the music comes first. I can't imagine getting as much out of La Traviata, for instance , if I had no idea of what was happening dramatically.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 08, 2021, 06:47:11 AM
Quote from: (: premont :) on March 08, 2021, 05:07:47 AM
Precisely. I never care about the words.

BTW hope you and your wife are still doing well.

Last day of quarantine today. We are fine, thanks for asking; fortunately we had only mild symptoms which have all but disappeared.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 08, 2021, 06:54:57 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 08, 2021, 05:22:36 AM
I think, even listening to them at home on CD, the musci loses something of its power if the words are ignored. That's the case for me anyway. There was a time when I would always listen along with the libretto. I don't always do that nowadays, but I do like to at least have an idea about what is going on and will refer to the synopsis if I don't know the opera. Opera is music drama, however much the music comes first. I can't imagine getting as much out of La Traviata, for instance , if I had no idea of what was happening dramatically.

Oh, I don't ignore the plot completely. Before listening to an opera for the first time I always read the synopsis. I have never listened along with the libretto, though. I speak French fluently and I can understand a fair amount of Italian and this is just enough for me. In the case of German operas / Lieder (my German is severely limited) I truly just let myself be carried away auf Flügeln des Gesanges.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on March 08, 2021, 07:08:44 AM
Coincidentally, over the weekend I watched Káťa Kabanová by Janáček (from 2017, Vienna State Opera), and for most of it had the subtitles turned off. (They were taking up valuable screen acreage, anyway.) Granted, I've seen the opera a few times, and know the general plot. But the score is definitely gorgeous enough to hear on its own.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 08, 2021, 01:23:52 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/817Nyw3I5oL._AC_SL400_.jpg)

Needless to say with such a cast the singing is both accomplished and characterful. The orchestra is lively and well-balanced. My only complaint would be a slightly thick continuo in the recitatives.

There are 9 characters interacting with each other (A loves B who loves C, but C is promised to D, who pines for B, etc). The complex plot is probably easier to follow with visuals. In the absence of a video, only the music remains and it is exquisite.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on March 08, 2021, 02:49:33 PM
Quote from: ultralinear on March 08, 2021, 01:32:54 PM
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (Metzmacher / Vienna State Opera) :

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71HRzhZj5cL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

I like this a lot more than I was expecting, after reading some lukewarm reviews that criticised weak singing, but I really don't hear that - Denoke in particular is outstanding as Katerina - and the orchestral playing is gorgeous, if occasionally a little distant (it's a live recording, after all.)

Thanks! This opera is regularly on my ten favorites list. I've seen the Met's great production, and the equally great Holland Festival outing with Eva-Maria Westbroek, but delighted to know of this new one. (Just saw Denoke over the weekend in Janacek, from 2017, so am primed to hear her in something else.)

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 09, 2021, 12:33:39 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51x0R2knOUL._SX355_.jpg)

Com'e gentil di quarantena uscir
E azzuro il ciel
Il sol'e senza vel!


:D 8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on March 09, 2021, 04:52:21 AM
Quote from: ultralinear on March 09, 2021, 01:48:49 AM
Until I read this I had completely forgotten that somewhere I have an off-air recording of a BBC relay of that Met production on a couple of Minidiscs, which I have never listened to.:o :-[  So thank you for the reminder! :)  (Now all I have to do is find them. ::))  I also must find time to give another play to that Jansons/Concertgebouw production, which as you say is really great. 8)

Looking at the Met's archives (a wonderful resource) helped me recall exactly when they staged it. (And I went at least once or twice every time.) The first one was in 1994, with Maria Ewing. Then they brought it back in 2000 with Catherine Malfitano -- loved her, especially her acting. And then it returned in 2014, with Westbroek.

The Graham Vick production is so cool. I can't believe they never filmed it for their HD series. I have the Jansons/Concertgebouw on DVD, and that production is excellent, too, in a completely different way -- very minimal -- while the Met's uses some heavy machinery, a crane and a bulldozer, IIRC. I remember Sergei standing in the kitchen, in the light from an open refrigerator door. Quite imaginative. And the score is just savage. I like The Nose, too (and the Met's production of THAT was a riot), but not as much as this piece.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on March 09, 2021, 01:58:50 PM
Quote from: Brewski on March 09, 2021, 04:52:21 AM
Looking at the Met's archives (a wonderful resource) helped me recall exactly when they staged it [Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk]. (And I went at least once or twice every time.) The first one was in 1994, with Maria Ewing. Then they brought it back in 2000 with Catherine Malfitano -- loved her, especially her acting. And then it returned in 2014, with Westbroek.

The Graham Vick production is so cool. I can't believe they never filmed it for their HD series. I have the Jansons/Concertgebouw on DVD, and that production is excellent, too, in a completely different way -- very minimal -- while the Met's uses some heavy machinery, a crane and a bulldozer, IIRC. I remember Sergei standing in the kitchen, in the light from an open refrigerator door. Quite imaginative. And the score is just savage. I like The Nose, too (and the Met's production of THAT was a riot), but not as much as this piece.

--Bruce

I went to the 1994 with Ewing.

Listening:
(https://i.discogs.com/R-3909794-1452254639-4524.jpeg?bucket=discogs-images&fit=contain&format=auto&height=300&quality=40&width=300&signature=G12zjUM3KR/EHFmk7P2Do7rHyj%2Bw6uglZ9/AmAYlZ5k%3D)
Purchased because of $2.98 price, it's not bad but OTOH didn't leave a big impression.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 19, 2021, 02:32:16 AM
(https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-56676699049927/la-traviata-panizza-ponselle-tibbett-naxos-8-110032-33-5.jpg)

One of the things that characterises this famous performance is the swift conducting of Panizza. It does impart a hectic urgency to the opera, but at times I miss a little lyrical expansiveness. He is much faster than either Giulini for Callas at La Scala or Kleiber on his famous studio recording, neither of whom would be considered slouches, and at times it tempts Ponselle to go over the top. The gambling scene is a case in point, where she interrupts Alfredo's denunciation with gasps, sobs and screams. To be honest, it's just a bit hammy, rather like the aural equivalent of a silent movie actor.

Vocally of course she has many fine moments and technically the role holds few perils for her. Sempre libera is taken at break-neck speed and Lord knows how she keeps up, but I'm afraid the jarring downward transposition does bother me quite a bit.
There are of course many wonderful moments such as her beautifully affecting Alfredo, Alfredo in that gambling scene. The duet with Germont is also very fine and leads up to a passionately intense Amami, Alfredo, but the portrayal is almost too vivid and lacks Callas's subtlety and inwardness. In any case, Callas is hors concours in this role and I'm not sure any soprano has quite matched her achievement. Even in 1958, when she was reportedly unwell and not in her best voice, she sings the most moving Violetta I have ever heard.

For the rest, Jagel is a bit stiff, but Tibbett is a most sympathetic partner in the big Violetta/Germont duet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on March 27, 2021, 09:59:35 AM
Under encouragement from Twitter contacts I have listened to the Klemperer studio recording of Don Giovanni. At 40 years distance since last listening I was surprised. In my mind it was this massive, slow, humourless tramp through the piece. It is serious, but most of it does not feel slow at all. One of my favourite passages is the mask trio at the end of Act One. I like time to be suspended here, a stasis as the characters ponder. However Klemps robs it of those sought for qualities as he speeds through it. The women somehow do not hit the spot for me, Watson sounds anonymous, Ludwig sounds stretched as does Freni. The men do better.

It builds up well towards a very dramatic final scene. Worth hearing, at least once each 40 years.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: MusicTurner on March 27, 2021, 11:04:19 AM
Yesterday, Gluck's Orfeo ed Eurydice with Muti, not a piece I've dwelled much on, in spite of its fame. But I liked the non-HIP, Verdiesque Grand Approach in this recording, similar to that of his Vivaldi choral works recording, likewise on EMI.

I also have that opera on LP with Karl Richter/DG, but don't remember much about it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 27, 2021, 12:53:12 PM
Quote from: knight66 on March 27, 2021, 09:59:35 AM
Under encouragement from Twitter contacts I have listened to the Klemperer studio recording of Don Giovanni. At 40 years distance since last listening I was surprised. In my mind it was this massive, slow, humourless tramp through the piece. It is serious, but most of it does not feel slow at all. One of my favourite passages is the mask trio at the end of Act One. I like time to be suspended here, a stasis as the characters ponder. However Klemps robs it of those sought for qualities as he speeds through it. The women somehow do not hit the spot for me, Watson sounds anonymous, Ludwig sounds stretched as does Freni. The men do better.

It builds up well towards a very dramatic final scene.
Worth hearing, at least once each 40 years.

Mike

My recollection as well, probably 40 years later, too ! But since I don't have it anymore, your testimony will stand as fact  :D.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 03, 2021, 07:13:11 AM
Cross-posted from the WAYLTN thread:

Quote from: ritter on April 03, 2021, 07:09:55 AM
I think I hadn't revisited this since I bought it when it was released (in 2003 or so):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71d4KrSZkTL._SL1200_.jpg)
Jean Cras' Polyphème certainly is pleasant to listen to, and has a captivating Greco-bucolic atmosphere (so in vogue in France in the early 20th century). But, one gets the feeling as if the composer was looking to expand the lever du jour from Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé into a full length opera, and TBH I'm not convinced there's sustained interest in the whole piece.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 03, 2021, 01:10:37 PM
Cross-posted:

Quote
(https://img.discogs.com/Loz9gFnxWPg3wV4dMF8bDvR4nSQ=/fit-in/600x525/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12139453-1581363923-1302.jpeg.jpg)

I don't know this opera well, but this seems to be a very fine interpretation, in excellent sound. The plot and text are interesting, the characters well developed, their vocal assignments well characterized. The music is first-rate, mature Dvorak, dating from the composer's last years -  composed after the 9th symphony, cello concerto and the late tone poems. Higly enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 04, 2021, 02:42:14 AM
I used to have the Neumann Rusalka on LP and it is a very fine set. I think however that it has now been bettered by the Mackerras. I can't attest to the authenticity of Fleming's Czech, but I do think it's one of the finest things she's done for the gramophone.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1XOiJ3ues4s/UYan1K7zI6I/AAAAAAAABc0/Z0842d-EcBg/s1600/Rusalka+Renee+Fleming+Ben+Heppner+Dolora+Zajick+Charles+Mackerras.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 04, 2021, 06:44:58 AM
What I knew of Rusalka before listening to the Neumann set was from a Met broadcast with Fleming, conducted by Nézet-Séguin. No doubt Mackerras brings special insights into the work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 09, 2021, 12:30:22 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Bsr_1_A9og3rIXOOED89EGvy3Fg=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11022315-1508419462-8489.jpeg.jpg)

A recent purchase for me and my first listen to this opera.

What an extraordinary piece this is, thrillingly and intensely dramatic and this is a terrific performance. I can't imagine it being done better than it is here. Van Dam is at the height of his powers and is absolutely superb in an incredibly taxing role. The rest of the cast, with big names brought in to sing quite small roles, could hardly be bettered and the Monte Carlo orchestra play superbly under Lawrence Foster.

This is the most exciting discovery I've made in a long time. I can only assume that the difficulty of finding a bass-baritone to fulfil the role of Oedipe is the only reason it is not performed more often, because the opera truly is a twentieth century masterpiece.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 09, 2021, 12:44:03 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 09, 2021, 12:30:22 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Bsr_1_A9og3rIXOOED89EGvy3Fg=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11022315-1508419462-8489.jpeg.jpg)

A recent purchase for me and my first listen to this opera.

What an extraordinary piece this is, thrillingly and intensely dramatic and this is a terrific performance. I can't imagine it being done better than it is here. Van Dam is at the height of his powers and is absolutely superb in an incredibly taxing role. The rest of the cast, with big names brought in to sing quite small roles, could hardly be bettered and the Monte Carlo orchestra play superbly under Lawrence Foster.

This is the most exciting discovery I've made in a long time. I can only assume that the difficulty of finding a bass-baritone to fulfil the role of Oedipe is the only reason it is not performed more often, because the opera truly is a twentieth century masterpiece.
Wonderful! Glad you enjoy this masterpiece. A great, noble work, beautifully served in this recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 09, 2021, 05:59:14 AM
Quote from: ritter on April 09, 2021, 12:44:03 AM
Wonderful! Glad you enjoy this masterpiece. A great, noble work, beautifully served in this recording.

+ 1 A masterpiece, indeed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on April 09, 2021, 10:29:46 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 09, 2021, 12:30:22 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Bsr_1_A9og3rIXOOED89EGvy3Fg=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11022315-1508419462-8489.jpeg.jpg)

A recent purchase for me and my first listen to this opera.

What an extraordinary piece this is, thrillingly and intensely dramatic and this is a terrific performance. I can't imagine it being done better than it is here. Van Dam is at the height of his powers and is absolutely superb in an incredibly taxing role. The rest of the cast, with big names brought in to sing quite small roles, could hardly be bettered and the Monte Carlo orchestra play superbly under Lawrence Foster.

This is the most exciting discovery I've made in a long time. I can only assume that the difficulty of finding a bass-baritone to fulfil the role of Oedipe is the only reason it is not performed more often, because the opera truly is a twentieth century masterpiece.

I double-checked the Met's website just to be sure, but of course, it has never been staged there. ("Hello, Met Opera? Any interest in— Oh, never mind.") But I'm adding this recording to the queue.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 10, 2021, 03:31:43 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/lIgt6TSOc_bn4lIHpxB5otATd38=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13284031-1551363420-2170.jpeg.jpg)

Lakmé was no doubt Mady Mesplé's greatest role and this recording, made in 1970, is a superb tribute to her art. I haven't heard the recording with Dessay, but this one is much better than the rather lifeless Sutherland recording. It benefits from a totally French cast, orchestra, chorus and conductor and therefore feels much more authentically French.

Burles has a lighter voice than Vanzo on the Sutherland recording, but I don't mind that at all and he is an engaging presence, whilst Soyer makes a superb Nilakantha. As for Mesplé, well her slightly astringent, bright tone might not be to everyone's tastes, but she does sound authentically French. In the right role she is superb, and this is certainly the right role for her. Whilst I love her in Offenbach operettas, I think this is probaby the best thing she ever did for the gramophone.

All in all, this set makes a great case for the piece. I note that it was a top recommendation on BBC's Building a Library in 2019.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 10, 2021, 03:33:08 AM
Quote from: Brewski on April 09, 2021, 10:29:46 AM
I double-checked the Met's website just to be sure, but of course, it has never been staged there. ("Hello, Met Opera? Any interest in— Oh, never mind.") But I'm adding this recording to the queue.

--Bruce

It's been shamefully neglected almost everywhere. Very few performances since its premiere in 1936.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on April 10, 2021, 05:12:25 AM
A rarity I found in a second hand shop - alas, booklet missing - years ago: Kodaly's "Spinning room".

The sound is sometimes a bit boomy, some voices very "creamy", others (the soprano) a bit shrill.
The Spinning Room is a short one-act stage work (ca 80 mins.), more a collection of 21 folksongs than a taut dramatic structure based on a libretto.  It is almost a large scale "folksong symphony" with soloists and chorus.
The story line is thin:  an old man is dying and three women are mourning. Various characters flow in and out, singing of their dreams and memories, tell stories, make jokes, and join in communal dancing.
Kodaly's mastery of the orchestra however binds it together and makes for musical and dramatic sense.
It is full of Hungarian schwung & charm, swirling dances, outdoor echoes, church bells, sobs and cries....

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513x7ciHpXL.jpg)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sz%C3%A9kelyfon%C3%B3

https://www.youtube.com/v/lpU4s1BvcjQ
In 1982
https://www.youtube.com/v/-a24LT7mxms
In 2016

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 10, 2021, 05:03:50 PM

Catching up on some operatic releases I've watched/heard in the past weeks:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xZtjR0AJL._AC_.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/712bTdFQrRL._AC_SL524_.jpg)

(https://img.discogs.com/f4b1xs6eWefxeErcZz4HsjmdGl0=/fit-in/500x441/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10901324-1506216971-9928.jpeg.jpg)

Berg: Lulu. I've known the Lulu-Suite for some 40 years now. It was concocted by Berg in 1934 as a preview to his latest opus, which he wouldn't live to complete. IMO it's still the best there is in this work. The music of course is fascinating, but as a dramatic work Lulu suffers from the fatal flaw of not having a single likeable character. In Wozzeck one cannot but root for Wozzeck and Marie. It's hard to find the 'human interest' in Lulu. In Pabst's movie (1929) the luminous acting of Louise Brooks made her character infinitely more complex and fetching. Of course singers are not actors, but I still cannot reconcile a score that is truly fascinating with a story and characters that are mostly unpleasant. My loss, I know.

Zimmermann: Die Soldaten. This, too, is a production from the Salzburg Festival from the huge stage of the Felsenreitschule - exploited to the hilt here, much to the benefit of Zimmermann's complex interplay of scenes. It just so happens that the main character, Marie, is another femme fatale turned prostitute. The story does not revolve exactly around her, but she is the pivot from which relationships develop - mostly a series of dead ends. The real 'star' is Zimmermann's gigantic orchestral score (stunningly played by the Wiener Philharmoniker). Vocally Zimmermann deploys a dizzying array of singing, shouting, vocalizing - sometimes all at once from various parts of the stage, involving different scenes played simultaneously. It is an absolute hoot. Among the performers (it's a huge cast) the singing of Gabriela Benackova as the old Countess is astounding. She was about 65 at the time and displays amazing security through a huge range. The whole cast is excellent, but it's really the orchestral score and the scenic production that take the breath away.


Mozart
: La Clemenza di Tito. Honestly I find it hard to muster much enthusiasm for the work composed by Mozart in  the waning genre of opera seria. The music is good but not great Mozart. I can't help finding that the best is the Overture, played here with gusto and almost manic energy by Harnoncourt and the excellent Zurich orchestra (natural horns and trumpets). Of course there is Sesto's big scena with obbligato clarinet. It could be one of his many concert arias, a genre in which excelled. Take that away and the musical quotient becomes of a much lower level. The singing is mostly excellent. The female voices are sometimes hard to distinguish from one another. Fortunately the important role of Vitellia is taken by Lucia Popp, and easy to pick from the others.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 10, 2021, 08:01:59 PM
Quote from: André on April 10, 2021, 05:03:50 PM(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xZtjR0AJL._AC_.jpg)

Berg: Lulu. I've known the Lulu-Suite for some 40 years now. It was concocted by Berg in 1934 as a preview to his latest opus, which he wouldn't live to complete. IMO it's still the best there is in this work. The music of course is fascinating, but as a dramatic work Lulu suffers from the fatal flaw of not having a single likeable character. In Wozzeck one cannot but root for Wozzeck and Marie. It's hard to find the 'human interest' in Lulu. In Pabst's movie (1929) the luminous acting of Louise Brooks made her character infinitely more complex and fetching. Of course singers are not actors, but I still cannot reconcile a score that is truly fascinating with a story and characters that are mostly unpleasant. My loss, I know.

I think Wozzeck is one of the pinnacles of 20th Century opera, but I feel a bit differently about Lulu. Like you, I find the music fascinating, but I don't find it as a memorable as Wozzeck. I do love that Lulu-Suite however. Berg is one of my favorite composers, but really do feel that Lulu would've been given a bit more time to develop compositionally if he lived long enough to see it through. I am thankful for the music he has left behind as he was such a perfectionist and it seemed to talk him a long time to be fully satisfied with a work for it to finally get a performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 12, 2021, 02:13:48 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/YvIcP6I57zsYgrTc4LDOjjkAqhc=/fit-in/600x516/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9230398-1581433588-6525.jpeg.jpg)

Fauré's opera suffers from a lack of real drama, though the second act improves on the first. It does however make good at home listening and this is a very fine performance with Jessye Norman at the height of her powers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 13, 2021, 08:51:41 PM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on April 13, 2021, 04:09:34 PM
NP:

Strauss
Daphne
Hilde Gueden (soprano), Vera Little (mezzo-soprano), Rita Streich (soprano), Paul Schöffler (bass), Hans Braun (baritone), James King (tenor), Fritz Wunderlich (tenor), Erika Mechera (mezzo-soprano), Kurt Equiluz (tenor), Ludwig Welter (bass), Harald Pröglhöf (bass), Norbert Scherlich (chorus master), Hans Braun (bass)
Wiener Staatsopernorchester
Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Karl Böhm


(https://img.discogs.com/xFwMAZNdEO96Eyq-zAdroNIa0-A=/fit-in/600x534/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8844399-1469964405-9013.jpeg.jpg)

What a stunning opera this is! This was Strauss' next to last opera (his final one being Capriccio) and just when you think someone has said all there is to say in this medium, he composes Daphne (but also Capriccio). This is a late work and there's a string of late works that show a burst of creativity and a newfound enthusiasm with works such as Metamorphosen, Oboe Concerto, Horn Concerto No. 2, the Sonatas for Winds and Vier letzte Lieder. I'm sure I'm leaving out some other works, but as you can see he still had that spark in his later years. This particular recording with Böhm is a live recording, but the stage noise is kept to a minimum. Böhm is completely in his element in Strauss' operas. I have most of his recordings that he did of Strauss' operas. Tomorrow, I might end up giving a listen to Capriccio since it's been quite some time since I've listened to it. I still need to get around to finishing Die Frau ohne Schatten. As for my own Strauss opera collection, it's a mix of Solti and Böhm. Do any of you have any opinions of Sinopoli's recordings of the Strauss operas? I know he didn't conduct all of them, he's done quite a few. I should get the rest of the Solti recordings as I'm missing Arabella, Ariadne auf Naxos and Die Frau ohne Schatten from him.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 01:04:32 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 13, 2021, 08:51:41 PM
As for my own Strauss opera collection, it's a mix of Solti and Böhm. .

Funnily enough mine is all Karajan and Sawallisch.  Karajan for Der Rosenkavalier, Salome and Ariadne auf Naxos. Sawallisch for Capriccio, Arabella, Elektra and Die Frau ohne Schatten. I don't have a recording of Daphne but I do like Fleming in Strauss, so I'd probably lean towards her recording, though Bõhm does have Wunderlich, one of the only tenors who manages to make Strauss's tenor writing sound beautiful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 14, 2021, 06:30:43 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 01:04:32 AM
Funnily enough mine is all Karajan and Sawallisch.  Karajan for Der Rosenkavalier, Salome and Ariadne auf Naxos. Sawallisch for Capriccio, Arabella, Elektra and Die Frau ohne Schatten. I don't have a recording of Daphne but I do like Fleming in Strauss, so I'd probably lean towards her recording, though Bõhm does have Wunderlich, one of the only tenors who manages to make Strauss's tenor writing sound beautiful.

I own Karajan in Der Rosenkavalier, but I've never listened to it. I should rectify that at some point. I'm not sure about Sawallisch. I think he's a fine conductor and has done some good work, but I'm not sure he could clear my mind of Solti and Böhm, especially since I don't think of him as a Straussian. But opinions can be change. What do you think of Sinopoli's Strauss opera recordings? Have you heard any? I'm reading mixed reviews on them --- some like him, some don't...the usual stuff you read.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on April 14, 2021, 07:32:56 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 13, 2021, 08:51:41 PMThis was Strauss' next to last opera (his final one being Capriccio)

Actually, Strauss's penultimate opera is Die Liebe Der Danae.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 14, 2021, 08:29:38 AM
My favorite Rosenkavalier is on DVD, but it was later released on CD
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51AEAZiyfCL.jpg)
I have the set with all of Solti's Strauss operas, and they're all good. But my favorite FrOSch is Sawallisch.

I don't think I've ever heard Sinopoli in Strauss.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 14, 2021, 09:34:06 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 13, 2021, 08:51:41 PM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread -

What a stunning opera this is! This was Strauss' next to last opera (his final one being Capriccio) and just when you think someone has said all there is to say in this medium, he composes Daphne (but also Capriccio). This is a late work and there's a string of late works that show a burst of creativity and a newfound enthusiasm with works such as Metamorphosen, Oboe Concerto, Horn Concerto No. 2, the Sonatas for Winds and Vier letzte Lieder. I'm sure I'm leaving out some other works, but as you can see he still had that spark in his later years. This particular recording with Böhm is a live recording, but the stage noise is kept to a minimum. Böhm is completely in his element in Strauss' operas. I have most of his recordings that he did of Strauss' operas. Tomorrow, I might end up giving a listen to Capriccio since it's been quite some time since I've listened to it. I still need to get around to finishing Die Frau ohne Schatten. As for my own Strauss opera collection, it's a mix of Solti and Böhm. Do any of you have any opinions of Sinopoli's recordings of the Strauss operas? I know he didn't conduct all of them, he's done quite a few. I should get the rest of the Solti recordings as I'm missing Arabella, Ariadne auf Naxos and Die Frau ohne Schatten from him.
Daphne indeed is lovely, even if it has its longueurs. This Greco-autumnal Strauss is rather interesting IMHO, and the closing transformation scene of the title character is ravishing. Strauss at the top of his game (the way this man wrote for the soprano voice is unbelievable!).

I have all of Sinopoli's Strauss opera recordings, and they're all very good (usually with orchestras—Vienna and Dresden—with a strong affinity to the composer). Highlights for me are his Elektra (with a stunning Klytemnästra of Hanna Schwarz), and one of the best Ariadne auf Naxos ever recorded (Nathalie Dessay is a great Zerbinetta). His Die Frau ohne Schatten is sumptuous orchestrally, but it's a curious affair: recorded live in Dresden, with the tenor part was spliced in at the studio later (as Ben Heppner was not involved in the stage performances). It's also cut (à la Böhm). TBH, I've fallen out with FroSch—the work itself—over the years (after having strongly admired it when I first encountered it). Sinopoli also recorded Friedenstag (but I find little to enjoy in this bore of an opera).

Böhm is my go-to Strauss conductor (in opera and in the tone poems), with Sinopoli a close second. I've never cared for Solti in anything (well, almost anything), and my problem with the Karajan recordings of Strauss operas is the presence (in the famous Rosenkavalier and in Ariadne) of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, a soprano whose (admittedly widely acclaimed) artistry I've never warmed to.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 10:08:26 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 14, 2021, 06:30:43 AM
I own Karajan in Der Rosenkavalier, but I've never listened to it. I should rectify that at some point. I'm not sure about Sawallisch. I think he's a fine conductor and has done some good work, but I'm not sure he could clear my mind of Solti and Böhm, especially since I don't think of him as a Straussian. But opinions can be change. What do you think of Sinopoli's Strauss opera recordings? Have you heard any? I'm reading mixed reviews on them --- some like him, some don't...the usual stuff you read.

I've only heard bits of Sinopoli's Strauss recordings as his casts rarely appeal to me. I don't much like Solti's Strauss, to be honest, so we might have different views, but Sawaliisch was always well known for his Strauss recordings, right from the superb Capriccio, with a cast that could hardly be bettered (Schwarzkopf in one of her greatest roles, Fischer-Dieskau, Wächter, Gedda and Hotter). It's mono but the sound is excellent. He finds much more lyricism in a score like Elektra  than Solti does, which is possibly why I prefer his recording, even if Nilsson is arguably the best Elektra on disc. The first Karajan Rosenkavalier is a classic, with Schwarzkopf's definitive Marschallin. I don't think his second recording is anywhere near as good.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 14, 2021, 10:08:38 AM
Quote from: ritter on April 14, 2021, 09:34:06 AM
Daphne indeed is lovely, even if it has its longueurs. This Greco-autumnal Strauss is rather interesting IMHO, and the closing transformation scene of the title character is ravishing. Strauss at the top of his game (the way this man wrote for the soprano voice is unbelievable!).

I have all of Sinopoli's Strauss opera recordings, and they're all very good (usually with orchestras—Vienna and Dresden—with a strong affinity to the composer). Highlights for me are his Elektra (with a stunning Klytemnästra of Hanna Schwarz), and one of the best Ariadne auf Naxos ever recorded (Nathalie Dessay is a great Zerbinetta). His Die Frau ohne Schatten is sumptuous orchestrally, but it's a curious affair: recorded live in Dresden, with the tenor part was spliced in at the studio later (as Ben Heppner was not involved in the stage performances). It's also cut (à la Böhm). TBH, I've fallen out with FroSch—the work itself—over the years (after having strongly admired it when I first encountered it). Sinopoli also recorded Friedenstag (but I find little to enjoy in this bore of an opera).

Böhm is my go-to Strauss conductor (in opera and in the tone poems), with Sinopoli a close second. I've never cared for Solti in anything (well, almost anything), and my problem with the Karajan recordings of Strauss operas is the presence (in the famous Rosenkavalier and in Ariadne) of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, a soprano whose (admittedly widely acclaimed) artistry I've never warmed to.

Thanks for the detailed write-up, Rafael. You've certainly helped me tip the table in Sinopoli's favor for sure. Interesting opinion on Schwarzkopf. She's certainly won me over in her Vier letzte Lieder, which curiously I only got around to buying the other day. I'll see what I can grab of Sinopoli's Strauss. I already own his performances of many of the tone poems.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 10:13:48 AM
Quote from: ritter on April 14, 2021, 09:34:06 AM
and my problem with the Karajan recordings of Strauss operas is the presence (in the famous Rosenkavalier and in Ariadne) of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, a soprano whose (admittedly widely acclaimed) artistry I've never warmed to.

Whereas, for me, Schwarzkopf is the main reason why I love those recordings. I've never understood the charges of mannerism and over artfulness, especially in Der Rosenkavalier. Hofmannsthal's text is so good that it could almost be performed as a straight play. It really needs singers with experience in Lieder, which is one of the reasons Schwarzkopf, and Lotte Lehmann before her, are so successful. With Schwarzkopf I feel as if I can see every fleeting change of expression. I hear some other little detail every time I hear the recording.

On the other hand, I agree with you about Solti. Not a fan at all.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 10:15:14 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 14, 2021, 10:08:38 AM
Thanks for the detailed write-up, Rafael. You've certainly helped me tip the table in Sinopoli's favor for sure. Interesting opinion on Schwarzkopf. She's certainly won me over in her Vier letzte Lieder, which curiously I only got around to buying the other day. I'll see what I can grab of Sinopoli's Strauss. I already own his performances of many of the tone poems.

If you like Schwarzkopf in the VLL, then you will love her Marschallin, I have no doubt at all.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 14, 2021, 10:29:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 10:13:48 AM
Whereas, for me, Schwarzkopf is the main reason why I love those recordings. I've never understood the charges of mannerism and over artfulness, especially in Der Rosenkavalier. Hofmannsthal's text is so good that it could almost be performed as a straight play. It really needs singers with experience in Lieder, which is one of the reasons Schwarzkopf, and Lotte Lehmann before her, are so successful. With Schwarzkopf I feel as if I can see every fleeting change of expression. I hear some other little detail every time I hear the recording.

On the other hand, I agree with you about Solti. Not a fan at all.
Yes, I'm firmly in the camp of those who find Schwarzkopf mannered and overtly artful, and her extremely detailed (or some would say, over-studied) portrayals come through as cold and detached to my ears. But I know I'm in a minority here (and some people I knew who experienced her live onstage say she really was something).

Fortunately, there's a live Karajan Rosenkavalier with the great Lisa della Casa (available in the DG Salzburg Festival boxes). It was the opening performance of the Grosses Festspielhaus (della Casa got to sing the Marschallin in the theatre, and Schwarzkopf in the film production).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 14, 2021, 10:39:36 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 10:15:14 AM
If you like Schwarzkopf in the VLL, then you will love her Marschallin, I have no doubt at all.

Cool, but I have already bought four of Sinopoli's recordings of Strauss operas (plus, I have already a bunch of Strauss on the way prior to these purchases), but I'll definitely keep it mind.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 10:45:24 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 14, 2021, 10:39:36 AM
Cool, but I have already bought four of Sinopoli's recordings of Strauss operas (plus, I have already a bunch of Strauss on the way prior to these purchases), but I'll definitely keep it mind.

Oh I'm sorry. I thought you said you already had the Karajan Rosenkavalier but hadn't listened to it yet. Or were you referring to his second recording on DG?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 14, 2021, 11:24:34 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 10:45:24 AM
Oh I'm sorry. I thought you said you already had the Karajan Rosenkavalier but hadn't listened to it yet. Or were you referring to his second recording on DG?

Ah yes, sorry for the confusion, but I own the recording that came in this Karajan DG box set:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71N-hU23h4L._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 12:39:46 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 14, 2021, 11:24:34 AM
Ah yes, sorry for the confusion, but I own the recording that came in this Karajan DG box set:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71N-hU23h4L._SL1200_.jpg)

It's not bad, but not as good as the EMI with Schwarzkopf.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 14, 2021, 12:53:40 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 14, 2021, 12:39:46 PM
It's not bad, but not as good as the EMI with Schwarzkopf.
That's not the second recording (with Tomowa-Sintow and Baltsa, which as you say is good—IMO mainly the orchestral part), but the live 1960 with della Casa I was talking about.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 15, 2021, 01:14:00 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/QryQWDRGC4HpwfZGF45lbW-9MKw=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11257279-1512864055-4447.jpeg.jpg)

There's no escaping the Wagnerian influences, especially Parsifal and Tristan und Isolde but this is a gorgeously lush score and very well performed here. Certainly worth exploring.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 16, 2021, 08:51:00 PM
I have mixed feelings with this one. I am not that keen on the story, but the music and singing are wonderful!
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61wfWW2u59L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 18, 2021, 09:08:43 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71gqBWPwi8L._SY355_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 19, 2021, 11:13:33 AM
Cross-posted.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/710FLXeQ-LL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

One of the lesser-known french opera composers, Ambroise Thomas wrote this beautiful work on a libretto by Carré and Barbier (Faust, Roméo et Juliette etc). The basis for the libretto is Goethe's bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister. It was premiered in 1866 at the Opéra Comique. The first Mignon was Célestine Galli-Marié. 9 years later Galli-Marié would be the first Carmen at the Opéra Comique. It was a triumph and Thomas' crowning achievement, one of the most frequently performed operas in France until the 1930s.

Thomas' score contains some of opera's most famous tunes. My favourite is Mignon's Connais-tu le pays (Kennst du das Land?), a text set to music countless times (by Beethoven, Schubert, Berg, Schoeck, Schumann, Wolf and many others). This gorgeous ballad based on a simple melody is a favourite of mezzos. I feel that Horne misses some of its wide-eyed simplicity and freshness - a bit too knowing, perhaps. The whole production is lavishly cast and produced (superb playing and sound). AFAIK there is no alternative in stereo, although a few performances from earlier generations are available, reflecting the opera's undeserved descent into oblivion.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2021, 01:50:06 PM
Quote from: André on April 19, 2021, 11:13:33 AM
Cross-posted.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/710FLXeQ-LL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

One of the lesser-known french opera composers, Ambroise Thomas wrote this beautiful work on a libretto by Carré and Barbier (Faust, Roméo et Juliette etc). The basis for the libretto is Goethe's bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister. It was premiered in 1866 at the Opéra Comique. The first Mignon was Célestine Galli-Marié. 9 years later Galli-Marié would be the first Carmen at the Opéra Comique. It was a triumph and Thomas' crowning achievement, one of the most frequently performed operas in France until the 1930s.

Thomas' score contains some of opera's most famous tunes. My favourite is Mignon's Connais-tu le pays (Kennst du das Land?), a text set to music countless times (by Beethoven, Schubert, Berg, Schoeck, Schumann, Wolf and many others). This gorgeous ballad based on a simple melody is a favourite of mezzos. I feel that Horne misses some of its wide-eyed simplicity and freshness - a bit too knowing, perhaps. The whole production is lavishly cast and produced (superb playing and sound). AFAIK there is no alternative in stereo, although a few performances from earlier generations are available, reflecting the opera's undeserved descent into oblivion.

It's a long time since I've heard this set, but I remember thinking how much better Von Stade would have been in the role of Mignon. She sings a wonderful rendition of Connais-tu le pays on a recital disc.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 19, 2021, 02:42:11 PM
Cross-post from the 'Listening' thread:

Quote from: Mirror Image on April 19, 2021, 01:36:17 PM
New Arrival...

NP:

Strauss
Salome, Op. 54
Cheryl Studer, Bryn Terfel et. al.
Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin


(https://img.discogs.com/YbDLMLmC5GUUKCn1_D3e4vk8aA8=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8336622-1481395372-4261.jpeg.jpg)

I'm thoroughly enjoying this recording. I find it much more poetic and lyrical under Sinopoli's baton compared to Solti who as Rafael rightly pointed out is neurotic as hell and just not fun or enjoyable to listen to in any way (he also just doesn't get Strauss, IMHO). Cheryl Studer and Bryn Terfel are in fine voice. I really think Studer is a fine Straussian and I loved her in Vier letzte Lieder (also under Sinopoli). Thanks to Rafael for nudging me into getting these Strauss Sinopoli opera recordings. I should've bought them years ago when I was getting his recordings of the various tone poems.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 19, 2021, 04:31:23 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2021, 01:50:06 PM
It's a long time since I've heard this set, but I remember thinking how much better Von Stade would have been in the role of Mignon. She sings a wonderful rendition of Connais-tu le pays on a recital disc.

I would agree. Much as I love Horne, she sounds a bit too masculine here. When introduced by Jarno, he describes her as 'not a girl, not a boy, not a woman'. That certainly gives much leeway in terms of vocal casting and interpretation. But this sounds just bizarre.

I'll try to get 'Connais-tu le pays?' with von Stade.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 19, 2021, 04:37:01 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/814gpC2UH8L._SX355_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 20, 2021, 05:48:11 AM
Quote from: André on April 19, 2021, 04:31:23 PM
I would agree. Much as I love Horne, she sounds a bit too masculine here. When introduced by Jarno, he describes her as 'not a girl, not a boy, not a woman'. That certainly gives much leeway in terms of vocal casting and interpretation. But this sounds just bizarre.

I'll try to get 'Connais-tu le pays?' with von Stade.  :)

You can hear it on youtube https://youtu.be/QAUMBxSDuk8 (https://youtu.be/QAUMBxSDuk8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 20, 2021, 09:08:32 AM
Thanks !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 10:09:17 AM
Quote from: André on April 19, 2021, 04:31:23 PM
When introduced by Jarno, he describes her as 'not a girl, not a boy, not a woman'.

If she were introduced by Justin Trudeau, he'd describe her as "zer".  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on April 20, 2021, 10:36:16 AM
.(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71hTsM4-JRL._AC_SX679_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 10:51:19 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on April 20, 2021, 10:36:16 AM
.(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71hTsM4-JRL._AC_SX679_.jpg)
Does he both conduct and sing all roles simultaneously?  ;D

I'm sorry but I think an opera recording art cover which lists only the conductor and the orchestra and no soloists is the top of egocentrism from the conductor's part. Really sorry, but that's my honest feeling.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:01:50 PM
Quote from: Wanderer on April 20, 2021, 10:36:16 AM
.(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71hTsM4-JRL._AC_SX679_.jpg)

How do you find it? I bought the Figaro which I did not much enjoy and the Don Giovanni which enjoyed a lot. I decided that his likely approach to Cosi was not for me. Also, I don't take to some of his singers.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 12:07:29 PM
Quote from: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:01:50 PM
I don't take to some of his singers.

Who are they, actually? The cover art is utterly and inexcusably silent about them.  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:09:43 PM
Quote from: André on April 19, 2021, 11:13:33 AM
Cross-posted.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/710FLXeQ-LL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

One of the lesser-known french opera composers, Ambroise Thomas wrote this beautiful work on a libretto by Carré and Barbier (Faust, Roméo et Juliette etc). The basis for the libretto is Goethe's bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister. It was premiered in 1866 at the Opéra Comique. The first Mignon was Célestine Galli-Marié. 9 years later Galli-Marié would be the first Carmen at the Opéra Comique. It was a triumph and Thomas' crowning achievement, one of the most frequently performed operas in France until the 1930s.

Thomas' score contains some of opera's most famous tunes. My favourite is Mignon's Connais-tu le pays (Kennst du das Land?), a text set to music countless times (by Beethoven, Schubert, Berg, Schoeck, Schumann, Wolf and many others). This gorgeous ballad based on a simple melody is a favourite of mezzos. I feel that Horne misses some of its wide-eyed simplicity and freshness - a bit too knowing, perhaps. The whole production is lavishly cast and produced (superb playing and sound). AFAIK there is no alternative in stereo, although a few performances from earlier generations are available, reflecting the opera's undeserved descent into oblivion.

André, I don't know the opera beyond a couple of arias, but your writeup has got me interested. I have just started streaming this version. I can imagine that having Horne in this kind of part would be like shoving the mature Orson Wells onto the stage to play Oberon in Midsummer Night's Dream.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:13:40 PM
Quote from: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 12:07:29 PM
Who are they, actually? The cover art is utterly and inexcusably silent about them.  ;D


Here is an extract of a review.

========
Some of the singing is magnificent. Kenneth Tarver is the finest Ferrando since Simoneau–perhaps better, singing with melting tone, ardor, long breath, and beautifully controlled dynamics. Christopher Maltman is as fine as Guglielmo, his rich baritone well-used. For some reason, Currentzis does not see Guglielmo as much of a character, and the role is underplayed. The sisters are differentiated, almost to a fault: Simone Kermes insists on whispering 80 percent of Fiordiligi's lines into the microphone as if she's afraid of getting caught, and Malena Errman is an aggressive Dorabella–there's never an issue of knowing who's who.
===========

I don't much enjoy Errman, but I can't stand Kermes and I only bought Don Giovanni because she was not in it.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 12:16:43 PM
Quote from: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:13:40 PM

Here is an extract of a review.

========
Some of the singing is magnificent. Kenneth Tarver is the finest Ferrando since Simoneau–perhaps better, singing with melting tone, ardor, long breath, and beautifully controlled dynamics. Christopher Maltman is as fine as Guglielmo, his rich baritone well-used. For some reason, Currentzis does not see Guglielmo as much of a character, and the role is underplayed. The sisters are differentiated, almost to a fault: Simone Kermes insists on whispering 80 percent of Fiordiligi's lines into the microphone as if she's afraid of getting caught, and Malena Errman is an aggressive Dorabella–there's never an issue of knowing who's who.
===========

I don't much enjoy Errman, but I can't stand Kermes and I only bought Don Giovanni because she was not in it.

Mike

Thank you, Mike.

I still find not listing the cast on the cover art extremely egotistical and bad taste. But then again, Currentzis who?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 20, 2021, 12:20:24 PM
Quote from: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 12:07:29 PM
Who are they, actually? The cover art is utterly and inexcusably silent about them.  ;D

The back cover lists them.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rUEKvtrVL.jpg)
Amazon US lists it as currently unavailable.

Quote from: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 10:51:19 AM
Does he both conduct and sing all roles simultaneously?  ;D

I'm sorry but I think an opera recording art cover which lists only the conductor and the orchestra and no soloists is the top of egocentrism from the conductor's part. Really sorry, but that's my honest feeling.

You'll love the photos Amazon includes as images for the listing
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81abVGwWFnL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91EuLV%2BKTdL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91UIarxjgTL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 12:21:28 PM
Quote from: JBS on April 20, 2021, 12:20:24 PM
You'll love the photos Amazon includes as images for the listing
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81abVGwWFnL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91EuLV%2BKTdL.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91UIarxjgTL.jpg)

WTF?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 20, 2021, 12:24:07 PM
Speaking of trendy young conductors doing Mozart operas, has anyone heard any of Nezet-Seguin's recordings?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:26:04 PM
Quote from: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 12:16:43 PM
Thank you, Mike.

I still find not listing the cast on the cover art extremely egotistical and bad taste. But then again, Currentzis who?

The format of each issue is a thick book roughly the size of a CD box and the casts appear on the back cover.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 12:28:49 PM
Quote from: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:26:04 PM
The format of each issue is a thick book roughly the size of a CD box and the casts appear on the back cover.

Mike

Shameful. Really shameful, Mr. Currentzis! I'll just pass without any regret whatsoever.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:39:26 PM
Quote from: JBS on April 20, 2021, 12:24:07 PM
Speaking of trendy young conductors doing Mozart operas, has anyone heard any of Nezet-Seguin's recordings?

Yes, I have and enjoy his Don Giovanni. The fly in his ointment is for me Damrau whose voice sets my teeth on edge. But plenty of people enjoy her. Because of her presence, I have avoided the other sets in the series. The Giovanni goes with a zing without being driven.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 20, 2021, 03:24:42 PM
Quote from: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:39:26 PM
Yes, I have and enjoy his Don Giovanni. The fly in his ointment is for me Damrau whose voice sets my teeth on edge. But plenty of people enjoy her. Because of her presence, I have avoided the other sets in the series. The Giovanni goes with a zing without being driven.

Mike

Thanks. I don't mind Damrau and realized that Joyce DiDonato is in at least some of them, which renders them obligatory for me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 20, 2021, 04:36:40 PM
Quote from: JBS on April 20, 2021, 12:24:07 PM
Speaking of trendy young conductors doing Mozart operas, has anyone heard any of Nezet-Seguin's recordings?

I have 4 of them (DG, Figaro and the 2 german operas). Don't intend to get the other 2. I don't really like Tito and, short of a perfect cast, Cosi falls apart for me. Figaro and Zauberflöte are very good, Don Giovanni and Entführung almost excellent. Their qualities are a sense of a finely honed ensemble cast (taped during a run of performances if I'm not mistaken), excellent playing from the orchestra, fizzy and bubbly conducting from NS and some outstanding solo contributions. Among the faults: a few less than agreeable voices, very uneven singing from Villazon (outstanding as Tamino and Don Ottavio, annoying and overparted as Papageno) and a sometimes distracting adherence to PI mannerisms telegraphed from the podium.

Honestly, considering that today's singers are from so many different cultures and schools of singing, I doubt any new recording can do justice to Mozart's operas. They may seem unsinkable from the outside, but they are super delicate confections that must run like a swiss clock. The gulf between today's recordings and the bunch of bicentenary (1956) releases is abyssal. Nézet-Séguin's Mozart recordings are as good as they come considering the singing issue, and better than most with regard to the orchestral playing (fabulous) and conducting (enthusiastic yet sensitive).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 20, 2021, 08:28:50 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71P40CUBqaL._SX355_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81qQJgx-U1L._SX355_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71oOGce9u4L._SX355_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on April 21, 2021, 01:18:39 AM
Quote from: knight66 on April 20, 2021, 12:01:50 PM
How do you find it? I bought the Figaro which I did not much enjoy and the Don Giovanni which enjoyed a lot. I decided that his likely approach to Cosi was not for me. Also, I don't take to some of his singers.

Mike

I like it the most among his da Ponte recordings, but this might in part be because I am not as set in my ways with Così fan tutte as with the other two. I also like his Nozze di Figaro, not so much his Don Giovanni; both have parts that delight and others that do not. His requirement for vibrato-less singing takes some getting used to, but the orchestral contributions as well as the recitativi are, in my view, quite refreshing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on April 21, 2021, 01:24:24 AM
.(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51p4yZZ6iDL._AC_.jpg)


Quote from: Florestan on April 20, 2021, 10:51:19 AM
Does he both conduct and sing all roles simultaneously?  ;D

That would've been truly avant-garde.  8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 21, 2021, 05:03:50 PM
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/KE0AAOSwVsRcSX3B/s-l300.jpg)
(https://i.frog.ink/ccsM1Noi/r-15415977-1598635388-1235jpeg_600.jpg?v=1606261506.63)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Yn10wH6WL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on April 23, 2021, 12:04:26 AM
.(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516K47d5AWL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on April 23, 2021, 02:19:51 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on April 23, 2021, 12:04:26 AM
.(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516K47d5AWL.jpg)

Nice.... I like that one! :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 25, 2021, 01:50:26 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Rba0Ubn84gg0kFahEduue5jDFL8=/fit-in/600x590/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14261187-1570960200-5646.jpeg.jpg)

Wunderlich's peerless Belmonte is reason enough to hear this recording, but it does have other things going for it, not least Jochum's sprightly conducting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 25, 2021, 01:57:14 AM
Following suit to Tsaraslondon's example above, with another classic recording of a German opera. Arturo Toscanini conducts Fidelio:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61EX429YAFL.gif)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 25, 2021, 10:20:15 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71DAJ3hMYEL._SX425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 29, 2021, 01:53:13 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/sAFlugR3OIwB8Pf4dTW7yWY-ocs=/fit-in/600x530/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10243470-1524715859-2561.jpeg.jpg)

The premiere recording of Barber's somewhat neglected Vanessa with the cast of the original production. Superb performances from Steber, Elias, Resnik, Gedda and Tozzi.  I sometimes wonder why nobody ever thought of reviving it for Renee Fleming. Is it because Erika is the more sympathetic character, despite the opera being called Vanessa?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 29, 2021, 09:10:32 AM
Just got this awesome set. Never heard this opera before, but am loving it.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61axZTvJlOL._SY355_.jpg)

The soprano sometimes reminds me of Beverly Sills.  Listen to her here:
https://youtu.be/IbxaXiXcU64?t=110 (https://youtu.be/IbxaXiXcU64?t=110)

The tenor hits a pretty high C the likes of which reminds me of those in La fille du Regiment.
https://youtu.be/f7iMvrcx-5s?t=148 (https://youtu.be/f7iMvrcx-5s?t=148)
I am a musical dunce but I have to guess that is a high C.

There is about 17 minutes of ballet at the beginning of Disk 2:
https://www.allmusic.com/album/donizetti-les-martyrs-mw0002840508 (https://www.allmusic.com/album/donizetti-les-martyrs-mw0002840508)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 29, 2021, 10:21:58 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 29, 2021, 01:53:13 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/sAFlugR3OIwB8Pf4dTW7yWY-ocs=/fit-in/600x530/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10243470-1524715859-2561.jpeg.jpg)

The premiere recording of Barber's somewhat neglected Vanessa with the cast of the original production. Superb performances from Steber, Elias, Resnik, Gedda and Tozzi.  I sometimes wonder why nobody ever thought of reviving it for Renee Fleming. Is it because Erika is the more sympathetic character, despite the opera being called Vanessa?

I should revisit this opera. I recall enjoying it --- the aria Must the winter come so soon? is worth the price of admission.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 29, 2021, 10:25:19 AM
Quote from: Fritz Kobus on April 29, 2021, 09:10:32 AM
Just got this awesome set. Never heard this opera before, but am loving it.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61axZTvJlOL._SY355_.jpg)

Gorgeous music aside, the booklet is one of the best conceived, most informative I've ever encountered. An Opera Rara trademark, actually.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 29, 2021, 04:43:32 PM
Quote from: Florestan on April 29, 2021, 10:25:19 AM
Gorgeous music aside, the booklet is one of the best conceived, most informative I've ever encountered. An Opera Rara trademark, actually.
So this set is expensive but I found a set for $12 shipped.  It was listed as VG which is supposed to include the booklet. It didn't. I complained and the seller gave me a 50% refund.  I would like the book but to get the disks for $6 shipped is not a bad deal.  Besides that the case was damaged (postal service presumably).

I just got the Harnoncourt Schuman symphony set and it arrived with a destroyed case but playable disks. That was $8 shipped and again VG but no booklet.  This seller gave me a 100% refund.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 30, 2021, 02:45:00 AM
Quote from: Fritz Kobus on April 29, 2021, 04:43:32 PM
So this set is expensive but I found a set for $12 shipped.  It was listed as VG which is supposed to include the booklet. It didn't. I complained and the seller gave me a 50% refund.  I would like the book but to get the disks for $6 shipped is not a bad deal.  Besides that the case was damaged (postal service presumably).

I just got the Harnoncourt Schuman symphony set and it arrived with a destroyed case but playable disks. That was $8 shipped and again VG but no booklet.  This seller gave me a 100% refund.

Check your PM box.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on April 30, 2021, 02:58:10 AM
Quote from: Que on April 23, 2021, 02:19:51 AM
Nice.... I like that one! :)

It is utterly delightful, isn't it.  8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on April 30, 2021, 09:22:45 AM
Listening to one of two new opera purchases I made today, Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, with Jessye Norman as Ariadne (Primadonna), Leipzig Gewandhausorchester conducted by Kurt Masur.

The other purchase is my first dive into Verdi. Falstaff, Karajan conducting (EMI Great Recordings of the Century)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on April 30, 2021, 06:35:33 PM
Quote from: Florestan on April 30, 2021, 02:45:00 AM
Check your PM box.

Yes, thanks, much appreciated. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on April 30, 2021, 06:50:49 PM
Quote from: Maestro267 on April 30, 2021, 09:22:45 AM
Listening to one of two new opera purchases I made today, Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, with Jessye Norman as Ariadne (Primadonna), Leipzig Gewandhausorchester conducted by Kurt Masur.

I don't know this performance, but I love Ariadne auf Naxos sans the narration in the beginning, which I could live without. There is some exquisite music to be found in this opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on April 30, 2021, 11:17:08 PM
I didn't really notice any narration in the beginning. I know one of the characters in the Prologue spoke rather than sung, but that seemed to be dialogue rather than narration spoken to the audience. But yes, some lovely music in here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 01, 2021, 12:47:35 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/JleQpATZnUh9ZTkj4_gDdOP3f8M=/fit-in/600x582/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9020382-1473677913-3052.jpeg.jpg)

A classic recording of Bartók's wonderful Duke Bluebeard's Castle and a suitable tribute to Christa Ludwig, who died earlier this week.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 01, 2021, 02:32:24 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 30, 2021, 06:50:49 PM
I don't know this performance, but I love Ariadne auf Naxos sans the narration in the beginning, which I could live without. There is some exquisite music to be found in this opera.

Quote from: Maestro267 on April 30, 2021, 11:17:08 PM
I didn't really notice any narration in the beginning. I know one of the characters in the Prologue spoke rather than sung, but that seemed to be dialogue rather than narration spoken to the audience. But yes, some lovely music in here.
IIRC, John has the Nagano recording of the original version of Ariadne, in which in lileu  of the Molière play (within which the opera is performed), the incidental music is played along with recitation of lines of M. Jourdan (the lead role of Le bourgeois gentilhomme).  The revised (and standard) version of the opera eliminates the play altogether, and substitutes it with a musical prologue, with only one  spoken role (the major-domo) among the many characters.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 01, 2021, 06:43:00 AM
Quote from: ritter on May 01, 2021, 02:32:24 AM
IIRC, John has the Nagano recording of the original version of Ariadne, in which in lileu  of the Molière play (within which the opera is performed), the incidental music is played along with recitation of lines of M. Jourdan (the lead role of Le bourgeois gentilhomme).  The revised (and standard) version of the opera eliminates the play altogether, and substitutes it with a musical prologue, with only one  spoken role (the major-domo) among the many characters.

I own the Nagano, but the Sinopoli is the one I listened to recently and loved. Yes, I remember the spoken dialogue now and was happy that it didn't last long.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 01, 2021, 10:36:59 AM
Pagliacci from this box:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71pb3Fe%2BdpL._AC_SL400_.jpg)

I bought this box set when it came out some 9 years ago. I'm still not finished listening to it  :P. Cavalleria Rusticana and Otello should follow and then I'm done.

I've never cared much for Pagliacci. It's way inferior to Cav with which it'ss often paired on disc or on the stage. Granted, it's very difficult to cast, as each of the three main roles require large, penetrating voices capable of riding over a wide tessitura and display a flair for crude histrionics (Leoncavallo's setting of a provincial theatre in Calabria is not exactly the Old Vic !). The present performance starts on the wrong foot with a limp, plodding account of the orchestral introduction to the Prologue. Juan Pons then steps in with a lifeless, woolly, almost apologetic Si può? Si può?. Teresa Stratas is a good diseuse, but her voice is unsupported and she sounds shrewish. Domingo's Canio is a size too small in scale. He was still a lirico/spinto in 1983, singing elegantly and with ringing tone but without the heft Canio requires. In Vesti la giubba he wallows in self-pity, not despair and in the last scene he is more angry than menacing.

Among the other operas in this box (from the DG, Philips and Decca catalogues) Domingo excels in Tosca, Hoffmann, Turandot and Trovatore, where he is in his element, and supported by great singers and sympathetic conductors. In some other works like Samson, Lucia, Traviata, Lohengrin and Carmen he is let down either by a miscast soprano or an unexciting conductor. I find him out of his element in Barbiere, an obvious mistake on his part.

This box contains 26 discs but it is by no means Tutto Domingo recorded on these labels. Missing are the wonderful Sinopoli-led Manon Lescaut, his other Wagners (included in the DG Complete Wagner Operas box) and Verdis (Luisa Miller, Aida, Rigoletto, Don Carlos, Macbeth). At the time I paid less than half today's asking price for this box, so all in all a good value.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on May 01, 2021, 05:51:33 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71DAJ3hMYEL._SX355_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61wfWW2u59L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 02, 2021, 12:41:42 AM
Quote from: André on May 01, 2021, 10:36:59 AM
Pagliacci from this box:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71pb3Fe%2BdpL._AC_SL400_.jpg)


I've never cared much for Pagliacci. It's way inferior to Cav with which it'ss often paired on disc or on the stage. Granted, it's very difficult to cast, as each of the three main roles require large, penetrating voices capable of riding over a wide tessitura and display a flair for crude histrionics (Leoncavallo's setting of a provincial theatre in Calabria is not exactly the Old Vic !). The present performance starts on the wrong foot with a limp, plodding account of the orchestral introduction to the Prologue. Juan Pons then steps in with a lifeless, woolly, almost apologetic Si può? Si può?. Teresa Stratas is a good diseuse, but her voice is unsupported and she sounds shrewish. Domingo's Canio is a size too small in scale. He was still a lirico/spinto in 1983, singing elegantly and with ringing tone but without the heft Canio requires. In Vesti la giubba he wallows in self-pity, not despair and in the last scene he is more angry than menacing.





Pagliacci is not a great favourite of mine either, and in fact I only have the Callas/Di Stefano recording, which, even if Di Stefano is a notch too light-voiced for the role, is pretty exciting.

The Domingo recording you cite above was actuallyt the soundtrack to a Zeffirelli film and is a whole lot better when you can actually see the performers, Stratas in particular. She was a superb actress and makes a totally convincing Nedda on screen when was is less focused on the limitations of her voice. Zeffirelli makes Canio an aging bully of a man and Nedda a young woman trapped in a childless, abusive relationship. I really loved the film, but wouldn't seek out the soundtrack if I wanted to just listen to the opera.

Incidentally, this was Domino's second recording of the opera. There is an earlier one with Caballé and Milnes conducted by Nello Santi, but that was on RCA. I don't think I've ever heard it. Caballé no doubt sounds gorgeous, but I can't really imagine her playing the role on stage.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on May 03, 2021, 07:28:50 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51w03O-O-wL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 03, 2021, 11:05:37 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 02, 2021, 12:41:42 AM
Pagliacci is not a great favourite of mine either, and in fact I only have the Callas/Di Stefano recording, which, even if Di Stefano is a notch too light-voiced for the role, is pretty exciting.

The Domingo recording you cite above was actuallyt the soundtrack to a Zeffirelli film and is a whole lot better when you can actually see the performers, Stratas in particular. She was a superb actress and makes a totally convincing Nedda on screen when was is less focused on the limitations of her voice. Zeffirelli makes Canio an aging bully of a man and Nedda a young woman trapped in a childless, abusive relationship. I really loved the film, but wouldn't seek out the soundtrack if I wanted to just listen to the opera.

Incidentally, this was Domino's second recording of the opera. There is an earlier one with Caballé and Milnes conducted by Nello Santi, but that was on RCA. I don't think I've ever heard it. Caballé no doubt sounds gorgeous, but I can't really imagine her playing the role on stage.

It is my intention to listen to the EMI version. I'm sure it must do the work better justice, what with these singers !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 03, 2021, 02:06:30 PM
Quote from: André on May 03, 2021, 11:05:37 AM
It is my intention to listen to the EMI version. I'm sure it must do the work better justice, what with these singers !

It certainly does.. I reviewed it on my blog some time ago http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/i-pagliacci/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/i-pagliacci/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 04, 2021, 10:30:08 AM
First-Listen Tuesday and a new arrival...

Zemlinsky
Der Zwerg, Op. 17
Juanita Lascarro (soprano), Machiko Obata (soprano), Soile Isokoski (soprano), Natalie Karl (soprano), Martina Rüping (mezzo-soprano), Iride Martinez (soprano), Anne Schwanewilms (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Collis (bass), David Kuebler (vocals)
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Frankfurter Kantorei
James Conlon


(https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=29166.0;attach=73475;image)

I haven't finished it, but first impressions are certainly favorable. Gorgeous music, but I have sneaking suspicion that the music will turn some dark corners later on.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on May 06, 2021, 10:46:13 AM
My favorite L'elisir.  The soprano on this is awesome. The other singers are excellent too.  This is also on DVD and well worth the watch.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81uDTE1d8PL._SX355_.jpg)


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61S0y28qZCL.jpg)

I have mixed feelings about Sutherland  (and Pavarotti) but this is an awesome Sutherland performance and overall perhaps the best La Fille on CD:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2B7eWrBUVL.jpg)

For some reason I have not been pleased with the Italian version, La Figlia del Reggimento.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on May 06, 2021, 11:46:13 AM
Quote from: Fritz Kobus on May 06, 2021, 10:46:13 AM
I have mixed feelings about Sutherland  (and Pavarotti) but this is an awesome Sutherland performance and overall perhaps the best La Fille on CD:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2B7eWrBUVL.jpg)

I know it's bad form to quote oneself but I can't help it.

https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,26890.msg1353161.html#msg1353161 (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,26890.msg1353161.html#msg1353161)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 08, 2021, 12:43:22 PM
Cross-posted:

Quote
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5142bw1-eWL._AC_.jpg)

Mascagni's unsinkable one-acter in an excellent performance, full of drama yet played and sung with great refinement. I think that this may be due to its London origin (Covent Garden). Something more torrid and slightly unkempt would have been expected if its origin was italian. The soloists are mostly excellent. Great characterization by Baltsa. Juan Pons' Alfio is smoothly sung but undercharacterized. He sounds more annoyed than raving mad about his being cuckolded. MacNeil and Panerai are more telling in the role.

What a wonderful work this is ! At slightly under 80 minutes it is perfectly shaped, chockfull of great tunes and with superb balance between solos, duets, orchestral bits and of course that magnificent chorus. For the first time I noticed how similar the cascading chords that close the opera are to the coda of Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini.

This is the performance DG included in its Opera Collection featuring Domingo. He made another performance of Cav, conducted by Prêtre. Presumably that was done for a filmed production similar to that of Pagliacci (a tepid, dully recorded performance). I'm glad DGG chose the Sinopoli instead.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on May 10, 2021, 01:51:04 AM
Quote from: André on May 08, 2021, 12:43:22 PM
[Domingo] made another performance of Cav, conducted by Prêtre. Presumably that was done for a filmed production similar to that of Pagliacci (a tepid, dully recorded performance). I'm glad DGG chose the Sinopoli instead.

He also recorded it for RCA, with Scotto and Pablo Elvira, Levine conducting. Of course, that wouldn't be in a DGG box.

I haven't heard the recording you mention (I think I'll have to now), but perhaps the refinement you mention may be due to Sinopoli's influence?

__________________________________________

I listened to quite a bit of Christa Ludwig last week: On the Met's Sirius/XM channel, they had a 1966 Frau ohne Schatten and a 1969 Rosenkavalier, both with Rysanek and Walter Berry, Böhm conducting. James King rounding out the Frosch quartet, Reri Grist as Sophie in Rosenkavalier, Gedda as the Italian Tenor. Also the Klemperer Fidelio, a German-language Carmen with Rudolf Schock and Hermann Prey, and the Suor Angelica with Sutherland. Haven't listened to her Bluebeard's Castle recording, but will soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 10, 2021, 05:00:25 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on May 10, 2021, 01:51:04 AM
He also recorded it for RCA, with Scotto and Pablo Elvira, Levine conducting. Of course, that wouldn't be in a DGG box.

I haven't heard the recording you mention (I think I'll have to now), but perhaps the refinement you mention may be due to Sinopoli's influence?

__________________________________________

I listened to quite a bit of Christa Ludwig last week: On the Met's Sirius/XM channel, they had a 1966 Frau ohne Schatten and a 1969 Rosenkavalier, both with Rysanek and Walter Berry, Böhm conducting. James King rounding out the Frosch quartet, Reri Grist as Sophie in Rosenkavalier, Gedda as the Italian Tenor. Also the Klemperer Fidelio, a German-language Carmen with Rudolf Schock and Hermann Prey, and the Suor Angelica with Sutherland. Haven't listened to her Bluebeard's Castle recording, but will soon.

That would be my conclusion as well. Sinopoli's operatic performances are powerfully dramatic yet highly polished, with long singing lines the rule. I'm a big fan of his Forza del destino, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Frau ohne Schatten etc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on May 10, 2021, 08:06:36 AM
Over the weekend L'elisir d"Amore (listed by Adinas):

Esposito
Devia
Gheorghiu
Cotrubas
Sutherland

As good as all these are, the Esposito set (conducted by Muus, live and on DVD) is so good that I have no reason to listen to the others. One that I will continue with though is the sung-in-English CHANDOS set, which is actually pretty good IMO:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nrKITkFVL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on May 11, 2021, 10:12:05 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510D6EFaDrL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 11, 2021, 10:21:18 AM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 11, 2021, 06:28:19 AM
Now onto Disc 2:

Strauss
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59
Christa Ludwig, Lucia Popp, et. al.
Wiener Philharmoniker, Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Bernstein


(https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=29166.0;attach=73511;image)

Finished with Act II. This is shaping up to be so much better than Solti's performance on Decca. I'll resume with Act III either later on tonight or tomorrow morning.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Fritz Kobus on May 12, 2021, 03:40:58 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vtNxaoX-L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 13, 2021, 12:30:57 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/wGPaZxR5x0dtmyRyJNepRFNu1ME=/fit-in/427x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4776257-1375166964-1897.jpeg.jpg)

Schreker's Die Gezeichneten (The Stigmatized) is a gorgeously lyrical work. The roles of Carlotta and Alviano are very demanding. Kudos to Anne Schwanewilms whose voice soars easily and with great purity. The role does not lie particularly high, but it's the frequent forays in the upper third of the voice that make it a difficult role. In the tenor role of the hunchback Alviano Robert Brubaker similarly displays stamina right until the climactic ending. Superb contribution from Nagano and the excellent Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra. Staged for the Salzburg Festival in 2005 in Vienna's Felsenreitschule.

The only fault I can find is that baritone Michael Volle sweats profusely and some camera close ups are rather disgraceful. Other than that it's very good. The scene where the cave reveals the abducted girls is striking. Gezeichneten comes in a box with 2 other 20th century works, Zimmerman's Die Soldaten and Berg's Lulu. I know of 4 different versions of the work. It may well be Schreker's magnum opus.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 13, 2021, 07:08:01 PM
Quote from: André on May 13, 2021, 12:30:57 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/wGPaZxR5x0dtmyRyJNepRFNu1ME=/fit-in/427x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4776257-1375166964-1897.jpeg.jpg)

Schreker's Die Gezeichneten (The Stigmatized) is a gorgeously lyrical work. The roles of Carlotta and Alviano are very demanding. Kudos to Anne Schwanewilms whose voice soars easily and with great purity. The role does not lie particularly high, but it's the frequent forays in the upper third of the voice that make it a difficult role. In the tenor role of the hunchback Alviano Robert Brubaker similarly displays stamina right until the climactic ending. Superb contribution from Nagano and the excellent Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra. Staged for the Salzburg Festival in 2005 in Vienna's Felsenreitschule.

The only fault I can find is that baritone Michael Volle sweats profusely and some camera close ups are rather disgraceful. Other than that it's very good. The scene where the cave reveals the abducted girls is striking. Gezeichneten comes in a box with 2 other 20th century works, Zimmerman's Die Soldaten and Berg's Lulu. I know of 4 different versions of the work. It may well be Schreker's magnum opus.

Very nice, Andre. Anne Schwanewilms sings in one of the Strauss lieder recordings on Hyperion and has a lovely voice. I should revisit that recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: relm1 on May 14, 2021, 06:19:24 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/413CYR50TAL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 14, 2021, 06:40:29 AM
Quote from: relm1 on May 14, 2021, 06:19:24 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/413CYR50TAL.jpg)

Sweet! I just bought this recording yesterday.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 17, 2021, 11:06:38 AM
Cross-posted

Quote
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511aZrhZG5L._AC_.jpg)

Once Verdi's most popular opera, Il Trovatore has fallen victim to Toscanini's famous quip: all it takes for a successful performance is the four greatest singers in the world. 50-75 years ago you could have filled a good-sized room with singers worthy of that statement. Nowadays you would have trouble finding suitable voices for a decent production. This performance shows what a little trickery and an adventurous mind for casting could achieve. Pavarotti has a splendid Manrico in his throat but I suspect he is a bit helped by microphones. Still, such refulgent tones and perfect diction should count for something. The object of his amorous attentions is the horse-sized Joan Sutherland. She did sing Leonora on the stage but she is not a natural for the role. Hers is such a big voice that a lot of wind is required to fill its sails properly. That means slower than usual tempos for the big voice to sound fully supported, but when it does, there's no stopping her. Her account of Tacea la notte is wonderfully ardent and dreamy. She cannot fine down her voice to the diamantine, silky thread of tone required in the high reaches of D'amor sull'ali rosee but that doesn't really detract from her portrayal. Wixell and Horne bring superb verbal acuity to their respective roles. Wixell has incisive tone and great legato (per me ora fatale is wonderfully alive). Horne's gossamer trills in Stride la vampa show up her bel canto schooling to good effect. She proves herself a wonderful diseuse in her racconto, making the scene where she recalls the burning of her child a harrowing moment.

Bonynge is often thought a slightly slack and uninventive conductor but, given that having him conduct equals hearing his wife sing, and given that Sutherland's singing has always benefited from broad tempos, it helps put his conductorial choices in the right context. His account of the opera is very attentive to all the singers' needs and he leaves no orchestral detail unattended. This is not plush, but regal and powerful. Bonynge, Giulini and Karajan (Price, EMI) take the exact same time over their respective recordings (138-140 minutes) and, afaik they also are the slowest on record. That reflects the fact that their accounts are complete - no missing arias or second stanzas as is very common - but also that they allow Verdi's rythms sufficient time to generate the requisite energy.

Not the best version as its casting is rather unusual, but a wonderful  account of the work nonetheless.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on May 17, 2021, 01:21:06 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51q5tNCOOtL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 18, 2021, 01:17:04 AM
Quote from: André on May 17, 2021, 09:45:44 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511aZrhZG5L._AC_.jpg)

Once Verdi's most popular opera, Il Trovatore has fallen victim to Toscanini's famous quip: all it takes for a successful performance is the four greatest singers in the world. 50-75 years ago you could have filled a good-sized room with singers worthy of that statement. Nowadays you would have trouble finding suitable voices for a decent production. This performance shows what a little trickery and an adventurous mind for casting could achieve. Pavarotti has a splendid Manrico in his throat but I suspect he is a bit helped by microphones. Still, such refulgent tones and perfect diction should count for something. The object of his amorous attentions is the horse-sized Joan Sutherland. She did sing Leonora on the stage but she is not a natural for the role. Hers is such a big voice that a lot of wind is required to fill its sails properly. That means slower than usual tempos for the big voice to sound fully supported, but when it does, there's no stopping her. Her account of Tacea la notte is wonderfully ardent and dreamy. She cannot fine down her tone to the diamantine, silky thread of tone required in the high reaches of D'amor sull'alli rosee but that doesn't really detract from her portrayal. Wixell and Horne bring superb verbal acuity to their respective roles. Wixell has incisive tone and great legato (per me ora fatale is wonderfully alive). Horne's gossamer trills in Stride la vampa show up her bel canto schooling to good effect. She proves herself a wonderful diseuse in her racconto, making the scene where she recalls the burning of her child a harrowing moment.

Bonynge is often thought a slightly slack and uninventive conductor but, given that having him conduct equals hearing his wife sing, and given that Sutherland's singing has always benefited from broad tempos, it helps put his conductorial choices in the right context. His account of the opera is very attentive to all the singers' needs and he leaves no orchestral detail unattended. This is not plush, but regal and powerful. Bonynge, Giulini and Karajan (Price, EMI) take the exact same time over their respective recordings (138-140 minutes) and, afaik they also are the slowest on record. That reflects the fact that their accounts are complete - no missing arias or second stanzas as is very common - but also that they allow Verdi's rythms sufficient time to generate the requisite energy.

Not the best version as its casting is rather unusual, but a wonderful  account of the work nonetheless.

Our impressions are quite different. I listened to this recording quite recently and decided I didn't want to revisit it. Bonynge doesn't convince me as a Verdi conductor and I actually hear more orchestral detail in Karajan's mono recording, which was produced by Walter Legge. Of the singers, only Ghiaurov convinces me he is a Verdi singer, though he's a little past his best, as in fact are all the singers here. Sutherland has her usual problems with diction and her Leonora pales in comparison to those by Callas, Price and Plowright. Pavarotti is a bit thin and whiny, Horne out of her depth and Wixell just anonymous.

My two favourite recordings of the opera are quite different, but quite valid approaches. Karajan I is full of rhythmic swagger and verve and he brings out all sorts of incidental felicities in the score and his cast is superb. Like Pavarotti, Di Stefano is no doubt a bit light for Manrico, but he almost convinces with his own unique brand of slancio, and the rest could hardly be bettered. Panerai is actually my favourite Di Luna, fulfilling virtually all the vocal demands and sounds somewhat unhinged from the outset. Barbieri joins mezzos like Stignani and Simionato as one of the best Azucenas I've heard, Zaccaria gets the whole thing off to a rouing start and Callas's aristocratic Leonora is just hors concours in this role.

Giulini's is a much more thoughtful interpretation, quite a bit slower than Karajan I but not lacking in drama. Plowright's voice has exactly the right tinta for the role and I think this her most successful studio recording. Domingo's high notes might not have the heroic ping of someone like Corelli, or the boorish Bonisolli on Karajan II, but his Manrico is a fully rounded character, more of an intellectual than a hero. Fassbaender might seem an odd choice, but she makes a fascinating Azucena and I really like her performance.

I value your opinions, André, and we often agree, so your review of the Bonynge has made me wonder if my initial reactions were too harsh. Still, I can't say I have any real desire to hear it again.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 18, 2021, 07:37:36 AM
For good measure I listened to the Karajan recording yesterday night and my opinion of it has not changed. Di Stefano is overparted, forcing his tone badly in the high reaches of the role. His series of quadruplets in Di quella pira are unclean throughout. This is not just a fancy detail. Verdi has carefully written out the vocal line with these dotted 16th notes quadruplets over the words pira (pyre) and fuoco (fire) to suggest the flicker of the flames:
(https://opera-inside.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/di-quella-pira-1.png) .

That rythmic pattern is repeated 13 times during this short aria. Many tenors ignore the dots and fail to suggest the intended effect. A singer like Del Monaco, not known for musicological finesse, articulates them cleanly while singing the line with the requisite swagger :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlQzkJRVVk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlQzkJRVVk)

Di Stefano has a basic tone that is appealing but he is sloppy with such things. I'm not blaming di Stefano for not being del Monaco, but his musicianship is not what it could be.

Azucena has 20 written trills in her part. They must be heard cleanly - Horne does it, Barbieri (otherwise quite good) not as well. Panerai is excellent with the words, but please don't tell me you're not hearing his vocal distress on the top notes.

Callas offers an object lesson in how to spin a true verdian line. Her ascent on the words Prima che d'altri vivere in a single breath is miraculous, and so on. She simply cannot be faulted on anything.  But just listen to her 1953 take on D'amor sull'ali rosee from to find her in truly glorious, unassailable mettle - IOW in more secure voice than in the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFggRqk16Zo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFggRqk16Zo)

Like I said, the Bonynge version is not a first choice, but it is much better than what you describe. You have listened to it so I know you are objective in your opinion. It's not that we're not hearing the same thing, simply not putting the same value on certain stylistic traits or individual artistic achievements. To me that's entirely normal and healthy.

My overall recommendation for a 'best version' also happens to be the Giulini version. If it does not scale the heights of some individual performances from the competition, it is still easily the strongest overall, and an outstanding achievement by any measure.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on May 18, 2021, 10:28:23 AM
Tangentially, I have this DVD with Pavarotti
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41WLI1OyO5L.jpg)

Which is horrible because of the acting. Pavarotti was not the only offender, but he was the worst, a classic case of hamminess.
The acting was so bad I didn't notice the singing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on May 18, 2021, 03:37:40 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41g17rpaZTL.jpg)

Essentially a pasticcio with which Vivaldi had a tenous relationship. May have written a bit of the music. May have arranged the interpolated arias. May have merely approved of it. May have not even known it exists. (He did write an opera to the libretto and with the title used here, but that score has been lost. This score derives from it, very much altered.)

Ignoring the subject of its link to Vivaldi, it's a 2 hour session of nice Baroque opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 18, 2021, 05:53:19 PM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on May 18, 2021, 05:51:49 PM
First-Listen Tuesday

Strauss
Friedenstag, Op. 81
Tom Martinsen (tenor), Deborah Voigt (soprano), Sabine Brohm (soprano), Alfred Reiter (bass), Sami Luttinen (baritone), Jochen Kupfer (baritone), Albert Dohmen (baritone), Sami Luttinen (bass), Attila Jun (bass), Jürgen Commichau (bass), Jochen Schmeckenbecher (baritone), Jon Villars (tenor), Matthias Henneberg (baritone), André Eckert (bass), Rafael Harnisch (tenor), Johan Botha (tenor), Norbert Klesse (bass), Ekkehard Pansa (bass), Matthias Brauer (chorus master)
Chor der Staatsoper Dresden
Staatskapelle Dresden
Sinopoli


(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0OTA1MC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjQ3OTQ5NTR9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 19, 2021, 12:31:07 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/GIgUfRpI8OWO_UnZDeqeNvp7m4I=/fit-in/450x450/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12133645-1528973974-5059.jpeg.jpg)

The first performance I ever saw of Fidelio was in either 1970 or 1971, when Scottish Opera brought theire production of it to Newcastle-upom-Tyne. Helga Dernesch was the Leonore and it has remained one of my most treasurable operatic memories. I didn't know as much about singers then as I do now, but it was clear that Dernesch had something very special, right from her first entry into the Canon in Act I, which was like a ray of sunshine piercing the gloom. Whether she was ever the hochdramatische Karajan wanted her to be is a point for debate, but this recording is, in my opinion, the best thing she ever did for the gramophone. Throughout she is a gleaming, radiant presence.

There are other reasons to treasure this recording, including Vickers's thrillingly intense Florestan, Ridderbusch's kindly, avuncular Rocco, Kéléman's bitingly evil Pizzarro and Van Dam's noble Don Fernando. Karajan's conducting of his Berlin forces is incisively dramatic and, all in all, I prefer this version to the famous Klemperer.

I also like the fact that the dialogue is performed by the singers and judicially pruned, Leonore's and Florestan's exchange before O namelose Freude reduced to a simple,
"Leonore!"
"Mein Florestan!"

A great recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 19, 2021, 12:45:28 AM
Quote from: André on May 18, 2021, 07:37:36 AM
For good measure I listened to the Karajan recording yesterday night and my opinion of it has not changed. Di Stefano is overparted, forcing his tone badly in the high reaches of the role. His series of quadruplets in Di quella pira are unclean throughout. This is not just a fancy detail. Verdi has carefully written out the vocal line with these dotted 16th notes quadruplets over the words pira (pyre) and fuoco (fire) to suggest the flicker of the flames:
(https://opera-inside.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/di-quella-pira-1.png) .

That rythmic pattern is repeated 13 times during this short aria. Many tenors ignore the dots and fail to suggest the intended effect. A singer like Del Monaco, not known for musicological finesse, articulates them cleanly while singing the line with the requisite swagger :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlQzkJRVVk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlQzkJRVVk)

Di Stefano has a basic tone that is appealing but he is sloppy with such things. I'm not blaming di Stefano for not being del Monaco, but his musicianship is not what it could be.

Azucena has 20 written trills in her part. They must be heard cleanly - Horne does it, Barbieri (otherwise quite good) not as well. Panerai is excellent with the words, but please don't tell me you're not hearing his vocal distress on the top notes.

Callas offers an object lesson in how to spin a true verdian line. Her ascent on the words Prima che d'altri vivere in a single breath is miraculous, and so on. She simply cannot be faulted on anything.  But just listen to her 1953 take on D'amor sull'ali rosee from to find her in truly glorious, unassailable mettle - IOW in more secure voice than in the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFggRqk16Zo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFggRqk16Zo)

Like I said, the Bonynge version is not a first choice, but it is much better than what you describe. You have listened to it so I know you are objective in your opinion. It's not that we're not hearing the same thing, simply not putting the same value on certain stylistic traits or individual artistic achievements. To me that's entirely normal and healthy.

My overall recommendation for a 'best version' also happens to be the Giulini version. If it does not scale the heights of some individual performances from the competition, it is still easily the strongest overall, and an outstanding achievement by any measure.

True, Di Stefano was often a sloppy musician (and he probably shouldn'y have been singing Manrico anyway) but there is something about his personality that I can't quite resist, and when we come to an aria like Ah si, ben mio, he is much more meltingly lyrical than the more heroic Manricos like Del Monaco and Corelli.

I am usually a stickler for musical exactitude, but, for all that Horne articulates the trills better than Barbieri, she just doesn't sound like an Azucena to me. As for Callas, there are, as you say, live performance out there when she was in much better vocal health, but her Leonora is still magnificent.

What puts the seal on the recording for me is the conducting of Karajan. His conducting is thrilling and one is constantly amazed at the many felicities he brings out in the orchestral colour, like the sighing two note violin phrases in Condotta ell'era in ceppi, or the beautifully elegant string tune that underscores Ferrando's questioning of Azucena in Act III, cleverly noting its kinship with Condotta ell'era in ceppi. His pacing is brilliant, rhythms always alert and beautifully sprung, but suitably spacious and long-breathed in Leonora's glorious arias. Nor does he shy away from the score's occasional rude vigour. I think it one of his best ever opera recordings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 22, 2021, 03:52:40 PM
Cross-posted:

(https://www.amazon.fr/images/I/41dISPGUdbL.jpg)

Ponchielli: La Gioconda (1952)
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (1953)

While both recordings are fabulous musically speaking, the earlier one (Gioconda) scores much higher by virtue of an excellent recording (Auditorium della RAI, Torino). Mono of course, but spacious, even warm, yet finely detailed - much reminiscent of what EMI got in Paris' Salle Wagram. 

For some reason the discs containing Lucia are riddled with unpleasant distortion. It was impossible to determine if it's a mastering fault (2007 remastering) or if my copy is defective. TBH it was impossible to really enjoy the performance under these conditions. And yet heavens know that I'm quite tolerant to old recordings... :-X
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 26, 2021, 12:14:20 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/2-E6XA2bsFSQ9aZJIcCB_nk4eFE=/fit-in/600x596/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11190293-1512531666-2232.jpeg.jpg)

Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi has been quite lucky on record with versions featuring Baltsa and Gruberova, Kasaraova and Mei, Larmore and Hong and Garanca and Netrebko, but this 1975 version featuring the rather unlikely coupling of Janet Baker and Sills has always been my personal favourite. Sills is much more suited to the lighter role of Giulietta than she ever was to Norma and the Tudor Queens and Baker, in one of her rare excursions into Italian bel canto is, quite simply superb.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 27, 2021, 02:52:25 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/pzI3SV4K-F4cxsvc4ZuEaBjhByo=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12232996-1531057824-6968.jpeg.jpg)

Callas caught at her debut in front of one of her most loyal publics. What a night this must have been, though Casta diva passes without applause, possibly due to British reserve and the fact that the opera wasn't that well known. She has excellent support from Ebe Stignani as Adalgisa, though she hardly sounds like the giovinetta Norma describes her and Vittorio Gui in the pit. Mito Picchi is a more lyrical Pollione than usual and slightly muffs his cabaletta in Act I, but he is a most musical singer and Giacomo Vaghi makes a sonorous Oroveso.

This isn't my favourite Callas Norma (that would be La Scala, 1955) but there is no denying she is in sovereign voice here. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 29, 2021, 02:03:54 AM
(https://img1.doubanio.com/lpic/s2761997.jpg)

Divina's warts and all release of all the surviving music from Callas's 1953 Trieste Norma finds her in fabulous voice, as she was in London in 1952, but here she is beginning to fine down some of her responses to the music and more of the softer side of Norma is beginning to emerge. Casta diva is one of the most beautiful she ever committed to disc and there are some wonderfully tender moments in the duets with the rather stentorian Adalgisa of Nicolai, who sounds even less like the giovinetta Norma describes than Stignani did in London.

Corelli is also in terrific voice and the final duet between him and Callas is absolutely thrilling. This is also the only extant recording of Christoff singing Oroveso, so is valuable for that too. It's just a shame that the performances wasn't captured complete.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on May 29, 2021, 02:44:43 AM
Hector Berlioz
La damnation de Faust, op. 24
Kenneth Riegel, Frederica Von Stade, José van Dam
Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus


(https://ia801705.us.archive.org/2/items/mbid-540888c7-56d1-466e-a327-6bbc684d1ad9/mbid-540888c7-56d1-466e-a327-6bbc684d1ad9-27362553458.jpg)

Music Listening Drought Refresh:

Many take exception with Kenneth Riegel's tenor, but I find him just fine until the final love duet where the limits of his singing abilities rear their head. José van Dam's Mephistopheles, particularly his whip lashes in the Pandemonium sequence, is awesome though, and the King of Thule is one of Berlioz's most gorgeous melodies. Chicago and Solti are electric here and the Chicago chorus work is the highlight. Lots of fun to spend a morning with after a week of little-to-no music listening.

Damnation of Faust is listed as a 'légende dramatique', so I threw it in the opera category. Is this an opera?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on May 29, 2021, 05:13:23 AM
Quote from: VonStupp on May 29, 2021, 02:44:43 AM
Damnation of Faust is listed as a 'légende dramatique', so I threw it in the opera category. Is this an opera?

Technically, it's not a pure opera as the term is understood but instead one of those hybrid forms between symphonic work/cantata/opera which Berlioz was so fond of. However, it can be and often has been staged as an opera. I would definitely pay to see it, I love the work so much. However, I don't believe I've seen here in Finland a single Berlioz opera production during the time I've been active with the genre. I wonder why that is, Berlioz is probably my favorite French opera composer (and in fact quite possibly my favorite French composer of all time, surpassing even Debussy).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on May 29, 2021, 08:48:39 AM
Quote from: Ganondorf on May 29, 2021, 05:13:23 AM
Technically, it's not a pure opera as the term is understood but instead one of those hybrid forms between symphonic work/cantata/opera which Berlioz was so fond of.

Your comment reminded me of his Romeo et Juliette 'symphonie dramatique', a work I haven't heard in some time, a crossbreed Symphony with solo sung characters and Greek chorus.

As a lateral tangent, I always thought secular symphonic choral music needed different, more specific sub-genre labels. The go-to categories of cantata and oratorio from the Baroque Era seem inadequate, especially considering their religious connotations, ones that I associate most famously with Bach and Handel, although the Solo Baroque cantata and its secular ties makes it all the more confusing. Adding to the mix a choral symphony, and even perhaps the choral concerto, it all seems a mess to me.

Quote from: Ganondorf on May 29, 2021, 05:13:23 AM
Berlioz is probably my favorite French opera composer (and in fact quite possibly my favorite French composer of all time, surpassing even Debussy).

I always appreciated Berlioz most as an innovator, perhaps the true successor to Beethoven the revolutionary. Berlioz's abilities with orchestration and pushing the envelope with established forms is always most interesting to my ears.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 30, 2021, 01:26:13 PM
After a middling Turco in Italia, EMI and Legge did Rossini proud with this Barbiere.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61CrFuD-o-L._AC_.jpg)

One of the very best versions of this opera. The three principals have good claims to be their respective role's best exponents. Oh, and orchestra and conducting are excellent, too. The sound is 1957 Kingsway Hall vintage. Hugely enjoyable. Only Zaccaria disappoints a little with a less than succulent Basilio.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 30, 2021, 07:25:27 PM
Quote from: André on May 30, 2021, 01:26:13 PM
After a middling Turco in Italia, EMI and Legge did Rossini proud with this Barbiere.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61CrFuD-o-L._AC_.jpg)

One of the very best versions of this opera. The three principals have good claims to be their respective role's best exponents. Oh, and orchestra and conducting are excellent, too. The sound is 1957 Kingsway Hall vintage. Hugely enjoyable. Only Zaccaria disappoints a little with a less than succulent Basilio.

Andre, you're making me want to buy that Maria Callas Studio Recordings box set. Damn, I'm not a huge opera fan in general, but she does have a remarkable voice and there is something seductive about many of her recordings from this set that I've sampled. I guess I'm a 'closet' opera fan as I do love many operas, but I don't ever think I'd have the level of commitment that you, Rafael, Tsaraslondon and others here have in spades.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on May 30, 2021, 07:37:13 PM
Quote from: Ganondorf on May 29, 2021, 05:13:23 AM
Technically, it's not a pure opera as the term is understood but instead one of those hybrid forms between symphonic work/cantata/opera which Berlioz was so fond of. However, it can be and often has been staged as an opera. I would definitely pay to see it, I love the work so much. However, I don't believe I've seen here in Finland a single Berlioz opera production during the time I've been active with the genre. I wonder why that is, Berlioz is probably my favorite French opera composer (and in fact quite possibly my favorite French composer of all time, surpassing even Debussy).

Great piece!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 12:28:53 AM
Quote from: André on May 30, 2021, 01:26:13 PM
After a middling Turco in Italia, EMI and Legge did Rossini proud with this Barbiere.



If you're referring to the Callas/Rossi-Lemeni Il Turco in Italia, I don't agree at all. The score is cut to ribbons, it is true, but this set has more sunny, italianate warmth and high spirits than any of the modern ur-text versions which followed it. It should also be remembered that Callas scored a great personal success in the role of Fiorilla in Rome in 1950 and that the 1954 recording was followed by performances at La Scala in a new Zeffirelli production, which was also a great success.

The miracle of the Barbiere (and it is a wonderful performance) is that it rises phoenix-like from the ashes of one of Callas's only flops at La Scala with many of the same cast and with Giulini in the pit.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 12:37:26 AM
Quote from: VonStupp on May 29, 2021, 02:44:43 AM
Hector Berlioz
La damnation de Faust, op. 24
Kenneth Riegel, Frederica Von Stade, José van Dam
Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus


(https://ia801705.us.archive.org/2/items/mbid-540888c7-56d1-466e-a327-6bbc684d1ad9/mbid-540888c7-56d1-466e-a327-6bbc684d1ad9-27362553458.jpg)

Music Listening Drought Refresh:

Many take exception with Kenneth Riegel's tenor, but I find him just fine until the final love duet where the limits of his singing abilities rear their head. José van Dam's Mephistopheles, particularly his whip lashes in the Pandemonium sequence, is awesome though, and the King of Thule is one of Berlioz's most gorgeous melodies. Chicago and Solti are electric here and the Chicago chorus work is the highlight. Lots of fun to spend a morning with after a week of little-to-no music listening.

Damnation of Faust is listed as a 'légende dramatique', so I threw it in the opera category. Is this an opera?

I love Berlioz and I love this piece, though it is not, strictly speaking, an opera. I always liken it to Alfred de Musset's closet dramas, plays intended to be read rather than performed on stage, due to their dramatic complexity (they would probably make great radio plays).

You should try to hear Colin Davis's first recording, with Nicolai Gedda as a superb Faust. I would probably prefer Von Stade to Veasey (and Janet Baker is even better on an otherwise not so recommendable recording under Prêtre) but Solti is not a natural Berliozian, whereas Davis spent a lifetime studying and conducting his works.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 02:36:17 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/9v7-CJcX7OmFYnL8T0aU0QS4f4k=/fit-in/600x588/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9981056-1542319568-4012.jpeg.jpg)

I've been listening to my various recordings of Callas in Norma and today I've got to her first studio recording, which is usually a recommendation for those wanting a good studio recording. I wouldn't prefer her performance here to either of the ones I've listened to so far (London, 1952 and Trieste, 1953). The sound is better, of course, and it benefits from Serafin's superb conducting, but Filippeschi is something of a trial, and no match for Corelli, who sings Pollione in Trieste, nor to Picchi, who sings the role in London. Stignani is better in London two years earlier, though in neither performance does she sound like the younger woman she is supposed to be. Rossi-Lemeni is an authoratative Oroveso, but he's a bit woolly-toned and no match for Christoff in Trieste. Callas is just emerging from her famous weight loss, but is in fine, heroic voice, though she misses some of the tenderness she had started to introduce in Trieste.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on May 31, 2021, 06:46:59 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 12:37:26 AM
You should try to hear Colin Davis's first recording, with Nicolai Gedda as a superb Faust.

I do know that Gedda is considered the prime Faust; it is quite overdue to give that one a listen, although I thought I remember hearing him with Crespin and Markevitch in Damnation of Faust (I could be wrong).

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 12:37:26 AM
[...]Davis spent a lifetime studying and conducting his works.
Having grown up on Berlioz from Charles Münch, I was never thrilled with Sir Colin as a Berlioz interpreter. All of the Philips recordings from the 60's and 70's were much lauded, but didn't do much for me at the time, moreso in his retreads with Dresden in the 90's and on the LSO home label before his death. His was a more sophisticated read than anything Münch put out and Davis' choruses were of a higher quality, so maybe a more "adult" review is needed from me.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 12:37:26 AM
[...]but Solti is not a natural Berliozian,

No, I agree, but I find many conductors and ensembles rise to the top in literature that isn't in their wheelhouse. On the other hand, if you don't care for Sir Georg's high-voltage razzle dazzle with Chicago, than this Damnation is probably not for you, but my life could do with a little more razzle dazzle in general. 0:) My other go-to is Myung-whun Chung with Bryn Terfel and the Philharmonia, but it's style is similar to that of Solti.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 07:30:38 AM
Quote from: VonStupp on May 31, 2021, 06:46:59 AM
I do know that Gedda is considered the prime Faust; it is quite overdue to give that one a listen, although I thought I remember hearing him with Crespin and Markevitch in Damnation of Faust (I could be wrong).
Having grown up on Berlioz from Charles Münch, I was never thrilled with Sir Colin as a Berlioz interpreter. All of the Philips recordings from the 60's and 70's were much lauded, but didn't do much for me at the time, moreso in his retreads with Dresden in the 90's and on the LSO home label before his death. His was a more sophisticated read than anything Münch put out and Davis' choruses were of a higher quality, so maybe a more "adult" review is needed from me.

No, I agree, but I find many conductors and ensembles rise to the top in literature that isn't in their wheelhouse. On the other hand, if you don't care for Sir Georg's high-voltage razzle dazzle with Chicago, than this Damnation is probably not for you, but my life could do with a little more razzle dazzle in general. 0:) My other go-to is Myung-whun Chung with Bryn Terfel and the Philharmonia, but it's style is similar to that of Solti.

Markevitch recorded it with the Canadian tenor, Richard Verreau, who is actually rather good. Unfortunately the Marguerite, Consuélo Rubio, is a bit of a dull dog. I may be wrong, but I don't think Crespin is on any of the complete recordings.

Gedda is also on the Prêtre, which has the wonderful Janet Baker as Marguerite, but Prêtre is not a good Berlioz conductor either.

I think what you like about Solti is exactly what I don't like. Too much razzle dazzle with, in my opinion, not very much underneath. It afflcits many of his recordings and I really dislike his Verdi. I don't know Chung's Faust, but I do like his recording of the Symphonie Fantastique.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on May 31, 2021, 07:55:40 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 07:30:38 AM
Markevitch recorded it with the Canadian tenor, Richard Verreau, who is actually rather good. Unfortunately the Marguerite, Consuélo Rubio, is a bit of a dull dog. I may be wrong, but I don't think Crespin is on any of the complete recordings.

I was unsure, but I did track it down. I don't even remember why this crossed my path or why I heard Gedda here before the Davis; I am not sure I even heard the whole recording:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2BbfnBopmL._SX425_.jpg)

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 07:30:38 AM
I think what you like about Solti is exactly what I don't like. Too much razzle dazzle with, in my opinion, not very much underneath.

I won't disagree with you, Solti can tend towards surface excitement, and depending on the literature, it is sometimes not music to live by. Having lived all around Chicagoland for much of my life, our home was littered with Fritz Reiner and Georg Solti recordings alongside many visits to Orchestra Hall, so I have a soft-spot for their harder approaches. That said, his Berlioz here is a grand version of high drama and spectacle. I particularly enjoy José van Dam's Mephistopheles alongside Margaret Hillis' Chicago chorus and Von Stade is quite fine as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 31, 2021, 09:35:31 AM
Quote from: VonStupp on May 31, 2021, 07:55:40 AM
I was unsure, but I did track it down. I don't even remember why this crossed my path or why I heard Gedda here before the Davis; I am not sure I even heard the whole recording:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2BbfnBopmL._SX425_.jpg)

I won't disagree with you, Solti does tend towards surface excitement, and depending on the literature, it is not music to live by. Having lived in Chicagoland for most of my life, our home was littered with Fritz Reiner and Georg Solti recordings alongside many visits to Orchestra Hall, so I have a soft-spot for their harder approaches, as it probably is with this 80's performance of Damnation. Plus some days I am not looking to search the depths of man's soul - this week was definitely one of those weeks!

There's also this one, which I prefer:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31760SEXTKL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on May 31, 2021, 10:00:58 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2021, 12:28:53 AM
If you're referring to the Callas/Rossi-Lemeni Il Turco in Italia, I don't agree at all. The score is cut to ribbons, it is true, but this set has more sunny, italianate warmth and high spirits than any of the modern ur-text versions which followed it. It should also be remembered that Callas scored a great personal success in the role of Fiorilla in Rome in 1950 and that the 1954 recording was followed by performances at La Scala in a new Zeffirelli production, which was also a great success.

The miracle of the Barbiere (and it is a wonderful performance) is that it rises phoenix-like from the ashes of one of Callas's only flops at La Scala with many of the same cast and with Giulini in the pit.

I'm sorry, but even if Callas is in the cast and she happens to be in good voice, that doesn't make it a good performance of the opera. It's not just the cuts (about a quarter of the score, including Fiorilla's last act aria) but the orchestral playing (ragged, with atrocious horn playing right from the beginning of the overture), and some undistinguished singing (Jolanda Gardino as Zaida is painful to listen to). Only Gedda rises to a thoroughly professional level. The lower voices (Stabile, Calabrese and Rossi-Lemeni sound old even if they act well with their voice. As a whole I find there are as many minuses as there are pluses.

The London Barbiere is in another class entirely.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 01, 2021, 01:30:19 AM
Quote from: André on May 31, 2021, 10:00:58 AM
I'm sorry, but even if Callas is in the cast and she happens to be in good voice, that doesn't make it a good performance of the opera. It's not just the cuts (about a quarter of the score, including Fiorilla's last act aria) but the orchestral playing (ragged, with atrocious horn playing right from the beginning of the overture), and some undistinguished singing (Jolanda Gardino as Zaida is painful to listen to). Only Gedda rises to a thoroughly professional level. The lower voices (Stabile, Calabrese and Rossi-Lemeni sound old even if they act well with their voice. As a whole I find there are as many minuses as there are pluses.

The London Barbiere is in another class entirely.

Well, I'm not alone in enjoying the recording. Richard Osborne in Opera on Record 2 agrees that "horns and trumpets leave something to be desired" but finds the Scala woodwinds "wonderfully lithe and adept" and Gavazzeni's conducting "buoyant and often stylish".

Though he singles out Callas for special praise, and she is truly wonderful in this recording, showing that she could turn her hands to comedy in the right circumstances, he finds that the veteran Stabile "though dry of voice, has all the necessary presence required for the puppet-master poet", Rossi-Lemeni "has presence, but Filippo Galli's divisions in 1814 were probably quicker and smoother" and Calabrese has "quite the right hang-dog intonations".

Admittedly, when he was writing this the only alternative was the rather dull Chailly version with Caballé, textually complete and accurate, but nowhere near so enjoyable a performance. Osborne finds Chailly's conducting "efficient and unsmilng" and opines that most of the more modern Italian conductors "seem not to know that easy turn of the wrist which was so characteristic a feature of the conducting of men like Serafin, Gavazzeni, and, above all, Gui."

This was brought home to me only recently when I listened to Gui's recording of Le Comte Ory. The singing isn't perfect, by any means, but the set teems with high spirits and joy, something I find sadly lacking in so many modern Rossini performances these days.

Incidentally, there are quite a few cuts and textual inaccuracies in the Callas/Galliera Barbiere too, not that that bothers me unduly.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 01, 2021, 01:36:17 AM
Quote from: VonStupp on May 31, 2021, 07:55:40 AM
I was unsure, but I did track it down. I don't even remember why this crossed my path or why I heard Gedda here before the Davis; I am not sure I even heard the whole recording:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2BbfnBopmL._SX425_.jpg)



Is that Markevitch performance live? There is n mention of it in Opera on Record.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on June 01, 2021, 03:29:30 PM
Béla Bartók
Bluebeard's Castle
Christa Ludwig & Walter Berry
London Symphony Orchestra - István Kertész


I was going to pull out a Christa Ludwig recording around her death a month or so ago, but I was in the process of moving and never did. This is among a handful of performances where I immediately and specifically think of her. What an all-around terrific performance from everyone involved!

(https://ia801306.us.archive.org/26/items/mbid-5d3066f9-64a9-3319-9ea8-20458d55dc54/mbid-5d3066f9-64a9-3319-9ea8-20458d55dc54-12132564895.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on June 01, 2021, 03:40:31 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 01, 2021, 01:36:17 AM
Is that Markevitch performance live? There is n mention of it in Opera on Record.

Yes. What little information I can glean mentions that it is live from 1959 with Markevitch leading the ORTF. I also think this is in mono, although it seems much, much better than I would expect from a live recording at that time. The remastering seems to have been done by the Andromeda label.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 01, 2021, 03:50:45 PM
Persephone
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61eRMcWxBcL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 01, 2021, 05:13:15 PM
Quote from: VonStupp on June 01, 2021, 03:29:30 PM
Béla Bartók
Bluebeard's Castle
Christa Ludwig & Walter Berry
London Symphony Orchestra - István Kertész


I was going to pull out a Christa Ludwig recording around her death a month or so ago, but I was in the process of moving and never did. This is among a handful of performances where I immediately and specifically think of her. What an all-around terrific performance from everyone involved!

(https://ia801306.us.archive.org/26/items/mbid-5d3066f9-64a9-3319-9ea8-20458d55dc54/mbid-5d3066f9-64a9-3319-9ea8-20458d55dc54-12132564895.jpg)

It certainly is! A marvelous recording, but not my absolute favorite Bluebeard. My numero uno would be Troyanos/Nimsgern/Boulez on Columbia (Sony).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 02, 2021, 04:15:07 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/519AwvfqgKL._AC_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51h1UwDhIGL._AC_.jpg)

Quite unlike any other version for obvious reasons (it's sung in English) but also simply because it's conducted by Goodall.

The question of the text is not as clear cut as it would seem. Wagner devised and wrote his own librettos, so one would assume that it's unmusical to have different words sung on his music. Also, many hold Wagner's texts in high esteem. I don't. They're trite and a bit embarrassing in places. But when I listen to them in the original German I tend to forget about that. The translation brings the triteness to the fore. Repetitions and retellings of the same story are indeed one of the salient features of the librettos, for better and for worse. So, listening to the Ring in English brings clarity to the story but also evidence of verbosity and pompousness from Wagner the writer.

Let's say I'm very happy to have listened to them and understanding most of the text. The case of Götterdämmerung though is a special one. Wagner's writing for the voices is different, less lyrical than in Walküre or Siegfried. Singers often resort to shouting and attempts to enunciate the text sometimes fail to convey any sense of what's happening. For example, I read in Wiki that « The great German bass Kurt Moll pointed out that the part of the principal villain, Hagen, is unique in the bass repertoire: it requires a shouting, blaring vocal technique which risks damaging the singer's voice; only very large-voiced, powerful singers can sing it. Moll himself avoided the role« .

Which brings me to the singers. The casting is mostly among the best these operas have received in the stereo era. Remedios, Grant, Hunter, Bailey, Haugland are as good as any of their counterparts who have sung the roles. Remedios, singing both Siegmund and Siegfried, is simply wonderful, the voice supple and lyrical, never dry or forced. His Siegfried from the eponymous opera is just glorious. Hunter has a powerful, sometimes piercing voice but she holds her own against the others and the orchestra. Haugland's Hagen is a powerhouse account of this difficult part. By comparison his half-brother Gunther sounds puny, one of the few disappointments in this very large cast.

Goodall and the ENO are for many the main reason for listening to these english versions at all. Jed Distler in Classicstoday wrote this: « Goodall's slow-motion tempos and Knapperstbuschian gait may conjure up images of magisterial, rolling paragraphs, but the paragraphs lack punctuation. There's little rhythmic inflection and forward-moving impetus from the pit, although the quieter, more conversational episodes flow without dragging« . He has a point and I can't deny that Goodall's tempi are slow. But in the context of an opera designed as a series of monologues or dialogues with no ensembles at all, those  'conversational episodes' make up about 80% of the time spent listening to the Ring. Balancing flow and clarity of utterance is crucial in my opinion. In that context Goodall's tempo choices make sense and most of the time they actually help the singers.

Some of the orchestral playing is rough, but this is easily forgiven considering these are live performances . What's truly amazing is the unfailing concentration displayed by everybody over the course of these long evenings. Contrary to Distler in his review of Walküre, I find the sound mostly excellent: big, beefy, with good presence. The big orchestral conclusion to the Immolation Scene with its huge percussion is perfectly handled by the engineers.

Now I feel ready - better equipped - to listen to one of the 3 Rings that have been waiting on my shelves for the past few years.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 02, 2021, 07:58:46 PM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on June 02, 2021, 07:42:17 PM
NP:

Delius
A Village Romeo & Juliet
Benjamin Luxon (Manz), Noel Mangin (Marti), Colin Manley (Sali - as a child), Wendy Eathorne (Vrenchen - as a child), Elizabeth Harwood (Vrenchen), Robert Tear (Sali), John Shirley-Quirk (The Dark Fiddler)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
John Alldis Choir
Meredith Davies


(https://www.warnerclassics.com/sites/default/files/5099908417527.jpg)

I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with calling this work an 'opera'. I suppose it's a hybrid of sorts much like what Berlioz was doing. This is certainly of Delius' own design --- A Village Romeo & Juliet sounds like a tone painting of an opera and I don't mean this as a criticism, but there isn't hardly any dramatic moments throughout the hour and half of its duration. Of course, this work opened Delius up to many critical attacks, which weren't uncommon for him. He must be counted as one of the more misunderstood composers of the 20th Century. This 'opera' or shall I just call it a 'lyric drama', will not win the composer any new fans, but those who already enjoy his music may find this a bit of a slog to get through, but I honestly think that despite whatever criticisms I may have, it contains some remarkable moments throughout.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2021, 01:27:21 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 02, 2021, 07:58:46 PM
Cross-posted from the 'Listening' thread -

I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with calling this work an 'opera'. I suppose it's a hybrid of sorts much like what Berlioz was doing. This is certainly of Delius' own design --- A Village Romeo & Juliet sounds like a tone painting of an opera and I don't mean this as a criticism, but there isn't hardly any dramatic moments throughout the hour and half of its duration. Of course, this work opened Delius up to many critical attacks, which weren't uncommon for him. He must be counted as one of the more misunderstood composers of the 20th Century. This 'opera' or shall I just call it a 'lyric drama', will not win the composer any new fans, but those who already enjoy his music may find this a bit of a slog to get through, but I honestly think that despite whatever criticisms I may have, it contains some remarkable moments throughout.

I have the Mackerras version and I really love the piece. I suppose it is a little lacking in drama, but I feel it captures the atmosphere of the original Keller tale really well. Sensitively staged, I'm sure it could work very well in the opera house.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2021, 02:45:33 AM
(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn017_l.jpg)

If a better performance of Norma has ever been committed to disc then I've yet to hear it. It wasn't captured complete and Divina have here added the Sinfonia and Oroveso's aria from a performance under Gavazzeni in 1965 (still with Zaccaria) and some of Del Monaco's music from a performance under Serafin from the same year, but you don't really notice any joins.

This is 1955, post weight loss for Callas, but the voice is still in fine shape and I feel this is the performance of the opera when voice and artistry find their truest equilibrium. The second studio recording of 1960 will find her peering ever more deeply into Norma's psyche, but there she will not have the power she unleashes here (a blazing top D at the end of Act I). Simionato, Del Monaco and Zaccaria are all superb and Votto, though not so positive a presence as Serafin or Gui, accompanies well, which is perhaps all he needed to do with such a cast.

A desert island set if ever ther was one. More detailed review on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/04/08/norma-7-december-1955/ (http://"http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/04/08/norma-7-december-1955/")
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 03, 2021, 04:22:02 AM
A memorable performance indeed, especially in this fine transfer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 03, 2021, 06:52:51 AM
Revisiting this recording of one of Gaetano Donizetti's lesser-known operas, the late Caterina Cornaro:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1eM6eJVUfKo/U3A_4yzGfbI/AAAAAAAAO8w/cXsRvJl7uC8/s1600/GACO+portada.jpg)

I've never been much of a fan of Donizetti (IMHO, he did not have the genius of Rossini nor the melodic gift of Bellini, and was the precursor of the undeniably vulgar and provincial streak that permeates much of Italian opera in the second half of the 19th century), and this is certainly not one of his better scores.

I'm actually listening to this as background music while reading this book on the conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni:

(https://img.ibs.it/images/9788877667458_0_0_847_75.jpg)

The recording of Caterina Cornaro was made live in 1995–the year before the conductor's death at the age of 86—in Gavazzeni's (and Donizetti's) hometown of Bergamo, with the conductor's second wife, the estimable soprano Denia Mazzola, in the lead. It could therefore not be more appropriate, and as background music works perfectly well  ;).

What a fascinating figure Gavazzeni was! A grand seigneur of the baton and the operatic pit, a very gifted writer, and an indefatigable champion of obscure works (many of which, truth be said, lapsed back into oblivion immediately after he had revived them). He was a man of wide-ranging cultural interests, and seems to have met and befriended most of the leading Italian cultural luminaries of the 20th century (in music, painting, and literature). Even if he concentrated his conducting activity mostly on the Italian operatic repertoire of the 19th and early 20th century, his writings display an acute appraisal of —and respect for— styles that were diametrically opposed to his tastes. He was, for instance, a good friend of Petrassi, frequented Luigi Nono, and collaborated with Sylvano Bussotti (the latter was stage director for several opera productions led by Gavazzeni).

Gavazzeni was also a composer, but stopped writing music around 1940 (when he realised his works were out of step with modern trends). As far as I know, none of his compositional output has ever been recorded.

He's one of the few artists who have been given the greatest tribute at La Scala when he died: Riccardo Muti conducted the funeral march of Beethoven's Eroica in the empty theatre, with all the doors open so that the music could be heard on the streets surrounding the opera house.

For someone who never achieved (probably never sought) star status, there's a very sizeable bibliography on the man and his art (apart from his own writings, which are really enjoyable, particularly his dairies from 1950 to 1976, Il sipario rosso). The book I'm reading now is loving tribute to the man, his art, his writing, and the places he frequented (starting with Bergamo). A delightful read!

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 03, 2021, 07:02:12 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2021, 01:27:21 AM
I have the Mackerras version and I really love the piece. I suppose it is a little lacking in drama, but I feel it captures the atmosphere of the original Keller tale really well. Sensitively staged, I'm sure it could work very well in the opera house.

It's been staged a few times, but not to any great success.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2021, 07:49:16 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 03, 2021, 06:52:51 AM
Revisiting this recording of one of Gaetano Donizetti's lesser-known operas, the late Caterina Cornaro:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1eM6eJVUfKo/U3A_4yzGfbI/AAAAAAAAO8w/cXsRvJl7uC8/s1600/GACO+portada.jpg)

I've never been much of a fan of Donizetti (IMHO, he did not have the genius of Rossini nor the melodic gift of Bellini, and was the precursor of the undeniably vulgar and provincial streak that permeates much of Italian opera in the second half of the 19th century), and this is certainly not one of his better scores.

I'm actually listening to this as background music while reading this book on the conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni:

(https://img.ibs.it/images/9788877667458_0_0_847_75.jpg)

The recording of Caterina Cornaro was made live in 1995–the year before the conductor's death at the age of 86—in Gavazzeni's (and Donizetti's) hometown of Bergamo, with the conductor's second wife, the estimable soprano Denia Mazzola, in the lead. It could therefore not be more appropriate, and as background music works perfectly well  ;).

What a fascinating figure Gavazzeni was! A grand seigneur of the baton and the operatic pit, a very gifted writer, and an indefatigable champion of obscure works (many of which, truth be said, lapsed back into oblivion immediately after he had revived them). He was a man of wide-ranging cultural interests, and seems to have met and befriended most of the leading Italian cultural luminaries of the 20th century (in music, painting, and literature). Even if he concentrated his conducting activity mostly on the Italian operatic repertoire of the 19th and early 20th century, his writings display an acute appraisal of —and respect for— styles that were diametrically opposed to his tastes. He was, for instance, a good friend of Petrassi, frequented Luigi Nono, and collaborated with Sylvano Bussotti (the latter was stage director for several opera productions led by Gavazzeni).

Gavazzeni was also a composer, but stopped writing music around 1940 (when he realised his works were out of step with modern trends). As far as I know, none of his compositional output has ever been recorded.

He's one of the few artists who have been given the greatest tribute at La Scala when he died: Riccardo Muti conducted the funeral march of Beethoven's Eroica in the empty theatre, with all the doors open so that the music could be heard on the streets surrounding the opera house.

For someone who never achieved (probably never sought) star status, there's a very sizeable bibliography on the man and his art (apart from his own writings, which are really enjoyable, particularly his dairies from 1950 to 1976, Il sipario rosso). The book I'm reading now is loving tribute to the man, his art, his writing, and the places he frequented (starting with Bergamo). A delightful read!

I used to have a live recording on LP with Caballé in the lead. I think Aragall was the tenor. I don't think I found it interesting enough to want to get in on CD. I don't think it was particularly memorable, so maybe background listening is the best way to enjoy it.

Gavazzeni had an illustrious career and I have a few opera recordings with him conducting. One of the reasons I prefer De Los Angeles's first Madama Butterfly is that he is a much more dramatic and propulsive conductor than Patané on the second. He also, as you probably know, worked quite often with Callas, though only once in the studio (Il Turco in Italia).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 03, 2021, 11:20:24 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2021, 07:49:16 AM
...
Gavazzeni had an illustrious career and I have a few opera recordings with him conducting. One of the reasons I prefer De Los Angeles's first Madama Butterfly is that he is a much more dramatic and propulsive conductor than Patané on the second. He also, as you probably know, worked quite often with Callas, though only once in the studio (Il Turco in Italia).
Yes, Gavazzeni had a very illustrious career indeed, the peak of which probably was his two seasons at the helm of his beloved Scala (in the mid 60s).

He's often been reproached for tinkering (some would say, butchering) scores: Il turco in Italia—discussed earlier in this same thread—, the legendary La Scala Anna Bolena (with Callas and Simionato), alleged fiddling with the scoring of L'amico Fritz in the lovely recording with Pavarotti and Freni, but I believe he made these "adjustments" out of love for the music and to facilitate its initial (re)acceptance by sceptical audiences. There'd be plenty of time later for Urtext or critical editions.

But, thanks to him, we have—studio or broadcast—recordings of works like Boito's Nerone, Zandonai's I cavalieri di Ekebù, Ponchielli's I lituani, Mascagni's Parisina, and so on, and invariably his interpretations in obscure or well-known repertoire, display an authentic theatrical flair, an excellent sense of how to accompany and support the singers, and a deep love for the music.

THREAD DUTY:

A typical Gavazzeni foray into off the beaten track repertoire, Amilcare Ponchielli's I lituani:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81LDpF32doL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

Not terribly refined music, but Ponchielli's scapigliatura style, transitional between Verdi and the giovane scuola, can be exciting and has its interest.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 03, 2021, 05:18:31 PM
Quote
Zandonai's I cavalieri di Ekebù

I forgot about that one. It's a very beautiful work. I should get it out of its box some day.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on June 04, 2021, 04:44:03 AM
Zoltán Kodály
Háry János, op. 15
György Melis, Erzsébet Komlóssy, Peter Ustinov, et al.
London Symphony Orchestra
István Kertész


If you have only listened to the orchestral Suite to Háry János, you have heard the most impressive parts of Kodály's folk opera. The work reminds me a bit of Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale in that there is as much narration as there is music. I have some comparison's to make to other versions, but I will save that for the Kodály thread.

(https://ia801401.us.archive.org/27/items/mbid-462164cc-1045-4823-8bd4-09edd8c8af68/mbid-462164cc-1045-4823-8bd4-09edd8c8af68-29520401088.jpg)

Re-listening right now, Peter Ustinov's English narration will irk many. He goes for broad comedy complete with accents and sound effects, but Ustinov gave my family the giggles throughout, so I view his contributions as a boon. Kertész and his Hungarian cast are good, as is the LSO from the 60's. The sound isn't as good as the accompanying Bluebeard's Castle, and the two works couldn't be more different, but I found the whole experience favorable if not essential.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on June 04, 2021, 04:49:20 AM
Quote from: André on June 02, 2021, 04:15:07 PM
By comparison his half-brother Gunther sounds puny, one of the few disappointments in this very large cast.

Although, since Gunther's main character trait is his weakness, perhaps puny voice is fitting, no?  ;)

Just kidding, I like Gunther strong-voiced such as the late Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 04, 2021, 10:13:09 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61m2Pi1K06L.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 06, 2021, 06:04:37 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61THMz7vTpL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 08, 2021, 01:07:12 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91pj158binl-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1024)

The fifth in my collection of Callas Normas is also the first opera set I ever owned. Popuar opinion has it that the voice had deteriorated too much by 1960 and that, in all but matters of sound, the earlier studio recording is preferable.

Well, I'm not sure it's that simple. Yes, the very top of the voice often emerges as shrill and/or unsteady, but in her middle register, Callas gives us some of the most beautiful singing she ever committed to disc, certain parts voiced more movingly than on any other of her recordings. She also, unlike on the earlier cast, has a supporting cast fully worthy of her. Ludwig may have been an unlikely choice, but it is one that really paid off. The two voices not only blend wonderfully well in duet, but one senses that the two singers enjoyed a deep sense of rapport. Corelli is a little chary of the coloratura, but he is otherwise a superb Pollione and Zaccaria sonorous bass is an improvement on the rather woolly tones of Rossi-Lemeni.

My final ranking for my five Callas Normas would therefore be:-

1. La Scala 1955 (with Simionato, Del Monaco and Zaccaria under Votto)
2. Studio 1960 (with Ludwig, Corelli and Zaccaria under Serafin)
3. Trieste 1953 (with Nicolai, Corelli and Christoff under Votto)
4. London 1952 (with Stignani, Picchi and Vaghi under Gui)
5. Studio 1954 (with Stignani, Fillipeschi and Rossi-Lemeni under Serafin)

One thing's for sure, though it's sixty years since Callas made her second studio recording, her hegemony in the role remains unchallenged to this day.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 08, 2021, 01:44:20 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 08, 2021, 01:07:12 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91pj158binl-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1024)

The fifth in my collection of Callas Normas is also the first opera set I ever owned. Popuar opinion has it that the voice had deteriorated too much by 1960 and that, in all but matters of sound, the earlier studio recording is preferable.

Well, I'm not sure it's that simple. Yes, the very top of the voice often emerges as shrill and/or unsteady, but in her middle register, Callas gives us some of the most beautiful singing she ever committed to disc, certain parts voiced more movingly than on any other of her recordings. She also, unlike on the earlier cast, has a supporting cast fully worthy of her. Ludwig may have been an unlikely choice, but it is one that really paid off. The two voices not only blend wonderfully well in duet, but one senses that the two singers enjoyed a deep sense of rapport. Corelli is a little chary of the coloratura, but he is otherwise a superb Pollione and Zaccaria sonorous bass is an improvement on the rather woolly tones of Rossi-Lemeni.

My final ranking for my five Callas Normas would therefore be:-

1. La Scala 1955 (with Simionato, Del Monaco and Zaccaria under Votto)
2. Studio 1960 (with Ludwig, Corelli and Zaccaria under Serafin)
3. Naples 1953 (with Nicolai, Corelli and Christoff under Votto)
4. London 1952 (with Stignani, Picchi and Vaghi under Gui)
5. Studio 1954 (with Stignani, Fillipeschi and Rossi-Lemeni under Serafin)

One thing's for sure, though it's sixty years since Callas made her second studio recording, her hegemony in the role remains unchallenged to this day.
That was also my first set of any opera sung by Maria Callas, and I was bowled over. I came--in my teens--from being obsessed with the Germanic repertoire (Wagner, Strauss, Mozart, Berg), and this recording opened a whole new world to me: the intense beauty of Bellini's score, and the extraordinary artistry of Callas. As an aside, my grandmother and mother were lucky enough to see Callas onstage as Norma at the Met in 1956.

With the advent of CDs, I decided to get the first studio recording insteda of this stereo remake, and I think that was a mistake. Particularly, I'm not fond at all of Mario Fillipeschi's Pollione, and even if Callas may be in stronger voice in the earlier set, the interpretative insights she had developed by 1960 are really touching, and the added fragility is IMHO a plus (as I recall it, at least). I should buy the recent CD release of this stereo Norma.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 08, 2021, 02:00:35 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 08, 2021, 01:44:20 AM
That was also my first set of any opera sung by Maria Callas, and I was bowled over. I came--in my teens--from being obsessed with the Germanic repertoire (Wagner, Strauss, Mozart, Berg), and this recording opened a whole new world to me: the intense beauty of Bellini's score, and the extraordinary artistry of Callas. As an aside, my grandmother and mother were lucky enough to see Callas onstage as Norma at the Met in 1956.

With the advent of CDs, I decided to get the first studio recording insteda of this stereo remake, and I think that was a mistake. Particularly, I'm not fond at all of Mario Fillipeschi's Pollione, and even if Callas may be in stronger voice in the earlier set, the interpretative insights she had developed by 1960 are really touching, and the added fragility is IMHO a plus (as I recall it, at least). I should buy the recent CD release of this stereo Norma.

If I were to choose but one studio recording of the opera, then it would definitely be the second Callas set. I think it has been severely underrated over the years, though I seem to remember both Andrew Porter and Alan Blyth preferred it to the first one.

I sometimes think one should trust one's initial instincts better. I used to have the Karajan Fidelio on LP, and really loved it, particularly as I had seen Dernesch in the role of Leonore when Scottis Opera brought their production to Newcastle-upon-Tyne when I was at university there. When I ame to buy a version on CD, I went for Klemperer as everyone told me it was the best recording of the opera. However I was rather disappointed with it and didn't find it anywhere near as thrilling or moving as the Karajan version, and I eventually ended up buying the Karajan on CD too, and I still prefer it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 09, 2021, 02:03:08 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/1502882448_9029584466.jpg)

It is a great shame none of Callas's La Scala performances of this opera the previous year were recorded, for there her colleagues were Corelli and Bastianini, who no doubt made a great deal more of the music than the no more than adeqauet Ferraro and Ego.

Still, in the absence of that recording, it is good that we have this one. Callas is not in her best voice and top notes are apt to glare, but her command of Bellinian cantilena is as wonderful as ever and she constantly gives the other singers lessons in how to phrase and mould the musical line.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2021, 01:24:48 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/r-12800357-1542200837-6181.jpeg.jpg)

It was a 1949 Cetra recording of Elvira's Mad Scene, which first introduced the wider world to the voice of Maria Callas and there is no doubt she breathes life into the character of Elvira in a way few have done before or since. This 1953 recording finds her in top form, the voice wonderfully limpid and responsive right up to the stunning top Eb she sings at the end of the Mad Scene.

This time round I felt better disposed to her colleagues than I sometimes do, even if none of them is exactly ideal. There is a fuller review on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/i-puritani/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/i-puritani/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 11, 2021, 07:21:40 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 08, 2021, 01:44:20 AM
That was also my first set of any opera sung by Maria Callas, and I was bowled over. I came--in my teens--from being obsessed with the Germanic repertoire (Wagner, Strauss, Mozart, Berg), and this recording opened a whole new world to me: the intense beauty of Bellini's score, and the extraordinary artistry of Callas. As an aside, my grandmother and mother were lucky enough to see Callas onstage as Norma at the Met in 1956.

With the advent of CDs, I decided to get the first studio recording insteda of this stereo remake, and I think that was a mistake. Particularly, I'm not fond at all of Mario Fillipeschi's Pollione, and even if Callas may be in stronger voice in the earlier set, the interpretative insights she had developed by 1960 are really touching, and the added fragility is IMHO a plus (as I recall it, at least). I should buy the recent CD release of this stereo Norma.
The only two ones that I have with Callas are the 1960 Serafin and also the London one with Gui.  I really should get the Votto one from 1955.

How special that your mother and grandmother were able to see her perform!  How old was your mother then--hopefully old enough to have enjoyed it well?  :)  I have a friend who met her once (and shook her hand).  He was friends with Erich Leinsdorf's son and, if I'm recalling correctly, met her at Maestro Leindorf's house.  Lucky guy!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2021, 09:47:30 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 11, 2021, 07:21:40 AM

How special that your mother and grandmother were able to see her perform!  How old was your mother then--hopefully old enough to have enjoyed it well?  :)  I have a friend who met her once (and shook her hand).  He was friends with Erich Leinsdorf's son and, if I'm recalling correctly, met her at Maestro Leindorf's house.  Lucky guy!

PD

I remember a friend of my mother's recalling how he saw her at her debut as Norma at Covent Garden. He was a regular Covent Garden attendee and said it was the most thrilling performance of his opera going life.

I also had an actor friend, recently deceased, who told me a wonderful anecdote about the Covent Garden Toscas of 1964. He had got the walk on part of one of the soldiers through the stage manager at the opera house, who was a friend of his. As he was such a huge opera fan, she would allow him to watch the performances from the wings. One night he noticed that Callas, who was usually waiting in the wings long before her entrance wasn't there. This was in the days before they had tannoys and a call boy had to go and tell the artists when they were due on. The stage manager, noting Callas's absence asked him to see if he coud see her anywhere. In those days they stored the sets for the operas that were in the current season below the stage. Callas, who was as blind as a bat without her glasses, had somehow managed to miss the door to the stage and he found her wandering around down below. "Mme Callas, are you ok?"he asked. "Thank God," she replied, "I came here to do Tosca and found myself in the middle of Boris Godunov. "Can you help me?" He led her back to the stage in plenty of time to make her entrance and nobody was any the wiser.

The next day he receieved a huge box of chocolates, with a signed photograph saying "To my saviour." It was one of his most prized possessions.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 11, 2021, 10:03:03 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2021, 09:47:30 AM
I remember a friend of my mother's recalling how he saw her at her debut as Norma at Covent Garden. He was a regular Covent Garden attendee and said it was the most thrilling performance of his opera going life.

I also had an actor friend, recently deceased, who told me a wonderful anecdote about the Covent Garden Toscas of 1964. He had got the walk on part of one of the soldiers through the stage manager at the opera house, who was a friend of his. As he was such a huge opera fan, she would allow him to watch the performances from the wings. One night he noticed that Callas, who was usually waiting in the wings long before her entrance wasn't there. This was in the days before they had tannoys and a call boy had to go and tell the artists when they were due on. The stage manager, noting Callas's absence asked him to see if he coud see her anywhere. In those days they stored the sets for the operas that were in the current season below the stage. Callas, who was as blind as a bat without her glasses, had somehow managed to miss the door to the stage and he found her wandering around down below. "Mme Callas, are you ok?"he asked. "Thank God," she replied, "I came here to do Tosca and found myself in the middle of Boris Godunov. "Can you help me?" He led her back to the stage in plenty of time to make her entrance and nobody was any the wiser.

The next day he receieved a huge box of chocolates, with a signed photograph saying "To my saviour." It was one of his most prized possessions.
Great stories!  ;D  Glad that she wasn't so badly off sight-wise that she was still able to perform well on stage!  Or not the case?  :( ???  Was she extremely near-sighted?  Or, how did she manage it?  Wonder how singers like Bocelli have managed to do so in live performances?  Must be horribly difficult!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2021, 10:36:21 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 11, 2021, 10:03:03 AM
Great stories!  ;D  Glad that she wasn't so badly off sight-wise that she was still able to perform well on stage!  Or not the case?  :( ???  Was she extremely near-sighted?  Or, how did she manage it?  Wonder how singers like Bocelli have managed to do so in live performances?  Must be horribly difficult!

PD

It's very well known that Callas was extremely short-sighted (or near-sighted, as you say in the US). That's one of the reasons stage rehearsals were very important to her. She would pace out all her moves so that she knew exactly where everything was. No one watching a performance would ever have known, but it could well have been one of the reasons her performances were so inwardly intense. She couldn't even see the conductor, but she was so musical she didn't need to.

There is another story of her rehearsing with Erich Kleiber (probably I Vespri Siciliani) and he called out to her, "Maria, watch me." She replied, "No, Maestro. Your eyesight is better than mine. You watch me."

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 11, 2021, 11:45:36 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 11, 2021, 07:21:40 AM
...
How special that your mother and grandmother were able to see her perform!  How old was your mother then--hopefully old enough to have enjoyed it well?  :)  ...
My mother was 16 at the time, and she remembered the occasion many years later, so she probably did enjoy it!  ;)

Another, second-hand, anecdote: a couple, very close friends of my parents, who lived in Paris in the early sixties, showed up at Maxim's for dinner one night, without having reserved a table. They were told that there was a "permanently reserved" table, but that by that time of night they thought the "owners" of that table wouldn't come, and were ushered to it. After they had ordered, the maître came and said that the "owners" of the table finally did come, and apologetically asked whether my parents' friends would mind sharing the table. "No problem", they replied, and moments later Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis we're having dinner with them  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 12, 2021, 02:08:05 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/1502883093_9029584465.jpg)

March 5 1955 was the date that ushered in Callas's annus mirabilis when she made her debut as Amina in Visconti's production of La Sonnambula with Leonard Bernstein in the pit. If there were still any doubt in the matter, this was the night Callas was deinitively and definitely crowned Regina della Scala. Between them Callas, Visconti and Bernstein revealed Bellini's opera to have a great deal more dramatic impact than people had suspected. Alongside her, Cesare Valletti made the perfect Elvino and it is a great pity he didn't sing the role in the studio recording or any of the revival performances in 1957. Bernstein also gives us a lot more of the score than Votto.

The Warner transfer of this recording is much better than EMI's earlier effort, though it still overloads and distorts at climaxes. Still, we are fortunate indeed that it was committed to disc as this was obviously a thrilling performance and the audience's excitement is palpable. Undoubtedly one of Callas's greatest nights in the theatre.

https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/12/01/la-sonnambula-la-scala-1955/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/12/01/la-sonnambula-la-scala-1955/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2021, 02:30:46 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91k3udjbejl-_sl1461_.jpg?w=1021)

Two years after the sensational premiere of Visconti's production under Bernstein, La Scala revived the production, also taking it to Edinburgh and Cologne and this studio recording represents the revival cast. We unfortunately lose Valletti and a bit more of the music as Votto makes more cuts in the score than Bernstein did. Votto is nowhere near as imaginative a conductor as Bernstein either.

That said, Callas is still in good voice and the sound of this studio recording is a good deal better than the 1955 live recording. I also really like the cadenza Callas adopts between the two verses of Ah non giunge, in which she sweeps up to a fortissimo Eb in alt, effecting a diminuendo on the note before cascading down a two octave chromatic scale, all in one breath, the like of which you will not hear from any other soprano. In certain matters at least Callas's technique could fear no comparisons. It's no trick of the gramophone either, as she does exactly the same live in Cologne, though there she does have to snatch a breath before the final chain of rising turns.

Fuller review here http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/la-sonnambula/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/la-sonnambula/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 14, 2021, 02:16:19 AM
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/4b/f0/fe4bf0405b8cf8ad4bffef2b3e3342c8.jpg)

I come to the end of my Bellini listening with Callas's live Cologne performance of La Sonnambula, which looks almost the same as the studio version, but improves on it in so many ways. The prosaic Votto is somehow woken up out of his slumber and here conducts a much more exciting and propulsive performance, if without Bernstein's revelations.

Callas is in superb voice, singing with a pearly radiance and executing all the florid music with consummate ease, her trills absolutely heavenly.  In fact all the principals, especially Monti, are inspired to give of their best. The sound of this live performance is a good deal better than the 1955 La Scala performance and I'd be hard pressed to say which of the two performances I prefer. How fortunate we are to have both.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 16, 2021, 12:43:58 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/wKhp2tEDWygcJvmSNedjY5xY1yE=/fit-in/600x596/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8652909-1487501863-5930.jpeg.jpg)

What a fabuous score this is. It's not an opera of course, though its final pages are undeniably operatic, but I've always thought it captures the spirit of Shakespeare's play better than any other musical adaptation I've heard.

This was the third of Davis's recordings of the work, captured live at the Barbican in 2000 and brings back thrilling memories of the concerts themselves, one of which I attended. Davis paces the score brilliantly, bringing out all the difficult cross rhythms and intricate scoring of Berlioz's sparkling score.

Of the soloists, Kenneth Tarver is excellent, but I think both mezzo and bass have been bettered on other recordings. Nonetheless this is one of the finest versions of this wonderfully original score to be heard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 16, 2021, 02:51:29 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 16, 2021, 12:43:58 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/wKhp2tEDWygcJvmSNedjY5xY1yE=/fit-in/600x596/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8652909-1487501863-5930.jpeg.jpg)

What a fabuous score this is. It's not an opera of course, though its final pages are undeniably operatic, but I've always thought it captures the spirit of Shakespeare's play better than any other musical adaptation I've heard.

This was the third of Davis's recordings of the work, captured live at the Barbican in 2000 and brings back thrilling memories of the concerts themselves, one of which I attended. Davis paces the score brilliantly, bringing out all the difficult cross rhythms and intricate scoring of Berlioz's sparkling score.

Of the soloists, Kenneth Tarver is excellent, but I think both mezzo and bass have been bettered on other recordings. Nonetheless this is one of the finest versions of this wonderfully original score to be heard.

Is the grunting kept to a minimum? If so, I'd be interesting in acquiring all of the Berlioz LSO Live recordings from Davis. I have some of the recordings, but certainly not all of them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on June 16, 2021, 05:46:19 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/GANaxFFuwhB6GV_mzbwcz6vb9wk=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-11505923-1517545737-6675.jpeg.jpg)

New acquisition, first impression quite favorable. Will compare it to the '68 D'Oyly Carte recording when the latter arrives.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on June 16, 2021, 07:49:02 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/lKCwoRwzYZqRVY1s-hwy0FXftvg=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-6819602-1528472053-8514.jpeg.jpg)

Excellent performance as far as I can tell, very happy with this new purchase.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 17, 2021, 01:27:43 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 16, 2021, 02:51:29 PM
Is the grunting kept to a minimum? If so, I'd be interesting in acquiring all of the Berlioz LSO Live recordings from Davis. I have some of the recordings, but certainly not all of them.

I was listening on headphones and can't say I particularly noticed any. All the LSO Live Berlioz recordings are available in a box set.

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0624/6833/products/Cover_LSO0827_3000px_1024x1024.jpg?v=1531306201)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 17, 2021, 06:55:07 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 17, 2021, 01:27:43 AM
I was listening on headphones and can't say I particularly noticed any. All the LSO Live Berlioz recordings are available in a box set.

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0624/6833/products/Cover_LSO0827_3000px_1024x1024.jpg?v=1531306201)

Very good to hear. Yes, I've been thinking of picking up this set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 17, 2021, 11:50:54 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/0kDrEnvwkjQN_PtX7kDvEDUaLSI=/fit-in/600x511/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11372948-1515157078-8227.jpeg.jpg)

What a joy this old recording is. It was based on tremendously successful stage performances at Gyndebourne and, though it was recorded at Abbey Road, has the atmosphere of a live performance.

Vittorio Gui's conducting captures to perfection the beguiling effervescene of Rossini's score in a way more modern versions can't quite match. Juan Oncina was a regular Rossini tenor at Glyndebourne and sang Lindoro, Almaviva and Ramiro there as well, though the Count was probably his greatest success. The Hungarian soprano Sari Barabas is delightful and there are also superb performances from Ian Wallace and Monica Sinclair.

Pure delight from beginning to end.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on June 17, 2021, 01:02:40 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 17, 2021, 11:50:54 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/0kDrEnvwkjQN_PtX7kDvEDUaLSI=/fit-in/600x511/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11372948-1515157078-8227.jpeg.jpg)

What a joy this old recording is. It was based on tremendously successful stage performances at Glyndebourne and, though it was recorded at Abbey Road, has the atmosphere of a live performance.

Vittorio Gui's conducting captures to perfection the beguiling effervescence of Rossini's score in a way more modern versions can't quite match. Juan Oncina was a regular Rossini tenor at Glyndebourne and sang Lindoro, Almaviva and Ramiro there as well, though the Count was probably his greatest success. The Hungarian soprano Sari Barabas is delightful and there are also superb performances from Ian Wallace and Monica Sinclair.

Pure delight from beginning to end.

Agreed, I have a copy of this excellent recording. Once saw a live performance, which was great fun.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on June 18, 2021, 05:36:41 PM
Since Le Comte Ory came up,

(https://img.discogs.com/vZiUp-f59kDC4HHGV5r2JF9g_cU=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-13248416-1550689710-9155.jpeg.jpg)

This is an excellent recording, but since I haven't seen the opera live, it doesn't have the same magic for me as Le Comte Ory. Maybe I should watch it on Youtube.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vers la flamme on June 19, 2021, 06:19:04 AM
Cross post from "What are you listening to now" thread:

Quote from: vers la flamme on June 19, 2021, 06:12:24 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81COkEK3KLL._SL500_.jpg)

Giacomo Puccini: Tosca. Victor de Sabata, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano

First listen to this famous recording, which was sent to me by mistake. (I wanted the Karajan one with Leontyne Price.) So far so good. Anyone who knows me knows that I am far from an Italian opera aficionado, but I do find Puccini to be an interesting composer, and I would love to explore his music in more depth.

Any fans of this recording? I am not a frequent opera listener but am enjoying this.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 19, 2021, 07:34:40 AM
Quote from: vers la flamme on June 19, 2021, 06:19:04 AM
Cross post from "What are you listening to now" thread:

Any fans of this recording? I am not a frequent opera listener but am enjoying this.

I have yet to hear anyone in the role of Tosca who is better than, or even equal to, Callas. Gobbi has some equals as Scarpia, but no superiors. DiStefano, however, is merely adequate. So consider this an upgrade from the one you ordered.

If you want to hear Price in this role, get the one with Domingo (much better than DiStefano) and Milnes (full equal to Gobbi).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 19, 2021, 07:56:37 AM
Quote from: vers la flamme on June 19, 2021, 06:19:04 AM
Cross post from "What are you listening to now" thread:

Any fans of this recording? I am not a frequent opera listener but am enjoying this.

The De Sabata Tosca is rightly considered one of the greatest opera recordings of all time, so you can't really do much better, except perhaps in matters of sound, though the mono sound is very good indeed. Where I differ from JBS is in his assessment of Di Stefano, who I think is one of the best Cavaradossis on disc, and it is no surprise that he was also chosen for the Karajan with Leontyne Price, which would be my second choice. By the time Price recorded it for Mehta the voice had begun to sound breathy and hollow, almost like a lounge singer, and she is far preferable on the Karajan recording. Nor do I find Milnes anything like as convincing as either Gobbi or Taddei on the Karajan. Mehta doesn't do anything wrong, but he's nowhere near as inspired as either De Sabata or Karajan.

I've reviewed the De Sabata twice on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/) and http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/06/callass-1953-tosca-revisited/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/06/callass-1953-tosca-revisited/) and I also did a comparative review of five Decca Toscas, which included the Karajan http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/12/08/a-clutch-of-decca-toscas/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/12/08/a-clutch-of-decca-toscas/). Just in case you're interested.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 19, 2021, 09:17:15 PM
Cross-post from the 'Listening' thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on June 19, 2021, 07:27:40 PM
First-Listen Saturday

Mascagni
Cavalleria rusticana
Gian Giacomo Guelfi (baritone), Carlo Bergonzi (tenor), Fiorenza Cossotto (mezzo-soprano), Maria Gracia Allegri (contralto), Adriane Martino (mezzo-soprano), Roberto Benaglio (chorus master)
Teatro alla Scala
Karajan


(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/00028948351404.jpg)

Exquisite!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 24, 2021, 04:31:56 AM
Revisiting Reynaldo Hahn's Le marchand de Venise, while reading the chapter dedicated to this work in Philippe Blay's biography of the composer.

(https://www.premiereopera.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/14073.jpg)
This is the only recording of the work circulating on CD, made live in 1978 at the Paris Opéra (where the work was first performed in 1935). It's conducted by Manuel Rosenthal, and has  Michèle Command, Annick Dutertre, Éliane Lublin, Christian Pouliac, Armand Arabian, Marc Vento, Léonard Pezzino, Tibère Raffali et al. as soloists. The sound of the broadcast (only available from "private"  sources) is perfectly acceptable.

What a lovely and peculiar work this is! It takes the focus away from Shylock's tragedy, and instead puts the love stories of the three couples at the centre. All this in Mozartian structure (a sort of The Rake's Progress avant la lettre?), but with Hahn's hyper-conservative, yet simultaneously highly personal, musical style (and great melodic invention). The work clearly places the singing in the forefront (no symphonic music drama this), but the discreet orchestral tapestry is very effective and delicately scored.

Interesting to read (in Blay's book) the reactions of critics at the time of the premiere, ranging from "absolute masterpiece" to "boring, boring, boring" and "a bloated operetta". I personally love the piece and, particularly, some of its set numbers (the quartet "L'amour, qui pourtant n'est pas bête" and the closing, Don Giovanni-like septet "Car il faut, que l'amour ait le dernier mot") and it certainly is Hahn's magnum opus. A work that deserves wider circulation, and should receive a modern, studio recording (Bru Zane, are you there?  ;)).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 25, 2021, 01:32:05 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/51uqyihlall.jpg)

Not actually an opera, though these days it is often staged. Berlioz called it a légende dramatique and I often think of it in the same vein as Alfred de Musset's "armchair theatre", a work to be heard rather than seen, leaving the imagination to fill in the blanks.

Davis's Philips recording is undoubtedly one of the best ever and Gedda is a superb Faust. A short review on my website, if anyone's interested https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/05/colin-davis-conducts-la-damnation-de-faust/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/05/colin-davis-conducts-la-damnation-de-faust/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 26, 2021, 07:38:02 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/UcGHTndVXSPFilqTQxPialPAaxE=/fit-in/500x500/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-10089730-1491418618-2096.jpeg.jpg)

What an opportunity missed! This could have been the best of all recordings of Berlioz's wonderful La Damnation de Faust. As it is, it is bighted by Prêtre's dull, routine conducting. "A sleepy competence settles over the proceedings," according to David Cairns in Opera on Record 2 and, though there are moments of vitality, the whole thing is strangely inert.

I keep it mostly for Baker's superb Marguerite, which might just be the best on record, her D'amour l'ardente flamme one of the most uniquely moving I've ever heard. Bacquier sounds as if he could have been an interesting Méphisto under a different conductor and Gedda proves how much more interesting he could be in the Davis recording of a few years later.

Recommended for Baker's wonderful singing, but not much else.

The filler is Baker's earlier version of La mort de Cléopâtre under Sir Alexander Gibson, who proves himself to be a much better Berlioz conductor than Prêtre.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 26, 2021, 09:53:51 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/ysS5y7EJ3279__w6n1sgK7owLxE=/fit-in/500x500/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4887970-1378633978-7031.jpeg.jpg)

Written on Skin is a work that recalls Wozzeck in some respects: length-wise (about 90 minutes), in its mirror-like language of voice/instruments, its structure made of multiple scenes and a few orchestral interludes. Every scene is conceived to be likel engravings in a medieval Book of Hours (it's the story of a wealthy man who commissions such a book from an illuminator). Supposed to celebrate the man's life, it instead liberates the carnal instincts of his wife, who falls for the artist. It does not end well.

Familiar plot, clever construction and portrayal of the characters that gives them depth, a fine balance of vocal/instrumental lines make this a successful operatic work. Colourful sets and creative lighting are probably an essential ingredient of a staged production. It was done in Amsterdam, New-York, Aix, Toulouse, Paris and Munich. The disc is an audio recording of the work's premiere at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2012. The excellent soloists include Barbara Hannigan and Bejun Mehta.  I last listened to it in 2018 and, to tell the truth, didn't recall much from that occasion. I'm glad I gave it another outing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on June 26, 2021, 10:24:08 AM
Quote from: André on June 26, 2021, 09:53:51 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/ysS5y7EJ3279__w6n1sgK7owLxE=/fit-in/500x500/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4887970-1378633978-7031.jpeg.jpg)

Written on Skin is a work that recalls Wozzeck in some respects: length-wise (about 90 minutes), in its mirror-like language of voice/instruments, its structure made of multiple scenes and a few orchestral interludes. Every scene is conceived to be likel engravings in a medieval Book of Hours (it's the story of a wealthy man who commissions such a book from an illuminator). Supposed to celebrate the man's life, it instead liberates the carnal instincts of his wife, who falls for the artist. It does not end well.

Familiar plot, clever construction and portrayal of the characters that gives them depth, a fine balance of vocal/instrumental lines make this a successful operatic work. Colourful sets and creative lighting are probably an essential ingredient of a staged production. It was done in Amsterdam, New-York, Aix, Toulouse, Paris and Munich. The disc is an audio recording of the work's premiere at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2012. The excellent soloists include Barbara Hannigan and Bejun Mehta.  I last listened to it in 2018 and, to tell the truth, didn't recall much from that occasion. I'm glad I gave it another outing.

Most interesting comments, thanks! Glad it resonated more the second time. I saw the original production twice (once on video) and thought it utterly fascinating.

You might seek out his subsequent opera, Lessons in Love and Violence, also with Hannigan (who is just a wonder). There are excerpts on YouTube.

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 26, 2021, 12:03:22 PM
Thanks Bruce, I'll check for Benjamin's Lessons.  :)

I had bought the Nimbus set in 2018, figuring it would be a good follow-up to Dead Man Walking which I had seen in 2013. As luck would have it, I *almost* got to see the Written on Skin in February 2020. The Montreal Opera was showing it (https://www.operademontreal.com/programmation/written-skin) but something intervened and I couldn't attend :-X. It's not often we get to see contemporary works here, and I don't expect another occasion to see it will occur in my lifetime...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 28, 2021, 07:43:53 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/811HU7RNtOL._AC_SL1400_.jpg)

I've now come to the operas in my Berlioz marathon, starting with his final opera Béatrice et Bénédict, which caused him a great deal less stress than Les Troyens, which was composed before it. To a libretto by Berlioz himself after Shakespeare, it is a delghtfully effervescent work, with pages of pure magic and you would never guess that Berlioz was in great pain at the time of its composition.

It has had quite a few successful recordings, three by Colin Davis himself, but this is, in my opinion, the best of the three, with Baker and Tear marvellous as the two eponymous lovers, and a superb supporting cast that includes Christiane Eda-Pierre, Thomas Allen and Jules Bastin.  Pure delight.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2021, 02:15:07 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Jnu7S0h0zHhneM14M41TD0AGAr0=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11700064-1572092830-5730.jpeg.jpg)

I love this opera more each time I hear it. What a wonderful score it is, full of marvellous energy and invention.

This 1972 recording was its first, but it has stood the test of time with a superb cast under Davis's brilliant leadership. I doubt Gedda ever did anything better and for me he has no equal as Cellini.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 01, 2021, 12:19:31 AM
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0238/9583/products/10408-4front.jpeg?v=1478281833)

This recording is chiefly of interest for capturing Janet Baker in one of her greatest roles, a role which she unfortunately never got to record complete. Baker was stepping in at short notice for an indisposed Josephine Veasey and only knew the role in English so, incongruously, she sings in English whilst everyone else sings in French.

The performances were a dry run for Davis's seminal recording of the opera, which was recorded around the same time, though for some reason Berit Lindholm replaced Anja Silja as Cassandre, and she is not an improvement. Veasey of course sang Didon, but many of us wish that Baker had been engaged for the recording, especially when you hear the recording she made of the final scenes with Alexander Gibson, which I've never heard bettered.

Other than that, this recording cannot be preferred to the studio version. The sound is not great and is occasionally beset by static problems. However, even singing in English and in less than perfect sound, Baker gives the greatest performance of Didon I have ever heard, rivalled only by Verrett on the patchy Prêtre recording.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on July 02, 2021, 08:39:14 AM
Today I started listening to this recording:

(https://img.discogs.com/Se9fshZ5t3m8iKyR15CgXBofCec=/fit-in/600x594/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7045594-1514211071-5500.jpeg.jpg)

Not usually a big fan of middle/early Verdi.  But this is a cracker and helped in no small part but the quality of the singing, playing & engineering.  Which led me to a series of - fairly obvious - thoughts;

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 02, 2021, 09:00:53 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on July 02, 2021, 08:39:14 AM
Today I started listening to this recording:

(https://img.discogs.com/Se9fshZ5t3m8iKyR15CgXBofCec=/fit-in/600x594/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7045594-1514211071-5500.jpeg.jpg)

Not usually a big fan of middle/early Verdi.  But this is a cracker and helped in no small part but the quality of the singing, playing & engineering.  Which led me to a series of - fairly obvious - thoughts;


  • How lucky we are to have a recorded legacy of the likes of Pavarotti/Caballe/Milnes recorded in such fine sound
  • How lucky the likes of Pavarotti/Caballe/Milnes were to be at their vocal peak when studio recordings of this quality were the norm
  • How unlucky current singers of similar (potential) stature who will never get to create a similar legacy
  • If Pavarotti et al were performing today think of all the roles they would NOT have recorded because the only recordings are made live/in the theatre
  • What a golden age when truly independant international record companies were rolling out their star performers in competing versions of repertoire - nothing close to that exists anymore

All very true !  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on July 02, 2021, 11:12:00 AM
Quote from: André on July 02, 2021, 09:00:53 AM
All very true !  :)

Yet on the other hand:
--We have DVDs, so we can see and not merely listen.
--We have a broader choice of operas: both neglected composers and neglected workd by famous composers.  Think of all the music by (f.i.) Donizetti that wasn't recorded in that era, or the operas which the Bru Zane Foundation brings to notice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 03, 2021, 01:48:21 AM
Quote from: JBS on July 02, 2021, 11:12:00 AM
Yet on the other hand:
--We have DVDs, so we can see and not merely listen.

Not always a good thing.  >:D

Quote from: JBS on July 02, 2021, 11:12:00 AM

--We have a broader choice of operas: both neglected composers and neglected workd by famous composers.  Think of all the music by (f.i.) Donizetti that wasn't recorded in that era, or the operas which the Bru Zane Foundation brings to notice.

Not necessarily true. There were loads of rare operas issued in the 70s and 80s, featuring the stars of the day, and Sutherland, Sills and Caballé made sure that many of these were of the bel canto repertoire. I worked in a record store back in the 1980s and in those days, new opera recordings were pretty much a monthly occurrence.

Think also of projects like Philips's early Verdi series; studio recordings of all of Verdi's early operas featuring stars like Caballé, Ricciarelli, Norman, Cossotto, Domingo, Carreras, Bergonzi, Milnes, Cappuccilli, Raimondi etc. Such a project would be unthinkabe now.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2021, 12:01:39 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/A1nHIHZfHAJQdowQ5lc6htbnurA=/fit-in/500x502/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3093850-1337893350-5316.jpeg.jpg)

I have loved this opera for forty odd years now and have very fond memories of the LP set I owned; a big thick box with two booklets, one with the libretto and translations and the other with essays on the opera and cast biographies. What luxury indeed. These days you're lucky to get even the libretto, and when you do it's in minuscule print.

On balance I agree with Ralph Moore in his survey of recordings of the opera http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Feb/Berlioz_Troyens_survey.pdf (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Feb/Berlioz_Troyens_survey.pdf) that it is still the best of all recordings of the opera. Berit Lindholm is probably the weakest link in the cast, but I don't object to her as mch as some people appear to do and Josephine Veasey gives one of her best performances on disc, second only to Janet Baker and Shirley Verrett as Didon.

The Nelson recording, which came in for so much praise when it was first issued, sounds small scale in comparison to me, where this one captures the epic grandeur of the score. I also prefer it to Davis's second recording as I think it has the better all round cast.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 04, 2021, 01:53:01 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/UzAWy6JQ7tmGuQkoWu3i_guGgGY=/fit-in/600x597/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6631606-1587043882-4651.jpeg.jpg)

I finish my survey of the Berlioz operas with Dame Janet Baker's superb recording of the final scenes, which only make me regret further that she was not on the Davis recording, made around the same time. Good though Veasey is, and I consider her one of the finest Didons on disc, Baker here surpasses her achievement. Every inch the wronged queen, Baker sings with passion and intensity and a wide range of colour.

The score is wonderfully well played by the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Alexander Gibson and there are excellent contributions from Bernadette Greevy, Gwynne Howell and Keith Erwen.

Anybody who loves this opera should also have this disc in their collection.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on July 06, 2021, 08:01:13 PM
Careful Tsaralondon or you'll overdose on Berlioz. ;) As much as I love this composer's music, you can have too much of a good thing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 06, 2021, 11:31:08 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 06, 2021, 08:01:13 PM
Careful Tsaralondon or you'll overdose on Berlioz. ;) As much as I love this composer's music, you can have too much of a good thing.

I've been doing a Berlioz binge actualy, listening exclusively to Berlioz and really immersing myself in his world. If his music's a drug, then I'm totally addicted.

PS At present I'm in the middle of doing a comparison of ten different recordings of Les Nuits d'Eté.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on July 07, 2021, 08:16:25 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 06, 2021, 11:31:08 PM
I've been doing a Berlioz binge actualy, listening exclusively to Berlioz and really immersing myself in his world. If his music's a drug, then I'm totally addicted.

PS At present I'm in the middle of doing a comparison of ten different recordings of Les Nuits d'Eté.

Indeed! I love Berlioz's music as well and upon noticing that you are doing a comparison of different recordings of Les nuits d'été, I bought this recording, which I don't think you listened to in your traversal of this work, but I wanted to buy it because I LOVE Gens' voice:

(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/0724354542251.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 08, 2021, 01:14:03 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 07, 2021, 08:16:25 PM
Indeed! I love Berlioz's music as well and upon noticing that you are doing a comparison of different recordings of Les nuits d'été, I bought this recording, which I don't think you listened to in your traversal of this work, but I wanted to buy it because I LOVE Gens' voice:

(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/0724354542251.jpg)

I considered buying the Gens, but sampled it on Spotify first. It's very fast, the fastest I've ever heard and the fast speeds mean we lose some of the deeper associations. Gens' voice is lovely, her legato excellent, but I find it all a bit cool for my taste and I'm not sure Berlioz should ever be cool.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on July 08, 2021, 06:22:04 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 08, 2021, 01:14:03 AM
I considered buying the Gens, but sampled it on Spotify first. It's very fast, the fastest I've ever heard and the fast speeds mean we lose some of the deeper associations. Gens' voice is lovely, her legato excellent, but I find it all a bit cool for my taste and I'm not sure Berlioz should ever be cool.

For me, this is excellent! I like interpretations that are different from ones that I already own. Looking forward to hearing this one. 8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on July 08, 2021, 07:19:07 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 08, 2021, 06:22:04 AM
For me, this is excellent! I like interpretations that are different from ones that I already own. Looking forward to hearing this one. 8)

As delicate and soulful as Berlioz's Les nuits d'été can be, I think it holds up to a wide variety of interpretations quite well. The last time I listened to this work was Leontyne Price/Fritz Reiner/CSO and Anne Sophie von Otter/James Levine/BPO, and I couldn't imagine a wider difference.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 08, 2021, 09:10:50 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/52-BCEbihy-x2Hr8hWePZXyjy04=/fit-in/600x595/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8989536-1477413675-6457.jpeg.jpg)

Callas's endlessly fascinating Carmen is never quite the same from one listen to another. I hear something new every time I listen to it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on July 08, 2021, 08:04:24 PM
Quote from: VonStupp on July 08, 2021, 07:19:07 AM
As delicate and soulful as Berlioz's Les nuits d'été can be, I think it holds up to a wide variety of interpretations quite well. The last time I listened to this work was Leontyne Price/Fritz Reiner/CSO and Anne Sophie von Otter/James Levine/BPO, and I couldn't imagine a wider difference.

I think many of his works hold up against different interpretations. There's an old saying that goes there's more than one way to skin a cat. As I get older, my rigidness towards a work being played a certain way in order for me to enjoy it is slowly falling to the wayside.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 10, 2021, 02:26:38 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/tCkmkokYa29gi4IDwgk9c4k1Wo0=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2228676-1620409600-4550.jpeg.jpg)

One of my most memorable operatic evenings was a 1983 performance of Carmen with Baltsa and Carreras at Covent Garden. According to the Royal Opera performance annals, Colin Davis conducted, Leona Mitchell was Micaëla and Benjamin Luxon was Escamillo, but all I can remember is the performances of Baltsa and Carreras, who were both amazing. Baltsa was no hip swinging vamp, but a bare footed wild cat, a free spirit, whilst Carreras brilliantly conveyed José's innocence and gradual disintegration.

As I say this was 1983. Though the production was a revival, Baltsa and Carreras had brought many of their ideas on performing their roles from the Ponnele production in Vienna, which, I believe, had been Baltsa's debut in the role.

When the Karajan set came out, I pounced on it eagerly, but it turned out to be something of a disappointment and has never lived up to the stage performances. The biggest problem is Karajan himself. The score is beautifully played by the Berlin Philharmonic of course, but Karajan rather loves it to death, some of it unbearably slow. Ricciarelli is totally miscast as Micaëla. (Considering he'd just recorded her as Turandot, where she is also totally miscast, I have no idea what sort of voice he thought she had.) Karajan chooses a very full edition of the score with spoken dialogue but then uses a cast of actors, recorded in a completely different acoustic, who don't sound in the least like the singers they are supposed to be. Baltsa and Carreras are fine, but the spontaneity of the live performances is missing.

I keep the recording as a memento of those wonderful Covent Garden performances, but really it's not that good a recording and not a patch on the Callas set, Guiraud recitatives and all.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 11, 2021, 12:38:38 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/Qr6ovax8BC645RiwSrlohRCdUu8=/fit-in/600x605/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7895160-1548238163-5600.jpeg.jpg)

Bizet's second most popular opera in a recording, which I believe was the first to use Bizet's original score, before it was "improved" after his death.

Cotrubas is the best of the soloists, a lovely, touching Leïla, whilst Vanzo, a little over the hill, is a stylish Nadir. Sarabia and Soyer complete the cast and Prêtre conducts efficiently, if without finding anything ery special to say.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 20, 2021, 01:43:11 PM
Cross-posted:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HSty7KbdL._AC_.jpg)

Not quite the same storyline as Shakespeare's play or other operas - or the Prokofiev ballet, for that matter. That's because  Felice Romani based his libretto not on Shakespeare, but on Mathieu Bandello's story published in 1554. It was also one of the sources that Shakespeare used for his own R&J. Some characters are different but the plot basics are the same. Feuding families, forbidden love, false death potion, real poison, etc.

Muti conducts with a welcome urgency, Baltsa sings very well but vocally it's Gruberova who takes the honors. Live from Covent Garden, 1984.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 21, 2021, 12:18:18 AM
Quote from: André on July 20, 2021, 01:43:11 PM
Cross-posted:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HSty7KbdL._AC_.jpg)

Not quite the same storyline as Shakespeare's play or other operas - or the Prokofiev ballet, for that matter. That's because  Felice Romani based his libretto not on Shakespeare, but on Mathieu Bandello's story published in 1554. It was also one of the sources that Shakespeare used for his own R&J. Some characters are different but the plot basics are the same. Feuding families, forbidden love, false death potion, real poison, etc.

Muti conducts with a welcome urgency, Baltsa sings very well but vocally it's Gruberova who takes the honors. Live from Covent Garden, 1984.

I always liked this performance, but the recording rather lets it down. It was a rush job apparently, a last minute decision by EMI because the production had been such an enormous success. I think rather higher of Baltsa than you do, but Gruberova is also very fine. It was revived the following season with Ricciarelli and Troyanos and, according to friends of mine who saw it, was even better. I did hera Ricciarelli sing Giulietta's main aria in concert once, and it was stunning. The role would have suited her like a glove.

All that said, my favourite recording of the opera is the Patané, with Sills and Janet Baker. Sills' rather lightweight voice was much more suited to Giulietta than it ever was to the Tudor Queens and Baker is, as always, a wonderfully sensitive and imaginative singer.

(https://img.cdandlp.com/2018/04/imgL/119139445.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2021, 01:11:39 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/J3s88EBpojVDv5L-H8cuVeGTpkw=/fit-in/500x442/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8855682-1470192325-7940.jpeg.jpg)

As I love the female voice so much, I resisted Britten's Billy Budd for a long time, thinking an opera for only male voices would lack colour. Was I wrong? It has now become one of my favourite Britten operas. I used to have the Britten recording on LP, but this Hickox recording in absolutely stunning Chandos sounds is easily its equal. A great recording of a wonderful opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on July 26, 2021, 03:53:19 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2021, 01:11:39 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/J3s88EBpojVDv5L-H8cuVeGTpkw=/fit-in/500x442/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8855682-1470192325-7940.jpeg.jpg)

As I love the female voice so much, I resisted Britten's Billy Budd for a long time, thinking an opera for only male voices would lack colour. Was I wrong? It has now become one of my favourite Britten operas. I used to have the Britten recording on LP, but this Hickox recording in absolutely stunning Chandos sounds is easily its equal. A great recording of a wonderful opera.
Don't recall ever hearing Billy Budd before but it has been on my list of things to listen to.  I enjoy Simon Keenlyside's voice (have one of his recital CDs--the "Tales of Opera" one).  Trying to remember whether or not I have any recordings with Philip Langridge? And, alas, I'm not familiar with John Tomlinson's voice.  When is the recording from?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2021, 07:42:25 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 26, 2021, 03:53:19 AM
Don't recall ever hearing Billy Budd before but it has been on my list of things to listen to.  I enjoy Simon Keenlyside's voice (have one of his recital CDs--the "Tales of Opera" one).  Trying to remember whether or not I have any recordings with Philip Langridge? And, alas, I'm not familiar with John Tomlinson's voice.  When is the recording from?

PD

It was recorded in 1999 and released the following year. Philip Langridge is a fine Britten singer and John Tomlinson is known for his Wagner, among other things, and sang major roles at Bayreuth every season between 1988 and 2006.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 26, 2021, 09:26:00 AM
Cross-posted and edited from WAYL2 :


(https://img.discogs.com/N9GjwTEUy_j2j6oGv6JiNfOhgnQ=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(webp):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-16191568-1605023032-4614.jpeg.jpg)

I'm not sure I understand the reputation of this opera. The orchestration is indeed magnificent, Heliane gets a soaring, show-stopping aria (Anna Tomowa-Simtow nails it) but the story is ridiculous even if one accounts for the obvious symbolist intents. An interesting, sometimes stunning work, but I find it hard to understand and root for its characters. I prefer Die Tote Stadt, where his tendency for sonic overload is kept in better balance IMO.

Also, I find that the whole first act is but a pretext to set the table for the story that unfolds in the next two acts. While dramatically useful, it is not on the same level as the rest of the work musically. I think it might have been better for Korngold to set just the last two acts, starting in media res so to speak. Lots of operas do just that. The rest of Heliane is gorgeous and the temperature keeps rising until the wonderfully cinematic end (riding off in the sunset, Fanciulla del West-like).

The set has no libretto but contains a small booklet with a track listing that includes the name of the characters singing in each track (useful). To access the libretto Decca directs us to a web site that no longer exists (404 this page could not be found).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on July 26, 2021, 10:03:32 AM
Quote from: André on July 26, 2021, 09:26:00 AM
The set has no libretto but contains a small booklet with a track listing that includes the name of the characters singing in each track (useful). To access the libretto Decca directs us to a web site that no longer exists (404 this page could not be found).

Typical customer service of the major companies....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2021, 10:48:28 AM
Quote from: Que on July 26, 2021, 10:03:32 AM
Typical customer service of the major companies....

How I miss the days of the luxury LP box sets. I remember the Colin Davis Les Troyens actually came with two large booklets, one with the libretto in French, English and German and the other with scholarly essays on the opera, plus biographies of all the singers, also in three different languages, and that was by no means unique.

Even most mid-price sets came with librettos at least. The practice persisted into the CD age, though often the booklets would be in minuscule, almost impossble to read print. The rot set in when they started sending you to an internet link where you could find the libretto. This link may have worked for a few months after the sets were issued, but they soon became broken. It's particularly frustrating for rarer works.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on July 27, 2021, 04:18:53 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 26, 2021, 07:42:25 AM
It was recorded in 1999 and released the following year. Philip Langridge is a fine Britten singer and John Tomlinson is known for his Wagner, among other things, and sang major roles at Bayreuth every season between 1988 and 2006.
Thank you for the information!  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2021, 09:02:16 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/eezywpvKzyR4Tg4TJhRGm7G2sPQ=/fit-in/600x517/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7802749-1482164305-2425.jpeg.jpg)

I have always liked Gloriana, right from the first time I saw it in the early 1970s in a visually resplendent production by Colin Graham for Sadlers Wells Opera, with Ava June as the Queen. I saw it again when it was revived, this time with Sarah Walker and it is good that the production was finally captured on film.

The opera suffered from a deal of negative press after its rather cool reception in 1953 and consequently is absent from the series of recordings Britten made of all his operas for Decca. The opera was revived in the early 1990s, first by Welsh National Opera and then by Opera North with Josephine Barstow as Elisabeth and this spendid 1993 studo recording is based on these performances.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on July 28, 2021, 01:20:28 PM
Act I from Les Troyens:

(https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=29166.0;attach=75966;image)

Of course, it's magnificent. One of my favorite Berlioz works and one I really should become more and more acquainted with. I believe it's his longest opera, too. I've always liked Berlioz, but it seems that I've really got under the skin of his music around last year or so when I acquired that Warner set. This acquisition led me to pull out some older recordings that were already in my collection.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 30, 2021, 12:18:30 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/nvvtUDn0Uiaoml8oSb-Y0MTdeKc=/fit-in/600x527/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8917393-1471458481-4363.jpeg.jpg)

Sticking with Britten , I've moved on to Hickox's excellent recording of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 30, 2021, 03:22:43 PM
Cross-posted

(https://img.discogs.com/ZjZf6hFycOoGxQRKxiv3THFBdtU=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(webp):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14965632-1584825105-7490.jpeg.jpg)

Quite bowled over by this version of Don Carlos. Certainly one of Karajan's most impressive contributions to the operatic world. Freni and Carreras may be a bit light for their roles but they sing with passion and commitment. Contrary to some who criticize this aspect of the performance, the recorded sound appears to me perfectly suited to the opera. Don Carlos is not a lyrical work, but a drama about the clash of mighty egos and powerful forces.

The uneasy cohabitation of state and church powers and the futility of human emotions when caught between them is perfectly conveyed by Karajan's powerful conducting and the BP's superlative playing. All the roles are cast from strength, with the small parts of the Monk/Charle V, Tebaldo and the Heavenly Voice particularly magnificent. I am not so enamored with Capuccilli's rough and ready Rodrigo but at least he sings well. Raimondi's Grand Inquisitor is imposingly sonorous. Apart from Cesare Siepi, I think it's hard to come with a better Philip II than Ghiaurov's. Baltsa is an alluring Eboli.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2021, 01:13:10 AM
Quote from: André on July 30, 2021, 03:22:43 PM
Cross-posted

(https://img.discogs.com/ZjZf6hFycOoGxQRKxiv3THFBdtU=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(webp):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14965632-1584825105-7490.jpeg.jpg)

Quite bowled over by this version of Don Carlos. Certainly one of Karajan's most impressive contributions to the operatic world. Freni and Carreras may be a bit light for their roles but they sing with passion and commitment. Contrary to some who criticize this aspect of the performance, the recorded sound appears to me perfectly suited to the opera. Don Carlos is not a lyrical work, but a drama about the clash of mighty egos and powerful forces.

The uneasy cohabitation of state and church powers and the futility of human emotions when caught between them is perfectly conveyed by Karajan's powerful conducting and the BP's superlative playing. All the roles are cast from strength, with the small parts of the Monk/Charle V, Tebaldo and the Heavenly Voice particularly magnificent. I am not so enamored with Capuccilli's rough and ready Rodrigo but at least he sings well. Raimondi's Grand Inquisitor is imposingly sonorous. Apart from Cesare Siepi, I think it's hard to come with a better Philip II than Ghiaurov's. Baltsa is an alluring Eboli.

I like this set rather a lot too and I don't actually find Carreras and Freni too light for their respective roles. Carreras, in particular, gives one of his best performances on disc and Baltsa is a superb Eboli, my favourite on disc along with Verrett on the Giulini set.

However I do find the sound a major problem. Even listening with headphones the extraordinarly wide dymanic range of the recording makes for difficult listening, some passages so quiet you can hardly hear them, others absolutely ear-splitting. A typical example is the beginning of Act II scene i when Carreras is placed so far from the microphone you can hardly hear him. With the volume turned up high enough to be able to make out his voice the next orchestral tutti blasts you out of your seat. My impressions are more fully documented in my blog here http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/05/karajans-studio-don-carlo-2/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/05/karajans-studio-don-carlo-2/) and here http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2021, 01:14:51 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/1t7hxhGq5mCo2geKh-4q8oBQmS4=/fit-in/447x445/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4252047-1420282453-8795.jpeg.jpg)

Peter Grimes must surely be the most recorded opera of all post WWII operas and I don't think it's ever had a bad recording, right from this its very first, recorded in 1958. It stil sounds very good in this transfer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 31, 2021, 06:26:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2021, 01:13:10 AM
I like this set rather a lot too and I don't actually find Carreras and Freni too light for their respective roles. Carreras, in particular, gives one of his best performances on disc and Baltsa is a superb Eboli, my favourite on disc along with Verrett on the Giulini set.

However I do find the sound a major problem. Even listening with headphones the extraordinarly wide dymanic range of the recording makes for difficult listening, some passages so quiet you can hardly hear them, others absolutely ear-splitting. A typical example is the beginning of Act II scene i when Carreras is placed so far from the microphone you can hardly hear him. With the volume turned up high enough to be able to make out his voice the next orchestral tutti blasts you out of your seat. My impressions are more fully documented in my blog here http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/05/karajans-studio-don-carlo-2/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/05/karajans-studio-don-carlo-2/) and here http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/).

Listening with headphones is the last thing I'd recommend for listening to this version. A suitably large listening room reveals all the orchestral glory of this performance. I don't mind the sometimes hardly audible parts. Placing Carreras far from the mic for the beginning of that Act II scene was a conscious decision, not an engineering defect, as he is coming from afar (he gets closer as it goes). I don't mind being blasted out of my seat when it's justified by the music  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2021, 07:10:42 AM
Quote from: André on July 31, 2021, 06:26:51 AM
Listening with headphones is the last thing I'd recommend for listening to this version. A suitably large listening room reveals all the orchestral glory of this performance. I don't mind the sometimes hardly audible parts. Placing Carreras far from the mic for the beginning of that Act II scene was a conscious decision, not an engineering defect, as he is coming from afar (he gets closer as it goes). I don't mind being blasted out of my seat when it's justified by the music  ;)

Great if you have that kind of listening environment but I'd hazard a guess that quite a large proportion of listeners live in small appartments in busy cities. If you want to be on speaking terms with your neighbours, headphones are often a must.  :laugh:

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 31, 2021, 08:09:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2021, 07:10:42 AM
Great if you have that kind of listening environment but I'd hazard a guess that quite a large proportion of listeners live in small appartments in busy cities. If you want to be on speaking terms with your neighbours, headphones are often a must.  :laugh:

Very true, and it goes for me as well. My wife being absent for a few days I arrange my listening schedule accordingly and let those loudspeakers rip !  :D

Right now listening to the Solti version (5 acts). Act I finished and II under way. A better Carlos, a matronly Elisbetta, a good Monk (though not on the level of the outstanding van Dam), and of course Fi-Di's unique timbre and slightly overbearing voice acting. Orchestra and conducting are very good, the engineering a bit blasty but quite good. Will have to wait till the end to form an opinion on the whole, of course.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on July 31, 2021, 08:15:43 AM
Watching Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, live from the Bavarian State Opera (and free). The production is a little odd, but never mind, the singing (Jonas Kaufmann and Anja Harteros) is excellent, as is the orchestra, all led by Kirill Petrenko.

https://operlive.de/

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on July 31, 2021, 08:01:20 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2021, 01:14:51 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/1t7hxhGq5mCo2geKh-4q8oBQmS4=/fit-in/447x445/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4252047-1420282453-8795.jpeg.jpg)

Peter Grimes must surely be the most recorded opera of all post WWII operas and I don't think it's ever had a bad recording, right from this its very first, recorded in 1958. It stil sounds very good in this transfer.

What did you think of the newer Gardner recording on Chandos?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 01, 2021, 01:21:18 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 31, 2021, 08:01:20 PM
What did you think of the newer Gardner recording on Chandos?

I've yet to hear it. I only have the Britten and the Davis on CD, but I'm keen to hear the Gardner. The sound is supposed to be sensational.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 01, 2021, 03:01:01 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/hkpa6DI7WljLj8SQVAByn0pivp4=/fit-in/600x511/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9146264-1475659908-5341.jpeg.jpg)

Today it's the turn of Davis's fine recording of Peter Grimes and Vickers's terrifyingly intense performance of Grimes. Britten repotredly didn't like Vickers in the role, but I do very much. The raw, animalistic power of his performance is cumulative and this recording, based on actual performances at Covent Garden that were also filmed serves as a fine memento of a great portrayal.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 01, 2021, 08:18:04 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 01, 2021, 03:01:01 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/hkpa6DI7WljLj8SQVAByn0pivp4=/fit-in/600x511/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9146264-1475659908-5341.jpeg.jpg)

Today it's the turn of Davis's fine recording of Peter Grimes and Vickers's terrifyingly intense performance of Grimes. Britten repotredly didn't like Vickers in the role, but I do very much. The raw, animalistic power of his performance is cumulative and this recording, based on actual performances at Covent Garden that were also filmed serves as a fine memento of a great portrayal.

Well said ! The accumulation of unhappy circumstances and poor judgment/social skills weighs on Grimes. That downward spiralling sounds inevitable in Vickers' portrayal. How could Britten not appreciate that ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on August 01, 2021, 04:39:58 PM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41yrt5Dt4vL._SX450_.jpg)

Today saw my first live opera in a long while! At "Bard Summerscape", upstate NY. Botstein conducted, so will use the above image.
Pretty good opera, but more than a little Wagnerian, and the plot is somewhat suggestive of Tristan as well. Good performances (as far as I can judge) and impressive production; the Bard summer festival spares no expense when it comes to opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 01, 2021, 05:02:30 PM
Wow ! I don't think I'll ever see this opera performed here in Montreal, despite the language connection  :-[.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 02, 2021, 01:25:48 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/jnqI5Sto-Jyn-UOfvJzatXqRDVU=/fit-in/600x589/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8333026-1459545429-5213.jpeg.jpg)

Ronald Duncan's libretto has its problems, but the score has many great beauties and it is astonishing what sounds Britten can conjure up from his chamber orchestra of a mere twelve players. Baker is a beautiful and wonderfully sympathetic Lucretia and is no less superb in Phaedra, Britten's last vocal work which he wrote for her in 1975.

The rest of the cast could hardly be bettered with Pears and Harper  as the Male and Female Choruses, John Shirey-Quirk as a noble Collatinus and Bryan Drake and Benjamin Luxon sparring brilliantly as Junius and Tarquinius.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 02, 2021, 01:31:24 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on August 01, 2021, 10:14:41 AM
I don't walk out of things often, but the Vickers Peter Grimes was one of the few productions I've literally heard about 20 minutes of and decided to walk. (The only other one I've done that for is Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten). I was young[ish] and I can't remember precisely what it was that made me walk now, but the over-wrought tenor had a lot to do with it. I get why Britten did like him, basically: the voice was all wrong (for someone brought up on Pears, that is).

Of course, with 20:20 hindsight, I wish I could report having actually seen Vickers in the role! Even if only to heap shame upon the performance from the perspective of having endured it. Sadly, at the time, and with the impetuosity of youth, walking seemed the better part of valour!

Well I've just listened to the Pears/Britten and Vickers/Davis versions back to back and they are both marvellous recordings. However it is the Vickers/Davis version that I find much more shatteringly and intensely moving. I don't know if Britten would have come round to Vickers's way with the role, but he would surely have taken great satisfaction from the fact that his opera can take a variety of different approaches and is now probably the most often performed of all operas written after the second world war.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 03, 2021, 01:38:03 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/SKa-9ZjeWgVPHjoQOvqU7yGczlA=/fit-in/600x516/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8940486-1594033577-5029.jpeg.jpg)

The Turn of the Screw was the first Britten opera I ever saw, in a wonderfully ambiguous atmospheric production by Anthony Besch for Scottish Opera, in which the ghosts remained quite insubstantial throughout. Did they exist or were they just figments of the Governess's over fertile imagination? It's an opera I have always enjoyed and I also remember Jill Gomez in an English Opera Group production and Jonathan Miller's wonderful production for English National Opera, this time with Valerie Masterson as the Governess.

It's something of a shame that Britten's recording was made before the advent of stereo, because, as a performance, I'm not sure it has ever been bettered. The cast is absolutely superb with Peter Pears in what was arguably his greatest role and Jennifer Vyvyan as a vividly neurotic Governess. But what really caps this performance is David Hemmings' ambivalent Miles. In any case, the sound of this mono recording is very clear and the diction of the principals absolutely exemplary. Why is it that so few singers sing words these days? Every single one of the singers on this recording gives a lesson in how to clearly enunicate text.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on August 09, 2021, 04:53:33 PM
NP:

Strauss
Ariadne auf Naxos, Op. 60
Deborah Voigt, Natalie Dessay, Anne Sofie von Otter, Ben Heppner, Albert Dohmen
Staatskapelle Dresden
Giuseppe Sinopoli


(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/00028947132325.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 09, 2021, 05:34:04 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 09, 2021, 04:53:33 PM
NP:

Strauss
Ariadne auf Naxos, Op. 60
Deborah Voigt, Natalie Dessay, Anne Sofie von Otter, Ben Heppner, Albert Dohmen
Staatskapelle Dresden
Giuseppe Sinopoli


(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/00028947132325.jpg)

Last week I listened to this opera in the Karajan version from 1955. I found the slightly limited sound of the orchestra a drawback. Voices are well caught, though, forward and very clear. Streich (Zerbinetta) stole the show. Wish it had been recorded in stereo a couple of years later. All the principals were still active then.

How did you like that version, John ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on August 09, 2021, 07:50:07 PM
Quote from: André on August 09, 2021, 05:34:04 PM
Last week I listened to this opera in the Karajan version from 1955. I found the slightly limited sound of the orchestra a drawback. Voices are well caught, though, forward and very clear. Streich (Zerbinetta) stole the show. Wish it had been recorded in stereo a couple of years later. All the principals were still active then.

How did you like that version, John ?

I wanted to get that Karajan recording your talking about, but, as you pointed out as have reviews I've read, the fidelity is biggest drawback, so I decided to pass on it. The Sinopoli is excellent. All of the vocalists are well captured and seem to be in good voice. Sinopoli, of course, is in his element in Strauss, so I can't make any particular criticism of his own performance. The fidelity is superb. A recommendable release that I must thank Rafael for as he's the one who turned me onto these Strauss Sinopoli opera recordings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 10, 2021, 05:53:25 AM
Quote from: André on August 09, 2021, 05:34:04 PM
Last week I listened to this opera in the Karajan version from 1955. I found the slightly limited sound of the orchestra a drawback. Voices are well caught, though, forward and very clear. Streich (Zerbinetta) stole the show. Wish it had been recorded in stereo a couple of years later. All the principals were still active then.

How did you like that version, John ?

Considering its mono, the sound on the Karajan is extraordinarily good, and I'll take his cast over any of the other recorded versions, though the Kempe comes close. Seefried, a soprano as Strauss stipulated rather than the mezzo who usually sings the role these days, is a superb Composer and dominates the prologue, as she should. Streich is, as you say, also superb, but so is Schwarzkopf and there are some lovely cameos from the likes of Hermann Prey and Hugues Cuénod. Schock is a little stolid, I suppose, but perfectly acceptable and Karajan moulds the score with real understanding. The lack of stereo sound in what is after all a chamber opera has never bothered me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 11, 2021, 09:58:58 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 10, 2021, 05:53:25 AM
Considering its mono, the sound on the Karajan is extraordinarily good, and I'll take his cast over any of the other recorded versions, though the Kempe comes close. Seefried, a soprano as Strauss stipulated rather than the mezzo who usually sings the role these days, is a superb Composer and dominates the prologue, as she should. Streich is, as you say, also superb, but so is Schwarzkopf and there are some lovely cameos from the likes of Hermann Prey and Hugues Cuénod. Schock is a little stolid, I suppose, but perfectly acceptable and Karajan moulds the score with real understanding. The lack of stereo sound in what is after all a chamber opera has never bothered me.

No.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2021, 10:20:09 AM
Quote from: André on August 11, 2021, 09:58:58 AM
No.

Well it's good enough for me. These things are subjective. In fact I'd rather the more natural mono sound of this set to the overblown stereo of his Don Carlo.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 11, 2021, 11:16:48 AM
Fair enough. I actually agree with everything you mention except the sound. I find the voices to be very well caught but no so the orchestra - too distant for my taste. Like you say, these things are subjective.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on August 11, 2021, 06:43:34 PM
NP:

Ravel
L'enfant et les sortilèges
Sylvaine Gilma (soprano), Francoise Ogeas (soprano), Colette Herzog (soprano), Jeannine Collard (mezzo-soprano), Jane Berbié (mezzo-soprano), Camille Maurane (baritone) et. al.
R.T.F. National Orchestre
R.T.F. Choeur De Radio France
R.T.F. Maitrise De Radio France
Maazel


(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/00028944976922.jpg)

Exquisite. French opera doesn't get much better than this other than Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 13, 2021, 06:31:36 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/710Whx7wk-L._AC_SL1200_.jpg)

This is the premiere recording of Louise, albeit in potted form. Charpentier's approval was sought and given and he even assisted in the production of the recording, made 35 years after the opera's stage premiere in 1900. In Vallin and Thill it finds its ideal Louise and Julien and it's worth putting up with the cuts and ancient sounds just to hear such authentically French singing, their diction so crisp even a non French speaking listener can all but taste the words.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 14, 2021, 12:01:03 PM
Gianluigi Gelmetti in memoriam:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71VaT3NRvdL._AC_SX679_.jpg)

Salieri's Les Danaïdes, a late tragédie lyrique, is a rather engaging, if perhaps also quite formulaic, work. I think though that the more recent recording conducted by Christophe Rousset on the Bru Zane label is much more exciting and idiomatic. This RAI broadcast, in excellent sound, boasts Montserrat Caballé —towards the end of her illustrious career—in the lead rôle (Gelmetti later made a studio recording for EMI with Margaret Marshall).

Maestro Gelmetti died this week in Monte Carlo, aged 75. He had held several conducting posts (at the Stuttgart Radio, the Sydney Symphony, the Rome Opera, and the Monte Carlo Philharmonic), but he was particularly associated with the obscurer reaches of the Italian operatic repertoire and lesser-known works by Rossini (many of which he recorded, sometimes with distinguished casts). I own his recordings of Mascagni's Le maschere and Iris, Respighi's La fiamma, and Rossini's La gazza ladra (with Katia Ricciarelli) and Maometto II (with Cecilia Gasdia). All are highly enjoyable and valuable additions to the recorded repertoire (even if unfortunately many were made for smaller, now defunct labels —like Ricordi and Agora— ).

I saw him conduct only once, a delightful Barber of Seville here in Madrid about 15 years ago. Gelmetti would himself play the guitar from the pit in Ecco ridente in cielo in Act I, a nice touch.

https://operawire.com/obituary-italian-conductor-gianluigi-gelmetti-dies-75/

Rest in piece....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 14, 2021, 01:34:46 PM
Ritter's reference to this as a historical curiousity might be a good label.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/415KIuqbQaL.%3Cbr%20/%3E.jpg)
Sound is not great (almost mono!), intrusive stage noises at points, music is not particularly memorable.  The soloists do a good job with what Meyerbeer gave them, but that's not much. It's probably telling that the most famous scene in this opera is the ballet scene from Act 3.

Recommended only for Meyerbeer fans and even they would probably want a recording with better sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2021, 11:59:36 PM
(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81fHqNO24vL._AC_UL600_SR600,600_.jpg)

Both story and music are heavily influenced by Wagner, but Chausson has his own voice and one has to wonder why this excellent opera has receieved so few performances since its 1903 première.

There is at least one other recording available, but I can't imagine it being better than this one. Winbergh lets it down a bit, singing for the most part too loud in questionable French, but both Quilico and Zylis-Gara are superb, as are the smaller roles and Armin Jordan makes sure the performance never sags.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on August 16, 2021, 12:29:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2021, 11:59:36 PM
(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81fHqNO24vL._AC_UL600_SR600,600_.jpg)

Both story and music are heavily influenced by Wagner, but Chausson has his own voice and one has to wonder why this excellent opera has receieved so few performances since its 1903 première.

There is at least one other recording available, but I can't imagine it being better than this one. Winbergh lets it down a bit, singing for the most part too loud in questionable French, but both Quilico and Zylis-Gara are superb, as are the smaller roles and Armin Jordan makes sure the performance never sags.

+1 for all you write.  I think this performance is preferable to the alternative/Telarc version;

(https://concord.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/80645.jpg)

which sounds pretty gorgeous due to Telarc's sumptuous engineering but I do find Botstein no more than efficient as a conductor and lacking the flair this (and many other) scores require.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 16, 2021, 03:46:29 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on August 16, 2021, 12:29:02 AM
+1 for all you write.  I think this performance is preferable to the alternative/Telarc version;

(https://concord.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/80645.jpg)

which sounds pretty gorgeous due to Telarc's sumptuous engineering but I do find Botstein no more than efficient as a conductor and lacking the flair this (and many other) scores require.

I haven't heard the Botstein, but I've read a couple of reviews that state the Jordan is very much better. It's not an opera I'd be wanting mutiple versions of, and the Jordan is rather good, so fills the gap more than adequately.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 16, 2021, 07:31:02 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/medeaflorence.jpg?w=1015)

Callas's debut in a role with which she became particularly associated. So successful were these performances that La Scala ditched plans to stage Scarlatti's Mitridate Eupatore with her later that year and replaced it with the Cherubini opera. Hearing this set you would never suspect for an instant that it was Callas's first attempt, so brilliantly assured is her singing and she is in quite stupendous voice. A more detailed review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/07/1986/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/07/1986/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 17, 2021, 12:46:55 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/1498838510831.jpg)

I have four recordings of Medea with Callas, made at different stages of her career; her first performance in Florence from 1953, this one from later the same year at La Scala, the studio recording under Serafin from 1957 and the Dallas performance under Rescigno of 1958 on the day Bing had pulled his publicity stunt of publicly tearing up her Met contract.

All four of these are worth hearing and it is fascinating to compare them. They all have different conductors and each one has prepared his own edition of the score, employing different cuts. They all also have different approaches to the score, Gui and Serafin adopting a more Classical style, whilst Bernstein and Rescigno bring to it a little more Romantic Sturm und Drang.

I have written a more detailed review of this recording on my blog https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/11/medea-la-scala-1953/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/11/medea-la-scala-1953/) but suffice it to say that Callas is in terrific voice in Milan, as she was in Florence. She was several pounds lighter in December than she had been in May in Florence, but so far it doesn't seem to have had any effect on her voice. However over the next year, she would continue to lose weight until, by the time of La Vestale the following December, she would be pencil thin.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on August 17, 2021, 04:35:02 PM
Cross-posted

Quote
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vVyz1DKcL._AC_SL400_.jpg)

I'm a huge Verdi fan, but this opera is far from a favourite. I actually find it rather unpleasant, a melodrama where all the men are rather despicable characters. Of course they come to regret their ways but too little, too late. Puccini's La Bohème is rather similar but most of its characters (Violetta excepted) have a complexity that I find lacking in Verdi's opera. Also, Verdi didn't write  interesting parts for mezzo soprano or bass, something he was famously good at (whoever heard of a mezzo making a career of singing Flora Bervoix?)

This is as good a modern version as any. Surprisingly Cotrubas sings a good high E flat in her first act aria. It is an unwritten interpolation and some sopranos (de los Angeles and Tebaldi for example) eschew it. Domingo is in fine form, refulgent of voice, almost likeable. Milnes sings very well as papa Germont. Kleiber's conducting is superb, attentive to every mood and nuance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 18, 2021, 12:09:11 AM
I always recommend the Kleiber Traviata to anyone as the best studio version of the opera, which also reminds me that I saw Cotrubas as  a superb Violetta at Covent Garden. I ike the opera rather more than you do and have seen it quite a few times on stage. I remember ENO had a particularly good and thankfully traditional production, which starred Josephine Barstow, who was mightily effective in the role.

I also have seven different recordings; the Kleiber, De Los Angeles with Serafin, and a live broadcast featuring Teresa Stratas's debut in the role and Wunderlich as a simply wonderful Alfredo, singing in Italian for once. However, in this of all roles, Callas is hors concours and nobody satisfies me as much and I have four versions with her singing the role. The Cetra studio version is let down by an inadequate conductor and supporting singers, but there are three absolutely essential live versions; La Scala, 1955 under Giulini, with Di Stefano and Bastianini, Lisbon 1958 under Ghione with Kraus and Sereni and (best of all in my opinion) London 1958 under Rescigno with Valetti and Zanasi. This one also enjoys the best sound of the three, having been taken from a BBC Third programme transmission, though the "official" MCA Classics version is best avoided, as they made a bit of a mess of the transfer. Myto and Ars Vocalis are much better.

If only Walter Legge had had the patience to wait a couple more years for Callas to be free from the terms of her Cetra contract to record his La Scala version. Stella proved to be a poor substitute and that version never sold well. With Callas, Di Stefano and Gobbi it might have become a classic of the stature of their recordings of Tosca and Rigoletto. Hindsight is a great thing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 18, 2021, 01:09:55 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/81xwlszwrml-_sl1456_.jpg?w=1013)

After Florence and La Scala live in 1953, this 1957 studio recording is a decidedly low key affair. Though in better sound than either (stereo, though it's a bit flat and airless) it lacks the excitement and thrill of either of the two live versions. It was recorded shorly after Callas sang Amina at the Edinburgh Festival, when she was in poor health, and though there are no jarring wobbles like the ones one hears in the recording of Manon Lescaut made earlier in the year, she sounds a litte underpowered. Serafin too is occasionally somnolent. We'd probably be happy enough with it if we didn't know the existence of any of the live performances (and I certainly was for many years before I heard them) and Callas fails only in comparison to herself caught live and on the wing. She is still a great Medea.

Review on https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/medea/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/medea/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2021, 01:29:55 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/dcc86eb552dbd96c4f07fbc85f0df3b2.jpg?w=1024)

This is the fourth of my Callas Medeas and I'm hard pressed to decide which would be my favourite. Rescigno was always inspired to give of his best with Callas and this is an intensely dramatic performance. Callas sings with a power and security not always available to her at this stage in her career. The performance was given just after Bing had pulled his very public publicity stunt of tearing up her Met contract for a photo op and Callas was justifiably furious, granting a press conference in her dressing room before the performance. Maybe this is what fired her up, but she sounds as if she were intent on showing New York just what it was missing.

I've written a much fuller review on my blog for anyone who's interested. https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/04/15/callas-sings-medea-dallas-november-1958/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/04/15/callas-sings-medea-dallas-november-1958/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2021, 11:21:46 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/Z3QEyarDBrO-wNOatWzR_kkCkvc=/fit-in/500x454/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8124211-1455579346-7917.jpeg.jpg)

I enjoyed this opera rather more tham I usually do. I still think its a load of old hokum, but it's entertaining enough and has some good tunes.

Everyone talks about Olivero in this role , but Scotto is superb, as are Domingo and Milnes. I'm afraid Obraztsova has ruined quite a few recordings for me and I like her no more here than I ever do. Yes, it's a mgnificent instrument no doubt, but she seems intent only on letting us hear it; relentlessly loud, with no finesse, no shaping of phrases. Her Princess emerges as a harridan from beginning to end.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on August 27, 2021, 04:40:58 PM
Recently:


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/816-BTsDN0L._AC_SL1400_.jpg)

Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov


Liking the work so far - I am keen to explore some more Russian Opera (have purchased a Box-Set of Rimsky-Korsakov Operas and Prokofiev's War and Peace to this end)....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on August 27, 2021, 06:20:11 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2021, 11:59:36 PM
(https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81fHqNO24vL._AC_UL600_SR600,600_.jpg)

Both story and music are heavily influenced by Wagner, but Chausson has his own voice and one has to wonder why this excellent opera has receieved so few performances since its 1903 première.

There is at least one other recording available, but I can't imagine it being better than this one. Winbergh lets it down a bit, singing for the most part too loud in questionable French, but both Quilico and Zylis-Gara are superb, as are the smaller roles and Armin Jordan makes sure the performance never sags.

I saw a live performance a month ago: https://fishercenter.bard.edu/events/king-arthur/

Listening to now:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51h1UwDhIGL._SX450_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vers la flamme on August 28, 2021, 10:29:48 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 11, 2021, 06:43:34 PM
NP:

Ravel
L'enfant et les sortilèges
Sylvaine Gilma (soprano), Francoise Ogeas (soprano), Colette Herzog (soprano), Jeannine Collard (mezzo-soprano), Jane Berbié (mezzo-soprano), Camille Maurane (baritone) et. al.
R.T.F. National Orchestre
R.T.F. Choeur De Radio France
R.T.F. Maitrise De Radio France
Maazel


(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/00028944976922.jpg)

Exquisite. French opera doesn't get much better than this other than Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande.

I found this last month at a record store, Bananas in St. Petersburg, FL, a very large store with a sadly limited classical selection, but there were some cool things to be found like this. I've only listened once and must admit neither opera really clicked with me. I owe it another listen soon as Ravel is one of my favorite composers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2021, 12:57:03 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/sNIMjE6Y7ehkw7te-Q0bHbg6bsE=/fit-in/600x519/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9282298-1477904013-9631.jpeg.jpg)

A classic recording of Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, the French sung so clearly that even someone with only a smattering of French can understand most of the words. This edition has the added attraction of a collection of French songs sung by the original Mélisande, Mary Garden and her successor Maggie Teyye, both of whom studied the role with Debussy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2021, 02:30:31 AM
Quote from: T. D. on August 27, 2021, 06:20:11 PM
I saw a live performance a month ago: https://fishercenter.bard.edu/events/king-arthur/



How was it? You are one of the few people to have seen the opera staged.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on August 29, 2021, 06:13:08 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2021, 02:30:31 AM
How was it? You are one of the few people to have seen the opera staged.

I really enjoyed it. But I rarely attend operas any more, and this was my first in years, so (especially considering the COVID situation), I was bound to have a good time.
Background: Botstein is famed for programming interesting but neglected repertory. He's also an exceptional fund-raiser. The operas at his annual summer festival (Bard Summerscape) always have huge budgets, with lavish and attractive sets. Decades ago, Botstein's conducting got little respect (I recall some positively scathing New York Times reviews in the 1990s) but in my limited recent experience I have no complaints.

During the first intermission I reflected that the music was perhaps too Wagnerian, but that impression lightened up and I'd say it's sufficiently original. Sets and production impressive, singing fine.

There are many online reviews, but I'm almost totally paywalled (e.g. NYT, WSJ, Classicstoday, Opera News). I was able to read this one.
https://operawire.com/bard-summerscape-2021-review-le-roi-arthus/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on August 29, 2021, 07:32:37 AM
Quote from: vers la flamme on August 28, 2021, 10:29:48 AM
I found this last month at a record store, Bananas in St. Petersburg, FL, a very large store with a sadly limited classical selection, but there were some cool things to be found like this. I've only listened once and must admit neither opera really clicked with me. I owe it another listen soon as Ravel is one of my favorite composers.

L'enfant et les sortilèges is one of my favorites from Ravel. Keep listening is all I can tell you. If it helps, this work is more 'operetta like' than opera in that Ravel was inspired by Broadway musicals at the time he was writing L'enfant. There are some exquisite moments throughout and the huge orchestra used often times sounds like a mere chamber ensemble. Ingenious orchestration.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on August 29, 2021, 11:36:37 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61YUVSL1JBS._SX342_.jpg)

No awards for the cover art, but the performance is very impressive.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on August 30, 2021, 12:28:10 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on August 29, 2021, 11:36:37 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61YUVSL1JBS._SX342_.jpg)

No awards for the cover art, but the performance is very impressive.

I bet it was --- I like this opera quite a bit.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on August 30, 2021, 04:24:13 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on August 29, 2021, 11:36:37 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61YUVSL1JBS._SX342_.jpg)

No awards for the cover art, but the performance is very impressive.

Good to see modern recordings. Fine opera, but for a long time it seemed like the only available recording was the old one with Leinsdorf conducting. I guess I also missed the 2011 release on Oehms.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on August 30, 2021, 06:30:16 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on August 29, 2021, 11:36:37 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61YUVSL1JBS._SX342_.jpg)

No awards for the cover art, but the performance is very impressive.

Adding to the very long list. If nothing else, the soloists!

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on August 31, 2021, 07:57:56 AM
Continuing on with this Davis performance of Les Troyens from many weeks ago:

(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/00028941643223.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 31, 2021, 06:23:57 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51v+pobeKcL.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kb6qFEvgL.jpg)

Thrift shop find for $1.50.
I tend to avoid Opera d'Oro because the sound on almost all their releases hasn't been good (exception: The Merry Widow,  because it's actually EMI's studio recording with Schwarzkopf) but this one is acceptable. Orchestra and sometimes chorus are badly compressed and shrill, but the soloists were well-engineered. (So was the audience's applause for some reason.) Singers knew what they were doing here, and Karajan doesn't get in anyone's way.

The same performance was issued by Orfeo in an issue that's OOP.

Recommended if anyone is looking for a live performance by Corelli or Price.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 01, 2021, 12:34:27 AM
Quote from: JBS on August 31, 2021, 06:23:57 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51v+pobeKcL.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kb6qFEvgL.jpg)

Thrift shop find for $1.50.
I tend to avoid Opera d'Oro because the sound on almost all their releases hasn't been good (exception: The Merry Widow,  because it's actually EMI's studio recording with Schwarzkopf) but this one is acceptable. Orchestra and sometimes chorus are badly compressed and shrill, but the soloists were well-engineered. (So was the audience's applause for some reason.) Singers knew what they were doing here, and Karajan doesn't get in anyone's way.

The same performance was issued by Orfeo in an issue that's OOP.

Recommended if anyone is looking for a live performance by Corelli or Price.

I've heard this recording in a different pressing. It's certainly a very exciting performance (so exciting that stage and pit become unstuck in a couple of places), but I wouldn't prefer it to Karajan's earlier studio recording with Callas. The singers on this live one might possibly be considered more entitled, but Karajan's grip on the score in the first studio one is tremendous, the score's execution wonderfully precise but just as thrilling, with superbly sprung rhythms. It's my absolute favourite recording of the opera.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 01, 2021, 12:35:26 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 31, 2021, 07:57:56 AM
Continuing on with this Davis performance of Les Troyens from many weeks ago:

(https://albumart.primephonic.com/s900/00028941643223.jpg)

On balance, I still prefer this to Davis's later recording and also to the recent Nelson recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 01, 2021, 01:29:30 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/XvoGvTm7UaJUiYbw_69KQohbsoI=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6016589-1514940317-8770.jpeg.jpg)

Karajan's Pelléas et Mélisande comes in for a deal of criticisim for being too Germanic (whatever that means) and for misrepresenting Debussy. Well we have no way of knowing what Debussy would have thought and it is a recording I find myself returning to quite often. It has an excellent cast and is wonderfully played by the BPO. It's also a much better balanced recording than many of Karajan's were around this time, with the voices well forward and never submerged by the orchestra.

I have the very different Désormière in my collection too and I think there is room for both.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 01, 2021, 07:15:00 AM
Quote from: JBS on August 31, 2021, 06:23:57 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51v+pobeKcL.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kb6qFEvgL.jpg)

Thrift shop find for $1.50.
I tend to avoid Opera d'Oro because the sound on almost all their releases hasn't been good (exception: The Merry Widow,  because it's actually EMI's studio recording with Schwarzkopf) but this one is acceptable. Orchestra and sometimes chorus are badly compressed and shrill, but the soloists were well-engineered. (So was the audience's applause for some reason.) Singers knew what they were doing here, and Karajan doesn't get in anyone's way.

The same performance was issued by Orfeo in an issue that's OOP.

Recommended if anyone is looking for a live performance by Corelli or Price.
Well, I had an enjoyable morning thanks to you, JBS, and your mention of this recording!  :)  I see what you mean about the choruses disappearing at times:  heard faint murmurs from the nuns and also later on in the opera too.  But glorious singing from the main characters.  Wonder who O.D. got this recording from?  Grateful that I have other recordings of it which include the full libretto as it was nice to be able to follow along with it--though I haven't managed to get as much done around my home this morning as I had planned to!  :-[

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on September 01, 2021, 07:45:18 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 01, 2021, 12:35:26 AM
On balance, I still prefer this to Davis's later recording and also to the recent Nelson recording.

I don't own the later Davis LSO Live recording, but I do own the Nelson recording, which was included in the Berlioz Warner set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 01, 2021, 04:16:36 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 01, 2021, 07:15:00 AM
Well, I had an enjoyable morning thanks to you, JBS, and your mention of this recording!  :)  I see what you mean about the choruses disappearing at times:  heard faint murmurs from the nuns and also later on in the opera too.  But glorious singing from the main characters.  Wonder who O.D. got this recording from? Grateful that I have other recordings of it which include the full libretto as it was nice to be able to follow along with it--though I haven't managed to get as much done around my home this morning as I had planned to!  :-[

PD

It's a 1962 Salzburg Festival production and the same performance as on the official SF release:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71jPdSyn7GL._AC_SL400_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Jj-GuXNrL._AC_.jpg)

I have that Od'O release but not the DG one. Can't tell if the sound is different. The DG dates from 1995, the Od'O from 2002. My hunch is that they're identical.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 02, 2021, 01:24:25 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/lIgt6TSOc_bn4lIHpxB5otATd38=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13284031-1551363420-2170.jpeg.jpg)

Probably Mady Mesplé's greatest performance on disc in a role that very much became her signature role, but there are other reasons to enjoy this recording, not least Charles Burles as Gérald and Roger Soyer as Nilakantha.

This recording was top choice for the opera not so long ago in BBC Radio 3's Building a Library.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 02, 2021, 02:08:23 AM
Quote from: André on September 01, 2021, 04:16:36 PM
It's a 1962 Salzburg Festival production and the same performance as on the official SF release:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71jPdSyn7GL._AC_SL400_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Jj-GuXNrL._AC_.jpg)

I have that Od'O release but not the DG one. Can't tell if the sound is different. The DG dates from 1995, the Od'O from 2002. My hunch is that they're identical.
Thank you for the photos.  I see that it was an Austrian Radio recording from the vaults.  :)  Out of curiosity earlier this morning, I did a bit of googling as I was curious about the change in relationship between Orfeo and the Salzburger Festspiel.  Not certain of the article's accuracy, but this was quite interesting:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orfeo_(record_label)

And what's up with Opera d'Oro now that Allegro is gone?  Anyone here know?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2021, 12:45:18 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81i6ugRx+-L._SS500_.jpg)

Delius's A Village Romeo and Juliet is full of gorgeous music, but has hardly ever been staged since its Berlin premiere in 1907. Most people will know The Walk to the Paradise Garden but there's a lot more to it than that. The opera is a little lacking in drama, but does make for perfect gramophone listening.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2021, 03:00:01 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/dvn018_l.jpg)

Recently I've been confining my listening to one composer at a time and now it's the turn of Donizetti, starting, fittingly, with this superb performance of Anna Bolena, which helped to spearhead the whole bel canto revival. It is heavily cut of course, but Callas is without doubt the greatest Anna on disc and anyone who loves the opera should hear this performance, preferably in this Divina transfer which is in a completely different realm of clarity from the murky EMI, which tends to wander in pitch and which was unfortunately also the source of Warner's issue.

There is a much more detailed review of the performance on my blog for anyone who is interested https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 04, 2021, 03:09:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2021, 03:00:01 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/dvn018_l.jpg)

Recently I've been confining my listening to one composer at a time and now it's the turn of Donizetti, starting, fittingly, with this superb performance of Anna Bolena, which helped to spearhead the whole bel canto revival. It is heavily cut of course, but Callas is without doubt the greatest Anna on disc and anyone who loves the opera should hear this performance, preferably in this Divina transfer which is in a completely different realm of clarity from the murky EMI, which tends to wander in pitch and which was unfortunately also the source of Warner's issue.

There is a much more detailed review of the performance on my blog for anyone who is interested https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/).
I don't know the Callas performance of it but do love Donizetti.  Some years ago, I remember watching a televised performance of it from the Met--believe that it was this one.  https://medicine-opera.com/2011/10/anna-bolena-in-hd/  Have you by any chance seen it T.L. or heard Netrebko sing it?  I remember enjoying it.  :)

Don't know Divina records.  Are they generally well thought of in terms of their transfers?  Do they also include librettos?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2021, 03:22:24 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 04, 2021, 03:09:02 AM
I don't know the Callas performance of it but do love Donizetti.  Some years ago, I remember watching a televised performance of it from the Met--believe that it was this one.  https://medicine-opera.com/2011/10/anna-bolena-in-hd/  Have you by any chance seen it T.L. or heard Netrebko sing it?  I remember enjoying it.  :)

Don't know Divina records.  Are they generally well thought of in terms of their transfers?  Do they also include librettos?

PD

I've seen bits of the performance with Netrebko. She is by no stretch of the imagination a bel canto singer and approximates most of the coloratura. Callas is in a different class altogether.

Divina's transfers of Callas performances are exemplary and will, in almost every case, be better than other issues out there. Most of them are now only available as downloads but you do get a PDf download with extensive notes and libretto usually, though, only in Italian. Certainly the difference between Divina's Anna Bolena and the EMI and Warner is quite marked and I'd say definitely worth the extra outlay.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 05, 2021, 01:13:31 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/NfoTT2RghihApvT_yLbJdfhspmk=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11554822-1518498421-4532.jpeg.jpg)

Don Pasquale was once Donizetti's most popular and often performed comic opera, but has now surely been taken over by L'Elisir d'Amore. Perhaps this has something to do with the story, which now seems rather cruel and not that funny.

It hasn't been that lucky on disc either and, when choosing a represntative recording for my library, I ended up going for this 1933 performance, pricinpally for the stylish performances of Tito Schipa and Afro Poli. Ernesto Badini is an authentically buffo Pasquale, but Adelaide Saraceni is somewhat charmless and her voice tends to the shrill and acidic. Carlo Sabjano conducts a sprightly performance and this will do very nicely. Certainly I have heard little in subsequent recordings to make me want to purchase another.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 06, 2021, 02:58:53 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/vD59vEiQ3QDAcQplGgUdA3Z4JNQ=/fit-in/500x500/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11337878-1514499793-8002.jpeg.jpg)

This recording was made shortly after a second run of performances of the opera at Covent Garden with substantially the same cast, and it certainly has the feel of a live performance. The only major change of cast was from José Carreras to Domingo and I do wonder why the change was considered necessary. By all accounts Carreras had been a superb Nemorino, his voice at its youthful, lyric best whereas Domingo was just embarking on his first Otellos. Domingo manages to lighten his voice to suit the role and one notes his ease and fluidity in fast moving music, but Carreras at that time had by nature what Domingo had to strive for. By the time Carreras came to record the role himself, his voice was showing signs of wear.

Nevertheless this is a joyful recording and Cotrubas an adorable Adina, few better on record. Wixell  preens and struts as Belcore and Geraint Evans, though a little dry of voice, is an experienced and characterful Dulcamara. Lilian Watson is a delightful Gianetta and Pritchard conducts a sprightly sparkling performance.

L'Elisir d'Amore has been a lot more successful on disc than Don Pasquale and this recording, my personal favourite, is definitely one of the best.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 07, 2021, 02:12:32 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/hB2kQ5NCon5iErJiOo111fLMqNQ=/fit-in/600x526/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12084847-1551554391-5006.jpeg.jpg)

Though written by an Italian La Fille du Régiment seems to me to be in the best tradition of opéra-comique and I always think of it as a French work.

This classic set has long been considered one of the best things Sutherland and Pavarotti, not to mention Bonynge, did together and it certainly sparkles with both singers in stunning form. The role of Tonio is the one that gave Pavarotti the title of "King of the High Cs" and his singing of Pour mon âme is absolutely thrilling, but he can sing with lyrical charm as well and Sutherland's facility in coloratura and the beauty and security of her top notes are quite stunning. So perhaps I should leave it at that.

However, as always with Sutherland, I do become irritated by the mushy diction. I've read that it's much better here than it usually is, but that is to damn with faint praise. It's still not good, and, following along with the libretto, it's easy to get lost. Non French speakers might point out that they don't understand the language anyway, so it doesn't really matter to them, but I think poor or mushy diction in any language robs the line of energy. I must admit I found myself wondering what Mady Mesplé, whom I'd recently listened to in Lakmé would have made of the role.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 08, 2021, 03:44:55 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/UODg3pVnCRYLZjXEg-Fw5Whx7ZY=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11475710-1542120627-5913.jpeg.jpg)

When this recording was first issued it caused qute a stir. Here was a soprano known for her Isolde, Brünnhilde and Norma singing a role normally associated with light, soubrettish sopranos, a role which gave them the opportunity to show of their coloratura skills and high notes. The surprise was that not only could this soprano articulate all the coloratura with equal, if not better results, but that she was able to invest the score with a dramatic significance nobody even suspected was there.

Lucia became one of Callas's most performed roles and one she kept in her repertoire until 1959. This was the first recording she made for EMI, though Walter Legge held up its release until after the recording of I Puritani later in the year under the aegis of La Scala, which he thought would make a bigger splash. She is in fabulous, pre weight-loss voice and this is much the better of her two studio recordings. The latter enjoys much better sound and uses the Philharmonia Orchestra at the top of theri game, but the soloists (an over-the-hill Ferrucio Tagliavini and an as yet unformed Cappuccilli) are not as effective as Di Stefano and Gobbi here, and, though Callas still sings quite beautifully in the middle range, the top has lost the powere and security we get here.

In many ways, this is an historic recording that probably changed people's perceptions of the opera for ever.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 08, 2021, 05:35:28 AM
(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/51mnaJiRq-L._AC_.jpg)

There are a few strikes against that recording. Starting with the minuses, Figaro and the Count are strange choices for their roles. Rossini wrote the roles for a baritone and a tenore di grazia (or leggero). Domingo is definitely not a baritone and Lopardo's back of the throat emission precludes the voice of floating freely on high (think of Kenneth Riegel's Ottavio in Maazel's Don Giovanni). The high notes are there in ecco ridente but they are sung in full voice rather than sweetly crooned in head voice. In sum the mix of baritone and leggero tenor voices is skewed downside up and upside down right from the start. It does take some time to get used to.

Battle is in fine voice and her cavatina is sweetly, handsomely sung, almost conservatively even - no vocal high jinks, just the notes. In terms of temperament, she is a pert Rosina, although her dramatic-comic armoury is often limited to rolling the 'r's. But the singing is always easy on the ear. Raimondi must have sung Basilio hundreds of times and he does not disappoint.

What makes this performance a real standout is Abbado's conducting and the COE's playing. They collectively create an additional main character to the opera. I have never heard the score played with such zest and involvement - aided by the sound engineers maybe. Every little piccolo chirp, string pizzicato or bassoon gurgle is rendered with startling vivacity. The bass drum thwacks in the Calomny aria are heart attack-inducing. Abbado's hand is always light but attentive to every little detail. Orchestra-wise, this is a revelation. Abbado's previous recorded version is dull in comparison.

All told, an interesting complement to long established favourites such as Callas, Sills, Horne, de los Angeles.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 08, 2021, 06:19:36 AM
Quote from: André on September 08, 2021, 05:35:28 AM
(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/51mnaJiRq-L._AC_.jpg)

There are a few strikes against that recording. Starting with the minuses, Figaro and the Count are strange choices for their roles. Rossini wrote the roles for a baritone and a tenore di grazia (or leggero). Domingo is definitely not a baritone and Lopardo's back of the throat emission precludes the voice of floating freely on high (think of Kenneth Riegel's Ottavio in Maazel's Don Giovanni). The high notes are there in ecco ridente but they are sung in full voice rather than sweetly crooned in head voice. In sum the mix of baritone and leggero tenor voices is skewed downside up and upside down right from the start. It does take some time to get used to.

Battle is in fine voice and her cavatina is sweetly, handsomely sung, almost conservatively even - no vocal high jinks, just the notes. In terms of temperament, she is a pert Rosina, although her dramatic-comic armoury is often limited to rolling the 'r's. But the singing is always easy on the ear. Raimondi must have sung Basilio hundreds of times and he does not disappoint.

What makes this performance a real standout is Abbado's conducting and the COE's playing. They collectively create an additional main character to the opera. I have never heard the score played with such zest and involvement - aided by the sound engineers maybe. Every little piccolo chirp, string pizzicato or bassoon gurgle is rendered with startling vivacity. The bass drum thwacks in the Calomny aria are heart attack-inducing. Abbado's hand is always light but attentive to every little detail. Orchestra-wise, this is a revelation. Abbado's previous recorded version is dull in comparison.

All told, an interesting complement to long established favourites such as Callas, Sills, Horne, de los Angeles.

I haven't heard this set and had forgotten about it. I think I'd always been put off by it being Domingo in a baritone role, as I have been by all his other baritone excursions. I don't much like Lopardo either and I'd assumed, maybe wrongly, that Battle would be of the high soprano, high jinx variety of Rosina, which I don't like. Admittedly my two favourite Rosinas are sopranos (Callas and De Los Angeles) but they do sing in the mezzo keys.

I agree that Abbado's first effort is a bit dull so it's a shame that his second attempt has a less enticing cast.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 08, 2021, 06:58:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 08, 2021, 03:44:55 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/UODg3pVnCRYLZjXEg-Fw5Whx7ZY=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11475710-1542120627-5913.jpeg.jpg)

When this recording was first issued it caused qute a stir. Here was a soprano known for her Isolde, Brünnhilde and Norma singing a role normally associated with light, soubrettish sopranos, a role which gave them the opportunity to show of their coloratura skills and high notes. The surprise was that not only could this soprano articulate all the coloratura with equal, if not better results, but that she was able to invest the score with a dramatic significance nobody even suspected was there.

Lucia became one of Callas's most performed roles and one she kept in her repertoire until 1959. This was the first recording she made for EMI, though Walter Legge held up its release until after the recording of I Puritani later in the year under the aegis of La Scala, which he thought would make a bigger splash. She is in fabulous, pre weight-loss voice and this is much the better of her two studio recordings. The latter enjoys much better sound and uses the Philharmonia Orchestra at the top of theri game, but the soloists (an over-the-hill Ferrucio Tagliavini and an as yet unformed Cappuccilli) are not as effective as Di Stefano and Gobbi here, and, though Callas still sings quite beautifully in the middle range, the top has lost the powere and security we get here.

In many ways, this is an historic recording that probably changed people's perceptions of the opera for ever.
That's a wonderful recording.  Haven't seen that photo before.  I have the older blue box version. 

I was thinking earlier today how styles of singing have changed over the years.  Some of the earlier recordings that I have feature what I think of more as a "Tweety-bird" style of singing.  I seldom revisit them these days.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 08, 2021, 07:03:15 AM
Quote from: André on September 08, 2021, 05:35:28 AM
(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/51mnaJiRq-L._AC_.jpg)

There are a few strikes against that recording. Starting with the minuses, Figaro and the Count are strange choices for their roles. Rossini wrote the roles for a baritone and a tenore di grazia (or leggero). Domingo is definitely not a baritone and Lopardo's back of the throat emission precludes the voice of floating freely on high (think of Kenneth Riegel's Ottavio in Maazel's Don Giovanni). The high notes are there in ecco ridente but they are sung in full voice rather than sweetly crooned in head voice. In sum the mix of baritone and leggero tenor voices is skewed downside up and upside down right from the start. It does take some time to get used to.

Battle is in fine voice and her cavatina is sweetly, handsomely sung, almost conservatively even - no vocal high jinks, just the notes. In terms of temperament, she is a pert Rosina, although her dramatic-comic armoury is often limited to rolling the 'r's. But the singing is always easy on the ear. Raimondi must have sung Basilio hundreds of times and he does not disappoint.

What makes this performance a real standout is Abbado's conducting and the COE's playing. They collectively create an additional main character to the opera. I have never heard the score played with such zest and involvement - aided by the sound engineers maybe. Every little piccolo chirp, string pizzicato or bassoon gurgle is rendered with startling vivacity. The bass drum thwacks in the Calomny aria are heart attack-inducing. Abbado's hand is always light but attentive to every little detail. Orchestra-wise, this is a revelation. Abbado's previous recorded version is dull in comparison.

All told, an interesting complement to long established favourites such as Callas, Sills, Horne, de los Angeles.
I'll have to keep an eye out for that one.  Interestingly enough, I was doing a bit of googling re opera earlier today and ran across this recording and photo:  one of them is at the beginning of their career; the other, at their end.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tBKChWQreg

Good to hear that there are Sills fans outside of the US too!  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 08, 2021, 11:39:23 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 08, 2021, 06:58:42 AM
That's a wonderful recording.  Haven't seen that photo before.  I have the older blue box version. 

I was thinking earlier today how styles of singing have changed over the years.  Some of the earlier recordings that I have feature what I think of more as a "Tweety-bird" style of singing.  I seldom revisit them these days.

How far back are you going? I'm not absolutely sure, but I think this 1953 recording might have been the first on LP. Before that there had been a 1929 recording with Mercedes Capsir, a 1939 one with Lina Pagliughi and a 1951 Urania recording with Dolores Wilson. Lily Pons also recorded it in 1954 and Roberta Peters in 1957. All of these sopranos had much smaller, lighter voices than Callas. Scotto recorded it in 1959 and Sutherland's first recording came out in 1961.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 09, 2021, 12:36:27 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/81abzephn2l-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1024)

The legendary night when Karajan took his La Scala production of Lucia di Lammermoor to Berlin. The high level of excitement is palpable from the first drum roll and near pandemonium breaks out after Callas's first aria. Throughout she is in enviable form, her voice infinitely responsive with phrase spun out to extraordinary lengths. Great performances too from Di Stefano, Panerai and Zaccaria.

Apparently many years later, after listening to the performance with the pianist Robert Sutherland, Callas said to him, "Well, what did you think?" Sutherland wasn't sure what to say, but managed to get out, "Well it was marvellous singing, Madame Callas." "Marvellous?" she snapped bakc, "It was bloody miraculous!" then added quietly, "And to think I went back to my dressing room and cried because I didn't think I'd sung well enough." She was always striving for the impossible,

A full review of the performance on my blog, https://tsaraslondon.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 10, 2021, 01:52:58 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 08, 2021, 11:39:23 AM
How far back are you going? I'm not absolutely sure, but I think this 1953 recording might have been the first on LP. Before that there had been a 1929 recording with Mercedes Capsir, a 1939 one with Lina Pagliughi and a 1951 Urania recording with Dolores Wilson. Lily Pons also recorded it in 1954 and Roberta Peters in 1957. All of these sopranos had much smaller, lighter voices than Callas. Scotto recorded it in 1959 and Sutherland's first recording came out in 1961.
Sorry, I can see how you would have misunderstood me.  I was making a general comment about the changes in styles particularly for the bel canto singers over the years--not referring just to this specific opera.  :)

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 09, 2021, 12:36:27 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/81abzephn2l-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1024)

The legendary night when Karajan took his La Scala production of Lucia di Lammermoor to Berlin. The high level of excitement is palpable from the first drum roll and near pandemonium breaks out after Callas's first aria. Throughout she is in enviable form, her voice infinitely responsive with phrase spun out to extraordinary lengths. Great performances too from Di Stefano, Panerai and Zaccaria.

Apparently many years later, after listening to the performance with the pianist Robert Sutherland, Callas said to him, "Well, what did you think?" Sutherland wasn't sure what to say, but managed to get out, "Well it was marvellous singing, Madame Callas." "Marvellous?" she snapped bakc, "It was bloody miraculous!" then added quietly, "And to think I went back to my dressing room and cried because I didn't think I'd sung well enough." She was always striving for the impossible,

A full review of the performance on my blog, https://tsaraslondon.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/)
Thank you for sharing that anecdote about Madame Callas and Robert Sutherland too!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2021, 02:02:44 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/9145da2b4z5l-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1024)

The third of my Callas recordings of Lucia di Lammermoor is also the first of her stereo re-makes, recorded in March 1959 a few months before her final outing as Lucia in Dallas, when she famously muffed the high Ebs.

Sonically of course, the recording is a huge improvement on the 1953 Florence recording. It was made in Kingsway Hall with the Philharmonia and Orchestra in superb form, but the rest of the cast is something of a mixed bag. Tagliavini was in his late 50s and, quite frankly, sounds it; Cappuccilli was near the start of his career and his Enrico, pleasantly enough sung, is not in the least bit menacing, and certainly no match for Gobbi on the studio recording or Panerai in Berlin, and Bernard Ladysz sounds as if he had strayed in from the wrong opera. As for Callas, she is in much better voice than I remember, spinning out phrases with wonderful elasticity, but it has to be admitted that the notes above, say Bb, are something of a trial. The top Ebs are there but they are not exactly pleasant on the ear. Nevertheless she is still a great Lucia and I still enjoy this recording, even if Berlin 1955 would be my ultimate choice for the opera.

I also sometimes wonder why she and Legge chose to re-record Lucia di Lammermoor. By 1959 she was free of the terms of her Cetra contract and I'd have thought La Traviata would have been a more obvious choice. Maybe Lucia was chosen because it was also the first opera she recorded with EMI.

A full review of the set on my blog. https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/07/callass-stereo-lucia/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/07/callass-stereo-lucia/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2021, 02:07:28 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 10, 2021, 01:52:58 AM
Sorry, I can see how you would have misunderstood me.  I was making a general comment about the changes in styles particularly for the bel canto singers over the years--not referring just to this specific opera.  :)
Thank you for sharing that anecdote about Madame Callas and Robert Sutherland too!

PD

Ah, yes, the "tweety-pie" small- voiced soubrette soprano seems now to be a thing of the past. Maybe these days all the smaller voices stick to Baroque opera.

I heard the Robert Sutherland anecdote from Sutherland himself when he gave a talk about his time with Callas at the Crush Bar in Covent Garden some years ago.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on September 10, 2021, 02:38:52 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 08, 2021, 06:19:36 AM
I haven't heard this set and had forgotten about it. I think I'd always been put off by it being Domingo in a baritone role, as I have been by all his other baritone excursions. I don't much like Lopardo either and I'd assumed, maybe wrongly, that Battle would be of the high soprano, high jinx variety of Rosina, which I don't like. Admittedly my two favourite Rosinas are sopranos (Callas and De Los Angeles) but they do sing in the mezzo keys.

I agree that Abbado's first effort is a bit dull so it's a shame that his second attempt has a less enticing cast.

Of (relatively) modern versions - ie not the classic recordings - I always rather liked Marriner's first operatic recording;

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/rdcAAOSwLnBX9m7y/s-l300.jpg)

I like Baltsa very much as Rosina - peppy and with a bit of a bite but twinkling too.  Thomas Allen - a proper baritone acts the part to great effect.  All round a joyous performance full of vim and energy.  Il Barbiere was the first opera I played when I went to work at the Teatro Reggio in Parma in the mid '80's and to this day it remains a firm (nostalgic!) favourite.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2021, 03:00:38 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 10, 2021, 02:38:52 AM
Of (relatively) modern versions - ie not the classic recordings - I always rather liked Marriner's first operatic recording;

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/rdcAAOSwLnBX9m7y/s-l300.jpg)

I like Baltsa very much as Rosina - peppy and with a bit of a bite but twinkling too.  Thomas Allen - a proper baritone acts the part to great effect.  All round a joyous performance full of vim and energy.  Il Barbiere was the first opera I played when I went to work at the Teatro Reggio in Parma in the mid '80's and to this day it remains a firm (nostalgic!) favourite.

I agree this is a very good set, and it's complete (unlike the Galliera and Gui). I used to have it on cassette (remember those?), but for some reason never bothered to replace it on CD, probably because I don't like the opera enough to want to have multiple versions of it.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 11, 2021, 01:51:09 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/0rFx4hyiRyPxI9ER3RXJ-qyJKVg=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9415137-1480265054-1286.jpeg.jpg)

This is the performance that catapulted Caballé to stardom  and also changed the course of her career, it being the first of the many bel canto roles she sang.

This is certainly a thrilling performance, much better than the rather dull studio version that she made shortly afterwards. It doesn't get off to the best of starts, with Jane Berbié's Orsini who tends to sing under the note. She is far outclassed by Shirley Verrett in the studio recording. Paskalis too is an improvement on Flagello, whereas Vanzo and Kraus come out about even. As for Caballé, she is in spectacularly beautiful voice and easily wins over the audience in an opera that was virtually unknown at that time.

So successful was her performance that she was invited back later in the year to sing the role of Elisabetta in Donizetti's equally unknown Roberto Devereux, excerpts from which are included in this fine set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 11, 2021, 02:53:07 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 11, 2021, 01:51:09 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/0rFx4hyiRyPxI9ER3RXJ-qyJKVg=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9415137-1480265054-1286.jpeg.jpg)

This is the performance that catapulted Caballé to stardom  and also changed the course of her career, it being the first of the many bel canto roles she sang.

This is certainly a thrilling performance, far outclassing the rather dull studio version that she made shortly afterwards. It doesn't get off to the best of starts, with Jane Berbié's Orsini who tends to sing under the note. She is far outclassed by Shirley Verrett in the studio recording. Paskalis too is an improvement on Flagello, whereas Vanzo and Kraus come out about even. As for Caballé, she is in spectacularly beautiful voice and easily wins over the audience in an opera that was virtually unknown at that time.

So successful was her performance that she was invited back later in the year to sing the role of Elisabetta in Donizetti's equally unknown Roberto Devereux, excerpts from which are included in this fine set.
Nice review TL!  :)  Curious as to how you find the sound/recording quality to be?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 11, 2021, 03:32:04 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 11, 2021, 02:53:07 AM
Nice review TL!  :)  Curious as to how you find the sound/recording quality to be?

PD

It's perfectly acceptable, but obviously not studio quality. The sound on the main opera is better than the excerpts from Roberto Devereux which follow.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 11, 2021, 04:16:37 PM
On the air today, a July 2021 broadcast from the Orange festival (Chorégies d'Orange). Samson et Dalila with Roberto Alagna, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Nicolas Courjal, l'Orchestre philharmonique de Radio-France under Yves Abel.

(https://www.olyrix.com/files/picture/photos/custom/39233/marie-nicole-lemieux-roberto-alagna-samson-et-dalila-par-jean-louis-grinda/660/null/crop/top-left.jpg)

In a nutshell: fa-bu-lous. I was stunned to hear Alagna, 55, sing with such refulgence and ease of emission. Famous for his perfect diction, the tenor has had an uneven career, with a few instances of rough vocal patches some years ago. Normally when things start to go downhill, there's no stopping the natural evolution of a voice. Alagna seems to have recovered incredibly well. His singing was commanding, authoritative, his interpretation sensitive and multi-faceted - never monolithic. As Dalila, Marie-Nicole Lemieux was strikingly intense both vocally an dramatically. I sometimes found her vibrato intrusive, but as a scheming, manipulative, domineering seductress she was totally believable. I found recensions in the french press unanimous: a stunning production. If it ever makes it to disc I'll rush out and buy it.


https://www.classiquenews.com/critique-opera-orange-le-10-juillet-2021-saint-saens-samson-et-dalila-alagna-lemieux-abel-grinda/ (https://www.classiquenews.com/critique-opera-orange-le-10-juillet-2021-saint-saens-samson-et-dalila-alagna-lemieux-abel-grinda/)


https://www.olyrix.com/articles/production/4935/samson-et-dalila-saint-saens-7-10-juillet-2021-choregies-dorange-theatre-antique-abel-grinda-arrivabene-castaingt-andrin-lemieux-alagna-cavallier-veronese-berry-courjal-larcher-caton-orchestre-philharmonique-de-radio-france-article-critique-compte-rendu (https://www.olyrix.com/articles/production/4935/samson-et-dalila-saint-saens-7-10-juillet-2021-choregies-dorange-theatre-antique-abel-grinda-arrivabene-castaingt-andrin-lemieux-alagna-cavallier-veronese-berry-courjal-larcher-caton-orchestre-philharmonique-de-radio-france-article-critique-compte-rendu)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2021, 12:32:31 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0MzM1MC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MzM2NjcxMzN9)

Maria Stuarda fell foul of the censors when it was first performed and had a very chequered performance history until the bel canto revival of the latter half of the twentieth century, since when it has beome one of Donizetti's most performed operas.

This live recording from La Scala in 1971 has at its heart two absolutely splendid performances in the Maria of Montserrat Caballé and the Elisabetta of Shirley Verrett. If the men (Ottavia Garaventa as Leicester, Raffaele Arie as Talbot and Giulio Fioravanti) are not quite in their class, they neverthelss acquite themselves very well. In any case this, of all Donizetti operas, is the woman's show.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2021, 12:38:18 AM
Quote from: André on September 11, 2021, 04:16:37 PM
On the air today, a July 2021 broadcast from the Orange festival (Chorégies d'Orange). Samson et Dalila with Roberto Alagna, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Nicolas Courjal, l'Orchestre philharmonique de Radio-France under Yves Abel.

(https://www.olyrix.com/files/picture/photos/custom/39233/marie-nicole-lemieux-roberto-alagna-samson-et-dalila-par-jean-louis-grinda/660/null/crop/top-left.jpg)

In a nutshell: fa-bu-lous. I was stunned to hear Alagna, 55, sing with such refulgence and ease of emission. Famous for his perfect diction, the tenor has had an uneven career, with a few instances of rough vocal patches some years ago. Normally when things start to go downhill, there's no stopping the natural evolution of a voice. Alagna seems to have recovered incredibly well. His singing was commanding, authoritative, his interpretation sensitive and multi-faceted - never monolithic. As Dalila, Marie-Nicole Lemieux was strikingly intense both vocally an dramatically. I sometimes found her vibrato intrusive, but as a scheming, manipulative, domineering seductress she was totally believable. I found recensions in the french press unanimous: a stunning production. If it ever makes it to disc I'll rush out and buy it.



Very pleased to read this about Alagna. I always felt that, after a terrific start (I saw his superb Roméo at Covent Garden, which really put him on the map) he rather lost his way. I have his recordings of Roméo et Juliette, Werther, La Rondine and an interesting disc of Berlioz arias, and he is excellent in all of them, in fact I'd say his Werther is the best since Thill. Good to hear he's back on track.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 12, 2021, 06:33:39 AM
Speaking of Alagna (and glad to hear that his voice has recovered), has Angela Gheorghiu been recording/performing lately--at least in terms of pre-Covid days?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 13, 2021, 02:24:01 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/DdTvl2BoU1JZJ1CQRV1kkNc3pQI=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14030026-1566420098-9737.png.jpg)

This was almost a complete unknown, though I once did take a look at Midir's Faery Song as there was a possiblity of me singing the role in a production in Hereford (it didn't come to anything).

The music is rather lovely but it does meander a bit and is predominantly slow with little dramatic variety. It works well enough on record though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 15, 2021, 01:22:37 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Fs9h5xVcQTiijCOIqWo_k1vzFn0=/fit-in/600x605/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14702129-1579953426-3166.jpeg.jpg)

Dame Janet Baker was a great believer in opera in the vernacular and in fact, apart from when the Royal Opera House took their production of La Clemenza di Tito to Milan, confined her operatic career to the UK, many of her roles being sung in English. I usually prefer opera in the original language, but, for a performance as fine as this, I'm more than willing to make an exception. For me Baker is the finest Maria on disc and brings a Callas-like intensity and specificity to the role. The confontation scene is absolutely thrilling, but Baker is also inifinitely touching in the final scenes. Mackerras is also a much more positive presence than Perlea on the Caballé studio set and the one from La Scala.

This 1973 performance is not in as good sound as the officially released one from 1982, which was first issued by EMI and then on Chandos. However I marginally prefer this earlier set for the Elisabeth of Pauline Tinsley and because Baker is in fresher voice.

There is a fuller review of this set on my blog https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/20/janet-baker-as-maria-stuarda/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/20/janet-baker-as-maria-stuarda/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 16, 2021, 07:26:07 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/1wLcmCLVxNRPOVWbBla8_KXndN8=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12460940-1596108706-4496.jpeg.jpg)

Callas's return to La Scala in 1960 after a two year hiatus finds her in variable voice and it is evident that she is treading carefully. She is still able to spin a Donizettian cantilena like no other, but notes above the stave are a little hit and miss, and she doesn't sound as secure here as she did in the studio recording of Norma a couple of months earlier. Her best singing is in the gentler moments of the score, of which there are many for Paolina and she is wonderfully touching in the final duet with Corelli's Poliuto.

Nonetheless this is an often thrilling performance with Corelli in fantastic form and superb contributions from Bastianini and Zaccaria.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 17, 2021, 01:17:18 AM
(https://www.talkclassical.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=159317&d=1631873522&thumb=1)

Caballé sang the role of Elisabetta in this opera quite a lot and this 1977 performance finds her in good voice, though she takes the first scene to settle down. In her determinaton to give a dramatic performance, she occasionally overindulges in aspirates and explosive expression, but the luxury of the voice is not in doubt and she rises splendidly to the challenge of the final scene. Carreras is a splendid Roberto and Susan Marsee good, if not particularly memorable as Sara.

Gala also give us excerpts from a 1964 Naples performance featuring Leyla Gencer as a regal and commanding Elsiabetta, though the tenor, Ruggero Bondino, is hardly in Carreras's class.

In the performances of both Caballé and Gencer, the shadow of Callas is defnitely felt, and I find myself wondering what she would have made of the role.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 19, 2021, 05:22:40 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/munv1Z1s4N_XXJR-4XPOWJ55XO4=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2855658-1304167297.jpeg.jpg)

Such a beautiful opera. I used to have the Neumann with Beňačková on LP, but this superb Mackerras just trumps it, I think. Fleming's Czech may not be as idiomatic (mine isn't good enough to tell) but she sings gloriously, mostly devoid of those mannerisms I sometimes find irritating. Heppner is also excellent as are the rest of the Czech cast. Terrific sound as well.

A good way to round off my mini Dvořák listening sessions which also took in the Cello Concertos and the final four symphonies.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 20, 2021, 04:19:37 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 19, 2021, 05:22:40 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/munv1Z1s4N_XXJR-4XPOWJ55XO4=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2855658-1304167297.jpeg.jpg)

Such a beautiful opera. I used to have the Neumann with Beňačková on LP, but this superb Mackerras just trumps it, I think. Fleming's Czech may not be as idiomatic (mine isn't good enough to tell) but she sings gloriously, mostly devoid of those mannerisms I sometimes find irritating. Heppner is also excellent as are the rest of the Czech cast. Terrific sound as well.

A good way to round off my mini Dvořák listening sessions which also took in the Cello Concertos and the final four symphonies.
Excellent choice!  I love that opera and that recording.  :)

Years ago, I was also interested in acquiring the Benackova set, but after sampling some of her singing on youtube (probably singing "O silver moon"), I decided at the time that her voice/style of singing didn't work for me and so passed on it.   :(

And good for you for diving into Dvorak.  Hope that you enjoyed your "swim".  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on September 20, 2021, 05:04:52 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 20, 2021, 04:19:37 AM
Excellent choice!  I love that opera and that recording.  :)

Years ago, I was also interested in acquiring the Benackova set, but after sampling some of her singing on youtube (probably singing "O silver moon"), I decided at the time that her voice/style of singing didn't work for me and so passed on it.   :(

And good for you for diving into Dvorak.  Hope that you enjoyed your "swim".  :)

PD

Ah the great mystery of individual taste!  Benakova definitely edges it for me.  Fleming obviously has a great voice but I find it all just a bit 'over-thought'.  You can almost hear her working out how to sound gorgeous.  Benakova has a less purely beautiful voice but speaks more directly.  All of the above to be caveated by the immortal phrse IMHO!!  I also rather like the good but slightly rawer Supraphon recording which brings out more drama than the tad plush Decca.  But I prefer the older Supraphon recordings generally from the Rudolfinum - for example Belohlavek's Dvorak Symphonies are very good but just fractionally soft-edged.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 20, 2021, 08:52:53 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 20, 2021, 05:04:52 AM
Ah the great mystery of individual taste!  Benakova definitely edges it for me.  Fleming obviously has a great voice but I find it all just a bit 'over-thought'.  You can almost hear her working out how to sound gorgeous.  Benakova has a less purely beautiful voice but speaks more directly.  All of the above to be caveated by the immortal phrse IMHO!!  I also rather like the good but slightly rawer Supraphon recording which brings out more drama than the tad plush Decca.  But I prefer the older Supraphon recordings generally from the Rudolfinum - for example Belohlavek's Dvorak Symphonies are very good but just fractionally soft-edged.
Well, I'll give her another shot then.  :D

And yes, like you, I love recordings from the Rudolfinum.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 21, 2021, 12:01:52 PM
[Crosspost from WAYLT2]

Meanwhile, this afternoon an operatic rarity.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61kaRHKywvL.jpg)
The above is not the issue I'm listening to, but is the only Amazon listing that has an image with singers and performance details.  The one I am listening to is an Opera d'Oro release (with reasonably good sonics) that is listed here with no image.
[Asin]B00000IGR5[/asin]
Since it's Opera d'Oro, there's no libretto. Reading the plot synopsis on Wikipedia, that may be a good thing. The plot is wildly unhistorical (Philip Augustus gets himself killed in a duel while pretending to be the Duke of Burgundy on an embassy to the Holy Roman Emperor) but the music is well handled. There are no bel canto fireworks (the opera was composed for the 1830s Prussian court) but a good deal of melodies and ensemble singing. Think Rienzi (Wagner admired Spontini's operas, so it's probably no coincidence.) By necessity the performance is heavily cut; the original supposedly ran over four hours.

As an alternate to this performance, the only option is a recording from the 1954 Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under Vittorio Gui with Corelli and Udovick, of which several versions seem to be available.  This 1970 performance seems to be harder to find. The one to which the image belongs is labelled "currently unavailable".
I remember seeing a listing for a Myto issue but can't locate it now, and there don't seem to be any other options.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 21, 2021, 01:13:59 PM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 20, 2021, 05:04:52 AM
Ah the great mystery of individual taste!  Benakova definitely edges it for me.  Fleming obviously has a great voice but I find it all just a bit 'over-thought'.  You can almost hear her working out how to sound gorgeous.  Benakova has a less purely beautiful voice but speaks more directly.  All of the above to be caveated by the immortal phrse IMHO!!  I also rather like the good but slightly rawer Supraphon recording which brings out more drama than the tad plush Decca.  But I prefer the older Supraphon recordings generally from the Rudolfinum - for example Belohlavek's Dvorak Symphonies are very good but just fractionally soft-edged.

I think its acoustics or what engineers do with it has changed over the years. I was disappointed with the sound of the Czech Phil O/Rudolfinum in the recent Bychkov set of Tchaikovsky symphonies. 'Soft-edged' describes it well. Its tanginess and vibrancy have practically disappeared.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 22, 2021, 01:27:42 AM
Quote from: André on September 21, 2021, 01:13:59 PM
I think its acoustics or what engineers do with it has changed over the years. I was disappointed with the sound of the Czech Phil O/Rudolfinum in the recent Bychkov set of Tchaikovsky symphonies. 'Soft-edged' describes it well. Its tanginess and vibrancy have practically disappeared.
Sorry to hear that.  :( Most of the Supraphon recordings that I have are older ones.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 25, 2021, 09:47:45 AM
(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/81NRgLVvpIL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

Although it boasts one of Strauss' trademark soaring lyric soprano roles, Daphne for once lets us hear good parts for tenors (two of them!). Both require strong voices, but of a different character: lyrical and plangent with Leukippos, strongly siegmundian with Apollo. Wunderlich and King sing strongly and with great commitment in this live recording. As Daphne's father, Paul Schöffler is authoritative but his intonation is sometimes suspect - maybe he was past his prime then (1968). Güden is in excellent voice and satisfies on all counts. I suspect that the competition (Popp and Fleming) must be at least as good, though. Böhm's contribution is superb, the VSO excellent (glorious solo horn playing). This set takes some 10 minutes less than Haitink in an opera that is already on the short side of things. I wonder if there were any cuts ? If not, I guess that means that Böhm urges things along more than Haitink. A fine set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on September 26, 2021, 07:45:52 AM
Quote from: André on September 25, 2021, 09:47:45 AM
(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/81NRgLVvpIL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

Although it boasts one of Strauss' trademark soaring lyric soprano roles, Daphne for once lets us hear good parts for tenors (two of them!). Both require strong voices, but of a different character: lyrical and plangent with Leukippos, strongly siegmundian with Apollo. Wunderlich and King sing strongly and with great commitment in this live recording. As Daphne's father, Paul Schöffler is authoritative but his intonation is sometimes suspect - maybe he was past his prime then (1968). Güden is in excellent voice and satisfies on all counts. I suspect that the competition (Popp and Fleming) must be at least as good, though. Böhm's contribution is superb, the VSO excellent (glorious solo horn playing). This set takes some 10 minutes less than Haitink in an opera that is already on the short side of things. I wonder if there were any cuts ? If not, I guess that means that Böhm urges things along more than Haitink. A fine set.

A stunning recording of Daphne. Compared to Haitink, Böhm is in a league of his own. To my knowledge, there are no cuts, but even if there were, it's still a better recording than Haitink. :)

Disclaimer: I do like Haitink's conducting a lot in general and he's generally more alert in opera recordings, but I do wonder if he just didn't enjoy Daphne as much as other operas he has conducted? He's absolutely in-tune with other operas I've heard from him namely Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle and Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on September 28, 2021, 01:29:47 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 26, 2021, 07:45:52 AM
A stunning recording of Daphne. Compared to Haitink, Böhm is in a league of his own. To my knowledge, there are no cuts, but even if there were, it's still a better recording than Haitink. :)


I've never heard the Böhm, but I've read reviews that mention some minor cuts. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I've got the Haitink and Bychkov, both uncut.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 28, 2021, 02:40:38 AM
Quote from: André on September 25, 2021, 09:47:45 AM
(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/81NRgLVvpIL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

Although it boasts one of Strauss' trademark soaring lyric soprano roles, Daphne for once lets us hear good parts for tenors (two of them!). Both require strong voices, but of a different character: lyrical and plangent with Leukippos, strongly siegmundian with Apollo. Wunderlich and King sing strongly and with great commitment in this live recording. As Daphne's father, Paul Schöffler is authoritative but his intonation is sometimes suspect - maybe he was past his prime then (1968). Güden is in excellent voice and satisfies on all counts. I suspect that the competition (Popp and Fleming) must be at least as good, though. Böhm's contribution is superb, the VSO excellent (glorious solo horn playing). This set takes some 10 minutes less than Haitink in an opera that is already on the short side of things. I wonder if there were any cuts ? If not, I guess that means that Böhm urges things along more than Haitink. A fine set.

I've toyed with getting a recording of Daphne from time to time, but haven't been able to make up my mind. I have a real soft spot for Popp and I like Fleming in Strauss, but Wunderlich is one of the only tenors I've heard who can make Strauss's tenor writing sound beautiful. If the role is as important as you say, maybe the Böhm would be my best bet.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on September 28, 2021, 02:48:26 AM
Böhm's Strauss is one of the reasons I mentioned him in the 10 favorite conductors thread (which in my case grew to 16 names  :D  )
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on September 28, 2021, 09:22:59 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 28, 2021, 02:40:38 AM
I've toyed with getting a recording of Daphne from time to time, but haven't been able to make up my mind. I have a real soft spot for Popp and I like Fleming in Strauss, but Wunderlich is one of the only tenors I've heard who can make Strauss's tenor writing sound beautiful. If the role is as important as you say, maybe the Böhm would be my best bet.

Both tenor roles are of the same length and dramatic importance. Apollo is a bit like Bacchus (Ariadne): static and stentorian. Which makes the role of Leukippos particularly appealing IMO, as he has a more interesting dramatis persona and singing part.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on September 28, 2021, 11:32:36 AM
From last night:

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 27, 2021, 07:41:36 PM
NP:

Feldman
Neither
Petra Hoffmann
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Kwamé Ryan


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61KczWqhPEL._SL1210_.jpg)

An anti-opera? Quite possibly, but utterly fascinating to say the least. The eerie atmosphere Feldman conjures up is completely singular and strangely alluring.

From what I've read both Feldman and Samuel Beckett (his librettist for Neither) both hated opera. I'm not far behind them, but I wouldn't say I hate the genre as there are some operas that I do love, but, in general, I don't gravitate towards it. Anyway, Neither is a haunting work and I can say that it is in a way the antithesis of operatic music in that there's no real dramatic content in the music and the vocal (a lone soprano) sings almost in this monotone form of expression. Anyway, this opera is quite an achievement I think.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 28, 2021, 12:45:08 PM
Just finished
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51q8m3kc4FL.jpg)

If you like Weber you'll like this.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Gurn Blanston on September 28, 2021, 01:45:09 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/OaFfBVc.jpg)

This is a very enjoyable version of Haydn's only Metastasio opera, also one of the few semiseria libretti that Metastasio ever wrote. The singing and playing are very good indeed, bearing in mind that this is far from grand opera, it was written by both the librettist and the composer as a chamber opera (azione teatrale). There are just 4 roles, the younger woman's role ('Silvia') was written by Haydn for his mistress, Luigia Polzelli.

Here is some background information on the composition and original performance:  The Desert Island (https://tinyurl.com/5dhmvukh), and with some good alternate versions if you are so inclined.

Dorati, of course!
(https://i.imgur.com/BSw2bdA.jpg)

DeMarchi with a very nice PI version:
(https://i.imgur.com/BxJF3ue.jpg)

And finally, a German version which was sent to Haydn in 1802, and which he orchestrated all the recitatives to, along with major corrections to the music that arrived long with the translation. It was, in fact, the last bit of opera he was to ever work on, and one of the last works, period. Orfeo Baroque Orchestra do a nice job with it, too!
(https://i.imgur.com/apM7ca5.jpg)

8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 29, 2021, 03:41:43 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 28, 2021, 02:40:38 AM
I've toyed with getting a recording of Daphne from time to time, but haven't been able to make up my mind. I have a real soft spot for Popp and I like Fleming in Strauss, but Wunderlich is one of the only tenors I've heard who can make Strauss's tenor writing sound beautiful. If the role is as important as you say, maybe the Böhm would be my best bet.
I'm a big fan of Fritz Wunderlich.  His death at the height of his singing career was a tragedy.

Not familiar with Strauss' opera Daphne, but will have to keep an eye out for it.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on September 29, 2021, 12:59:19 PM
From the "Listening" thread:

QuoteAdams
The Death of Klinghoffer
James Maddalena, Janice Felty et. al.
Lyon National Opera Orchestra
London Opera Chorus
Kent Nagano


(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/68/11/0603497121168_600.jpg)

This is one hell of an opera. Darkly turbulent and Adams puts his own unusual touch on the work. The first two movements act as a prologue and are for chorus and orchestra. I can't think of any opera off the top of my head where there's essentially choral pieces at the beginning. Anyway, an enjoyable work that only reaffirms Adams' knack for the theatrical. A trait he no doubt shares with Britten, Janáček, Berg et. al.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 01, 2021, 12:15:11 PM
A trip down memory lane... :)

Some days  in the (breathtaking) Obersalzberg region in Southeast Bavaria made me want to revisit the Bavarian operas of Carl Orff, particularly Der Mond:

(https://img.discogs.com/g8UDq4CbLlLTurdOf6mL4d_3Yp8=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4361368-1603370660-6282.jpeg.jpg)

It's not often that I listen to Orff, but Der Mond is a work I really enjoyed in my teens —the Sawallisch recording in EMI/Ángel— , and I really enjoyed it this time around (after a hiatus of several decades, I knew much of the text by heart). The folksy / naïf idiom, but with moments of great sweetness (that very Bavarian music at the end!), is quite beguiling. Herbert Kegel (as usual) leads a very effective performance of this charming piece.

The recording is included in the set depicted below (in an "original covers" format), which also includes Kegel's recording of Die Kluge (a work I remember being less keen on in my youth), and his complete Trionfi (which I didn't really need —already having Jochum conducting them— but the price of the box at Ludwig Beck in Munich was very attractive):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91zbamp%2BkdL._SL1500_.jpg)

I also bought another Orff work, Die Bernauerin (in what I understand is its only recording), that'll be completely new to me:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81PPfmr2mpL._SL1200_.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 02, 2021, 02:01:55 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Bsr_1_A9og3rIXOOED89EGvy3Fg=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11022315-1508419462-8489.jpeg.jpg)

Enesco's Oedipe is a masterpiece, no doubt about it, and reasons for its neglect are hard to fathom. Maybe it has something to do with the large cast, or the difficulty of finding a bass-baritone capable of fulfilling the title role's vocal and dramatic demands.

This 1989 recording certainly does it proud with José Van Dam giving one of his best recorded performances. The rest of the cast is littered with star names, with Gabriel Bacquier as Tirésias, Gino Quilico as Thésée, Brigitte Fassbänder as Jocaste, Marjana Lipovsek as The Sphinx, Barbara Hendricks as Antigone and even Nicolai Gedda in the small but important role of the Shepherd.

Lawrence Foster certainly has the measure of the score and his Monte Carlo forces play brilliantly for him. The chorus, which play such a prominent part in the opera is the excellent Orféon Donasterra.

If you don't know this opera, I suggest you try it. Performances have been few and far between sinces its premiere at the Paris Opéra in 1936.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 02, 2021, 04:25:52 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 02, 2021, 02:01:55 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Bsr_1_A9og3rIXOOED89EGvy3Fg=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11022315-1508419462-8489.jpeg.jpg)

Enesco's Oedipe is a masterpiece, no doubt about it, and reasons for its neglect are hard to fathom. Maybe it has something to do with the large cast, or the difficulty of finding a bass-baritone capable of fulfilling the title role's vocal and dramatic demands.

This 1989 recording certainly does it proud with José Van Dam giving one of his best recorded performances. The rest of the cast is littered with star names, with Gabriel Bacquier as Tirésias, Gino Quilico as Thésée, Brigitte Fassbänder as Jocaste, Marjana Lipovsek as The Sphinx, Barbara Hendricks as Antigone and even Nicolai Gedda in the small but important role of the Shepherd.

Lawrence Foster certainly has the measure of the score and his Monte Carlo forces play brilliantly for him. The chorus, which play such a prominent part in the opera is the excellent Orféon Donasterra.

If you don't know this opera, I suggest you try it. Performances have been few and far between sinces its premiere at the Paris Opéra in 1936.
It is a stunning work, noble and full of musical wonders.

Fortunately, it's being performed a bit more these days. It was given at the Salzburg Festival in 2019, and is opening the season of the Paris Opérs (in both occasions with Ingo Metzmacher as conductor). A friend of mine is expressly  travelling from Spain to Paris to attend one of the performances.

The Foster recording is a great achievement, and was my introduction to the work in the original French when it was first released (I had the old Electrecord set in Romanian translation on LP). A live recording from the Vienna State Opera on Naxos, under Michael Gielen and with the late lamented Monte Pederson in the title rôle works less well IMHO.

My favourite, in any case, is this (slightly cut) performance recorded live at an homage to the composer shortly after his death (AFAIK, it was the first performance of the work in Paris after WWII), with Xavier Depraz, and conducted by Charles Brück:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51qodw87xSL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 02, 2021, 07:59:23 AM
Quote from: ritter on October 02, 2021, 04:25:52 AM
It is a stunning work, noble and full of musical wonders.

Fortunately, it's being performed a bit more these days. It was given at the Salzburg Festival in 2019, and is opening the season of the Paris Opérs (in both occasions with Ingo Metzmacher as conductor). A friend of mine is expressly  travelling from Spain to Paris to attend one of the performances.

The Foster recording is a great achievement, and was my introduction to the work in the original French when it was first released (I had the old Electrecord set in Romanian translation on LP). A live recording from the Vienna State Opera on Naxos, under Michael Gielen and with the late lamented Monte Pederson in the title rôle works less well IMHO.

My favourite, in any case, is this (slightly cut) performance recorded live at an homage to the composer shortly after his death (AFAIK, it was the first performance of the work in Paris after WWII), with Xavier Depraz, and conducted by Charles Brück:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51qodw87xSL.jpg)

Good to see it's beginning to get the recognition it deserves. A friend of mine thinks it's "a dreadful piece of tat".  ::)

I don't agree of course.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 02, 2021, 10:45:53 AM
Although a new production would be nice I doubt it could be better than the Foster EMI. I have a few discs of Enescu conducted by that conductor and at one point I was wondering 'why is this bloke recording all these Enescus in the first place' ? I found out that, although he was born in LA, both his parents were jewish romanian immigrants. Bartok was his first love, and it's only some years later that he came to Enescu, by way of Bartok.

When the Oedipe recording was planned, Samuel Ramey was to sing the title role, and Marilyn Horne the Sphinx. Ramey got into a schedule conflict (he was doing Don Giovanni under Karajan at Salzburg) so van Dam stepped in and Lipovsek replaced Horne. Prince Rainier underwrote the Monte Carlo production, which was prestigious and expensive. We are lucky to have that recorded memento.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 02, 2021, 01:23:55 PM
Quote from: André on October 02, 2021, 10:45:53 AM
Although a new production would be nice I doubt it could be better than the Foster EMI. I have a few discs of Enescu conducted by that conductor and at one point I was wondering 'why is this bloke recording all these Enescus in the first place' ? I found out that, although he was born in LA, both his parents were jewish romanian immigrants. Bartok was his first love, and it's only some years later that he came to Enescu, by way of Bartok.

When the Oedipe recording was planned, Samuel Ramey was to sing the title role, and Marilyn Horne the Sphinx. Ramey got into a schedule conflict (he was doing Don Giovanni under Karajan at Salzburg) so van Dam stepped in and Lipovsek replaced Horne. Prince Rainier underwrote the Monte Carlo production, which was prestigious and expensive. We are lucky to have that recorded memento.

Indeed we are, and I a more than happy with Van Dam and Lipovsek. I doubt Ramey and Horne would have been any better.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on October 02, 2021, 02:08:06 PM
Dipping into Barrie Kosky's production of Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, from the Komische Oper Berlin. It looks like it was recorded from a broadcast earlier today, and is available on demand until 29 October.

https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/whats-on/a-z/mahagonny/

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 04, 2021, 03:10:18 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/YvIcP6I57zsYgrTc4LDOjjkAqhc=/fit-in/600x516/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9230398-1581433588-6525.jpeg.jpg)

Fauré's opera Pénélope was first staged in 1913 at the Salle Garnier in Monte Carlo, but failed to establish itself in the repertory and is now rarely heard. It is a beautful work, but the lack of dramatic event could perhaps be the reason for its neglect. Though not in the least bit Wagnerian, it follows Wagner's system of Leitmotiven, associating themes with the main characters and significant emotions.

Whatever the reasons for the lack of stage performances, it works well enough as an aural experience and this is a very fine recording of the work with a mostly French cast. Jessye Norman is splendid in the title role and there are certainly no problems with her top register here. Alain Vanzo has been criticised for sounding to young at the beginning when he is disguised as an old man, but perhaps the fault is Fauré's and the tenor register tends to sound youthful anyway. In any case I can't imagine the opera being better performed than it is here.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 07, 2021, 12:26:27 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/SckiAfFBkY4OWOuLXLtTY_dx0LM=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12460506-1550176321-2411.jpeg.jpg)

Minor Callas really, and I'd happily give this recording for the Genoa Tristan und Isolde, the La Scala Seraglio, Don Carlo or Il Pirata with Corelli and Bastianini. Still, any live Callas is worth hearing, even when she is singing an uncharacteristic role, which she never sang again.

The opera was supposed to have been Il Trovatore, but Del Monaco had pleaded indisposition. However, though he didn't feel up to singing Manrico, he thought he could manage Chénier and Callas, who could quite legitimately have pulled out, learned the short role of Maddalena in a few days. Given the almost hysterical reception the crowd give him, Del Monaco clearly knew what he was about.

I've left a fuller review on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/27/andrea-chenier-la-scala-1955/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/27/andrea-chenier-la-scala-1955/)

Incidentally the sound of this broadcast is middling to bad. It could hardly be a library choice for the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 07, 2021, 11:42:30 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/YvwA6jKA1tHUDZ76vmyOGXgkBFY=/fit-in/440x440/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11572853-1518730765-6760.jpeg.jpg)

Much better sound of course than the live La Scala version I listened to yesterday, so more comfortable listening all round. Domingo is a much more thoughtful Chénier than Del Monaco and Milnes a rather more interesting Gérard than Protti. Scotto is a Maddalena in the Callas mould, though Callas in 1955 was in better control of her top register than Scotto is here.

Levine conducts an exciting performance. All in all a good library choice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 09, 2021, 01:18:10 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/NtSp4fmmSNOr5_WCf0T3yH3vQUs=/fit-in/500x500/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12457288-1595848702-3007.jpeg.jpg)

It is a great pity that the sound on this recording is so appalling, because Callas proves to be a superb Gluck singer and she is in terrific voice here. This is just post weight loss, but she shows precious little evidence of any vocal decline. None of the other singers is in her class, but it is good to have Giulini in the pit.

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/13/alceste-la-scala-1954/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/13/alceste-la-scala-1954/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2021, 02:40:46 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/LUBBl0j20xNowNbUrEVdOPDaxyw=/fit-in/600x535/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14040299-1566641907-1261.jpeg.jpg)

Callas's second Gluck opera was Iphigénie en Tauride which, like Alceste is sung in Italian. She is in superb voice and yet again proves herself to be a superb Gluck soprano. Unfortunately she more or less has to go it alone in this recording. The sound is quite a bit better than the Alceste but none of the other singers is in her class and Sanzogno is no Giulini in the pit.

Still Callas is magnificent and it is good to have these two examples of her singing Gluck. Lionel Dunlop, writing in Opera magazine at the time of the production, talks of her ability to "invest with so many overtones of meaning a singe exclamation, as, for example, in Ifigenia's recognition of Oreste, where joy at reunion, sad regret for past separation, horror at his impending sacrifice, and an overwejlming love were all intermingled in the single word fratello." It is for such moments that Callas remains unique.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2021, 11:30:23 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/FZU4ZC5OfxHRaIRwT2gOXpKcWSE=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13491848-1555224692-8111.jpeg.jpg)

Finishing up my mini Gluckathon with his most regularly performed opera, Orfeo ed Euridice. So which edition of the score is this? Well, it appears to be a hybrid, Leppard stating in the booklet that "Broadly I chose whatever option was better."

This was Janet Baker's last ever operatic role and this recording was made around the time she was doing her final performances at Glyndebourne with exactly the same cast of singers. There is a video of one of the performances too, though this was recorded in Brent Town Hall. Elizabeth Gale is a sprightly Amore, but Eilsabeth Speiser fails to make much of an impression as Eurydice. The Glyndebourne Chorus is, as always, superb, but the main reason to hear this set is for the brilliant performance of the title role by Dame Janet. Technically it holds no terrors for her (she dispatches the treachorus Addio, o miei sospiri with consummate ease), but it is the intensity of her singing and the emotional commitment that impress most. A great performane.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 11, 2021, 01:51:08 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/DYLfTUcKgIhfbPxTXO_omOR6DjU=/fit-in/600x604/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2004439-1520196796-9210.jpeg.jpg)

A complete contrast to the Gluck I was listening to earlier.

Golijov's music is not easy to categorise, but his opera Ainadamar is hugely enjoyabe. The booklet states that he would actively seek out classical performers "who are willing to roughen up their conservatory-trained techniques". Dawn Upshaw has always seemed to me to be one of the few classical singers who can adapt her technique to more popular fare and she is as superb here as she is in, say, Handel's Theodora.

Highly recommended to anyone who likes exploriing off the beaten track.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2021, 01:27:16 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/vKO5MrJrqqx02Pn9Gzeaz08nH14=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9463621-1481109331-1959.jpeg.jpg)

Of post-war performances, this is one of the most French. Admittedly Gedda and De Los Angeles are not but both are particularly suited to French opera and sing French very well. Christoff is another matter and whether you can put up with his execrable French for the sake of his magnificent voice and demonic characterisation is another matter. It does spoil it a bit for me but the rest is so good. I'll put up with it.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 13, 2021, 07:06:24 AM
Once again, Carl Orff's Der Mond, but this time in its first commercial recording* (which was the one I got to know the work with in my teens), conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71XIFuPg4zL._SL1200_.jpg)

Apart from the sentimental value the piece and this particular version can have for me, it must be said that the presence of no less than Hans Hotter as St. Peter makes this rather valuable. No that his part (or the music of this opera in general) is so difficult or rich, but Hotter imbues his lines with a Lieder singers sensibility to the text that is quite an achievement (and this comes from someone, like me, who is by no means a die-hard fan of this singer). OTOH, one can detect the faintest foreign accent in the otherwise splendid chorus. Yet, this is a great performance of this simple but delightful fairy tale opera.

* there's an earlier (1949) broadcast from the Bavarian radio conducted by Rudolf Alberth, who later would appear --and record-- with Pierre Boulez's Domaine Musical orchestra (it was he who conducted the world premiere of Messiaen's Oiseaux exotiques in 1956).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 13, 2021, 10:44:52 AM
Good day to you, Rafael !

I found a used copy on Amazon. In the cart it goes  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 13, 2021, 11:32:05 AM
Quote from: André on October 13, 2021, 10:44:52 AM
Good day to you, Rafael !

I found a used copy on Amazon. In the cart it goes  ;)
Good evening, André.  :)

I hope you enjoy it (but am confident you will  ;)). I still have to listen to Orff's Midsummer Night's Dream (which arrived in record time from Disco100 in Barcelona — less than 24 hours after I ordered it).

Cheers,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 14, 2021, 08:20:51 AM
Quote from: ritter on October 13, 2021, 07:06:24 AM
Once again, Carl Orff's Der Mond, but this time in its first commercial recording* (which was the one I got to know the work with in my teens), conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71XIFuPg4zL._SL1200_.jpg)


Moved on today to Die Kluge from this set. This opera, composed in 1941-42 (some 5 years after Der Mond), is a rather different affair from its predecessor. The orchestration is much heavier, there's longer stretches of spoken text, and the story does not have the simple charm of Der Mond. The recording, from 1956, is OK, but once again the presence of the acclaimed Elisabeth Schwarzkopf borders, for me at least, on torture --even in this brief rôle! I dislike her tone, I dislike her way with the words (Orff's folksy --and, let's face it, rather poor-- libretto isn't Beim Schlafengehen, for crying out loud!). This "clever woman" is simply antipática and obnoxious...  >:D. But it's not only the lead singer, the opera itself is much less inspired than Der Mond. Yes, there's a nice little interlude near the end, but e.g. the opening 5 minute aria in which the clever woman's father (Gottlob Frick in this recording) repeats what seems like a hundred times "Oh, if I had only believed my daughter!" is unbearable. A boring and crude work, that I find completely devoid of any charm (as opposed to Der Mond).  ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 14, 2021, 12:33:12 PM
I have often experienced this dichotomy with Orff. Some extraordinarily enticing works vs some that are repulsive... :(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 14, 2021, 12:57:09 PM
On the bright side, Wikipedia says Die Kluge is 90 minutes long. This recording is just under 75 minutes long. So Sawallisch's cuts saved you 15 minutes.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 15, 2021, 02:48:02 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/JFFh0XFviIRYXIbH8FiXQZwxJjw=/fit-in/600x513/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-19203100-1624138060-3327.jpeg.jpg)

This recording certainly makes the best case for Gounod's opera. Indeed, whilst listening to this performance, I began to wonder if Roméo et Juliette might be Gounod's greatest opera rather than Faust which I listened to a couple of days ago.

I saw Alagna in his debut in this role at Covent Garden the year before this recording was made and he was quite superb. On that occasion his Juliette was the girlish Leontina Vaduva, but by the time of the recording (made in 1995, but not released until 1998) he and Gheorghiu had become an item and an obvious pairing. Alagna was always at his best when singing in his native tongue and his Roméo is impetuous, ardent and, most important of all, poetic, the quiet close to Act II being particularly magical. Gheorghiu is delightfully girlish in the opening scene, but has all the requisite power for her big Act IV aria, which often used to be cut. A superb supporting cast too, Simon Keenyside as Mercutio and José Van Dam as Frère Laurent being particularly noteworthy.

Plasson improves here on his earlier recording, which had the stylish, but perceptibly aging Alfredo Kraus as Roméo. Malfitano is very good as Juliette, but she doesn't have Gheorghiu's beauty of tone.

A really superb recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 15, 2021, 07:00:15 AM
I should explore that one. A poetic Roméo is just what I look for in that role. I have the bovine Raoul Jobin and the neurotic bull-in-the-china-shop Corelli... ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 15, 2021, 02:47:25 PM
Quote from: André on October 15, 2021, 07:00:15 AM
I should explore that one. A poetic Roméo is just what I look for in that role. I have the bovine Raoul Jobin and the neurotic bull-in-the-china-shop Corelli... ::)

I used to have the earlier Plasson on LP and it is very good also, but I think this one supersedes it. Plasson has a much better grip on the score this time round too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on October 17, 2021, 07:47:24 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 15, 2021, 02:48:02 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/JFFh0XFviIRYXIbH8FiXQZwxJjw=/fit-in/600x513/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-19203100-1624138060-3327.jpeg.jpg)

This recording certainly makes the best case for Gounod's opera. Indeed, whilst listening to this performance, I began to wonder if Roméo et Juliette might be Gounod's greatest opera rather than Faust which I listened to a couple of days ago.

I saw Alagna in his debut in this role at Covent Garden the year before this recording was made and he was quite superb. On that occasion his Juliette was the girlish Leontina Vaduva, but by the time of the recording (made in 1995, but not released until 1998) he and Gheorghiu had become an item and an obvious pairing. Alagna was always at his best when singing in his native tongue and his Roméo is impetuous, ardent and, most important of all, poetic, the quiet close to Act II being particularly magical. Gheorghiu is delightfully girlish in the opening scene, but has all the requisite power for her big Act IV aria, which often used to be cut. A superb supporting cast too, Simon Keenyside as Mercutio and José Van Dam as Frère Laurent being particularly noteworthy.

Plasson improves here on his earlier recording, which had the stylish, but perceptibly aging Alfredo Kraus as Roméo. Malfitano is very good as Juliette, but she doesn't have Gheorghiu's beauty of tone.

A really superb recording.

Thankyou for a needed-nudge to prompt me to listen to this recording again.  Can't imagine when I last listened to it but MUCH too long ago!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 18, 2021, 01:19:52 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/6tJcaohTbCF-Dr-yBH005sinQbM=/fit-in/500x500/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9130541-1518265605-6751.jpeg.jpg)

Not actually an opera but it has been staged and with great success. I remember a thrilling Luc Bondy production, which travelled to London's Barbican from Aix-en-Provence, bringing with it the superb Dejanira of Joyce DiDonato.

Though called Hercules, the orotorio is really a study of irrational jealousy, as depicted in the character of Hercules's wife Dejanira and it is Dejanira who dominates the action. Anne Sofie von Otter is splendid in that role, but there isn't really a weak link in Minkowski's cast, who are all superb. One might question the use of countertenor David Daniels in the conralto role of Lichas, but he sings so well, criticism is disarmed. Superb playing by Les Musiciens du Louvre, with the chorus magnificent in the all important choruses.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on October 18, 2021, 07:10:40 AM
Finally gotten round to hearing Tristan und Isolde in full. Bohm recording
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 20, 2021, 05:44:40 AM
Quote from: Maestro267 on October 18, 2021, 07:10:40 AM
Finally gotten round to hearing Tristan und Isolde in full. Bohm recording
What did you think of it Maestro?  I have that classic recording myself; believe that it's the only one that I have of it too.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 21, 2021, 03:18:46 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/hSzci3QwJMze2Dh_iG4Vs0y8wJM=/fit-in/600x527/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-15079141-1586439534-1962.jpeg.jpg)

These CDs are taken from a highly successful series of performances at Glyndebourne (one of which was captured for DVD). There is quite a bit of stage and audience noise, but for such a performance it is absolutely worth it. Chorus and orchestra under William Christie are absolutely superb and the cast could hardly be bettered with great contributions from Richard Croft and Frode Olsen. David Daniels's countertenor was at its absolute peak in 1996, rich and mellow, with wonderfully fleet and accurate coloratura, and Dawn Upshaw is a radiantly affecting Theodora. However what sets the seal on the whole performance is the deeply emotional singing of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson as Irene, so naturally and expressive and yet so rapt and intense at the same time. As With Rosy Steps The Morn is one of the most searingly beautiful pieces of Handel singing I have ever heard. What a superb artist she was.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on October 21, 2021, 06:16:33 AM
I have the Glyndebourne DVD. Very strong performance of a superb work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 24, 2021, 01:50:45 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/aWwuqZEYxMDLNFJiJYR9AZMNsLo=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7240691-1480808278-9560.jpeg.jpg)

I normally avoid Bartoli, but the rest of the cast, save for the rather weak Eustazio of Daniel Taylor, is excellent and David Daniels, at his mid career best, is superb. Wonderful performances too from Bernarda Fink, Luba Organasova and Gerald Finley, but Hogwood, as so often in opera, can be a bit stiff.

Actually Bartoli doesn't  get that much to do in the role of Almirena, though she does get the opera's big hit number Lascia ch'io pianga, a gorgeous piece, which is marred here for me by the explosive way she rolls her r's.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 24, 2021, 05:20:06 PM
Crosspost from WAYLT2

One of several operas I found at a used CD/book store in Fort Lauderdale.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mEdff+EmL.jpg)
The libretto is adapted from a tragedy by Racine (Andromaque). Composed for Naples in 1819, it was a failure and never revived until the modern era. The only other recordings are one from Opera Rara and a live recording from a 1987 performance with Montserrat Caballe and Marilyn Horne. This Scimone recording was made in 1988. Total timing is almost exactly 2 hours.
Music is typical Rossini skillfullness, singers seem good. Recommended if you find it at a suitable price.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on October 25, 2021, 03:49:48 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 24, 2021, 01:50:45 AM

I normally avoid Bartoli, but the rest of the cast, save for the rather weak Eustazio of Daniel Taylor, is excellent and David Daniels, at his mid career best, is superb. Wonderful performances too from Bernarda Fink, Luba Organasova and Gerald Finley, but Hogwood, as so often in opera, can be a bit stiff.


I do as well. Wonderful agile singer, but she too often are too hectic and aggressive. She often simply wears me out.

Now listening to an opera I never heard complete before. Dessay is outstanding as usual.

(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimg1.imagesbn.com%2Fp%2F724355656926_p0_v1_s260x420.jpg&f=1&nofb=1)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 25, 2021, 06:50:35 AM
Quote from: The new erato on October 25, 2021, 03:49:48 AM
I do as well. Wonderful agile singer, but she too often are too hectic and aggressive. She often simply wears me out.

Now listening to an opera I never heard complete before. Dessay is outstanding as usual.

(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimg1.imagesbn.com%2Fp%2F724355656926_p0_v1_s260x420.jpg&f=1&nofb=1)

I have the Mady Mesplé recording, which the BBC's Building a Library programme named as top choice. It was Mady Mesplé's signature role and she sang it all over. Worth investigating too, if you enjoyed the opera.

(https://img.discogs.com/lIgt6TSOc_bn4lIHpxB5otATd38=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13284031-1551363420-2170.jpeg.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 27, 2021, 12:35:40 AM
Cross posted from the main forum.

(https://img.discogs.com/Em6yCDaMvnBnA2MprJQSUOrmO24=/fit-in/500x489/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6205756-1413703474-8200.jpeg.jpg)

This is a really lovely disc. About half of it is taken up with Holst's short but extremely effective opera, Sãvitri, wonderfully sung here by Janet Baker, Robert Tear and Thomas Hemsley, under the composer's daughter, Imogen Holst. The libretto is by Holst himself, taken from an episode in the Mahabharata.

The opera is sandwiched between beautiful Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, choral settings of Sanskrit texts, translated by Holst himself and more choral settings of poems by Robert Bridges and Henry Vaughan.

Superb performances with Janet Baker in radiant form in the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 27, 2021, 06:54:13 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/11/imgL/118984815.jpg)

Karajan's classic 1954 recording of Humperdinck's perenial favourite Hänsel und Gretel. Recorded in 1953 in very warm mono sound, it has hardly been out of the catalogue and this is only one of several CD reissues. I've read elsewhere that the digital transfer was better managed on some of the subsequent releases, but this one sounds good enough to me.

The two Elisabeths (Grümmer and Schwarzkopf) give wonderfully light and exuberant performances as the two children, Else Schürhoff doesn't ham it up too much as the Witch and Maria von Ilosvay and Josef Metternich make characterful parents. Annie Febermeyer doubles as Sandman and Dew Fairy and is delightful as both.

Some have remarked that Karajan's conception is more Sraussian than Wagnerian. Be that as it may, the Philharmonia play gloriously for him and I consider this recording to be as much of a classic as his Philharmonia Der Rosenkavalier and Falstaff.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 27, 2021, 05:27:19 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 27, 2021, 06:54:13 AM
(https://img.cdandlp.com/2017/11/imgL/118984815.jpg)

Karajan's classic 1954 recording of Humperdinck's perenial favourite Hänsel und Gretel. Recorded in 1953 in very warm mono sound, it has hardly been out of the catalogue and this is only one of several CD reissues. I've read elsewhere that the digital transfer was better managed on some of the subsequent releases, but this one sounds good enough to me.

The two Elisabeths (Grümmer and Schwarzkopf) give wonderfully light and exuberant performances as the two children, Else Schürhoff doesn't ham it up too much as the Witch and Maria von Ilosvay and Josef Metternich make characterful parents. Annie Febermeyer doubles as Sandman and Dew Fairy and is delightful as both.

Some have remarked that Karajan's conception is more Sraussian than Wagnerian. Be that as it may, the Philharmonia play gloriously for him and I consider this recording to be as much of a classic as his Philharmonia Der Rosenkavalier and Falstaff.

The libretto is certainly more like Strauss than Wagner--the former composed works in which the Witch and the Sandman would fit in, the latter didn't; and I don't want to think of what musical damage Wagner might have done to the children.

TD
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61sRwDyhL9L.jpg)
My copy is the original release, with libretto in the booklet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 27, 2021, 11:22:46 PM
Quote from: JBS on October 27, 2021, 05:27:19 PM
The libretto is certainly more like Strauss than Wagner--the former composed works in which the Witch and the Sandman would fit in, the latter didn't; and I don't want to think of what musical damage Wagner might have done to the children.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Quote from: JBS on October 27, 2021, 05:27:19 PM

TD
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61sRwDyhL9L.jpg)
My copy is the original release, with libretto in the booklet.

An excellent set. Levine is a bit too bombastic for my taste, but the singing is superb.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on October 27, 2021, 11:37:37 PM
Played this recently:

(https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.25dcd0f9d356af80c7123d238bca65af?rik=B50mPLnDOH9txQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)

Rather good, and nice to expand ones view of Saint-Saens.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 28, 2021, 01:11:31 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/RXPWJLZVu21tx6sUG2ydz9c7VoM=/fit-in/600x526/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-1661655-1236277311.jpeg.jpg)

What a gorgeous opera this is and beautifully performed here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: The new erato on October 28, 2021, 02:48:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 28, 2021, 01:11:31 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/RXPWJLZVu21tx6sUG2ydz9c7VoM=/fit-in/600x526/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-1661655-1236277311.jpeg.jpg)

What a gorgeous opera this is and beautifully performed here.
Indeed. I have that on LP, a beautiful package.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 28, 2021, 04:44:35 AM
I'm not that much of a fan of Janáček, but have (and enjoy) that recording of the Vixen, which I bought after seeing the work onstage here in Madrid in 1998, in a staging by Nicholas Hytner and with Thomas Allen as the forester. That was a memorable experience!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on October 28, 2021, 09:33:55 AM
Quote from: The new erato on October 27, 2021, 11:37:37 PM
Played this recently:

(https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.25dcd0f9d356af80c7123d238bca65af?rik=B50mPLnDOH9txQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)

Rather good, and nice to expand ones view of Saint-Saens.

That's one of my top 3 Saint-Saëns operas. Very good!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 30, 2021, 02:40:53 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Y59_BIQmyFl5eo5RZ2T4rpAB8aQ=/fit-in/600x519/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8627818-1466186850-7510.jpeg.jpg)

I recently saw Jenůfa at Covent Garden in a riveting new production, with Karita Mattila, an erstwhiile Jenůfa now playing Kostelnička. It was a thoroughly rewarding evening, but this recording (and these singers) bring out more of the lyricism in the writing. Söderström and Mackerras made several fine recordings of Janáček operas back in the 1980s and they are all worth getting to know.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 30, 2021, 11:12:48 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51FUHrYyDhL..jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 30, 2021, 11:50:32 AM
What's your opinion, Jeffrey ? I have a disc of french opera arias with Hadley and it's a favourite of mine. I like both his vocal and verbal delivery.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 30, 2021, 02:22:52 PM
Quote from: André on October 30, 2021, 11:50:32 AM
What's your opinion, Jeffrey ? I have a disc of french opera arias with Hadley and it's a favourite of mine. I like both his vocal and verbal delivery.

He's the least impressive element in this. To be fair, I don't think I've heard more than highlights from this opera before today. (Maybe a Met Opera broadcast back in my teenage years.) But it seems like Gounod gave all the good bits to the other roles.
Mephisto/Ramey is the star, quite diabolic.
Gasdia is sort of generic soprano, but a capable singer.
Two bits of the Walpurgisnight scene and the entire ballet are placed as appendices at the end of CD 3.

Tomorrow I may listen to Spohr's Faust, a very different approach that largely ignored Goethe's version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on October 30, 2021, 05:11:16 PM
Thanks. No match for the best versions, then.

The original version of Faust is substantially different and IMO flows much better (less bombast). It's on Bru Zane and this time an excellent tenor sings the title role.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 30, 2021, 05:28:26 PM
Quote from: André on October 30, 2021, 05:11:16 PM
Thanks. No match for the best versions, then.

The original version of Faust is substantially different and IMO flows much better (less bombast). It's on Bru Zane and this time an excellent tenor sings the title role.

I've put it on the List, thank you.
Mind you, Ramey makes this a good recording all on his own, and the singers who do Valentin and Wagner, as well as the chorus, all do a top notch job.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Undersea on October 31, 2021, 01:18:09 AM
Now listening:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81XIFB3TMrL._SL1200_.jpg)


Wagner: Das Rheingold, WWV 86A


Been enjoying some older recordings this week...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: LKB on October 31, 2021, 08:11:07 AM
I only enjoy a small number of operas, which is rather strange considering l was a professional bass-baritone for 25 years...

Atm, Parsifal has my attention. I own both the von Karajan and Knappertsbusch recordings, but find myself with HvK more often so as to bask in Kurt Moll's superlative Gurnemanz.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 31, 2021, 11:44:19 AM
A different sort of Faust
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51j-cw2ZI8L.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511ExIM3x4L.jpg)

A live recording from 1993.
This is the two act version of 1819 (so it includes two arias Spohr added in to the original 1813-16 version), with spoken dialogue. The plot involves Faust in two love affairs, and owes little or nothing to Goethe's version. Magic is used liberally, and a love potion is brewed during a witches' sabbath, so it's more akin to Freischutz or Oberon in both plot and music, than it is to anything by Berlioz or Gounod.

Thirty years later Spohr revised the opera into a three act version with recitatives instead of the spoken dialogue.


Wikipedia article on the opera here.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust_(Spohr)

The only other recording is on CPO and is of the 1852 version. (Amusingly CPO used the same exact painting for its cover image as the recording of Gounod's version I listened to yesterday.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 01, 2021, 01:42:42 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/1ODGRMc05SDLLNnMzJLHEbfmGe8=/fit-in/600x520/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8101264-1455150226-7580.jpeg.jpg)

A superb performance of Janáček's Káťa Kabanová. This performance really brings out both the drama and the lyricism in the music. Weirdly there were odd times that the music slightly reminded me of the Puccini of La Fanciulla del West. Mackerras made another recording of this work in Prague, with Gabriela Beňačková in the title role, but I haven't heard that one. In any case, Söderström is wonderful and the rest of the cast (all Czech) also excellent.

The opera is quite short and Decca provide as makeweight, performances of Capriccio and Concertino, played by Paul Crossley with members of the London Sinfonietta conducted by David Atherton.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 02, 2021, 01:11:05 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/lpasN_6xKYzAd3Iuq-ZO7Twkn-c=/fit-in/600x594/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13943623-1564592390-6956.jpeg.jpg)

I come to the end of my mini Janáček binge with Věc Makropulos or, as it usually known in English speaking countries, The Makropulos Case. Söderström is again magnificent in the leading role, with excellent performances from the Czech cast and Mackerras once again conducting the Vienna Philharmonic.

The makeweight here is the charming, if slight Lachian Dance played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under François Huybrechts.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 03, 2021, 04:32:06 PM
(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/71novnBzhDL._AC_SX522_.jpg)

il Tabarro is Puccini's shortest opera and yet it packs a lot of atmosphere, melodies and drama in its under 50 minutes duration. The characters are well delineated, the story uncomplicated and the setting very simple: the deck of a barge on the Seine river in Paris. Secondary characters have actually a lot to go for them in this opera. The character of La Frugola for example is a peach of a role for a character mezzo. It is taken  superbly by the veteran Oralia Dominguez. The main characters each get a scene, an aria, and Giorgietta has duets with both Michele and Luigi. Puccini's orchestra is copious in numbers and in sound effects, including sirens, car horn, glockenspiel, tubular bells on top of a very full wind, brass and percussion contingent - and strings of course. But all of those are used mostly in a chamber-like setting to create atmosphere, not decibels. Puccini's orchestra is almost debussyan in its subtle harmonies.

The singers must be Fanciulla or Tosca-sized, not Bohème-sized. Milnes is an excellent Michele. In fine voice, he does not overdo the grand-guignol aspects of his role. Price is very good, but I find her voice too plush for the role. Scotto (under Maazel) has more tang to her voice, more bite in her exchanges with her husband Michele and yet she is convincing when showing hints of remorse and tenderness at the end. Luigi is sung by the young Domingo. He is excellent. Under Maazel in 1978 he would offer an almost frighteningly intense account of Hai ben ragione. Overall this is superb in every way except for the utmost in characterfulness. For that, the Tebaldi-Del Monaco and Scotto-Domingo versions provide even more thrills. I have a 4th version (EMI Pappano) but I have not listened to it yet.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 03, 2021, 04:49:31 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/DSl5dljTuR79qtX8DHUt8Xh8H1U=/fit-in/500x433/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7884605-1452620257-7245.jpeg.jpg)

If ever an opera cried out for a translation into English, this one's the best candidate I can think of. After all it is set in the Republic of Gilead (the USA of the year 2195) and is based on an English language novel. Which makes all the more frustrating the efforts one has to make to find his/her way into the libretto, which runs to a staggering 202 pages (the full booklet is 268 pages long). This being an opera about women, most sung roles are feminine. In any language sopranos and mezzos singing at the top of their range are bound to be incomprehensible. The role of Offred seems to be a voice killer. Ruders being Dane and this being a Royal Danish Theatre production (2000), it is of course sung in Danish. So music and text kind of conspire to make the plot very hard to follow. Short of an English language production (hello Chandos !) or better, a filmed production with subtitles, I'm afraid I can only appreciate the music separated from its literary context.

The recorded sound is excellent and everyone (conductor, orchestra, numerous soloists and chorus) seem utterly involved in the adventure.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on November 04, 2021, 02:18:49 AM
Quote from: André on November 03, 2021, 04:49:31 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/DSl5dljTuR79qtX8DHUt8Xh8H1U=/fit-in/500x433/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7884605-1452620257-7245.jpeg.jpg)

If ever an opera cried out for a translation into English, this one's the best candidate I can think of. After all it is set in the Republic of Gilead (the USA of the year 2195) and is based on an English language novel. Which makes all the more frustrating the efforts one has to make to find his/her way into the libretto, which runs to a staggering 202 pages (the full booklet is 268 pages long). This being an opera about women, most sung roles are feminine. In any language sopranos and mezzos singing at the top of their range are bound to be incomprehensible. The role of Offred seems to be a voice killer. Ruders being Dane and this being a Royal Danish Theatre production (2000), it is of course sung in Danish. So music and text kind of conspire to make the plot very hard to follow. Short of an English language production (hello Chandos !) or better, a filmed production with subtitles, I'm afraid I can only appreciate the music separated from its literary context.

The recorded sound is excellent and everyone (conductor, orchestra, numerous soloists and chorus) seem utterly involved in the adventure.

It doesn't need to be translated into English. The libretto, by Paul Bentley, is in English, and that's what Ruders set to music "alongside Ruders' Danish translation of the libretto", according to Wikipedia. The Danish translation was used for the Royal Danish Theatre production, but there have been performances outside of Denmark using the original English text in London, Minneapolis, Toronto, and Boston.

An English-language recording would be great to have, in any case.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 04, 2021, 02:33:37 AM
Quote from: André on November 03, 2021, 04:32:06 PM
(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/71novnBzhDL._AC_SX522_.jpg)

il Tabarro is Puccini's shortest opera and yet it packs a lot of atmosphere, melodies and drama in its under 50 minutes duration. The characters are well delineated, the story uncomplicated and the setting very simple: the deck of a barge on the Seine river in Paris. Secondary characters have actually a lot to go for them in this opera. The character of La Frugola for example is a peach of a role for a character mezzo. It is taken  superbly by the veteran Oralia Dominguez. The main characters each get a scene, an aria, and Giorgietta has duets with both Michele and Luigi. Puccini's orchestra is copious in numbers and in sound effects, including sirens, car horn, glockenspiel, tubular bells on top of a very full wind, brass and percussion contingent - and strings of course. But all of those are used mostly in a chamber-like setting to create atmosphere, not decibels. Puccini's orchestra is almost debussyan in its subtle harmonies.

The singers must be Fanciulla or Tosca-sized, not Bohème-sized. Milnes is an excellent Michele. In fine voice, he does not overdo the grand-guignol aspects of his role. Price is very good, but I find her voice too plush for the role. Scotto (under Maazel) has more tang to her voice, more bite in her exchanges with her husband Michele and yet she is convincing when showing hints of remorse and tenderness at the end. Luigi is sung by the young Domingo. He is excellent. Under Maazel in 1978 he would offer an almost frighteningly intense account of Hai ben ragione. Overall this is superb in every way except for the utmost in characterfulness. For that, the Tebaldi-Del Monaco and Scotto-Domingo versions provide even more thrills. I have a 4th version (EMI Pappano) but I have not listened to it yet.

I used to have this one on LP, but never re-acquired it when I made the switch to CD. Price is I think the weak link. Gorgeous singing, but she sounds way too glamorous and that's not really what the role of Giorgetta requires.

I now have the Maazel and the older Bellezza with Gobbi as Michele, which I slightly prefer. It's mono, but Bellezza has the measure of the score. Mas and Pradelli do not have glamorous voices, but I believe in their characters and Gobbi is simply hors concours, a characterisation to set beside his wonderful Scarpia. Gobbi allows us to see inside the man and reveal the inner pain which leads to his violent act. I've never heard anyone equal his terrifying Nulla, silenzio. Certainly not Wixell, who is I think the weak link on the otherwise excellent Maazel. Scotto and Domingo are superb as you say, but Gobbi's performance tips the balance towards the older recording, for me at least.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 05, 2021, 11:13:20 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51upUZMhoEL.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41J+OEmpchL.jpg)

The recording total time is about 154 minutes; in order to fit it all onto two CDs lasting 77 minutes each, Erato made the rather odd choice to split the chorus which begins the Act I Finale between the last track of CD 1 and the first track of CD 2. The alternative of putting it all on CD 2, resulting in a CD with a timing of 81 or 82 minutes, was not available back in 1990, I suppose.

Other than that glitch, the recording seems well performed.

There is one other recording of this 1822 opera, on Opera Rara, who chose to do it on 3 CDs, but it's OOP.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2021, 01:37:00 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/OhLCBSuKXbMFkZkGjDZeWOVfPos=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9035497-1473645225-2170.jpeg.jpg)

Korngold's Die tote Stadt was a huge success at its premiere and had clocked up several performances all over the world in its first two years. However the work was banned by the Nazi regime because of Korngold's Jewish ancestry and fell into obscurity and had to wait until 1975 for this, its first complete recording. In fact the recording did much to restore the opera's fortunes and it is now performed much more often.

And indeed it is a superb performance, Leinsdorf revelling in the lush orchestration and brilliantly sung by Neblett, Kollo, Wagemann, Luxon and Prey. Since its release one or two live recordings have been issued, as well as a couple of DVDs, but it would seem that this one still leads the field.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on November 06, 2021, 02:31:38 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2021, 01:37:00 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/OhLCBSuKXbMFkZkGjDZeWOVfPos=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9035497-1473645225-2170.jpeg.jpg)

Korngold's Die tote Stadt was a huge success at its premiere and had clocked up several performances all over the world in its first two years. However the work was banned by the Nazi regime because of Korngold's Jewish ancestry and fell into obscurity and had to wait until 1975 for this, its first complete recording. In fact the recording did much to restore the opera's fortunes and it is now performed much more often.

And indeed it is a superb performance, Leinsdorf revelling in the lush orchestration and brilliantly sung by Neblett, Kollo, Wagemann, Luxon and Prey. Since its release one or two live recordings have been issued, as well as a couple of DVDs, but it would seem that this one still leads the field.

A genuinely revelatory recording given that it was made when Korngold's reputation (and probably other similar Viennese late-Romantics) was at its lowest ebb.  Huge credit to Korngold's son George for his indefatigable promotion of his father's music.  What really stands out on this set is the luxury casting - you would be hard put to assemble such a cast for any opera today let alone an "unknown" (at the time) work.  Certainly my enduringly favourite version.  I've been tempted by Dutton remastering - has anyone heard that to say whether it is substantively better than the standard/original CD release?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2021, 02:41:15 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 06, 2021, 02:31:38 AM
A genuinely revelatory recording given that it was made when Korngold's reputation (and probably other similar Viennese late-Romantics) was at its lowest ebb.  Huge credit to Korngold's son George for his indefatigable promotion of his father's music.  What really stands out on this set is the luxury casting - you would be hard put to assemble such a cast for any opera today let alone an "unknown" (at the time) work.  Certainly my enduringly favourite version.  I've been tempted by Dutton remastering - has anyone heard that to say whether it is substantively better than the standard/original CD release?

I haven't, but I came across this review here https://jarijuhanikallio.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/reissue-of-the-year-the-classic-die-tote-stadt-premiere-recording-still-holds/ (https://jarijuhanikallio.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/reissue-of-the-year-the-classic-die-tote-stadt-premiere-recording-still-holds/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on November 06, 2021, 03:35:16 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2021, 02:41:15 AM
I haven't, but I came across this review here https://jarijuhanikallio.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/reissue-of-the-year-the-classic-die-tote-stadt-premiere-recording-still-holds/ (https://jarijuhanikallio.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/reissue-of-the-year-the-classic-die-tote-stadt-premiere-recording-still-holds/)

That's an interesting, balanced and detailed review.  I'm more tempted than ever! (aagh).  I never knew that some of Kollo's part was over-dubbed in post-production sessions.  Credit to the original engineers/production team that the vocal persepctives are kept so even throughout...

Prompted by your post this is my Saturday morning listening - is really is an extraordinary piece!
Edit:. Carole Neblett was a very fine singer and on disc at least under represented.   This might well be her crowning achievement but I love her Golden Girl with Mehta and her wonderful Musetta on Solti's La Boheme
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2021, 06:54:05 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 06, 2021, 03:35:16 AM
That's an interesting, balanced and detailed review.  I'm more tempted than ever! (aagh).  I never knew that some of Kollo's part was over-dubbed in post-production sessions.  Credit to the original engineers/production team that the vocal persepctives are kept so even throughout...

Prompted by your post this is my Saturday morning listening - is really is an extraordinary piece!

Agreed. I listened to it after listening to a small spate of Korngold works, the Violin Concerto, the Symphony, Incidental Music for Much Ado About Nothing and the Suite for Piano and Strings. It seems incredible to me that his non-film work was neglected for so long.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on November 07, 2021, 03:38:36 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ep5DeKpqL._SY425_.jpg)


Half the opera with DFD in the lead.  Picked it up for $6, and all it made me do is wonder why the whole thing is not available.  The world needs 2-3 other complete recordings of the work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on November 09, 2021, 12:50:24 PM
Quote from: Todd on November 07, 2021, 03:38:36 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ep5DeKpqL._SY425_.jpg)


Half the opera with DFD in the lead.  Picked it up for $6, and all it made me do is wonder why the whole thing is not available.  The world needs 2-3 other complete recordings of the work.

Actually, that is the whole thing. They just did those selected scenes in concert at the 1985 Salzburg Festival. The Festival did eventually stage the complete opera, in 1992.

Ozawa, who conducted the world premiere of the opera in Paris, presented a similar "highlights" concert with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, several years before the opera's U.S. premiere in San Francisco.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 09, 2021, 04:01:39 PM
Cross-posted:

(https://www.amazon.ca/images/I/91NrLMNjKOL._AC_SL400_.jpg)

André Laporte's opera Das Schloss (The Castle), after Kafka's novel.

I recently listened to Poul Ruders' take on Kafka's The Trial. Now it's the turn of another modern opera of the absurd. Composed from 1981 to 1985, the score is resolutely modern, but not aggressively so. Dodecaphonic atonality and tonality mingle. As per the notes, (they) « do not conflict, but rather complement each other ». There are references to Wagner and Berg. Laporte wears his Darmstadt schooling lightly.

It is a very mobile opera: characters constantly interact, creating a flow populated by the tones of a very active orchestra. The libretto is 25 pages of densely written text in very small font. Unfortunately the libretto is unilingual (German), making it hard to appreciate Kafka's prose. The booklet contains an analysis of the work and a synopsis. Although I know the storyline, I haven't read the novel. Be that as it may, Laporte's score buzzes with interesting sounds and the conversational vocal line helps get into the spirit of the work.

Excellent sound, with voices and orchestra in good balance in a clear acoustic. 1995 production.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2021, 01:03:14 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/W8CB6XjjHi4i3mx0PYNjvNIB67g=/fit-in/600x598/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-15020082-1585597504-6839.jpeg.jpg)

Lecocq's operetta was his most popular work, and still gets the occasional airing today. It is a charming work in the manner of Offenbach's operettas, if not with his melodic flair.

It's the sort of thing Mady Mesplé did brilliantly and she doesn't disappoint here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 10, 2021, 12:42:54 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/iZp9nVpDXwATr4iU5P9pPq-VOzo=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11486488-1603119883-5052.jpeg.jpg)

Butterfly was a role de los Angeles sang on stage as well as making two commercial recordings of it. Freni said she never sang it on stage because it was too heavy emotionally, which tends to constrict throat muscles. I guess an artist must make that kind of choices for the sake of preserving a healthy physical/mental balance.

This is the stereo recording from 1959 with Björling, and it is conducted by Gabriele Santini. It is 11 minutes shorter than the mono version from 1954 with di Stefano and Gobbi. I don't know if it's due to faster tempi or cuts in the first recording ? In any case de los Angeles sings it beautifully and with much feeling. No optional high D in her entrance scene, but she doesn't make it sound like she's ducking any difficulties. She wouldn't sing an E flat in Sempre libera either. Dignity and a sad smile were pretty much her emotional trademarks. Amazing how these feelings can be evoked by mere vocal means.

Björling's tenor sounds almost too gorgeous for the role of the the selfish, reckless Pinkerton. This was to be his last commercial recording. He was very ill at the time and died the next year. Both singers are splendid in the love duet. Although neither had a very large voice, their vocal size and slightly squeezed type of emission are perfectly matched.

Santini's conducting is very attentive. One can hear him tailoring his every moves to the singers', never overwhelming them even in the biggest moments. Quite different from Karajan (w. Callas or Freni), who is not afraid to open the floodgates (to thrilling effect). Santini is the more conversational conductor here.

The sound is still quite good, with effective stereo separation and commendable clarity.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 10, 2021, 11:36:40 PM
Quote from: André on November 10, 2021, 12:42:54 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/iZp9nVpDXwATr4iU5P9pPq-VOzo=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11486488-1603119883-5052.jpeg.jpg)

Butterfly was a role de los Angeles sang on stage as well as making two commercial recordings of it. Freni said she never sang it on stage because it was too heavy emotionally, which tends to constrict throat muscles. I guess an artist must make that kind of choices for the sake of preserving a healthy physical/mental balance.

This is the stereo recording from 1959 with Björling, and it is conducted by Gabriele Santini. It is 11 minutes shorter than the mono version from 1954 with di Stefano and Gobbi. I don't know if it's due to faster tempi or cuts in the first recording ? In any case de los Angeles sings it beautifully and with much feeling. No optional high D in her entrance scene, but she doesn't make it sound like she's ducking any difficulties. She wouldn't sing an E flat in Sempre libera either. Dignity and a sad smile were pretty much her emotional trademarks. Amazing how these feelings can be evoked by mere vocal means.

Björling's tenor sounds almost too gorgeous for the role of the the selfish, reckless Pinkerton. This was to be his last commercial recording. He was very ill at the time and died the next year. Both singers are splendid in the love duet. Although neither had a very large voice, their vocal size and slightly squeezed type of emission are perfectly matched.

Santini's conducting is very attentive. One can hear him tailoring his every moves to the singers', never overwhelming them even in the biggest moments. Quite different from Karajan (w. Callas or Freni), who is not afraid to open the floodgates (to thrilling effect). Santini is the more conversational conductor here.

The sound is still quite good, with effective stereo separation and commendable clarity.

It's a long time since I listened to this set, but I used to have it on cassette (remember those). Though I liked De Los Angeles's Butterfly, I always felt the conducting was a bit dull, and Bjoerling a bit stiff as Pinkerton, so I acquired the earlier mono recording on CD. (I also have the Callas/Karajan and the Scotto/Barbirolli). Gavazzeni is a much more positive presence in the pit and Di Stefano is superb as Pinkerton, utterly and believably charming. Gobbi makes more of Sharpless than anyone ever heard. The sound isn't as good as the later recording, of course, but all in all I prefer the earlier set.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 11, 2021, 01:43:32 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/AxWXwXOmJtxS0GFCpiPLf1BwX3w=/fit-in/450x447/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-15258560-1588794720-1887.jpeg.jpg)

Two Lehar operettas recorded by Walter Legge as part of his Champagne Operetta series in 1953. He later remade Die lustige Witwe in stereo and that recording is surely now the benchmark for the operetta (and in fact was first choice in BBC Radio 3's recent Building a Library programme). This one suffers from having Erich Kunz miscast as Danilo. Some of his music is transposed down and he takes lower options whenever possible. Although he would only have been 44 at the time, he sounds more like an elderly roué than a dashing suitor.

The recording of Das Land des Lächelns is much better with Schwarzkopf and Gedda this time playing the main couple and Erich Kunz better cast as Gustl, though this role too is more usually cast with a tenor.

Ackermann, as always, is a superb operetta conductor and though the sound is mono, these performances have a real sparkle and flair, and more than a whiff of the theatre about them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: foxandpeng on November 12, 2021, 02:51:39 PM
Philip Glass
Akhnaten
The Stuttgart State Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Paul Esswood
Dennis Russell Davies
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Operafreak on November 12, 2021, 09:14:09 PM
(https://i.postimg.cc/gkz0mbhs/Fierrabras-dvd.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)



Schubert: Fierrabras D 796
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 13, 2021, 12:36:37 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/71fk6spvaml._sl1300_.jpg)

At just over 79 minutes, this classic set could no doubt have been fitted onto one CD, but at least here we get full notes, texts and translations - and for such a performance it is absolutely worth it. I doubt I'll ever hear a better and indeed only a couple of months ago it was the reviewer's top choice on BBC Radio 3's Building a Library programme.

Reviewed on my blog for anyone who's interested. https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/17/a-merry-widow-for-all-time/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/17/a-merry-widow-for-all-time/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 13, 2021, 07:14:34 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51eHz4g6OBL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 13, 2021, 12:09:28 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 13, 2021, 12:36:37 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/71fk6spvaml._sl1300_.jpg)

At just over 79 minutes, this classic set could no doubt have been fitted onto one CD, but at least here we get full notes, texts and translations - and for such a performance it is absolutely worth it. I doubt I'll ever hear a better and indeed only a couple of months ago it was the reviewer's top choice on BBC Radio 3's Building a Library programme.

Reviewed on my blog for anyone who's interested. https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/17/a-merry-widow-for-all-time/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/17/a-merry-widow-for-all-time/)

Classic indeed.

Coincidentally, I'm listening to La Fanciulla del West, also conducted by von Matacic.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 14, 2021, 12:12:15 AM
Quote from: André on November 13, 2021, 12:09:28 PM
Classic indeed.

Coincidentally, I'm listening to La Fanciulla del West, also conducted by von Matacic.

Ah yes. He was a very fine conductor. Unfortunately I can't take to Nilsson in this role and the rest of the cast is not very enticing. My favourite recording of La Fanciulla del West is the Mehta. I prefer it to the one with Tebaldi and Del Monaco too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 14, 2021, 12:13:20 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/c4jvRlegDyLtC3bqbCdpuB9Rbhw=/fit-in/600x593/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12808866-1542374906-4777.jpeg.jpg)

Nedda was one of the four roles Callas recorded but never sang on stage. I can't imagine the role having much interest for her, but, as is her wont, she creates a fully rounded character, far away from the tarty little minx she was often portrayed in those days.

All round, this is one of the best cast versions on disc, with Gobbi superb as Tonio and Panerai nicely contrasted as a seductive Silvio. Di Stefano is arguably a tad light voiced for Canio, but, as ever, creates a believable character, his diction impeccable. Monti is luxury casting as Beppe and Serafin paces the score brilliantly. The sound is clear mono. One of the best versions in the catalogue, which I review more thoroughly on my blog https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/i-pagliacci/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/i-pagliacci/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 14, 2021, 11:19:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 14, 2021, 12:12:15 AM
Ah yes. He was a very fine conductor. Unfortunately I can't take to Nilsson in this role and the rest of the cast is not very enticing. My favourite recording of La Fanciulla del West is the Mehta. I prefer it to the one with Tebaldi and Del Monaco too.

I have both (Mehta and Tebaldi). Gibin (with von Matacic) is ordinary until he shouts top notes matching those of Nilsson. When they open up together ff it's thrilling. My own preference is also for the Mehta recording, which has no weak link - a resounding success.

.............................................................

First listen to the complete opera, ever:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91nLdVz0lvL._AC_SL400_.jpg)

Speaking of  'no weak link - resounding success', this production of Puccini's La Rondine is quite sensational. As in La Bohème there are 2 pairs of lovers and both have a lot to sing. This production was cast from strength, with the glamourous pair of Gheorgiu and Alagna in superb voice, while inva Mula and William Matteuzzi (the latter in particular) providing a strong vocal and dramatic foil.

Magda's famous aria ' Chi il bel sogno di Doretta ' is not a full-blown solo soprano aria like 'Vissi d'arte'. It is actually started by the tenor from the second pair, Prunier. He sings about a girl named Doretta being propositioned by a king but refusing his promise of wealth. Prunier doesn't know how to finish the song, so he asks Magda for a suitable conclusion. She then reprises it, accompanied by a few of those in attendance (it's a soirée in Magda's salon). I imagine it's been later altered into the form we know for recital purposes. In any case, the original setting is much more charming IMO, and certainly more suitable for the purpose of that scene. I was really charmed by this work, a wistful and undramatic story where nobody dies, kills or commits suicide. It does not have a happy end as in Fanciulla del West, which is a good thing - you can pull off a 'ride into the sunset' conclusion only once, I guess.

I've purchased the CPO version for comparison purposes. Reviews were favourable but do mention that Pappano's is the best version available. Still, I'll welcome different insights into this fine, understated work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 14, 2021, 11:58:44 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/J4f6EQlvek9NRJNVy0XNR2DVvYU=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13231690-1550400849-8968.jpeg.jpg)

Suor Angelica

I love the Sutherland recording, in part because her voice is so instantly recognizable. It's important to tell Angelica apart quickly because in the first 25 minutes lots of nuns/sopranos sing and they tend to sound alike. In this EMI version it happens, too. Listening without a libretto it takes a while to establish Angelica's vocal identity. In the second half of the piece it's no problem of course, as we only hear her and two boomy mezzos. Be that as it may, Gallardo-Domas sings beautifully, with floated top notes and strong character (this nun is no ninny). The descent into madness at the end (Ah! Son dannata) is downright frightening. Overall this is a very, very fine performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 15, 2021, 12:24:31 AM
Quote from: André on November 14, 2021, 11:19:10 AM
I have both (Mehta and Tebaldi). Gibin (with von Matacic) is ordinary until he shouts top notes matching those of Nilsson. When they open up together ff it's thrilling. My own preference is also for the Mehta recording, which has no weak link - a resounding success.

.............................................................

First listen to the complete opera, ever:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91nLdVz0lvL._AC_SL400_.jpg)

Speaking of  'no weak link - resounding success', this production of Puccini's La Rondine is quite sensational. As in La Bohème there are 2 pairs of lovers and both have a lot to sing. This production was cast from strength, with the glamourous pair of Gheorgiu and Alagna in superb voice, while inva Mula and William Matteuzzi (the latter in particular) providing a strong vocal and dramatic foil.

Magda's famous aria ' Chi il bel sogno di Doretta ' is not a full-blown solo soprano aria like 'Vissi d'arte'. It is actually started by the tenor from the second pair, Prunier. He sings about a girl named Doretta being propositioned by a king but refusing his promise of wealth. Prunier doesn't know how to finish the song, so he asks Magda for a suitable conclusion. She then reprises it, accompanied by a few of those in attendance (it's a soirée in Magda's salon). I imagine it's been later altered into the form we know for recital purposes. In any case, the original setting is much more charming IMO, and certainly more suitable for the purpose of that scene. I was really charmed by this work, a wistful and undramatic story where nobody dies, kills or commits suicide. It does not have a happy end as in Fanciulla del West, which is a good thing - you can pull off a 'ride into the sunset' conclusion only once, I guess.

I've purchased the CPO version for comparison purposes. Reviews were favourable but do mention that Pappano's is the best version available. Still, I'll welcome different insights into this fine, understated work.

I used to have the Maazel on LP, which is also very fine. It has Domingo and Kiri in one of her most successful non Mozart roles. I also know the old Molinari-Pradelli with Moffo as Magda, but, when it came to acquiring the CD, it not being an opera I wanted multiple copies of, I went for this Pappano set, which I think trumps them both. A fantastic set, which won the Gramophone award that year, i believe.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 15, 2021, 12:40:35 AM
Quote from: André on November 14, 2021, 11:58:44 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/J4f6EQlvek9NRJNVy0XNR2DVvYU=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13231690-1550400849-8968.jpeg.jpg)

Suor Angelica

I love the Sutherland recording, in part because her voice is so instantly recognizable. It's important to tell Angelica apart quickly because in the first 25 minutes lots of nuns/sopranos sing and they tend to sound alike. In this EMI version it happens, too. Listening without a libretto it takes a while to establish Angelica's vocal identity. In the second half of the piece it's no problem of course, as we only hear her and two boomy mezzos. Be that as it may, Gallardo-Domas sings beautifully, with floated top notes and strong character (this nun is no ninny). The descent into madness at the end (Ah! Son dannata) is downright frightening. Overall this is a very, very fine performance.

I don't have this recording, but my favourite Angelicas would be De Los Angeles (no problem picking her voice out from amongst the other nuns), Ricciarelli, recorded quite early in her career before the voice had started to spread and Scotto, whom I would suggst is hors concours. Scotto presents the most intense, most psycholgically penetrating traversal of the role I've heard. Between them Scotto and Maazel turn what is often a piece of quasi religioso sentimentality into a mini psychodrama about the effects of repression, almost echoing some of the themes in Powell and Pressburger's darkly intense movie Black Narcissus. I usually find the sentimentality of the vision at the end a bit too much to take, but here it comes across as a drug-fueled hallucination. Of course you have to offset this with some squally top notes. but I'll accept them for the total experience.

I'm surprised you like Sutherland in the role so much. It's not just the cloudy diction (not as good here as it was in Turandot) but her inabilty by this time to hold a long, legato line. Play the beginning of Senza mamma, then play Tebaldi, De Los Angeles or Callas. With Sutherland each note seems to have an individual little push, where the others maintain a pure legato line, yet manage to do so with much more natural diction.

Admittedly I'm not much of a Sutherland fan, but for me this has always been one of her least successful recordings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 17, 2021, 01:11:44 PM
(https://www.fidelity-online.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Lohengrin-LP.jpg)

Okay, I won't do a long write-up, referring instead to Robert Levine's raving review in ClassicsToday:

https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-14874/ (https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-14874/)

I concur with his views on the conductor, orchestra and splendid sound. He is more enthused than I about the singers though. Not that they are not up to snuff. They are all very good, just not on the exalted level of the classic accounts we all know so well. It must be noted that they are not caught up close, but at a natural distance from the listener. This might contribute to a slightly less than heroic impression such as we might expect from a studio recording. Better that than unnatural balances though. This 2008 production is as good as anything we can hope for today. In any event, the conducting, choral singing and gorgeous sound fully justify Levine's encomium.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 17, 2021, 06:46:15 PM
Quote from: André on November 17, 2021, 01:11:44 PM
(https://www.fidelity-online.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Lohengrin-LP.jpg)

Okay, I won't do a long write-up, referring instead to Robert Levine's raving review in ClassicsToday:

https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-14874/ (https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-14874/)

I concur with his views on the conductor, orchestra and splendid sound. He is more enthused than I about the singers though. Not that they are not up to snuff. They are all very good, just not on the exalted level of the classic accounts we all know so well. It must be noted that they are not caught up close, but at a natural distance from the listener. This might contribute to a slightly less than heroic impression such as we might expect from a studio recording. Better that than unnatural balances though. This 2008 production is as good as anything we can hope for today. In any event, the conducting, choral singing and gorgeous sound fully justify Levine's encomium.

This looks like a lovely recording. Thanks for the report! I'm not even sure I have a recording of Lohengrin in my collection...actually, I think I have the Solti and that's it. I really should be more familiar with Wagner's output outside of the Ring, Parsifal and Tristan und Isolde[/i].
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 20, 2021, 08:38:08 AM
Revisiting Hans Pfitzner's Palestrina, in this recording conducted by Kirill Petrenko.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61NkJxrcHhL._SL1200_.jpg)
I've never been a fan of Pfitzner's music (I find, for instance, his Piano Concerto actually quite ugly), but Palestrina does have many things to admire, and this time around I'm enjoying it quite a bit. It is obviously derived from Wagner (or, more specifically, Parsifal) as far as the dramatic construction and the scoring are concerned, but the work has a quite individual sound world, and is a rather accomplished work.

This live recording from Frankfurt was made in 2007, i.e. from before Petrenko's rise to stardom (his Bayreuth debut and assumption of the role of Generalmusikdirektor of the Bavarian State Opera both happened in 2013, and his move to the Berlin Philharmonic was in 2019). But, even at this early(ish) stage in his career —he was 35 years old at the time—, the conductor's ability to extract the most out of richly scored pieces, while simultaneously being able to maintain the dramatic arc and forward movement in long acts of big operas (which made his Ring so successful and memorable at Bayreuth —I saw it live in 2014–) is already totally there. The vocal contributions are uniformly good, the diction (of paramount importance in this very "literary" opera) is clear, and this works excellently as an ensemble piece (the fact that the staging was by the great Harry Kupfer may have played a rôle in achieving this unity).

All said, a great performance of an ambitious and interesting work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 20, 2021, 12:59:03 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71P4Hr5yx3L._SS500_.jpg)

I takes a very strong trio of ladies and a crackerjack team of musicians (orchestra and conductor) to pull this off successfully. Excellent recorded sound definitely gives brownie points.  Here the sopranos are an accomplished group. Although not in a Nilsson class vocally, Deborah Polaski delivers the goods handsomely. Only in the last part (say, after the Recognition scene) does she falter somewhat and, at that point, her character has become crazed and incoherent so a degree of vocal rust can actually pass for a dramatic asset. Before that I found her both strong and convincing.

Her sister Chrysothemis is quite her opposite dramatically, so a totally different type of voice is needed. This release scores big in having an authentic lyric soprano with plenty of youthful flesh in her tones. Schwanewilms has always excelled in portraying lonely, fragile but brave characters through vocal means only. Consequently there are no histrionics on display, just a touching portrayal of the sweet sister who can't muster the force to rebel and fight her way out of the plight she finds herself in. She does have the big top notes Strauss throws her way in the last scene. Quite the best singer I've heard in that role.

As Klytemnestra, veteran Felicity Palmer has it all: a firm top and a trenchant low register, with histrionics just this side of being over the top. A thrilling account both vocally and dramatically. The men in the opera are secondary characters. I've read a review (Ralph Moore, Musicweb) that states Grundheber sounds like Elektra's grandfather, not her brother and another one (Gramophone) that found he « combines menace and warmth in just the right proportions as Orest and comes close to Hotter's classic portrayal ».

What gives this recording a special place in the discography is the incredible playing of the Cologne orchestra and the absolutely spectacular sound, easily the best on record (Musicweb, Gramophone and myself all in agreement about this  :D). Bychkov has recorded a lot of Strauss and he leads a thrilling, expansive reading. The amount of detail heard from the winds, from piccolo to contrabassoon, is quite a revelation. The bass end of the recording is firm and wide-ranging. The opera is played complete, like the Solti and Sawallisch versions. Most others have cuts.

Elektra, like Tosca or Carmen, is an opera that thrives on strongly characterized vocal and dramatic singing. There are many versions to choose from, but this one belongs with the best.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 20, 2021, 01:34:08 PM
Thanks for the detailed comments, André. Very interesting.

I saw Elektra in 2011 here in Madrid, conducted by Bychkov, and it was excellent. Deborah Polanski sang the title rôle and (even if she was past her prime) her portrayal was riveting!

That recording from Cologne seems very good (and Schwanewilms must be perfect as Chrysothemis). I might seek it out..l :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 21, 2021, 12:47:45 AM
Quote from: André on November 20, 2021, 12:59:03 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71P4Hr5yx3L._SS500_.jpg)

I takes a very strong trio of ladies and a crackerjack team of musicians (orchestra and conductor) to pull this off successfully. Excellent recorded sound definitely gives brownie points.  Here the sopranos are an accomplished group. Although not in a Nilsson class vocally, Deborah Polaski delivers the goods handsomely. Only in the last part (say, after the Recognition scene) does she falter somewhat and, at that point, her character has become crazed and incoherent so a degree of vocal rust can actually pass for a dramatic asset. Before that I found her both strong and convincing.

Her sister Chrysothemis is quite her opposite dramatically, so a totally different type of voice is needed. This release scores big in having an authentic lyric soprano with plenty of youthful flesh in her tones. Schwanewilms has always excelled in portraying lonely, fragile but brave characters through vocal means only. Consequently there are no histrionics on display, just a touching portrayal of the sweet sister who can't muster the force to rebel and fight her way out of the plight she finds herself in. She does have the big top notes Strauss throws her way in the last scene. Quite the best singer I've heard in that role.

As Klytemnestra, veteran Felicity Palmer has it all: a firm top and a trenchant low register, with histrionics just this side of being over the top. A thrilling account both vocally and dramatically. The men in the opera are secondary characters. I've read a review (Ralph Moore, Musicweb) that states Grundheber sounds like Elektra's grandfather, not her brother and another one (Gramophone) that found he « combines menace and warmth in just the right proportions as Orest and comes close to Hotter's classic portrayal ».

What gives this recording a special place in the discography is the incredible playing of the Cologne orchestra and the absolutely spectacular sound, easily the best on record (Musicweb, Gramophone and myself all in agreement about this  :D). Bychkov has recorded a lot of Strauss and he leads a thrilling, expansive reading. The amount of detail heard from the winds, from piccolo to contrabassoon, is quite a revelation. The bass end of the recording is firm and wide-ranging. The opera is played complete, like the Solti and Sawallisch versions. Most others have cuts.

Elektra, like Tosca or Carmen, is an opera that thrives on strongly characterized vocal and dramatic singing. There are many versions to choose from, but this one belongs with the best.

Sometimes I wish we had a "like" button, just so that the poster could know that someone is reading and appreciating their posts, especially when it's a review.

I fear Elektra will never be a favourite opera of mine. I used to have the Solto set on LP, but never felt like replacing it on CD. It's just too overwrought for me and, to my ears, sounds like a lot of hysterical women screaming at each other.

However I would like to thank you for your review and say that I enjoyed reading it, as I do all your opera reviews.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 21, 2021, 08:45:29 AM
Well, thank you, and likewise !  :-*
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 21, 2021, 08:48:39 AM
BTW these Bychkov recordings are from a very cheap box currently selling for 12.99€ at JPC:

(https://media1.jpc.de/image/w600/rear/0/0881488180527.jpg)

The Strauss, Wagner and Verdi are superb, with state of the art sound. The Rachmaninoff disc, too except I'm not overly fond of these particular scores  :-\
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 21, 2021, 11:18:56 AM
Cross posting from the main forum.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 19, 2021, 06:46:49 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61cG4oSUf6L._SL1200_.jpg)

A few years ago I came across the Libera Me from this performances on youtube and I was totally knocked out by Norman's performance. Shortly after it disappeared from youtube and I searched in vain to see if the complete performances had ever been issued. Eventually the complete performance did surface on youtube, but I was thrilled to find earlier this tear that it had been issued on disc by BR Klassik.

I have the earlier of Muti's commercial recordings, which was recorded round about the same time as this 1981 performance. It also features Baltsa and Nesterenko, but has Scotto and Luchetti in the soprano and tenor roles. It is a performance I've always enjoyed, but it has to be said that this live one trumps it. It doesn't have the precision of the studio effort, but there is a real sense of occasion and the soloists could hardly be bettered.

This is the only instance I know of Norman singing the soprano part and she is absolutely magnificent, just as intelligent as Scotto, but more comfortable in the upper regions of the role, where Scotto can be squally. Carreras is at his youthful, honeyed best, his voice still very beautiful and singing with wonderful commitment. Baltsa and Nesterenko are even finer than they were in the studio version.

Muti's conducting is urgently dramatic, but also tender and lyrical. In short this is one of the best performances I've ever heard of the work and might just now become my favourite.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 22, 2021, 05:53:48 PM
Quote from: André on November 21, 2021, 08:48:39 AM
BTW these Bychkov recordings are from a very cheap box currently selling for 12.99€ at JPC:

(https://media1.jpc.de/image/w600/rear/0/0881488180527.jpg)

The Strauss, Wagner and Verdi are superb, with state of the art sound. The Rachmaninoff disc, too except I'm not overly fond of these particular scores  :-\

Are these discs hybrid, Andre? If they are, I'll definitely be acquiring this set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on November 23, 2021, 01:19:50 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on November 22, 2021, 05:53:48 PM
Are these discs hybrid, Andre? If they are, I'll definitely be acquiring this set.

You mean can they be played as regular CDs ? Yes, that's it. I don't own a SACD player.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 23, 2021, 04:36:55 PM
NP
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51klUf6L9kL.jpg)
First ever listen to this opera.
The CD set I have carries over the cover art of the LP issue above. A later CD issue was seemingly produced by a design team that didn't realize the opera was not set in Paris 1910.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ktMR4Fx4L.jpg)
Full cast listing
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51uxlZ3mCcL.jpg)
The booklet has a lengthy essay diving into the compositional and performance history, plus a musicological analysis, in English and French, but only the German portion has a synopsis of the action on stage. (Did they think Germans weren't up on their Homer?)  So non-Germanophones must actually read the libretto to see where it diverges from Homer (most important omissions seem to be cutting out Telemachus entirely, and making the finale less violent: only the suitors are killed, not the disloyal maids, and in place of the confrontation with the suitors' families, the people of Ithaca acclaim their returned king.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 24, 2021, 02:58:40 AM
Quote from: JBS on November 23, 2021, 04:36:55 PM
NP
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51klUf6L9kL.jpg)
First ever listen to this opera.
The CD set I have carries over the cover art of the LP issue above. A later CD issue was seemingly produced by a design team that didn't realize the opera was not set in Paris 1910.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ktMR4Fx4L.jpg)
Full cast listing
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51uxlZ3mCcL.jpg)
The booklet has a lengthy essay diving into the compositional and performance history, plus a musicological analysis, in English and French, but only the German portion has a synopsis of the action on stage. (Did they think Germans weren't up on their Homer?)  So non-Germanophones must actually read the libretto to see where it diverges from Homer (most important omissions seem to be cutting out Telemachus entirely, and making the finale less violent: only the suitors are killed, not the disloyal maids, and in place of the confrontation with the suitors' families, the people of Ithaca acclaim their returned king.)

I had this set on LP with the cover detailed above and now have the same CD issue you posted.

I do like the opera. The music is rather beautiful, but it's a bit lacking in dramatic event. It works well enough as an aural experience though. This is a fine recording of it too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 24, 2021, 03:20:13 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 24, 2021, 02:58:40 AM
I had this set on LP with the cover detailed above and now have the same CD issue you posted.

I do like the opera. The music is rather beautiful, but it's a bit lacking in dramatic event. It works well enough as an aural experience though. This is a fine recording of it too.
+1

I too had this recording of Pénélope on LP in its original garb, and now with the floral fin-de-siècle cover. IMHO, the best bit probably is the prelude, but the whole thing is beautiful (despite it being very static). And Jessye Norman, as usual, is outstanding!

Fauré made a reduction of the prelude for solo piano, which works wonderfully well IMO:

https://www.youtube.com/v/SL4YEgSZXwk

EDIT (THREAD DUTY):

Act II of Parsifal, in Daniel Barenboim's 1991 studio recording.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rHVfXwqTL._SL1500_.jpg)
This, of course is the "Kundry act", and what a Kundry! Waltraud Meier was for decades the greatest exponent of the role, and here she is in extraordinary form. Barenboim is a Wagner conductor to reckon with, perhaps slightly of the traditional, "reverential" type, but the results here are first-class: a Berlin Philharmonic in excellent shape, the marvels of this wonderfully scored piece apparent in each bar, and the conductor manages to shape of the whole act perfectly. Gunther von Kannen is sounds simultaneously elegant and tormented as Klingsor (and this fits the rôle perfectly). Siegfried Jerusalem is perfectly adequate as Parsifal, singing with class, but I tend to find this tenor somewhat anonymous (even the two times I saw him live in this opera).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 24, 2021, 06:57:26 AM
Quote from: André on November 23, 2021, 01:19:50 PM
You mean can they be played as regular CDs ? Yes, that's it. I don't own a SACD player.

Yep and thanks for the feedback. At that price, it's rather enticing I must say.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on November 24, 2021, 08:58:09 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 24, 2021, 03:20:13 AM


EDIT (THREAD DUTY):

Act II of Parsifal, in Daniel Barenboim's 1991 studio recording.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rHVfXwqTL._SL1500_.jpg)
This, of course is the "Kundry act", and what a Kundry! Waltraud Meier was for decades the greatest exponent of the role, and here she is in extraordinary form. Barenboim is a Wagner conductor to reckon with, perhaps slightly of the traditional, "reverential" type, but the results here are first-class: a Berlin Philharmonic in excellent shape, the marvels of this wonderfully scored piece apparent in each bar, and the conductor manages to shape of the whole act perfectly. Gunther von Kannen is sounds simultaneously elegant and tormented as Klingsor (and this fits the rôle perfectly). Siegfried Jerusalem is perfectly adequate as Parsifal, singing with class, but I tend to find this tenor somewhat anonymous (even the two times I saw him live in this opera).

[Emphasis added] Agreed. Meier "owned" the role of Kundry for a long time, and she was near peak form at the time of this recording. Good observations on Barenboim and Jerusalem as well.

I attended a 1992 NY Met Opera Parsifal with Meier and Jerusalem, but Levine conducted.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 24, 2021, 12:14:56 PM
First listen to Vincent d'Indy's Fervaal, in this super-budget release of a 1962 French radio performance:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71d9EXPnsTL._SL1068_.jpg)
D'Indy's L'Étranger, AFAIK his only other opera to have been recorded (on the Accord label), made a very week impression on me when I listened to it some years ago. This is a more ambitious work, and the prelude has been recorded often (by Monteux, for instance). According to Wikipedia, some refer to this as the "Parsifal français". I am inclined to say it's a "Parsifal de pacotille"  ::).  The admittedly very adroit orchestration doesn't compensate for the obvious lack of worthwhile thematic material or development, and the originally Swedish plot, transplanted to the South of France to make it more "national", seems uninteresting.

The radio performance (in tolerable sound) is undistinguished.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 28, 2021, 08:23:31 AM
Revisiting Stravinsky's Le Rossignol after a long hiatus.

(https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-56676699049927/le-rossignol-stravinsky-micheau-angelici-sbt-1135-5.jpg)
This was the works's first recording ever (it's from 1955), in French translation, and is utterly charming. The cast includes some of the most distinguished French vocalists of the time (Janine Micheau and Jean Giraudeau are outstanding), and André Cluytens' handling of the score is, as could be expected, masterful.

Very enjoyable!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 29, 2021, 12:19:12 PM
Another vintage opera recording tonight chez ritter (ordered last week from melomania in Paris, and landed today  :)).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/413TT830Y8L.jpg)
This recording of L'Heure espagnole is possibly the first ever made of Ravel's "other" opera (it's never had the success of L'Enfant et les sortilèges, but IMHO is a wonderful work in itself). It was made live in concert in wartime (but post-liberation) Paris —December 1944—, soon after Manuel Rosenthal returned to conducting the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française. What a wonderful conductor of Ravel this man was (his set of the orchestral works with the orchestra of the Opéra, from the late 50s, is among my favourites). Concepción is the delightful Geori Boué, and the rest of the cast is unknown to me (except for Roger Bourdin), but they are all excellent, and the diction is crystal-clear, making this the conversation piece it should be. The sound is remarkably good for the age of the recording.

The booklet has a lengthy and very interesting discussion between Rosenthal and musicologist (and Ravel biographer) Maurice Marnat.

I now realise this is the fifth recording of the work (I already had Leibowitz, Ansermet, Maazel, and Maderna), but rarely have I enjoyed it as much as this time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 30, 2021, 01:45:07 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/xRYDo7nPy0VEyLDJpcG-CgWyikE=/fit-in/600x518/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9418911-1480238927-2103.jpeg.jpg)

Hardly ever performed these day, but Mascagni's L'Amico Fritz I enjoy rather more than quite a lot of verismo works that are more regularly given.

If not quite erasing memories of Mafalda Favero and Tito Schipa in the famous Cherry Duet, Freni and Pavarotti are nonetheless at their youthful best and Vicente Sardinero is excellent as David. I don't much care for the blowsy mezzo of Laura Didier Gambarella in the breeches role of Beppe, but Gavazzeni conducts with evident love of this charming score.

A winner.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 30, 2021, 01:51:12 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 30, 2021, 01:45:07 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/xRYDo7nPy0VEyLDJpcG-CgWyikE=/fit-in/600x518/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-9418911-1480238927-2103.jpeg.jpg)

Hardly ever performed these day, but Mascagni's L'Amico Fritz I enjoy rather more than quite a lot of verismo works that are more regularly given.

If not quite erasing memories of Mafalda Favero and Tito Schipa in the famous Cherry Duet, Freni and Pavarotti are nonetheless at their youthful best and Vicente Sardinero is excellent as David. I don't much care for the blowsy mezzo of Laura Didier Gambarella in the breeches role of Beppe, but Gavazzeni conducts with evident love of this charming score.

A winner.
Lovely recording of a lovely opera! I revisit it (as well as the earlier version conducted by the composer himself) every so often, and it never fails to charm (particularly the second act, full of nostalgia and longing).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 30, 2021, 02:00:22 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 30, 2021, 01:51:12 AM
Lovely recording of a lovely opera! I revisit it (as well as the earlier version conducted by the composer himself) every so often, and it never fails to charm (particularly the second act, full of nostalgia and longing).

I'm not big on verismo, but I much prefer this to those overwrought operas like Fedora, Adrianna Lecouvreur and even Andréa Chénier, which seem to be performed far more often.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 30, 2021, 02:47:30 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 30, 2021, 02:00:22 AM
I'm not big on verismo, but I much prefer this to those overwrought operas like Fedora, Adrianna Lecouvreur and even Andréa Chénier, which seem to be performed far more often.
+1

I'm not into the cruder areas of verismo either. I think we've talked about Fedora, which is a bête noire for me, in the past. Burt somehow, I treat Mascagni as an exception. Cavalleria rusticana is not an example of finesse by any means, but it has some great music and works very well, I really like Iris, and think there's some brillant stuff in the hardly ever performed (and excessive in most ways) Parisina.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 30, 2021, 03:25:29 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 30, 2021, 02:47:30 AM
+1

I'm not into the cruder areas of verismo either. I think we've talked about Fedora, which is a bête noire for me, in the past. Burt somehow, I treat Mascagni as an exception. Cavalleria rusticana is not an example of finesse by any means, but it has some great music and works very well, I really like Iris, and think there's some brillant stuff in the hardly ever performed (and excessive in most ways) Parisina.

I like Cavalleria Rusticana too and, to a slightly lesser extent I Pagliacci. I don't know either Iris (save for a couple of arias) or Parisina. Maybe I should give them a try.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 30, 2021, 03:54:37 AM
Iris is a floral-orientalist-symbolist hodgepodge (one of Luigi Illica's most outlandish creations), and with a very crude dénouement (the title character ends in a gutter, and is transfigured in a sort of choral Liebestod à la italo-japonnaise). And yet, it's attractive. There's several pirated sets with Magda Olivero, who sang the role often. My favourite, though, is live from Rome in 1956 under --you guessed it  ;)-- Gavazzeni, with Clara Petrella, di Stefano and Boris Christoff. The sound, alas, is subpar.

Here's my favourite bit from Act I with Petrella from that recording:

https://www.youtube.com/v/mBsnQ4FVHHY

Parisina is a much more exalted and ambitious work. Mascagni said he'd set D'Annunzio's play in toto ("even the commas" :D) , and the result was so excessive that on the second performance, the fourth (and last) act was struck altogether (and nobody seems to have cared). Yet, it has some extraordinary moments (particularly the second act, with an interplay of choruses that is quite masterly). If you want to explore it, get the Gavazzeni recording on Bongiovanni (live from Rome). The Actes Sud from Montpellier (with Gavazzeni's by then widow, Denia Mazzola) is let down by a very inadequate tenor. The only apparently 100% complete recording (from Italian Radio) features Emma Renzi, but is only available from "private" sources (I don't have it, but it's on YouTube).

Here's Act II from that ultra-complete recording:

https://www.youtube.com/v/flISHv3AX98
The first seven minutes or so, with the choruses, are superb IMHO, as is the title character's arioso Sono carica d'oro...Bene morró d'amore from around 15'30" to 22'30" (but it really gets going at 18'25"). The concluding duet (where the choruses come back) goes on and on and on, but just listen for some minutes starting at around 47' and you'll see that Mascagni tried to outdo himself here (the repeated phrase "La notte viene", at ca. 53'55" is quite something).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: MusicTurner on November 30, 2021, 04:39:23 AM
Quote from: JBS on November 23, 2021, 04:36:55 PM
NP

First ever listen to this opera.
The CD set I have carries over the cover art of the LP issue above. A later CD issue was seemingly produced by a design team that didn't realize the opera was not set in Paris 1910.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ktMR4Fx4L.jpg)

It's a Carl Larsson drawing from his idyllic, very Swedish, provincial house at that time ('Azalea' 1906), so an even more remote illustration choice ...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 30, 2021, 05:38:32 AM
Quote from: MusicTurner on November 30, 2021, 04:39:23 AM
It's a Carl Larsson drawing from his idyllic, very Swedish, provincial house at that time ('Azalea' 1906), so an even more remote illustration choice ...
Yep...probably a wink at Ulysses' short stop in Gotland on the way back to Ithaca... ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on November 30, 2021, 05:46:11 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 30, 2021, 01:51:12 AM
Lovely recording of a lovely opera! I revisit it (as well as the earlier version conducted by the composer himself) every so often, and it never fails to charm (particularly the second act, full of nostalgia and longing).

+1
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: MusicTurner on November 30, 2021, 06:07:06 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 30, 2021, 05:38:32 AM
Yep...probably a wink at Ulysses' short stop in Gotland on the way back to Ithaca... ;)

When checking possible theories, it appeared that actually, some have suggested a Scandinavian & Baltic origin for the Ulysses/Odysseus travels & myths, including the writers Felice Vinci and John Larsen. The theories have however mostly been dismissed by conventional scholars, and overall characterized as 'a fascinating and charming dream'.

But interesting to think that if taken literally, one theory would imply that Odysseus was born about 5 km from where I spent most of my childhood, in Odsherred, Denmark, and that he lived a good deal of his life in just the same area :)

https://www.saxo.com/dk/baltic-origins-of-homers-epic-tales_felice-vinci_epub_9781594776458
https://nome.unak.is/wordpress/tag/ulysses/
critique: http://www.paabo.ca/reviews/BalticHomericVinci.html
http://odisse.dk/index.html (Danish)

As a (further) side remark, back in August, some archaeologists claimed to have found parts of the original, Trojan horse in situ - at the correct, Turkish location, that is: https://greekreporter.com/2021/08/10/archaeologists-discover-trojan-horse-in-turkey/
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 30, 2021, 06:12:44 AM
Interesting (albeit a bit far-fetched :D). Many thanks, had never read anything about that...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 30, 2021, 07:06:05 AM
Quote from: MusicTurner on November 30, 2021, 06:07:06 AM
When checking possible theories, it appeared that actually, some have suggested a Scandinavian & Baltic origin for the Ulysses/Odysseus travels & myths, including the writers Felice Vinci and John Larsen. The theories have however mostly been dismissed by conventional scholars, and overall characterized as 'a fascinating and charming dream'.

But interesting to think that if taken literally, one theory would imply that Odysseus was born about 5 km from where I spent most of my childhood, in Odsherred, Denmark, and that he lived a good deal of his life in just the same area :)

https://www.saxo.com/dk/baltic-origins-of-homers-epic-tales_felice-vinci_epub_9781594776458
https://nome.unak.is/wordpress/tag/ulysses/
critique: http://www.paabo.ca/reviews/BalticHomericVinci.html
http://odisse.dk/index.html (Danish)

As a (further) side remark, back in August, some archaeologists claimed to have found parts of the original, Trojan horse in situ - at the correct, Turkish location, that is: https://greekreporter.com/2021/08/10/archaeologists-discover-trojan-horse-in-turkey/
That would have been cool!  8)  ;D

PD

p.s.  I read an article about that (on BBC website I believe re the Trojan horse)!  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 30, 2021, 05:30:01 PM
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 01, 2021, 12:58:45 AM
Quote from: JBS on November 30, 2021, 05:30:01 PM


  • I bought that recording a few years ago, but well before then I had this version
    (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517gmWcrrnL.jpg)
    Which I think is just as good. It is a charming opera, one that should be better known. It could be easily fitted into a double bill with Cav.Rust. instead of Pagliacci.
    The Alagna/Georghiu recording btw terms Davide in the cast listing a "rabbi", rather amusingly and for no obvious reason, since he does nothing particularly rabbinical (or even Jewish) during the opera.

I'm sure he's referred to as a Rabbi somewhere in the notes for the Gavazzeni recording as well, because I knew that.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 01, 2021, 12:59:08 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/ZlnRRsLjNT-59UtkCl3mH0jUUM4=/fit-in/600x616/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-12796090-1542121881-1967.jpeg.jpg)

Cavalleria Rusticana is the opera that first turned me on to opera as a teenager. My parents had the Varviso recording with Souliotis, Del Monaco and Gobbi and my father also owned the piano score. I listened to it over and over again and would also spend hours playing the music on the piano. Mind you, even back then I recognised that Del Monaco was a bit shouty, and Di Stefano made a better impression on me when I finally heard the Callas recording.

Of course it is now known that Callas was never scheduled to record Santuzza, that the originally scheduled mezzo was indisposed and Callas, having sung the role in Greece, stepped into her shoes. We should be thankful that she did, because, though she never sang the role again, Santuzza is one of her greatest recorded roles. She is also surrounded by a terrific cast, right down to the flirtatiously bitchy Lola of Anna Maria Canali, who helps turn Lola and Santuzza's brief confrontation into a mini bitch fest. Turiddu is one of Di Stefano's best roles and Panerai makes a splendidly virile Alfio. With Serafin in command of the orchestra and chorus, it remains one of the top recommendations for the opera, despite the ancient mono sound, which does overload in places.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: MusicTurner on December 01, 2021, 04:06:37 AM
Rimsky-Korsakov - The Golden Cockerel - Manolov, soloists, Sofia National Opera /Capriccio 2CD

First listen, a cheap acquisition, and the only R-K opera I have on CD (some others are on LP, though mostly rather old recordings, and of course I have the Orchestral Suite, in several versions).

Not that well-known soloists, but very well performed and recorded, I hear nothing really awkward in the difficult singing, lots of good things, and am pretty sure I'll be listening more to this, plus pick up further R-K operas in the series, if I see them. The MusicWeb review has a bit of criticism, but I think its points are rather insignificant.

The sound world is quite exotic, reminding for example of Szymanowski at times, such as his orchestral songs, IMHO.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 03, 2021, 12:59:05 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/Z9TWyd_oswh6HOxm2W7Xyiwebl8=/fit-in/600x533/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11927317-1524904931-6153.jpeg.jpg)

Von Stade is ideally cast in Massenet's charming take on the Perrault tale, but why oh why did they cast a tenor in the role of the Prince, a role that Massenet assigned to a mezzo soprano? It totally upsets the balance of the duets. I find myself constantly trying to imagine what the music would sound like with two women in the leading roles.

This is doubly frustrating because, in all other respects, this is a wonderful performance. Von Stade, as she is on video in Rossini's opera, is the perfect Cinderella and I can't imagine the role being better sung by anyone. Ruth Welting is also excellent as the Fairy and there are characterful performances from Jane Berbié and Jules Bastin as Madame de la Haltière and Pandolfe and Teresa Cahill and Elizabeth Bainbridge as the sisters. Nicolai Gedda does what he can with the Prince, but can't really disguise the fact that he is singing in the wrong octave.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on December 03, 2021, 01:37:21 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 03, 2021, 12:59:05 AM


oh why did they cast a tenor in the role of the Prince, a role that Massenet assigned to a mezzo soprano? It totally upsets the balance of the duets. I find myself constantly trying to imagine what the music would sound like with two women in the leading roles.


In the notes by Barrymore Laurence Scherer in the original LP release, there's this sentence:

QuoteIn a recording, of course, physique du costume matters not at all, but oral delineation of character is of the utmost importance, especially in an unfamiliar work. Hence, the role of the Prince is sung in the present performance by tenor Nicolai Gedda.

I always thought that was nonsense, even from my first hearing of the recording, which was my first encounter with the opera. If anything, I have no problem accepting that Octavian, Cherubino, etc. are young men on recordings. It's only in live performance that I sometimes have difficulty accepting it, though some singers pull it off very well. I was very happy to finally hear the role sung by a mezzo when I saw it at the New York City Opera in 1983.

Thank goodness no record company has followed that "oral delineation" argument in recordings of Der Rosenkavalier and Le Nozze di Figaro! Though there is an EMI Contes d'Hoffmann with a baritone Niclausse.

Though the CD release of the recording does have Scherer's notes, that particular line I quoted above has been edited out. I smell a coverup!

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 03, 2021, 02:08:23 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on December 03, 2021, 01:37:21 AM
In the notes by Barrymore Laurence Scherer in the original LP release, there's this sentence:

I always thought that was nonsense, even from my first hearing of the recording, which was my first encounter with the opera. If anything, I have no problem accepting that Octavian, Cherubino, etc. are young men on recordings. It's only in live performance that I sometimes have difficulty accepting it, though some singers pull it off very well. I was very happy to finally hear the role sung by a mezzo when I saw it at the New York City Opera in 1983.

Thank goodness no record company has followed that "oral delineation" argument in recordings of Der Rosenkavalier and Le Nozze di Figaro! Though there is an EMI Contes d'Hoffmann with a baritone Niclausse.

Though the CD release of the recording does have Scherer's notes, that particular line I quoted above has been edited out. I smell a coverup!

As you say, utter nonsense.

EMI also cast Karajan's first Die Fledermaus with a tenor Orlovsky. I almost forgive them because Rudolf Christ, the tenor in question characterises the role brilliantly. In fact I rather prefer him to Regina Resnik's rather fruity Orlovsky on his second recording. But a tenor Prince in Cendrillon is just about as debilitating as a tenor Orlovsky, Cherubino or Composer would be.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 03, 2021, 04:59:00 PM
(https://img.discogs.com/oNrJSBlIxis9_ak6MibSBfXkvhw=/fit-in/600x597/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14609018-1578106786-3223.jpeg.jpg)

This is the set that made me discover the opera over 35 years ago. I knew the main arias before but the sweep and colour of the full score were revealed to me through Molinari-Pradelli's urgent, biting conducting. I had never before heard an opera where the choruses are so important. The popolo di Pekino are indeed as important to this opera as most of its characters. It's often the choruses that are found wanting in some otherwise well cast productions. That is emphatically not the case here. Gira la cote sizzles, Perché tarda la luna makes me shudder, the shouts of Parla, parla! Il nome, il nome! at Liù's death sound almost sadistic.

It is well known that Puccini didn't live to complete the last scene. I'm not sure it would have made that 3rd act much different. The fact is that as a work Turandot starts with just about the most musically and dramatically compelling first act ever composed and somehow loses a bit of steam steadily as it progresses. Nevertheless that first act - and the Act 2 appearance of Turandot and the ensuing Riddle scene - are enough to ensure it a place among the peaks of the operatic repertoire.

Neither Nilsson nor Corelli were the most subtle of singers. Both display sometimes dubious intonation in the vocal line's  treacherous, awkward intervals. When singing f and ff their display of missile-like vocal fireworks is simply glorious. As Liù Scotto sings extremely well, but I sometimes find her singing lacks simplicity. That's a (small) fault shared by other singers (Caballé, Price, Tebaldi). I find a straight approach to the vocal line (Schwarzkopf for example) works better in conveying the slave girl's simple, pure love for Calaf. All the secondary roles are well taken. I like the bite and sneer brought to their characterization by the three Masks - well done.

The sound is bright and immediate, but lacks a bit of depth and warmth. Nonetheless it is still very serviceable. I find this version brings Puccini's score to life like no other, thanks to the conductor, orchestra and chorus. As for the singers they are among the best that could be summoned for what are, after all, some of the biggest operatic shoes in the closet. Recommended along with the Serafin, Karajan and Mehta versions. The latter is still the best recommendation. There are other fine versions, but then minuses start to add up.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Karl Henning on December 03, 2021, 05:19:52 PM
Shostakovich
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District
Boris Timofeyevich Izmailov—Aage Haugland
Zinovy Borisovich Izmailov—Philip Langridge
Yekaterina Lvovna Izmailova—Maria Ewing
Sergei—Sergei Larin
Orchestre et chœurs de l'Opéra Bastille
Myung-Whun Chung
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 04, 2021, 12:36:09 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/7HqR_zK-zs5Un3qJbHY4JM5cLRI=/fit-in/600x513/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-17629453-1614531361-3854.jpeg.jpg)

I've always preferred Massenet's version of L'Abbé Prévost's novel to Puccini's. It seems to me that Massenet captures much better the spirit of the novel.

And this 1955 recording is a classic, which, as far as I'm concerned, has never been bettered. Monteux's direction is absolutely right from first note to last and the opera is brilliantly cast with, apart from De Los Angeles, an all French cast. Legay, who sings Des Grieux, has a voice perhaps a mite too small for the role and one notes a flicker of strain in Ah, fuyez but he is quite superb in the Dream and really affecting. Michel Dens and Jean Borthayre are perfectly cast as Lescaut and Guillot, but of course it is the superb performance of Victoria De Los Angeles, which puts the seal on this set and I think it possibly the best thing she ever did on record, and I'm not forgetting her Mimi and Butterfly.

All in all the set captures a style of performing French opera , which I fear is now lost to us.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on December 05, 2021, 02:39:17 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 03, 2021, 02:08:23 AM
As you say, utter nonsense.

EMI also cast Karajan's first Die Fledermaus with a tenor Orlovsky. I almost forgive them because Rudolf Christ, the tenor in question characterises the role brilliantly. In fact I rather prefer him to Regina Resnik's rather fruity Orlovsky on his first recording. But a tenor Prince in Cendrillon is just about as debilitating as a tenor Orlovsky, Cherubino or Composer would be.

Karl Böhm's 1971 Decca recording also has a tenor Orlofsky, Wolgang Windgassen! And of course, there's C. Kleiber's 1976 recording with Ivan Rebroff. Why, Carlos, why?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vers la flamme on December 05, 2021, 05:25:09 AM
Listened to Sergei Rachmaninov's opera Francesca da Rimini yesterday.

(https://i.postimg.cc/15ZBVth3/image.png)

Loved it! I don't always go for opera but this was an enjoyable one, and quite short, so it wasn't hard to keep up my sometimes limited attention span.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 05, 2021, 08:56:03 AM
Quote from: vers la flamme on December 05, 2021, 05:25:09 AM
Listened to Sergei Rachmaninov's opera Francesca da Rimini yesterday.

(https://i.postimg.cc/15ZBVth3/image.png)

Loved it! I don't always go for opera but this was an enjoyable one, and quite short, so it wasn't hard to keep up my sometimes limited attention span.

All of Rachmaninov's operas are in one-act, so I think you'll enjoy The Miserly Knight and Aleko, too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 06, 2021, 12:54:40 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/qaIv6Bp7zkTC8BiPaUKsj7nKKhc=/fit-in/600x535/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4791033-1489336504-4818.jpeg.jpg)

A load of quasi religious twaddle really, but enjoyable enough if you don't take it too seriously. Apparently Massenet was not a religious man, but composed quite a few operas on religious themes "because the public seem to like that kind of thing", which I suppose gives you some indication of what to expect.

There have been a number of recordings, many of them quite extensively cut. The Moffo recording was complete, but she was practically voiceless by the time it was recorded, so this more recent recording with Fleming in top form pretty much sweeps the board.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: MusicTurner on December 06, 2021, 01:26:07 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 06, 2021, 12:54:40 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/qaIv6Bp7zkTC8BiPaUKsj7nKKhc=/fit-in/600x535/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-4791033-1489336504-4818.jpeg.jpg)

A load of quasi religious twaddle really, but enjoyable enough if you don't take it too seriously. Apparently Massenet was not a religious man, but composed quite a few operas on religious themes "because the public seem to like that kind of thing", which I suppose gives you some indication of what to expect.

There have been a number of recordings, many of them quite extensively cut. The Moffo recording was complete, but she was practically voiceless by the time it was recorded, so this more recent recording with Fleming in top form pretty much sweeps the board.

Well-written and interesting, thank you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 07, 2021, 12:38:04 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/bn0ku_NakA0qopDs6KUaSQvwYfU=/fit-in/600x524/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6908104-1564329145-1229.jpeg.jpg)

Sticking with Massenet (I recently listened to Cendrillon, Manon and Thaïs) I turn to Werther, which I first saw in a Glyndebourne Touring Production by Sir Michael Redgrave back in the early 1970s. I loved the opera then and still do, and it's one which has been extremely lucky on disc, the prime contenders, in my opinion, being the first under Elie Cohen with Thill and Vallin, the Davis with Carreras and Von Stade, the Plasson with Kraus and Troyanos, the Pappano with Alagna and Gheorghiu and this one.

The prime attraction of this Prêtre version for me is the wonderfully affecting Charlotte of Victoria De Los Angeles, even if she was, by 1969, coming to the end of her career as an opera singer. Gedda sometimes sounds a bit too effortful, but still sings stylishly. Excellent performances from Roger Soyer as Albert and, especially, Mady Mesplé as Sophie. Prêtre is in wilful mood and rushes some of his fences. Still, I find this recording an involving performance. It somehow adds up to more than the sum of its parts.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 08, 2021, 12:07:53 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/2tY5bLoXzUN7s6VrGegs-RVQsD0=/fit-in/600x513/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-14223172-1623749145-2704.jpeg.jpg)

Another excellent recording of Werther. The LSO play wonderfully for Pappano and the sound is superb. Alagna is, as always, at his best in French opera and this is one of his best recordings. Gheorghiu is an affecting Charlotte, but can't disguise the fact that the role lies a bit too low for her.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 09, 2021, 02:20:45 PM
From the "Listening" thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on December 09, 2021, 02:08:55 PM
NP:

Strauss
Arabella, Op. 79
Lisa della Casa (soprano), Judith Hellwig (soprano), Harald Pröglhöf (bass), Fritz Sengl (singer), Anton Dermota (tenor), Waldemar Kmentt (tenor), Karl Kolowratnik (singer), George London (baritone), Hilde Gueden (soprano), Otto Edelmann (bass), Eberhard Wächter (baritone), Ira Malaniuk (contralto), Wilhelm Lenninger (tenor), Otto Vajda (bass), Mimi Coertse (soprano)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Staatsoper
Solti


(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAxOTY2MC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NzExMzY2MDV9)

I'm enjoying Solti's Strauss much more than I expected to as Rafael (ritter) caused me to second-guess my opinion of these performances. Lesson here, don't listen to anyone and go with your own gut feeling. Anyway, Arabella is an extremely beautiful work and, from what I've read, this is the best recording of it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2021, 12:16:10 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 09, 2021, 02:20:45 PM
From the "Listening" thread -

I'm enjoying Solti's Strauss much more than I expected to as Rafael (ritter) caused me to second-guess my opinion of these performances. Lesson here, don't listen to anyone and go with your own gut feeling. Anyway, Arabella is an extremely beautiful work and, from what I've read, this is the best recording of it.

I'm not so sure. Della Casa was a wonderful Arabella, it is true, but even Solti fans think he was somewhat swift and perfunctory in this opera. I like the Sawallisch, who gives a much more lyrical reading of the score, but it can't be denied that Fischer-Dieskau is past his best.

That said, there's quite a bit of the opera I'd happily do without, so I'm quite happy with the excerpts Schwarzkopf recorded under Lovro von Matcic.

(https://www.warnerclassics.com/sites/default/files/styles/release_and_playlist_cover_756_x_756_2x/public/2019-09/190295369972_preview.jpg?itok=m8vKU7iP)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2021, 01:15:59 AM
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0238/9583/products/10896-2front.jpeg?v=1478281535)

Mercadante: Il Giuramento

Bianca .... Agnes Baltsa
Viscardo .... José Carreras
Elaisa ... Annabell Bernard
Manfredo ... Robert Kerns

Chorus and Orchestra of Deutsche Oper, Berlin - Gerd Albrecht
Performance of September 23, 1974

Baltsa and Carreras take the vocal honours here. Sound is a bit boomy but listenable. I'm enjoying it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 13, 2021, 07:19:16 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51NlnyKp53L._AC_.jpg)

Much to my surprise this 65-year old live recording is eminently listenable. There is little clouding (in ensembles mostly) and the solo voices are caught with thrilling immediacy. And what voices ! All the men are in excellent voice. Del Monaco more stentorian and commanding than ever. Warren's instrument is in splendid shape although he is a mite instable in long singing lines. But what commanding presence ! The 33-year old Siepi is a vocal marvel. His Silva fills the stage with plush, voluminous tones. Only Milanov's matronly Elvira leaves a bit (or two) to be desired. In Surta è la notte...Ernani, Ernani involami her big voice has trouble negotiating the aria's wide tessitura and her coloratura sounds cautious. Still, past that she has fine vocal and dramatic presence. To hear that magnificent aria sung to perfection, turn to Callas (recital disc).

Mitropoulos conducts perfectly, expansively or tautly, as the score demands. As live historical recordings go, this one has a lot going for it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 17, 2021, 12:51:08 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/tnUkQNbczTBOxZHLgFrGcUeg25k=/fit-in/500x439/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5453496-1436216928-6418.jpeg.jpg)

Raymond Leppard's arrangements of the operas of Monteverdi and Cavalli no doubt seem over-romaticised and anachronistic now, but we do well to remember that they played their part in the revival of a repertoire that was largely forgotten at the time.

This is a live performance by Sadlers Wells Opera (before it changed its name to English National Opera), recorded at the Coliseum in 1971. The main reason for its reissue is no doubt the casting of Dame Janet Baker in the role of Poppea, a casting that goes against type (one would expect her to play the role of the wronged queen Ottavia), but which she pulls off magnificently, revealing Poppea's manipulative quest for power. A fine performance of Ottavia too from Katherine Pring. Some will be less happy about the casting of a tenor as Nero, but Robert Ferguson does bring out the nastiness of the character.

We woulld never perform Monteverdi like this anymore of course, but it is good to have this slice of history preserved in sound.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 19, 2021, 01:38:39 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/gRLw4VtyhcUjh-lib-exiPNPXIY=/fit-in/600x538/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6707253-1426114659-2202.jpeg.jpg)

This recording is of the Naples version, which differs in many respects from the Venice version. It also now seems likely that much of the score was not by Monteverdi, but by what one might call "school of Monteverdi" with contributions by Cavalli and others.

Cavina's conception is certainly dramatically alive and vivid, and uinstrumentally this recording sis superb, but some of the singing leaves something to be desired. The good includes Emanuela Galli's provocatively sexy and scheming Poppea, Roberta Mamelli's almost petulantly boyish Nero and Francesca Cassinari's delightful Drusilla. The bad gives us Ian Honeyman's wildly over the top Arnalta and Xenia Meijer, whose Ottavia has absolutely no dignity and turns her into almost a comic character, which is a serious blot on the performance.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 20, 2021, 01:50:53 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/UHPDYxQxIq-JrsgKpqvAZz_PnQA=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-15056963-1586470401-5360.jpeg.jpg)

Purists should probably stay away. Haïm's take on Monteverdi's opera is unashamedly operatic (well it is, after all, an opera) with singers well versed in stage performances. There is no doubling of the various roles, which makes for a large cast of quite famous voices.

I'm not a purist and I think this might just be the most enjoyable performance of the opera I've ever heard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 22, 2021, 10:24:08 AM
Cross-posted:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71zsS-zJY1L._AC_SL400_.jpg)

This starts well. The sound is excellent, the playing warm and precise, the overture fizzes with joy at a zippy tempo (the winds are positively effervescent). Mackerras paces the music utterly naturally. Under his baton it lives and breathe - nothing is forced or driven.

It's nice to have the dialogue in English, so easy to follow. When it comes to arias and choruses though the advantage is less clear. Most opera arias have rather plain lyrics, made all the plainer when heard in the vernacular. As for choruses, words are not always easy to follow anyway, whatever language they are sung in. The soloists sound young and act well. I'm happy to have this as a complement to the original Czech version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 24, 2021, 05:43:37 PM
Quote from: André on December 22, 2021, 10:24:08 AM
Cross-posted:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71zsS-zJY1L._AC_SL400_.jpg)

This starts well. The sound is excellent, the playing warm and precise, the overture fizzes with joy at a zippy tempo (the winds are positively effervescent). Mackerras paces the music utterly naturally. Under his baton it lives and breathe - nothing is forced or driven.

It's nice to have the dialogue in English, so easy to follow. When it comes to arias and choruses though the advantage is less clear. Most opera arias have rather plain lyrics, made all the plainer when heard in the vernacular. As for choruses, words are not always easy to follow anyway, whatever language they are sung in. The soloists sound young and act well. I'm happy to have this as a complement to the original Czech version.

The only recording I own of The Bartered Bride is this one, Andre:

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAxOTY0Ny4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MjM4MjMxOTV9)

I haven't heard it yet, but would you say this is a good recording?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on December 25, 2021, 11:01:18 AM
I can't tell, as I don't know the singers in that recording but Behlolavek certainly knows his Smetana !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on December 26, 2021, 06:58:20 PM
Quote from: André on December 25, 2021, 11:01:18 AM
I can't tell, as I don't know the singers in that recording but Behlolavek certainly knows his Smetana !

Thanks, I guess I'll just have to find out for myself. ;) I've read good things about it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 11, 2022, 01:35:48 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/fvQ5lFmKYUsDBGlegloeANprtn8=/fit-in/500x430/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7412419-1440969297-8681.jpeg.jpg)

A starry cast and some wonderful singing in this 1976 recording of Mozart's last opera seria.

It's not an opera I listen to often and not one I'd want multiple versions of, but this one seems to me to do the opera proud. It was based on a fantastically successful production at Covent Garden, which also travelled to La Scala (the only time Dame Janet Baker sang an opera outside of the UK).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 11, 2022, 06:24:50 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 11, 2022, 01:35:48 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/fvQ5lFmKYUsDBGlegloeANprtn8=/fit-in/500x430/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7412419-1440969297-8681.jpeg.jpg)

A starry cast and some wonderful singing in this 1976 recording of Mozart's last opera seria.

It's not an opera I listen to often and not one I'd want multiple versions of, but this one seems to me to do the opera proud. It was based on a fantastically successful production at Covent Garden, which also travelled to La Scala (the only time Dame Janet Baker sang an opera outside of the UK).
That looks like a very interesting recording of La Clemenza di Tito. I might look for it; I've seen the opera live, but it's absent from my collection. The Böhm recording (with Berganza, a favourite singer of mine, but also with Peter Schreier, whom I don't really like in Mozart) is not readily available, so the Davis could be a suitable alternative.

THREAD DUTY:

First listen to this 1947 live recording of Act II of Tristan und Isolde from Berlin, under Wilhelm Furtwängler. The soloists are Erna Schlüter (Isolde --quite outstanding IMHO), Margarete Klose (Brangäne --excellent as well), Ludwig Suthaus (Tristan, as he would also be in Furtwängler's later studio recording), Gottlob Frick (Marke), Jaro Prohaska (Kurwenal), and Kurt Rehm (Melot). Quite a starry cast; even if the glory days of many of them were the pre-war years, they give a superb performance! And Furtwängler's handling of the score seems so natural, so theatrically convincing (and I'm not by any stretch of the imagination a diehard fan of this conductor). Great stuff (and the sound is better than I had expected).

CD 6 of this set (Acts II and III were broadcast at the time, but only the former is included here) :

(https://img.discogs.com/YCxwIFbqeupZ4CeV2VL-njkjV9s=/fit-in/372x370/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-19425484-1625780654-6965.jpeg.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 11, 2022, 07:34:11 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 11, 2022, 06:24:50 AM
That looks like a very interesting recording of La Clemenza di Tito. I might look for it; I've seen the opera live, but it's absent from my collection. The Böhm recording (with Berganza, a favourite singer of mine, but also with Peter Schreier, whom I don't really like in Mozart) is not readily available, so the Davis could be a suitable alternative.


I'd put the Rene Jacobs as a first choice, with Mackerras next in line.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 11, 2022, 07:41:18 AM
Quote from: JBS on January 11, 2022, 07:34:11 AM
I'd put the Rene Jacobs as a first choice, with Mackerras next in line.
Thanks! Will keep in mind. I tend more to "old school(ish)" Mozart, but more HIP approaches can certainly be interesting as well.

TD:

As an appendix to the Act II of Tristan I was listening to now, the Liebestod from the same performance (YouTube).

https://www.youtube.com/v/brvRupBtPeM   
Erna Schlüter was quite the Isolde!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 11, 2022, 07:53:11 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 11, 2022, 07:41:18 AM
Thanks! Will keep in mind. I tend more to "old school(ish)" Mozart, but more HIP approaches can certainly be interesting as well.

TD:

If you like "old school(ish)" Mozart, then you could hardly do better than this set. Davis had a natural feel for Mozart, with excellent recordings of the three da Ponte opers to his credit. The singing on this set is really wonderful and I think you'd probably prefer Stuart Burrows to the rather dry-voiced Schreier.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 11, 2022, 08:41:55 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 11, 2022, 07:41:18 AM
Thanks! Will keep in mind. I tend more to "old school(ish)" Mozart, but more HIP approaches can certainly be interesting as well.

TD:

As an appendix to the Act II of Tristan I was listening to now, the Liebestod from the same performance (YouTube).

https://www.youtube.com/v/brvRupBtPeM   
Erna Schlüter was quite the Isolde!

Then look to Mackerras.
TBH, I've never thought Davis's Mozart to be anything more than solid.  It's only in Berlioz that he's the obvious first choice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 11, 2022, 02:50:05 PM
Quote from: JBS on January 11, 2022, 08:41:55 AM
Then look to Mackerras.
TBH, I've never thought Davis's Mozart to be anything more than solid.  It's only in Berlioz that he's the obvious first choice.

This Clemenza is a lot better than merely solid, and his singing cast could hardly be bettered. I also have two Davis recordings of Cosi fan Tutte (one studio/one live) and they are both extremely fine.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 11, 2022, 05:17:04 PM
De gustibus etc etc
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 13, 2022, 02:25:56 AM
Saturday, the 8th/Sunday, the 9th:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61SkNFSoSkL._SL1024_.jpg)

From Netflix, a DVD of a 2006 Deutsche Oper Berlin production of Alberto Franchetti's Germania, It takes place during Napoleonic times and involves a love triangle among students who are working secretly underground for the liberation of a Germany then under occupation by France. The world premiere took place at La Scala in 1902, Toscanini conducting, with Caruso in the title role, They also gave the U.S. premiere of the work in January 1910, where they were joined by Emmy Destin and Pasquale Amato as the other points of the triangle, and Adamo Didur, the Met's first Boris Godunov, as the protestant pastor, Stapps. All five reunited in December of that year for the world premiere of La Fanciulla del West (Didur sang Ashby). Germania got seven performances at the Met that season, two more a year later, and hasn't been seen there since, though it's apparently Franchetti's biggest hit.

Lise Lindstrom was the leading lady in Berlin, with tenor Carlo Ventre and baritone Bruno Caproni as the men in the triangle, Artujun Kotchinian as Pastor Stapps. Renato Palumbo conducts, and the production is by Kirsten Harms. There's a "special feature" interview with Harms in German, but unlike the opera, it's not subtitled, so I got maybe 40% of what she was talking about. It starts slowly.  I stopped Satuday night about halfway through the Prologue, which does go on for 45 minutes. It gets better, and I'm keeping it for a second viewing before returning it.

BTW, the valkyrie pictured on the cover is a non-singing role, an addition by the director, who only appears in the Symphonic Interlude, The Battle of the Nations, that's played before the Epilogue.

Tuesday, the 11th:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71AvrkTlASL._SL1200_.jpg)

In Memorium Maria Ewing, her  1991 DG recording of Pelléas et Mélisande, with Abbado conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker and Le Roux, van Dam, Jean-Philippe Courtis, and Christa Ludwig.


Wednesday, the 12th:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81yGBNisHML._SY445_.jpg)

On Blu-ray, Dimitri Tcherniakov's 2007 Bavarian State Opera Khovanshchina, with Paata Burchuladze and Klaus Florian Vogt as the Khovanskys, John Daszak as Golitsyn, Valery Alexejev (Shaklovity), Anatoli Kotscherga (Dosifei), Ulrich Reß (Scrivener), and Camilla Nylund (Emma). In this production, the role of Susanna is split between three women, part of a group of Old Believers who are tormenting Marfa (Doris Soffel). Kent Nagano conducts, using Shostakovich's orchestration, with Stravinsky's ending.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 13, 2022, 05:06:22 AM
Very interesting, Wendell !

I have the Nagano Khovanshchina DVD and enjoyed it quite a lot. Franchetti is a name I've never encountered before.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 13, 2022, 07:52:08 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/eCmGPye39Ll5ZLV1qbQEuNOOhV8=/fit-in/600x510/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-1622907-1611920823-7419.jpeg.jpg)

I know it's not HIP, but what glorious, characterful voices! This was my first recording of the opera and it remains my favourite recording.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 13, 2022, 04:59:36 PM
Quote from: André on January 13, 2022, 05:06:22 AM
Very interesting, Wendell !

Franchetti is a name I've never encountered before.

I've got a recording of his Christoforo Columbo, with Renato Bruson as Columbus, which I'm fairly certain I've only listened to once. Maybe I'll give it another listen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2022, 05:53:10 AM
(https://www.norbertoperdomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Cosi-fan-tutte-Caballe001.jpg)

Another favourite recording of Cosí fan tutte. I may have problems with the plot, but the music is sublime, amd some of Mozart's most beautiful music for the human voice.

This one is a little more serious in tone than the Böhm I was listening to before, but the women in particular are wonderful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 14, 2022, 06:17:17 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2022, 05:53:10 AM
I may have problems with the plot

We all do when it comes to opera.  :D

But then again who listens to operas for the plot? Some of the silliest plots have the most sublime music.

My golden rule is Prima la musica poi le parole!.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2022, 08:22:07 AM
Quote from: Florestan on January 14, 2022, 06:17:17 AM
We all do when it comes to opera.  :D

But then again who listens to operas for the plot? Some of the silliest plots have the most sublime music.

My golden rule is Prima la musica poi le parole!.

You have a point, and many comic operas have intentional absuridities built into the plot, but my main problem with Cosí is its inherent misogyny.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 14, 2022, 08:39:17 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2022, 08:22:07 AM
my main problem with Cosí is its inherent misogyny.

Misogyny is a concept that was  completely unknown in the 18th century. Just saying.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2022, 09:22:17 AM
Quote from: Florestan on January 14, 2022, 08:39:17 AM
Misogyny is a concept that was  completely unknown in the 18th century. Just saying.

That may be so, but it does no harm to mention that it makes me uncomfortable in this day and age. The misogyny in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew is also uncomfortable and the most successful modern day productions are those that are aware of it and also sensitive to it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 14, 2022, 09:24:24 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2022, 09:22:17 AM
That may be so, but it does no harm to mention that it makes me uncomfortable in this day and age. The misogyny in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew is also uncomfortable and the most successful modern day productions are those that are aware of it and also sensitive to it.

Let's agree to disagree and move on to Carmen.  :D

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 14, 2022, 10:50:34 AM
Quote from: Florestan on January 14, 2022, 08:39:17 AM
Misogyny is a concept that was  completely unknown in the 18th century. Just saying.

And, incidentally, it's still misogyny, even if being a misogynst was acceptable back then. Some think it still is.   ???
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 20, 2022, 12:17:52 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/_OYPW27HI52hs1v__R-s20XvYX3ZEyo66vHUc5Jh-lM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:524/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTEx/NTYwNjUwLTE1MTg1/MTc0NzAtNTE4NC5q/cGVn.jpeg)

Once quite frequently performed (its Met premiere starred Caruso, Muzio and Amato no less), Montemezzi's L'Amore dei tre Re is something of a rarity these days. It's sometimes referred to as a sort of Italian Pelléas et Mélisande and the story does have certain similarities.

This recording was made in 1976, by which time Moffo had become more of a crooner than a soprano. Still she's a good deal better here than she was in the disastrous Thaïs she recorded the year before. The men Domingo, Elvira and Siepi are all excellent and the LSO under Santi provide lush support.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 20, 2022, 04:08:57 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 20, 2022, 12:17:52 AM
This recording was made in 1976, by which time Moffo had become more of a crooner than a soprano. Still she's a good deal better here than she was in the disastrous Thaïs she recorded the year before.

You mean this?

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81JddXMSKtL._SL1500_.jpg)

I have it but never listened to it. In what way is it a disaster?

What Thais recording would you recommend?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 20, 2022, 07:16:29 AM
Quote from: Florestan on January 20, 2022, 04:08:57 AM
You mean this?

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81JddXMSKtL._SL1500_.jpg)

I have it but never listened to it. In what way is it a disaster?

What Thais recording would you recommend?

Moffo is practically voiceless. She croons and swoops her way through it, as she just can't sing it anymore.

(https://i.discogs.com/YMB113mI-EV-zZ7Y6jVX35OJqr7CKA-V623InAihq18/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:525/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTEz/ODQ5OTg4LTE1NjMx/MzMyNzEtNTA0Ny5q/cGVn.jpeg)

The Fleming recording is definitely the one to have, by the way. Way ahead of the competition.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 20, 2022, 07:28:26 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 20, 2022, 07:16:29 AM
Moffo is practically voiceless. She croons and swoops her way through it, as she just can't sing it anymore.

(https://i.discogs.com/YMB113mI-EV-zZ7Y6jVX35OJqr7CKA-V623InAihq18/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:525/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTEz/ODQ5OTg4LTE1NjMx/MzMyNzEtNTA0Ny5q/cGVn.jpeg)

The Fleming recording is definitely the one to have, by the way. Way ahead of the competition.

Duly noted, thanks.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 21, 2022, 12:03:29 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/51v5sqbhfyl.jpg)

I was there. Well I might not have been at this actual performance, but I was at one of the series and it was a very memorable evening in the theatre. With Davis in the pit and a well nigh perfect cast, how could it be otherwise?

Having recently listened to Davis's studio recording, I'd say that this one is even better, the recitatives in particular delivered in sparkling fashion - and what wonderful voices! Last year I watched a telecast of Covent Garden's latest production and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but the singing, though accomplished and perfectly acceptable, had none of the beauty and character we hear here. Te Kanawa who could be a placid performer in the studio is here transformed and quite one of the best Fiordiligis I have ever heard, with a voice of quite arresting beauty but also a thoroughly convincing characterisastion. Baltsa is the perfect foil, adorably volatile and she too is in her very best voice. Next to Thomas Allen's confidently outgoing Guglielmo, Stuart Burrows might seem a more reticent performer, but he sings quite beauitfully and is actually more dramatically involved than I remember.

Mazzucato and Van Allan make an excellent pair of conspirators and Davis speeds, though occasionally slower than what we have become accustomed to now, are perfectly judged.

Highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on January 21, 2022, 06:47:31 AM
I've never seen this particular release, but by the looks of it (cast list and conductor) it's mightily tempting. Thanks fo the tip !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 21, 2022, 06:52:06 AM
Quote from: André on January 21, 2022, 06:47:31 AM
I've never seen this particular release, but by the looks of it (cast list and conductor) it's mightily tempting. Thanks fo the tip !

+ 1.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 22, 2022, 01:23:45 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/1XTrJ4kZm9ksi2OiRmMvqGJty24n_5k1o47LDEfxfBE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:514/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE1/ODEyMDE1LTE1OTgz/ODc1NDgtNDY5My5q/cGVn.jpeg)

Now here's a festival cast. Furtwängler's speeds would no doubt be considered to ponderous now, but, oh what singing! The two Elisabeths, Grümmer and Schwarzkopf are absolutely magnificent, no other word for it, and Erna Berger, 53 at the time, though you wouldn't believe it, is a delightful Zerlina. Siepi, who was for some years the Don is both seductive and swashbuckling and Edelmann contrasts nicely as a somewhat dour Leporello. The young Walter Berry is luxury casting as Masetto and Raffaele Arie a sonorous Commendatore. Anton Dermota's Ottavio is the only comparative disappointment, his Il mio tesoro rather effortful.

Nonetheless a great performance, and arguably the best of all the Furtwängler performances available from this period (one from 1950 and two from 1954).

This edition comes with a fill up in the shape of excerpts from a 1951 performance of Die Zauberflöte, also under Furtwängler, with Irmgard Seefried, Wilma Lipp, Antn Dermota, Erich Kunz and Josef Greindl.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2022, 01:22:17 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/wDQ8yu89RJlR5J_UQ8nvHxNN7hKKG9BPKVmdTF2yCfA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:520/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE5/NzYzODIxLTE2Mjg0/NTAzMzYtNzc2OC5q/cGVn.jpeg)

It's good to reminded just how good this set is. Odd to think that it almost never happened. The cast were assembled for a recording under Klemperer, preceded by a couple of concert performances at the Royal Festival Hall. Klemperer fell ill and Legge suddenly had to find a replacement. Giulini had just recorded Le Nozze di Figaro with some of the same singers (Schwarzkopf, Wächter, Taddei and Cappuccilli) and so Legge asked him to step in, which he did with great trepidation and reluctance as he'd never conducted the score before. (To take some of the pressure off him, Legge asked Colin Davis to conduct the concert performances.)

An all time classic, which sounds even better in this most recent Warner re-master.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 25, 2022, 03:47:51 PM
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 25, 2022, 03:43:54 PM
First-Listen Tuesday

Hahn
L'île du rêve
Hélène Guilmette, Artavazd Sargsyan, Cyrille Dubois, Anaïk Morel, Thomas Dolié, Ludivine Gombert
Munich Radio Orchestra, Chœur du Concert Spirituel
Hervé Niquet


(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODgyMDQ5OS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2MjM5Mjc4ODF9)

Hahn wrote this opera when he was a teenager, but you'd never know as the writing is carried off with great ease and maturity. Lyrical and easy on the ears. Hahn's writing, in a way, reminds me of Frank Martin if I may use an "out there" comparison in that this is music that relies on subtlety and color. Of course, with Hahn, melodies are supplied aplenty. I guess this is my roundabout way of saying that I'm rather enjoying this opera. :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 27, 2022, 02:26:22 AM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b273b7bbcc42d5709655965bb117)

Don Giovanni (highlighs)
Don Giovanni - John Shirley-Quirk
Donna Anna - Rachel Mathes
Donna Elvira - Sheila Armstrong
Leoprello - Stafford Dean
Don Ottavio- Robert Tear
Zerlina - Ann Murray
Masetto - Arthur Jackson

Scottish Chamber Orchestra  Sir Alexander Gibson

Der Rosenkavalier (highlights)
Marschallin- Helga Dernesch
Octavian - Anne Howells
Sophie - Teresa Cahill
Baron Ochs - Michael Langdon
Tenor Singer - Derek Blackwell
Annina - Claire Livingston
Faninal - Gordon Sandison

Scottish National Orchestra - Sir Alexander Gibson

Two mementoes of two successful 1970s Scottish Opera productions. The Giovanni is hardly in the class of either of the two recordings I listened (1953 Furtwängler and Giulini), but it is good to hear so many well produced voices. I doubt any of our national companies could come up with a cast half as good these days.

The Rosenkavalier disc is a bit better and is a memento of a production I actually saw. It was the first time I'd ever seen the opera and the performance has stayed in my memory ever since. Helga Dernsech's Marschallin remains the best of my opera going experience and certainly deserved to be captured on disc, even if only piecemeal. Anne Howells was wonderful in the theatre, but has a few moments of suspect intonation on disc. Teresa Cahill is absolutely ravishing as Sophie and Michael Langdon was an excellent and well known Ochs. This recording is actually a memento of the revival, as the original production was sung in English. Dernesch was still the Marschallin, but Janet Baker was Octavian and Elizabeth Harwood Sophie. It was very fine and has been issued on disc by Ponto.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 29, 2022, 06:43:35 AM
Revisiting Messiaen's Saint-François d'Assise (Act I today). The recording with the cast of the world première; Seiji Ozawa conducts the forces of the Paris Opéra, with José van Dam, Christiane Eda-Pierre, Kenneth Riegel et al.

(https://i.discogs.com/nz-INOqYFwQfwq9t0cgYqaA8dB6Ek8lxXVHP_N_c4Uk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTY1/MDkxNDEtMTU5ODI2/ODgyOC05NjM5Lmpw/ZWc.jpeg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 30, 2022, 06:45:08 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 29, 2022, 06:43:35 AM
Revisiting Messiaen's Saint-François d'Assise (Act I today). The recording with the cast of the world première; Seiji Ozawa conducts the forces of the Paris Opéra, with José van Dam, Christiane Eda-Pierre, Kenneth Riegel et al.

(https://i.discogs.com/nz-INOqYFwQfwq9t0cgYqaA8dB6Ek8lxXVHP_N_c4Uk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTY1/MDkxNDEtMTU5ODI2/ODgyOC05NjM5Lmpw/ZWc.jpeg)

And what are your impressions of this Messiaen work, Rafael?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 30, 2022, 08:51:13 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 30, 2022, 06:45:08 AM
And what are your impressions of this Messiaen work, Rafael?
Well, I must admit I really enjoyed it this time.

I'm not a great fan of Messiaen's large orchestral works, but in this, his most mastodonic piece, probably (nay, surely) out of respect for the subject matter, the composer seems to me to have reined in some of the excesses (which so easily return into kitsch) of other pieces, and produced something noble without renouncing to the things (e.g. birdsong) so dear to him and that make his such a unique voice.

I stupidly missed the opportunity, some 10 years ago,  to see Saint-François d'Assise fully staged here in Madrid by the Teatro Real (but in a sports arena, not the opera house), conducted by Sylvain Cambreling. It would have been great to see what impact it makes in live performance, and I don't expect the opportunity to present itself again anytime soon.  :(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on January 30, 2022, 01:25:43 PM
Quote from: ritter on January 30, 2022, 08:51:13 AM
Well, I must admit I really enjoyed it this time.

I'm not a great fan of Messiaen's large orchestral works, but in this, his most mastodonic piece, probably (nay, surely) out of respect for the subject matter, the composer seems to me to have reined in some of the excesses (which so easily return into kitsch) of other pieces, and produced something noble without renouncing to the things (e.g. birdsong) so dear to him and that make his such a unique voice.

I stupidly missed the opportunity, some 10 years ago,  to see Saint-François d'Assise fully staged here in Madrid by the Teatro Real (but in a sports arena, not the opera house), conducted by Sylvain Cambreling. It would have been great to see what impact it makes in live performance, and I don't expect the opportunity to present itself again anytime soon.  :(

Thanks for the feedback. Like you, I'm not a big fan of Messiaen either, but yet, I have a large collection of his music including this Ozawa recording which I've never listened to before.  ::)  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 31, 2022, 12:15:56 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/5__KG7RrVTFv3er_CweFbuFZ1qkWtHoXw6T99tDvENs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:590/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE0/MjYxMTg3LTE1NzA5/NjAyMDAtNTY0Ni5q/cGVn.jpeg)

I prefer a slightly fuller voice for Konstanze than Erika Köth, who sounds more like a Blonde to me, but this recording has the peerless Wunderlich as Belmonte and is worth having for him alone. All in all, though, this is a pretty good Entführung.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Uhor on January 31, 2022, 06:13:32 AM
Toshio Hosokawa's Hanjo: https://youtu.be/ngsrcev7lcU
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 31, 2022, 10:17:43 AM
The Vienna State Opera Peter Grimes from Jan. 29th, with Jonas Kaufmann, Lise Davidsen, and Bryn Terfel, Simone Young conducting. Available (for now) at: https://oe1.orf.at/player/20220129/666550
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 01, 2022, 01:15:59 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/SKjFQvhZb1hLApxSQZtHNEnJrRFN_d3lK1XhCVXBypM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTk5/NDMwODAtMTQ4OTAw/NzM0NS05NjUxLmpw/ZWc.jpeg)

If not quite the classic Giulini's contemporaneous Don Giovanni is, this is still a very good Figaro with some outstanding singing from a very fine cast.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 01, 2022, 06:59:27 PM
(https://andrisnelsons.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Wagner-Lohengrin.jpg)

A musically superb Lohengrin. Fantastic Bayreuth Chorus, great performances from all the principals (Georg Zeppenfeld's King Henry steals the vocal honors), and a provocative direction from Hans Neuenfels. It's the first time I find unalloyed enjoyment in Andris Nelson's conducting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 02, 2022, 05:40:31 PM
Cross-post from the "Listening" thread -

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 02, 2022, 12:37:39 PM
Now playing the Prologue and Act I from the following:

Repsighi
Belfagor
Sylvia Sass, Magda Kalmár, Klára Takács, et. al
Hungarian Radio and Television Chorus
Hungarian State Orchestra
Lamberto Gardelli


(https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=29166.0;attach=82294;image)

Hugely atmospheric and the writing for voices is exquisite. I haven't finished the opera yet, but definitely looking forward to hearing the rest of it. I need to read the synopsis of this opera so I can have a better idea of what exactly is happening on the stage as the opera progresses. Superbly performed --- Sylvia Sass sounds wonderful and Lamberto Gardelli displays a sympathetic ear for this music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 03, 2022, 01:14:36 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VYWP7RlFL._AC_.jpg)

Der Rosenkavalier in the Karajan/Legge recording.

EMI had its A team of engineers record the mono version and its B team set the mics (differently of course) for the stereo one. Schwarzkopf herself preferred the mono sound recording. This cheapo edition manages to give us acts I and III in stereo and Act II in mono. Strange, but valuable to assess the differences. The stereo edition was a timid attempt at the new medium in terms of directionality and frequency range. Decca was much more advanced in 1956 although in retrospect their soundstage was often loud and crudely lit. Maybe EMI was right in not going for effects for effects' sake. What's important is that the sound is clear, unfuzzy and with a reasonable dynamic range.

Be that as it may, this version is famous for its musical values, and rightly so. The stars of the recording IMO are Karajan and the orchestra. Vocally the honours tilt in favour of the women. All three principals have beautiful, easily produced tones, with outstanding beauty in the upper range. Stich-Randall often sounds all but inaudible in the conversational episodes, but she cleverly plays the card of the timid, intimidated young girl. Her famed high notes in the more emotional outpourings are drop-dead stunning. Ludwig is very fine, but I sometimes wished her tones sounded more masculine (like Baltsa in the DGG Karajan recording). Schwarzkopf is perfect in all respects. This is possibly her best operatic assumption on record. Most of the time I find I hear Schwarzkopf singing such and such character. Here she is the Marschallin.

The male roles are very well sung/acted overall. Faninal could have a more distinctive voice (Wächter), and Edelmann's Ochs a more resonant low register, but overall they do very well. Gedda's singer is surprisingly nondescript. What might have been a fine piece of casting turns out a missed opportunity. While this recording belongs in every collection, it should not be the only Rosenkavalier on one's shelves.

My preference is still for Karajan's DGG set. It is sumptuously played and conducted and this time around Karajan seems to give the romantic side of the story the edge over the comic aspects. Janet Perry doesn't match Stich-Randall's phosphorescent pianissimo high notes (no other soprano does) but she is credible dramatically and vocally. Tomowa-Sintow is almost as good as Schwarzkopf, her voice luscious and luminous - no beat or quaver. Baltsa is ideal as Octavian and Kurt Moll is easily the most rotund and resonant bass to have sung Ochs. The overall tonal balance (orchestra and voices) sounds a bit darker, rounder, plusher - slightly easier on the ear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 03, 2022, 01:25:33 PM
Quote from: André on February 03, 2022, 01:14:36 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VYWP7RlFL._AC_.jpg)

Der Rosenkavalier in the Karajan/Legge recording.

EMI had its A team of engineers record the mono version and its B team set the mics (differently of course) for the stereo one. Schwarzkopf herself preferred the mono sound recording. This cheapo edition manages to give us acts I and III in stereo and Act II in mono. Strange, but valuable to assess the differences. The stereo edition was a timid attempt at the new medium in terms of directionality and frequency range. Decca was much more advanced in 1956 although in retrospect their soundstage was often loud and crudely lit. Maybe EMI was right in not going for effects for effects' sake. What's important is that the sound is clear, unfuzzy and with a reasonable dynamic range.

Be that as it may, this version is famous for its musical values, and rightly so. The stars of the recording IMO are Karajan and the orchestra. Vocally the honours tilt in favour of the women. All three principals have beautiful, easily produced tones, with outstanding beauty in the upper range. Stich-Randall often sounds all but inaudible in the conversational episodes, but she cleverly plays the card of the timid, intimidated young girl. Her famed high notes in the more emotional outpourings are drop-dead stunning. Ludwig is very fine, but I sometimes wished her tones sounded more masculine (like Fassbaender in the DGG Karajan recording). Schwarzkopf is perfect in all respects. This is possibly her best operatic assumption on record. Most of the time I find I hear Schwarzkopf singing such and such character. Here she is the Marschallin.

The male roles are very well sung/acted overall. Faninal could have a more distinctive voice (Wächter), and Edelmann's Ochs a more resonant low register, but overall they do very well. Gedda's singer is surprisingly nondescript. What might have been a fine piece of casting turns out a missed opportunity. While this recording belongs in every collection, it should not be the only Rosenkavalier on one's shelves.

My preference is still for Karajan's DGG set. It is sumptuously played and conducted and this time around Karajan seems to give the romantic side of the story the edge over the comic aspects. Janet Perry doesn't match Stich-Randall's phosphorescent pianissimo high notes (no other soprano does) but she is credible dramatically and vocally. Tomowa-Sintow is almost as good as Schwarzkopf, her voice luscious and luminous - no beat or quaver. Fassbaender is ideal as Octavian and Kurt Moll is easily the most rotund and resonant bass to have sung Ochs. The overall tonal balance (orchestra and voices) sounds a bit darker, rounder, plusher - slightly easier on the ear.
Nice review, André. Thanks!

Much as I love Der Rosenkavalier, I must admit I don't have this recording, as Schwarzkopf is a bit of a bête noire for me. Reading your assessment, I'm tempted by this cheapo set, and perhaps my appreciation of Schwarzkopf may change (for the better). And Stich-Randall is one of my favourite singers ever, so...  ;D

I used to have the later DG with Karajan on LP, and remember it being sumptuous. But one small thing: Fassbaender doesn't appear on that set, the Octavian there is Agnes Baltsa.

What I do have is the live Karajan from Salzburg (in one of DG's festival anniversary boxes). The Marschallin is Lisa della Casa (another favourite).

Good evening to you!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 03, 2022, 01:35:55 PM
Quote from: ritter on February 03, 2022, 01:25:33 PM
Nice review, André. Thanks!

Much as I love Der Rosenkavalier, I must admit I don't have this recording, as Schwarzkopf is a bit of a bête noire for me. Reading your assessment, I'm tempted by this cheapo set, and perhaps my appreciation of Schwarzkopf may change (for the better). And [ ::)b]Stich-Randall [/b]is one of my favourite singers ever, so...  ;D

I used to have the later DG with Karajan on LP, and remember it being sumptuous. But one small thing: Fassbaender doesn't appear on that set, the Octavian there is Agnes Baltsa.

What I do have is the live Karajan from Salzburg (in one of DG's festival anniversary boxes). The Marschallin is Lisa della Casa (another favourite).

Good evening to you!

Silly me ! Not the first time I take Baltsa for Fassbaender... ::) I've made the correction .

And good evening to you too, Rafael  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 03, 2022, 07:17:20 PM
Quote from: André on February 03, 2022, 01:14:36 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VYWP7RlFL._AC_.jpg)

Der Rosenkavalier in the Karajan/Legge recording.

EMI had its A team of engineers record the mono version and its B team set the mics (differently of course) for the stereo one. Schwarzkopf herself preferred the mono sound recording. This cheapo edition manages to give us acts I and III in stereo and Act II in mono. Strange, but valuable to assess the differences. The stereo edition was a timid attempt at the new medium in terms of directionality and frequency range. Decca was much more advanced in 1956 although in retrospect their soundstage was often loud and crudely lit. Maybe EMI was right in not going for effects for effects' sake. What's important is that the sound is clear, unfuzzy and with a reasonable dynamic range.

Be that as it may, this version is famous for its musical values, and rightly so. The stars of the recording IMO are Karajan and the orchestra. Vocally the honours tilt in favour of the women. All three principals have beautiful, easily produced tones, with outstanding beauty in the upper range. Stich-Randall often sounds all but inaudible in the conversational episodes, but she cleverly plays the card of the timid, intimidated young girl. Her famed high notes in the more emotional outpourings are drop-dead stunning. Ludwig is very fine, but I sometimes wished her tones sounded more masculine (like Baltsa in the DGG Karajan recording). Schwarzkopf is perfect in all respects. This is possibly her best operatic assumption on record. Most of the time I find I hear Schwarzkopf singing such and such character. Here she is the Marschallin.

The male roles are very well sung/acted overall. Faninal could have a more distinctive voice (Wächter), and Edelmann's Ochs a more resonant low register, but overall they do very well. Gedda's singer is surprisingly nondescript. What might have been a fine piece of casting turns out a missed opportunity. While this recording belongs in every collection, it should not be the only Rosenkavalier on one's shelves.

My preference is still for Karajan's DGG set. It is sumptuously played and conducted and this time around Karajan seems to give the romantic side of the story the edge over the comic aspects. Janet Perry doesn't match Stich-Randall's phosphorescent pianissimo high notes (no other soprano does) but she is credible dramatically and vocally. Tomowa-Sintow is almost as good as Schwarzkopf, her voice luscious and luminous - no beat or quaver. Baltsa is ideal as Octavian and Kurt Moll is easily the most rotund and resonant bass to have sung Ochs. The overall tonal balance (orchestra and voices) sounds a bit darker, rounder, plusher - slightly easier on the ear.

Excellent. Thanks for the detailed write-up, Andre. These are the two Karajan-led Der Rosenkavalier recordings I own:

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODM2NDg1MS4yLkpQRyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2MjY3NzQ5MzF9)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMTAxNy4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjY2NzQ3MzR9)

I liked the EMI recording (w/ Schwarzkopf, Ludwig et. al.), but I haven't heard the DG recording (w/ Della Casa et. al.). I can't seem to get Bernstein's scorching performance on Sony out of my head and his is the one I reach for when I want to listen to this opera, which is, no doubt, my favorite Strauss opera (runner-ups are Daphne, Elektra and Salome).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 04, 2022, 01:27:22 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 03, 2022, 07:17:20 PM
Excellent. Thanks for the detailed write-up, Andre. These are the two Karajan-led Der Rosenkavalier recordings I own:

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODM2NDg1MS4yLkpQRyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2MjY3NzQ5MzF9)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMTAxNy4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjY2NzQ3MzR9)


I liked the EMI recording (w/ Schwarzkopf, Ludwig et. al.), but I haven't heard the DG recording (w/ Della Casa et. al.). I can't seem to get Bernstein's scorching performance on Sony out of my head and his is the one I reach for when I want to listen to this opera, which is, no doubt, my favorite Strauss opera (runner-ups are Daphne, Elektra and Salome).

The above Warner remastering, done by Christopher Bishop, the producer of the original stereo version, is amazing and a good deal better than any other I've heard. He corrects the balance in the trio and it makes a huge difference.

The one with Della Casa is live of course, but I haven't heard it so I've no idea what te sound is like.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 05, 2022, 01:36:48 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Du44KTiz6QN_lkjG9PX89lqay6wEmhdMmj8pxfesDLs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:520/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTU1/MjMyMjktMTUxNDk0/MDEyMS0zMzEwLmpw/ZWc.jpeg)

Wunderlich's peerless Tamino might be the main reason for hearing this set, but it has many other virtues too and I honestly think the rest of the cast are better than is often made out. I believe Fischer-Dieskau never played Papageno on stage, but on disc he is excellent and Franz Crass is a superb Sarastro. Roberta Peters can be a little shrill as the Queen, but at least she sounds dangerous and, whilst Evelyn Lear does not command the beauty of tone of a Te Kanawa or Margaret Price, she is a good deal better than she is often given credit for.

In any case, the set is a must for Wunderlich, who has never been bettered in the role since.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 05, 2022, 07:43:45 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 04, 2022, 01:27:22 AM
The above Warner remastering, done by Christopher Bishop, the producer of the original stereo version, is amazing and a good deal better than any other I've heard. He corrects the balance in the trio and it makes a huge difference.

The one with Della Casa is live of course, but I haven't heard it so I've no idea what te sound is like.

I haven't heard any of the previous remasterings, but this one does sound quite good, indeed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 05, 2022, 09:39:21 AM
First listen to this new arrival (highly recommended here on GMG —hat tip to Mirror Image— and elsewhere):

(https://melomania.com/var/images/disques/biggest/420988.jpg)

Only Acts I and II today, but this is certainly a superb recording of Pelléas et Mélisande! Serge Baudo paces the score masterfully, making it sound simultaneously intimate and menacing, and the degree of detail of Debussy's wonderful orchestration that can be heard is a revelation. The singing is of an excellent level too, with very clear diction by all involved (one can understand every word). Among the soloists, I'd single out Gabriel Bacquier as Golaud. He really is among the very best I've heard in this central rôle (the work could have easily been titled "Golaud" instead of P&M  ;)).

Very, very good!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 05, 2022, 09:41:49 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 05, 2022, 09:39:21 AM
Mittor Image

Who?  ;D

Buenas tardes, don Rafael!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 05, 2022, 09:44:03 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 05, 2022, 09:41:49 AM
Who?  ;D

Buenas tardes, don Rafael!
Thanks, Andrei!

Bună seara... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 05, 2022, 09:45:21 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 05, 2022, 09:44:03 AM
Bună seara... :)

Buona sera, mio signore, buona sera, buona sera!

Please remind me, how do you say "Summer evening" in Spanish (I mean Castellano, of course...)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 05, 2022, 09:47:37 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 05, 2022, 09:45:21 AM
Buona sera, mio signore, buona sera, buona sera!
Pace, sonno e sanità!   ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 05, 2022, 09:48:39 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 05, 2022, 09:47:37 AM
Pace, sonno e sanità!   ;)

Pace e gioia mille anni!  :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 05, 2022, 11:15:08 AM
From the Warner Saint-Saëns box.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fPr1pbgjL.jpg)
There's a second recording of the opera in the box, included as a historical recording, from 1946, with Helene Bouvier and Jose Luccioni conducted by Louis Fourestier, the first studio/commercially released recording of the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on February 05, 2022, 11:41:07 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 05, 2022, 09:39:21 AM
First listen to this new arrival (highly recommended here on GMG —hat tip to Mirror Image— and elsewhere):

(https://melomania.com/var/images/disques/biggest/420988.jpg)

Only Acts I and II today, but this is certainly a superb recording of Pelléas et Mélisande! Serge Baudo paces the score masterfully, making it sound simultaneously intimate and menacing, and the degree of detail of Debussy's wonderful orchestration that can be heard is a revelation. The singing is of an excellent level too, with very clear diction by all involved (one can understand every word). Among the soloists, I'd single out Gabriel Bacquier as Golaud. He really is among the very best I've heard in this central rôle (the work could have easily been titled "Golaud" instead of P&M  ;)).

Very, very good!

Excellent to read, Rafael. A stunning performance, indeed. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And a good evening to you, mi amigo.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 06, 2022, 02:49:13 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/BweDB4iHosGvlkc8oA81FCd-GbEKxewDTbPcQSowcNs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:525/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTcw/NjI2MzMtMTUxNDkz/OTc3MC0xNzMyLmpw/ZWc.jpeg)

This is an excellent Die Zauberflöte regardless of it being HIP, slightly lighter in tone than the Böhm I was listening to a couple of days ago, but the serious elements still given their due weight. Best of the cast are Rosa Mannion's lovely Pamina and Anton Scharinger's delightful Papageno. Blochwitz sounds like a teenager, which is perhaps not inapt, but he hardly eclipses memories of Wunderlich's young, virile hero. As you'd expect Dessay gets round all the notes easily enough, but she doesn't really sound threatening or dangerous. Reinhard Hagen is a fine Sarastro.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Barbebleu on February 06, 2022, 07:41:03 AM
Quote from: Florestan on January 14, 2022, 08:39:17 AM
Misogyny is a concept that was  completely unknown in the 18th century. Just saying.

Actually misogyny as a concept was known and identified in the early 17th century so Mozart's librettist, Da Ponte, knew exactly what he was saying in Cosi. Just because it was acceptable then doesn't mean we have to like it now. I have similar feelings about Zauberflote's casual racism in the treatment of the character of Monostatos. Just saying!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 06, 2022, 09:58:03 AM
Quote from: Barbebleu on February 06, 2022, 07:41:03 AM
Actually misogyny as a concept was known and identified in the early 17th century so Mozart's librettist, Da Ponte, knew exactly what he was saying in Cosi. Just because it was acceptable then doesn't mean we have to like it now. I have similar feelings about Zauberflote's casual racism in the treatment of the character of Monostatos. Just saying!

I agree, and in fact there's quite a lot of misogyny in Die Zauberflöte too. Though I would never want to come to a point where we don't perform certain works because the morals and ideals of the time no longer coincide with our own, it does no harm to acknowledge the things we may now find abhorrent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 06, 2022, 10:46:28 AM
In that vein I must say I wondered about the character of the young black page in Der Rosenkavalier. There's nothing wrong about his role - character, words, actions: it's a silent role. But he definitely is at the lowest rung of the Marschallin's retinue. How is that perceived by Black people ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 06, 2022, 12:59:33 PM
Quote from: André on February 06, 2022, 10:46:28 AM
In that vein I must say I wondered about the character of the young black page in Der Rosenkavalier. There's nothing wrong about his role - character, words, actions: it's a silent role. But he definitely is at the lowest rung of the Marschallin's retinue. How is that perceived by Black people ?

I don't know the answer to your question, but it should be pointed out that Black pages were not unusual in 18th century high society, so his presence in the libretto is a bit of historical accuracy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 06, 2022, 01:34:03 PM
Quote from: JBS on February 06, 2022, 12:59:33 PM
I don't know the answer to your question, but it should be pointed out that Black pages were not unusual in 18th century high society, so his presence in the libretto is a bit of historical accuracy.

I know. I have a feeling they were kind of a curiosity, a mascot for aristocrats. That's why I wonder how it is viewed now, in modern productions ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 06, 2022, 01:48:44 PM
Quote from: André on February 06, 2022, 01:34:03 PM
I know. I have a feeling they were kind of a curiosity, a mascot for aristocrats. That's why I wonder how it is viewed now, in modern productions ?
IIRC the only DVD version I've watched (with Fleming conducted by Thielemann) omits it entirely--but that's placed in a setting that's vaguely 1930s/50s, and not in the 18th century.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 07, 2022, 01:18:17 AM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b2736d02a6018dd5be7a4f823e9a)

Long spoken dialogues in the Neapoiltan dialect but othewise fun action and great music, though not on the level of his best works. Live recording so lots of stage noise and applause but I don't mind it in the least.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 07, 2022, 02:53:46 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 06, 2022, 09:58:03 AM
I agree, and in fact there's quite a lot of misogyny in Die Zauberflöte too. Though I would never want to come to a point where we don't perform certain works because the morals and ideals of the time no longer coincide with our own, it does no harm to acknowledge the things we may now find abhorrent.

It's always interesting to see how they handle these things in current productions. I just saw Die Zauberflöte on January 30th in Pensacola, my first live opera since the pandemic started. Monastatos still referred to races in German his aria, but the English subtitles didn't. The dialogues (in English) just cut out racial references entirely. Incidentally, the Monastatos was white, while Sarastro was black. They did, however, translate the line about women chattering a lot, but not doing much.

I saw a student production a decade or two ago, in which Monastatos was sung by a cute blond guy, and his entire aria was one of many cuts in the performance. They did change that line about women, and it was set in a galaxy long ago and far away, so they even avoided ageism by having Papagena as a bug-eyed alien, rather than an old woman, in her first appearances.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on February 08, 2022, 08:15:00 AM
Just finished listening to the highlights from Don Carlos on a mono LP on DG.  What a great group of singers!

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/acMAAOSwkwFgL~gR/s-l1600.jpg)

I was familiar with the voices of Bastianini, and Christoff and had heard of Cossotto, but the rest were unknown to me.  Thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to hear their complete recording of one of my favorite operas.  I ran across the LP several years ago at a local used record store and though that for a buck, I couldn't pass on it.  Cleaned it this morning and am quite pleased with how it came out.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 08, 2022, 08:31:46 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on February 08, 2022, 08:15:00 AM
Just finished listening to the highlights from Don Carlos on a mono LP on DG.  What a great group of singers!

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/acMAAOSwkwFgL~gR/s-l1600.jpg)

I was familiar with the voices of Bastianini, and Christoff and had heard of Cossotto, but the rest were unknown to me.  Thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to hear their complete recording of one of my favorite operas.  I ran across the LP several years ago at a local used record store and though that for a buck, I couldn't pass on it.  Cleaned it this morning and am quite pleased with how it came out.

PD
That is indeed a very successful recording of Don Carlo, which somehow never had wide circulation or received much critical praise AFAIK. I have it on CD (I think it's an Arkiv CD --made to order CD-Rs from ArkivMusic, but with full cover and booklet), and enjoyed it when I listened to it. It's also good because it's the five-act version (many recordings in Italian are of the abridged and revised four-act version).

This was its CD incranation:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ToqJTlhtL._SL1050_.jpg)

It was also included in this set of "Verdi at La Scala":

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61oXaMVy8FL.jpg)

Both are long OOP, I think.

Good day to you, PD!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on February 08, 2022, 10:02:02 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 08, 2022, 08:31:46 AM
That is indeed a very successful recording of Don Carlo, which somehow never had wide circulation or received much critical praise AFAIK. I have it on CD (I think it's an Arkiv CD --made to order CD-Rs from ArkivMusic, but with full cover and booklet), and enjoyed it when I listened to it. It's also good because it's the five-act version (many recordings in Italian are of the abridged and revised four-act version).

This was its CD incranation:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ToqJTlhtL._SL1050_.jpg)

It was also included in this set of "Verdi at La Scala":

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61oXaMVy8FL.jpg)

Both are long OOP, I think.

Good day to you, PD!
And good evening to you Rafael!  :)

Thank you for that information and images.

I have run across some used LP sets of it for sale at reasonable prices (online); I'll try and keep my eyes open locally though.  It would be especially nice to find a stereo set of it --preferably an early pressing of it.  ;)  We'll see.

And, yes, it's fun to compare the different versions of it--particularly between the Italian and the French.

PD

p.s.  How do you like the CD transfers(s?) that you have of it by the way?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: listener on February 09, 2022, 01:42:59 AM
VERDI's first opera OBERTO, Conte di San Bonifacio 1839 (unless someone discovers what happened to an earlier one, Rochester, this may be a re-write)
Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Regio di Parma,  Antonello Allemandi cond.
a "numbers" opera, five principals and chorus
playing time two hours, principals all have a vibrato that may remind you of yodeling.
It was ranked 499 in frequency of performances, this performance might lower that number.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 09, 2022, 09:18:19 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on February 08, 2022, 10:02:02 AM
Good day to you, PD!
And good evening to you Rafael!  :)

Thank you for that information and images.

I have run across some used LP sets of it for sale at reasonable prices (online); I'll try and keep my eyes open locally though.  It would be especially nice to find a stereo set of it --preferably an early pressing of it.  ;)  We'll see.

And, yes, it's fun to compare the different versions of it--particularly between the Italian and the French.

PD

p.s.  How do you like the CD transfers(s?) that you have of it by the way?

Don Carlo(s) is one of my favourite Verdi operas and I have three different recordings, though what I essentially have is recordings of three different operas.

The Giulini, which would be my first choice, is of the five act version translated into Italian, which restores the Fontainebleau Act I, which Verdi cut for the first Italian performances. The singers are Domingo, Caballé, Verrett, Milnes and Raimondi, all of whom are very fine in their respective roles.

I also have Karajan, who chooses to record the four act version, which cuts the Fontainebleau act, moving Carlo's aria Io la vid to the Monastery scene, which now becomes the first scene of Act I. His soloists are Carreras (in what I believe to be one of his finest recorded performances), Freni, Baltsa, Cappuccilli and Ghiaurov. Apart from the sound, which has a ridiculously wide dynamic range (some parts almost impossible to hear whilst others blast you out of your seat) it is a very fine performance.

Finally I have the Abbado version, which is also five acts but in the original French. This includes an appendix of music either cut before the first performance, or once included and then subsequently cut by Verdi. It is the least satsifactory of the three performances, but it is very interesting to hear the opera sung in the language Verdi composed it to, and it's also interesting to hear the appendices. The cast is variabale (Domingo, Ricciarelli, Valentini-Terrani, Nucci, Raimondi as Philip and Ghiaurov as the Inquisitor) and none of them have particularly idiomatic French, but it's virtually note complete and is certainly worth hearing.

I've reviewed all of them on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on February 09, 2022, 10:13:25 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 09, 2022, 09:18:19 AM
Don Carlo(s) is one of my favourite Verdi operas and I have three different recordings, though what I essentially have is recordings of three different operas.

The Giulini, which would be my first choice, is of the five act version translated into Italian, which restores the Fontainebleau Act I, which Verdi cut for the first Italian performances. The singers are Domingo, Caballé, Verrett, Milnes and Raimondi, all of whom are very fine in their respective roles.

I also have Karajan, who chooses to record the four act version, which cuts the Fontainebleau act, moving Carlo's aria Io la vid to the Monastery scene, which now becomes the first scene of Act I. His soloists are Carreras (in what I believe to be one of his finest recorded performances), Freni, Baltsa, Cappuccilli and Ghiaurov. Apart from the sound, which has a ridiculously wide dynamic range (some parts almost impossible to hear whilst others blast you out of your seat) it is a very fine performance.

Finally I have the Abbado version, which is also five acts but in the original French. This includes an appendix of music either cut before the first performance, or once included and then subsequently cut by Verdi. It is the least satsifactory of the three performances, but it is very interesting to hear the opera sung in the language Verdi composed it to, and it's also interesting to hear the appendices. The cast is variabale (Domingo, Ricciarelli, Valentini-Terrani, Nucci, Raimondi as Philip and Ghiaurov as the Inquisitor) and none of them have particularly idiomatic French, but it's virtually note complete and is certainly worth hearing.

I've reviewed all of them on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/)
Thank you so much for your thoughts and comments about the different versions--it's hard to keep up with the revisions, etc.  I have (off the top of my head) probably a half-dozen versions...don't believe that I have any in French though.  Will look later and update which ones I do have if you're interested?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on February 09, 2022, 11:05:06 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 09, 2022, 09:18:19 AM
Don Carlo(s) is one of my favourite Verdi operas and I have three different recordings, though what I essentially have is recordings of three different operas.

The Giulini, which would be my first choice, is of the five act version translated into Italian, which restores the Fontainebleau Act I, which Verdi cut for the first Italian performances. The singers are Domingo, Caballé, Verrett, Milnes and Raimondi, all of whom are very fine in their respective roles.

I also have Karajan, who chooses to record the four act version, which cuts the Fontainebleau act, moving Carlo's aria Io la vid to the Monastery scene, which now becomes the first scene of Act I. His soloists are Carreras (in what I believe to be one of his finest recorded performances), Freni, Baltsa, Cappuccilli and Ghiaurov. Apart from the sound, which has a ridiculously wide dynamic range (some parts almost impossible to hear whilst others blast you out of your seat) it is a very fine performance.

Finally I have the Abbado version, which is also five acts but in the original French. This includes an appendix of music either cut before the first performance, or once included and then subsequently cut by Verdi. It is the least satsifactory of the three performances, but it is very interesting to hear the opera sung in the language Verdi composed it to, and it's also interesting to hear the appendices. The cast is variabale (Domingo, Ricciarelli, Valentini-Terrani, Nucci, Raimondi as Philip and Ghiaurov as the Inquisitor) and none of them have particularly idiomatic French, but it's virtually note complete and is certainly worth hearing.

I've reviewed all of them on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/)
Here you go (on CD--haven't checked vinyl yet and this is presuming also that I have all of my Verdi opera CDs organized properly!  ::)  ):

Domingo/Caballé/Raimondi/Verrett, etc., with Giulini/Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on EMI
Christoff/Filippeschi/Gobbi/Stella, etc., Roma/Santini on EMI
Lemeni/Picchi/Silveri/Neri/Caniglia/Stignani, etc., Roma Della RAI/ Previtali/ live 1951 on Opera Magic
Bergonzi/Tebaldi/Ghiaurov/Fischer-Dieskau/Bumbry, etc., Covent Garden/Solti on Decca

Thinking that I had had others on CD?  Could be wrong...will check LPs some other time.

The Karajan one that you described sounds particularly tempting!

PD

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 09, 2022, 07:14:28 PM
Anyone have opinions on this one?
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WtyMe3g5L.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kIGcsDqeL.jpg)

I have only two recordings of this opera, the Guilini and Muti with Pavarotti and others
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81aP398r1pL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 10, 2022, 12:04:43 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on February 09, 2022, 11:05:06 AM


The Karajan one that you described sounds particularly tempting!

PD

Were it not for the sound, I'd rate this performance much more highly. Perhaps if I lived in the middle of nowhere or had a completely soundproofed listening room, I'd listen to it more. As it is, I live in a small flat in the centre of London. Even listening on headphones doesn't eliminate the problem, because if you turn the volume up high enough to hear some of the quieter passages, you risk severe ear damage when the next orchestral tutti comes in.

I really do like the performance though, particularly Carreras's Carlo and Baltsa's Eboli. I gave it a separate review on my blog too http://tsaraslondon.com/2019/05/11/karajans-studio-don-carlo/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2019/05/11/karajans-studio-don-carlo/)

Thread duty. Today I'm listening to Gergiev's excellent recording of the 1872 version of Boris Godunov.

(https://i.discogs.com/-7zcfeiB_f_UoJuXmY_9MkhDreT0epUYbkAiyCKE2EM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:594/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTkx/MzM2ODEtMTQ3NTM0/OTI0OC03OTUwLmpw/ZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 10, 2022, 12:14:18 AM
Quote from: JBS on February 09, 2022, 07:14:28 PM
Anyone have opinions on this one?
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WtyMe3g5L.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kIGcsDqeL.jpg)



I've heard it once, I think, quite a long time ago, but it hasn't stayed in the memory. I like Pappano's Verdi and I do like Alagna singing in French, but, aside from him and Van Dam, the cast is still light on French speakers. I should give it a spin again.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on February 10, 2022, 01:06:14 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 10, 2022, 12:14:18 AM
I've heard it once, I think, quite a long time ago, but it hasn't stayed in the memory. I like Pappano's Verdi and I do like Alagna singing in French, but, aside from him and Van Dam, the cast is still light on French speakers. I should give it a spin again.
When you mentioned French versions, I immediately thought of Alagna and am also curious as to what you think of this set.  I'm a big fan of Karita Mattila, but haven't heard her singing in French before and would be most curious to hear what you think of her Elisabeth.
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 10, 2022, 12:04:43 AM
Were it not for the sound, I'd rate this performance much more highly. Perhaps if I lived in the middle of nowhere or had a completely soundproofed listening room, I'd listen to it more. As it is, I live in a small flat in the centre of London. Even listening on headphones doesn't eliminate the problem, because if you turn the volume up high enough to hear some of the quieter passages, you risk severe ear damage when the next orchestral tutti comes in.

I really do like the performance though, particularly Carreras's Carlo and Baltsa's Eboli. I gave it a separate review on my blog too http://tsaraslondon.com/2019/05/11/karajans-studio-don-carlo/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2019/05/11/karajans-studio-don-carlo/)

Thread duty. Today I'm listening to Gergiev's excellent recording of the 1872 version of Boris Godunov.

(https://i.discogs.com/-7zcfeiB_f_UoJuXmY_9MkhDreT0epUYbkAiyCKE2EM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:594/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTkx/MzM2ODEtMTQ3NTM0/OTI0OC03OTUwLmpw/ZWc.jpeg)
The volume issues could be maddening.  Fortunately, for the time being anyway, I am able to use my speakers and at a decent level and don't have to deal with headphones.; however, I could be tempted to give that up to live in London!   :-\

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 10, 2022, 01:50:13 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on February 10, 2022, 01:06:14 AM
however, I could be tempted to give that up to live in London!   :-\

PD

You say that at a time when I'd be happy to pack up sticks and move somewhere  else in Europe. I'm not exactly happy with the current political and economic climate at the moment.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 12, 2022, 02:31:36 PM
Extracts only, but sustantial ones: 50 minutes of Rosenkavalier where Della Casa sings the Marschallin as well as Octavian and Rothenberger, Octavian and Sophie. Both alternate as Octavian. Della Casa's Marschallin and Rothenberger's Sophie are simply stunning.

(https://i.discogs.com/a195Rf_bqGrrd7AB1u3NY7ELoR3eeXBq5Is_FXyliwk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:594/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTEz/Njc3NjEwLTE1NTg4/MzcyNjItOTMyNi5q/cGVn.jpeg)

As an encore they duet as Arabella and Zdenka in the scene and aria Die schönen rosen...Aber der richtige. When the discs' content had been played out Spotify followed it by the string sextet from Capriccio. A nice bit of cyber programming  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 13, 2022, 12:16:58 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/kCswx2hXLQzH0iUWUu_2aQXh8DVr1iIP8rVl3oksvOY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:592/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE1/NzE2NzgxLTE1OTY0/ODM2MjEtNjg2NC5q/cGVn.jpeg)

From this box, performances from the RCA vaults:

(https://i.discogs.com/gLQ4aDw1RASm91KJ6q8SturThQueCgelQ5K819vH6gU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:340/w:340/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE0/MjY1Mzg4LTE1NzEw/NDQ1MDctODY5OC5q/cGVn.jpeg)

Recently I listened to a fine performance of this opera by Mitropoulos with singers Mario del Monaco, Zinka Milanov, Cesare Siepi and Leonard Warren - a splendidly sung, dramatically acted performance. This one from RCA tops it in its most important roles (Ernani and Elvira), with gorgeous singing from Bergonzi and Price. The Mitropoulos set comes up trumps with its larger than life Carlo and Silva (Warren and Siepi). The slight flicker in Mario Sereni's voice (Carlo) reminds me of Rolando Panerai. He is excellent and falls short only by Warren's standards. What tips the balance though is the excellent playing of the Rome orchestra, the dynamic conducting of Thomas Schippers and the excellent stereo sound. A reference recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 15, 2022, 01:26:24 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/wmuE3UkXJo_Gl0ylUhagaJgRT9YG1pTBv6_nt6X3KRc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:528/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTMy/MzE0MDAtMTMyNDEx/NTI0NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

I only have the one recording of Les Contes d'Hoffmann, but I've never found it completely satisfactory. First of all there is the vexed question of the edition used. I don't much like the placing of the Venice act in the middle. Nor do I much like the spoken dialogue. I know Offenbach never got round to writing the recitatives but there can be little doubt that he wanted the opera to be through composed.

Domingo is in splendid voice and this is, I think, both one of his best roles and one of his best recordings. Aside from her usual problems with diction, Sutherland betrays the problems of casting the same singer in the three roles, which really require three different voices, even if Offenbach originally wanted them to be sung by the same singer. She makes a superb Olympie, not only vocally stunning but also very funny, but she is a not a natural seductress and her Antonia is a bit moony. Excellent performances from Gabriel Bacquier and Hugues Cuénod. I am less happy with Huguette Tourangeau.

The performance has a lot to commend it, but doesn't satisfy me as a single represenative of the opera in my collection. I'm just not sure what would be the best alternative. There is a very fine live Salzburg performance under Levine, with Catherine Malfitano less vocally resplendent than Sutherland, but a much better vocal actress. Van Dam is superb as the villains and Ann Murray preferable to Huguette Tourangeau as Niklausse/The Muse. On the other hand, the sound can't match the studio sound for this Decca release. Any other suggestions?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 16, 2022, 12:26:36 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/0C2pla-lHyxJCpUSiYMzU6-xndonHx4in9s1IOjc980/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:534/w:534/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE2/MDQzODk5LTE2MDI0/MzIyMTMtODM4My5q/cGVn.jpeg)

I have a big soft spot for Plasson's complete recordings of Offenbach operettas and this one is no exception. My father was an amateur conductor and Offenbach was his passion. He conducted La belle Hélène, Orphée aux enfers, La vie parisienne and was preparing La grande duchesse de Gérolstein when cancer brought about his untimely death, so these wonderful performances always bring back a host of memories.

Mady Mesplé might have been born to sing Offenbach, but there isn't a weak link in the whole cast, who capture the Offenbach style perfectly.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on February 16, 2022, 12:53:15 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 16, 2022, 12:26:36 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/0C2pla-lHyxJCpUSiYMzU6-xndonHx4in9s1IOjc980/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:534/w:534/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE2/MDQzODk5LTE2MDI0/MzIyMTMtODM4My5q/cGVn.jpeg)

I have a big soft spot for Plasson's complete recordings of Offenbach operettas and this one is no exception. My father was an amateur conductor and Offenbach was his passion. He conducted La belle Hélène, Orphée aux enfers, La vie parisienne and was preparing La grande duchesse de Gérolstein when cancer brought about his untimely death, so these wonderful performances always bring back a host of memories.

Mady Mesplé might have been born to sing Offenbach, but there isn't a weak link in the whole cast, who capture the Offenbach style perfectly.

+1 for Plasson's Offenbach.  For me most operas benefit from having singers singing in their 1st language but somehow these operettas benefit even more than usual.  The only thing I 'miss' here is not understanding/ appreciating just how satirical/subversive they were at the time.  So not just great tunes but really barbed with too - Spitting Image does Operetta I suppose!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 16, 2022, 01:02:52 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 16, 2022, 12:53:15 AM
+1 for Plasson's Offenbach.  For me most operas benefit from having singers singing in their 1st language but somehow these operettas benefit even more than usual.  The only thing I 'miss' here is not understanding/ appreciating just how satirical/subversive they were at the time.  So not just great tunes but really barbed with too - Spitting Image does Operetta I suppose!

I think it would be very easy to turn Offenbach's political satire into a comment on our own society today.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 16, 2022, 12:45:31 PM
Very nice ! Mesplé is indeed a natural in this repertoire, but so is another favourite singer of mine in this recording, Jane Rhodes. I should place an order  :).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 16, 2022, 02:12:21 PM
Quote from: André on February 16, 2022, 12:45:31 PM
Very nice ! Mesplé is indeed a natural in this repertoire, but so is another favourite singer of mine in this recording, Jane Rhodes. I should place an order  :).

Before you do...
[Asin]B07NB9BK5M[/asin]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 16, 2022, 04:26:44 PM
Quote from: JBS on February 16, 2022, 02:12:21 PM
Before you do...
[Asin]B07NB9BK5M[/asin]

I see (said the blind man  8) ) ... Thanks for the heads up, I wasn't aware of that set. I gather you recommend it ?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 16, 2022, 05:35:09 PM
Quote from: André on February 16, 2022, 04:26:44 PM


I see (said the blind man  8) ) ... Thanks for the heads up, I wasn't aware of that set. I gather you recommend it ?

No, I'm thinking of getting it myself. But it does have that exact Plasson recording.  I have good memories of the Perichole--I had it on LP.

The odd thing about it is having 4 operas in German and French. But (per an Amazon review) in three of them, different versions (original vs revised) are presented.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 17, 2022, 12:24:03 AM
Quote from: JBS on February 16, 2022, 02:12:21 PM
Before you do...
[Asin]B07NB9BK5M[/asin]

This is very tempting. I assume it also has this recording in it, which I'm listening to today.

(https://i.discogs.com/5y6KMV614pIWN4uKdYvBNd7a_x7K5-2cEBLBf42aA_o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE0/ODc2NzQ1LTE2MDI0/NDg4MzctMjM2My5q/cGVn.jpeg)

What a joy this set is and what pleasure it is to hear an all French cast sing the language with so much sparkle and wit. I think it's also my favourite Offenbach operetta.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 19, 2022, 10:43:26 AM
Quote from: JBS on February 09, 2022, 07:14:28 PM
Anyone have opinions on this one?
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WtyMe3g5L.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kIGcsDqeL.jpg)


I just listened to that one last weekend. Here's what I wrote elsewhere:

In anticipation of the Met production of Don Carlos, using the original language for the first time, I bought an item that's been on my wish list for a while: Ricordi's edizione integrale of the piano-vocal score, including all of the music from all seven (!) versions of the opera:

1. The so-called Ur-Don Carlos of the first 1886 rehearsals, before any changes were made.
2. The version of the 24 Feb. 1867 general rehearsal
3. The version of the premiere, 13 Mar. 1867
4. The version of the second performance, two days later, which made more cuts
5. The Naples version of 1872, including revisions to the Phillipe-Rogrigue scene, the only time Verdi actually set an Italian text to music for the opera.
6. The four-act La Scala version of 1882-83
7. And the five-act Modena version of 1886

I've got 7 different versions in my collection, most stick to the two final versions (though Levine adds the original opening from version 1). Bertrand de Billy in Vienna (2004) uses 1. The real cut-and-paste, Frankenstein's monster version is Pappano's 1996 live performance, from the Théâtre du Châtelet, which uses at least four different versions, so that's the one I listened to on Saturday when the score arrived.  I love this version, but textually, it's really messy. Parts of three different versions for the Carlos-Rodgrigue scene in Act II, same for the Phillipe-Rogrigue scene, even including part of that Naples Italian-language version, translated into French. Even when there are only two versions to choose from, as in the scene in Philippe's room or Carlos and Élisabeth's final duet, Pappano goes back and forth between the two, sometimes with additional cuts of his own. Fun!

My go-to for the opera in French is Abbado, though I share reservations about some of the casting. I do use the appendix to play it with the original opening scene.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 19, 2022, 06:47:22 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on February 19, 2022, 10:43:26 AM
I just listened to that one last weekend. Here's what I wrote elsewhere:

In anticipation of the Met production of Don Carlos, using the original language for the first time, I bought an item that's been on my wish list for a while: Ricordi's edizione integrale of the piano-vocal score, including all of the music from all seven (!) versions of the opera:

1. The so-called Ur-Don Carlos of the first 1886 rehearsals, before any changes were made.
2. The version of the 24 Feb. 1867 general rehearsal
3. The version of the premiere, 13 Mar. 1867
4. The version of the second performance, two days later, which made more cuts
5. The Naples version of 1872, including revisions to the Phillipe-Rogrigue scene, the only time Verdi actually set an Italian text to music for the opera.
6. The four-act La Scala version of 1882-83
7. And the five-act Modena version of 1886

I've got 7 different versions in my collection, most stick to the two final versions (though Levine adds the original opening from version 1). Bertrand de Billy in Vienna (2004) uses 1. The real cut-and-paste, Frankenstein's monster version is Pappano's 1996 live performance, from the Théâtre du Châtelet, which uses at least four different versions, so that's the one I listened to on Saturday when the score arrived.  I love this version, but textually, it's really messy. Parts of three different versions for the Carlos-Rodgrigue scene in Act II, same for the Phillipe-Rogrigue scene, even including part of that Naples Italian-language version, translated into French. Even when there are only two versions to choose from, as in the scene in Philippe's room or Carlos and Élisabeth's final duet, Pappano goes back and forth between the two, sometimes with additional cuts of his own. Fun!

My go-to for the opera in French is Abbado, though I share reservations about some of the casting. I do use the appendix to play it with the original opening scene.

Thanks. That information cuts my interest by quite a bit. What's the Italian for mishmash?
How is the singing?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 20, 2022, 02:51:33 AM
Quote from: JBS on February 19, 2022, 06:47:22 PM
Thanks. That information cuts my interest by quite a bit. What's the Italian for mishmash?
How is the singing?

Generally quite good. Some people really don't like Meier as Eboli, and while she's no Verrett, I actually like her a lot more than I'd have thought. Of course, my standards aren't the highest.  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 20, 2022, 03:28:12 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/0GW5HW7fp-ACDtkEmK7M8vyMPG9CPDIclsOsJLz1iBM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:553/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUzMDky/MzItMTM5MDE5MTYz/MS0zNTA1LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Maria de Buenos Aires defies classification. It's been called an operetta and a tango-opera, but really it's neither. Maybe it doesn't matter what it is, but it certainly conjures up the atmosphere of smoke filled tango bars in downtown Buenos Aires. Narrated by the librettist Horacio Ferrer, this recording led by Gidon Kremer on the violin certainly has the whiff of authenticity
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 22, 2022, 12:38:58 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/xONl00jY7b2F9M-jDUNbpy6CKMjwOOo4JmmueF_kjcQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTEy/Nzk0MDI0LTE1NDIx/MjE0OTgtMjI0Ny5q/cGVn.jpeg)

It seems incredible to me that La Gioconda, which has quite a few commercial recordings, has never been staged at Covent Garden since WWII, though they did two concert performances some years ago. It's not a great masterpiece, but, as far as I'm concerned, it has a lot more to commend it than some of the verismo fare we've had such as Fedora and Adriana Lecouvreur and it as least as good as Andréa Chénier.

The opera furnished Callas with her Italian debut in 1947, beginning what she called "the big career". (Previously she had only sung professionally in Greece.) It was conducted by Tullio Serafin, who would become her mentor and she also met Meneghini who would become her husband, and she recorded it again in 1959 when she was separating from him.

I never can decide which of her two recordings I prefer. Here for Cetra in 1952 she is in superb voice, but of course the mono sound can't hope to compare to the stereo of the 1959 version, on which she is also in remarkably good voice, especially considering it was 1959. I intend to listen to that recording for comparison tomorrow.

My main problem with this set, apart from the somewhat provincial orchestra and mono sound (though it sounds better in this Warner pressing than I remember from previous incarnations) is the whiney Enzo of Gianni Poggi. I just don't like the sound of his voice. Best of the others is Fedora Barbieri, who has a commanding presence and helps to set sparks flying in the E un anatema duet, though she is nowhere near as specific in her singing as Callas. Silveri and Neri are better than adeqaute; Amadini rather less so.

Callas is in a different class altogether, her every utterance so vivid that it etches itself into the memory. I suppose the likes of Milanov and Caballé have spun a purer ppp top B on Ah, come t'amo (spinning out pianissimo top notes was never Callas's forte) but neither of them sing with Callas's dramatic involvement, her specific response to the text. One of her greatest, most moving moments is the section after she gives Laura the potion. This may not be great music, but Callas makes you believe that it is as she digs deep into the words Io lo salvi per lui che l'ama distilling all Gioconda's love and pain into those words per lui, for him.  Later on the performance of Suicidio! is one of the first arias I ever heard Callas sing and it knocked me for six. I could not believe that the human voice could express so much and those cavernous chest tones completely floored me.

Looking forward to hearing the 1959 recording tomorrow.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 22, 2022, 03:25:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 22, 2022, 12:38:58 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/xONl00jY7b2F9M-jDUNbpy6CKMjwOOo4JmmueF_kjcQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTEy/Nzk0MDI0LTE1NDIx/MjE0OTgtMjI0Ny5q/cGVn.jpeg)

It seems incredible to me that La Gioconda, which has quite a few commercial recordings, has never been staged at Covent Garden since WWII, though they did two concert performances some years ago.

I love Gioconda. I guess it's really hard to cast these days. Of course, that's also a problem with the other operas you mention. When I first got into opera in the early 70s, I read an article that said it was mostly only done in Italy, and America (mostly at the Met). Since then I think it's done even less frequently.

La Scala last did it in 1996-7, with

GIOCONDA EVA URBANOVA Soprano
LAURA ADORNO LUCIANA D'INTINO Mezzosoprano
ALVISE BADOERO NICOLAI GHIAUROV Basso
LA CIECA LARISSA DIADKOVA Contralto
ENZO GRIMALDO JOSÉ CURA Tenore
BARNABA NICOLAI PUTILIN Baritono

The Vienna Staatsoper did a new production in 1986 with Marton and Domingo, twelve performances, including a telecast that's available on DVD. They haven't done it since, and before that, they'd only done it in 1884, 1885, and 1934.

Even at the Met, where it used to be done at least every 4 or 5 seasons through 1982-83, it's only been back three times since:

1989-90, with Ghena Dimitrova and Bruno Beccaria
2006-07, Violeta Urmana and Aquiles Machado
2008-09, Deborah Voigt and Machado again

Of course, it shows up at other houses occasionally.


I first got to know it through Tebaldi's Decca recording. Wagner snob that I was, I didn't think much of it, but I did wear out the grooves listening to Bergonzi singing:

"Già ti vedo immota e smorta
tutta avvolta in bianco vel,
tu sei morta, tu sei morta
angiol mio dolce e fedel!"


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 22, 2022, 04:57:32 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on February 22, 2022, 03:25:10 AM



I first got to know it through Tebaldi's Decca recording. Wagner snob that I was, I didn't think much of it, but I did wear out the grooves listening to Bergonzi singing:

"Già ti vedo immota e smorta
tutta avvolta in bianco vel,
tu sei morta, tu sei morta
angiol mio dolce e fedel!"

When Tebaldi started studying the role for the recording, her producer suggested she listen to the Milanov recording. However when he turned up at her house one day, he found her listening to the Callas recording. "Why didn't you tell me that Maria was the best?" she said to him.

Maybe one of the reasons it's not done so often today is the paucity of sopranos capable of singing the title role.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 24, 2022, 01:56:37 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/21J-NFCkYPT2G4fMpHIuOdwxUeZo8flJTV1pXaowhUc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:596/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTEy/ODY4MzMyLTE1NDM1/MjQzNjEtNTEzMy5q/cGVn.jpeg)

Callas was in amazingly good voice for this 1959 recording. To my ears, her voice sounds firmer, richer and in more control than it was for the 1957 Manon Lescaut. Consequently I find it hard to choose between this and the earlier Cetra recording the only conclusion being that both are worth having.

One thing that is indisputable is that the stereo sound, orchestra and chorus are a good deal better than on the older recording. As for the casts, it's swings and roundabouts. Cossotto is a good Laura, but this is quite early in her career and, though the voice is lovely, Barbieri on the earlier recording is a more positive presence. Of the tenors, I prefer Ferraro here to the whiney Poggi and Silveri on the earlier set to Cappuccilli here, who is also early in his career and as yet hasn't learned to project character in the studio. The basses, Vinco here and Neri on Cetra are both fine, Companeez rather preferable to Amadini as La Cieca. Votto conducts both performances and he did little better on disc, though here he does at least  have a superior orchestra and chorus at his disposal.

However the main reason for acquiring either set is the Gioconda of Callas, which, on both sets, is one of her greatest recorded performances. She herself was quite pleased with the final act as recorded here, stating that it was "all there for anyone who wanted to know what she was all about."
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on February 28, 2022, 11:13:31 AM

From this box:

(https://media1.jpc.de/image/w600/front/0/0888837036924.jpg)

The following discs of highlights:

(https://i.discogs.com/fl4gOGhn6Xd9OsrU57GI7sGH-IG9MpdzuXdjZyhhclo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE2/MjcyNjAxLTE2MDg0/OTA0OTUtNjExMy5q/cGVn.jpeg)

and

(https://i.discogs.com/Yg_enSREVohYPU3QTxHcgVOMFXKrQYDjTn52BbAAF04/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:522/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTIx/NjU1Nzc3LTE2NDE2/NjI0OTEtOTY3NS5q/cGVn.jpeg)

The first one is sung in German, lasts only 43 minutes (no arias for Amelia !) and Schock is in poor voice. Entirely expendable.

The second has 75 minutes from a Met-originated performance. Singers are well chosen, but none attains distinction. To my surprise Michael Sylvester's Carlo is the best sung and most involved of the lot - he almost makes the disc worth listening to. Zajic and Millo are okay in a generalized way, Furlanetto is more specific in his delivery but his modest basso cantante voice is not on the level of Siepi's, Ghiaurov's or even Raimondi's (insufficient breath control makes him break the line in his big aria). I found Levine attentive and alert but a bit inflexible. Interesting but that, too, will not be listened to again.

This box contains no Otello, no Falstaff, extracts only from Aida, 1 disc of ballet music, 1 of overtures/sinfonias, but full performances of 8 operas as well as the Requiem and 6 recital discs. Among the complete performances all are famous, even reference versions, and the Requiem is a big favourite, as well as 3 of the recital discs.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 01, 2022, 08:09:40 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/4dLvpJx7yaN8jIDKYq6y5K2X-YbxrHBU7r04mg2LHMU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:514/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE0/MTg5Mzc1LTE1Njk1/MzIxNTctMzY1NC5q/cGVn.jpeg)

Recorded in 1958, this famous recording features most of the cast from the Paris premiere in 1957. (The opera was first heard in Italy, sung in Italian, with a cast that included Virginia Zeani, Leyla Gencer and Fiorenza Cossotto).

It is a great shame the oprea was not recorded in stereo, but the cast could hardly be bettered, with Denise Duval as Blanche, Régine Crespin as Madame Lidoine and Rita Gorr as Mère Marie.

One of the few post WWII operas to have retained their place in the international repertory, it rarely fails on stage.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 01, 2022, 02:38:09 PM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 01, 2022, 10:04:12 AM
Erm, I am going to mention Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, The Turn of the Screw and A Midsummer Night's Dream to push back against that last statement!
Which is to take nothing away from the Poulenc piece, which is indeed wonderful, though I only have the Nagano 1990 recording of it.

I said "one of the few". Britten's operas are probably the only other ones.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 01, 2022, 04:46:10 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 01, 2022, 02:38:09 PM
I said "one of the few". Britten's operas are probably the only other ones.

Glass's Akhnetan seems to be getting productions.

Previn's Streetcar Named Desire seems to having a revival here in the US. Menotti's works get some productions as well here.
But I have no idea if that has carried over to non US houses.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 01, 2022, 11:37:12 PM
Quote from: JBS on March 01, 2022, 04:46:10 PM
Glass's Akhnetan seems to be getting productions.

Previn's Streetcar Named Desire seems to having a revival here in the US. Menotti's works get some productions as well here.
But I have no idea if that has carried over to non US houses.

It's good that that is the case, but I'm not sure you'd call them repertory works yet. Peter Grimes most assuredly is and some of his other operas are also played quite regularly outside the UK as well. Here his operas are regular visitors to all our companies. That isn't the case for Glass, Menotti or Previn.

I was in the UK premiere of Previn's A Streetar Named Desire (a semi-staged performance with the LSO at the Barbican, conducted by Previn himself and starring Renée Fleming), so I have rather a soft spot for it. I'm listening to it today in fact.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 02, 2022, 01:40:10 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/wGFYkMNvZJzuJG2r2Nmcma5aRgM2Hyat8UfxRp_Ya80/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:531/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTQ1/MDIwMzAtMTQ3MTU3/MzU3MS01MDY3Lmpw/ZWc.jpeg)

The critics were quite sniffy about Previn's opera when it was first produced in San Francisco in 1998, where this recording was made. They were quite sniffy about it too in London when Previn conducted a semi-staged performance at the Barbican in 2003 with the London Symphony Orchestra and the three principals, Renée Fleming, Rodney Gilfry and Anthony Dean Griffey. (Janice Watson replaced Elizabeth Futral.) I'm probably biased as I got to know the opera quite well, having been engaged to play the doctor at the end of the opera, as well as assorted Stanley cronies and ghostly soldiers. That said, I enjoy it more each time I hear it. OK, much of it is derivative, with nods to jazz, Strauss and Korngold, but it works very well as a piece of theatre. The cast is excellent too and I'm not sure Fleming has done anything better, displaying none of the mannerisms that sometimes creep into her singing of Italian opera, and Previn gives her such achingly poignant music to sing.

I really enjoy it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on March 03, 2022, 11:40:13 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 09, 2022, 09:18:19 AM
I also have Karajan  [EMI recording of Don Carlos, in the Italian translation], who chooses to record the four act version, which cuts the Fontainebleau act, moving Carlo's aria Io la vid to the Monastery scene, which now becomes the first scene of Act I. His soloists are Carreras (in what I believe to be one of his finest recorded performances), Freni, Baltsa, Cappuccilli and Ghiaurov. Apart from the sound, which has a ridiculously wide dynamic range (some parts almost impossible to hear whilst others blast you out of your seat) it is a very fine performance.

I just received a copy in the mail Tuesday, and am giving it a first listen. You're sure not kidding about the "ridiculously wide dynamic range". Frustrating to try to listen to it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 04, 2022, 01:36:15 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on March 03, 2022, 11:40:13 AM
I just received a copy in the mail Tuesday, and am giving it a first listen. You're sure not kidding about the "ridiculously wide dynamic range". Frustrating to try to listen to it.

If it weren't such a good performance I doubt I'd ever listen to it. One particularly bad example is at the beginning of the Garden scene (Act II scene i in this version). At the beginning Carreras sounds as if he is singing in a different room, so far away you can barely hear him, but as soon as there's an orchestral tutti you get blasted out of seat. Presumably Karajan thought everyone had a house with a soundproofed listening room, or lived in the middle of nowhere.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 07, 2022, 11:18:22 AM
Cross posted.

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1691/2535/products/PACO024_530x.jpg?v=1489412008)

This Pristine Classical masterization is way better sounding than any other releases of this legendary recording I've heard (EMI and Naxos Historical) . No other tenor has matched Melchior's voluminous, baritonal Siegmund for sheer power and stamina. Emmanuel List's cavernous Hunding has amazing presence - bass voices were almost always shortchanged by technical limitations in historic recordings. I found Lehmann's Sieglinde unusually bold and forthright, with clear tones and fine legato to complement her excellent diction. Walter's ebullient conducting sweeps all before it. A classic.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 07, 2022, 06:30:17 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61KzQvw+hVL._SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 08, 2022, 11:09:43 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51KxR7-x9jL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 09, 2022, 02:20:04 AM
Quote from: JBS on March 08, 2022, 11:09:43 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51KxR7-x9jL.jpg)

This is one of my three favourite performances of the operas, the others being De Los Angeles/Gavazzeni (preferable I think to her later recording under Santini) and Callas/Karajan.

Today I'm listening to

(https://i.discogs.com/rrNkGPxkvBTQ9UYQjxfiNKBegd84ETxb3_zLHkczDes/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc2MTgz/NTUtMTUzODA2NjE0/OS0yNTI1LmpwZWc.jpeg)   (https://i.discogs.com/thBTtAe20mcm9aezCvgMlCKOxs9wagrmm54p2OM1Y7o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:595/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODMy/OTIzLTE1NDI4MjQ1/MjItMzYwOC5qcGVn.jpeg)

La Bohème is such a short opera that this morning I was able to listen to two classic recordings. Rather surprised that on this occasion it was the Votto that drew me in more. Admittedly the Votto recording is the one that I got to know the opera from, but I'm also a great fan of both De Los Angeles and Bjoerling. That said, it was Callas and Di Stefano who moved me more. I also prefer the more characterful Panerai and Moffo to Merrill and Amara, and Zaccaria to Tozzi on the Beecham. Votto is not as imagnative as Beecham, but he supports his singers well.

Interestingly both recordings were made the same year - in 1956. They are both on very good mono, but the sound on the Beecham is slightly preferable. I'm happy to have both these wonderful performances in my library.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 10, 2022, 02:05:34 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/XzXxJIEOqgLyRFKIBfFWRzmvIRx4o241DTVkCujEpO8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:513/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUzOTk4/OTAtMTU1OTA0NzA5/OS0yMjQzLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Working my way through my Puccini collection, I come to an opera I like more each time I hear it. This is a superb recording, at least as good as Mehta's Turandot. It won a Gramophone award when it was released and is my favourite recording of the piece.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on March 10, 2022, 03:59:27 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 10, 2022, 02:05:34 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/XzXxJIEOqgLyRFKIBfFWRzmvIRx4o241DTVkCujEpO8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:513/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUzOTk4/OTAtMTU1OTA0NzA5/OS0yMjQzLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Working my way through my Puccini collection, I come to an opera I like more each time I hear it. This is a superb recording, at least as good as Mehta's Turandot. It won a Gramophone award when it was released and is my favourite recording of the piece.

Neblett is disappointlingly under-represented in the catalogue but the 3 main recordings I have with her are all absolutely wonderful;

(http://www.filomusica.com/filo61/fanciulla.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71X9vH1HQ8L._SY355_.jpg)(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2lsAAOSwl8NVaD7j/s-l300.jpg)

[not my favourite Boheme by any means but I do like Neblett's Musetta]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: LKB on March 10, 2022, 06:31:38 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on March 10, 2022, 03:59:27 AM
Neblett is disappointlingly under-represented in the catalogue but the 3 main recordings I have with her are all absolutely wonderful;

(http://www.filomusica.com/filo61/fanciulla.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71X9vH1HQ8L._SY355_.jpg)(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2lsAAOSwl8NVaD7j/s-l300.jpg)

[not my favourite Boheme by any means but I do like Neblett's Musetta]

I used to have her on a Mahler recording or two, Abbado or Bernstein. I enjoyed her singing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 10, 2022, 09:15:12 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on March 10, 2022, 03:59:27 AM
Neblett is disappointlingly under-represented in the catalogue but the 3 main recordings I have with her are all absolutely wonderful;

(http://www.filomusica.com/filo61/fanciulla.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71X9vH1HQ8L._SY355_.jpg)(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2lsAAOSwl8NVaD7j/s-l300.jpg)

[not my favourite Boheme by any means but I do like Neblett's Musetta]

I have the Korngold, but not the Bohème. I don't think she made any other operatic recordings, but for a few years at least she was the Minnie of choice, not surprisingly as not only did she sing it so well, but she looked the part to the life.

She started to have vocal problems in the late 1980s, which could be the reason she made so few recordings.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 11, 2022, 09:55:02 AM
Another entry from Warner's Barbirolli Complete Recordings set
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51RUhRDDx+L._AC_SY780_.jpg)

This is a new [2020] remastering.
One superficial comment (I'm only mid Act I atm): sound effects are more readily used here. So we hear lightning at the start of the opera, clashing swords and alarm bells during the fight, etc.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 11, 2022, 11:24:29 AM
Quote from: JBS on March 11, 2022, 09:55:02 AM
Another entry from Warner's Barbirolli Complete Recordings set
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51RUhRDDx+L._AC_SY780_.jpg)

This is a new [2020] remastering

One superficial comment (I'm only mid Act I atm): sound effects are more readily used here. So we hear lightning at the start of the opera, clashing swords and alarm bells during the fight, etc.

Do you have the actual CD release details Jeffrey ? I've long wanted to hear it. What better pretext than a brand new remastering ?  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 11, 2022, 11:51:36 AM
Quote from: André on March 11, 2022, 11:24:29 AM
Do you have the actual CD release details Jeffrey ? I've long wanted to hear it. What better pretext than a brand new remastering ?  :D

As a physical CD it seems to be available only as part of the big box.
Amazon US shows this DL version that's probably the new remastering.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qkeMi6a4L.jpg)
But Presto doesn't seem to have it.

I think it's a good performance, so even the older CD issue (2005, I think) is probably worth your while.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on March 11, 2022, 12:30:50 PM
Haven't listened to much Donzietti before this new double album, but I'm really enjoying it and Sondra Radvanovsky's singing is extraordinary.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61EQMZ-QC4L._SL1200_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61NUHQESgjL._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 11, 2022, 04:07:57 PM
Quote from: JBS on March 11, 2022, 11:51:36 AM
As a physical CD it seems to be available only as part of the big box.
Amazon US shows this DL version that's probably the new remastering.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qkeMi6a4L.jpg)
But Presto doesn't seem to have it.

I think it's a good performance, so even the older CD issue (2005, I think) is probably worth your while.

Duly noted. Thanks !
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2022, 12:08:02 PM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk0MjExMy4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MzE4NjA4MTh9)

(https://i.discogs.com/8uLE3buUutrxfx73q7fy1X2dP6dqB8AaAzJYA0Uz_vc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:519/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTY5OTc3/MDktMTQzMTMzOTQ3/OC04OTcyLmpwZWc.jpeg)

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/81sict7avdl-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1024)

I've spent the last couple of days listening to my recordings of Madama Butterfly. The De Los Angeles/Gavazzeni and Scotto/Barbirolli versions both have a great deal going for them and I like them very much, but the Callas/Karajan is something else entirely; so harrowing, so palpably real that listening to it is actually quite devastating. I'm still reeling from its impact and trying to work out what it is that makse this recording so different from every other Butterfly I've heard. It's not just Callas, though obviously she has a lot to do with it, but how each individual component comes together to create one of the most unified performances of an opera I've ever heard. Incredible to think that Callas had yet to sing the role on stage, and when she did later in 1955, for three performances in Chicago, those were the only performances she ever sang.

This is not one of those performances you can dip into, or listen to with only half an ear. To appreciate all its many revelations from both singers and Karajan, you really need to listen to it with your full attention, preferably with libretto or score in hand.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 13, 2022, 03:11:18 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/TPADD3gzTEURsarX8n-6DErq6ol8XGmebp51xKcWyQM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:596/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0MzQ3/MjA1LTE1NzMwNDc4/MTAtOTc1NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/zvwGKH_2XOgi5RsUoDIi1uNMDqSynqS5R-14tZoaiJ0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:590/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc5NDcy/MTgtMTQ1NzYzMjc3/Mi0yNTYzLmpwZWc.jpeg)

As a complete contrast to yesterday's harrowing Madama Butterfly, I'm comparing two recordings of his short comic opera Gianni Schicchi, both of which feature Tito Gobbi in the title role, though almost twenty years separates them. Both recordings are stereo, but I actually prefer the balance on the earlier one, which puts the voices more in the foreground. I also prefer Santini's unfussy conducting, which draws less attention to itself than Maazel's.

I marginally prefer Santini's supporting cast too. Both have a group of seasoned comprimarii playing the relatives and there is little to choose between them, but I did find the cast in the earlier recording that bit more caharcterful. Ileana Cotrubas on the Maazel is a charming Lauretta, but she is up against the adorable Victoria De Los Angeles, singing a role that could almost have been written for her. Domingo lightens his voice surprisingly well for Rinuccio, but this budding Otello is not reallt the right voice and Carlo Del Monte is more convincing. When it comes to Gobbi, he is remarkably consistent and is brilliant on both recordings. I really find it impossible to decide which Gobbi I prefer, but he is better represented by the earlier performance. Both are very enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 14, 2022, 10:53:15 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91nkir4mq2bl-_sl1470_.jpg?w=1011)

If I'm honest I prefer Massenet's opera, as I think he comes closer to catching the true spirit of L'Abbé Prévost's novel. The Puccini has its problems and its final act can be anticlimactic, after the tension of Act III, though not in this performance, where Callas is at her finest. Her portrayal of the character is absolutely brilliant but it has to be admitted that she has a few uncomfortable moments vocally in the earlier acts. The set waited for three years to be released, so she and Legge must also have had their doubts.

Di Stefano is, well, his usual self, the top of the voice disturbingly tight at times, free and oper at others. However he is a fine Des Grieux, capturing both his youthful ardour and high spirits in the first act and his unhinged desperation in the third. Fioravanti is an excellent Lescaut and we even get Fiorenza Cossotto as the Ballad Singer. Serafin paces the score brilliantly. What a superb conductor he was and how often we take him for granted.

Manon is silly, flighty and undone by her love of luxury, but we should also remember she is a victim. The circumstances of her demise are not so very far from events in our own time. Just think of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, thigh I'm not casting Prince Andrew in the role of Des Grieux!  >:D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on March 14, 2022, 03:58:09 PM
Replaying Sternefeld's only opera, Mater dolorosa. Here's what I wrote 2 years ago :


(https://img.discogs.com/uFa1KBVyoqHOraLETXaAAJmH3qU=/fit-in/400x396/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8482390-1462475129-2218.jpeg.jpg)

Quote
Sternefeld (1905-1986) was an important musical figure in his country, holding academic and conducting positions (Antwerp, Brussels) as well as being a renowned composer. Booklet notes mention Mahler and Strauss as influences, but I think his music is much closer to that of Schoeck and Schreker. The plot is loosely based on an Andersen story, but it is heavily laced with symbolism à la Maeterlinck. Scenically it must be quite static, as it consists of a series of dialogs between the Mother and other characters (Death, Night, Water Nymphs). The music is powerfully evocative and magnificently orchestrated. Recommended.

I can only add that the production from the Antwerp forces (Royal Flanders Philharmonic, Chorus and excellent soloists) is all one could ask for.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vandermolen on March 15, 2022, 02:47:29 AM
Quote from: André on March 14, 2022, 03:58:09 PM
Replaying Sternefeld's only opera, Mater dolorosa. Here's what I wrote 2 years ago :


(https://img.discogs.com/uFa1KBVyoqHOraLETXaAAJmH3qU=/fit-in/400x396/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8482390-1462475129-2218.jpeg.jpg)

I can only add that the production from the Antwerp forces (Royal Flanders Philharmonic, Chorus and excellent soloists) is all one could ask for.
Right! I must listen to it. I have the CD.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2022, 11:33:27 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/51eoeyy0cwl.jpg)

There had been two pretty good recordings of this once not very popular opera, before this one was made, but this set, which received a plethora of awards and paved the way for several stage productions with its two stars in the leading roles, is a very classy affair. One of its principal assets is the fabulous playing of the LSO under Antonio Pappano and the two leads, then in the middle of their joint fame, give superb performances, more involved I think than Te Kanawa and Domingo and more sheerly beautiful than Moffo and Barioni. I'm not so fond of Inva Mula and William Mateuzzi in the secondary roles, but they don't mar my enjoyment of the set.

The sound is superb, and we get some nice bonuses too in the shape of some excerpts from Le Villi and Alagna singing Puccini's song Morire?. A great recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 17, 2022, 02:54:38 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/49HBnCtkXXEV91dRcTIYM1qe7nny9NP0OakDaxiSkcc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:596/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1NDg0/MDYzLTE1OTI1NTM5/MzAtMjg2My5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/LEH8MdCeyXeJdauMEFCFXpkiP6TInpx5k6eKWM768H0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwNzcx/ODYxLTE2MDMxODgy/OTItMjUzMC5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/RTLxFrqJHRoyJCiTHn92bE4Y9OtoyJiYU97xHrPlqCU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUxMDM3/ODktMTUyNjA1OTE0/Ny0xMTQ1LmdpZg.jpeg)

Continuing my Puccini listening with three very fine recordings of Suor Angelica, not really a favourite of mine as I can find its sentimental reliigiosity just a bit too cloying.

The De Los Angeles and Ricciarelli are both, I suppose, more conventional renditions. They take the opera at face value and both sopranos are wonderfully sympathetic Angelicas. De Los Angeles' warmth and musical senistivity comes through in every bar, and though there may be a flicker of strain noticeable in the very highest passages she is still fully in command of the role. She is helped of course by Serafin and Barbieri makes a formidable Principessa.

This is early for Ricciarelli and the beauty of her youthful voice is well caught. She too sings a sympathetic Angelica, not quite so individual as De Los Angeles perhaps, but well inside the role and she floats some wonderful top notes. Cossotto is also a superb Principessa and it would be hard to choose between her and Barbieri.

However, of these three recordings, the Scotto seems to me on an altogether different level. For a start the sound is much better than the mono De Los Angeles and the slightly muddy Ricciarelli, and Maazel shapes the score with a real feel for the drama. It also scores for having Ileana Cotrubas singing the minor role of Sister Genovieva. Surprisingly perhaps considering her usual repertoire, Horne takes the palm as the Prinicpessa; imperious, cold and implacably hard. Her very restraint is what makes her even more formidable than her rivals.

As for Scotto, I think this might be the best thing she ever did for the gramophone. Every note, every line is alive with meaning. Her Angelica is slightly hysterical from the outset. You feel that this Angelica doesn't fit in the sexually repressed atmosphere of a closed nunnery. More than once I was reminded of the pervadingly claustrophobic mood of Powell and Pressburger's superb film Black Narcissus. For once I was more involved in the naively religious "vision" at the end. In this version it seems to me less of a vision and more like the drug-fueled hallucinations of a hysterical and repressed young woman. Whatever your feelings, there is no doubt that Scotto's intensity and blazing commitment carry you through. Vocally she has some uncomfortable moments up on high, but I hardly noticed them, so thoroughly caught up was I by the performance.

All three recordings have a lot to commend them, but the Maazel is the most dramatic. Those for whom vocal beauty is paramount will no doubt prefer De Los Angeles or Ricciarelli, both of whom are also very affecting.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 18, 2022, 01:30:10 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/4GUsVeHSLvdSzox2Rms0VrxKX0CIXXsWPfrt5kqJsG4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:593/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExNTAy/MDg5LTE1MTc0Nzg3/NDgtODU3Mi5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/2aMkQIHwoq8Hmnrg21_zHutgiQMNti2OYYgAP3Coc2Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:576/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ0MDM5/NjQtMTQ1NzY2MTg3/NC0yMzU1LmpwZWc.jpeg)

The first part of Puccini's Il Trittico, though I didn't listen to them in order this time, taking each opera and recording on its own merits.

Swings and roundabouts here. The Maazel has much better sound, wonderfully atmospheric in the opening scene setting. He also has two much starrier leads in the shape of Scotto and Domingo. Scotto, intelligent artis that she is, creates a completely different character from her Angelica, but she is a bit strained in the upper reaches and her top notes don't fall particularly easily on the ear. Domingo makes a more pleasing sound than Prandelli on the Bellezza but you could argue that they both sound a bit too classy for these essentially low class folks. You could say the same about Wixell, but in any case he makes much less of an impression on Gobbi, who dominates the Bellezza.

On that recording the two lovers are played by the much less starry Margaret Mas and Giacinto Prandelli. Mas was a French soprano, who appears to have made no other recordings. She was active in France and Italy in the 1950s and sang in the La Scala premiere of Les Dialogues des Carmélites. Prandelli is slightly better known on record and is the Rodolfo to Tebaldi's first Mimi on disc. They neither have particularly glamorous voices, but they do sound apt for their characters and Mas's top notes are a good deal more secure than Scotto's. However what raises the Bellezza above the Maazel is the extrordinary and terrifying Michele of Tito Gobbi. This is a performance to set beside his Scarpia, the plebeian cousin, if you like, to his more aristocratic Roman baron. Utterly convincing, Gobbi makes one feel Michele's despair, his hopeless love for his wife and the pain that drives him to commit his final horrific act. One listens to the performance with a mixture of revulsion and pity.

Both performances are worth hearing, but it is Gobbi who stays in the memory.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 21, 2022, 01:02:20 AM
I'm still working my way through my Puccini collection and have listened to three Callas recordings over the last few days,

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/r-9324663-1542211156-9419.jpeg.jpg)

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/812ZMsD1g5L._SL1500_.jpg?w=1024)

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91idlbhid5l-_sl1500_.jpg?w=1005)

The 1953 studio recording, justly regarded one of the greatest opera recordings ever made is of course self recommending. De Sabata's conducting puts it in a class quite above and apart from the other two, but what of Callas and Gobbi, who are common to all three?

Both are in superb voice in 1953 and, vocally, could hardly be bettered, but they had yet to sing their roles together on stage and the two later performances are the result of intensive rehearsal prior to the London prima of the Zeffirelli production at Covent Garden in 1964. Gobbi's voice has thinned out a bit, but he still has enormous authority. If there is a better Scarpia on record, I have yet to hear him. As for Callas, the voice is considerably trimmed down and some of he top notes little better than shrieks, but ... well I find her Tosca even more convincing in these two recordings, utterly feminine, her volatility somehow even more loveable. The 1965 studio recording enjoys better (indeed very good) sound, but ultimately I'd prefer the immediacy of the live performance, which is, in any case, the best sound on any of Callas's live performances. You can almost feel the excitement in the house as the first chords start. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have been in the audience. There is no argument that the voice is in much better shape in 1953, but in these later performances, she reveals a myriad of detail maybe not available to her before she had appeared in the Zeffirelli production.

Inevitably, with Callas and Gobbi as Tosca and Scarpia, Cavaradossi is less of a deciding factor. Di Stefano is my favourite, in superb voice in 1953, ardent and passionate, turning the love duets into the erotic things they should be. Bergonzi comes next, his singing perhaps more beautiful and refined, but Cioni isn't totally out of the picture either.

Anyone wanting a single representation of Callas's Tosca will no doubt be happy with the 1953 recording, but I wouldn't want to be without any of them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 21, 2022, 05:44:40 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 21, 2022, 05:40:57 AM
She's the only person I know of that you can hear smile: as she sings 'Cosi' at the end of the last act (in the de Sabata recording, at least), as they cheerfully part, off to the 'fake' execution. An extraordinary performance. I have the famous video of the last act with her and Gobbi, too: when she stabs him, my mouth is always dropped open, for she is utterly terrifying. As she yells 'Muori!' at him several times, you know she actually wants him dead! It's chilling to watch.

That second act video is everything opera should be, but rarely is. But why of why did they not film the whole thing? What an opportunity missed, but I suppose we should be grateful for what we have.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 22, 2022, 03:20:17 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 21, 2022, 06:49:21 AM
+1, multiple times.
There's a reason she and her autograph are front and centre on my study's wall, wedged between Gladstone and Richard Nixon (apologies!)
I hasten to add, I wasn't there in 1958 and I didn't obtain the signature personally!! :)

You're exonerated with those of Britten and Pears.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 22, 2022, 05:49:11 PM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 21, 2022, 06:49:21 AM
+1, multiple times.
There's a reason she and her autograph are front and centre on my study's wall, wedged between Gladstone and Richard Nixon (apologies!)
I hasten to add, I wasn't there in 1958 and I didn't obtain the signature personally!! :)

Well...someone is the Britten fan, aren't they? ;) ;D No worries. I love this composer's music, too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 23, 2022, 12:59:19 PM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 23, 2022, 01:38:40 AM
Definitely my number 1, since first singing Rejoice in the Lamb at school :)
Once Peter Pears told me, "If you really love his music, make sure you let people know about it", I'm afraid I've been a bit a bore about it ever since!

Well, there's definitely nothing wrong with that and Pears was right of course. What work would you say encapsulates Britten more than any other?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 24, 2022, 01:43:07 AM
I've been working my way through my Puccini recordings and have now come to Turandot.

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/9172j0czwml-_sl1467_.jpg?w=1014)

(https://i.discogs.com/dWPYt7-ArUkOC7VypHs16Is1QzloO9ynrtFQWmHDapg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:515/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTczNTc0/NzItMTQ0NjU2OTI0/NS0xODkwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

For some people Turandot is Nilsson, but recent competitions featuring the voices of previous generations have shown us there are other ways of singing the role, and not much liking the sound of Nilsson's voice (in anything) I do not have one of her recordings in my collection.

The Mehta is justly famous and is no doubt a first choice for many. Sutherland's diction, though not perfect, is a lot better than it usually is and she has the necessary ease and power at the top of her register. Her softer grained voice has a much more alluring presence than Nilsson's too. We also have Pavarotti in one of his best roles and Caballé singing divinely as Liu. The sound is superb analogue stereo and is is beautifully conducted by Mehta. This is certainly a very beautiful Turandot.

However, listening to it and the Serafin back to back, I found the Serafin a much more thrillingly dramatic experience, and, if it had been recorded in stereo, I think maybe this set would be more highly regarded than it is. Chief among its virtues is the conducting of Serafin himself, who conducts with an urgency that has you on the edge of your seat at key moments. I just wish Legge had capitulated to stereo earlier. If only this recording had been accorded the much better stereo sound of Callas's La Scala sets of La Gioconda and Norma, but, although he had recorded Callas in stereo earlier that year in London for Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the Italian recordings were still recorded in mono only.

The cast has had its detractors too (Callas captured too late, Schwarzkopf out of her element and Fernandi a non-entity) but I'm not sure those criticisms hold water. Fernandi isn't bad at all actually. OK, maybe he's no Corelli, but he is no mere cipher and he often phrases his music with distinction. Scwharzkopf may not be an Italianate Liu but she belongs to a long tradition of German lyric sopranos who have sung the role. It is a performance of veiled sighs and tears and I actually prefer her to Caballé on the Mehta, who admittedly sings divinely, but, if Schwarzkopf sounds too much the Princess Werdenberg, then Caballé is too much the grande dame. I don't really believe in her Liu, however beautifuly she sings. I also prefer Zaccaria's Timur to Ghiaurov's.

As for Callas, it is true that she had no business singing Turandot at this stage of her career, but in the studio she manages the role better than you might have expected. Indeed we've heard the role sung by much more wobbly sopranos with much wider vibratos since, and Callas is a good deal more interesting than any other Turandot I've heard. She turns In questa reggia into a mini psychodrama in which she reveals not only the ice, but the fire burning beneath. This Turandot is not just a mythical creature with splendid top notes, she is a real person. We understand that it is Turandot's insecurity and fear that make her so cruel. We also understand why so many princes could have fallen under her spell. She makes more of the anti-climactic closing scene than anyone else too. Yes there are moments of shrillness and insecurity at the very top of her register but, oddly enough, she is in more control of those top notes here than she is on the Manon Lescuat, which followed, and on which she sometimes sounds too exhausted to be able to support the voice. In short, she is in better voice here than she is usually given credit for.

The opera cries out for better sound and I feel that, if it were even as good as the 1959 La Gioconda, it would be a far stronger contender. As it is, on this occasion, I found it a far more involving and engrosiing experience than the beautiful Mehta set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 24, 2022, 01:52:33 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 24, 2022, 01:39:07 AM
Excellent question. I think maybe A Midsummer Night's Dream: it's got the fascination with night, dreams/nightmares and treble voices; it's got the loss of innocence idea, as the lovers 'grow up' in Theseus' palace. It has amazing orchestration. It was 'occasional music' (i.e., sort-of thrown together in a hurry for the re-opening of the Jubilee Hall). It's tuneful, but definitely 'modern'. It harks back to Purcellian use of counter-tenor, and Purcell was one of Britten's idols. It isn't perhaps his best opera (I think Turn of the Screw tends to get that award, though my personal favourite is probably Peter Grimes), but I think it probably sums him, his interests, his psyche up more than any other.

Yes, that's a good point about A Midsummer Night's Dream. It isn't my favourite Britten opera either. Personally, I'd find it hard to choose between Turn of the Screw, Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and I like Gloriana more every time I hear it. I also think the Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings encapsulates a lot of what I think of Britten's style. Maybe it's because, along with The Turn of the Screw, it was the work which really pulled me into Britten's soundworld. I had it on this LP and just looking at the cover brings up a host of memories for me.

(https://i.discogs.com/SMqvDzhsBXpmCRwo-MjusXyrQadC7RTq8dqggKwqgek/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU0NzE5/MjQtMTQwNzc4MjQ0/Ny0xOTA4LmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 24, 2022, 02:48:48 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 24, 2022, 02:14:22 AM
Ah, the old Samuel Palmer cover! Borrowed exactly that one from a central library back in the day (somewhere in the late 1970s, I'm afraid!)

I love Billy Budd, too, but the one I'd pick as favourite if it wasn't Peter Grimes would probably be Albert Herring. It took me a very long time to enjoy it, largely because of Sylvia Fischer's voice on the 1964 recording. I just wasn't able to listen to that wobbly, shrieking, coloratura soprano voice for very long! But you get one's ear 'in' over time and it gradually becomes less of a problem. Now, I like my Lady Billows to be as billowy and blustery as possible! And the score is a wonder, considering the resources available to him, and there's plenty of wry humour in there I now love. I mean, it's never going to be a side-splitting comic opera, but I do now find it very funny :)  But all that said, whilst it's a great example of his art, I don't think it's very typical or 'encapsulates' much about him. It was his only comic opera, after all... though, to be fair, his lapse into profound grief at the last act's threnody is much more typical Britten!

I've seen it once and borrowed the Britten recording once from a library, but it never quite did it for me. Maybe it's time I gave it another try.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 24, 2022, 08:36:00 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 24, 2022, 02:48:48 AM
I've seen it once and borrowed the Britten recording once from a library, but it never quite did it for me. Maybe it's time I gave it another try.

My introduction to Albert Herring was Glyndebourne on VHS. The DVD incarnation is this
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MWAXV6K4L._AC_SY780_.jpg)
I did eventually get around to getting the Britten Decca recording.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/610KsUQvApL._SY780_.jpg)
My own feeling is that sonically and vocally the Glyndebourne is better.
There's a live recording from Copenhagen 1949 conducted by Britten that I've never heard, nor the other three recordings listed by Amazon.

BTW, I count Paul Bunyan as a comic opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 24, 2022, 01:25:26 PM
I suppose I have a broader definition of comedy--but a lot of comedies revolve around a main character (and sometimes others as well) acting like a fool and then realizing it. To stick to opera, there's Ford and Falstaff in Falstaff, the Count and Figaro in Nozze di Figaro, and Eisenstein in Fledermaus as obvious examples.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 24, 2022, 08:58:21 PM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 24, 2022, 01:39:07 AM
Excellent question. I think maybe A Midsummer Night's Dream: it's got the fascination with night, dreams/nightmares and treble voices; it's got the loss of innocence idea, as the lovers 'grow up' in Theseus' palace. It has amazing orchestration. It was 'occasional music' (i.e., sort-of thrown together in a hurry for the re-opening of the Jubilee Hall). It's tuneful, but definitely 'modern'. It harks back to Purcellian use of counter-tenor, and Purcell was one of Britten's idols. It isn't perhaps his best opera (I think Turn of the Screw tends to get that award, though my personal favourite is probably Peter Grimes), but I think it probably sums him, his interests, his psyche up more than any other.

Interesting choice. For me, and this may be a strange choice (or not), but I think the work that sums Britten up is Death in Venice. The darker nature of the subject is right up this composer's alley. The orchestration is simply exquisite and harkens back to The Prince of the Pagodas with the Gamelan influence, but it's taken to newer heights in Venice. I realize that this opera isn't for everyone and the subject matter does raise an eyebrow, but I love it and remain haunted by it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on March 25, 2022, 06:53:01 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on March 25, 2022, 02:18:45 AM
Ah, well: when I'm visiting the Red House archives in May, I've specially requested to see the manuscript of the end of Act 1 of Death in Venice, precisely because it's such a profound moment in a great, great work. So I concur that it's right up there as a masterpiece. I just don't think it "encapsulates" the man as well as AMSND, but obviously there can be a range of opinions on the subject!

Ah, but isn't what is hidden within a man's heart, where his true self lies? Death in Venice, for me, represents what Britten felt deep within his soul and it's certainly revealing to say the least. More so than any other work of his I've heard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 25, 2022, 05:05:46 PM
One of my least favorite operas
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81y5LRQsoNL.jpg)
Recorded in 1954 in mono that  almost sounds like stereo. Two of the singers in the minor roles I've heard of: Anton Dermota as Narraboth and Walter Berry as the First Soldier.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 25, 2022, 07:04:31 PM
Quote from: JBS on March 25, 2022, 05:05:46 PM
One of my least favorite operas
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81y5LRQsoNL.jpg)
Recorded in 1954 in mono that  almost sounds like stereo. Two of the singers in the minor roles I've heard of: Anton Dermota as Narraboth and Walter Berry as the First Soldier.

After action debriefing-
Still not keen on the opera, but not nearly as screechy as Nilsson/Solti and Studer/Sinopoli, which are the other two recordings I have.

I'm not sure, but this seems to have been its only previous CD incarnation as an individual release.  I have not yet figured out whether or not the new Decca box uses new remasterings.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kVDld99VL._SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on March 26, 2022, 01:36:38 AM
Quote from: JBS on March 25, 2022, 05:05:46 PM
One of my least favorite operas
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81y5LRQsoNL.jpg)
Recorded in 1954 in mono that  almost sounds like stereo. Two of the singers in the minor roles I've heard of: Anton Dermota as Narraboth and Walter Berry as the First Soldier.

Goltz was the Salome on the first recording I bought of the opera, on LPs "compatible for stereo and 4 channel quadraphonic equipment". But it was a different recording, Keilberth conducting the Saxon State Orchestra, on Olympic Records. Kurt Böhme was one of the Nazarenes, otherwise no big-name singers. The recording doesn't give a date, but according to Wikipedia, it's from 1948,
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 26, 2022, 03:13:31 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/5M4LnfEVluksKjvRv8_keblJy0EWGcemTwYMc7MauLQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:590/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTYxNDQ5/MDItMTQxMjE4NjU3/Ny0yMTM2LmpwZWc.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/GyFer3sh-sY5bXEX8TMt2Zfz-OTBplkqwD8-M51nNqY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:546/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkyNDc4/ODUtMTQ3NzM0OTg3/OC02NjU3LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Two recordings, one on modern instruments and one on original, featuring two of my favourite singers, Dame Janet Baker and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.

The Anthony Lewis recording is rightly considered a classic and for many will be a top choice for anyone who doesn't object to the use of modern instruments and Baker's Dido is without peer, though Hunt Lieberson runs her close. The problem with the McGegan recording is the witches, who are ridiculously characterised and a serious blot on the rest of the performance. Still, I enjoyed hearing this for the original instruments, McGegan's sprightly tempi, Michael Dean's youthfuly heroic Aeneas and Hunt Lieberson's movingly heartfelt Dido. Lewis's version, despite the use of modern instruments remains my favourite though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 26, 2022, 03:19:59 AM
Quote from: JBS on March 25, 2022, 07:04:31 PM
After action debriefing-
Still not keen on the opera, but not nearly as screechy as Nilsson/Solti and Studer/Sinopoli, which are the other two recordings I have.



I'm not sure I'd apply that description to Salome, though it might apply to Elektra. Have you heard the Karajan recording with Behrens? It's very beautiful.

(https://i.discogs.com/UuW3rbkwQILokxy4PMElbCW8Er1fMqfH1VhTAACvbNI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNzUz/NDA3LTE1NjAzNzYx/MzktMTI0My5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on March 31, 2022, 03:14:29 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ZvzD4BYWL._SS500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on April 04, 2022, 11:53:16 AM
Revisiting after many years the first ever grand opéra:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OAcWgJYONgg/T6tT_PN95vI/AAAAAAAACTE/o9EcSVILkXU/s1600/51KI-p0tsWL.jpg)

My train last week from Naples to Herculaneum (the beautifully named Ferrovia Circumvesuviana  ;)) stopped at Portici, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, and this awakened an interest to relisten to Auber's La Muette de Portici. The cast is starry, with Alfredo Kraus as Masianello and June Anderson as Elvire (the muette remains uncredited, though  ;D).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 05, 2022, 06:52:40 AM
Quote from: ritter on April 04, 2022, 11:53:16 AM
Revisiting after many years the first ever grand opéra:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OAcWgJYONgg/T6tT_PN95vI/AAAAAAAACTE/o9EcSVILkXU/s1600/51KI-p0tsWL.jpg)

My train last week from Naples to Herculaneum (the beautifully named Ferrovia Circumvesuviana  ;)) stopped at Portici, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, and this awakened an interest to relisten to Auber's La Muette de Portici. The cast is starry, with Alfredo Kraus as Masianello and June Anderson as Elvire (the muette remains uncredited, though  ;D).

Свята любов до батьківщини,
Дай нам сміливість і гордість;
Своєю країною я зобов'язаний своїм життям,
Він буде винен мені своєю свободою'


;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 05, 2022, 02:58:47 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ALSajqEwL._AC_.jpg)

Rimsky-Korsakov's last opera, never performed during his lifetime - he died before the censors approved the work in a modified version. It was performed for the first time in 1909 and remains one of his best loved works. The familiar 4-movement suite from 1913 contains the opera's greatest hits, arranged and orchestrated by the composer's son-in-law Maximilian Steinberg and Alexander Glazunov. In the context of the full opera the familiar tunes sound less like Pops material, being integrated in the opera's overall flow and vocal/choral textures.

The  staging here is that of a japanese kabuki play, with masks, headpieces, stylized gestures and colourful costumes. The singing calls for some special vocal casting, the role of the Astrologer (an eunuch) to be sung by a tenor altino, rarely used since the days of Rossini. Everybody performs very well and Nagano conducts with finesse and a good sense of flow.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 17, 2022, 09:40:34 AM
(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn016_l.jpg)

Dreadful sound, but astonishing singing from Callas at least. In fact if there weren't this recorded evidence, you'd honestly think it wasn't possible that a voice of such size could sing with such corruscating brilliance. Admittedly the tenors aren't up to much and I have to say I was quite pleased that Fillipeschi's character died at the end of Act I, but, for Callas, this set demands to be heard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 17, 2022, 09:59:31 AM
Quote from: André on April 05, 2022, 02:58:47 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ALSajqEwL._AC_.jpg)

Rimsky-Korsakov's last opera, never performed during his lifetime - he died before the censors approved the work in a modified version. It was performed for the first time in 1909 and remains one of his best loved works. The familiar 4-movement suite from 1913 contains the opera's greatest hits, arranged and orchestrated by the composer's son-in-law Maximilian Steinberg and Alexander Glazunov. In the context of the full opera the familiar tunes sound less like Pops material, being integrated in the opera's overall flow and vocal/choral textures.

The  staging here is that of a japanese kabuki play, with masks, headpieces, stylized gestures and colourful costumes. The singing calls for some special vocal casting, the role of the Astrologer (an eunuch) to be sung by a tenor altino, rarely used since the days of Rossini. Everybody performs very well and Nagano conducts with finesse and a good sense of flow.

Very interesting, thank you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 19, 2022, 12:05:43 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91be3bm7phl-_sl1465_.jpg?w=1012)

Like the excellent and contemporaneous Gui recording, this is cut and the edition used is anything but authentic. However I believe that many of these joyful Rossini recordings from the 1950s have in them a deeper authenticity in performance that has nothing to do with editions used. A short review on my blog. http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/il-barbiere-di-siviglia/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/il-barbiere-di-siviglia/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on April 19, 2022, 08:50:10 AM
The Salome performance last month made me notice several things which I hadn't much thought about earlier: namely, how freakin' funny it is. In a dark and macabre way of course, but funny all the same. The opera's latter half starting from Herod's plea to Salome to dance for him starts this ludicrous yet hilarious carrot-and stick fate pattern with Salome, Herod and Herodias. Salome says: Okay, Herod, I will dance for you. Herod is overjoyed. Herodias disapproves. But the price will be Jochanaan's head. Herodias is beaming, Herod is desperate. So Salome gets Jochanaan's head. But in the very moment of Salome's and Herodias's triumph Herod wrests the victory from them by ordering guards to kill Salome before Herodias's eyes. I believe there is even a fast allusion to Herodias's leitmotif in the score after Herod's last words when guards rush to kill Salome. Maybe I'm just a bit silly in the head but this is just hilarious black comedy. No-one gets what they want, in the end.

And don't even get me started on the Jew Quintet.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 19, 2022, 04:23:42 PM
After Rheingold and Die Walküre from Keilberth (Bayreuth 1953), this:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Z+f-rubdL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

Solti's Das Rheingold from Decca. With a fantastic lead trio: George London a commanding, incisive Wotan (better than Hotter IMO), Kirsten Flagstad's sumptuous, voluminous tones as Fricka, Gustav Neidlinger again as Alberich, none the better than here - and very good secondery roles: Erda, Loge, Froh, Donner, the two giants and the Rhinemaidens, albeit slightly less alluring than on the Keilberth set. There's no denying the thrill of the splendid orchestral playing and beautifully produced soundstage. The Nibelungen's wails of terror are overdone of course, but at least we are not in any doubt about the power of the ring. A classic production, still amazing after 64 years.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 20, 2022, 12:56:00 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/qUUunUJp5GcAgOoLN_VLKmABwZOFCvwCWt83lLsTz4U/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:539/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2MTIx/NzQyLTE2MDM3OTk3/NzQtNTY5Ny5qcGVn.jpeg)

La Cenerentola has been quite lucky on disc and there are quite a few good recordings available. I wouldn't like to choose a best recording, but this is certainly one of the good ones.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on April 20, 2022, 08:20:54 AM
Quote from: André on April 19, 2022, 04:23:42 PM
After Rheingold and Die Walküre from Keilberth (Bayreuth 1953), this:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Z+f-rubdL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

Solti's Das Rheingold from Decca. With a fantastic lead trio: George London a commanding, incisive Wotan (better than Hotter IMO), Kirsten Flagstad's sumptuous, voluminous tones as Fricka, Gustav Neidlinger again as Alberich, none the better than here - and very good secondery roles: Erda, Loge, Froh, Donner, the two giants and the Rhinemaidens, albeit slightly less alluring than on the Keilberth set. There's no denying the thrill of the splendid orchestral playing and beautifully produced soundstage. The Nibelungen's wails of terror are overdone of course, but at least we are not in any doubt about the power of the ring. A classic production, still amazing after 64 years.

Still my favorite opera recording of all time (or alternately the whole Solti Ring if one considers it a single work)  8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on April 21, 2022, 08:13:41 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Z+f-rubdL._AC_SL500_.jpg)

Die Walküre. I find it to be the richest of the Ring operas. At once heroic, tender, erotically charged, filled with action, its characters complex and filled with contradictions, it's probably the least binary of the lot. It also has the richest trove of leitmotive, the musical motifs that give musical shape to characters, emotions, even inanimate objects. A masterpiece through and through.

By and large Solti's version is IMO the safest recommendation for this mammoth work on account of its technical brilliance, orchestral splendour and superb vocal casting. The latter element is as always a crucial element for the Wagner amateur. While the mid 1950s was possibly the true golden age of wagnerian singing, one has to contend with mono sound and live conditions - a good or bad thing depending on one's view.

In 1963 Decca was able to secure just about the best cast possible and I have very little to complain about here. The singing of Christa Ludwig is beautiful but she doesn't sound as implacable as she should. In her hilarious Wagner skit Anna Russell famously says that all Fricka does is « nag, nag, nag ». Well, Ludwig is too noble sounding and not enough nagging. Conversely, Hans Hotter as Wotan hits rough patches when in shouting mode, wobbly and almost distressed, but he is magnificent in the tenderness and nobility of his soft singing. James King is an excellent Siegmund, Crespin an ideal Sieglinde, her creamy tones unmarred by any sign of vocal discomfort. Gottlob Frick is THE Hunding to send all others packing. What a voice ! Nilsson is excellent as Brünnhilde, tossing high notes with insolent facility. Mödl (in the Keilberth set) hojo-tohoes even better though, articulating every word tellingly. The walkyries are an exciting, vocally healthy bunch.

In the end this Walküre is a Decca-Sotli-WP triumph, the superb cast being mostly a deluxe adornment to it. As a total dramatic and vocal experience I still treasure Goodall's version above all others, but that is in English and not all listeners respond well to Goodall's slow tempi.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 21, 2022, 09:33:23 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/VP80h34iiI3Uhz7NOB6ViFZmJRdvkzSQ-Npgqeez23Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:511/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMzcy/OTQ4LTE1MTUxNTcw/NzgtODIyNy5qcGVn.jpeg)

No doubt there are cuts, but Gui's Rossini recordings from the 1950s exude such joy in the act of making music that criticism is disarmed. Joyfully entertaining.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 24, 2022, 02:34:47 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/wsef9xmGSNOQUJcJw7jcuvx9ZfXBF66--N3LqkAr6Vc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:530/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg5MjAx/NTMtMTUyMjE5ODYy/Ny0xNTI1LmpwZWc.jpeg)

I'm never quite as knocked out by Rossini's final opera as I feel I should be. There are some wonderful set pieces, it's true, but it's very long. The finale of Act IV is truly sublime though.

By and large I prefer it sung in the original French and this recording is really excellent, with terrific performances from Bacquier, Gedda and Caballé. The recording also includes a lovely aria for Jemmy, placed as an appendix at the end of Act III, that does not appear in any full score, as Rossini decided to omit it from the completed version. Dramatically he was no doubt right, but it is good to hear it and it is beautifully performed here by Mady Mesplé.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 26, 2022, 02:29:54 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/oq0NP1wOfGKeJjTGbRScP6pEd6v8hY6Rrs4-rwbr96Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:527/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg3NTM3/MDMtMTU0MTQwOTkw/Ni01MDI4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

I saw the production on which this recording is based when it made its way to Covent Garden in 1988, though only two of the Vienna cast (Agnes Baltsa and Alessandro Corbelli) remained from this 1987 recording. Gabriele Ferro took over the conducting honours and it was a superb performance, with Baltsa both vocally splendid and hilariously funny. The fun from that performance doesn't quite come across here and, though the singing is generally of a very high standard, it lacks the sparkle and sheer joy you hear in some of those Rossini recordings from the 1950s featruring Gui, Gavazzeni or Galliera and I find myself wondering if the fault lies with Abbado. I often find his other recordings of Rossini comic operas also a bit lacking in fun.


Incidentally, I also saw the revival the following year when Marilyn Horne took over the role of Isabella. It was towards the end of her career and she was rather disappointing, the voice having shrunk on volume quite a bit and her acting rather hammy and nowhere near as funny as Baltsa's.


Nonetheless it is good to have this as a memento of Baltsa's superb Isabella at Covent Garden.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 28, 2022, 01:41:56 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/YYNebJmNsykspftACQ-wSgYGLsHmnmxB4s5fP3qIGP0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTczMzE4/NDEtMTQzOTEwMzM4/OC05MjE4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Recorded live at concerts in Wildbad in 2012, this was I think the first absolutely complete recording of Semiramide and runs about an hour longer than the famous recording with Sutherland and Horne. Alex Penda is certainly dramatically compelling but she doesn't have Sutherland's beauty of tone, nor is her coloratura anywhere near as fluid and, compared to Horne, Marianna Pizzolato is just rather dull. Lorenzo Regazzo's Assur is woolly and heavily aspirated and in fact some of the best singing comes from John Osborn as Idreno. That said, there is a surfeit of aspirates from the whole cast in what I suppose we must now call the modern manner.

Since it was issued, Opera Rara have also issued a complete recording, but I haven't heard that one and I'm not sure I like the opera enough to acquire a second recording, so this one will have to do. It's a good enough performance and, at least when Penda is in front of the microphone, rather more than that.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 30, 2022, 05:33:34 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/81ts9wichpl-_sl1500_.jpg)

You can keep your complete and uncut Urtext versions of Rossini operas, none of them exude the sheer style and joy of this classic performance. OK, so the edition used wouldn't bear scrutiny today, but here we have a lightness of touch, a sort of blithe elegance that seems lost to us today.

Just out of curiosity, I also listened to Fiorilla's aria Non si da follia maggiore as sung by Sumi Jo and Cecilia Bartoli, as well as Callas singing it live in 1950. Sumi Jo sings sweetly and deftly, Bartoli is just grotesque, but only Callas shapes the melody with elegance and panache, revealing in just a few notes the flirtatious character of Fiorilla. Truly she was unique.

https://youtu.be/p0pSsLKtz2g (https://youtu.be/p0pSsLKtz2g)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on May 01, 2022, 10:51:36 AM
Strauss: Salome
Behrens (Salome), Böhm (Herod), Baltsa (Herodias), van Dam (Jochanaan) etc.
Vienna PO/Karajan
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Olias on May 02, 2022, 05:51:46 PM
This is my desert island opera DVD.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 03, 2022, 12:06:31 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/IivIEboNdcLzqsUwvn1sQskZHFtXmVUiicSwbIqpja8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:440/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc2MzMw/ODgtMTQ0NTU2Nzgx/Ni01MDAyLmpwZWc.jpeg)

I sometimes think Samson et Dalila is one of those operas it's difficult to get right. My favourite version is probably the video of a Covent Garden performance with Vickers and Verrett and I rather wish that they had recorded it in the studio.


On record I've owned at various times Ludwig/King/Patané, Gorr/Vickers/Prêtre and Borodina/Cura/Davis, none of which I found entirely satisfactory. The Chung recording with Meier and Domingo comes in for a lot of praise, but it still didn't do it for me and so I've ended up with Davis's first recording. Carreras's lyric tenor is stretched to its limits, but my word he gives a performance and Baltsa is both sexy and dangerous, something which cannot be said of a lot of Dalilas. Davis, as so often in French opera, paces the score just right. I'm happy with this one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on May 06, 2022, 05:45:26 PM
Looking forward to Verdi's Rigoletto on Sunday, from Opera Philadelphia.

https://www.operaphila.org/whats-on/on-stage-2021-2022/rigoletto/

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on May 08, 2022, 03:58:41 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81yC6AhNcBL._SL500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on May 09, 2022, 05:12:13 AM
And by extention:

(https://wordery.com/jackets/c72ab303/a-hand-of-bridge-samuel-barber-9781617741135.jpg?width=289)

Bit of a Barber kick lately.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 09, 2022, 09:28:41 AM
Quote from: KevinP on May 08, 2022, 03:58:41 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81yC6AhNcBL._SL1500_.jpg)

I often wonder why this opera has not been revived more often. I also wonder why Renée Fleming appears not to have sung it. It would have suited her brilliantly.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 13, 2022, 12:12:06 PM
Teresa Berganza in memoriam:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41pxO+JOPRL.jpg)

In 1957, still only 24 at the time, made her debut at the Aix-en-Provence Festival as Dorabella in Così fan tutte. This was probably her first major international engagement, and opened the door to a long and very distinguished career. The cast was stellar: Aix stalwarts Teresa Stich-Randall and Hans Rosbaud are joined by Luigi Alva, Rolando Panerai, Marcello Cortis and Mariella Adani. Berganza (who I believe was singing her rôle for the first time, and years later went on to record it commercially under Solti) had been preceded as Dorabella at Aix by Nan Merriman, who had recorded the role under Karajan).

Even at this early stage of her career, all the features that made "Teresona" so unique (namely, the beautiful, velvety voice, a superb technique, and a captivating personality that can be felt from her singing alone, without the need to see her onstage) are there. The rôle of Dorabella of course doesn't permit her to dazzle us with one of her other strengths, the coloratura she was extraordinarily deft at; for that we have to listen to her Rossini recordings. But this is superb singing, and the whole performance is of the highest quality.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2022, 06:14:19 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/H28vqPaUXDXoIcPO_NJlvgvoWfdnGvozmu7kKY9Aiv4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTMzNDQy/OTMtMTMyNjY1MjE4/MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

I only once saw this opera, in a superb production by David Pountney at the English National Opera, with Josephine Barstow and Philip Langridge as Katerina and Sergey (oh what heady days were those). Without visual stimulus it can be quite a difficult listen, but this recording is really fantastic. This was the first recording of the orginal score and, if I remember correctly, it won a well-earned Gramophone Award, and probably many others too. Vishevskaya and Gedda could hardly be bettered and Rostropovich brings out the lyrcism as well as the violence in the score. The recording rather favours the voices and, by this time in her career, Vishnevskaya could sound a bit shrill above the stave. There is no doubting, though, that she is the star of the recording, even when it is so well cast as it is here, with Gedda outstanding as Sergei.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on May 14, 2022, 08:16:39 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 14, 2022, 06:14:19 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/H28vqPaUXDXoIcPO_NJlvgvoWfdnGvozmu7kKY9Aiv4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTMzNDQy/OTMtMTMyNjY1MjE4/MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

I only once saw this opera, in a superb production by David Pountney at the English National Opera, with Josephine Barstow and Philip Langridge as Katerina and Sergey (oh what heady days were those). Without visual stimulus it can be quite a difficult listen, but this recording is really fantastic. This was the first recording of the orginal score and, if I remember correctly, it won a well-earned Gramophone Award, and probably many others too. Vishevskaya and Gedda could hardly be bettered and Rostropovich brings out the lyrcism as well as the violence in the score. The recording rather favours the voices and, by this time in her career, Vishnevskaya could sound a bit shrill above the stave. There is no doubting, though, that she is the star of the recording, even when it is so well cast as it is here, with Gedda outstanding as Sergei.

This is an excellent recording the best I can remember, but I'm planning on revisiting this opera soon, but I'll be giving this recording a listen (an acquisition made earlier this year or late last year):

(https://melody.su/upload/iblock/6d3/6d3e349a09b9d6c92812b83838d67380.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 15, 2022, 12:38:33 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 14, 2022, 08:16:39 PM
This is an excellent recording the best I can remember, but I'm planning on revisiting this opera soon, but I'll be giving this recording a listen (an acquisition made earlier this year or late last year):

(https://melody.su/upload/iblock/6d3/6d3e349a09b9d6c92812b83838d67380.jpg)

I'm assuming that recording is of the censored score, when Shostakovich made changes to satisfy the Soviet authorities. The Rostropovich was the first recording of the original score and he was only able to make it because, by that time, he was residing in the West.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 20, 2022, 01:10:28 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/Z9BXzMBw51Lw3orb4A8hm0VHEo3N3h-M2naLGeVFFrE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:563/w:571/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTYwMTMy/NzAtMTQwODgxNzkx/MS0yNDE3LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Sibelius's short (35 minutes) opera is an early work and this is its first recording. It works well enough on disc, but I'm not sure it would be particularly dramatic on stage.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 21, 2022, 11:33:35 PM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/1498830306858.jpg)

This was the first of the five productions Callas did with Visconti at La Scala, a production which heralded a new era of artistic creatvity and excellence. Callas had just returned from her sensational debut in Chicago and was transformed into the svelte, glamorous woman we see on the cover here. If the weight loss was responsible for the eventual disintegration of her voice, there is precious little sign of it here and she sings throughout with glorious refulgent tone.

However, though often considered a sort of junior Norma, the opera doesn't offer anything like the same dramatic opportunites for her. The best of it is probably in the three well-known arias she later recorded in the studio. Votto hardly manages to bring it to life, but then neither, for that matter, does Muti in his 1995 live recording, also from La Scala. The rest of the cast (Corelli, Stignani, Rossi-Lemeni) is a great one, but the sound is not one of the best La Scala broadcasts from that period.

After its five scheduled performances at La Scala, Callas never sang it again.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 22, 2022, 06:13:53 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/qTyLjoZh1sPCte_leW17HvsUS0QpxSWbHWgvw_GgxSQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:524/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExNTk0/ODU2LTE1MTkzNjE2/MDQtNTkyNS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Such a wonderful performance of Strauss's most popular operetta, perfecty cast from top to bottom and stunningly conducted by Karajan. I actually prefer this to the later Gala Performance he recorded for Decca. My only slight reservation is the casting of a tenor for the role of Orlovsky, but Helmut Krebs is so good he almost makes me forgive the fact he's singing in the wrong octave. I doubt Schwarzkopf and Streich have ever been bettered as Rosalinde and Adele, Gedda is a properly tenor Eisenstein, with a fine touch in comedy when posing as the lawyer Blind in the third act and Kunz, uncomfortably cast as Danilo in the first Schwarzkopf Die lustige Witwe, here finds his perfect character in the sardonic Falke. Pure joy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 23, 2022, 02:35:49 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Vg0wWlkmjrQbaaa0eBVUQ7c8dludUMV7RwdLPaaxe54/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:524/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2MTc3/ODQ1LTE2MDQ3Njcw/NjktODQxOS5qcGVn.jpeg)

More pure joy from Walter Legge's Champagne Operetta series. Eine Nacht in Venedig is performed in Korngold's revision, with further changes to accomodate Erich Kunz as Caramello, which was originally a tenor role, whilst Wiener Blut is a confection of Strauss tunes put together by one Adolf Müller, having got permission from Strauss himself before he died.


Editions aside, these ar absolutely joyful performances. You only have to hear Schwarzkopf and Gedda's delectable shading and phrasing in the duet Wiener Blut to recognise a delightful echt-Viennese style, which is now no doubt lost to us. Wonderfully styish performances too from the likes of Erika Köth, Emmy Loose, Karl Dönch and Peter Klein.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 25, 2022, 01:16:07 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/6C9O5u7dYWpbAI5W1_Vgm0H8we9JsYeuHgVD8n5jN1M/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:519/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyMDMz/MTcxLTE1MjcwMTc1/ODYtNTMxMy5qcGVn.jpeg)

The music for Strauss's Der Zigeunerbaron is at least as good as that for Die Fledermaus but it rarely gets an airing outside of Austria. Maybe it's Hungarian gyspy themes travel less well. Whatever the reason, this 1954 recording is a classy affair. As in the other Ackermann conducted operettas, there are cuts, but not so many as in some of the others and the singing is absolutely wonderful. Pure joy!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on May 25, 2022, 05:57:13 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 25, 2022, 01:16:07 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/6C9O5u7dYWpbAI5W1_Vgm0H8we9JsYeuHgVD8n5jN1M/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:519/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyMDMz/MTcxLTE1MjcwMTc1/ODYtNTMxMy5qcGVn.jpeg)

The music for Strauss's Der Zigeunerbaron is at least as good as that for Die Fledermaus but it rarely gets an airing outside of Austria. Maybe it's Hungarian gyspy themes travel less well. Whatever the reason, this 1954 recording is a classy affair. As in the other Ackermann conducted operettas, there are cuts, but not so many as in some of the others and the singing is absolutely wonderful. Pure joy!

I have the Clemens Krauss recording. You're right about the quality of the music, but I think the plot impedes it: to me it seems chaotic and incoherent. It's better to listen to it with no idea of what's supposed to be happening on stage.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on May 28, 2022, 05:16:48 PM
Ravel's L'Heure Espagnole. Although I have a recording, this was my time to sit down and watch it, despite its brevity.

https://youtu.be/F8ZFlx8jRjo
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 30, 2022, 12:07:23 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk0MzAyMC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0OTA5NzExNzR9)

Every now and then I pull out my recording of Arabella in the hope I will enjoy it more. My favourite Strauss opera is Der Rosenkavalier which, though it has its tedious moments, has at its centrre one of the greatest characters in opera in the Marschallin. The problem with Arabella, it seems to me, is that Arabella herself is a bit of a prig. I don't warm to her at all, for all that she gets some gloriously lyrical music to sing, and in fact the most likeable characters turn out to be Zdenka and Matteo. The plot is pretty silly too, though plenty of operas survive silly plots. This one never does for me.


This is a very good recording indeed, with that experienced Straussian Sawallisch bringing out far more of the lyricism in the score than Solti does on his recording with Della Casa. Fischer-Dieskau is no doubt a bit over-the-hill as Mandryka and tends to bark sometimes, but Varady is a beautiful, creamy voiced Arabella and Donath thoroughly sympathetic Zdenka, though a little more contrast in their two voices would have been desirable. Schwarzkopf recorded excerpts from the opera with the superb Mandryka of Josef Metternich and I'm beginning to think that maybe that's all I need of the opera. There seems to me to be quite a bit of superfluous music in the piece and the Fiakermilli stuff I can certainly do without.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2022, 01:22:00 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/pVa_244hEfJlA-nKrCzjc3KgFHSLqkzF8sMC6E147mk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:518/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTY4NDI2/NDQtMTQyNzc3NzQ3/Ny0yMTMwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

I've only once seen Ariadne auf Naxos on stage, in a visually splendid Glyndebourne Touring production. I was only nineteen and I really loved it, though how much that had to do with the music and how much with the spectacular production it's hard to say.

Nowadays I have rather equivocal feelings about it, even in such a wonderful performance as this one. The Prologue is, I think, practically flawless with hardly a wasted note and the various characters wonderfully characterised. It could almost stand on its own as a one act piece. Unfortunately the opera itself is not qute on the same level, though there is some wonderful music for Ariadne herself, especially as sung here by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, who recently won an Es gibt ein Reich competition on another forum I belong to. On the other hand I find some of the music for Zerbinetta and her cohorts rather outstays its welcome, even Zerbinetta's Grossmächtige Prinzessin and even when it's sung with such sparkle and charm as it is here by Rita Streich. Rudolf Schock is the only slightly weak link in the cast, being somewhat dry of voice, and in any case he gets some of the least interesting music to sing.

The Prologue is dominated by Irmgard Seefried's impetuously adorable composer, but has some great characterisations from the other singers as well, with Schwarzkopf and Schock hilariously sending themselves up. A special mention for Alfred Neugebauer in the speaking role of the Major-Domo, who delivers his dialogue with such clarity that anyone with even a passing acquaintance of the language should be able to understand him. Legge's production is also at its finest here too.

This is a classic recording in superb 1954 mono sound and I can't imagine the performance ever being bettered.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on May 31, 2022, 01:36:12 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2022, 01:22:00 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/pVa_244hEfJlA-nKrCzjc3KgFHSLqkzF8sMC6E147mk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:518/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTY4NDI2/NDQtMTQyNzc3NzQ3/Ny0yMTMwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

I've only once seen Ariadne auf Naxos on stage, in a visually splendid Glyndebourne Touring production. I was only nineteen and I really loved it, though how much that had to do with the music and how much with the spectacular production it's hard to say.

Nowadays I have rather equivocal feelings about it, even in such a wonderful performance as this one. The Prologue is, I think, practically flawless with hardly a wasted note and the various characters wonderfully characterised. It could almost stand on its own as a one act piece. Unfortunately the opera itself is not qute on the same level, though there is some wonderful music for Ariadne herself, especially as sung here by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, who recently won an Es gibt ein Reich competition on another forum I belong to. On the other hand I find some of the music for Zerbinetta and her cohorts rather outstays its welcome, even Zerbinetta's Grossmächtige Prinzessin and even when it's sung with such sparkle and charm as it is here by Rita Streich. Rudolf Schock is the only slightly weak link in the cast, being somewhat dry of voice, and in any case he gets some of the least interesting music to sing.

The Prologue is dominated by Irmgard Seefried's impetuously adorable composer, but has some great characterisations from the other singers as well, with Schwarzkopf and Schock hilariously sending themselves up. A special mention for Alfred Neugebauer in the speaking role of the Major-Domo, who delivers his dialogue with such clarity that anyone with even a passing acquaintance of the language should be able to understand him. Legge's production is also at its finest here too.

This is a classic recording in superb 1954 mono sound and I can't imagine the performance ever being bettered.

My feelings are almost diametrically opposite - I find the Prologue tedious and quite often just listen to the Opera. I also have the Kempe recording and can't choose between the two. I have a DVD of a Met production, conducted by Levine with Jessye Norman a fine Ariadne.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2022, 02:19:49 AM
Quote from: Biffo on May 31, 2022, 01:36:12 AM
My feelings are almost diametrically opposite - I find the Prologue tedious and quite often just listen to just the Opera. I also have the Kempe recording and can't choose between the two. I have a DVD of a Met production, conducted by Levine with Jessye Norman a fine Ariadne.

Well one either likes the subject matter of the Prologue or one doesn't. It seems to me that it is an excellent depiction of backstage preparations for a performance. No doubt there is no great depth to it, but it captures the backstage hustle and bustle perfectly. On the other hand, I'm not sure that the mixture of the serious, and sometimes rather pompous, Ariadne/Bacchuus music sits so well with the light, frothy music for Zerbinetta and her crew.

I've been listening exclusively to Strauss over the last week or so and I must confess, though, that my youthful love of his music has faded somewhat with age. I now find much of his music overblown and I actively dislike some of his works, Elektra for one. I love his songs, particularly the Four Last and I retain my affection for Salome and Der Rosenkavalier (even if I have less patience for Ochs than I used to). Most of his other operas I only like in patches.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 01, 2022, 01:10:24 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/5SpI5PSWdR1KAIHrOaNE15oaOOur8ruNyROBIHzypGc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:400/w:460/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTYwMTY1/MDEtMTQxMTMxNzc2/OC01MjM5LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Just over two hours without an interval is quite a long time for a polemic on words versus music and Strauss's opera can sometimes seem rather protracted, though not in this wonderful performance. Nor at the end with its glorious paean to the soprano voice is there any doubt which side Strauss comes down on. Countess Madeleine was one of Schwarzkopf's greatest roles, one in which her gifts of verbal acuity, sophistication and playfulness, allied to vocal beauty are given free rein. The closing scene is absolutey gorgeous.


It is a shame that, though the recording was planned in stereo, technical problems meant it was eventually only recorded in mono. Other recordings have better sound, but none has a better all round cast, with superb performances from Gedda and Fischer-Dieskau as Flamand and Olivier, Wächter as the Count, Ludwig as Clairon and Hans Hotter enjoying himself tremendously as La Roche. We even get the young Anna Moffo as the Italian Singer.


I think this was the first of Sawallisch's Strauss opera recordings (he was 34 at the time) but he already shows himself to be a superb Straussian and this recording has achieved classic status.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 01, 2022, 08:18:45 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on May 31, 2022, 02:19:49 AM
Well one either likes the subject matter of the Prologue or one doesn't. It seems to me that it is an excellent depiction of backstage preparations for a performance. No doubt there is no great depth to it, but it captures the backstage hustle and bustle perfectly. On the other hand, I'm not sure that the mixture of the serious, and sometimes rather pompous, Ariadne/Bacchuus music sits so well with the light, frothy music for Zerbinetta and her crew.

I've been listening exclusively to Strauss over the last week or so and I must confess, though, that my youthful love of his music has faded somewhat with age. I now find much of his music overblown and I actively dislike some of his works, Elektra for one. I love his songs, particularly the Four Last and I retain my affection for Salome and Der Rosenkavalier (even if I have less patience for Ochs than I used to). Most of his other operas I only like in patches.

FWIW, Der Rosenkavalier is my favorite Strauss opera. I'm a Straussian to the core, but I think only some of his operas are truly successful from start to finish. Salome is another one I feel is standout. I also like the rather underrated Daphne, Ariadne auf Naxos and much of Die Frau ohne Schatten. Elektra works pretty well for me, but it doesn't quite match the highs of the afore mentioned operas even though I do find its energy rather invigorating.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 02, 2022, 09:02:30 AM
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0238/9583/products/10352-3back.jpg?v=1497636029)

Another Strauss opera that I have equivocal feelings about. Some gloriously lyrical music, but parts of it just sound like a racket to me, and Solti doesn't exactly hold back in those moments. The somewhat constricted sound of this live recording doesn't exactly help either, but it's quite a cast and I remember the production being very well reviewed in the pages of Opera Magazine.


The stand out performance for me is Heather Harper, whose beautfully soaring soprano has no problem with the high-lying writing for the Empress. Helga Dernesch was coming to the end of her time as a soprano and soon after this she withdrew from the scene, retrained as a mezzo, singing mezzo roles from the 1980s onwards. She is audibly strained at the top of the register, but the voice is incredibly beautiful in the lower and middle registers and all in all she is a radiant Dyer's Wife. Walter Berry is a sympathetic Barak and James King an excellent Emperor.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 02, 2022, 08:05:45 PM
I have Solti's studio recording, but I prefer the Sawallisch which was my introduction to FrOSch.
This and Rosenkavalier are my favorite Strauss operas out of those I've heard.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2022, 12:31:47 AM
Quote from: JBS on June 02, 2022, 08:05:45 PM
I have Solti's studio recording, but I prefer the Sawallisch which was my introduction to FrOSch.
This and Rosenkavalier are my favorite Strauss operas out of those I've heard.

I don't have a recording in good sound and I wasn't sure I liked the opera enought to bother, but after listening to it yesterday I'm beginning to think I should get one. I'm no big fan of Solti and I like Sawallisch's Strauss, though Solti appears to have the better cast. How's Vintzing on the Sawallisch? She's not a singer I know.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 03, 2022, 04:20:48 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2022, 12:31:47 AM
I don't have a recording in good sound and I wasn't sure I liked the opera enought to bother, but after listening to it yesterday I'm beginning to think I should get one. I'm no big fan of Solti and I like Sawallisch's Strauss, though Solti appears to have the better cast. How's Vintzing on the Sawallisch? She's not a singer I know.

I don't have any specific memory of her. Especially with operas like this I tend to just sit back and wallow in the music, and let the less obvious details go unnoticed.

But checking Amazon, there's alternatives: Bohm (I seem to remember that it's heavily cut), Sinopoli ("based on live recordings"), and Thielemann (a live recording from Vienna Staatsoper). The Sinopoli is OOP but used copies are fairly cheap: I just ordered one off Amazon MP for $15US including shipping.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Vp8wc1hbL._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51LU5FFg5ZL._SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 03, 2022, 06:01:54 AM
Quote from: JBS on June 03, 2022, 04:20:48 AM
I don't have any specific memory of her. Especially with operas like this I tend to just sit back and wallow in the music, and let the less obvious details go unnoticed.

But checking Amazon, there's alternatives: Bohm (I seem to remember that it's heavily cut), Sinopoli ("based on live recordings"), and Thielemann (a live recording from Vienna Staatsoper). The Sinopoli is OOP but used copies are fairly cheap: I just ordered one off Amazon MP for $15US including shipping.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Vp8wc1hbL._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51LU5FFg5ZL._SY780_.jpg)
The earlier (50s) Böhm sets (there's two, one live on Orfeo, and one studio on Decca, both with the "traditional" cuts and very similar casts) are important historic documents --Böhm was the defender of this work in the post-WW2 years-- and are very satisfying IMHO. There's the later live recording on DG which I don't really care for much: I never warmed to Nilsson, Rysanek is past her prime, and the sound I find strangely poorer than that of the earlier recordings.

Sinopoli makes the same (or almost the same cuts) as Böhm, but his recording is still very good. It is strange, though: it's "based on live performances" because much of it is indeed live from the Semperoper in Dresden, but the tenor in those performances was not Ben Heppner, but someone else. So those sections in which the Emperor appears, were recorded in the studio and spliced into the live recording of all the rest. Rather peculiar...

Haven't heard the Thielemann, but it got rave reviews when it was released. The problem is that I don't particularly appreciate the artistry of Stehen Gould , who it would appear is favourite of Thielemann's but I find "inelegant", for lack of a better term. I saw him live as Tristan in Bayreuth, and also have him on disc as Siegfried (both under Thielemann), and can't say he does anything fo me.

There's also the live Keilberth on DG (from the reopening of the Bavarian State Opera in 1963). Very good IMHO, with Fischer-Dieskau's Barak being exceptional, I'd say.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 03, 2022, 08:58:03 AM
Those cuts must not be that much, going by the timings of the Sinopoli and Sawallisch recordings, unless Sinopoli used slower tempos
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bhIvonmVL._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Y+t+3AOEL._SY780_.jpg)

I also noticed some other live recordings, particularly this one from Karajan with some luxury casting.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51o++vVJ89L._SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2022, 09:22:33 AM
Quote from: JBS on June 03, 2022, 08:58:03 AM

I also noticed some other live recordings, particularly this one from Karajan with some luxury casting.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51o++vVJ89L._SY780_.jpg)

I think I read somewhere that the sound on the Karajan wasn't very good, which is a shame as the combination of Karajan and that cast should be amazing. I wish Heather Harper had recorded the Empress. Well actually I wish she'd recorded more than she did when she was in her prime. She was a very underrated singer, I think.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 03, 2022, 10:13:22 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2022, 09:22:33 AM
I think I read somewhere that the sound on the Karajan wasn't very good, which is a shame as the combination of Karajan and that cast should be amazing. I wish Heather Harper had recorded the Empress. Well actually I wish she'd recorded more than she did when she was in her prime. She was a very underrated singer, I think.

It is mono from 1964 and not stereo. That alone might be the cause of complaint.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2022, 11:44:01 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/OZFKk94PZqlmhIMvgYLGt8l9_A0l4BO7PUJtOhAJncI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:515/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODk5/MjE0LTE1OTM5MTIw/MjUtMzc3NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Der Rosenkavalier has a very special place in my heart. I first heard it in 1972 when Scottish Opera brought the revival of their hugely successful (and thankfully traditional) Anthony Besch production to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I would have been twenty and a large group of us had travelled from my home town of Darlington to see the production. I didn't know a note of the music, but I'd read reviews and seen plenty of photographs of the production. It was one of those evenings when everything went right, with Helga Dernesch scoring a huge personal success as a radiantly aristocratic and beautiful Marschallin. At one point in the final trio I turned to a friend sitting next to me and she had tears streaming down her face. So taken was I with the performance that I went to the next one a couple of days later and, as soon as I'd saved up enough money, I bought this recording, which I've had in various incarnations ever since.


This present Warner re-master is the best I've ever heard and only adds lustre to what I think is one of the greatest opera recordings ever made. I can never quite understand why it is never mentioned in the same breath as, say the De Sabata Tosca or the Giulini Don Giovanni. When people come up with the inevitable comments about Schwarzkopf being mannered, I honestly don't know what they are talking about. Her Marschallin has it all; her tender teasing of Octavian at the beginning, the girlish playfulness with Ochs and then the change of mood through the levee, which you can hear the minute she tells Hippolyte he's made her look like an old woman. From their to the end of the act she is magnificent, combining verbal acuity with gorgeous lyrical tone. In the last act, every inch the aristocrat, she treats the Commandant with both dignity and kindness, takes a few swipes at Octavian, is indignantly furious with Ochs, and gently magnanimous with Sophie. I think it one the greatest portrayals of any role ever set down on disc.


By her side, she has a wonderfully youthful and ardent Christa Ludwig as Octavian, who grows from the gauche young lad of the first act to the more assured young man of the last one, a delightfully innocent and girlish Sophie in Teresa Stich-Randall and in Otto Edelmann an Ochs who manages to remind us that he is both a boor and an aristocrat. There are also superb cameos from the likes of Eberhard Wächter as Faninal, Nicolai Gedda as the Italian SInger, Ljuba Welitsch as the Duenna and Kerstin Meyer as Annina. With the Philharmonia in fantastic form and Karajan at the helm, this is a fabulous recording. I've known and loved it now for well nigh fifty years and I've never heard another to better it.

We all have our favourites of course and no doubt someone will try to point me in the direction of Solti or Haitink or Erich Kleiber, but I've heard them all my preference is firm.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 03, 2022, 12:18:36 PM
I don't have that, but I do have the film with Jurinac...

But I hope you've heard Fleming at least once. I have the DVD of this and I think it's superb in all respects.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51AEAZiyfCL._SY780_.jpg)
Not mentioned on that cover: Jonas Kauffman as a (ravenously hungry) Italian Singer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on June 03, 2022, 12:42:22 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2022, 11:44:01 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/OZFKk94PZqlmhIMvgYLGt8l9_A0l4BO7PUJtOhAJncI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:515/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODk5/MjE0LTE1OTM5MTIw/MjUtMzc3NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Der Rosenkavalier has a very special place in my heart. I first heard it in 1972 when Scottish Opera brought the revival of their hugely successful (and thankfully traditional) Anthony Besch production to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I would have been twenty and a large group of us had travelled from my home town of Darlington to see the production. I didn't know a note of the music, but I'd read reviews and seen plenty of photographs of the production. It was one of those evenings when everything went right, with Helga Dernesch scoring a huge personal success as a radiantly aristocratic and beautiful Marschallin. At one point in the final trio I turned to a friend sitting next to me and she had tears streaming down her face. So taken was I with the performance that I went to the next one a couple of days later and, as soon as I'd saved up enough money, I bought this recording, which I've had in various incarnations ever since.


This present Warner re-master is the best I've ever heard and only adds lustre to what I think is one of the greatest opera recordings ever made. I can never quite understand why it is never mentioned in the same breath as, say the De Sabata Tosca or the Giulini Don Giovanni. When people come up with the inevitable comments about Schwarzkopf being mannered, I honestly don't know what they are talking about. Her Marschallin has it all; her tender teasing of Octavian at the beginning, the girlish playfulness with Ochs and then the change of mood through the levee, which you can hear the minute she tells Hippolyte he's made her look like an old woman. From their to the end of the act she is magnificent, combining verbal acuity with gorgeous lyrical tone. In the last act, every inch the aristocrat, she treats the Commandant with both dignity and kindness, takes a few swipes at Octavian, is indignantly furious with Ochs, and gently magnanimous with Sophie. I think it one the greatest portrayals of any role ever set down on disc.


By her side, she has a wonderfully youthful and ardent Christa Ludwig as Octavian, who grows from the gauche young lad of the first act to the more assured young man of the last one, a delightfully innocent and girlish Sophie in Teresa Stich-Randall and in Otto Edelmann an Ochs who manages to remind us that he is both a boor and an aristocrat. There are also superb cameos from the likes of Eberhard Wächter as Faninal, Nicolai Gedda as the Italian SInger, Ljuba Welitsch as the Duenna and Kerstin Meyer as Annina. With the Philharmonia in fantastic form and Karajan at the helm, this is a fabulous recording. I've known and loved it now for well nigh fifty years and I've never heard another to better it.

We all have our favourites of course and no doubt someone will try to point me in the direction of Solti or Haitink or Erich Kleiber, but I've heard them all my preference is firm.

I agree with your assessment, esp. concerning Schwarzkopf's Marschallin, a crowning achievement on every level, vocal and verbal. My only slight disappointment with the performance is the Italian Singer's aria with Gedda. Maybe he had a cold that day. The voice isn't free and he sounds strained. But that's all. Everything else is perfect.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 03, 2022, 08:15:52 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 03, 2022, 11:44:01 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/OZFKk94PZqlmhIMvgYLGt8l9_A0l4BO7PUJtOhAJncI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:515/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODk5/MjE0LTE1OTM5MTIw/MjUtMzc3NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Der Rosenkavalier has a very special place in my heart. I first heard it in 1972 when Scottish Opera brought the revival of their hugely successful (and thankfully traditional) Anthony Besch production to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I would have been twenty and a large group of us had travelled from my home town of Darlington to see the production. I didn't know a note of the music, but I'd read reviews and seen plenty of photographs of the production. It was one of those evenings when everything went right, with Helga Dernesch scoring a huge personal success as a radiantly aristocratic and beautiful Marschallin. At one point in the final trio I turned to a friend sitting next to me and she had tears streaming down her face. So taken was I with the performance that I went to the next one a couple of days later and, as soon as I'd saved up enough money, I bought this recording, which I've had in various incarnations ever since.


This present Warner re-master is the best I've ever heard and only adds lustre to what I think is one of the greatest opera recordings ever made. I can never quite understand why it is never mentioned in the same breath as, say the De Sabata Tosca or the Giulini Don Giovanni. When people come up with the inevitable comments about Schwarzkopf being mannered, I honestly don't know what they are talking about. Her Marschallin has it all; her tender teasing of Octavian at the beginning, the girlish playfulness with Ochs and then the change of mood through the levee, which you can hear the minute she tells Hippolyte he's made her look like an old woman. From their to the end of the act she is magnificent, combining verbal acuity with gorgeous lyrical tone. In the last act, every inch the aristocrat, she treats the Commandant with both dignity and kindness, takes a few swipes at Octavian, is indignantly furious with Ochs, and gently magnanimous with Sophie. I think it one the greatest portrayals of any role ever set down on disc.


By her side, she has a wonderfully youthful and ardent Christa Ludwig as Octavian, who grows from the gauche young lad of the first act to the more assured young man of the last one, a delightfully innocent and girlish Sophie in Teresa Stich-Randall and in Otto Edelmann an Ochs who manages to remind us that he is both a boor and an aristocrat. There are also superb cameos from the likes of Eberhard Wächter as Faninal, Nicolai Gedda as the Italian SInger, Ljuba Welitsch as the Duenna and Kerstin Meyer as Annina. With the Philharmonia in fantastic form and Karajan at the helm, this is a fabulous recording. I've known and loved it now for well nigh fifty years and I've never heard another to better it.

We all have our favourites of course and no doubt someone will try to point me in the direction of Solti or Haitink or Erich Kleiber, but I've heard them all my preference is firm.

A fantastic recording, but not my reference --- my reference is the Bernstein, which Rafael (ritter) recommended to me awhile back:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51l6D-Tso1L._SL1196_.jpg)

Many listeners have an issue with Gwyneth Jones as Octavian and I'll admit she's not the same league as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf or Yvonne Minton, but Ludwig and Popp are exquisite and in fine voice. Walter Berry also sounds very good (I've always like his voice anyway). I also love Bernstein's interpretation but he does drive the music a bit hard. But you can tell he loves this opera and let's face it, Bernstein hasn't recorded much opera during his long career, but when he committed to recording something, it was going to be special even if a listener doesn't necessarily like the approach. The Wiener Philharmoniker are completely at home in the music, too. The sonics in my hybrid SACD remaster on Sony is remarkable, but I thought the original CD issue, which I also own, sounds pretty damn good, too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on June 04, 2022, 01:26:25 AM
Quote from: JBS on June 03, 2022, 10:13:22 AM
[The Karajan Frau ohne Schatten] is mono from 1964 and not stereo. That alone might be the cause of complaint.

Isn't that the performance where Karajan rearranged the order of scenes in Act II to cut down on scene changing? I'd certainly have complaints about that.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on June 04, 2022, 03:50:37 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 03, 2022, 08:15:52 PM
A fantastic recording, but not my reference --- my reference is the Bernstein, which Rafael (ritter) recommended to me awhile back:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51l6D-Tso1L._SL1196_.jpg)

Many listeners have an issue with Gwyneth Jones as Octavian and I'll admit she's not the same league as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf or Yvonne Minton, but Ludwig and Popp are exquisite and in fine voice. Walter Berry also sounds very good (I've always like his voice anyway). I also love Bernstein's interpretation but he does drive the music a bit hard. But you can tell he loves this opera and let's face it, Bernstein hasn't recorded much opera during his long career, but when he committed to recording something, it was going to be special even if a listener doesn't necessarily like the approach. The Wiener Philharmoniker are completely at home in the music, too. The sonics in my hybrid SACD remaster on Sony is remarkable, but I thought the original CD issue, which I also own, sounds pretty damn good, too.

I remember being knocked out the first time I heard this version - what a cast!  Also, the CBS (as was) engineering is remarkably good (better) than I often expect from this source.  Did they "borrow" Decca's Vienna set-up for this?  Your point about Bernstein's few opera recordings is well-made.  Given that he was such a 'theatrical' composer and conductor I wonder why he did not do more?  Perhaps his ego didn't like being hidden in a pit of pesky singers being more in the spotlight......!!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 04, 2022, 04:56:30 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on June 04, 2022, 03:50:37 AM
I remember being knocked out the first time I heard this version - what a cast!  Also, the CBS (as was) engineering is remarkably good (better) than I often expect from this source.  Did they "borrow" Decca's Vienna set-up for this?  Your point about Bernstein's few opera recordings is well-made.  Given that he was such a 'theatrical' composer and conductor I wonder why he did not do more?  Perhaps his ego didn't like being hidden in a pit of pesky singers being more in the spotlight......!!

An almost forgotten part of his career is the two operas he conducted with Callas at La Scala. The first was Medea in 1953, an almost forgotten work which he had to study and learn in a few days when he stepped in for an indisposed Victor De Sabata. After Callas sang the role in Florence earlier in the year to massive critical acclaim, La Scala decided to substistute the orginally planned Scarlatti Mitridate Eupatore. They were about to start rehearsals when De Sabata fell ill and they were left without a conductor for an opera that virtually nobody knew. One assumes Vittorio Gui, who conducted the opera in Florence, was not available. Bernstein was on a tour of Italy and, after she heard him conduct a concert, Callas apparently suggested him. He took on the assignment. learning and preparing his version of the opera in a few days, and the rest, as they say is history.

(https://i.discogs.com/P279wgf69t4XxtDJeToOnguE8CnaeaskXD_xqvGpaM8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:536/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExODE1/Njg3LTE1MjI4NjQ2/MDAtOTM4OC5qcGVn.jpeg)

He returned in 1955 to conduct La Sonnambula, the second of the famous Callas/Visconti La Scala productions and scored another huge success.

(https://i.discogs.com/21wYIscH2nSifIcfTWgtZxbr5prNXCdDann9bBb9z14/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:450/w:450/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNDU2/NTA5LTE1OTU3ODIw/NzItNjc3NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

However I don't know if he conducted much opera in the theatre after that.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on June 05, 2022, 03:48:11 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 04, 2022, 04:56:30 AM
However I don't know if he conducted much opera in the theatre after that.

At the same time (March 1955) as those La Sonnambulas, he was also doing Bohème at La Scala. In 1978, he conducted the Wiener Staatsoper forces in Fidelio at La Scala.

In Vienna, in addition to Fidelio, he conducted Falstaff, Rosenkavalier, and his own A Quiet Place. At the Met, he did Falstaff, Cavalleria Rusticana, and Carmen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 05, 2022, 04:12:06 AM
That's more or less what I was aware of regarding Bernstein conducting in the opera house. Most of it is available live (Medea and La Sonnambula with Callas from La Scala), or from studio recordings deriving from the live productions (Fidelio and Carmen on DG, Falstaff and Der Rosenkavalier on CBS/Sony).

Then there's the late Tristan from Munich (live recordings of concert performances, one act at a time) and La Bohème on DG (which AFAIK was not derived from any live event).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 05, 2022, 07:19:22 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on June 05, 2022, 03:48:11 AM
At the same time (March 1955) as those La Sonnambulas, he was also doing Bohème at La Scala. In 1978, he conducted the Wiener Staatsoper forces in Fidelio at La Scala.

In Vienna, in addition to Fidelio, he conducted Falstaff, Rosenkavalier, and his own A Quiet Place. At the Met, he did Falstaff, Cavalleria Rusticana, and Carmen.

I'd forgotten about the Vienna Fidelio and the Carmen with Horne.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 05, 2022, 12:40:15 PM
Spending the afternoon with
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41IWuLxF7CL._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61C2-ZONLkL._SY350_.jpg)
At the moment, the opening scene of Act II is playing.

Jacobs makes three important innovations

1. The original libretto has an opening scene with the Hermit and Agathe which Weber cut (on the advice, it seems, of his wife). There are is an aria for the Hermit and a duetto which he therefore did not set.  Jacobs set these with music borrowed from other parts of the opera..
2. In the official version, the character Kuno has a spoken monologue explaining the origin of the shooting contest. In the original  libretto the explanation is given as a sung ballad. Weber did not set it. Jacobs therefore adapted a song by Schubert (from Teufels Lustschloss) to provide the music.
3. Beyond the Wolf's Glen scene , there are various points in the action at which Samiel is visible to the audience (and to the villian Kaspar) but does not speak. Jacobs wrote lines for him to speak at those points so his presence would be noticed in an audio-only production like this. Much of what Samiel says in the recording was in fact improvised by the actor who performed the role, Max Urlacher.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 05, 2022, 07:24:47 PM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on June 04, 2022, 03:50:37 AM
I remember being knocked out the first time I heard this version - what a cast!  Also, the CBS (as was) engineering is remarkably good (better) than I often expect from this source.  Did they "borrow" Decca's Vienna set-up for this?  Your point about Bernstein's few opera recordings is well-made.  Given that he was such a 'theatrical' composer and conductor I wonder why he did not do more?  Perhaps his ego didn't like being hidden in a pit of pesky singers being more in the spotlight......!!

Yeah, it is strange he didn't record more as, like you said, he has such an affinity for the theatre. I guess we should be grateful for what we have, but could you imagine him in Berg's Wozzeck or Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth, I mean talk about wishful thinking.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 06, 2022, 01:32:04 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ASR6FAQ8L.jpg)

This live recording (in somewhat dim, distant sound) brings back memories of a production that was one of the highights of my early opera going career, though I saw the revival, by which time they had reverted to the original German and Janet Baker and Elizabeth Harwood had been replaced by Anne Howells and Teresa Cahill and Michael Langdon had taken over the role of Ochs. Scottish Opera were riding the crest of a wave at the time and vied wth London companies for Britain's best opera company.

The star of this performance was undoubtedly Janet Baker, who never sang the role of Octavian again. She is everything an Octavian should be; ardent, impulsive, youthfully gauche and with a fine and perhaps unexpected gift for comedy in the final act. She is in superb voice, filling her music with soaring, free tone. So too is Elizabeth Harwood as Sophie. Even at this early stage in her career, Dernesch, who gamely learned the role in English, has one or two moments of strain in the upper register (she muffs the high G at silberne Rose in the first act) but she is a warmly feminine and dignified Marschallin. I can attest to the fact that her acting and personal beauty made any such moments inconsequential. In fact, she walked away with the honours when I saw her in the role and she is still the most perfect Marschallin I have ever seen on stage.

(https://isoldes-liebestod.net/Isolde_Jpg_Ordner/D-G/Dernesch_Marschallin_ScoOp71.jpg)

Noel Mangin is perhaps a little light of voice for Ochs (Michael Langdon was better), but Alexander Gibson conducts a wonderful (and absolutely note complete) version of the score.

Disc 4 in this set is given over to the Prologue from a 1977 production of Ariadne auf Naxos with Janet Baker as the Composer, yet another role she never visited again. What a shame she dropped both roles from her repertoire, as she is ideal in both. Helga Dernesch is again in the cast, this time as the Prima Donna/Ariadne, though we hear little of her in the prologue. The performance is again in English and one should give a special word of praise to Iain Cuthbertson who is superb in the speaking role of the Majo-Domo. I'd be interested to hear Dernesch in the opera, but it is good to have this memento of Baker's wonderful Composer. The sound here is better than on the Rosenkavalier.

The set is rounded out with a live performance of Frauenliebe und Leben, though the notes don't tell us where this is from. The cycle (accomapanied by Martin Isepp) was one of Baker's first recordings for the Saga label in the mid 1960s and then she re-recorded it with Barenboim in 1977, just a couple of years before this one with Graham Johnson. Both her studio recordings are among the best available, but this one benefits from the added frisson of being performed before an audience.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 07, 2022, 02:10:48 AM
(https://www.talkclassical.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/https://www.talkclassical.com/attachments/salome-welitsch-jpg.169421/)

There is another Welitsch/Reiner performance from 1952 in better sound, with Hotter as Jokanaan, but Welitsch is in better voice here - and this really is a thrilling performance. Welitsch is, and no doubt always will be, my yardstick for the role. Her bright silvery top register has no problem cutting through the orchestration and her interpretation leaves little to be desired. She was, after all, coached in the role by Strauss himself. Reiner's conducting is superb, bringing out all the erotic decadence in the score.

This issue also includes music from a 1951 Don Giovanni, also conducted by Reiner and with Eugene Conley as Ottavio, and a 1950 Aida, this time under Emil Cooper with Ramon Vinay as Radames and Margaret Harshaw as Amneris. Welitsch is an exciting Anna but it is a bit casual with note values and tends to rush the beat. Her Aida was also well known, but the voice is a little too relentlessly bright for my taste here. Nonetheless these excerpts are very interesting to hear.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 08, 2022, 01:26:14 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/2URABnyndQVXF0INmqTFzUZQnnzKoi7d-z6wKGg1rTQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:437/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNzUz/NTY0LTE1NjAzNzk0/NTctMzM4OC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Karajan's 1978 recording of Salome is surely one of the most stunningly beautiful ever committed to disc. Whether you therefore miss some of the lurid decadence of the piece is a moot point and different people will have different reactions. Of the other studio versions I've heard (Solti, Leinsdorf and Sinopoli) this one is by far my favourite. Behrens was the perfect choice at this time, the voice having a silvery sheen on top and her characterisation being very much school of Welitsch. Behrens is the epitome of the spoiled, single-minded teenager and this is without doubt one of the best things she ever did on disc.

It is brilliantly cast (Van Dam as Jokanaan, Baltsa as Herodias and Böhm an excellent Herod) with even some star names amongst the Jews and Nazarenes. Only the rather fruity Page disappoints.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Biffo on June 08, 2022, 03:35:36 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 08, 2022, 01:26:14 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/2URABnyndQVXF0INmqTFzUZQnnzKoi7d-z6wKGg1rTQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:437/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNzUz/NTY0LTE1NjAzNzk0/NTctMzM4OC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Karajan's 1978 recording of Salome is surely one of the most stunningly beautiful ever committed to disc. Whether you therefore miss some of the lurid decadence of the piece is a moot point and different people will have different reactions. Of the other studio versions I've heard (Solti, Leinsdorf and Sinopoli) this one is by far my favourite. Behrens was the perfect choice at this time, the voice having a silvery sheen on top and her characterisation being very much school of Welitsch. Behrens is the epitome of the spoiled, single-minded teenager and this is without doubt one of the best things she ever did on disc.

It is brilliantly cast (Van Dam as Jokanaan, Baltsa as Herodias and Böhm an excellent Herod) with even some star names amongst the Jews and Nazarenes. Only the rather fruity Page disappoints.

+1 - my favourite Karajan recording
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 09, 2022, 05:59:56 AM
Some Napoleonic, proto-grand opéra today. Gaspare Spontini's Fernand Cortez ou la conquète du Mexique, recorded live at the 2019 Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, under the baton of Jean-Louis Tingaud.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/719cIN1kS0L._SX425_.jpg)

Some (many?) people say that Spontini is a bore, and that his best-known work, La Vestale, is just Norma's unappealing older sister. But, I really like La Vestale and Olympie, and find Spontini's style empire really attractive, think he has a sober but effective dramatic pacing, has a nice melodic gift, and is quite a master in the treatment of the orchestra.

Fernand Cortez is given here more complete that in the previous recording on Accord conducted by Jean-Paul Penin, and in general terms this newer recording is better (except for the French diction of some of the singers, which is quite poor).

It would be great if some enterprising opera company gave this Fernand Cortez and Wolfgang Rihm's Die Eroberung von Mexico on alternate evenings.  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on June 09, 2022, 06:59:50 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 09, 2022, 05:59:56 AM
Some Napoleonic, proto-grand opéra today. Gaspare Spontini's Fernand Cortez ou la conquète du Mexique, recorded live at the 2019 Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, under the baton of Jean-Louis Tingaud.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/719cIN1kS0L._SX425_.jpg)

Some (many?) people say that Spontini is a bore, and that his best-known work, La Vestale, is just Norma's unappealing older sister. But, I really like La Vestale and Olympie, and find Spontini's style empire really attractive, think he has a sober but effective dramatic pacing, has a nice melodic gift, and is quite a master in the treatment of the orchestra.

Fernand Cortez is given here more complete that in the previous recording on Accord conducted by Jean-Paul Penin, and in general terms this newer recording is better (except for the French diction of some of the singers, which is quite poor).

Speaking of which:

Quote from: Florestan on June 09, 2022, 06:53:33 AM
(https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b27320550cbc80521d3e1d80c14e)

I'm horrified by Mesple's diction while singing. I understand everything she says in spoken dialogues or recitatives but when she starts singing it's an unmitigated disaster, I understand nothing at all. Peter-Christoph Runge, not even a Frenchman, has a much, much better diction than her. Heck, even when listening to Joan Sutherland singing in French I can understand more.  ;D

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 09, 2022, 07:15:04 AM
Yeah, but Mme. Mesplé was French, born and bred, which makes it all the more regrettable. The singers in my recording from Florence have names like Luca, Davide, Leonard and Delia, so you could forgive them for not being intelligible.

Bonjour à vous, cher Monsieur!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on June 09, 2022, 07:21:03 AM
Quote from: ritter on June 09, 2022, 07:15:04 AM
Yeah, but Mme. Mesplé was French, born and bred, which makes it all the more regrettable.

Precisely. I am truly perplexed that a French-born singer can have such a bad French diction.

QuoteBonjour à vous, cher Monsieur!

Votre humble serviteur, cher maître!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 09, 2022, 02:54:58 PM
Quote from: ritter on June 09, 2022, 07:15:04 AM
Yeah, but Mme. Mesplé was French, born and bred, which makes it all the more regrettable. The singers in my recording from Florence have names like Luca, Davide, Leonard and Delia, so you could forgive them for not being intelligible.

Bonjour à vous, cher Monsieur!

I have quite a few recordings with Mady Mesplé (Offenbach operettas, Lakmé, Guillaume Tell, Werther etc) and I can't say I've ever found her diction to be bad. Quite the reverse in fact.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on June 10, 2022, 08:17:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 09, 2022, 02:54:58 PM
I have quite a few recordings with Mady Mesplé (Offenbach operettas, Lakmé, Guillaume Tell, Werther etc) and I can't say I've ever found her diction to be bad. Quite the reverse in fact.

Well, Auber's Manon Lescaut was my very first encounter with Mady Mesple and I was trully appallled by her diction (only when singing; the spoken dialogues or the recitatives are okay). I don't think it's a recording problem, all other singers, one of them not even a Frenchman, I can understand alright and the orchestral parts are crystal clear. I'm greatly intrigued and will certainly explore more of her recordings.

FWIW, I speak French fluently.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mapman on June 11, 2022, 08:09:13 PM
I've been watching the Moniuszko Vocal Competition. There are lots of impressive young singers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFj_L2XtlIA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFj_L2XtlIA)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on June 12, 2022, 01:26:06 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61RGO5VqQoL._SX425_.jpg)


Starting in on Zweden's Ring.  Without question, this is the finest recording of Das Rheingold that the Hong Kong Philharmonic has made.  It's just fine overall, and light and small-scaled, sort of like Karajan, but lacking the orchestral wizardry and studio trickery.  I look forward to the remaining installments.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2022, 01:25:14 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81maGLywboL._AC_SL1426_.jpg)

Szymanowski's senuous and ambiguously erotic opera is given a gorgeous performance here by Rattle and his superb cast and team.


The opera is quite short so we also get the not inconsiderable makeweight of Leif Ove Andsnes in the Symphony no 4 (Sifonia Concertante).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mirror Image on June 13, 2022, 06:17:04 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 13, 2022, 01:25:14 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81maGLywboL._AC_SL1426_.jpg)

Szymanowski's senuous and ambiguously erotic opera is given a gorgeous performance here by Rattle and his superb cast and team.


The opera is quite short so we also get the not inconsiderable makeweight of Leif Ove Andsnes in the Symphony no 4 (Sifonia Concertante).

The Rattle performance is pretty good, but this one is even better, IMHO:

(https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music/a1/61/a7/mzi.knuwmryu.jpg/600x600bb.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JonSRB77 on June 17, 2022, 12:31:48 PM
Marian Anderson sings 'Ave Maria' at the Lincoln Memorial on April 9, 1939

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtWLZYFfbis
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 25, 2022, 01:57:41 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/39ton3MF9P_hBkRCkJU12NAy_zqy5SvScwbn0NhAM5k/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:529/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk5OTY4/NTgtMTQ4OTk1ODIw/Mi01MDc2LmpwZWc.jpeg)

I first fell in love with Tchaikovsky's wonderful Eugene Onegin when I was still a teenager. My father got us tickets to see the opera in Glyndebourne's Touring production at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne. We none of usknew a note of the music and my father bought, in preparation, the old Oscar Danon recording on Decca Ace of Clubs, which was the only one available at the time. It's not a great performance and the recording did little to excite my interest, but the Glyndebourne performance certainly did.

Some years later I caught Andrei Serban's superb production for Welsh National Opera when it toured to Southampton, where I was rehearsing for a Christmas show at the Nuffield Theatre. That too was a memorable evening in the theatre.

Listening to this mavellous 1955 set again has renewed my love of the opera and my respect for Tchaikovsky's masterpiece, which I truly believe to be one of the greatest operas in the repertory. For a start, it is perfectly cast with the young Vishneskaya in one of her very best recorded performances. In fact there isn't a weak link. Lemshev, at 54, was probably a mite too old for Lensky, but he certainly doesn't sound like an old man. His Lensky is a poet through and through and is all the more effective for not overdoing the histrionics as some do. Petrov sings Gremin's aria with grave beauty and Belov, suitably distant and sardonic in the opening scenes, is convincingly and passionately desperate in the last. Over all very Khaikin presides, his understanding and control of the score absolutely spot on. This is as much his recording as the famous 1953 Tosca is De Sabata's. The sound is very acceptable mono.

There have been quite a few good recordings since this one, most of them in stereo, but I wouldn't prefer any of them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on June 25, 2022, 04:48:47 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/916yea1Iq2L._SS500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on June 25, 2022, 02:59:58 PM
(https://reviews.azureedge.net/gramophone/media-thumbnails/wagner_die_walkure_1.jpg)

A step up qualitatively from Zweden's Das Rheingold, it's compact and punchy, and some of the singing is quite fine for most roles.  Nice.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 27, 2022, 01:12:45 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/rnp0aBKv1cOqBD12HnzdvA15SIP-UddYq9YdhdSigCY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:521/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwOTQx/MDc3LTE1MDY4ODU5/NjItNjc2MC5qcGVn.jpeg)

An excellent performance of an opera that rarely gets an airing in the West (I remember the ENO doing it once some years ago). I don't think it's on the same level as either Eugene Onegin or Queen of Spades but it's interesting to hear one of Tchaikovsky's other operas occasionally.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2022, 03:01:32 AM
After spending the last 3 years or so exploring British then French composers, then JSB and Baroque period with great results, I thought I'd give operas a decent go too.

Prior to this little/massive/rabbit hole project, my only exposures to opera were:

- The Three Tenors  8)
- A DVD of the Magic Flute (Levine/Met I think) - bought early on in my classical music listening, never seen in full and given back to a charity shop ages ago.
- Attending (as a "blind" ticket purchase) the Touring ENO's Barber of Seville at Snape Maltings, actually a very joyful memory.

The only operas in my collection are:

- The Solti Wagner box - bought dead cheap, 99% unheard.
- The Vaughan Williams operas from the EMI Edition
- Dido and Aeneas (Baker)
- Stravinsky's Operas in the complete Works Craft Box.
- Also Solti's Carmen, Karajan's Fidelio and Gardiner's Fairy Queen.

My starting point is a top 100 operas list found online (as good an anything else):

https://www.top100ranked.com/top-100-operas-ranked/ (https://www.top100ranked.com/top-100-operas-ranked/)

I'm trying to keep an uncomplicated approach to it for now:

- find recommendations on the Opera board (or ask) for 3 or 4 highly regarded recordings in each opera as I go along.
- Read a basic synopsis before streaming/sampling those versions
- Pick a preferred version (or two tops) based on "Does the music/atmosphere draw me in as it is?" and "do I like the voices, combination thereof, and no voice that actually grates me"?). I have no prejudice or idea yet how a character is meant to sound or if it is technically fitting, so for now it simply boils down to its appeal or how it moves/entertain me.
- Have a full listen with libretto once I have picked a preferred version


So far, in the last few days:

Magic Flute
Narrowed down to Klemperer's and Abbado's. Listened to Klemperer in full and loved it. Abbado was my pick of the rest (while not being sure yet about the dialogues).

Carmen
Thoroughly enjoyed Solti's version (full listen). Abbado (with Berganza), again, ended up as a possible second pick.
(sampled also Karajan/Pryce and Pretre/Callas)

Rigoletto
Top pick was Giulini/Domingo/Cotrubas
(Also sampled Chailly/Pavarotti and Bonynge/Pavarotti)

Aida
Will be a tougher nut to crack than the previous three works but I ended up mesmerized at times by Caballe's singing on Muti's recording and pressed replay on a couple of Arias. A good sign in itself. One to explore further for sure.

Barber of Seville
Started with Abbado/Domingo/Battle, then Abbado/Prey/Berganza. Both seemed ok but then much preferred the male voices in a brief sampling of Gui/Los Angeles/Alva and Galliera/Callas/Gobbi. I'll explore further those latter two. I am not sure what to make of Maria Callas' voice yet though  :blank:

Thinking ahead, some questions please:

Q1 - I have bookmarked the following for La Boheme : (Votto, Callas, Di Stefano)   (Beecham, Los Angeles, Bjorling) (Karajan, Pavarotti, Freni).
Any other please ?

Q2 - What would be your 3-4 top recommendations of La Traviatta please ?

Q3 - I have bookmarked the following for Tosca : (Mehta, Domingo, Malfitano, Raimondi) (Davis, Carreras, Caballe, Wixell) (Karajan/Pryce/Di Stefano) (De Stabato, Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi). Does that sound about right ?

Q4 - What would be your 3-4 top recordings of Marriage of Figaro please ?

Exciting times, thank you  :)

(ps: is that ok to leave this in the listening thread? If it is better to put in a standalone thread, let me know)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on June 28, 2022, 03:10:27 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2022, 03:01:32 AM
After spending the last 3 years or so exploring British then French composers, then JSB and Baroque period with great results, I thought I'd give operas a decent go too.

Prior to this little/massive/rabbit hole project, my only exposures to opera were:

- The Three Tenors  8)
- A DVD of the Magic Flute (Levine/Met I think) - bought early on in my classical music listening, never seen in full and given back to a charity shop ages ago.
- Attending (as a "blind" ticket purchase) the Touring ENO's Barber of Seville at Snape Maltings, actually a very joyful memory.

The only operas in my collection are:

- The Solti Wagner box - bought dead cheap, 99% unheard.
- The Vaughan Williams operas from the EMI Edition
- Dido and Aeneas (Baker)
- Stravinsky's Operas in the complete Works Craft Box.
- Also Solti's Carmen, Karajan's Fidelio and Gardiner's Fairy Queen.

My starting point is a top 100 operas list found online (as good an anything else):

https://www.top100ranked.com/top-100-operas-ranked/ (https://www.top100ranked.com/top-100-operas-ranked/)

I'm trying to keep an uncomplicated approach to it for now:

- find recommendations on the Opera board (or ask) for 3 or 4 highly regarded recordings in each opera as I go along.
- Read a basic synopsis before streaming/sampling those versions
- Pick a preferred version (or two tops) based on "Does the music/atmosphere draw me in as it is?" and "do I like the voices, combination thereof, and no voice that actually grates me"?). I have no prejudice or idea yet how a character is meant to sound or if it is technically fitting, so for now it simply boils down to its appeal or how it moves/entertain me.
- Have a full listen with libretto once I have picked a preferred version


So far, in the last few days:

Magic Flute
Narrowed down to Klemperer's and Abbado's. Listened to Klemperer in full and loved it. Abbado was my pick of the rest (while not being sure yet about the dialogues).

Carmen
Thoroughly enjoyed Solti's version (full listen). Abbado (with Berganza), again, ended up as a possible second pick.
(sampled also Karajan/Pryce and Pretre/Callas)

Rigoletto
Top pick was Giulini/Domingo/Cotrubas
(Also sampled Chailly/Pavarotti and Bonynge/Pavarotti)

Aida
Will be a tougher nut to crack than the previous three works but I ended up mesmerized at times by Caballe's singing on Muti's recording and pressed replay on a couple of Arias. A good sign in itself. One to explore further for sure.

Barber of Seville
Started with Abbado/Domingo/Battle, then Abbado/Prey/Berganza. Both seemed ok but then much preferred the male voices in a brief sampling of Gui/Los Angeles/Alva and Galliera/Callas/Gobbi. I'll explore further those latter two. I am not sure what to make of Maria Callas' voice yet though  :blank:

Thinking ahead, some questions please:

Q1 - I have bookmarked the following for La Boheme : (Votto, Callas, Di Stefano)   (Beecham, Los Angeles, Bjorling) (Karajan, Pavarotti, Freni).
Any other please ?

Q2 - What would be your 3-4 top recommendations of La Traviatta please ?

Q3 - I have bookmarked the following for Tosca : (Mehta, Domingo, Malfitano, Raimondi) (Davis, Carreras, Caballe, Wixell) (Karajan/Pryce/Di Stefano) (De Stabato, Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi). Does that sound about right ?

Q4 - What would be your 3-4 top recordings of Marriage of Figaro please ?

Exciting times, thank you  :)

(ps: is that ok to leave this in the listening thread? If it is better to put in a standalone thread, let me know)

Q1 - I love the Solti/Domingo/Caballe/LPO/RCA La Boheme.  It has an urgency which the Karajan - which is fantastic - does not have
Q2 - anything with Anna Moffo in it is worth a hear - so I'd go for her Traviatta.  The Kleiber/Cotrubas is an "easy"/obvious recommendation.  Oddly - this is my least favourite of the big Verdi operas so I don't have any strong preferences
Q3 - Swap out Mehta, Domingo, Malfitano, Raimondi for Mehta/Domingo/Price/Milnes again on RCA.  Issues with the original sound that are a shame but the perfromance blazes
Q4 - not my area of speciality so no opinion here.....!

So many more great operas to hear!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2022, 03:15:47 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on June 28, 2022, 03:10:27 AM
Q1 - I love the Solti/Domingo/Caballe/LPO/RCA La Boheme.  It has an urgency which the Karajan - which is fantastic - does not have
Q2 - anything with Anna Moffo in it is worth a hear - so I'd go for her Traviatta.  The Kleiber/Cotrubas is an "easy"/obvious recommendation.  Oddly - this is my least favourite of the big Verdi operas so I don't have any strong preferences
Q3 - Swap out Mehta, Domingo, Malfitano, Raimondi for Mehta/Domingo/Price/Milnes again on RCA.  Issues with the original sound that are a shame but the perfromance blazes
Q4 - not my area of speciality so no opinion here.....!

That was quick! thank you for your suggestions RS, much appreciated.  0:)

Quote from: Roasted Swan on June 28, 2022, 03:10:27 AM
So many more great operas to hear!

A mere handful !! :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 28, 2022, 07:43:03 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2022, 03:01:32 AM
After spending the last 3 years or so exploring British then French composers, then JSB and Baroque period with great results, I thought I'd give operas a decent go too.

Prior to this little/massive/rabbit hole project, my only exposures to opera were:

- The Three Tenors  8)
- A DVD of the Magic Flute (Levine/Met I think) - bought early on in my classical music listening, never seen in full and given back to a charity shop ages ago.
- Attending (as a "blind" ticket purchase) the Touring ENO's Barber of Seville at Snape Maltings, actually a very joyful memory.

The only operas in my collection are:

- The Solti Wagner box - bought dead cheap, 99% unheard.
- The Vaughan Williams operas from the EMI Edition
- Dido and Aeneas (Baker)
- Stravinsky's Operas in the complete Works Craft Box.
- Also Solti's Carmen, Karajan's Fidelio and Gardiner's Fairy Queen.

My starting point is a top 100 operas list found online (as good an anything else):

https://www.top100ranked.com/top-100-operas-ranked/ (https://www.top100ranked.com/top-100-operas-ranked/)

I'm trying to keep an uncomplicated approach to it for now:

- find recommendations on the Opera board (or ask) for 3 or 4 highly regarded recordings in each opera as I go along.
- Read a basic synopsis before streaming/sampling those versions
- Pick a preferred version (or two tops) based on "Does the music/atmosphere draw me in as it is?" and "do I like the voices, combination thereof, and no voice that actually grates me"?). I have no prejudice or idea yet how a character is meant to sound or if it is technically fitting, so for now it simply boils down to its appeal or how it moves/entertain me.
- Have a full listen with libretto once I have picked a preferred version


So far, in the last few days:

Magic Flute
Narrowed down to Klemperer's and Abbado's. Listened to Klemperer in full and loved it. Abbado was my pick of the rest (while not being sure yet about the dialogues).

Carmen
Thoroughly enjoyed Solti's version (full listen). Abbado (with Berganza), again, ended up as a possible second pick.
(sampled also Karajan/Pryce and Pretre/Callas)

Rigoletto
Top pick was Giulini/Domingo/Cotrubas
(Also sampled Chailly/Pavarotti and Bonynge/Pavarotti)

Aida
Will be a tougher nut to crack than the previous three works but I ended up mesmerized at times by Caballe's singing on Muti's recording and pressed replay on a couple of Arias. A good sign in itself. One to explore further for sure.

Barber of Seville
Started with Abbado/Domingo/Battle, then Abbado/Prey/Berganza. Both seemed ok but then much preferred the male voices in a brief sampling of Gui/Los Angeles/Alva and Galliera/Callas/Gobbi. I'll explore further those latter two. I am not sure what to make of Maria Callas' voice yet though  :blank:

Thinking ahead, some questions please:

Q1 - I have bookmarked the following for La Boheme : (Votto, Callas, Di Stefano)   (Beecham, Los Angeles, Bjorling) (Karajan, Pavarotti, Freni).
Any other please ?

Q2 - What would be your 3-4 top recommendations of La Traviatta please ?

Q3 - I have bookmarked the following for Tosca : (Mehta, Domingo, Malfitano, Raimondi) (Davis, Carreras, Caballe, Wixell) (Karajan/Pryce/Di Stefano) (De Stabato, Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi). Does that sound about right ?

Q4 - What would be your 3-4 top recordings of Marriage of Figaro please ?

Exciting times, thank you  :)

(ps: is that ok to leave this in the listening thread? If it is better to put in a standalone thread, let me know)

Q1 and Q2
I don't have any particular favorites in these 2.  Perhaps the Solti recording with Caballe/Domingo/Milnes for Boheme.
Q3
Callas is the clear winner here
Q4
Herreweghe
Solti
Davis
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2022, 07:55:24 AM
Quote from: JBS on June 28, 2022, 07:43:03 AM
Q1 and Q2
I don't have any particular favorites in these 2.  Perhaps the Solti recording with Caballe/Domingo/Milnes for Boheme.
Q3
Callas is the clear winner here
Q4
Herreweghe
Solti
Davis

Thank you Jeffrey. I'll check your recs for Q4.

Edit: I have found a couple of different Davis and the Solti but I can't find the Herreweghe (either for streaming, nor on Presto or on a Google search. Would you have a link to the recording you had in mind please ? Thanks.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 28, 2022, 08:26:34 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2022, 07:55:24 AM
Thank you Jeffrey. I'll check your recs for Q4.

Edit: I have found a couple of different Davis and the Solti but I can't find the Herreweghe (either for streaming, nor on Presto or on a Google search. Would you have a link to the recording you had in mind please ? Thanks.)

Herreweghe Jacobs is on Harmonia Mundi: maybe that affects streaming opportunities.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/516K47d5AWL._SY780_.jpg)
The Davis I mean is the one originally on Philips. (I've never heard the one on RCA.) Presto has the full opera for download only or highlights CDs.
The most recent issue seems to be
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61bllolxmYL._SY780_.jpg)

ETA:
Blessed be. My brain said Herreweghe but it's really Jacobs! No wonder you couldn't find it!
As atonement here's the Presto listing. DL only it seems.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7928701--mozart-le-nozze-di-figaro-k492
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2022, 08:33:34 AM
No worries, You had me questioning meself for a bit there  :laugh:

I have found the Jacobs on Idagio too. All queued up, thank you again.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 12:54:44 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2022, 03:01:32 AM

Magic Flute
Narrowed down to Klemperer's and Abbado's. Listened to Klemperer in full and loved it. Abbado was my pick of the rest (while not being sure yet about the dialogues).

Carmen
Thoroughly enjoyed Solti's version (full listen). Abbado (with Berganza), again, ended up as a possible second pick.
(sampled also Karajan/Pryce and Pretre/Callas)

Rigoletto
Top pick was Giulini/Domingo/Cotrubas
(Also sampled Chailly/Pavarotti and Bonynge/Pavarotti)

Aida
Will be a tougher nut to crack than the previous three works but I ended up mesmerized at times by Caballe's singing on Muti's recording and pressed replay on a couple of Arias. A good sign in itself. One to explore further for sure.

Barber of Seville
Started with Abbado/Domingo/Battle, then Abbado/Prey/Berganza. Both seemed ok but then much preferred the male voices in a brief sampling of Gui/Los Angeles/Alva and Galliera/Callas/Gobbi. I'll explore further those latter two. I am not sure what to make of Maria Callas' voice yet though  :blank:

Thinking ahead, some questions please:

Q1 - I have bookmarked the following for La Boheme : (Votto, Callas, Di Stefano)   (Beecham, Los Angeles, Bjorling) (Karajan, Pavarotti, Freni).
Any other please ?

Q2 - What would be your 3-4 top recommendations of La Traviatta please ?

Q3 - I have bookmarked the following for Tosca : (Mehta, Domingo, Malfitano, Raimondi) (Davis, Carreras, Caballe, Wixell) (Karajan/Pryce/Di Stefano) (De Stabato, Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi). Does that sound about right ?

Q4 - What would be your 3-4 top recordings of Marriage of Figaro please ?

Exciting times, thank you  :)

(ps: is that ok to leave this in the listening thread? If it is better to put in a standalone thread, let me know)

A few more suggestions to add to what you have above, in the hope that it doesn't further confuse you. After all what one opera lover will love, another will not like at all. We can only give you our personal recommendations,

Magic Flute Klemperer and Abbado are fine, but I would add Böhm on DG, mostly for Wunderlich's peerless Tamino. Christie's HIP version is also a favourite of mine.

Carmen Callas is the most fascinating of all, both dangerous and beautiful, as Micaëla describes her, but it does use the old and now discredited Guiraud recitatives. That doesn't bother me, but some can no longer take them. This is late Callas and she sounds quite different from how she sounds in the 1953 Tosca, for instance.

Rigoletto The Serafin with Gobbi and Callas is one of the great recordings of the 1950s, almost as much a classic as the aforementioned Tosca. It uses the cuts traditional at the time, but Gobbi is wonderful as Rigoletto. I leaned this set to a fellow opera buff some years ago, who wanted to find a good recording. He'd tried Giulini and Bonynge, but neither really did it for him. He foud the Serafin a revelation.

Aida is a tricky one. It's not my favourite Verdi, but I have six recordings, probably because I don't find any of then completely satisfactory. Muti is probably the safest bet, and all round I'd probably give it the palm, but I do like Karajan II (with Freni, Carreras and Baltsa) and the Nile Scene has never been done better than by Callas and Gobbi on the Serafin. I also have the Pappano, which is the most recent studio recording. Aside from Kaufmann, I don't think any of the singers match those on earlier sets, but conducting and sound are superb. However I've noticed it tends to be the last one I pull down off the shelves.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia My favourites are Gui and Galliera. It appears to me that both exude a joy in performance that you never hear nowadays. Both adopt the traditional cuts, however. For a more modern performance, I quite like Marriner.

I think you've already listed the three best Bohemes.

Traviata is Callas, or rather Callas is Violetta. Unfortunately her studio recording is not great. It was recorded for Cetra. Callas is fine, but orchestra, conductor and the other singers are somewhat provincial. She is best heard at Covent Garden in 1958 (with Valletti and Zanasi), if you can find it. I don't think the Lisbon performance, which is on Warner, is in quite the same class. For a studio recording, then Kleiber with Cotrubas, Domingo and Milnes is an easy first choice.

Tosca is also easy. De Sabata with Callas, Gobbi and Di Stefano has remained a top choice now for almost 70 years. If you want a stereo recording, then Karajan with Price, Taddei and Di Stefano. These two really do outclass all the competition.

My favourite Figaro is Giulini, which I don't think has been mentioned so far, and don't forget Giulini's Don Giovanni, another classic recording of the gramophone.

Hope this all helps.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 29, 2022, 02:56:29 AM
Hi Tsara,

No confusion at all (yet...  :laugh:).

Thank you very much for taking the time and all those pointers. I'll write those down in my exploration spreadsheet and go rummage in Idagio 8) 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 29, 2022, 07:39:38 AM
Had a sampling shoot-out on La Traviata on various tracks of Act I

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028941513229/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)   (https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/090266888528/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)  (https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/8014399501453/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

The old sound of the Callas recording is too distracting for me at this early stage. Her voice is rubbing me the wrong way too, sadly. As I have learnt going through Bach's Cantatas, I will not write any voice off yet. I just need to find an entry point that works for me later on or just gaining more familiarity.

It is a close call between Moffo and Cotrubas. I like both voices, even if Moffo was a tiny bit shrill at times. Moffo's recording sounded more immediate and lively but I have found myself drawn in into the Cotrubas and wallowing into the music and singing.

Kleiber/Cotrubas makes the cut for a first recording to spend time with. More importantly, it sounds like like a very appealing work. Look forward to dive in properly.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 29, 2022, 08:54:30 AM
Myto releases can often leave a lot to be desired sound wise. The release Tsaraslondon had in mind was, I'm pretty sure, this one
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51swsOnOYaL._SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 09:45:55 AM
Quote from: JBS on June 29, 2022, 08:54:30 AM
Myto releases can often leave a lot to be desired sound wise. The release Tsaraslondon had in mind was, I'm pretty sure, this one
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51swsOnOYaL._SY780_.jpg)

Actually the Myto transfer is better than the ica one. I don't know what they did, but they eliminated a bit of operatic history. During the orchestral prelude you can usually make out Callas softly singing a couple of notes as she warms up, but these notes are completely absent from the ica version and the sound in general is a bit dull. Myto is absolutely fine.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 09:52:49 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on June 29, 2022, 09:32:51 AM
For Traviata, can I suggest Pavarotti & Sutherland? Both pretty much at their peaks when the recording took place. I think a Pavarotti high C is hard to beat, even if he sustains it past anything the score suggests!

As I said, you'll get a lots of different recommendations. I'm afraid I find Sutherland completely unconvincing as Violetta. Callas and Cotrubas are almost unbearably moving, but Sutherland doesn't move me one bit, I'm afraid.

Gheorghiu is an excellent Violetta too, but I'm not too fond of Solti's conducting, nor of her Alfredo and Germont.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 29, 2022, 09:55:20 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 09:45:55 AM
Actually the Myto transfer is better than the ica one. I don't know what they did, but they eliminated a bit of operatic history. During the orchestral prelude you can usually make out Callas softly singing a couple of notes as she warms up, but these notes are completely absent from the ica version and the sound in general is a bit dull. Myto is absolutely fine.

Ha! I heard that soft singing at the start, I did wonder why that was there!  ;D

(and thanks Jeffrey for mentioning that release too)

Quote from: absolutelybaching on June 29, 2022, 09:32:51 AM
For Traviata, can I suggest Pavarotti & Sutherland? Both pretty much at their peaks when the recording took place. I think a Pavarotti high C is hard to beat, even if he sustains it past anything the score suggests!

You certainly can. I'll sample it. Thank you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 10:05:02 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 29, 2022, 07:39:38 AM
Had a sampling shoot-out on La Traviata on various tracks of Act I

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028941513229/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)   (https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/090266888528/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)  (https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/8014399501453/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

The old sound of the Callas recording is too distracting for me at this early stage. Her voice is rubbing me the wrong way too, sadly. As I have learnt going through Bach's Cantatas, I will not write any voice off yet. I just need to find an entry point that works for me later on or just gaining more familiarity.

It is a close call between Moffo and Cotrubas. I like both voices, even if Moffo was a tiny bit shrill at times. Moffo's recording sounded more immediate and lively but I have found myself drawn in into the Cotrubas and wallowing into the music and singing.

Kleiber/Cotrubas makes the cut for a first recording to spend time with. More importantly, it sounds like like a very appealing work. Look forward to dive in properly.

Personally I find Moffo rather skates over the role's deeper meaning and I much prefer Cotrubas.

Callas can be an acquired taste, it is true, but once acquired, she can become almost a sickness. Even those who don't like her voice will agree that she was one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century. Not only does she accurately execute all the markings in the score, she understands the point of them, and you can't say that about many singers. Violetta was one of her greatest roles, by the way, and the one she sang more often than any other than Norma. I find the Covent Garden performance absolutely devastating in its truthfulness. Incidentally, to really appreciate Callas you really have to listen to her in a complete role, preferably with the libretto before you, for she will pay as much attention to a line of recitative as she does to a whole aria. A role was all of one piece for her.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 10:44:43 AM
PS. Here's my detailed review of the Callas Covent Garden performance.

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on June 29, 2022, 10:54:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 09:45:55 AM
Actually the Myto transfer is better than the ica one. I don't know what they did, but they eliminated a bit of operatic history. During the orchestral prelude you can usually make out Callas softly singing a couple of notes as she warms up, but these notes are completely absent from the ica version and the sound in general is a bit dull. Myto is absolutely fine.

Lord! My memory had you saying the opposite. Thanks for the correction.

Meanwhile I'm spending the afternoon with this
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Vp8wc1hbL._SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 02:41:55 PM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on June 29, 2022, 11:30:26 AM

I understand the criticism of Sutherland, though I don't agree with it, personally, because it's Traviata. I don't expect the soprano to 'move me' or 'convince me' viscerally as if we're dealing with a Strindberg play. It's Verdi (and it's opera, possibly the least-plausible of art-forms!). I expect my Verdi heroines to sound like Verdi. Sutherland does, I think.



Ah, that's where we differ. I do expect my Verdi heroines to move me and convince me, especially in certain of his operas, La Traviata being a case in point. I have a feeling Verdi did too. I suppose opera is, as you say, the least plausible of art forms (though I don't see it as being any less plausible than ballet) but I don't see why it shouldn't move the listener viscerally, at least as much as any play by Strindberg, to use your example. In fact, as its medium is music, I often find it more moving than straight theatre and usually Verdi's Otello  moves me more than Shakespeare's play. If it doesn't, then I think the performers aren't doing their job.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 12:23:43 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on June 29, 2022, 09:32:51 AM
For Traviata, can I suggest Pavarotti & Sutherland? Both pretty much at their peaks when the recording took place. I think a Pavarotti high C is hard to beat, even if he sustains it past anything the score suggests!

Sampling this one this morning. Not too bad, even if Sutherland's voice takes me a bit of getting used to. I'll stick to Contrubas for my initial full exploration version for now but will keep this one up my sleeve for future reference. Pavarotti is indeed not too shabby  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 12:33:47 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 10:05:02 AM
Personally I find Moffo rather skates over the role's deeper meaning and I much prefer Cotrubas.

Callas can be an acquired taste, it is true, but once acquired, she can become almost a sickness. Even those who don't like her voice will agree that she was one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century. Not only does she accurately execute all the markings in the score, she understands the point of them, and you can't say that about many singers. Violetta was one of her greatest roles, by the way, and the one she sang more often than any other than Norma. I find the Covent Garden performance absolutely devastating in its truthfulness. Incidentally, to really appreciate Callas you really have to listen to her in a complete role, preferably with the libretto before you, for she will pay as much attention to a line of recitative as she does to a whole aria. A role was all of one piece for her.

Thank you for this perspective. I'll keep trying Callas anyway for any other future operas where her version comes recommended.

Case in point, I sampled her in Barbiere Di Siviglia last night (Galliera, Gobbi, Alva) and the impression was more positive. This is a close call for which version to pick between this one, Abbado/Domingo/Battle and Gui/Los Angeles/Alva/Cava.  Gui and Galliera have the edge for now.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 10:44:43 AM
PS. Here's my detailed review of the Callas Covent Garden performance.

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/)

Thank you, I'll read that later today.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2022, 12:37:05 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 12:23:43 AM
Sampling this one this morning. Not too bad, even if Sutherland's voice takes me a bit of getting used to. I'll stick to Contrubas for my initial full exploration version for now but will keep this one up my sleeve for future reference. Pavarotti is indeed not too shabby  ;)

The Kleiber set with Cotrubas is somethig of a reference recording, so you can't really go wrong. I was actually fortunate enough to see Cotrubas as Violetta many years ago now. She was truly wonderful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2022, 12:49:11 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 12:33:47 AM
Thank you for this perspective. I'll keep trying Callas anyway for any other future operas where her version comes recommended.

Case in point, I sampled her in Barbiere Di Siviglia last night (Galliera, Gobbi, Alva) and the impression was more positive. This is a close call for which version to pick between this one, Abbado/Domingo/Battle and Gui/Los Angeles/Alva/Cava.  Gui and Galliera have the edge for now.


There is another Abbado version, which is probably more recommendable than the one with Domingo as Figaro. I've never quite taken to Domingo as a baritone, I'm afraid. The earlier Abbado has Hermann Prey, Teresa Berganza and Luigi Alva again. If I remember correctly, it's also complete, which isn't true of Gui and Galliera, though I find both much more fun.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 01:28:01 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2022, 12:49:11 AM
There is another Abbado version, which is probably more recommendable than the one with Domingo as Figaro. I've never quite taken to Domingo as a baritone, I'm afraid. The earlier Abbado has Hermann Prey, Teresa Berganza and Luigi Alva again. If I remember correctly, it's also complete, which isn't true of Gui and Galliera, though I find both much more fun.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028945773322/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

This one ? I had tried that version too but found it a bit underwhelming.


I have seen some mentions of Domingo switching from Tenor to Baritone in other threads and comments like yours. Around what time did that happen? The reason I am asking is that Idagio still list him as a Tenor on the Abbado recording in question (unless they list Domingo as a Tenor by default - just checked Presto and they list him as a Tenor as well on that recording). To be honest, if I like a voice, its category won't worry me to me much anyway.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2022, 04:04:13 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 01:28:01 AM
(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028945773322/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

This one ? I had tried that version too but found it a bit underwhelming.


I have seen some mentions of Domingo switching from Tenor to Baritone in other threads and comments like yours. Around what time did that happen? The reason I am asking is that Idagio still list him as a Tenor on the Abbado recording in question (unless they list Domingo as a Tenor by default - just checked Presto and they list him as a Tenor as well on that recording). To be honest, if I like a voice, its category won't worry me to me much anyway.

Yes that's the one. I confess I find it a bit dull too. I much prefer Gui and Galliera. For a more modern recording, I prefer the Marriner, which is also uncut and has a strong cast in Thomas Allen, Agnes Baltsa and Francico Araiza.

I think he still considered himself a tenor, but started dipping his toes into baritone repertoire with this Barbiere. Figaro is after all quite a high baritone role. I have a feeling that, as a soprano, Battle sings in higher keys too, whereas both De Los Angeles and Callas sing Rosina in the original mezzo keys, though they too are both sopranos.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2022, 04:18:58 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on June 30, 2022, 01:45:31 AM
Well, it's music, so I expect all of it to move me.
I was more taking issue with the concept of a particular soprano being 'convincing' in an art form where dragons, dwarves, gods, Chinese emperors and US Naval Captains are often found wandering about the stage! So long as the notes come out as the composer intended, that's about as much as I can reasonably expect, I think.


La Traviata is slighty different though. It is based on Alexandre Dumas's Lady of the Camelias and the central character was based on the true life courtesan Marie DuPlessis. In fact, audiences in Verdi's day at first found it difficult to accept on the operatic stage a contemporary tale in modern dress and the premiere was something of a flop, not just because of the modern setting, but because the rather plump soprano was an unconvincing consumptive. When it was produced again, they changed the date to the time of Louis XIV and cast a more convincing soprano and the opera was a huge success. After that it reverted to the correct setting with no problem.

In fact quite a few operas deal with non-mythical people and beasts, particularly those by Verdi. He may have set a few historic dramas, but he never wrote about dragons, dwarves, gods or Chinese emperors.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on June 30, 2022, 04:28:15 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 02:41:55 PM
Ah, that's where we differ. I do expect my Verdi heroines to move me and convince me, especially in certain of his operas, La Traviata being a case in point. I have a feeling Verdi did too. I suppose opera is, as you say, the least plausible of art forms (though I don't see it as being any less plausible than ballet) but I don't see why it shouldn't move the listener viscerally, at least as much as any play by Strindberg, to use your example. In fact, as its medium is music, I often find it more moving than straight theatre and usually Verdi's Otello  moves me more than Shakespeare's play. If it doesn't, then I think the performers aren't doing their job.

I'm with you 100% on this.  The whole point of any theatrical art form and the performers who take part in it - from Shakespeare's "Wooden O" through to the most modern production - is to make the audience suspend their disbelief.  Rationally we know they are not who they say they are; Kings/Dragons/dying from TB - but a great performance makes you believe they are.  I'm not sure I believe Absolutely Baching is completely OK with any singer singing say Peter Grimes as long as they just hit the notes!  The great/amazing thing about theatre/ballet/opera is the recreation/reimagining of the 'dead' text in the 'living' performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 06:36:49 AM
More fruitful sampling today.

Narrowed La Boheme for now down to Karajan/Pavarotti/Freni and Solti/Caballe/Milnes/Domingo (Votto and Beecham are put away for another time)

The choice was quite harder for Nozze De figaro: Gardiner and Giulini came out top to my ears but Davis (in this case, RCA above Philips) and Solti weren't really far behind either. I enjoyed the combination of singers in all of them. Also tried Jacobs and Currentzis but they weren't my cup of tea.

Onwards - Sampling Tosca

This is fun 8)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 09:39:55 AM
I ended up narrowing Toscadown to Karajan/Price and Davis/Caballe/Carreras. My opera streaming list for our holiday ahead is looking very exciting.

Please may I ask for a few more recommendations:

Q5 - Verdi / Il Trovatore: from the mentions in threads, I already line up Mehta/Price/Domingo, Karajan/Callas/Di Stefano, Giulini/Domingo/Plowright. Any other please ?

Q6 - Mozart - Don Giovanni : Lined up are Abbado/Keenlyside/Salminen and Giulini/Waechter/Schwarzkopf. What else please ?

Q7 - Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier : Which recordings beside Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Edelmann/Ludwig ?

Q8 - Puccini - Madama Butterfly ?

Thank you in advance  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2022, 11:16:43 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/w8D8PvmV566G4Up-UCzNrEVj2DhFsWh4kkKqC4uhOuE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:438/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0MTky/NTk2LTE1Njk2MDM2/MjctODE3NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

I love this opera and this is a very fine performance, even if Grigorian doesn't quite erase memories of Nelepp. The opera is about obsession and addiction and Tchaikovsky's score, which is often overtly dramatic, refelects that. I love it at least as much as Eugene Onegin.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 30, 2022, 11:35:57 PM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 30, 2022, 09:39:55 AM
I ended up narrowing Toscadown to Karajan/Price and Davis/Caballe/Carreras. My opera streaming list for our holiday ahead is looking very exciting.

Please may I ask for a few more recommendations:

Q5 - Verdi / Il Trovatore: from the mentions in threads, I already line up Mehta/Price/Domingo, Karajan/Callas/Di Stefano, Giulini/Domingo/Plowright. Any other please ?

Q6 - Mozart - Don Giovanni : Lined up are Abbado/Keenlyside/Salminen and Giulini/Waechter/Schwarzkopf. What else please ?

Q7 - Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier : Which recordings beside Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Edelmann/Ludwig ?

Q8 - Puccini - Madama Butterfly ?

Thank you in advance  :)

Karajan's and Davis's Tosca are both very fine, particularly Karajan, which would be my stereo choice for the opera, but please don't ignore De Sabata, which, though mono, is one of the undisputed greatest opera recordings ever made. Even those who don't normally like Callas will admit its superiority. The most recent Warner transfer is by far the best.

(https://i.discogs.com/9bOnHGNtEWmmS599aEQRUNQ7mUHds2LNM2BMEd-8JNM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkzMjQ2/NjMtMTU0MjIxMTE1/Ni05NDE5LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Your three Il Trovatore choices are all front-runners. You should be ok with them.

Don Giovanni - Giulini is a classic and is constantly wins in surveys of the opera's recording history, even after all these years, most recently in Gramophone and in BBC Radio's Building a Library porgramme. For a more modern take, try Gardiner.

The early Karajan Rosenkavalier is easily my favourite recording of the opera, and I've never needed another. Again which transfer you choose is quite important. Warner's recent transfer was overseen by the original stereo engineer of the recording and is by far the best,

(https://i.discogs.com/OZFKk94PZqlmhIMvgYLGt8l9_A0l4BO7PUJtOhAJncI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:515/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODk5/MjE0LTE1OTM5MTIw/MjUtMzc3NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

On the other hand there are those who swear by Solti. It's not for me, as I am not a Solti fan, but it's also a front runner, as is Haitink with Te Kanawa as the Marschallin.

Most people will no doubt recommend Karajan's stereo Madama Butterfly with Freni and Pavarotti, which is absoutely gorgeous, so who am I to disagree? I don't have it though, and my favourite recordings are Karajan I with Callas as the most tragic of Buterflies, Gavazzeni with De Los Angeles and Barbirolli with Scotto. All three are more dramatically compelling in my book.

Happy listening.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 01, 2022, 07:55:10 AM
Thank you, I have added the Butterfly recommendations to my playlist.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: idia legray on July 02, 2022, 08:47:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 29, 2022, 09:52:49 AM
As I said, you'll get a lots of different recommendations. I'm afraid I find Sutherland completely unconvincing as Violetta. Callas and Cotrubas are almost unbearably moving, but Sutherland doesn't move me one bit, I'm afraid.

Gheorghiu is an excellent Violetta too, but I'm not too fond of Solti's conducting, nor of her Alfredo and Germont.
I so completely agree with your opinion when it comes to Violetta. You have named two who touch my heart, along with the Solti Gheorghiu, and I do like Lopardo.  It isn't that I don't like Sutherland's performance, it's simply that I am not receiving that gut feeling when she interprets the part.  Her singing is gorgeous.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 02, 2022, 02:34:54 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/DH-Bvimfez9ALlnJbPvHFEHTjaeiCTf5-hPNiEsxmSw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1NTg0/NDAwLTE1OTQwNDg5/MTEtNjM4MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

The rather tacky cover and title does not reflect the quality of this disc, which includes quite a few arias from little known Tchaikovsky operas. Documentation is also a bit shoddy and I can't see anyhwere in the notes which arias are allocated to the various singers, easy enough to work out with the two men, as one is a baritone the other a tenor, but not so simple with the two sopranos. Fortunatey I managed to find a Gramophone review, which says who sings what.


Both sopranos are good, but Galante is particularly fine in Tatyana's Letter Scene which is also the most popular item on the disc. The tenor is a bit effortful, but the other singers are all excellent and this is a very worthwhile collection.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on July 03, 2022, 04:04:15 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61RzbfGMdLL._SX425_.jpg)

The opera as a whole is very fine, in the smaller-scale, punchier, not weighed down style of Karajan or Krauss.  It does not equal those two - my two faves - and both Siegfried and Brunhilde have been notably bested on record, yielding a third act that is not all it could be, but this is none too shabby.  Had I paid to see the performances, I would not have been disappointed.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 05, 2022, 06:13:04 AM
Rossini - Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Galliera / Callas / Gobbi / Alva
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 05, 2022, 06:53:20 AM
(I think "une Voce Poco fa" is going quite some way to show me the benefits of having some Callas in my life  0:) )
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 05, 2022, 06:58:40 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on July 05, 2022, 06:53:20 AM
(I think "une Voce Poco fa" is going quite some way to show me the benefits of having some Callas in my life  0:) )
Then listen to her in "Care compagne...Come per me sereno" from La Sonnambula, the mad scenes from Lucia di Lammermoor and I Puritani, and in all of Norma, and you'll be bowled over.... :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 05, 2022, 07:14:28 AM
Quote from: ritter on July 05, 2022, 06:58:40 AM
Then listen to her in "Care compagne...Come per me sereno" from La Sonnambula, the mad scenes from Lucia di Lammermoor and I Puritani, and in all of Norma, and you'll be bowled over.... :)

Steady on Rafael  :-[ Please remind me of those when I get to those operas  ;) I am only starting the shoot-outs on my pre-selections done last week, while on the sun lounger in Ibiza, as one should  :laugh:

Now, my other contender in the Barber, Gui / De Los angeles
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 05, 2022, 08:06:15 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on July 05, 2022, 07:14:28 AM
Steady on Rafael  :-[ Please remind me of those when I get to those operas  ;) I am only starting the shoot-outs on my pre-selections done last week, while on the sun lounger in Ibiza, as one should  :laugh:

Now, my other contender in the Barber, Gui / De Los angeles

Another excellent contender. Oddly enough, both were recorded in the 1950s.

When it comes to Norma, there really is only Callas and it usually boils down to which of her two studio recordings to go for, though the best all round performance is live, from La Scala in 1955. Caballé was also an excellent Norma, but her studio recording is not that satisfactory and she is best heard (and seen) on the video of a famous performance from Orange.

The Bartoli set should be avoided at all costs.  >:D

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 06, 2022, 08:09:50 AM
On the Barbiere, I can't find anything to separate the Gui and the Galliera. The both draw me in and mesmerise me completely. I'll buy both.

The Abbado/Domingo/Battle has not made that cut.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 07, 2022, 10:25:39 AM
Listened to this Traviata in full today, simply a thing of beauty. Another one in the basket  8)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028941513229/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

Opera, like JSB, is nothing to be afraid of after all, is it... :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 08, 2022, 02:20:51 AM

I have just started on a concentrated spell of Verdi listening, and intend to listen to all the Verdi opera recordings in my collection. I started with the Requiem, of which I have three recordings (Giulini on EMI, Muti's first studio recording and a live 1981 Muti recording, which was given its first official release last year).
.
I've now moved on to the operas and first it's the turn of Aida.

(https://i.discogs.com/bGo5BC05Ik99nRX9QOheb9GpVKZ9Bl-Ip59EBkMthck/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNDU2/NjQ3LTE1NzA0NTg2/MjAtNDA0MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

This is the earliest of my six recordings of the opera and, in all but matters of sound, I have a feeling none of the others will match it for thrills. I can ony imagine what it must have been like to be in the theatre on that night in 1951. Where would you find a cast like this today? Well, you wouldn't, would you?

It's famous for Callas's stupendous high Eb in the Triumphal Scene, but it's a good deal more than just that. Oralia Domnguez, who made far too few commercial recordings, was making her local debut in the role and is one of the best Amerises you will ever hear. Del Monaco is better at playing the hero than the lover, and he does rather bawl his farewell to life, but there is the at least the compensation of a voice in full bloom. Taddei is a superb Amonasro and the Nile scene is one of the most thrilling you wil ever hear. In fact the whole cast, orchestra, chorus and conductor are on fire.

Admittedly, this isn't the most subtle performance you will ever hear, but the singing is just spine tingling. As for the sound, it's a lot better on this issue than on some of the others that were around for years, though obviously lo-fi and hardly up to the standard of mono studio recordings of the time.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on July 08, 2022, 04:09:34 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 08, 2022, 02:20:51 AM
I have just started on a concentrated spell of Verdi listening, and intend to listen to all the Verdi opera recordings in my collection.

I'm puzzled. Is this not what you usually do most the time?  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 08, 2022, 07:03:37 AM
Quote from: Florestan on July 08, 2022, 04:09:34 AM
I'm puzzled. Is this not what you usually do most the time?  :D

Haha. Not that often actually, and it must be at least a year since I've done a concentrated spell of Verdi listening. I've been working through  my collection for a while now, taking one composer at a time, so Verdi's been quite a long time coming. With the amount of Verdi CDs I have, he'll probably keep me going till Christmas!  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 08, 2022, 01:51:37 PM
Revisiting (after decades) Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71YtVyQJQoL._SL1500_.jpg)

I've always had a certain "antipathy" towards Donizetti (despite some magnificent moments in some of his works), as I find his art much cruder than that of Rossini and Bellini, and see him as a trailblazer of the more vulgar aspects that permeate much of Verdi's output.

This dramma semiserio (or comédie larmoyante) was composed for Vienna, and earned its composer a great success, but is now almost forgotten. With a Savoyard and Parisian setting, the story is one of a girl deceived, who then goes mad, recovers, and in the end love triumphs. In other words, there's no interest whatsoever to the plot. What we do have is a sort of "Italian Biedermeier", which is a historical curiosity.

The recording (from Naples in 1956) boasts many starry names: the eternal also-ran —in a decade dominated by the Callas / Tebaldi "rivalry"— Antonietta Stella (whose coloratura is approximative, but has a sweet tone), Fedora Barbieri (more suited to e.g. Amneris than to the breeches rôle of Pierotto), the ever elegant Cesare Valletti,  and two notable baritones, Giuseppe Taddei and Renato Capecchi. All led with gusto by that doyen of the Italian opera pit in the post-WW2 years, Tullio Serafin.

A period piece (the work and the recording), but with a certain quaint charm.

And boy, the photographer who took Signora Stella's picture for the cover deserves to be summarily shot!  The cover designer mustn't have been the sharpest tool in the box either, and what he did is invert the picture of the original LP cover (which in itself was no masterpiece — see below), and for some unfathomable reason add two brushes and what looks like a torn carpet.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51-T0KdDCqL._AC_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 09, 2022, 02:40:51 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/rJFAXb4Cti-AHuvLzXQwm9AFzMGK8cGpKVoK_iMNsks/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:594/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIwMzAz/MzU5LTE2MzIxNTYw/ODQtODE2MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

After the success of her 1952 Normas, Callas returned to London in June 1953 to sing three operas, Norma again, Aida and Il Trovatore. Though her Norma again won great praise and her Leonora was applauded as revelatory, reviews for her Aida were more mixed. Interestingly, after further performances in Verona the following month, she never sang the role again, except for the studio recording in 1955. I doubt the weight loss had anything to do with her decision to drop it from her repertoire, for, to judge from photographs, she looked bigger in 1953 than she had been in Mexico in 1951.

There are no barnstorming top Ebs in this performance and in general it is more subtle than the Mexico performance, meaning we miss a lot of the thrills, and the temperature is quite a few degrees lower throughout. Barbirolli is less of an asset than you might expect. There is a lot more light and shade to be sure, but the performance is a bit short on excitement. Callas and Simionato are the best of the soloists. Baum, though not quite as bad as his reputation would suggest, nonetheless tends to sing forte throughout, though he tames it down a bit in the last aria, maybe at the behest of Barbirolli. Walters is no Taddei, and the Nile Scene lacks the tension and drama of Mexico. One point of interest is the presence of Joan Sutherland as the Priestess in Act I scene ii.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 09, 2022, 02:56:54 AM
A first listen to Mozart - Don Giovanni.

(Giulini, Wächter, Schwarzkopf)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 10, 2022, 02:20:56 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Ra8gJhgd5p0UCaOET9epusigztw-MZpKhI91xWjG-ug/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODI3/NDcxLTE1NDI3MjM4/NTAtODczNy5qcGVn.jpeg)

This 1955 studio recording is rarely anyone's first choice for the opera, and I always forget just how good it is until I listen to it again.


True, by the time Callas came to record the role, her days as Aida were behind her and her voice has thinned out quite a bit since the thrilling 1951 Mexcio performance, but this is 1955, which was the year of some of her most spectacular successes, so, though she may not command the sweetness of tone some will think essential for an Aida, she is still in pretty good voice. Dramatically her Aida is a good deal more interesting than any other singer I've heard in the role, the very epitome of the slave princess torn between love and duty.


She also has a pretty good cast around her. Tucker may not be as elegant as some, and he does tend to aspirate and sob, but the voice itself is in splendid shape. Barbieri is a tremendous Amneris, at least as good as SImionato and Dominquez and Gobbi is superb as Amonasro, the quintessential warrior king, implacable and single-minded and yet able to inject a little affection into his duet with Aida, which bristles with electricity. Really Callas and Gobbi did much of their best work together. Someone should release a compilation of their duets.


The oft underrated Serafin is superb and, quite honestly, I think this is one of the best conducted sets to be heard. What a shame it wasn't in stereo.


A more detailed review on my blog ​https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/aida/​​​ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/aida/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on July 10, 2022, 03:29:45 PM
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/za/3d/ksgjr45pp3dza_600.jpg)

Wrapping up Zweden's Ring.  An excellent ending.  Some singers don't match <Insert Golden Age Wagnerian Here>, but for me only Eric Halfvarson's Hagen ends up disappointing in key moments, but those moments are fleeting.  Overall, an eminently enjoyable Ring Cycle.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on July 11, 2022, 01:20:36 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71iPUAiL9FL._SX342_.jpg)

Just arrived in the mail today, a Blue-ray of The Fiery Angel, recorded in March 2021 at the Theater and der Wien:


Markus Butter ... Mathias / Faust
Kristjan Johannsson ... Innkeeper / A Servant (as Kristján Jóhannsson)
Andrew Owens ... Jakob Glock / A Doctor
Natascha Petrinsky ... Hostess of the Inn / Abbess
Nikolai Schukoff ... Agrippa von Nettesheim / Mephistopheles
Bo Skovhus ... Ruprecht
Aušrinė Stundytė ... Renata
Alexey Tikhomirov ... Inquisitor
Elena Zaremba ... Fortune Teller

Constantin Trinks ... conductor
Andrea Breth ... stage director

Directed (for TV) Tiziano Mancini

Looking through the archives, I see this is the second Breth production that I've seen, the first being a Berlin Lulu that I referred to as "shit" back in 2015 (the production, the performance was very good). This is a lot better, though certainly not for purists. It takes place entirely in a psychiatric ward, most of the characters, including Renata and Ruprecht are patients, the Hostess of the Inn / Abbess and Agrippa von Nettesheim / Mephistopheles are medical staff, appearing throughout, not just when those characters are onstage. Even when they're the character, they're still in their medical garb. The Inquisitor is some sort of official in a suit, perhaps the head of the hospital. He ends the opera by putting a bullet in Renata's forehead. So what happens to the plot if the two leads are just delusional? And the "Innkeeper" gives Ruprect an injection early in the first scene, so perhaps the whole thing is just a drug-induced hallucination? Still, the execution is brilliant, and the performers, especially the two leads, really throw themselves into it. Stundytė was the Mother Jeanne in the recent Munich production of The Devils of Loudon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 11, 2022, 04:43:01 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Zin3Wxfu6-7t4uNOEg9GP72pvRQsQqN35dHsyVZ5m4k/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgzODQy/MTQtMTQ2MDU2NjIy/NS0xMjk4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

The Muti recording of Aida has always been a good central recommendation for the opera, ever since it was first issued in 1974, an excellent performance, though not, in the final analysis, my favourite.

Principal amongst its virtues is Caballé's Aida, which is one of the best things she ever did for the gramophone. She is dramatically alive and compelling, especially in the Nile Scene, where her singing of O patria mia is exemplary, the final top C spun out on a pure thread of sound that no other Aida quite manages; truly the dolce ending Verdi asks for. Unfortunately Cappuccilli's Amonasro is a bit of a dull dog, and he is nowhere near as interesting as either Taddei or Gobbi.

Domingo is also something of an asset. I suppose his Radames is a little generic, but his musical manners are a great deal better than Del Monaco, Baum or Tucker and in general I prefer him. Cossotto is also excellent, but I don't prefer her to Dominguez, Simionato or Barbieri, all of whom I have enjoyed recently.

Muti is fine, but I prefer Serafin on the studio Callas performance. If only Serafin had better sound. Still, this set deserves its reputation and remains one of the best around.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 12, 2022, 07:56:31 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/3Ly-e6spi9j_SmpgRQBnIsF3RCKpiS7pO3Cb61en7Gw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:529/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg2Njkz/MzItMTQ2NjM1Mjg3/OC03MDgyLmpwZWc.jpeg)

When discussing the best recordings of Aida, people rarely mention this, the second of Karajan's two studio recordings, and I always forget just how good it is until I listen to it again.


Principal among its virtues is Karajan's spacious, but still vitally dramatic conducting, less inclined to be self-consciously beautiful as in the first, and the superb playing of the Vienna Philharmonic. The sound is really good too, wide ranging but warmly ambent.


So what of the singers? The best of them is I think Baltsa, who is a really interesting Amneris. For once, she sounds, as she should, like a young, haughty Princess and a valid rival for Aida. She sounds both sensual and absolutely thrilling in the more dramatic moments, especially in Act IV. Freni and Carrears are on the light side, it is true, but both are convincing in their respective roles. Freni's performance is on a smaller scale than either Caballé or Callas, no doubt, but I still enjoyed it and Carreras's voice was in prime condition when he made the recording. I actually preferred his performance here to Domingo on the Muti. Cappucilli is moer dramaticaly alive here than on Muti also, but he's still no match for Gobbi and Taddei. Raimondi and Van Dam are excellen in the bass roles and we even get the silken voiced Ricciarelli as the Priestess.


I think, all in all, I prefer this set to the Muti. I found it much more involving.

ttps://tsaraslondon.com/2019/06/14/karajans-second-recording-of-aida/ (http://ttps://tsaraslondon.com/2019/06/14/karajans-second-recording-of-aida/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 13, 2022, 05:02:15 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 12, 2022, 07:56:31 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/3Ly-e6spi9j_SmpgRQBnIsF3RCKpiS7pO3Cb61en7Gw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:529/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg2Njkz/MzItMTQ2NjM1Mjg3/OC03MDgyLmpwZWc.jpeg)

When discussing the best recordings of Aida, people rarely mention this, the second of Karajan's two studio recordings, and I always forget just how good it is until I listen to it again.


Principal among its virtues is Karajan's spacious, but still vitally dramatic conducting, less inclined to be self-consciously beautiful as in the first, and the superb playing of the Vienna Philharmonic. The sound is really good too, wide ranging but warmly ambent.


So what of the singers? The best of them is I think Baltsa, who is a really interesting Amneris. For once, she sounds, as she should, like a young, haughty Princess and a valid rival for Aida. She sounds both sensual and absolutely thrilling in the more dramatic moments, especially in Act IV. Freni and Carrears are on the light side, it is true, but both are convincing in their respective roles. Freni's performance is on a smaller scale than either Caballé or Callas, no doubt, but I still enjoyed it and Carreras's voice was in prime condition when he made the recording. I actually preferred his performance here to Domingo on the Muti. Cappucilli is moer dramaticaly alive here than on Muti also, but he's still no match for Gobbi and Taddei. Raimondi and Van Dam are excellen in the bass roles and we even get the silken voiced Ricciarelli as the Priestess.


I think, all in all, I prefer this set to the Muti. I found it much more involving.

ttps://tsaraslondon.com/2019/06/14/karajans-second-recording-of-aida/ (http://ttps://tsaraslondon.com/2019/06/14/karajans-second-recording-of-aida/)

My favourite recording of the opera, bar none, mostly on account of the orchestral contribution and sound. The conducting is just as you describe it and the WP outclass every others in sheer beauty of tone, heft and involvement. I second your description of the singers' contributions. Carreras is particularly fine in the Nile scene. His ascent into head voice at Vivrem beati d'eterno amore is just stunning. And he's the only tenor to realize the dramatic potential of Tu, Amonasro!...tu, il Re? Numi! che dissi? No!...non è ver!...sogno...Delirio è questo...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 13, 2022, 05:25:10 AM
Quote from: André on July 13, 2022, 05:02:15 AM
My favourite recording of the opera, bar none, mostly on account of the orchestral contribution and sound. The conducting is just as you describe it and the WP outclass every others in sheer beauty of tone, heft and involvement. I second your description of the singers' contributions. Carreras is particularly fine in the Nile scene. His ascent into head voice at Vivrem beati d'eterno amore is just stunning. And he's the only tenor to realize the dramatic potential of Tu, Amonasro!...tu, il Re? Numi! che dissi? No!...non è ver!...sogno...Delirio è questo...

For some reason, when people consider great recordings of the opera, they tend to concentrate on Karajan I, and this one gets forgotten, even by me, but when I do listen to it I'm also almost surprised at how good it is.

I've listened to six different recordings of the opera over the last six days (I'm listening to the Pappano at the moment) and I think I may have enjoyed the Karajan set the most. Of course it's not strictly comparable to the live ones I listened to, as the sound on both (Callas, Mexico 1952 and Callas/Barbirolli London) doesn't even compare with good mono recordings of the period. The sound on the Karajan is in another world and, though I may prefer certain singers in individual roles (especially Gobbi and Taddei as Amonasro) the cast on this one is still pretty good.

Incidentally, I haven't posted my impressions of the Pappano yet, but it's not performing that well against Karajan at the moment.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on July 13, 2022, 03:01:47 PM
Purchased and received, but not actually listened to yet:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WZVT1tl3L.jpg)

After all this opera's been through, it deserves a non-multitasked listen from me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 14, 2022, 02:09:17 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA3MjQ1OS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2Mzg3Nzh9)

So I come to the final Aida in my collection, which also happens to be the most recent recording. It was released in a blaze of publicity in 2015, the first major studio recording of an opera in many years, and garnered great reviews all round. I enjoyed it at the time and I've listened to it a few times since, but I've noticed it's the last one I think of pulling down from the shelves. Listening to it now, straight after my five other recordings, I'm conisdering binning it. I doubt I'll listen to it again.

Sound and conducting are great, it's true, but the conducting isn't a notable improvement on my other two favourites (Serafin and Karajan) and the sound, superb though it is, isn't that much better than the Karajan. As for the singers, every single one of them is bettered by someone else on one of the other sets. Best of them is, without doubt, Kaufmann, who as always sings with intelligence and musicality. His pp morendo close to Celeste Aida is amazing, but I do miss the ring on top notes we get from all the other tenors, even Domingo and Carreras. Tézier isn't bad, but no match for Gobbi or Taddei, nor Cappuccilli whose tone is much more italianate too. There's nothing special about Semenchuk either, and she is easily outclassed by Dominguez, Simionato, Barbieri, Cossotto and Baltsa. But the real stumbling block for me is Harteros. Freni shows us how a lighter voice can work in this music, but quite honestly I thought Harteros sounded like Minnie Mouse on occasion. The voice just isn't that lovely. She has some good intentions, but she doesn't really have the equipment to pull them off. She attempts a pp dolce top C at the end of O patria mia but it just ends up acird and insecure. At no point does she challenge Freni, let alone Callas or Caballé. If Price were in the reckoning, I have no doubt that she too would wipe the floor with her.

So of all the six sets I've listened to in the last few days, I'm afraid this is the most expendable. I doubt I'll bother with it again.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 15, 2022, 02:52:02 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/tbFga0U9_VqYshu2nR_kkrW428WRH3sIRxjmVr15GVI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMjYz/ODM4LTE1MTI5OTYy/MzYtOTU5OC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Is Alzira as bad as it's reputation? Well, maybe not, though it has less interest than Giovanna d'Arco, which preceded it and Attila, which followed. There is much that is formulaic and it betrays signs of being composed in a hurry, but some of the music, especially the finales to Acts I and II aren't bad at all.

Gardelli, always at his best in early Verdi, makes a great case for it. I'm not sure why this wasn't recorded for Philips, but it does mean we get a slightly different team of soloists from those who appeared on the Philips recordings. Araiza and Cotrubas are both on the light side, but she is, as usual, most affecting, especially in her contribution to the duet with Bruson' Gusmano, il pianto l'angoscia di lena. On the other hand, Araiza does sound somewhat stretched in a role that needs a bit more heft. Bruson is excellent.

Not then, the greatest of Verdi's early operas, but not without interest, and always worth the occasional outing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: André on July 15, 2022, 11:50:19 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on July 14, 2022, 02:09:17 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA3MjQ1OS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2Mzg3Nzh9)

So I come to the final Aida in my collection, which also happens to be the most recent recording. It was released in a blaze of publicity in 2015, the first major studio recording of an opera in many years, and garnered great reviews all round. I enjoyed it at the time and I've listened to it a few times since, but I've noticed it's the last one I think of pulling down from the shelves. Listening to it now, straight after my five other recordings, I'm conisdering binning it. I doubt I'll listen to it again.

Sound and conducting are great, it's true, but the conducting isn't a notable improvement on my other two favourites (Serafin and Karajan) and the sound, superb though it is, isn't that much better than the Karajan. As for the singers, every single one of them is bettered by someone else on one of the other sets. Best of them is, without doubt, Kaufmann, who as always sings with intelligence and musicality. His pp morendo close to Celeste Aida is amazing, but I do miss the ring on top notes we get from all the other tenors, even Domingo and Carreras. Tézier isn't bad, but no match for Gobbi or Taddei, nor Cappuccilli whose tone is much more italianate too. There's nothing special about Semenchuk either, and she is easily outclassed by Dominguez, Simionato, Barbieri, Cossotto and Baltsa. But the real stumbling block for me is Harteros. Freni shows us how a lighter voice can work in this music, but quite honestly I thought Harteros sounded like Minnie Mouse on occasion. The voice just isn't that lovely. She has some good intentions, but she doesn't really have the equipment to pull them off. She attempts a pp dolce top C at the end of O patria mia but it just ends up acird and insecure. At no point does she challenge Freni, let alone Callas or Caballé. If Price were in the reckoning, I have no doubt that she too would wipe the floor with her.

So of all the six sets I've listened to in the last few days, I'm afraid this is the most expendable. I doubt I'll bother with it again.

Exactly. Once again I second all your findings here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 16, 2022, 03:11:43 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/PEJsaC4vxeTYehvsNTj-w-GH3xe_PlEqIJEcW-e__DE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:527/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzMjU4/NTE5LTE1NTA4NzUw/NDYtNTc5NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Recorded live at Carnegie Hall in 1979, this is a splendid performance of Verdi's 1857 re-working of the unsuccessful Stiffelio, which was composed in 1850. Much of the music is the same, but there are enough differences to make it worthwhile to view them as separate works.

In general I prefer the autonomy of Stiffelio, but there is some splendid music in Aroldo which we don't hear in the earlier opera. In particular, Mina emerges as a much stronger character than her opposite in the earlier opera and Caballé is in splendid form here. Cecchele isn't the most subtle of artists but we'd be grateful to hear such a voice today.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 17, 2022, 12:58:02 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/EiQYUz4sYsNS1MPgqD5eTXd29tIz0dFO8fQKYpGagbk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:522/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg4NDQz/NTAtMTU0MTU2Njc3/OC0zMzQyLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Attila has always had a tenuous hold on the repertoire and it's certainly a lot better than Alzira, with a great role for a basso cantate. They're aren't that many, let's face it. Among much that is formulaic, there are some pages of real inspiration and it also provides thee great roles for soprano, tenor and baritone.

This, the first of Gardelli's first two recordings (the other is on Hungaraton) has a lot going for it, not least the singing of the three men. Raimondi may not have quite the authority he would have later in his career, but his is a voice well suited to the role. Excellent performances too from both Bergonzi and Milnes. What lets it down is the pallidly voiced Odabella of Cristina Deutekom. The role has many of the same requirements as Abigaille, including fluent coloratura and cutting power both on high and down below. Deutekom gets round the notes well enough, but she has no discernible chest voice and the voice is just too light. Neither of her two big scenes make the impression they should, which is a shame because they should be highlights of the score, and they just aren't. Listen to Sutherland singing Santo di patria or Callas or Caballé in O nel fuggente nuvola and you will hear what's missing.

However Gardelli's natural, unforced conducting is a good reason to acquire this set, and his cast is on the whole better here than the later one on Hungaraton. Sass may be a more apt choice for Odabelle but she is past her best. The Muti is well cast too, Studer definitely an improvement on Deutekom, but in general the men on this one tip the balance back towards it and Muti's conducting can be a bit too emphatic.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 23, 2022, 11:09:03 AM
While cooking for a lunch I'm hosting tomorrow at home, listened to Puccini's La Fanciulla del West, in this recording (the first the work received):

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513rU1Kk8UL.jpg)

My impressions (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,26890.msg1270025.html#msg1270025) are the same as when I first bought this recording a couple of years ago.

Great fun (the opera and the cooking ;))!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 24, 2022, 03:16:44 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/qWxDF7QZTy4JoJUDQR9ATlnO4HHMw1kSJZUFBNOUN1U/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:596/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMTQy/MDYwLTE1MTA2MTc5/NzctNzUxOS5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/zFOjcv95xl9cF1Y2zCV1KjSZYALXRPrb8T2Q78GJAHI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0OTk2/NzYxLTE1ODUyNzg1/MzktNjY5NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

I never can decide which of these two excellent sets I prefer. The studio recording was recorded in 1956 before Callas had sung Amelia on stage and the live one at the 1957 prima of a new production at La Scala. Gavazzeni is the more exciting, more propulsive conductor, Di Stefano and Callas are great on both, Barbieri and Simionato both superb and, if Bastianini has the more enitled baritone, Gobbi creates a more interesting character. Ratti is shrill and acrid on both.

I've done a more thorough comparison on my blog if anyone's interested. https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 25, 2022, 08:38:48 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/rlhLGKa0emOqsw7g_3WLF6tmjWG10n9Po9yszuerXPs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:525/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNzY2/MTgwLTE1NDE1NjQ0/NzQtNzE1MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Verdi in patriotic form, La Battaglia di Legnano was first staged in 1849, only two years before Rigoletto and Verdi's own voice is becoming more and more noticeable. Verdi himself thought quite highly of it, though it is rarely staged these days.


This is an excellent recording of the piece, with particularly fine contributions from the young Ricciarelli and Carreras, both of whom were in their early 30s at the time of the recording. Manuguerra, though much older shows few signs of it and likewise gives a fine performnce. Gardelli is as always exemplary in early Verdi.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 27, 2022, 02:28:53 AM
Puccini
La Bohème
Act IV
(Karajan, Freni, Pavarotti)

I am having a moment here... what a heart-breaking beauty... :-[
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 28, 2022, 02:14:47 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/k8Lto2SOztz39foUhjDUcLQQ3vwCHpLTy3chKB9UeEQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:521/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg3MTkx/MjItMTU0MTU2NDcx/Mi00NDczLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Il Corsaro gets about as bad a press as Alzira but I thinkit's a good deal better than that opera. Amidst much that is routine and formulaic, there are a few gems, amongst which can be numbered the arias for the two women and the prison scene for Corrado, which opens with a most arresting orchestral introduction.

As ever Gardelli's conducting is spot on and has three wonderful princap singers. Carreras has rarely done anything better for the gramophone and his voice is at its early, honeyed best. Norman is luxury casting in the secondary soprano role of Medora, who gets one of the loveliest moments in the score with her Act I romanza and Caballé is in great voice as Gulnara. Gian-Piero Mastromei who sings the baritone role of Seid, is the least interesting of the singers, but he also gets the least interesting music to sing.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 30, 2022, 12:37:42 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/-sckwPreY-b3DtNkpZ_-sRFLidQJzC-5ogtcqmZwaLo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:528/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE3OTgy/OTEwLTE2MTY3MTQ5/MDUtOTUxNy5qcGVn.jpeg)
I have three different recordings of Don Carlos though I usually quip that what I really have is three recordings of three different operas, as each conductor chooses a different edition of the score. Giulini opts for the five act version in Italian, which still seems to me the most sensible option, though what music to include or not include in that version will no doubt always be a matter of debate.

Ultimately, though, I don't really care which version they choose. I love this opera. For all its flaws, I think it contains some of Verdi's greatest music and some of his most fascinating, most fallibly human characters. It might just be my favourite of all his operas.

What a superb recording this is too, a performance that has acquired something of a classic status. Giulini has never been a flashy conductor and his thoughtfulness and introspection are well suited to the dark tinta of this wonderful score. It is also brilliantly cast from top to bottom. Caballé was at her peak in 1971 when this recording was made and this is a performance to se beside her Aida in the Muti recording. Verrett, caught before she migrated to soprano roles, is a vital, thrilling Eboli. The men are just as good, though Domingo, a little generic here, woud later become a more interesting Carlo. Milnes and Raimondi are superb too and we get fine contributions from Foiani as the Grand Inquisitor and Estes as the Friar.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: TheGSMoeller on July 30, 2022, 05:46:12 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71BVT8NcKeL._SL1500_.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/616KbLF-uUL._SL1200_.jpg)

Finally got around to watching these two operas, and didn't realize until I started Salome that they were both staged by Romeo Castellucci. For musical performance and interpretation they were both excellent, and the leads of both operas were spectacular, especially Asmik Grigorian as Salome.
The stage production of Moses was mesmerizing while the Salome was not as effective. Moses begins in a calming haze of white that eventually fades as the opera gets closer to the second act. Aron's rod looks like it's straight out of Kubrick's 2001, and yes that is a real bull being used on stage. It eventually becomes a pretty messy stage (literally with black ink) and closes with mountain climbers, but the minimalist set allows for an easy focus on the words and music, and since, I believe, the majority of the setting is just "the desert" this leaves plenty of room for visual interpretation, which I feel worked brilliantly here. It was a shocking yet stunning production, one I will revisit soon. Moses und Aron is quickly moving into my top 5 favorite operas.
Salome filmed at the Salzburg Festival, is performed on a huge stage and perhaps that is the reason it didn't necessarily translate well onto a TV but I felt I was missing things as watching. And some of the staged choices by Castellucci meant no actually dancing during the famous "dance" number, and at the end nothing or nobody visibly kills Salome, which for someone not familiar with the opera or story might've left confused. But still sounded great, would love to have this on a CD version.   

Next up in my BluRay collection is a Death in Venice production and a revisit of Birtwistle's The Minotaur.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Olias on July 30, 2022, 06:39:57 PM
(https://www.good-music-guide.com/Users/mekelrogers/Desktop/Cost%20Fan%20Tutte%20-%20Mozart.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on July 31, 2022, 07:28:49 AM
I bought the Dynamic DVD collection "Rossini Serio (e semi-serio)" of seven operas several months ago, but just finished watching my first selection.

Maometto Secondo from La Fenice Theatre, Venice, 2005

Maometto secondo: Lorenzo Regazzo
Selimo: Federico Lepre
Paolo Erisso: Maxim Mironov
Anna: Carmen Giannattasio
Calbo: Anna Rita Gemmabella
Condulmiero: Nicola Marchesini
 
Conductor: Claudio Scimone
 
Orchestra of La Fenice Theatre of Venice
Chorus of La Fenice Theatre of Venice
Chorus master: Emanuela Di Pietro
 
Director: Pier Luigi Pizzi

The collection's very short on documentation. The back of the box lists the singers (last name only) for each opera, the conductor, director, and subtitle languages, and that's it. I had to do some exploring for more details, including this note on the edition used, from the Dynamic website: "The Maometto II here recorded corresponds only in part to the original score (Naples, 1820), which is the version generally performed nowadays; it is, instead, the revision made for Venice's Teatro La Fenice staged on 26th December 1822 as opening title of the 1823 Carnival season, the same season which, on February 3rd, would also see the debut of Semiramide. For Venice Rossini tried to soften the monolithic character of his Neapolitan score, introducing an opening symphony, making changes - some of them quite substantial - to the score and, especially, giving the plot a happy ending."

The "happy ending" features the heroine singing "Di tanti palpiti" from La Donna del Lago. I thought the singing was very good, and the production was fine.

(https://www.dynamic.it/resize/Image.php?frm_width=220&frm_height=220&ico=1&f=http://www.dynamic.it/prodotti/immagini/33492.jpg)

(https://www.dynamic.it/resize/Image.php?frm_width=220&frm_height=220&ico=1&f=http://www.dynamic.it/prodotti/immagini/37888.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on July 31, 2022, 08:29:54 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/ormv8WeLy6wogeyoSaepbLfdbb7OpCWb4r9rKk_ttQs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:535/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIzNTkw/OTQzLTE2NTU3Mjg0/OTItNjM1MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

If this recording had better sound and had included the Fontainebleau act, I'd be tempted to place the performance above the famous Giulini, which I was enjoying just a couple of days ago. As it is, I really do think the Fontainebleau act is essential as it gives us so much more context for the behaviour of Carlo and Elisabeth in the rest of the opera. The other problem with this set is the sound, which is subject to all sorts of weird balances and has a dynamic so wide as to make listening an uncomfortable experience for anyone without a sound-proofed listening room. Of course, there's always headphones, but here there are probems too, as you constantly have to adjust the volume to avoid terminal deafness. A particularly bad example is the scene at night in the Queen's garden. Carreras is recorded so distantly that you can hardly hear him. However moments later the next orchestral tutti blasts you out of your seat.

All of which is a great pity, because this is a very good performance indeed with some wonderful singing from all the soloists. Carreras and Freni have often been considered too light of voice for their respective roles, but I find them both most affecting, Carreras capturing both Carlo's instability and his desperation and Freni both dignified and noble. Cappuccilli is much more involved than he sometimes could be and Ghiaurov and Raimondi superb as Philip and the Grand Inquisitor. Act IV (or Act III, as it is here), one of the greatest scenes not only in Verdi but in all opera is quite magnificent. Karajan captures to perfection the sad despair of the opening introduction and paces the scene brilliantly from thence onwards, until Baltsa brings it to an exciting close with her thrillingly sung O don fatale.

The casting is luxurious indeed with Gruberova as Tebaldo, Van Dam as the Monk and Barbara Hendricks as the Voice from Heaven. If only the sound had been as good as on the roughy contemporaneous Aida, which was recorded in Vienna with the VPO. This was recorded in Berlin with the BPO.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 03, 2022, 12:13:15 PM
Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila (Act I) gets a rare outing tonight chez ritter. First listen to the 1946 recording (the work's first ever?) with Hélène Bouvier, José Luccioni, Paul Cabanel et al., and the Paris Opéra forces conducted by Louis Fourestier.

From the Warner Saint-Saëns Edition:

(https://www.warnerclassics.com/sites/default/files/styles/release_and_playlist_cover_756_x_756_2x/public/2021-07/0190296746048_Camille%20Saint-Sa%C3%ABns%20Edition_preview.jpg?itok=IBaK6sXZ)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 04, 2022, 01:57:08 AM
Really enjoying Abbado's Magic Flute right now!  8)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk0NDAwNS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjQ3OTY3ODV9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 02:29:57 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAzNDQ5OC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NzExMzU2NTd9)

This was quite an enterprise when it was issued in 1985. Not only was it the first major studio recording of the opera in French, but Abbado included in an appendix music cut from the first performance, excised from the 1882-83 four act version, or recomposed in that revision.

This time round, I foud this set an absorbing listen and emereged with renewed admiration for this great, but flawed score. The French language does give the score a slightly different tinta, reflected in Abbado's thoughtful conducting. Unfortunately, save for Domingo's sensitive and highly strung Carlos, much more multi faceted here than in the Italian version under Giulini, the cast doesn't really match up to those on Karajan and Giulini. Ricciarelli is a sensitive, greatly affecting Elsiabeth, but itsn't quite up to the big moments, Valentini-Terrani too light voiced for Eboli, Nucci a somehwat unimaginative Posa and Raimondi and Ghiaurov, having swapped roles since Karajan, are just past their best.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed listening to the opera yet again, even if I would place this set slightly below my others (Giulini and Karajan).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 04, 2022, 03:00:49 AM
Tsara,

Which of Karajan's Don Carlo are you referring to please ? I have already sampled the Giulini, I could do with an alternative or two for comparison. Thank you.


(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAzNzYxMC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0ODY5OTA1MjN9)   (https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMTExNi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjQ3OTc4Mzd9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 04, 2022, 03:06:30 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 02:29:57 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAzNDQ5OC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NzExMzU2NTd9)

This was quite an enterprise when it was issued in 1985. Not only was it the first major studio recording of the opera in French, but Abbado included in an appendix music cut from the first performance, excised from the 1882-83 four act version, or recomposed in that revision.

This time round, I foud this set an absorbing listen and emereged with renewed admiration for this great, but flawed score. The French language does give the score a slightly different tinta, reflected in Abbado's thoughtful conducting. Unfortunately, save for Domingo's sensitive and highly strung Carlos, much more multi faceted here than in the Italian version under Giulini, the cast doesn't really match up to those on Karajan and Giulini. Ricciarelli is a sensitive, greatly affecting Elsiabeth, but itsn't quite up to the big moments, Valentini-Terrani too light voiced for Eboli, Nucci a somehwat unimaginative Posa and Raimondi and Ghiaurov, having swapped roles since Karajan, are just past their best.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed listening to the opera yet again, even if I would place this set slightly below my others (Giulini and Karajan).

Thanks for your interesting  comments on this recording, Tsaraslondon, with which I mostly agree. This was an ambitious project by Abbado, and despite its flaws, I find this to be an enjoyable reading of one IMHO Verdi's greatest achievements. I think Don Carlos works much better in French than in Italian --even if the geratest recordings of the opera are of the Italian version(s), e.g. Giulini's on EMI). I have always had a weakness for Ricciarelli, Valentini-Terrani's lighter, "Rossinian"Eboli does work in a way, and Domingo is great in the lead rôle. OTOH, I find Nucci rather pedestrian (here and elsewhere), and unfortunately the French pronunciation of many of the singers leaves a lot to be desired.

Quote from: Papy Oli on August 04, 2022, 03:00:49 AM
Tsara,

Which of Karajan's Don Carlo are you referring to please ? I have already sampled the Giulini, I could do with an alternative or two for comparison. Thank you.


(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAzNzYxMC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0ODY5OTA1MjN9)   (https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMTExNi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjQ3OTc4Mzd9)

I think he's referring to the studio set on EMI / Warner (with a similar cast to the live one on Orfeo that you posted, Olivier).

(https://i.discogs.com/ormv8WeLy6wogeyoSaepbLfdbb7OpCWb4r9rKk_ttQs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:535/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIzNTkw/OTQzLTE2NTU3Mjg0/OTItNjM1MS5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 04, 2022, 03:18:07 AM
Quote from: ritter on August 04, 2022, 03:06:30 AM
I think he's referring to the studio set on EMI / Warner (with a similar cast to the live one on Orfeo that you posted, Olivier).

(https://i.discogs.com/ormv8WeLy6wogeyoSaepbLfdbb7OpCWb4r9rKk_ttQs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:535/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIzNTkw/OTQzLTE2NTU3Mjg0/OTItNjM1MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Good afternoon Rafael, and Gracias!  8)
Still finding my feet rummaging in the opera world but I am starting to register singers' names that have appealed to me so far (and appear in some of my purchases so far). This version certainly has 2 or 3 of them. Weirdly though, I can't find it on Idagio, Qobuz or Presto. Only a couple of used copies on Ebay. I'll have a look on YT.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 04, 2022, 05:35:17 AM
Pardon my ignorance but is there any more variations in Don Carlo(s) than the French/Italian one ?

I thought I had found the Karajan EMI on youtube (matching cast as far I can see : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqDUXFszPCc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqDUXFszPCc) ) but it starts completely differently to the Giulini I have been streaming. Karajan starts with a sombre opening and singing. Giulini has loud brass and chorus.

I am confused. Is the work on YT not actually Don Carlo ? Thank you in advance.  :-[
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 05:59:42 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 04, 2022, 05:35:17 AM
Pardon my ignorance but is there any more variations in Don Carlo(s) than the French/Italian one ?

I thought I had found the Karajan EMI on youtube (matching cast as far I can see : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqDUXFszPCc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqDUXFszPCc) ) but it starts completely differently to the Giulini I have been streaming. Karajan starts with a sombre opening and singing. Giulini has loud brass and chorus.

I am confused. Is the work on YT not actually Don Carlo ? Thank you in advance.  :-[

The gestation of Don Carlo (or Don Carlos) is quite confusing as the opera exists in several editions. It was originally written for the Paris Opéra in five acts and was actually written to a French libretto. When Verdi prepared an Italian version, he reduced it to four acts, cutting the Fontainebleau act that opens the opera in the original version and moving Carlo's first aria from Act I to Act II, which became the new Act I. For many years this was the way the opera was usually performed, if it was performed at all. It wasn't held in quite the same high regard as it is now for many years.

In 1958 Giulini restored the first act, albeit still in Italian, when he conducted the opera in Visconti's famous prodiction at Covent Garden with Vickers, Gobbi and Christoff among the cast. It was such a success that this is how the opera was generally performed from then on, though Karajan continued to prefer the four act version and both the studio recording and all his live performances stick to four acts.

When Solti recorded it for Decca, he preferred the five act version, as, not surprisingly, did Giulini when he recorded it for EMI. The Abbado recording was the first major studio recording to perform it in French, though what he recorded was essentially the same edition as Solti and Giulini, but sung in French. After it's initial, not particularly successful, premiere Verdi tinkered with it quite a bit for different revivals, so there can still be quite a few discrepancies between different performances, depending on what edition the conductor chooses and which extra music he includes.

I know how complicated this all seems, but the main thing to be aware of is that if a recording is of the four act version, it will not include the Fontainebleau act. Personally I think it essential, as it tells us more about the relationship between Carlo and Elisabeth before she married Philip, but many prefer the tauter four act version. Timings should tell you what you need to know.

I have three recordings; Giulini, Karajan and Abbado, which between them cover most bases. It's a great opera, beloved by all Verdians. I think the scene that begins with Philips great soliloquy is one of the greatest in all opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 06:06:29 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 04, 2022, 03:18:07 AM
Good afternoon Rafael, and Gracias!  8)
Still finding my feet rummaging in the opera world but I am starting to register singers' names that have appealed to me so far (and appear in some of my purchases so far). This version certainly has 2 or 3 of them. Weirdly though, I can't find it on Idagio, Qobuz or Presto. Only a couple of used copies on Ebay. I'll have a look on YT.

It's rather a shame that the Karajan studio set seems no longer to be available. With any luck, this could mean that Warner have withdrawn it whilst they do a remaster. Lord knows, it needs it, but I somehow doubt it.

While we're on the subject of downloads and streaming, it does worry me that we are movig towards not owning anything. At one time you bought a record in physical form and had it for life. Nowadays we are at the mercy of the streaming and download companies. If they decide to delete something from their catalogue, we lose it. I still prefer physical CDs and nothing will ever persaude me to part with them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 04, 2022, 06:29:58 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 05:59:42 AM
The gestation of Don Carlo (or Don Carlos) is quite confusing as the opera exists in several editions. It was originally written for the Paris Opéra in five acts and was actually written to a French libretto. When Verdi prepared an Italian version, he reduced it to four acts, cutting the Fontainebleau act that opens the opera in the original version and moving Carlo's first aria from Act I to Act II, which became the new Act I. For many years this was the way the opera was usually performed, if it was performed at all. It wasn't held in quite the same high regard as it is now for many years.

In 1958 Giulini restored the first act, albeit still in Italian, when he conducted the opera in Visconti's famous prodiction at Covent Garden with Vickers, Gobbi and Christoff among the cast. It was such a success that this is how the opera was generally performed from then on, though Karajan continued to prefer the four act version and both the studio recording and all his live performances stick to four acts.

When Solti recorded it for Decca, he preferred the five act version, as, not surprisingly, did Giulini when he recorded it for EMI. The Abbado recording was the first major studio recording to perform it in French, though what he recorded was essentially the same edition as Solti and Giulini, but sung in French. After it's initial, not particularly successful, premiere Verdi tinkered with it quite a bit for different revivals, so there can still be quite a few discrepancies between different performances, depending on what edition the conductor chooses and which extra music he includes.

I know how complicated this all seems, but the main thing to be aware of is that if a recording is of the four act version, it will not include the Fontainebleau act. Personally I think it essential, as it tells us more about the relationship between Carlo and Elisabeth before she married Philip, but many prefer the tauter four act version. Timings should tell you what you need to know.

I have three recordings; Giulini, Karajan and Abbado, which between them cover most bases. It's a great opera, beloved by all Verdians. I think the scene that begins with Philips great soliloquy is one of the greatest in all opera.

Thank you very much for that clear and thorough answer. It makes sense now. I'll update my opera spreadsheet with this info before I forget about it !!

I'll stick to Giulini as my entry point if anything because the large chunk of his Fontainebleau Act I convinced me to dive in further into this opera. I'll save the Karajan on Youtube for a future listen.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 06:06:29 AM
It's rather a shame that the Karajan studio set seems no longer to be available. With any luck, this could mean that Warner have withdrawn it whilst they do a remaster. Lord knows, it needs it, but I somehow doubt it.

While we're on the subject of downloads and streaming, it does worry me that we are movig towards not owning anything. At one time you bought a record in physical form and had it for life. Nowadays we are at the mercy of the streaming and download companies. If they decide to delete something from their catalogue, we lose it. I still prefer physical CDs and nothing will ever persaude me to part with them.

I have seen the Karajan listed on a used CD reseller website and a couple of entries on Ebay too. I have found some real bargains on used opera CDs so far. My first proper order last month (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,21529.msg1457762.html#msg1457762 (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,21529.msg1457762.html#msg1457762)) cost less than £21 delivered. No issue to play/rip to FLAC yet either.

Streaming the various recommended versions did help me greatly to narrow down which one I should track down.   
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 07:52:43 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Izt0S7z9W6uSKQG-cWSE9B0kiitT8rsmAvcGMlnVEoY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:528/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ2NTM2/NjAtMTU0MTUyMzM2/MC02NjQwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

One of my favourites from Verdi's "galley years". It's a bit short on plot, but musically it has some terrfific moments and seems to me that, along with Ernani, which came just before it, to be a big stride forward from I Lombardi. I should single out the prison scene for special mention.

This is a terrific performance and one of the very best in Gardelli's series of early Verdi for Philips. Ricciarelli is fantastic as Lucrezia, and in fact I'm not sure I've ever heard her do anything better, and Carreras at his early career best, is dramatically involved and sings with great lyrical beauty. The lower voices are also wonderfully filled by Cappucilli and Ramey. Highly recommended to anyone interested in investigating Verdi's early operas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on August 04, 2022, 08:04:20 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 07:52:43 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Izt0S7z9W6uSKQG-cWSE9B0kiitT8rsmAvcGMlnVEoY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:528/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ2NTM2/NjAtMTU0MTUyMzM2/MC02NjQwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

One of my favourites from Verdi's "galley years". It's a bit short on plot, but musically it has some terrfific moments and seems to me that, along with Ernani, which came just before it, to be a big stride forward from I Lombardi. I should single out the prison scene for special mention.

This is a terrific performance and one of the very best in Gardelli's series of early Verdi for Philips. Ricciarelli is fantastic as Lucrezia, and in fact I'm not sure I've ever heard her do anything better, and Carreras at his early career best, is dramatically involved and sings with great lyrical beauty. The lower voices are also wonderfully filled by Cappucilli and Ramey. Highly recommended to anyone interested in investigating Verdi's early operas.

Thankyou for this recommendation - not one of the early Verdi I know at all but I managed to find a cheap copy online so have snapped it up.  When I was working in Italy we played I Lombardi at Busseto and I loved doing that so if Foscari is "a big stride forward" I'm up for that! (In the same season we played Semiramide with Ricciarelli in the main role and that was pretty good too.......)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 04, 2022, 11:04:58 AM
Talking of Ricciarelli, I'm revisiting —after many moons— one of her less successful recordings, the 1982 Aïda (only Acts III and IV this evening). Claudio Abbado conducts the La Scala forces, with Plácido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Leo Nucci et al.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mmu2UtUiL.jpg)

This recording has never received a good press, and listening to it now, it sounds like the typical vehicle of the early digital age to bring a star-studded product to the market in what appears to be a haste. I'm not convinced Abbado was really keen on this work (neither am I, TBH  ::)), and even if we get some great moments from the orchestra, this doesn't come through as a fully cohesive performance. Ricciarelli has lovely moments, but also faces some huge difficulties (some notes in O patria mia are frankly painful to the ear). Domingo is, well, Domingo, but this doesn't sound like a particularly memorable performance. The word pedestrian springs to mind again regarding Nucci, and Obraztsova is (as usual) downright vulgar.

At least I'm killing time, waiting for the TV series I'm hooked on, I bastardi di Pizzofalcone (an Italian RAI production —set in Naples— from a couple of years ago that is being rebroadcast this summer on Spanish National Television) to start in a while.  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 04, 2022, 01:23:37 PM
Quote from: ritter on August 04, 2022, 11:04:58 AM
Talking of Ricciarelli, I'm revisiting —after many moons— one of her less successful recordings, the 1982 Aïda (only Acts III and IV this evening). Claudio Abbado conducts the La Scala forces, with Plácido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Leo Nucci et al.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mmu2UtUiL.jpg)

This recording has never received a good press, and listening to it now, it sounds like the typical vehicle of the early digital age to bring a star-studded product to the market in what appears to be a haste. I'm not convinced Abbado was really keen on this work (neither am I, TBH  ::)), and even if we get some great moments from the orchestra, this doesn't come through as a fully cohesive performance. Ricciarelli has lovely moments, but also faces some huge difficulties (some notes in O patria mia are frankly painful to the ear). Domingo is, well, Domingo, but this doesn't sound like a particularly memorable performance. The word pedestrian springs to mind again regarding Nucci, and Obraztsova is (as usual) downright vulgar.



I'm not sure if I've ever heard this set, but the mere presence of Obraztsova in the cast is enough to put me off, and I've never much liked Nucci in anything either. I do like Ricciarelli in the right repertoire, but can't imagine Aida would have been a good role for her. Earlier Verdi suits her better. She's a most affecting Luisa Miller, though perhaps more fallible vocally than her main rivals, Moffo and Caballé. Her Lucrezia in I due Foscari that I was listening to earlier is really good, as is her Lida in La Battaglia di Legnano.

Anyway, your mini review hasn't made me want to seek the Abbado Aida out. Funnily enough the opera isn't really one of my favourites either, though I've managed to acquire six recordings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2022, 01:33:39 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/ARwCasxkiAWCQWqeB7LNGv5pw6ne_qsBsn9DJ4tbFwE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:592/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc2MTk5/ODgtMTQ0NTM1NDAw/My0xNzA0LmpwZWc.jpeg)

I doubt there's much point trying to make much of the preposterous plot. Better just to enjoy Verdi's glorious music.

Considering its relative popularity from amongst Verdi's early works, Ernani hasn't had that many recordings, possibly because of the excellence of this one, which was fist issued in 1968. Price and Bergonzi are outstanding, indeed I'm not sure if Bergonzi ever did anything finer. Sereni and Flagello aren't always models of style but are a good deal better than acceptable and Schippers has a great grasp of the needs of the score.

Hugely enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2022, 03:48:48 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on August 06, 2022, 03:18:52 AM
Agree: great recording. (Very minor quasi-nitpick: it was recorded in July 1967, though I do expect that meant it was issued in 1968).

My artwork has rather more terrible makeup than yours, though!

Exactly, which is why I used the word "issued". My copy just has a first issued date on it, nothing to say when and where it was recorded.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 06, 2022, 05:43:38 AM
Having listened for the first time to and really enjoyed Tosca this week (via the Davis/Caballé/Carreras version), I decided to give a fair go to the De Sabata/Callas/Gobbi/Di Stefano version today, while the story was still fresh in my mind.

Planning to spread the three acts over the weekend. I pressed play for Act I only and it just played on and on up to the closing notes, my headphones glued to my ears. I guess I am convinced  ;D The voices of Di Stefano and Gobbi were really striking from the off and I will have to make a mental note of their names from now on in my future explorations. Whilst I still took a bit of time to getting used to Callas' voice, it eventually just drew me in as well. I thought that Tosca's jealousy and then despair were already very well portrayed by Caballé earlier in the week but Callas took both to another level.

Yup, I am on board with this I guess 0:)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646315239/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2022, 05:59:13 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 06, 2022, 05:43:38 AM
Having listened for the first time to and really enjoyed Tosca this week (via the Davis/Caballé/Carreras version), I decided to give a fair go to the De Sabata/Callas/Gobbi/Di Stefano version today, while the story was still fresh in my mind.

Planning to spread the three acts over the weekend. I pressed play for Act I only and it just played on and on up to the closing notes, my headphones glued to my ears. I guess I am convinced  ;D The voices of Di Stefano and Gobbi were really striking from the off and I will have to make a mental note of their names from now on in my future explorations. Whilst I still took a bit of time to getting used to Callas' voice, it eventually just drew me in as well. I thought that Tosca's jealousy and then despair were already very well portrayed by Caballé earlier in the week but Callas took both to another level.

Yup, I am on board with this I guess 0:)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646315239/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

Callas's is a voice it can take some time to get used to. I loved it from the outset, whereas I know others took more convincing. What is not in doubt is her supreme musicianship. She is first and foremost a musician, then a singer, which is not something you can always say about singers. De Sabata himself once said to her record producer, Walter Legge,

QuoteIf the public could understand, as we do, how deeply and utterly musical Callas is, they would be stunned.

Having been listening to her for well over fifty years now, she continues to stun me on a regular basis.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2022, 06:02:50 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on August 06, 2022, 05:57:00 AM
You have obviously experienced the audio magic!

(She's the only person I know that you can hear smile, when she sings 'Cosi' in the final act, as her lover goes off to his execution, which she thinks is not going to be real).

But if you get the chance, do take a look at her Covent Garden 1964 final act (why they only recorded the last bit of the performance remains an annoying mystery!). She is quite extraordinary in it: the intensity and passion is frightening at times. Look at her yelling -almost spitting- 'Mori!' at Scarpia as he lies groaning on the floor. She wants that bastard deader than dead! It's wonderful stuff. (And Tito Gobbi is no slouch as Scarpia, either!)

Here's a link to the video in question. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnFlg1z1hPc)

I agree with this 100% and it's not just that Gobbi and Callas are superb individually. You really see and understand their deep rapport. Gobbi once said his performances of Scarpia only came out 100% when he was singing with Callas. For her part, she had enormous appreciation and respect for him.

I would just mention to Papy Oli that the voice in 1964 is not what it was in 1953, but the dramatic compensations of seeing her act as well as sing are enormous. If only they'd recorded the whole thing!

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2022, 07:08:45 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Tcs4j0IN3lJC6B4idWNl1owXfIJBMl_BJo3dfUpccX8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:521/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ1MDE5/MTYtMTYyNTA4MTIy/MS0zNzQ0LmpwZWc.jpeg)

From early Verdi to his last, great, life-affirming masterpiece in this absolutely superb and perfectly cast recording, so good I've never felt the urge to acquire an alternative, though I've listened to quite a few.

It may be Verdi's last opera, written when the great man approached the age of eighty, but the music has such sparkle, such lightness, such fluidity that you would never believe it and it betrays not a single suspicion of waning resources. His mastery of ensemble is, I would suggest, unparalleled and the many tricky and complicated ensembles in the opera are performed here to perfection. Nor would I change one member of this superbly characterful cast. Some have complained that Gobbi's voice was not "fat" enough, whatever that means, but his range of expression and tone colour are staggering, his characterisation of the loveable rogue spot on. Barbieri makes a deliciously fruity and plebeian Quickly, Moffo and Alva a delightful pair of lovers, Panerai a comically pompous Ford, with an Otello-like intensity in his jealousy aria, and there are brilliantly characterful contributions from Nan Merriman as Meg, and Renato Ercolani and Nicola Zaccaria as Pistol and Bardolph. I have read plenty of comments about Schwarzkopf's Aice being unidiomatic and more of a Frau Fluth, but I simply don't buy it. This is one of her greatest studio creations, her portrayal full of sparkling good humour and fun and she fills the lyrical sections of her music with gloriously full tone.

Added to this the Philharmonia play with unbelieavable precision and virtuosity under Karajan's quicksilver baton.

Pure joy from beginning to end.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 06, 2022, 08:39:03 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on August 06, 2022, 05:57:00 AM
You have obviously experienced the audio magic!

(She's the only person I know that you can hear smile, when she sings 'Cosi' in the final act, as her lover goes off to his execution, which she thinks is not going to be real).

But if you get the chance, do take a look at her Covent Garden 1964 final act (why they only recorded the last bit of the performance remains an annoying mystery!). She is quite extraordinary in it: the intensity and passion is frightening at times. Look at her yelling -almost spitting- 'Mori!' at Scarpia as he lies groaning on the floor. She wants that bastard deader than dead! It's wonderful stuff. (And Tito Gobbi is no slouch as Scarpia, either!)

Here's a link to the video in question. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnFlg1z1hPc)

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2022, 06:02:50 AM
I agree with this 100% and it's not just that Gobbi and Callas are superb individually. You really see and understand their deep rapport. Gobbi once said his performances of Scarpia only came out 100% when he was singing with Callas. For her part, she had enormous appreciation and respect for him.

I would just mention to Papy Oli that the voice in 1964 is not what it was in 1953, but the dramatic compensations of seeing her act as well as sing are enormous. If only they'd recorded the whole thing!


Thank you both for the video and your comments on it. I have saved the link and will check it out soon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 06, 2022, 08:41:47 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2022, 07:08:45 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Tcs4j0IN3lJC6B4idWNl1owXfIJBMl_BJo3dfUpccX8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:521/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ1MDE5/MTYtMTYyNTA4MTIy/MS0zNzQ0LmpwZWc.jpeg)

From early Verdi to his last, great, life-affirming masterpiece in this absolutely superb and perfectly cast recording, so good I've never felt the urge to acquire an alternative, though I've listened to quite a few.

It may be Verdi's last opera, written when the great man approached the age of eighty, but the music has such sparkle, such lightness, such fluidity that you would never believe it and it betrays not a single suspicion of waning resources. His mastery of ensemble is, I would suggest, unparalleled and the many tricky and complicated ensembles in the opera are performed here to perfection. Nor would I change one member of this superbly characterful cast. Some have complained that Gobbi's voice was not "fat" enough, whatever that means, but his range of expression and tone colour are staggering, his characterisation of the loveable rogue spot on. Barbieri makes a deliciously fruity and plebeian Quickly, Moffo and Alva a delightful pair of lovers, Panerai a comically pompous Ford, with an Otello-like intensity in his jealousy aria, and there are brilliantly characterful contributions from Nan Merriman as Meg, and Renato Ercolani and Nicola Zaccaria as Pistol and Bardolph. I have read plenty of comments about Schwarzkopf's Aice being unidiomatic and more of a Frau Fluth, but I simply don't buy it. This is one of her greatest studio creations, her portrayal full of sparkling good humour and fun and she fills the lyrical sections of her music with gloriously full tone.

Added to this the Philharmonia play with unbelieavable precision and virtuosity under Karajan's quicksilver baton.

Pure joy from beginning to end.

Recording now bookmarked (and also the earlier Ernani) for future exploration, thanks.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 06, 2022, 09:36:10 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 06, 2022, 08:41:47 AM
Recording now bookmarked (and also the earlier Ernani) for future exploration, thanks.

Three Falstaffs I like are Abbado, Gardiner, and Solti. There's also Guilini and Muti and Toscanini.  Bernstein recorded it with Fischer-Dieskau in the title role, but that one doesn't click for me.

It is very much an ensemble opera: Falstaff gets two sort-of-arias and Ford another, but the love duets keep getting interrupted, ensembles develop all over the place, and pacing is very important. It's one of my favorite operas.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51RCp4HgYmL._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31QD2MGC7ML._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61bRo-ESs-L._SY780_.jpg)
That laundry basket has an important role in Act II.
The Solti has been re-issued a couple of times; I posted the cover of the set I have.
There's also at least one live Karajan and one other studio Karajan in Amazon's listings but I only have the one Tsaraslondon posted.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 06, 2022, 10:00:48 AM
Thank you for the recs, Jeffrey, duly noted  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 06, 2022, 12:10:06 PM
Quote from: JBS on August 06, 2022, 09:36:10 AM

There's also at least one live Karajan and one other studio Karajan in Amazon's listings but I only have the one Tsaraslondon posted.

I've never heard the live one, but the later studio Karajan isn't a patch on the EMI set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 08, 2022, 02:28:48 AM
Act I of Rossini - Il barbiere di Siviglia

Victoria de los Angeles, Luigi Alva, Ian Wallace, Carlo Cava
Glyndebourne Festival Chorus & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vittorio Gui

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMTUyMi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjEwODQwMjV9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 08, 2022, 04:29:27 AM
Great recording of a great work, Olivier. Vittorio Gui really knew what he was doing in that repertoire.

The music lesson at the beginning of Act II is IMO one of the funniest moments in opera ever (but you do need to follow the text). I know Andrei (Florestan here on GMG) will agree...

Enjoy!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 08, 2022, 05:36:05 AM
Quote from: ritter on August 08, 2022, 04:29:27 AM
Great recording of a great work, Olivier. Vittorio Gui really knew what he was doing in that repertoire.

The music lesson at the beginning of Act II is IMO one of the funniest moments in opera ever (but you do need to follow the text). I know Andrei (Florestan here on GMG) will agree...

Enjoy!

Good afternoon Rafael,

I got drawn into this proper first listen so quickly that I completely forgot to read a synopsis or follow with a libretto  :blank: :laugh:

Just to make matters "worse", I then switched to another Barbiere Act I, by Galliera/Callas/Gobbi/Alva. Still without synopsis/libretto. The singing and tunes seem to suffice today (I'll correct that of course).

As much as I preferred the Gui early doors over the other versions on sampling, I am becoming a big fan of Gobbi's voice and singing...and more dangerously, I am really warming up to Callas again :o That Galliera version seems to have a little more lightness and cheekiness to it than Gui's.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646287437/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 08, 2022, 08:12:39 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 08, 2022, 05:36:05 AM
Good afternoon Rafael,

I got drawn into this proper first listen so quickly that I completely forgot to read a synopsis or follow with a libretto  :blank: :laugh:

Just to make matters "worse", I then switched to another Barbiere Act I, by Galliera/Callas/Gobbi/Alva. Still without synopsis/libretto. The singing and tunes seem to suffice today (I'll correct that of course).

As much as I preferred the Gui early doors over the other versions on sampling, I am becoming a big fan of Gobbi's voice and singing...and more dangerously, I am really warming up to Callas again :o That Galliera version seems to have a little more lightness and cheekiness to it than Gui's.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646287437/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

With both Gui and Galliera, there comes across a joy in the act of music making, that one rarely hears today for some reason. Both recordings are to some extent textually inaccurate, but they fizz and pop like good champagne. I also love Gui's Le comte Ory from the same period.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 08, 2022, 09:08:32 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/WiuSPhrq6m72wHtAxfbXNk2HdxG0p4AE0QdbDfGuSms/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODA5/MjA0LTE1NDIzODQy/NzUtOTMyMy5qcGVn.jpeg)

Believe it or not, Leonora was Callas's first ever Verdi role, which she sang in Trieste in 1948. She sang it again in Ravenna in 1954, a few weeks before making this recording, and then unfortunately never again. Leonora's music has a melancholy tinta that suits her very well and her Leonora is one of her greatest studio creations.

The other main reason for hearing this recording is the conducting of Tullio Serafin, who conducts with sweeping lyricism and dramatic incisiveness. The rest of the cast is variably splendid; Tucker in terrific voice, but apt to indulge in slides and sobs, Rossi-Lemeni authoratative but woolly toned, Tagliabue a little over the hill and Nicolai a tad blowsy. Renato Capecchi is an asset as Fra Melitone, though.

The recording is good, clear mono and it remains one of the best performances of the opera on disc. A more detailed review on my blog https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 09, 2022, 11:47:15 PM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/mi0001063159.jpg)

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/51rxymb5syl.jpg)

Two recordings of Verdi's early comic opera, Un Giorno di Regno. A flop at its La Scala premiere, it was actually something of a success when later performed at Venice's Teatro San Benedetto, a theatre with a strong tradition of  comedy and buffa. The rather convoluted libretto is by Romani, who penned Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore and the influences are easy to notice. I'd say it was definitely worth the occasional revival.


Of these two recordings, the Gardelli on Philips is no doubt the more polished, and of course enjoys better sound, but it somehow lacks the joy and high spirits of the Cetra recording, which is cast with singers much more versed in opera buffa style. The ladies on the Gardelli both sound too heavy next to their Cetra counterparts and the men lack the natural comedic timing of Capecchi, Bruscantini and Dalmangas. The best performance on the Gardelli is that of the young José Carreras, whose honeyed tenor is a joy to hear, but  if Juan Oncina can't command quite the same beauty of tone, he is a very characterful Edoardo nonetheless.


There are a few cuts in the Cetra recording, which runs about 10 minutes shorter, and of course the 1970s stereo sound is better than the mono 1950s Cetra, but I'd still give the palm to Cetra.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 10, 2022, 06:08:14 AM
A first listen to Pergolesi - La Serva Padrona.

(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/29/78/0743216877829_600.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 10, 2022, 06:36:49 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 10, 2022, 06:08:14 AM
A first listen to Pergolesi - La Serva Padrona.

(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/29/78/0743216877829_600.jpg)

Now you're ahead of me! I'm not sure I've ever heard Pergolesi's most famous opera.   :-[
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2022, 12:39:37 AM
(https://img.discogs.com/4JoOBX4WufmWTzl1U_dYiYBhc5M=/fit-in/600x515/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7763576-1448282700-1724.jpeg.jpg)

Written in a space of three months for La Scala, Verdi's seventh opera is a bit of a mixture, with pages of real inspiration alternating with pages of bombast and banality. The chorus of demons in the Prologue is quite comical and precisely the sort of thing parodied by Gilbert and Sullivan. Still, in Giovanna, Verdi does create a character of real flesh and blood and she gets some wonderful music.

I do rather wish that this had been recorded by Gardelli as part of his Philips series. Levine tends to emphasise the bombast at the expense of the lyrical and I find much of his conducting just too brash. The recording, at least in this transfer, is a bit brash too. The three principal singers are excellent, with Caballé really touching as Giovanna, but I do wonder what this same team would have produced under Gardelli's more sympathetic baton.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 11, 2022, 01:04:26 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 10, 2022, 06:08:14 AM
A first listen to Pergolesi - La Serva Padrona.

(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/29/78/0743216877829_600.jpg)

Playing this one again, after reading the libretto.
Great fun, love the continuous interaction between the 2 characters.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 11, 2022, 02:56:40 AM
Wagner - Parsifal Act II (Karajan)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODkwMzIyOC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2MTY2MDgxMzR9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 11, 2022, 03:33:24 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 11, 2022, 02:56:40 AM
Wagner - Parsifal Act II (Karajan)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODkwMzIyOC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2MTY2MDgxMzR9)
Now we're talking, Olivier!  :D

One of the summits of European music and 19th century art tout court.

I hope you're enjoying he experience!

Good day to you, cher ami.

EDIT:

I'll join you with Act II of Parsifal, but in the Barenboim recording (which is the one I have at the office).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rHVfXwqTL._SL1500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2022, 04:25:41 AM
Quote from: ritter on August 11, 2022, 03:33:24 AM
Now we're talking, Olivier!  :D

One of the summits of European music and 19th century art tout court.

I hope you're enjoying he experience!

Good day to you, cher ami.

EDIT:

I'll join you with Act II of Parsifal, but in the Barenboim recording (which is the one I have at the office).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rHVfXwqTL._SL1500_.jpg)

I agree with you, whilst wondering if Parsifal is the best way in to Wagner. Admittedly, I'm not really a Wagnerian, and I still find it quite a tough nut to crack. I also have the Karajan recording, by the way.

How are you finding it, Oli?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 11, 2022, 05:23:46 AM
Hi Rafael, Hi Tsara,

I am really enjoying Parsifal so far, particularly that Karajan version which really draws me in. I only picked Parsifal as it was mentioned here as Wagner's pinnacle work in his set of operas, so why not!

I have owned the complete Solti Wagner box for years (bought it on whim several years ago when it was dead cheap, around £35 I think, just in case that maybe one day I'll get into opera...I just took my time  :laugh: ). On initial sampling of Act I, I found Solti's Parsifal much harder to get into somehow, as well as Boulez. Barenboim is one I had a positive reaction to as well but the HvK holds the lead strongly for now.

I am still struggling with "under-par" or very historical sound at the moment (with other operas too), so I am putting Knappertbusch's various Parsifals on the back burner for now  :P

I had a read back earlier on an old thread (GMG members' essential lists, to check on operas) and saw Solti's Wagner popping up as often as Karajan's Ring. Which would be the Wagner opera where Solti is considered as strong/top notch? Thank you. (disclaimer: I haven't dared diving into the Wagner thread yet, I am reading more about and finding my feet in the Callas one of late..)


ps: side point, Tsara, you'll need to check out that Serva Padrona by the way, it is great fun!
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2022, 06:33:49 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 11, 2022, 05:23:46 AM
Hi Rafael, Hi Tsara,

I am really enjoying Parsifal so far, particularly that Karajan version which really draws me in. I only picked Parsifal as it was mentioned here as Wagner's pinnacle work in his set of operas, so why not!

I have owned the complete Solti Wagner box for years (bought it on whim several years ago when it was dead cheap, around £35 I think, just in case that maybe one day I'll get into opera...I just took my time  :laugh: ). On initial sampling of Act I, I found Solti's Parsifal much harder to get into somehow, as well as Boulez. Barenboim is one I had a positive reaction to as well but the HvK holds the lead strongly for now.

I am still struggling with "under-par" or very historical sound at the moment (with other operas too), so I am putting Knappertbusch's various Parsifals on the back burner for now  :P

I had a read back earlier on an old thread (GMG members' essential lists, to check on operas) and saw Solti's Wagner popping up as often as Karajan's Ring. Which would be the Wagner opera where Solti is considered as strong/top notch? Thank you. (disclaimer: I haven't dared diving into the Wagner thread yet, I am reading more about and finding my feet in the Callas one of late..)


ps: side point, Tsara, you'll need to check out that Serva Padrona by the way, it is great fun!


I'm not much of a Solti fan and the only opera recording I have conducted by him is Tannhäuser, which is also generally the top recommendation for that opera, as far as I'm aware. His Ring, the first studio recording of the cycle is generally considered a top recommendation, but, personally, I prefer Karajan, though I know mine is a minority view.

By the way, I actually did listen to that recording of La serva padrona today. I'm afraid it didn't make that much of an impression on me, though I can hear it's a sprightly performance with excellent contrubutions from Scotto and Bruscantini. At least I can say I've heard it now.  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 11, 2022, 07:21:19 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 11, 2022, 05:23:46 AM
Hi Rafael, Hi Tsara,
...
I had a read back earlier on an old thread (GMG members' essential lists, to check on operas) and saw Solti's Wagner popping up as often as Karajan's Ring. Which would be the Wagner opera where Solti is considered as strong/top notch? Thank you. (disclaimer: I haven't dared diving into the Wagner thread yet, I am reading more about and finding my feet in the Callas one of late..)
...

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2022, 06:33:49 AM
I'm not much of a Solti fan and the only opera recording I have conducted by him is Tannhäuser, which is also generally the top recommendation for that opera, as far as I'm aware. His Ring, the first studio recording of the cycle is generally considered a top recommendation, but, personally, I prefer Karajan, though I know mine is a minority view.

...
Very much in agreement with this. I too am not a great admirer of Solti's style (described by a friend of mine like "an orgasm in every measure"   ;D ), but his Tannhäuser is a great recording, offering the revised Paris version. For a hybrid Dresden / Paris, I very much like the Sawallisch from Bayreuth (originally on Philips).

P.S.: Olivier, do give the Boulez Parsifal another chance. A superb achievement, where the score is treated like an extraordinary piece of music theatre, rather than as some sort of oratorio. The swift tempos used by Boulez provide a great dramatic thrust, but at the same time the intricacies of the miraculous scoring shine through. A landmark in the work's interpretative history.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2022, 07:34:37 AM
Quote from: ritter on August 11, 2022, 07:21:19 AM
I too am not a great admirer of Solti's style (described by a friend of mine like "an orgasm in every measure"   ;D ),

I've come across that description before, but couldn't remember where I'd first read it. A little investigation turned up this quote in Schwarzkopf's Walter Legge memoir, On and off the record. Apparently it was Wieland Wagner, who once said to Legge, "Walter, if you don't soon find me a good Tannhäuser conductor, I shall be reduced to Solti and his orgasms in every second bar."

It's no doubt been quoted (and misquoted) many time since.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 11, 2022, 09:47:38 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2022, 07:34:37 AM
I've come across that description before, but couldn't remember where I'd first read it. A little investigation turned up this quote in Schwarzkopf's Walter Legge memoir, On and off the record. Apparently it was Wieland Wagner, who once said to Legge, "Walter, if you don't soon find me a good Tannhäuser conductor, I shall be reduced to Solti and his orgasms in every second bar."

It's no doubt been quoted (and misquoted) many time since.
Good to know the origin of the quote. Thanks!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on August 11, 2022, 02:27:36 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 10, 2022, 06:36:49 AM
Now you're ahead of me! I'm not sure I've ever heard Pergolesi's most famous opera.   :-[

Me neither, so I checked it out on YouTube. Good fun!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 12, 2022, 12:08:50 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/LTwG8tWOYxjyGJoaSz5dccNs3IEpssHdY9gL5a2O04o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:531/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE5NjU4/NDgtMTU0MTU2NTA5/OC0yMzgyLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Verdi's fourth opera was the first in Gardelli's series of early Verdis for Philips. It has a lot going for it, but, as far as I'm concerned, it has one serious blot in the shape of Deutekom's Griselda, whose voice is just too shallow and pallid and who indulges in some weird yodelling effects in the coloratura sections. Admittedly she is dramatially involved, but she simply doesn't have enough voice for the role.

This is a shame because Domngo and Raimondi are both excellent. However I started streaming Gardelli's later recording for Hungaraton yesterday and, though so far I've listened ony to part of Act I, I think I might end up preferring it. Sass, who had a huge success in the role under Gardelli at Covent Garden four years after this Philips recording was made, is a massive improvement on Deutekom and Kolas Kovats strikes me as being rather good.

Despite Deutekom's inadequate Griselda, I really enjoyed the opera this time round and am looking forward to hearing the rest of the Hungaraton recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 12, 2022, 12:25:10 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2022, 06:33:49 AM
I'm not much of a Solti fan and the only opera recording I have conducted by him is Tannhäuser, which is also generally the top recommendation for that opera, as far as I'm aware. His Ring, the first studio recording of the cycle is generally considered a top recommendation, but, personally, I prefer Karajan, though I know mine is a minority view.

By the way, I actually did listen to that recording of La serva padrona today. I'm afraid it didn't make that much of an impression on me, though I can hear it's a sprightly performance with excellent contributions from Scotto and Bruscantini. At least I can say I've heard it now.  ;D

Quote from: ritter on August 11, 2022, 07:21:19 AM
Very much in agreement with this. I too am not a great admirer of Solti's style (described by a friend of mine like "an orgasm in every measure"   ;D ), but his Tannhäuser is a great recording, offering the revised Paris version. For a hybrid Dresden / Paris, I very much like the Sawallisch from Bayreuth (originally on Philips).

P.S.: Olivier, do give the Boulez Parsifal another chance. A superb achievement, where the score is treated like an extraordinary piece of music theatre, rather than as some sort of oratorio. The swift tempos used by Boulez provide a great dramatic thrust, but at the same time the intricacies of the miraculous scoring shine through. A landmark in the work's interpretative history.

Thank you both, duly noted about Solti's Tannhäuser. In the listening pile it goes.

Not ruling out Boulez per se, Rafael. I've kept his saved in the favourites on Idagio with the others. I'll revisit it once I am more familiar with the work as a whole via Karajan and Barenboim first. Maybe by then, his approach will stand out more. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 12, 2022, 03:46:20 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/ZYlf8El87nPUJ7PC1lVD3W6C_jCc17wdLAiMSX8lFOI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk4NTAy/ODUtMTQ4NzM5ODE3/My04NzMwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

So I ended up listening to the later Gardelli recording of this opera, and, by and large, I prefer it. Sass is not quite as fearless as she was when she recorded o madre dal cielo and its cabaletta for her debut Decca recital in 1977, and she can be a bit squally on top when singing forte, but in amost every other respect she is preferable to Deutekom. I don't prefer Lamberti to Domingo, but Oronte is not the most important character in the opera. Raimondi has the advantage of being Italian and his voice is no doubt more apt for the role of Pagano, but Kovats is very good nonetheless, and in Ezio di Cesare the secondary tenor role of Arvino, which is actually quite a big sing, is in better hands than the rather ineffectual Jerome Lo Monaco.

Gardelli, who conducted this opera quite a bit, including for Sass's debut at Covent Garden, if anything conducts an even tauter version of the score. I might have to scout around for secondhand copy of the CDs. This is now my first choice for the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 12, 2022, 01:12:34 PM
Todd's recent purchase of this recording spurred me to revisit it (Act I tonight).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51J+XujkYQL.jpg)

This is a superb performance, recorded live at the opening of the second post-WW2 Bayreuth Festival on July 23rd, 1952. Martha Mödl is probably my favourite Wagnerian soprano —and Isolde— of those (and the following) years, as she is IMHO less clarion-voiced than her quasi-contemporary Astrid Varnay or her successor Birgit Nilsson, but provides much more psychological depth to her portrayal, and pays great attention to the words. Ira Malaniuk is her usual elegant self, and Ramón Vinay baritonal tenor is a pleasure to hear. As years pass, my appreciation of Hans Hotter diminishes steadily (for instance, I find his Gurnemanz in the 1962 Knappertsbusch Parsifal very disappointing) , and it's clear that Kurwenal is not the right role for him. Karajan conducts with attention to detail and real theatrical flair. Again, a superb performance!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 13, 2022, 12:55:00 PM
Verdi: Otello (Acts 1 & 2 EDIT: the whole thing).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619fO72kizL._SL1024_.jpg)

I must admit I'm not a great fan of Verdi's Otello. Of course it's a major work, but I can't really get myself to enjoy it. This may partly be due to the subject matter: Shakespeare or no Shakespeare (and Boito or no Boito), jealousy is a subject that interests me very little, and it doesn't "get to me" (actually, it mars my enjoyment of some segments of a literary work I rank very, very highly in my personal pantheon, Proust's Recherche). Be that as it may, I find the musical setting by Verdi "episodic", for lack of a better word. It is certainly much more refined that most of what came before it in Verdi's output, but its attempts to move away from the set formulas (that in many cases degenerated into outright clichés) of the earlier operas seem half-hearted, and IMHO it's only in that miracle thar is Falstaff that we get an undisputed  masterpiece from the Verdi / Boito tandem. But there are great passages in Otello, and the orchestral writing has some superb moments.

This 1954 recording sounds surprisingly well for its age, and is led with real theatrical panache by Franco Capuana (great conducting!). The curiosity is Argentinian tenor Carlos María Guichandut in the title rôle; he (just like Ramón Vinay whom I was listening last night as Tristan) is one of the few singers to have sung both Otello and Jago. His portrayal is solid and musical, but not particularly memorable. The same applies to Cesy Broggini's Desdemona (a soprano about whom I know almost nothing, and whose voice appears a tad light to me for her role) (EDIT: in Act III, Broggini gains heft, and her portrayal is really expressive and very convincing. The "Willow Song" is wonderfully sung). Giuseppe Taddei steals the show as Jago, with his rich, sonorous and well projected baritone voice (despite the occasional vulgar lapses, not that uncommon with this otherwise  admirable singer).

So, I'm glad I'm revisiting this opera and this particular recording of it, but my overall appreciation of Otello isn't increasing, I'm afraid.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 14, 2022, 05:36:15 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5165+mxc7qL._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Ya2cFMvZL._SY780_.jpg)

[Attached image is an illustration for Byron's original, showing what in Verdi's version is the middle scene of Act III, in which Gulnara finds Corrado in prison, and eventually helps him escape after killing Seid.]
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2022, 01:42:42 AM
Quote from: JBS on August 14, 2022, 05:36:15 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5165+mxc7qL._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Ya2cFMvZL._SY780_.jpg)

[Attached image is an illustration for Byron's original, showing what in Verdi's version is the middle scene of Act III, in which Gulnara finds Corrado in prison, and eventually helps him escape after killing Seid.]

How is this recording? I thought his Macbeth was awful, with quite one of the worst performances of a Verdi role I've ever heard (Nadja Michael as Lady Macbeth).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2022, 01:44:40 AM
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/21/46/0078635664621_600.jpg)

(https://i.discogs.com/rhpeHZDvAYYCuaJ-qoO801bobL1Zgzh4LhxRPdJOsyE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:598/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk5MTA5/MjMtMTQ4ODM5NDQ4/MC0zNzY4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Luisa Miller represents a turning point in Verdi's output, an opera which dispensed with grandiose gestures in favour of a style more suited to a tale of simple, ordirnary human beings.

It has done quite well on disc, though two recordings tend to emerge the favourites. These would be the Cleva with Moffo, as above, and the Maag with Caballé, Pavarotti and Milnes. However I don't have the Maag, which I agree is very fine, and indeed Maag is the most interesting conductor of the three. Maazel tends towards the vulgar with some nasty overemphases, whilst Cleva is at least unobtrusive. I'm not sure why I never acquired the Maazel, but I was brought up on Cleva and Moffo and used to have it on LP and it has a lot going for it. I've always thought Luisa was one of Moffo's best recorded Verdi roles and I still do. In general I prefer her to Caballé, who, though she sings beautifully, can sometimes sound a bit too grand. Bergonzi is likewise hard to beat. MacMeil is a fine Miller and we get a great double act from Tozzi and Flagello, who nevertheless sound as if they could have strayed in from any other Verdi opera. Verrett is, by a long way, the finest Federica on disc. It's a somewhat thankless role, which either doesn't make any impression at all, like Reynolds in the Maag recording, or sticks out like a sore thumb, like Obraztsova on the Maazel.

The 1979 Maazel is a much more recent acquisition for me. The recording is based on the revival of the massively successful 1978 production at Covent Garden. Ricciarelli repeated her Luisa, but Domingo replaced Pavarotti and Bruson replaced Nucci. On stage the roles of Federica amd Wurm were sung by Elizabeth Connell and Richard Van Allan, but for some reason these roles are taken by Elena Obraztsova and Wladimiro Ganzarolli on the recording. Obraztsova oversings and Ganazarolli makes a very unpleasant sound, though I suppose that's apt enough for the character.

The main reason for hearing this set, though, is for the Luisa of Ricciarelli and the Miller of Bruson. Ricciarelli is, I suppose, more vocally fallible than either Moffo or Caballé, but this was a very good role for her and she is at her best, throughly inside the role and therefore a most touching and affecting Luisa. All in all, I think she's my favourite. Bruson is likewise wonderfully sympathetic in the role of Miller and the duets between father and daughter become the highlights of the opera. All three tenors, Bergonzi, Domingo and Pavarotti, are excellent, but I think my favourite in this particular role would be Bergonzi on the Moffo recording.

The opera itself I like more every time I hear it. One of the best of Verdi's pre Rigoletto works.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on August 15, 2022, 04:13:45 AM
Last week, on the radio: exclusive avant-première Matthew Locke : Psyche.
Ensemble Correspondances  - Sébastien Daucé.
The Harmonia Mundi recording should be out by september 23rd
Entertaining and lovely.

https://www.harmoniamundi.com/main.swf#!/albums/2782
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 15, 2022, 06:28:51 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2022, 01:42:42 AM
How is this recording? I thought his Macbeth was awful, with quite one of the worst performances of a Verdi role I've ever heard (Nadja Michael as Lady Macbeth).

It's Verdi at his oom-pah-pah-iest. The singing is fine, but this strikes me as an opera you need at most one recording of.  The sonics are fine (it's an unstaged concert performance), but I see no reason to get any other recording, and no compelling reason for you to add it to the recordings you already have.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2022, 10:28:51 AM
Quote from: JBS on August 15, 2022, 06:28:51 AM
It's Verdi at his oom-pah-pah-iest. The singing is fine, but this strikes me as an opera you need at most one recording of.  The sonics are fine (it's an unstaged concert performance), but I see no reason to get any other recording, and no compelling reason for you to add it to the recordings you already have.

I have the Gardelli recording on Philips. It's early Verdi, yes, and it's an uneven score, but it has some great moments. Gardelli has a stellar cast (Caballe, Norman, Carreras) and it certainly helps. Nor does it sound so Oom-pah-pah under Gardelli.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 15, 2022, 11:39:28 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 10, 2022, 06:36:49 AM
Now you're ahead of me! I'm not sure I've ever heard Pergolesi's most famous opera.   :-[

It's not an opera, it's an intermezzo. And it's famous for a reason.  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 15, 2022, 11:41:12 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 10, 2022, 06:08:14 AM
A first listen to Pergolesi - La Serva Padrona.

(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/29/78/0743216877829_600.jpg)

A fine recording, arguably the best.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 16, 2022, 12:38:14 PM
Earlier today, a first proper listen to Act I of Rigoletto with the Serafin/Callas/Gobbi/Di Stefano, following with the libretto.

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjY5Ny4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2Mzg5MDh9)

As per, always drawn in by the singing of Gobbi.

Again, It takes a moment or two to settle with Callas' voice... and then it got to Father/Daughter duet...and then "Caro Nome".

If that's how it always goes with Callas, I don't mind being uncertain at the start. That was gorgeous.

Planning to do Act I again tomorrow with Giulini's then back to Serafin for II, etc.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 17, 2022, 12:58:12 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 16, 2022, 12:38:14 PM
Earlier today, a first proper listen to Act I of Rigoletto with the Serafin/Callas/Gobbi/Di Stefano, following with the libretto.

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjY5Ny4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2Mzg5MDh9)

As per, always drawn in by the singing of Gobbi.

Again, It takes a moment or two to settle with Callas' voice... and then it got to Father/Daughter duet...and then "Caro Nome".

If that's how it always goes with Callas, I don't mind being uncertain at the start. That was gorgeous.

Planning to do Act I again tomorrow with Giulini's then back to Serafin for II, etc.

It might be that Callas adopts a different voice character for each role she sang. Although inimitably herself, she somehow manages to adapt the weight and colour of her voice to the character she is playing. Hence her Lady Macbeth and Gilda could amost be different singers. Maybe that's what you find unsettling.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 17, 2022, 04:34:24 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 17, 2022, 12:58:12 AM
It might be that Callas adopts a different voice character for each role she sang. Although inimitably herself, she somehow manages to adapt the weight and colour of her voice to the character she is playing. Hence her Lady Macbeth and Gilda could amost be different singers. Maybe that's what you find unsettling.

I wouldn't pick up on those subtleties yet, Tsara, I'll have a think when I get back to her recording.

TD: Rigoletto / Giulini Act I

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMDcyMy4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njk0MzMwNjB9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 18, 2022, 01:56:44 AM
Concluding Act II & III of both these Rigoletto :

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjY5Ny4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2Mzg5MDh9)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMDcyMy4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njk0MzMwNjB9)


PS:: Double whammy, double stabbing, double heartbreak, double "La Maledizione"...   ???   ???

That opera malarkey will break me  :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2022, 02:13:43 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/iuvtsa1.jpg)

If only this absolutely superb performance were in better sound! As it is, this Warner transfer (and the one on Myto, who probably used the same source) is a massive improvement on the old EMI Callas Edition set, which was almost unlistenable in places.

And this is a performance that simply demands to be heard. What a superb conductor De Sabata was and what a shame that he was lured into the recording studio so rarely. His symphonic conception of the score has tremendous power and excitement. Then of course there is Callas and I doubt the role of Lady Macbeth has ever been so brilliantly sung. Not only is she equal to all the considerable demands of the score, but she creates a totally believable character study of vaulting ambition eventually undone by crippling guilt. It always surprises me that this series of performanes at La Scala was the only time she ever sang the role. You certainly would never suspect that this was the first time she was singing it in public, so all encompassing is her performance.

None of the other singers is quite in Callas's league, but Tajo and Penno are both fine as Banquo and Macduff. Unfortunately Mascherini is variable as Macbeth, his performance never quite catching fire. He's not bad, just not particularly interesting. Lady Macbeth emerges as the stronger character, but maybe that's as it should be.

For anyone who loves Verdi, this performance is essential, for the contributions of De Sabata and Callas at least. De Sabata said to Callas at the time, "Maria, you are a monster; you are not an artist nor a woman nor a human being, but a monster." Certainly there are times when she seemed almost superhuman, and she does so here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 19, 2022, 05:00:41 AM
A little sampling of various Manon Lescaut.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028941389329/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)   (https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646279180/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/0077776485256/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)   (https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/884977318197/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2022, 05:36:30 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 19, 2022, 05:00:41 AM
A little sampling of various Manon Lescaut.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028941389329/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)   (https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646279180/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/0077776485256/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)   (https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/884977318197/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

Not one of my favourite operas (I prefer Massenet's take on L'Abbé Prévost's novel) nor one of my favourite Callas recordings, though it's the only one I have. Callas does create the most interesting Manon, but it has to be admitted that her top register is decidedly shaky in places.

I've heard the other three recordings and I think it would be quite hard for me to make a choice from them. I think it one of Björling's best studio recordings, but I don't much like Albanese, I'm afraid. The Sinopoli is an excellent performance and I think would probably be my final choice. The Bartoletti made less impression on me.

As I say, it's a long time since I've listened to them. It'll be interesting to see which one you like best.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 19, 2022, 07:25:54 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2022, 05:36:30 AM
Not one of my favourite operas (I prefer Massenet's take on L'Abbé Prévost's novel) nor one of my favourite Callas recordings, though it's the only one I have. Callas does create the most interesting Manon, but it has to be admitted that her top register is decidedly shaky in places.

I've heard the other three recordings and I think it would be quite hard for me to make a choice from them. I think it one of Björling's best studio recordings, but I don't much like Albanese, I'm afraid. The Sinopoli is an excellent performance and I think would probably be my final choice. The Bartoletti made less impression on me.

As I say, it's a long time since I've listened to them. It'll be interesting to see which one you like best.

At this time, the Bartoletti and the Perlea have made the cut for fuller sampling, Tsara.

For the Sinopoli, I found some of the voices too distant and uninvolving. I was sort of non-plussed by the Callas recording.

I might give priority to the Perlea/Bjorling/Albanese, if only for variety as I already have some Caballé and Domingo in other key operas so far but none of the formers.

Truth be told re the Manon(s), the entry in my tracking file of 100 operas was actually the Massenet opera but I completely blanked the composer and assumed it was meant to be Manon Lescaut. Ah well, i'll check Massenet's later. Newbie's mistake  :-[
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2022, 07:40:49 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 19, 2022, 07:25:54 AM
At this time, the Bartoletti and the Perlea have made the cut for fuller sampling, Tsara.

For the Sinopoli, I found some of the voices too distant and uninvolving. I was sort of non-plussed by the Callas recording.

I might give priority to the Perlea/Bjorling/Albanese, if only for variety as I already have some Caballé and Domingo in other key operas so far but none of the formers.

Truth be told re the Manon(s), the entry in my tracking file of 100 operas was actually the Massenet opera but I completely blanked the composer and assumed it was meant to be Manon Lescaut. Ah well, i'll check Massenet's later. Newbie's mistake  :-[

The Puccini opera was his first big success and pre-dates La Boheme, so it's quite an early work. The Callas recording scores over the others in the later acts, especially the last act, which is usually anti-climactic, though not here.

I feel the Massenet opera captures more of the atmosphere of the original novel. I'd recommend the Monteux recording with Victoria De Los Angeles as an enchanting Manon. More recent recordings, with their polyglot casts and international orchestras, don't capture its inimitable French style so well, though the Pappano recording with Gheorghiu and Alagna is very good.

Incidentally, Halévy and Auber also wrote operas adapted from the novel, though they are rarely performed today.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 20, 2022, 02:57:38 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/HJ37eMhA6kAwxjcgvY3vQjxhHXB3SF6fKgNVBlJ4e-E/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc2MTg4/NDItMTQ0NTI3ODQ4/NS03NTcwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Given that the sound of the wonderful De Sabata 1952 La Scala performance leaves quite a bit to be desired, this Abbado recording is my studio choice.

In many ways, Abbado's conception of this dark, brooding score is very similar to De Sabata's, although De Sabata's tempi are occasionally a little more propulsive, and he too has the La Scala orchestra and chorus on top form. He also has an excellent cast, and Cappuccilli, Ghiaurov and Domingo are all an improvement on their De Sabata counterparts. Verrett is superb too, my favourite Lady Macbeth after Callas, but listening to her performance straight after the De Sabata, I remain convinced that the role is for a true soprano, not a pushed up mezzo. Verrett compensates for a lack of brilliance at the top of her register with wonderfully intelligent and musical singing, but I miss the sheer visceral thrill of Callas's voice in 1952.

Nonetheless this is a great recording and I think the equal of Abbado's award winning Simon Boccanegra. I much prefer it to the Muti, which came out around the same time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 20, 2022, 03:12:14 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2022, 07:40:49 AM
The Puccini opera was his first big success and pre-dates La Boheme, so it's quite an early work. The Callas recording scores over the others in the later acts, especially the last act, which is usually anti-climactic, though not here.

I feel the Massenet opera captures more of the atmosphere of the original novel. I'd recommend the Monteux recording with Victoria De Los Angeles as an enchanting Manon. More recent recordings, with their polyglot casts and international orchestras, don't capture its inimitable French style so well, though the Pappano recording with Gheorghiu and Alagna is very good.

Incidentally, Halévy and Auber also wrote operas adapted from the novel, though they are rarely performed today.

I have added your Monteux recommendations to my Idagio pile !  ;D thank you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 20, 2022, 03:31:42 AM
Today's sampling: Lucia Di Lammermoor.

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjY5MC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NDk0NTUzMDl9)   (https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjcxMi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2MzU5Njd9)

(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn019_l.jpg)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAwMjA5My4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MTU3OTA4ODJ9)   (https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMTkxNy4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjQ3OTY5Mzl9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 20, 2022, 05:27:45 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 20, 2022, 03:31:42 AM
Today's sampling: Lucia Di Lammermoor.

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjY5MC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NDk0NTUzMDl9)   (https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjcxMi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2MzU5Njd9)

(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn019_l.jpg)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODAwMjA5My4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MTU3OTA4ODJ9)   (https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMTkxNy4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjQ3OTY5Mzl9)

The two pre-eminent Lucias of the post war period. I'm not a big Sutherland fan, but it is the role that made her a star and the one she sang more than any other. I think the later recording with Pavarotti is usually considered better than the first, largely because she was at her mooniest and her diction was at its worst when she made the first set. I believe the later recording is also note complete.

Of the three Callas recordings, the 1959 recording with the Philharmonia, recorded in Kingsway Hall, has the best sound, but is possibly only for Callas afficionados, due to the parlous state of her top register by then. That leaves the 1953 studio under Serafin, which was the first recording she ever made for EMI, and the live Karajan performance, which is my personal favourite. I see you have included the photo from the Divina release, which is probably the best sounding transfer, though I don't think Divina is producing physical discs anymore. However the Warner is also very good and might be easier to come by.

(https://i.discogs.com/qnX2aFPG0Zpdfy5SF2EDjNXxIRh7NGT-1JUBLR0O9EM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:300/w:300/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNDU3/ODQyLTE1NzEwNTAy/MDAtMzQwNC5qcGVn.jpeg)

At all costs, avoid any of the EMI transfers of this performance. They must have used an inferior source.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on August 20, 2022, 02:58:31 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vASZPBxQL._SX425_.jpg)

Finally got to this famous performance, and it lives up to expectations.  Not that it was evident it would in the slow to start Prelude, which is also hampered by predictably dated but ultimately fully acceptable sonics.  The too distant, not compelling sailor also kind of falls flat.  Then Martha Modl starts in, and she scorches the earth.  Karajan picks up the pace, and the drama comes at the listener fast and furious from then on.  Ramon Vinay offers a nice counterbalance to Modl, though neither could be called especially nuanced in their roles.  But then, this was a live performance, and a scrappy one at that, so it doesn't matter.  This is about drama and excitement, not studio perfection, and Karajan shows he can deliver both.  Sure, one can point to better singers at various points in different performances - Vickers under Bohm in Orange in Act III, for instance, or Caterina Ligendza under Kleiber in La Scala in the Liebestod (how I adore this one) - but taken as a whole, this is one badass performance. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on August 20, 2022, 03:01:26 PM
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) | The Cunning Little Vixen
Charles Mackerras

(https://i.postimg.cc/SsN4g7HM/Screen-Shot-2022-08-20-at-5-59-22-PM.png)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 20, 2022, 03:21:27 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/VLcH-Jnd1h1HfZRCDWqSEElIVNemB3M8wdHrt8WO1Ts/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTczNTc1/OTUtMTU0MTUyMjgw/NC05NTE5LmpwZWc.jpeg)

I Masnadieri might seem a step bakwards after Macbeth, which preceded it, but one should remember that it was planned and prepared earlier. It has a somewhat intransigent libretto and none of the characters really come to life.

That said, there is some glorious music in it and there is much to enjoy, particularly whenit is sung and played as well as it is here. Caballé, in particular, is really exquisite in a role written for the Swedish nightingale, Jenny Lind.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 21, 2022, 03:29:38 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 20, 2022, 05:27:45 AM
The two pre-eminent Lucias of the post war period. I'm not a big Sutherland fan, but it is the role that made her a star and the one she sang more than any other. I think the later recording with Pavarotti is usually considered better than the first, largely because she was at her mooniest and her diction was at its worst when she made the first set. I believe the later recording is also note complete.

Of the three Callas recordings, the 1959 recording with the Philharmonia, recorded in Kingsway Hall, has the best sound, but is possibly only for Callas afficionados, due to the parlous state of her top register by then. That leaves the 1953 studio under Serafin, which was the first recording she ever made for EMI, and the live Karajan performance, which is my personal favourite. I see you have included the photo from the Divina release, which is probably the best sounding transfer, though I don't think Divina is producing physical discs anymore. However the Warner is also very good and might be easier to come by.

(https://i.discogs.com/qnX2aFPG0Zpdfy5SF2EDjNXxIRh7NGT-1JUBLR0O9EM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:300/w:300/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNDU3/ODQyLTE1NzEwNTAy/MDAtMzQwNC5qcGVn.jpeg)

At all costs, avoid any of the EMI transfers of this performance. They must have used an inferior source.

On this opera alone, I ended with opposite reaction processes between Callas & Sutherland : Where with Callas, it always takes me a minute or two to settle my ears to and then enjoying her voice, with Sutherland, it was "oh she sounds very nice" for a minute or two and then I went "God, doesn't she mumbles a lot.." to the point of being too distracting. I only have Sutherland in Giulini's Don Giovanni so far but I don't remember having such an adverse reaction when I sampled and short-listed it. It will be interesting on my full listen.

As for the sampling of the 4 Callas versions. It gets complicated  :laugh:

- I haven't been put off by the poorer sound of the 1953 version and loved the voice.
- I haven't been put off by anything in her "later" voice in the 1959 version although these particular subtleties will probably go over my head at this time anyway
- Weirdly, I haven't been put off too much by the sound quality of the 1955 Live Karajan either. I guess my ears are getting gradually accustomed to this type of recording as well. I listened to chunks of the The Warner version is on Idagio. Divina Records only has a one-track sample, to me it sounded marginally better than the same track on the Warner remaster.

As it stands, I am only 3-4 more recordings of interest away of making the Studio red box more financially worthwhile (based on ebay prices) instead of cherry picking a few FLAC studio recordings. I am pondering asking for that red box to Santa  :o  and get one or two live recordings until then to scratch that Callas itch meanwhile.  0:)
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 21, 2022, 03:32:47 AM
Quote from: Todd on August 20, 2022, 02:58:31 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vASZPBxQL._SX425_.jpg)

Finally got to this famous performance, and it lives up to expectations.  Not that it was evident it would in the slow to start Prelude, which is also hampered by predictably dated but ultimately fully acceptable sonics.  The too distant, not compelling sailor also kind of falls flat.  Then Martha Modl starts in, and she scorches the earth.  Karajan picks up the pace, and the drama comes at the listener fast and furious from then on.  Ramon Vinay offers a nice counterbalance to Modl, though neither could be called especially nuanced in their roles.  But then, this was a live performance, and a scrappy one at that, so it doesn't matter.  This is about drama and excitement, not studio perfection, and Karajan shows he can deliver both.  Sure, one can point to better singers at various points in different performances - Vickers under Bohm in Orange in Act III, for instance, or Caterina Ligendza under Kleiber in La Scala in the Liebestod (how I adore this one) - but taken as a whole, this is one badass performance.

This type of review is not helping either  :P  (especially a day after my Karajan Parsifal landed in the post box!!).
The price on Qobuz makes this tempting too.

why am I spending more time in this section of the forum ?!?!  ??? :laugh:

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2022, 03:52:34 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 21, 2022, 03:29:38 AM
On this opera alone, I ended with opposite reaction processes between Callas & Sutherland : Where with Callas, it always takes me a minute or two to settle my ears to and then enjoying her voice, with Sutherland, it was "oh she sounds very nice" for a minute or two and then I went "God, doesn't she mumbles a lot.." to the point of being too distracting. I only have Sutherland in Giulini's Don Giovanni so far but I don't remember having such an adverse reaction when I sampled and short-listed it. It will be interesting on my full listen.

As for the sampling of the 4 Callas versions. It gets complicated  :laugh:

- I haven't been put off by the poorer sound of the 1953 version and loved the voice.
- I haven't been put off by anything in her "later" voice in the 1959 version although these particular subtleties will probably go over my head at this time anyway
- Weirdly, I haven't been put off too much by the sound quality of the 1955 Live Karajan either. I guess my ears are getting gradually accustomed to this type of recording as well. I listened to chunks of the The Warner version is on Idagio. Divina Records only has a one-track sample, to me it sounded marginally better than the same track on the Warner remaster.

As it stands, I am only 3-4 more recordings of interest away of making the Studio red box more financially worthwhile (based on ebay prices) instead of cherry picking a few FLAC studio recordings. I am pondering asking for that red box to Santa  :o  and get one or two live recordings until then to scratch that Callas itch meanwhile.  0:)


Sutherland's Donna Anna for Giulini was recorded in 1959, with the voice still at its freshest and still quite forwardly placed. Her diction was also a lot better then, possibly because she was working with so many Italian conductors (Giulini for the Don Giovanni recording, Serafin for Lucia di Lammermoor at Covent Garden, Nello Santi and Francesco Moilinari-Pradelli for her first recitals). When she started working almost exclusively with her husband Richard Bonynge, the voice changed quite a bit and she adopted a more moony, style with mushy diction. Sometimes it's almost impossible to understand what language she is singing in. I have a Christmas album of hers and when my partner heard it for the first time, he asked me what language she was singing in. As it happens, it was English, though you'd never know it. I have tried to enjoy her singing more than I do, but most of her recordings post about 1960 just irritate me. For many though, the fabulous top notes and spectacular coloratura are enough.

If you are becoming more inclined towards Callas, then I'd suggest the Warner Callas red box would make a very good buy, especially if you can pick it up at a good price (I assume we're talking about physical CDs here).

For the live stuff, the Callas Live Remastered Warner box is also a pretty good buy, but some of the transfers leave something to be desired. The Lisbon Traviata, for instance, is better in EMI's first 1980s issue, and Divina's Anna Bolena is in a different world of clarity from any of the others I've heard (though Myto isn't bad). I don't have Divina's Lucia. The Warner is quite good, but I'm told the Divina is even better. In any case this has always been one of the best sounding live Callas recordings.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 21, 2022, 04:27:23 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2022, 03:52:34 AM
Sutherland's Donna Anna for Giulini was recorded in 1959, with the voice still at its freshest and still quite forwardly placed. Her diction was also a lot better then, possibly because she was working with so many Italian conductors (Giulini for the Don Giovanni recording, Serafin for Lucia di Lammermoor at Covent Garden, Nello Santi and Francesco Moilinari-Pradelli for her first recitals). When she started working almost exclusively with her husband Richard Bonynge, the voice changed quite a bit and she adopted a more moony, style with mushy diction. Sometimes it's almost impossible to understand what language she is singing in. I have a Christmas album of hers and when my partner heard it for the first time, he asked me what language she was singing in. As it happens, it was English, though you'd never know it. I have tried to enjoy her singing more than I do, but most of her recordings post about 1960 just irritate me. For many though, the fabulous top notes and spectacular coloratura are enough.

Thank you for the information and context, Tsara.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2022, 03:52:34 AM
If you are becoming more inclined towards Callas, then I'd suggest the Warner Callas red box would make a very good buy, especially if you can pick it up at a good price (I assume we're talking about physical CDs here).

At the moment, it is about £10 per opera as FLAC on Presto (On sale). The physical box can be found around £80-£100. I obviously still have plenty to explore first but, at this rate, this is gradually becoming a no-brainer.

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2022, 03:52:34 AM
For the live stuff, the Callas Live Remastered Warner box is also a pretty good buy, but some of the transfers leave something to be desired. The Lisbon Traviata, for instance, is better in EMI's first 1980s issue, and Divina's Anna Bolena is in a different world of clarity from any of the others I've heard (though Myto isn't bad). I don't have Divina's Lucia. The Warner is quite good, but I'm told the Divina is even better. In any case this has always been one of the best sounding live Callas recordings.

Thank you. If the interest persists, i will rather cherry pick the live recordings.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on August 21, 2022, 05:14:06 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 21, 2022, 03:32:47 AMThe price on Qobuz makes this tempting too.

That's where I bought it.  I'm not saying you should buy it, but I'm not saying you shouldn't buy it, either.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2022, 09:10:19 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/51ek3ptyfil-_ss500.jpg)

Callas's Abigaille has to be heard to be believed, but, oh dear, the sound. It's quite a hard listen and I have to admit to just cutting to Callas's contributions most times I listen to it; which is a shame, because it's obviously quite a good all round performance. Gui is a major element in its success of course and Bechi is rather good, though nowhere near as imaginative as Gobbi, who recorded it late in his career.

A veritable riot explodes during and after Va pensiero and of course it is encored. It's all very exciting, but, oh, the sound really is a trial.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2022, 01:07:41 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/sYW9065POD9cv8Ry8PeXMvL9jiDGNSmsT8PzZ-Wk0PU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:518/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTcxMjkx/NTMtMTQzNDM3MjI1/Ni05Njk2LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Callas's 1949 Abigaille may be required listening, but the sound is awful and, for a library version, there is no better recording than this one. This was Suliotis's first recording commercial recording and it is, without doubt, the best representation of her art on disc. The singing is fearless and absolutely thrilling and the role became her calling card. However, such recklessness cost her dear and all too soon the voice disintegrated. In little more than five years, she was sung out and her career virtually over. Still, we are lucky to have this memento of her at her exciting best.

We also have Gobbi, admittedly at the end of his career, but still giving a lesson in creating character through music and still in fine voice, finding a myriad of colours in his duet with the triumphant Abigaille of Suliotis and wonderfully moving in Dio di Giuda. The rest of the cast have less to do, but Cava and Prevedi are fine as Zaccaria and Ismaele. Only Dora Carral makes little impression in the rather thankless role of Fenena.

Gardelli, as ever in early Verdi, paces the score perfectly and gives us a particularly fine Va pensiero. I place this above both the Muti and Sinopoli recordings of the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on August 22, 2022, 03:22:00 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/iJtpwZg2ioBIAoLgeUOSqTNoiAvX85qP3OLTe_dx-h4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0ODA1/MjE4LTE1ODE5NDQ0/OTktNjQ2My5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 22, 2022, 03:32:54 PM
That cover is a lot better than the one used on my copy
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41HpVAdmegL._AC_SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on August 22, 2022, 04:11:42 PM
Will spin the live version from this set later today. The cover (lower left) is somewhat in-between.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91eDCTHv3HL._SL1500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 22, 2022, 04:30:01 PM
Interesting set....but three Tristans!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on August 23, 2022, 12:31:46 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 19, 2022, 07:40:49 AM
Incidentally, Halévy and Auber also wrote operas adapted from the novel [Manon Lescaut], though they are rarely performed today.

Also, Henze's Boulevard Solitude.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 26, 2022, 01:46:44 AM
Bizet - Carmen (Callas, Prêtre)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646263349/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 02:13:56 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on August 23, 2022, 12:31:46 AM
Also, Henze's Boulevard Solitude.

Yes indeed, though I've never seen or heard it. Actually it is based on a play by Walter Jockisch, which is a modern re-telling of the novel.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 02:18:10 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 26, 2022, 01:46:44 AM
Bizet - Carmen (Callas, Prêtre)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646263349/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

It's a bit of a Marmite recording. People tend to love it or hate it. Obviously I'm in the former camp, as was Richard Osborne of Gramophone Magazine, who reviewed one of its CD reissues,

"[Callas's] Carmen is one of those rare experiences, like Piaf singing La vie en rose, or Dietrich in The Blue Angel, which is inimitable, unforgettable, and on no account to be missed."

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 26, 2022, 05:00:25 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 02:18:10 AM
It's a bit of a Marmite recording. People tend to love it or hate it. Obviously I'm in the former camp, as was Richard Osborne of Gramophone Magazine, who reviewed one of its CD reissues,

"[Callas's] Carmen is one of those rare experiences, like Piaf singing La vie en rose, or Dietrich in The Blue Angel, which is inimitable, unforgettable, and on no account to be missed."

I am sort of enjoying it, just sitting on the right side of the fence (2 acts in).

It is so far of one two examples where I actually enjoy hearing my mother tongue being sung in a classical setting (the other being Dietschy singing some Fauré songs). I know it is a weird thing to say with a partly French cast but the clarity in the French diction here feels err... "refreshing" to these ears.

It is a totally different beast to Solti's, less oomph or fiery overall, even with some flat-ish moments I found. And yet, at times, it can be mesmerising. The duet "parle-moi de ma mère"  for instance really made me sit up and listen (It got an encore), and Callas wasn't even in it  :laugh:

If not a completely full mark, a positive tick still goes next to this recording.


     
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on August 26, 2022, 05:29:00 AM
Monteverdi: L'Orfeo (2015)
Jordi Savall

(https://i.postimg.cc/tJmjsJNM/Screen-Shot-2022-08-26-at-8-25-13-AM.png)

This Savall recording is very good - but earlier I listened to one I like even better.  It is on Glossa by Ensemble La Venexiana and led by Claudio Cavina

(https://i.postimg.cc/kgNtbPLy/Screen-Shot-2022-08-26-at-8-30-12-AM.png)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 06:27:58 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 26, 2022, 05:00:25 AM
I am sort of enjoying it, just sitting on the right side of the fence (2 acts in).

It is so far of one two examples where I actually enjoy hearing my mother tongue being sung in a classical setting (the other being Dietschy singing some Fauré songs). I know it is a weird thing to say with a partly French cast but the clarity in the French diction here feels err... "refreshing" to these ears.

It is a totally different beast to Solti's, less oomph or fiery overall, even with some flat-ish moments I found. And yet, at times, it can be mesmerising. The duet "parle-moi de ma mère"  for instance really made me sit up and listen (It got an encore), and Callas wasn't even in it  :laugh:

If not a completely full mark, a positive tick still goes next to this recording.


   

Ah, I didn't know you were French.

Well, almost everyone in the Callas recording is French, and the whole recording is much more French in style than the internationally cast, polyglot Solti version. Admittedly Gedda and Callas weren't French, but both were excellent linguists, and Gedda was something of a French spécialiste. Callas was by this time living in Paris and spoke the language fluently. Interestingly, Beecham originally considered her for his famous recording, but she turned him down, saying that she didn't think her French was good enough yet. The role eventually went to Victoria De Los Angeles.

It's interesting that you the Solti more fiery. I've always thought Troyanos's Carmen was a bit anonymous. I suppose you could say Solti's coducting was fiery, though it's not really to my liking. I'd call it more bombastic than fiery.

Beecham conducts a very stylish, elegant account of the score, but I'm afraid I've always found De Los Angeles's Carmen a bit too ladylike, though she is as usual a wonderfully musical singer. I often wonder what a Beecham/Callas Carmen would have been like. Prêtre can be a bit vulgar at times.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 09:11:35 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/P8ArVGUhTdt8Qq2b3bt3fIUlXdnH7Px-FafjVdr31vs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:532/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg5NDE1/NDItMTY0NTI5NzAw/OC0zMDQ2LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Oh, if only, if only..... If only Tebaldi had been the Desdemona on this recording, what a performance it would have been. As it is, Vickers, though recording the role before he had stage experience in it, is absolutely superb, and a lot more musically scrupulous than Del Monaco, who sings it on the roughly contemporaeous Karajan recording (with the wonderful Tebaldi). Gobbi, it goes without saying, is just fantastic as Iago, the personifciation of manipuative evil and Serafin, as so often, just gets so much so unobtrusively, but so brilliantly right.

The fly in the ointment, for me at any rate, is Rysanek. This is just the wrong voice for the role. At times she just sounds hoarse and her intonation is occasionally suspect. Nor does she really suggest Desdemona's innocence and purity. Tebaldi is in a different world, but I can think of any amount of recorded Desdemonas I prefer; Rethberg (of course), Freni, Ricciarelli, Scotto, Te Kanawa, Margaret Price and Studer, to mention a few who are on complete audio performances. Fleming is also much to be preferred on video.

Nonetheless this is a great performance. Vickers may have been more inside the role by the time of Karajan's second recording, but there are some weird recording balances on that one and Karajan makes a swingeing and totally unnecessary cut in the big Act III ensemble. By and large, the Serafin has remained my favourite, though I intend to listen to the three Domingo recordings next, and it will be interesting to record my impressions.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 26, 2022, 09:33:55 AM
Good evening, Mr. Tsaras.

I am greatly, greatly, greatly tempted by this set:

(https://goods.kaypu.com/photo/55338bdff50baa3f8f29dfb0.jpg)

As the GMG's leading expert on Callas, what say you? Should I click or should I not?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 10:47:58 AM
Quote from: Florestan on August 26, 2022, 09:33:55 AM
Good evening, Mr. Tsaras.

I am greatly, greatly, greatly tempted by this set:

(https://goods.kaypu.com/photo/55338bdff50baa3f8f29dfb0.jpg)

As the GMG's leading expert on Callas, what say you? Should I click or should I not?

Well of course I'm going to say, just click.

If you want my detailed reviews, they are all on my website. Start with https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/05/callass-studio-recordings-an-introduction/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/05/callass-studio-recordings-an-introduction/) and then just click on next article for reviews of each opera or recital disc.

Some will tell you that not all the Warner transfers are better than some of the original EMI ones (not the Callas Edition black cover ones, which were something of a disaster), and others will tell you that the original LPs are best. But I'd just go for the box set.

If you are getting it on CD, you also get the bonus of an extra disc with all the librettos on them.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 26, 2022, 11:01:41 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 10:47:58 AM
Well of course I'm going to say, just click.

If you want my detailed reviews, they are all on my website. Start with https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/05/callass-studio-recordings-an-introduction/ (https://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/05/callass-studio-recordings-an-introduction/) and then just click on next article for reviews of each opera or recital disc.

Some will tell you that not all the Warner transfers are better than some of the original EMI ones (not the Callas Edition black cover ones, which were something of a disaster), and others will tell you that the original LPs are best. But I'd just go for the box set.

If you are getting it on CD, you also get the bonus of an extra disc with all the librettos on them.

Thank you. Click it is, then. (Not that I expected otherwise, anyway  :D )

Oh, and I'll be certainly reading your reviews in their entirety. In fact, am reading the first installment right now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 11:59:59 AM
Quote from: Florestan on August 26, 2022, 11:01:41 AM
Thank you. Click it is, then. (Not that I expected otherwise, anyway  :D )

Oh, and I'll be certainly reading your reviews in their entirety. In fact, am reading the first installment right now.

I hope you have many hours of pleasure ahead of you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 26, 2022, 12:03:40 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 11:59:59 AM
I hope you have many hours of pleasure ahead of you.

Hours? You surely mean days, if not weeks. Thanks anyway.  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 26, 2022, 12:30:11 PM
[Callas] spoke [French] fluently (though tellingly refused the role of Carmen in the Beecham recording, "because my French isn't good enough yet")

Joan Sutherland would have surely laughed her ass off had she known about that.  ;D

No, really, I'm not aware of any other major operatic singer, female or male, who has/had a worse diction that JS. Which begs the question, why on earth such a supremely gifted soprano never cared to take some lessons in Italian/French diction...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 01:59:22 PM
Quote from: Florestan on August 26, 2022, 12:30:11 PM
[Callas] spoke [French] fluently (though tellingly refused the role of Carmen in the Beecham recording, "because my French isn't good enough yet")

Joan Sutherland would have surely laughed her ass off had she known about that.  ;D

No, really, I'm not aware of any other major operatic singer, female or male, who has/had a worse diction that JS. Which begs the question, why on earth such a supremely gifted soprano never cared to take some lessons in Italian/French diction...

Sutherland's diction was a lot better when she was working with conductors like Serafin, Giulini, Nello Santi and Molinari-Pradelli. It went to  pot when she started working almost exclusively with Bonynge, who got her to adopt a moony, swoony style. It's not just that her diction was bad, but that she never really made words count. It's also noticeable that the more they concentrated on her brilliant upper register, the more the lower and middle registers fell away and the voice became dull in those areas. Some thought the splendour of her upper notes compensation enough, but I never did.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 26, 2022, 02:06:31 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 26, 2022, 01:59:22 PM
Sutherland's diction was a lot better when she was working with conductors like Serafin, Giulini, Nello Santi and Molinari-Pradelli. It went to  pot when she started working almost exclusively with Bonynge, who got her to adopt a moony, swoony style. It's not just that her diction was bad, but that she never really made words count. It's also noticeable that the more they concentrated on her brilliant upper register, the more the lower and middle registers fell away and the voice became dull in those areas. Some thought the splendour of her upper notes compensation enough, but I never did.

Well, I'm a prima la musica poi le parole kind of guy* --- but JS abused the principle big time.  ;D

*not quite, actually: I speak French fluently and understand a fair amount of Italian (more than enough for operas actually).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 28, 2022, 08:06:36 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/jHu_qDkA7aOozSPuQzVNAsA9-ZRuzBShF1KsGqmGmy4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:599/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE4MzA4/NzI1LTE2MTg1MDAx/NTktOTM1NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/3f0qwwDmlC8rs8kixFpX2kWLsG5qgjNiHLmRux-uio4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:599/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUyNDUz/OTMtMTQ0NDA3Mjkw/Ny04MDczLmpwZWc.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/IMogLvVJI2wvMlvnbUqriZkSQyhabzOYrU6EqQ2-Q5w/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:595/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg5MDQ5/MTctMTQ3MTE4MjEz/MC0zMTExLmpwZWc.jpeg)

I think uniquely among tenors, Domingo has made three studio recordings of Otello, one for each decade from the 70s through to the 90s, which is certainly some achievement in itself.

The generally accepted opinion is that the last one with Chung is the best, but I'm not sure I'd agree, though all three performances have something to commend them, and all are worth hearing.

It might be useful to set Domingo's Otello aside for the moment, and look at the other elements of the recordings. When it comes to the conducting, I like Maazel's the least. As usual he pulls around rhythms too much and draws attention to himself in the wrong way. Chung and Levine are both much to be preferred , though I don't always feel Chung really gets under the skin of the score. Levine, whom I don't always like in Verdi, is both more dramatic and more lyrical, but I still prefer Serafin to both. Incidentally I should mention that the Maazel isn't actually the soundtrack to the Zeffirelli film, which was mercilessly cut, and the recording is note complete.

When it comes to Iago, Diaz isn't as bad as he's sometimes made out to be, but he's a bit anonymous. He doesn't really make much impression. Milnes and Leiferkus are more interesting, but Leiferkus's very un-italianate voice takes some getting used to and Milnes' tone is intrinsically too noble. He still sounds more like a Posa. Both are intelligent singers and both are credible villains, but neither eclipses memories of Gobbi, who just has the sound of evil in his voice.

All three Desdemonas are excellent. If my preference is for Scotto, it is because she makes a little more of the character dramatically. Admittedly the voice can turn a little squally when under pressure at the top, but her soft singing is exquisite and she is the only one of the three sopranos to really use her chest voice. Ricciarelli's voice tends to disappear in the lower register, but elsewhere her singing is very beautiful and she too is a very affecting Desdemona. Studer isn't always a singer I enjoy, but I do like her singing in the Chung, even if ultimately I prefer both Scotto and Ricciarelli. All three are far preferable to Rysanek on the Serafin recording. The supporting roles are best served by Chung, who has Ramon Vargas as Cassio and Denyce Graves as Emilia.

Which leaves us with the small matter of Domingo. I know some question the suitabilty of his voice for the role, but he was the foremost Otello in the world for almost three decades and aside from the three studio recordings, there are numerous live accounts around, both on disc and on video and it is certainly worth seeking out at least one of his video performances, as he was a superb actor. He doesn't have the sheer animal power of Vickers, but his singing throughout these three sets is remarkably consistent. There is some deepening of the interpretation from Levine through to Chung, but there is a bit more ring to the voice in the earlier recording. In all three recordings he shows what an intelligent singer can do with a role for which he is not entirely suited and his is an entirely believable portrayal, but by and large I prefer him in the Levine, which, all round, I find the finest of all these three recordings.

However, if forced to choose but one, I would still go for Serafin, despite the weakest Desdemona, as the two male leads are more important in this opera, and team Vickers/Gobbi take a lot of beating. I also give the conducting palm to Serafin, who, as usual, just gets everything unobtrusively right.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 28, 2022, 05:49:05 PM
I saw Milnes perform Iago in May 1979 in a Met touring production (Levine conducted; Richard Cassilly and Gilda Cruz-Roma were the O and the D) and remember him as very good in conveying the character's villiany: but a good deal of that was with gesture and facial expression, so perhaps an audio-only version would fail to convey it.

I have the Levine and Chung recordings, but like you I prefer the Serafin, which was my first recording of the opera.

ETA: checking a bit further, I think Cassilly was subbing for Vickers. There was one time I went to a Met Spring tour performance in which Vickers was billed but he cancelled due to sickness; this was likely that performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 28, 2022, 11:45:40 PM
Learning curve of the day:

Finding out through the above 2 posts that Sherrill Milnes is a He when I had assumed otherwise based on the first name  :-[ :-[

That's one potential faux-pas averted in the Opéra salons  :laugh:

Thank you both for the Otello comments too, great pointers for future sampling again.




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on August 28, 2022, 11:59:30 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 28, 2022, 08:06:36 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/jHu_qDkA7aOozSPuQzVNAsA9-ZRuzBShF1KsGqmGmy4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:599/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE4MzA4/NzI1LTE2MTg1MDAx/NTktOTM1NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/3f0qwwDmlC8rs8kixFpX2kWLsG5qgjNiHLmRux-uio4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:599/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUyNDUz/OTMtMTQ0NDA3Mjkw/Ny04MDczLmpwZWc.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/IMogLvVJI2wvMlvnbUqriZkSQyhabzOYrU6EqQ2-Q5w/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:595/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg5MDQ5/MTctMTQ3MTE4MjEz/MC0zMTExLmpwZWc.jpeg)

I think uniquely among tenors, Domingo has made three studio recordings of Otello, one for each decade from the 70s through to the 90s, which is certainly some achievement in itself.

The generally accepted opinion is that the last one with Chung is the best, but I'm not sure I'd agree, though all three performances have something to commend them, and all are worth hearing.

It might be useful to set Domingo's Otello aside for the moment, and look at the other elements of the recordings. When it comes to the conducting, I like Maazel's the least. As usual he pulls around rhythms too much and draws attention to himself in the wrong way. Chung and Levine are both much to be preferred , though I don't always feel Chung really gets under the skin of the score. Levine, whom I don't always like in Verdi, is both more dramatic and more lyrical, but I still prefer Serafin to both. Incidentally I should mention that the Maazel isn't actually the soundtrack to the Zeffirelli film, which was mercilessly cut, and the recording is note complete.

When it comes to Iago, Diaz isn't as bad as he's sometimes made out to be, but he's a bit anonymous. He doesn't really make much impression. Milnes and Leiferkus are more interesting, but Leiferkus's very un-italianate voice takes some getting used to and Milnes' tone is intrinsically too noble. He still sounds more like a Posa. Both are intelligent singers and both are credible villains, but neither eclipses memories of Gobbi, who just has the sound of evil in his voice.

All three Desdemonas are excellent. If my preference is for Scotto, it is because she makes a little more of the character dramatically. Admittedly the voice can turn a little squally when under pressure at the top, but her soft singing is exquisite and she is the only one of the three sopranos to really use her chest voice. Ricciarelli's voice tends to disappear in the lower register, but elsewhere her singing is very beautiful and she too is a very affecting Desdemona. Studer isn't always a singer I enjoy, but I do like her singing in the Chung, even if ultimately I prefer both Scotto and Ricciarelli. All three are far preferable to Rysanek on the Serafin recording. The supporting roles are best served by Chung, who has Ramon Vargas as Cassio and Denyce Graves as Emilia.

Which leaves us with the small matter of Domingo. I know some question the suitabilty of his voice for the role, but he was the foremost Otello in the world for almost three decades and aside from the three studio recordings, there are numerous live accounts around, both on disc and on video and it is certainly worth seeking out at least one of his video performances, as he was a superb actor. He doesn't have the sheer animal power of Vickers, but his singing throughout these three sets is remarkably consistent. There is some deepening of the interpretation from Levine through to Chung, but there is a bit more ring to the voice in the earlier recording. In all three recordings he shows what an intelligent singer can do with a role for which he is not entirely suited and his is an entirely believable portrayal, but by and large I prefer him in the Levine, which, all round, I find the finest of all these three recordings.

However, if forced to choose but one, I would still go for Serafin, despite the weakest Desdemona, as the two male leads are more important in this opera, and team Vickers/Gobbi take a lot of beating. I also give the conducting palm to Serafin, who, as usual, just gets everything unobtrusively right.

Just to let you know I really enjoy reading your comments and insights on various operas.  I find them very valuable - I mentioned recently you've prompted me to pick up the Gardelli/I Due Foscari.  I have the Levine and Maazel Otellos but not the Chung - I'll probably stop there 2 Domingo/Otellos are enough for me.  What do you think of the Karajan/Cossutta recording - Price is probably a bit too 'big' for Desdemona?  I played for Cossutta right at the end of his career in Italy in the mid 80's when he sang Samson opposite Cossotto's Delilah - that was quite a heavy-weight battle!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 01:44:40 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on August 28, 2022, 11:59:30 PM
Just to let you know I really enjoy reading your comments and insights on various operas.  I find them very valuable - I mentioned recently you've prompted me to pick up the Gardelli/I Due Foscari.  I have the Levine and Maazel Otellos but not the Chung - I'll probably stop there 2 Domingo/Otellos are enough for me.  What do you think of the Karajan/Cossutta recording - Price is probably a bit too 'big' for Desdemona?  I played for Cossutta right at the end of his career in Italy in the mid 80's when he sang Samson opposite Cossotto's Delilah - that was quite a heavy-weight battle!

Thank you. I'm not a professional critic by any means. I just say what I like.

Do you mean the Solti/Cossutta Otello? Karajan's first recording is with Del Monaco and his second with Vickers (the soundtrack to his film, I think). It's a long time since I heard the Solti and I haven't been tempted again, mostly because I don't usually like Solti, especially in Verdi. I seem to remember Cossutta and Price both being rather good and Bacquier quite interesting as Iago. I'd have to listen to it again though and I think I'm Otello-ed out for now.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on August 29, 2022, 01:57:07 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 01:44:40 AM
Thank you. I'm not a professional critic by any means. I just say what I like.

Do you mean the Solti/Cossutta Otello? Karajan's first recording is with Del Monaco and his second with Vickers (the soundtrack to his film, I think). It's a long time since I heard the Solti and I haven't been tempted again, mostly because I don't usually like Solti, especially in Verdi. I seem to remember Cossutta and Price both being rather good and Bacquier quite interesting as Iago. I'd have to listen to it again though and I think I'm Otello-ed out for now.

of course its Solti/Cossutta (double duh to me for not checking!)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 29, 2022, 03:53:54 AM
Giving this one a stream:

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646291892/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 04:33:52 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 29, 2022, 03:53:54 AM
Giving this one a stream:

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646291892/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

There's an alarming flap on the final top C in the Nabucco cabaletta, but the Macbeth arias have never been bettered, except perhaps by Callas herself on the 1952 live recording of the whole opera. It's instructive to have the libretto at hand when listening.

The Don Carlo aria is also another classic of the gramophone.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 29, 2022, 04:58:45 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 04:33:52 AM
There's an alarming flap on the final top C in the Nabucco cabaletta, but the Macbeth arias have never been bettered, except perhaps by Callas herself on the 1952 live recording of the whole opera. It's instructive to have the libretto at hand when listening.

The Don Carlo aria is also another classic of the gramophone.

What do you mean by this ? The only thing I noticed was maybe its abrupt ending ?

Otherwise, a great album, yes. Another tick in the list for me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 06:08:53 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 29, 2022, 04:58:45 AM
What do you mean by this ? The only thing I noticed was maybe its abrupt ending ?

Otherwise, a great album, yes. Another tick in the list for me.

Maybe I made too much of it, but the final top C is a rather unlovely note and vibrates rather more than is desirable. Some critics have actually said it sounds more like a squawk, though I wouldn't agree.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 06:23:15 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 06:08:53 AM
Maybe I made too much of it, but the final top C is a rather unlovely note and vibrates rather more than is desirable. Some critics have actually said it sounds more like a squawk, though I wouldn't agree.

To add to what I wrote above. I suppose I've become so used to reading bad press about the state of Callas's post weight-loss voice, especially from around 1958 onwards, that I feel I have to make apologies for it to anyone hearing her for the first time, or almost the first time. However, I should remember that I first got to know the Callas voice from these post weight-loss records, because so much of her back catalogue had been deleted by the time I started collecting opera in my late teens, EMI having decided to delete most of their mono catalogue after stereo became the norm. Consequently, except for the Puccini Arias and her La Boheme, which had somehow escaped the deletions axe, my first Callas recordings were the 1960 Norma, the 1965 Carmen and Tosca, and then Mad Scenes and Verdi Heroines. The rest I acquired slowly, either from scouring record stores for imports or after EMI started to re-release them, a lot of them in fake, re-channeled stereo. It was then that EMI realised that her records still sold regardless of whether they were mono or stereo and she has been the backbone of EMI's, and now Warner's, Italian opera catalogue ever since.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 29, 2022, 06:31:53 AM
Ok I see. Nothing stood out as untoward when I listened to it, then again, I am only getting familiar with and used to her voice.

Maybe over time, I'll pick up on such variations in pre- and post weight loss. We'll see. For now, I am just slowly enjoying the journey  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 29, 2022, 07:03:25 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 01:44:40 AM
I'm not a professional critic by any means. I just say what I like.

And you do it in a highly articulated, educated and natural way and your enthusiastic love for opera shines through every paragraph. Honestly, you are way better than some professional critics I've read whose pretentious, intellectualist and artificial style is either risible or directly off-putting. Keep your reviews coming!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 29, 2022, 08:18:43 AM
(Cross-post from the WAYLTN thread)

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0560/8321/8590/products/8051773573989_85835e06-19e2-4bc3-9750-c9497a86f931_480x480.jpg?v=1661212145)

Act I up to, and including, Una voce poco fa. Splendid performance.

Every time I hear this opera I understand why Rossini in comic mode was like a gush of fresh air breezing in a room filled with heavy perfumes. One of the greatest musical firebrands ever.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 29, 2022, 09:52:12 AM
Thank you to all. That means a lot.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on August 29, 2022, 01:16:19 PM
Reporting back from die Walkure at Finnish National Opera, second part of the first completely Finnish production of Ring.

First the good news. The wait of roughly 3 years because of pandemic was from artistical viewpoint worth it. The production was magnificent with Tommi Hakala singing with both great power and great lyricism Wotan.

Johanna Rusanen is not maybe how I imagine Brunnhilde to look like but in sound she fits the title role.

Siegmund was sung by Joachim Bäckström, who actually made me like Siegmund despite him being possibly my least favorite character in the entire Ring. Yes, I know, a shocking claim.

Sieglinde, Miina-Liisa Värelä was perhaps a slight improvement ovet Brunnhilde in that she both sounds and looks like Sieglinde to me. Her last greeting to Brunnhilde was earth-shattering.

Matti Turunen was an interesting Hunding. He is depicted as priestly character in this production which made me think of Ibsen's Ghosts.

Niina Keitel is fine Fricka. I never saw Fricka as mere nagging housewife but instead as someone who makes a lot of good points too. What kind of Goddess of Marriage would Fricka be If she allowed an incestuous union? Although Wotan has a point too in that loveless unions are not good either.

The valkyries were very good although Wagner never did quite flesh them out as individuals which I guess was inevitable considering there are 8 of them excluding Brunnhilde.

Conducting was by Hannu Lintu and while Solti or Karajan he is not, he serves the purpose.

I said there were bad news. Well, that would be the fact that my enjoyment of performance was somewhat marred by several severe anxiety attacks. It may be because one of Walkure's themes is war and from obvious reasons this reinforced anxiety. I do freely acknowledge that I am lucky in that I have no direct experience of war. Part of my anxiety was because the thinking of the poor victims of war made me empathize heavily with them. I have always been very emotional and the blood-relatives I've lost through suicide did not help the issue.

I hope I don't sound cruel when I say that relief to my anxiety was brought by the war thread on this Forum. It of course wasnt in any way because of the ongoing war itself but by the pleasant surprise of how the few pages of the thread I browsed were for the most part full of friendly and civil discussion, in a thread with a topic which no doubt would raise high emotions anywhere and undoubtedly did here too, I just missed them. I had for the most part avoided war news etc. as a way of protection but I was so upset by my emotions that this performance awakened that I thought screw it, lets see what people have thought about this, it may bring some relief to loneliness. And I'm glad that this proved to be so, as glad as I am that Die Walkure ends in ultimately comforting atmosphere.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on August 29, 2022, 01:18:13 PM
PS sorry about lack of umlauts in my post, I wrote this with my cell phone.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 30, 2022, 01:43:48 AM
Another Callas recital to start the day:

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646291885/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on August 30, 2022, 02:53:00 AM
Quote from: absolutelybaching on August 30, 2022, 12:23:09 AM
Not that it matters, and maybe you knew it anyway, in which case ignore me. But it's usually possible to press-and-hold a key on a cell phone to trigger the display of all sorts of linguistic variants for a letter. Press+hold S, for example, and I get offered ß; press and hold E, I get offered five options: ē, ê, ë, è, é and (bizarrely!) 3. And so on.

Anyway: just thougt it worth mentioning, though I still find them fiddlier to do on a mobile than is probably worth the effort :)

Thanks! I figured there was a way but I was too dead tired after the opera to start finding a solution.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2022, 06:22:02 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/AUFIN7JJlxLT9sdInTIzkxPVnu236FdrsnBj0fcxco4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNDU2/NzUxLTE1OTUwOTE4/NjAtNzY1MC5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/OFjUQIqRR4zHFBriCtc3GrqFnH8vTQDIjRSKqN_1aqc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:595/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODEw/MTI3LTE1NDI4MTYx/MjgtODE4NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

The Mexico performance is probably only for those interested in Callas's development as an artist. She only sang the role of Gilda on stage in 1952 in Mexico and this live recording hasn't much to commend it other than Callas's really rather remarkable Gilda. There are a few miscalculations which will be eschewed for the studio recording, like the ending of Caro nome where she trills an upward arpeggio to take her up to a top E. The trills are amazing, but the long written trill on the lower Eb in the studio recording is much more revelatory. The quartet, which like the storm ensemble is a bit of a mess, also ends with her on a top Db, but with all the other singers belting out their parts, I doubt she had much other option. Again the written quiet ending on the studio recording is much more effective.

Di Stefano is the only other singer of note in the Mexico performance and he is not really at his best, careless of note values, playing to the gallery and ending la donna e mobile flat (twice). Campolonghi is an awful ham, oversinging and adding all manner of ghastly sobs whilst others are singing and Mugnai regularly has problems keeping the performance together. It has to be said that the audience doesn't seem to mind at all and they go wild after every big aria and at the end.

On the other hand, the studio recording is one of the greatest ever recorded of the opera and is regularly a first choice. It's virtues are many. Di Stefano is here almost ideal and on much better behaviour than he was in Mexico. I imagine the influence of Serafin and Walter Legge had a great deal to do with that. There are perhaps more stylish Dukes to be heard on other recordings, but few who can make you understand just why Gilda should fall so helplessly in love with him. Gobbi's Rigoletto is well-known, a portrayal to set beside his Simon Boccanegra and one of the most moving on record. As for Callas, her Gilda is a miracle and Serafin, as always, finds that perfect balance between thrilling drama and italianate lyricism.

There are much more detailed reviews of both recordings on my blog.

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/24/rigoletto-mexico-1952/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/24/rigoletto-mexico-1952/)

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2022, 06:32:01 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on August 30, 2022, 01:43:48 AM
Another Callas recital to start the day:

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646291885/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

One of her greatest, and I think my favourite among her recital records.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 01, 2022, 02:19:42 AM
An early (1951) recording of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61OLrOBcGeL.jpg)

This performance is far removed from the "Viennese tradition", or from the much later HIP style, but is quite engaging regardless. It seems to reflect a living performance practice in Italy in those years, and works wonderfully well as such. Fernando Previtali is an expert opera conductor, and leads very well IMHO (I saw him live many years later —1977 IIRC— leading Turandot in Caracas). The orchestra can be rough and inexact at times, but that does not deter from the enjoyment. Interestingly, one gets Sesto Bruscantini as the Count, half a decade before his celebrated Figaro under Vittorio Gui on EMI, and Graziella Sciutti is still in the comprimario rôle of Barbarina (she'd later be one of the leading Susannas of her generation, appearing in the aforementioned Gui recording). Italo Tajo's Figaro is a tad bland for my ears, and Alda Noni is her usual soubrettish self as Susanna —I've never cared much for this soprano, who had a successful career in the post-WWII years). Gabriella Gatti is the Countess, and she's perfectly OK if not particularly elegant or memorable. The same applies to Jolanda Gardino's Cherubino (she never managed to achieve stardom, and this is by far the most important rôle she recorded). But all this adds up to more than the sum of the parts, and we get a nice account of the opera, tinged by the quaintness of the —perfectly acceptable— mono sound. And all the singers are native Italian speakers, so we're spared the occasional "qveste" and such that creep into the Viennese or German "canonic" recordings  :D.

Of course, that this is one of the greatest works in the operatic repertoire helps a lot!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 01, 2022, 05:52:12 AM
Quote from: ritter on September 01, 2022, 02:19:42 AM
An early (1951) recording of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61OLrOBcGeL.jpg)

The same applies to Jolanda Gardino's Cherubino (she never managed to achieve stardom, and this is by far the most important rôle she recorded).


She did play Zaida on the Callas recording of Il Turco in Italia, a role she also played at La Scala in the Zeffirelli production in 1955 (also with Callas).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 03, 2022, 06:34:40 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/kHf_3TkET7R87H3DmXb-gsjlL5zrrOTd5ZjY75DPvgQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:511/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMzY3/MzY4LTE1MTUwNjE5/NDItNzg2MC5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkyNDIxNS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjQ3OTc1ODh9)

Simon Boccanegra is an opera I like more every time I hear it and there is no doubt the Abbado recording is now rightly considered a classic. It was based on highly successful performances at La Scala and, aside from the sound and Abbado's wonderfullly humane conducting, has some great performances in Cappucilli, Freni, Ghiaurov and Carreras in one of his best ever recordings. This would undoubtedly be the library choice.

Hovever I would never want to be without the Santini because, although t cannot compete in terms of conducting and sound, it has at least three superb performance in the Amelia of De Los Angeles, the Fiesco of Christoff and, in one of his best gramophone performances, the Boccanegra of Tito Gobbi. Gobbi is rarely considered a true Verdi baritone, but I am reminded how, in almost all the Verdi roles he recorded, I can't get the sound of his voice and his unque inflections out of my head, whether it be his Rigoletto, Renato, Amonasro, Falstaff, Posa, Iago or Boccanegra. All are distinct characters with their own vocal personality and I can't think of another baritone who does that quite so well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on September 03, 2022, 10:18:04 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/WEBP_402378-T1/images/I/51FeuN2CRWL._SX425_.jpg)

Il Tabarro
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on September 04, 2022, 05:34:20 AM
(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646321926/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 04, 2022, 07:33:55 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on September 04, 2022, 05:34:20 AM
(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646321926/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)


Astonishing performances from the 25 year old Maria Callas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on September 04, 2022, 11:40:01 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/WEBP_402378-T1/images/I/51FeuN2CRWL._SX425_.jpg)

Suor Angelica.  This opera has several things going for it.  First, it's got nothing but female parts, which soothes the ear.  Second, it's brief.  Third, it's Puccini at his sappiest and most sentimental, but it's end of career Puccini, so the tunes hypnotize, the orchestration bewitches, and the tautness leaves the listener wanting more.  Damn fine.  I don't really collect opera recordings anymore, but I just may have to track down the version with Lucia Popp in the lead because Lucia Popp is in the lead.  This version leaves nothing to be desired.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on September 04, 2022, 02:11:06 PM
One Hundred Years of Great Artists at the Met: The Johnson Years - 1935-1950

(https://i.postimg.cc/L8tkdyhb/johnson-years-2.jpg)

I retrieved my collection of these LPs from storage which I bought in the mid-80s at the Met shop, and have been really enjoying these singers in chronological order.  The transfers are in incredible audio restoration, and thankfully I took care with them and they sound great.  I have come to the conclusion that the quality of operatic singing has deteriorated since these singers were active.

The LPs cover the period of 1903-1982, which while not really 100 years, nor beginning in 1883 (there was no recording technology then) - but these singers's careers certainly were during those dates.  In fact, a number of them were at the end of their career, but still able to sing beautifully.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on September 05, 2022, 07:20:09 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/WEBP_402378-T1/images/I/51FeuN2CRWL._SX425_.jpg)

Gianni Schicchi.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 06, 2022, 01:08:55 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/iRj7501yitM9oDxBM0uGFbkLYRpmS6VUd-fDkDMuZ8M/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:520/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg4Mzgz/ODQtMTU0MTU2NTg3/OS04MTI5LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Though I miss some of the extra music Verdi wrote for Aroldo, I think Stiffelio is the much more cohesive piece. It's originl failure can be attributed to its subject matter and contemporary setting rather than the quality of the music, and we should remember that it was written just before Verdi's first undisputed masterpiece, Rigoletto.

This recording was based on a reconstruction, as the autograph was thought to be lost and in fact was only discovered some years after it was made. The DVD with Domingo from the 1993 Met performance was in fact the first time the original score was seeing the light of day since its premiere. However, we owe Gardelli and Philips a debt of garatitude, for it was this recording that revived interest in the opera as Verdi originally conceived it. It's a terrific performance, with Carreras, who sang the role quite a bit on stage after this, excellent in the title role and Sylvia Sass a wonderful Lina. Manugeurra is likewise superb as Stankar. Gardelli, as always in ealy Verdi, is a great asset in the pit.

Although there are a few pages where inspiration lags (the routine cabaletta to Lina's darkly brooding aria Ah, dagli scanni eterei is definitely one), there are also many pages of Verdi at his best and the finale, in which Stiffelio publicly forgives his erring wife, is genuinely moving. Anyone who loves Verdi should really hear this set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on September 06, 2022, 08:42:54 AM
Quote from: Todd on September 04, 2022, 11:40:01 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/WEBP_402378-T1/images/I/51FeuN2CRWL._SX425_.jpg)

Suor Angelica.  This opera has several things going for it.  First, it's got nothing but female parts, which soothes the ear.  Second, it's brief.  Third, it's Puccini at his sappiest and most sentimental, but it's end of career Puccini, so the tunes hypnotize, the orchestration bewitches, and the tautness leaves the listener wanting more.  Damn fine.  I don't really collect opera recordings anymore, but I just may have to track down the version with Lucia Popp in the lead because Lucia Popp is in the lead.  This version leaves nothing to be desired.

I have to concur. That is the only opera Puccini composed after Fanciulla which I really like (with the obvious exception of Turandot). Sorry La rondine, Il tabarro and Gianni Schicchi!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 07, 2022, 08:07:02 AM
Quote from: San Antone on September 04, 2022, 02:11:06 PM
One Hundred Years of Great Artists at the Met: The Johnson Years - 1935-1950

(https://i.postimg.cc/L8tkdyhb/johnson-years-2.jpg)

I retrieved my collection of these LPs from storage which I bought in the mid-80s at the Met shop, and have been really enjoying these singers in chronological order.  The transfers are in incredible audio restoration, and thankfully I took care with them and they sound great.  I have come to the conclusion that the quality of operatic singing has deteriorated since these singers were active.

The LPs cover the period of 1903-1982, which while not really 100 years, nor beginning in 1883 (there was no recording technology then) - but these singers's careers certainly were during those dates.  In fact, a number of them were at the end of their career, but still able to sing beautifully.
That looks like a fun set!  How many LPs are in it?

I have (on CD) a boxed set that I purchased years ago called:  "Met--One Hundred Singers.  One Hundred Years."  Wonder if they are all the same recordings?

(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0000/980/MI0000980480.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)  It's a 6-CD set.

And like you, I'm struggling to find many opera singers that I find to be thrilling these days.  Is it just me and getting older and fussier?  :-\

Quote from: Ganondorf on September 06, 2022, 08:42:54 AM
I have to concur. That is the only opera Puccini composed after Fanciulla which I really like (with the obvious exception of Turandot). Sorry La rondine, Il tabarro and Gianni Schicchi!
That's a lovely set!  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on September 08, 2022, 09:22:23 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 07, 2022, 08:07:02 AM
That looks like a fun set!  How many LPs are in it?

I have (on CD) a boxed set that I purchased years ago called:  "Met--One Hundred Singers.  One Hundred Years."  Wonder if they are all the same recordings?

And like you, I'm struggling to find many opera singers that I find to be thrilling these days.  Is it just me and getting older and fussier?  :-\

PD

There are six LP twofers, so 12 LPs, probably would be fewer CDs.  That box looks great and may have many of the same singers/selections.  I will look for it.  Yes, aside from the drawback with historical recordings of audio quality, if one can manage to transcend that aspect, the performances are usually far more enjoyable that what we have today.

I am a subscriber to Met Opera on Demand, and while I very much enjoy watching the productions I am also aware of the wide vibrato of most of the singers, and often vocal quality far below that found on the recordings from the '30s-'60s.

In fact I am finishing up watching their latest production of Rigoletto, which was actually surprisingly good.

(https://i.postimg.cc/TPL0p2k9/Screen-Shot-2022-09-07-at-6-57-29-AM.png)

RIGOLETTO Quinn Kelsey
DUKE OF MANTUA Piotr Beczała
GILDA Rosa Feola
SPARAFUCILE Andrea Mastroni
MADDALENA Varduhi Abrahamyan
CONDUCTOR Daniele Rustioni



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on September 08, 2022, 11:23:39 AM
Quote from: San Antone on September 08, 2022, 09:22:23 AM
There are six LP twofers, so 12 LPs, probably would be fewer CDs.  That box looks great and may have many of the same singers/selections.  I will look for it.  Yes, aside from the drawback with historical recordings of audio quality, if one can manage to transcend that aspect, the performances are usually far more enjoyable that what we have today.

I am a subscriber to Met Opera on Demand, and while I very much enjoy watching the productions I am also aware of the wide vibrato of most of the singers, and often vocal quality far below that found on the recordings from the '30s-'60s.

On fact I am finishing up watching their latest production fo Rigoleto, which was actually surprisingly good.

RIGOLETTO Quinn Kelsey
DUKE OF MANTUA Piotr Beczała
GILDA Rosa Feola
SPARAFUCILE Andrea Mastroni
MADDALENA Varduhi Abrahamyan
CONDUCTOR Daniele Rustioni
The only name that I recognize here is Piotr Beczala--whose voice and style of singing I do like; I know that I have at least one album of his (off the top of my head)--the Slavic Arias one.  :)

It's interesting to see how styles of singing have changed over the years.  One that does drive me crazy was (what I think of as) "tweety-bird kind of singing" from I want to say like the 1930's/40's?

I don't listen as often these days to fairly old/historical recordings (like from the 1940's and earlier), but it can be lots of fun...for instance listening to arias sung by Rosa Ponselle, who was Maria Callas' favorite singer when she was growing up--hearing her voice and interpretations and wondering what Callas was thinking and feeling when she first heard her sing.  :)

PD

p.s.  By the way, there's a listing on Discogs of the arias and singers in that boxed set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on September 11, 2022, 04:38:28 AM
Don Giovanni - Act I (Giulini)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkzMTUyOC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2MjYwODczMzR9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on September 11, 2022, 02:52:06 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/WEBP_402378-T1/images/I/51wqx7kOztL._SX425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2022, 01:04:10 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/JN2rDa1AXxaLIHpx91WWs6AVSy6phviXplPixJssRuo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:590/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODA0/ODIwLTE1NDIyOTA3/MDMtMzIyOC5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/WrQHVnmpS0iNfN8XqCqc8czSY7sT7rtNy5p45LYCDsE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:592/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTMyNDA4/MjAtMTMyMTkyODk0/OC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Over the next few days I will be listening to all my recordings of La Traviata, seven in all, though four of these have Callas in the title role. She sang Violetta more than any role other than Norma in an interpretation that she constantly strove to refine. Rather than listen to all her recordings one after the other, I thought it might be interesting to compare each one with one of my other recordings, leaving the last of her recorded performances (Covent Garden, 1958) on its own at the end.

I'm starting with the Cetra studio recording, which was recorded in 1953, shortly after the famous De Sabata Tosca, and she is in splendid voice. However, there is a part of me that always wishes it had never been made. The terms of her Cetra contract stated that she could not re-record the role for five years, so when Legge came to record the opera for his La Scala series in 1955, he cast Antonietta Stella as Violetta. Callas was furious with him for recording her Traviata without her and refused to even speak to Serafin for a year after that for agreeing to conduct the recording. In retrospect he should probably have waited. Stella proved a poor replacement and the set never sold well. Furthermore, there are quite a few things wrong with the Cetra set. Orchestra and chorus are decidedly provincial, Santini's conducting leaden and her co-stars, Albanese and Savarese hardly in the first rank. However, there is much to enjoy in Callas's singing, even if she doesn't yet plumb the depths of Violetta's character. In none of the subsequent performances will she sing the Act I arias with such fabulous ease and it is worth hearing the set for Act I alone. In short there is much to enjoy, and Callas is already doing things with the role that few approach, but it doesn't yet add up to the finished article. I've always thought it the most expendable of all my Callas sets.

From here I turned to Serafin's second recording of the opera with Victoria De Los Angeles as Violetta and what a difference between Santini's somnolent accompaniment and Serafin's vital conducting. Not for the first time listening to one of Serafin's Verdi recordings, I feel the man is terribly underrated. Truly one of the greatest Italian opera conductors of all time. It makes it doubly sad that there was never a Callas/Di Stefano/Gobbi/Serafin La Traviata. I have no doubt that, like their Rigoletto, it would have been a classic of the gramophone.

De Los Angeles is a favourite of mine and I like her Violetta. Vocally, she is more at home in Acts II and III than she is in Act I, but she plays the charming coquette well in the first act and has the necessary plaintiveness for the later Acts. Her Violetta is charming and touching, but much smaller in scale than any of the Callas performances and the opera lacks the tragic import Callas brings to it in each of her recordings. Though her Violetta is affecting, it is not ultimately shattering, which is what I want from a Violetta.

Sereni is, as he is with Callas in Lisbon, a sympathetic Germont, but Carlo Del Monte is a bit too throaty and muscular for my liking. There are better Alfredos on some of my other sets.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on September 12, 2022, 01:17:40 AM
The day after Elizabeth I's death, I thought I'd give Britten's Gloriana a listen. I've got Mackerras's CD set, but looking at Amazon Music, I saw they had a recording of the world premiere (8 June 1953), with Joan Cross, Peter Pears, Monica Sinclair, Geraint Evans, and Jennifer Vyvyan, John Pritchard conducting.

Yesterday, Olivier Py's La Monnaie production of Les Huguenots on YouTube. I liked it a lot, but could have done without Raoul and Marguerite de Valois having sex during their duet. I imagine it was staged quite differently when Sutherland and Corelli did it at La Scala.  ;D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OtetClXBpg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OtetClXBpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2022, 02:25:44 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on September 12, 2022, 01:17:40 AM
. I liked it a lot, but could have done without Raoul and Marguerite de Valois having sex during their duet. I imagine it was staged quite differently when Sutherland and Corelli did it at La Scala.  ;D



:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I certainly hope so!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 14, 2022, 01:37:49 AM
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ec/a6/16/eca61695de8477f88f2aa7fad4f7985a.jpg)

(https://s.yimg.com/aah/yhst-56676699049927/lohengrin-keilberth-windgassen-steber-varnay-4-teldec-93674-33.jpg)

The 1955 La Scala Traviata heralds an enormous stride forward in Callas's understanding of the role. The production had been meticulously rehearsed and prepared by Callas, Visconti and Giulini in their quest to breathe new life into a repertory work. There is no doubt that 1955 was Callas's annus mirabilis, particularly at La Scala, where she sang in new productions of La Sonnambula, La Traviata and Il Turco in Italia, travelled to Berlin with Karajan and the La Scala company to give wildly successful of performances of Lucia di Lammermoor, the year of her second season in Chicago, where she sang with Bjoerling for the only time (in Il Trovatore) and then finished the year by opening the 1955/56 La Scala season in a new production of Norma, a performance also captured on disc and widely considered the greatest Norma of her career.

Those who only know Giulini from his studio recordings of opera might be surprised to hear the urgency of his conducting on this set. Speeds are often faster even than Kleiber on his famous studio recording, and wonderfully indicative of the hectic speed at which Violetta is living her life, though he gives his singers plenty of room to expand in the more lyrical parts of the score.

Though by this time she was pencil thin and looked gorgeous in the fin de siècle gowns Visconti had had designed for her, the voice was still in fine shape and, though I find her more moving in Lisbon and London, it has to be admitted that she is in much finer voice here. Di Stefano is an ardent, impulsive Alfredo, but Bastianini, though the voice is glorious, is a disappointingly monochrome Germont. Indeed, it is incredible Callas manages to give so much in the long Act II duet with so little coming back from her colleague.

The sound is not great, though this Ars Vocalis version is the best I've heard and the audience a palpable presence, erupting in a spontaneous bout of applause and bravas after Callas has delivered the most thrillingly intense Amami, Alfredo you could imagine. It is moments such as these that makes us prize these live recordings.

The live Bavarian State Opera performance of 1965 is a much smaller scale performance, and my main reason for acquiring it was for the Alfredo of Fritz Wunderlich. I think this might be the only recording of him singing a complete Italian opera in the original language rather than in German. Recorded the year before his untimely death, he does not disappoint, and the Italian language enables his beautiful voice to ring out with even more freedom. Dramatically, he was just about perfect for the role at this stage of his career, making one regret more than ever his early demise.

Stratas was only in her late twenties at the time of the performance. I've always thought her a first-rate actress with a second-rate voice, superb when you can see her, not so riveting when you can't. Sempre libera is transposed down enabling Wunderlich to take the higher option when he interjects from the street. Even at this lower key, the coloratura is a bit of a mess, and she doesn't take the high option at the end. She is better in the later acts, very touching in the duet with Germont and delivering a moving last act.

Prey also sings very well, but he was about the same age as Wunderlich and unsurprisingly sounds much too young. He does however sing a lovely Di Provenza.

Patané's conducting is fine, but not as revelatory as Giulini's. All in all the main reason for hearing this set is Wunderlich's gloriously sung Alfredo.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 14, 2022, 02:05:56 AM
(Cross-post from the WAYLTN thread)

(http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0560/8321/8590/products/8051773573989_85835e06-19e2-4bc3-9750-c9497a86f931_1200x1200.jpg?v=1661212145)

Act 2

I had forgotten how exhilaratingly funny this opera is. The "Pace e gioia" scene always puts a big smile on my face, and Bastianini's nasal tone is absolutely fantastic, but the real showstopper in this performance is not even sung, but spoken: the "Un non so che nell'occhio!" moment. Bastianini utters it with such a feigned conviction and pain that I couldn't help bursting into an irrepressible laughter which persisted for a few minutes. Even now I chuckle remembering it. Pure genius from both librettist (I don't remember if the moment is in Beaumarchais' play too) and Bastianini.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on September 15, 2022, 01:36:31 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 14, 2022, 01:37:49 AM
Stratas... doesn't take the high option at the end [of the first act of Traviata].

Call me a pedant if you wish, but it's an interpolation, not an option.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 15, 2022, 01:50:25 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on September 15, 2022, 01:36:31 AM
Call me a pedant if you wish, but it's an interpolation, not an option.  :)

Ok, you're a pedant  ;D

You're right of course and actually it's the jarring transposition that bothers me more than the loss of a capping high note. In fact, I'd have been happier if Callas had omitted it in some of her later performances.

Very few sopranos sing what Verdi wrote at the end, which is to go down to the lower Eb, and I'd have to admit it is a bit anticlimactic. Those who don't attempt the top Eb still resolve to Ab above the stave.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 15, 2022, 02:31:01 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Z61QhJhwL._SX355_.jpg)

Act I.

The vocal writing is rather taxing for these performers, but one can''t expect any combo currently available, even the best one can think of according to personal taste, to match the original cast which consisted of Grisi, Rubini, Tamburini and Lablache, the famous quartet which had premiered I Puritani the same year. They do a decent job nevertheless and the music is very good. The libretto is certainly silly and contrived by our contemporary taste but back then the opera was understood as a passionate protest against tyranny and a plea for the freedom of the common people --- it was Mazzini's favorite opera no less and a huge influence on Verdi''s I Due Foscari.

Live recording so lots of scenical noises and applauses --- but for an opera this actually enhances the thrill and excitement, which anyway are lessened to a considerable degree by not experiencing the real thing.

An interesting release which all Donizetti/belcanto/operatic fans should try.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on September 15, 2022, 05:21:21 AM
Verdi - Luisa Miller

Directors   Jim & Jules, Oxymore, Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liege, Opéra National de Montpellier, Jean-Romain Sales
Starring   Choeurs de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Luciano Montanaro, Cristina Melis

(https://i.postimg.cc/LXb1Vcyn/Screen-Shot-2022-09-15-at-8-18-09-AM.png)

My first time listening or watching this opera.  I am about half way through and while it is enjoyable, I don't think it will be among my favorites.   This production is fine, singers adequate (all unknown to me), and the staging within the bounds of propriety.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 15, 2022, 06:40:24 AM
Quote from: San Antone on September 15, 2022, 05:21:21 AM
Verdi - Luisa Miller

Directors   Jim & Jules, Oxymore, Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liege, Opéra National de Montpellier, Jean-Romain Sales
Starring   Choeurs de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Luciano Montanaro, Cristina Melis

(https://i.postimg.cc/LXb1Vcyn/Screen-Shot-2022-09-15-at-8-18-09-AM.png)

My first time listening or watching this opera.  I am about half way through and while it is enjoyable, I don't think it will be among my favorites.   This production is fine, singers adequate (all unknown to me), and the staging within the bounds of propriety.

That's a shame. It's commonly considered one of Verdi's best early operas. Maybe it's because of the staging  or the singing.

There are three excellent audio only versions, all of which I enjoy.

(https://i.discogs.com/6znBAxTnBhcuizJDQgOk2OrpDr6-dHB6kvIm3Z6hTdg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:508/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2OTY4/NzIwLTE2MTA4ODA3/OTAtMTA0MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/4_YTlpCP2ymjDKAlPMChQC4HhHC3ELevpgEtC6IUZNE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:524/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTcwNjY4/MzAtMTQzMjkzMDEx/Mi05MjY4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/rhpeHZDvAYYCuaJ-qoO801bobL1Zgzh4LhxRPdJOsyE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:598/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk5MTA5/MjMtMTQ4ODM5NDQ4/MC0zNzY4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 16, 2022, 11:22:01 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51i+BIQUGnL._SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on September 16, 2022, 03:22:34 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 15, 2022, 06:40:24 AM
That's a shame. It's commonly considered one of Verdi's best early operas. Maybe it's because of the staging  or the singing.

There are three excellent audio only versions, all of which I enjoy.

(https://i.discogs.com/6znBAxTnBhcuizJDQgOk2OrpDr6-dHB6kvIm3Z6hTdg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:508/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2OTY4/NzIwLTE2MTA4ODA3/OTAtMTA0MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/4_YTlpCP2ymjDKAlPMChQC4HhHC3ELevpgEtC6IUZNE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:524/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTcwNjY4/MzAtMTQzMjkzMDEx/Mi05MjY4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/rhpeHZDvAYYCuaJ-qoO801bobL1Zgzh4LhxRPdJOsyE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:598/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk5MTA5/MjMtMTQ4ODM5NDQ4/MC0zNzY4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

It was probably the staging which did not engage me.  I watched a Met traditional production with

CONDUCTOR: Bertrand de Billy
LUISA MILLER: Sonya Yoncheva
RODOLFO: Piotr Beczała
MILLER: Plácido Domingo
COUNT WALTER: Alexander Vinogradov
WURM: Dmitry Belosselskiy

and it was much better.  I came away feeling I had misjudged the work.  Thanks for the recommendations, I am familiar with all of them and will listen to one or two of them in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, I've moved on to Un ballo - and another excellent production from the Met with

AMELIA: Sondra Radvanovsky
RICCARDO: Marcelo Álvarez
RENATO: Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Which I thoroughly enjoyed.  It restored my faith in the current generation of singers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 20, 2022, 12:14:13 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/e9HestUMu74aX-6JoUNevnt_P9fnzzopzFFY6zTGLq0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:521/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMzkx/MDE0LTE1MTU2MTk4/NjEtODczNS5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/4-VP8pcCrWZwEr_T4juB-obCiaQsFyc7FBuIVq_iewU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:519/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwOTAw/NDMtMTE5MTI2ODAz/Mi5qcGVn.jpeg)

The 1958 Lisbon Traviata was the first live Callas recording to be issued by EMI, who were no doubt keen to plug a gaping hole in their Callas discography. It is also the recording Warner chose to use for their Callas Live Remastered box set, though they appear to have used as source the EMI 1997 Callas Edition remaster, which is a bit brighter and harsher than this first EMI release, which was remastered, I believe, by Keith Hardwicke. Callas is not in as fresh voice as she was in either 1953 or 1955, but, whether by necessity or design, she has further refined her interpretation, the music being ever more subtly inflected. However, I feel that she is even finer in London just a few months later and that, as a total entity, that performance hangs together even better. Kraus is an asset, but I don't prefer him to Valletti in Covent Garden and he can sometimes seem a little affected. Sereni is certainly an improvement on the boorish Bastianini and the boring Savarese, but he too occasionally resorts to some slightly affected phrasing. Ghione is an improvement on Santini in the Cetra recording, but not as interesting or vital as Giulini at La Scala, which, though the sound is more of a problem (not that this one is exemplary) I generally prefer.

Of course one of the main reasons the 1977 DG set set has remained a prime recommendation ever since its release, is the vital conducting of Carlos Kleiber. Like Giulini, speeds are often hectically fast, but he also paces the big emotional moments wonderfully. The other reason is the vulnerably touching Violetta of Ileana Cotrubas, whom I was lucky enough to see in the role at Covent Garden back in 1985, a last minute replacement for Lucia Aliberti, who was "let go" during rehearsals. She is my favourite Violetta after Callas and this would be my first all round choice for a studio La Traviata. Domingo and Milnes are good, but both are a little generic with little to distinguish their characters from other Verdi tenor or baritone roles, where Cotrubas is more specific. It's easy to understand this was one of her best roles. She is not technically perfect, but she is infinitely human.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 21, 2022, 12:19:06 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/zUiC_J2PHdvkW8-aIRPMM5c9glC3PSxHxh-NE4ZjuXs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:551/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwNzI1/MTI2LTE2MTQ2ODI0/MzItNTA5NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

So I come to the final recording of La Traviata in my collection and memory hasn't served me ill. This is the most moving, most absorbing, most overwhelming performance of the opera I have ever heard. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have been in the house on that night in June 1958. It is often stated that she was in better voice in Lisbon a few months earlier, but I honestly don't find that to be the case, despite the fact that she was reportedly suffering from a cold. The top Eb at the end of Act I is admittedly an unlovely note, but then so it was in Lisbon and I just feel sorry she felt constrained to sing it. In any case her passagework is still wonderfully fleet.

With Callas, though, more than ever it is impossible to separate the sound of her voice from what she is doing with it. She has now reduced the role to essentials and every utterance is put at the service of the music and its dramatic significance. At no point is she merely an opera singer spinning out notes. This is Violetta through and through and the performance has a veracity that I've never heard anywhere else. You forget that this is opera and are confronted with real tragedy. I have written a much more detailed critique of this performance for my blog, as it repays repeated listening, and you can read that here. http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/
(http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/)

Nor is Callas is the only great thing about this performance. Rescigno, who could sometimes be something of a routineer, is here absolutely inspired, as he so often was when working with Callas. She also has what I think is the best supporting cast on any of her recorded performances. Valletti, a Schipa pupil, is superb, better I think than Kraus, who can seem a bit affected, and a much better musician than Di Stefano. Mario Zanasi is likewise a most sympathetic and thoughtful singer, who contributes enormously to the success of the Act II duet with Violetta. This is the only time I've come across him and I'm surprised he doesn't seem to have had a major career. Furthermore there appears to be no competitiveness amongst the singers. You feel as if they are all working together to create the best performance that they can.

This was a BBC Radio 3 broadcast and, though it isn't studio stereo, I find it quite listenable. In any case, anyone who loves Verdi and/or this opera should hear this set. I doubt you will ever hear one more involving.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 21, 2022, 04:49:08 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 21, 2022, 12:19:06 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/zUiC_J2PHdvkW8-aIRPMM5c9glC3PSxHxh-NE4ZjuXs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:551/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwNzI1/MTI2LTE2MTQ2ODI0/MzItNTA5NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

So I come to the final recording of La Traviata in my collection and memory hasn't served me ill. This is the most moving, most absorbing, most overwhelming performance of the opera I have ever heard. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have been in the house on that night in June 1958. It is often stated that she was in better voice in Lisbon a few months earlier, but I honestly don't find that to be the case, despite the fact that she was reportedly suffering from a cold. The top Eb at the end of Act I is admittedly an unlovely note, but then so it was in Lisbon and I just feel sorry she felt constrained to sing it. In any case her passagework is still wonderfully fleet.

With Callas, though, more than ever it is impossible to separate the sound of her voice from what she is doing with it. She has now reduced the role to essentials and every utterance is put at the service of the music and its dramatic significance. At no point is she merely an opera singer spinning out notes. This is Violetta through and through and the performance has a veracity that I've never heard anywhere else. You forget that this is opera and are confronted with real tragedy. I have written a much more detailed critique of this performance for my blog, as it repays repeated listening, and you can read that here. http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/
(http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/)

Nor is Callas is the only great thing about this performance. Rescigno, who could sometimes be something of a routineer, is here absolutely inspired, as he so often was when working with Callas. She also has what I think is the best supporting cast on any of her recorded performances. Valletti, a Schipa pupil, is superb, better I think than Kraus, who can seem a bit affected, and a much better musician than Di Stefano. Mario Zanasi is likewise a most sympathetic and thoughtful singer, who contributes enormously to the success of the Act II duet with Violetta. This is the only time I've come across him and I'm surprised he doesn't seem to have had a major career. Furthermore there appears to be no competitiveness amongst the singers. You feel as if they are all working together to create the best performance that they can.

This was a BBC Radio 3 broadcast and, though it isn't studio stereo, I find it quite listenable. In any case, anyone who loves Verdi and/or this opera should hear this set. I doubt you will ever hear one more involving.

I've never been a great fan of La Traviata (or any of the works of the "romantic trilogy"), and no longer own any recordings of Callas in the role. But, after your comment, it seems that this would be the performance of choice if I decided to go for one of the multiple available. And the presence of Valletti is an added attraction. What a superb tenor!

Actually, many years ago, I had a double LP set (on the Melodram label?) of selections from Callas' Mexico performances, and I was struck by the beauty of Callas and Valletti in "Un dì, felice, eterea" (from 1951, I believe --in atrocious sound).

THREAD DUTY:

Some OTT cloak-and-dagger today, with Ponchielli's La Gioconda:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71vSmX7fJAL._SX522_.jpg)
This 1957 recording has Previtali conducting with verve and gusto. Milanov is past her prime, but there are undeniably beautiful moments in her portrayal, and it is easy to unterstand why her career was so successful. As usual with her --in my experience at least--, the character is not really credible; what we get is an operatic diva playing the street singer. Di Stefano was starting his quick decline, but the tone is still beautiful. Warren is superb as über-villian Barnaba. The other ladies (Rosalind Elias --whom I saw live in another opera towards the end of her career-- and Belén Amparán as La Cieca) are very good.

I got this n the ultra-budget, no-frills Cantus Classics reissue, and the sound is just so-so in some orchestral bits (possibly sloppy transfer from whatever source they used).

Great fun!!!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 21, 2022, 01:30:00 PM
Quote from: ritter on September 21, 2022, 04:49:08 AM
I've never been a great fan of La Traviata (or any of the works of the "romantic trilogy"), and no longer own any recordings of Callas in the role. But, after your comment, it seems that this would be the performance of choice if I decided to go for one of the multiple available. And the presence of Valletti is an added attraction. What a superb tenor!

Actually, many years ago, I had a double LP set (on the Melodram label?) of selections from Callas' Mexico performances, and I was struck by the beauty of Callas and Valletti in "Un dì, felice, eterea" (from 1951, I believe --in atrocious sound).

THREAD DUTY:

Some OTT cloak-and-dagger today, with Ponchielli's La Gioconda:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71vSmX7fJAL._SX522_.jpg)
This 1957 recording has Previtali conducting with verve and gusto. Milanov is past her prime, but there are undeniably beautiful moments in her portrayal, and it is easy to unterstand why her career was so successful. As usual with her --in my experience at least--, the character is not really credible; what we get is an operatic diva playing the street singer. Di Stefano was starting his quick decline, but the tone is still beautiful. Warren is superb as über-villian Barnaba. The other ladies (Rosalind Elias --whom I saw live in another opera towards the end of her career-- and Belén Amparán as La Cieca) are very good.

I got this n the ultra-budget, no-frills Cantus Classics reissue, and the sound is just so-so in some orchestral bits (possibly sloppy transfer from whatever source they used).

Great fun!!!

Traviata was once my favourite Verdi opera, and I still love it, though it has been supplanted in my favourites now by Don Carlo, Otello and Falstaff. Still, when Callas is singing Violetta, and especially here, the opera can still transport me.

I've never been much of a fan of Milanov. However beautiful the voice, I just find her dull. I think I may have heard that Gioconda once, but it didn't really do it for me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 22, 2022, 12:00:55 AM
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81mqNlrP6zL._SX522_.jpg)

These are the only surviving excerpts from Callas's third performance of Leonora in Mexico in 1950, not 1957 as it says on the front cover, a mistake corrected on the back. She had made her debut in the role a few days earlier, but for this performance Leonard Warren was replaced by the Bulgarian Ivan Petroff, not to be confused with Russian Bass Ivan Petrov. Baum is the Manrico, but there is no doubt Callas and Simionato shared the vocal honours.

The disc is includes excerpts from the London/Barbirolli Aida, which I listened to complete soon after I started my Verdi marathon and is rounded with the last known recording of Callas's voice, made in the Théatre du Champs-Elysées in March 1976. Callas accompanies herself in Beethoven's Ah, perfido! and sounds in much more confident voice than she did in any of her fnal concerts with Di Stefano. With nobody else around, she was seemingly able to banish the demons that plagued her.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 24, 2022, 12:40:03 PM
All that talk in other threads about Franco Alfano and his completion of Puccini's swan song has prompted me to revisit one of his post-Turandot operas, Cyrano de Bergerac, from 1936 (only Acts 1 and 2 tonight).

(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/CX9909.jpg)

This curious Literaturoper, written by an Italian to French libretto (Henri Caïn adapted Edmond Rostand's famous play) stands out for its orchestral writing, where one can sense German and French influences.

The ever enterprising Kiel Opera House revived it in the original French in 2002 (all performances I know about after WW2 —e.g. at La Scala in the early 50s with Ramón Vinay— were in Italian translation), and the performance cannot be faulted. Since then, several star tenors have performed and recorded it. It must work very well fully staged. Interesting and enjoyable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 25, 2022, 02:19:32 AM
Quote from: ritter on September 24, 2022, 12:40:03 PM
All that talk in other threads about Franco Alfano and his completion of Puccini's swan song has prompted me to revisit one of his post-Turandot operas, Cyrano de Bergerac, from 1936 (only Acts 1 and 2 tonight).

(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/CX9909.jpg)

This curious Literaturoper, written by an Italian to French libretto (Henri Caïn adapted Edmond Rostand's famous play) stands out for its orchestral writing, where one can sense German and French influences.

The ever enterprising Kiel Opera House revived it in the original French in 2002 (all performances I know about after WW2 —e.g. at La Scala in the early 50s with Ramón Vinay— were in Italian translation), and the performance cannot be faulted. Since then, several star tenors have performed and recorded it. It must work very well fully staged. Interesting and enjoyable.

I actually saw this opera when it was staged at Covent Garden in 2006. Domingo played Cyrano and Sondra Radvanovsky Roxane. It was a very colourful production, but I can remember very litle about it musically.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 25, 2022, 05:13:35 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on September 25, 2022, 02:19:32 AM
I actually saw this opera when it was staged at Covent Garden in 2006. Domingo played Cyrano and Sondra Radvanovsky Roxane. It was a very colourful production, but I can remember very litle about it musically.
Yep, it perhaps isn't terribly memorable, but the orchestral writing really is superb.

Good day to you, Tsaraslondon!

THREAD DUTY:

Some Gluck today. John Eliot Gardiner conducts Iphigénie en Aulide (Lynn Dawson, Anne Sophie von Otter, José van Dam, John Aler, Gilles Cachemaille et al., Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon).

From the "Great Operas" box:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81zeYRu4qIL._AC_SL1417_.jpg)

I think I prefer Iphigénie en Aulide to its more famous companion Iphigénie en Tauride. The work seems to combine the rigours of the tragédie lyrique with a real dramatic thrust in an admirable way. And what an overture!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on September 28, 2022, 07:18:26 PM
Quote from: ritter on September 25, 2022, 05:13:35 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81zeYRu4qIL._AC_SL1417_.jpg)

A contender for the worst cover art thread? That text is garish!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on September 28, 2022, 07:20:19 PM

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61e5r+K5wHL._SX425_.jpg)

Meanwhile, this is en route:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5134ylhyVoL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 29, 2022, 01:59:15 AM
Quote from: KevinP on September 28, 2022, 07:18:26 PM
A contender for the worst cover art thread? That text is garish!
Yes, it looks like a road sign!  :o
Quote from: KevinP on September 28, 2022, 07:20:19 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61e5r+K5wHL._SX425_.jpg)

Meanwhile, this is en route:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5134ylhyVoL.jpg)
Great stuff, those Milhaud sets. The Forlane one has some operas not available elsewhere (Bolivar, Maximilien). Here (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7107.msg1339060.html#msg1339060) my initial reaction to the former. Hope you enjoy those sets, KevinP.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 30, 2022, 12:49:21 AM
Quote from: KevinP on September 28, 2022, 07:18:26 PM
A contender for the worst cover art thread? That text is garish!

I thought so too. It seems completely at odds with its contents.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 30, 2022, 12:52:43 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/nnvt0ZHOeQIiM2b1qQOGtlh_mpvqskkQQJk0PBEdlSs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODMy/MjMxLTE1NDI4MTY3/MzMtMzQxMS5qcGVn.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/Ni4dmocixO0JnLX-FZsnL6n0C7kPDlVQ8GW67SWcjK0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:512/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0MTcz/NDkwLTE1NjkyMzU2/OTItOTUzNC5qcGVn.jpeg)

The Karajan, though slightly cut, is still my favourite recording of the opera, and not just because Callas is in it. I have never come across a better conducted version. Karajan finds just the right rhythmic verve and swagger, but also gives plenty of room for the more reflective moments of the score. Even though the sound is mono, he brings out so many incidental felicities in the orchestration too. His cast is excellent too. By 1956, Callas's days as Leonora were coming to an end, and indeed she didn't sing the role again after making this recording, but she gives a masterclass in how to sing Verdi, all the filigree of the role beautifully articulated. Musically, I've always thought Leonora one of her greatest achievements. Di Stefano is no doubt a bit light of voice, but I sometimes think that the interpolated top Cs in Di quella pira have made us all think of the role as a big dramatic sing, when much of the role requires tenderness and lyricism. As usual he can push too much, but his diction is superb and he sings a lovely Ah si, ben mio. Panerai is excellent as Di Luna, capturing the character's crazed obsession to perfection, Barbieri possibly only bettered by Simionato or Stignani and Zaccaria a firm, sonorous Ferrando. A classic set.

Giulini's approcah is rather different. Tempi are generally slower, though they never sag. I suppose you'd consider it a much more thoughtful approach, but I still enjoy it. Domingo isn't a heroic Manrico either and, though he still sings the top Cs, they aren't the best bit of his performance. Plowright, in what I think is her best recorded performance, has exactly the right voice for the role, dark and plangent, Zancanaro a fine Di Luna and Nesterenko excellent as Ferrando. The most controversial element of the performance is no doubt Fassbaender's Azucena, but she throws herself into the role with gusto and I like her performance very much. The recording doesn't supplant the Karajan in my affections but I do enjoy it and it comes in a good second to me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on September 30, 2022, 02:29:59 PM
Quote from: ritter on September 29, 2022, 01:59:15 AM
Yes, it looks like a road sign!  :oGreat stuff, those Milhaud sets. The Forlane one has some operas not available elsewhere (Bolivar, Maximilien). Here (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7107.msg1339060.html#msg1339060) my initial reaction to the former. Hope you enjoy those sets, KevinP.

Nice review. I'm definitely looking forward to the set. Unforunately, I had to get it from Rarewaves, whose packages take about a month to reach me.

Been on a big Milhaud kick since summer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on October 02, 2022, 02:50:26 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51zmE3yx8ZL._SY425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on October 03, 2022, 12:44:40 PM
Last night, the final performance of Black Lodge, a new piece by David T. Little, presented by Opera Philadelphia as part of its innovative "Festival O." Armed with great photos from the company's PR office, I didn't have a publication for a formal review, so I assembled a series of four tweets.

https://twitter.com/BruceHodgesNY/status/1577016315755515905

--Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on October 05, 2022, 03:41:24 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51KBeq-106L._SY425_.jpg)

Relistened for the first time since around when it came out.  Well played, good singing, fun.  I will try to listen more frequently going forward.  Maybe in a decade.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 08, 2022, 01:15:09 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/1498830100011.jpg)

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61Mc1gNA2WL._SL500_SX300_.jpg)

I'd always hoped that Pappano would conduct a new recording of Verdi's Les vêpres Siciliennes in French, with Alagna and Gheorghiu when they were at the height of their powers and so we still don't have a really recommendable recording of the opera in French. It's a major hole in the catalogue and I don't see it being filled any time soon.

I must say I really enjoyed hearing the opera again in these two performances after a gap of some years and I find I like the opera much more than I thought. The Levine of course enjoys the best sound, but its a little studio bound and Levine's conducting can turn to the bombastic. The performances of the soloists are good, but not exactly revelatory. There is a slight feeling of production line opera about the whole thing. The opera is gven absolutely complete.

The Kleiber is a different matter altogether. Of course the sound is pretty awful, but I find my ear soon adjusted as I became more involved in the performance. Kleiber's conducting is superb, showing him to be a Verdian of the first order. There are a few minor cuts, but the ballet music s given complete. Kokoliós-Bardi, a Greek who had sung with Callas at the Athens Opera, somehow never gives the performance he sounds he could be capable of, but he is adquate at the very least and Mascherini, though also not in the first rank, gives a finer performance here than as Macbeth with Callas in 1952. The two transforming performances are those of Callas and Christoff. Christoff is superb at expressing the single-minded zeal of Procida and Callas gives one of her best Verdian performances as the Duchess Elena, her opening aria an object lesson in how to use music to dramatic ends. Arroyo is pallid in comparison. Furthermore, technically the role holds no terrors for her at all. It was after this performance that Ghiringhelli found he could no longer ignore Callas and she landed her first full contract with La Scala, opening the 1951 season with this very opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2022, 04:26:52 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/OKwsOBUPF8xfy6199UIopAnM9B-q5UoLmiMFplpPEtQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgzNDQ4/MDItMTQ1OTc3ODkz/Ni00ODIwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Back in July, I started listening to all my Verdi recordings. That's 50 different opera sets and three recordings of the Requiem. It means I've been listening to Verdi almost exclusively now for the past three months, and, though that's an awful lot of Verdi, I honestly can say I haven't tired of his music. If anything, my admiration for the ma has increased. I've now moved on to the few exclusively Verdi recitals I have starting with this fascinating and essential collection of Verdi recordings from the first half of the twentieth century. The quality of the singing is consistently high and there are quite a few names I had never heard before. Essential for all lovers of Verdi, I'd have said.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 10, 2022, 08:24:50 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 10, 2022, 04:26:52 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/OKwsOBUPF8xfy6199UIopAnM9B-q5UoLmiMFplpPEtQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgzNDQ4/MDItMTQ1OTc3ODkz/Ni00ODIwLmpwZWc.jpeg)
Back in July, I started listening to all my Verdi recordings. That's 50 different opera sets and three recordings of the Requiem. It means I've been listening to Verdi almost exclusively now for the past three months, and, though that's an awful lot of Verdi, I honestly can say I haven't tired of his music. If anything, my admiration for the ma has increased. I've now moved on to the few exclusively Verdi recitals I have starting with this fascinating and essential collection of Verdi recordings from the first half of the twentieth century. The quality of the singing is consistently high and there are quite a few names I had never heard before. Essential for all lovers of Verdi, I'd have said.
What are the earliest recordings that are on there?  And who did you "discover"?  :)

I have a bunch of early opera records (mostly on CD) that I purchased some years ago; I should revisit them.  Trying to remember the various labels?  Among them:  Pearl, *Nimbus...some on an Italian label that I hadn't heard of before (They were evidently part of a series of fairly early Italian opera recordings.  The covers were some sort of red velvet with gilt lettering!  :D  ).  *A bunch of Nimbus' Prima Voce series.  Fun to explore!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on October 11, 2022, 04:06:26 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/IMAGERENDERING_521856-T2/images/I/51nSvDa98OL._SY780_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 11, 2022, 07:47:27 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 10, 2022, 08:24:50 AM
What are the earliest recordings that are on there?  And who did you "discover"?  :)

I have a bunch of early opera records (mostly on CD) that I purchased some years ago; I should revisit them.  Trying to remember the various labels?  Among them:  Pearl, *Nimbus...some on an Italian label that I hadn't heard of before (They were evidently part of a series of fairly early Italian opera recordings.  The covers were some sort of red velvet with gilt lettering!  :D  ).  *A bunch of Nimbus' Prima Voce series.  Fun to explore!

PD

Well, these are eight very well-filled discs and I've already forgotten which of the singers I hadn't heard before impressed me most. As I've just listened to Disc 8, I can remember mezzo/contralto Irene Minghini-Cataneo, who is superb in Ulrica's Re dell'abisso.

Te earliest recordings go back to around 1904.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 11, 2022, 08:31:26 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 11, 2022, 07:47:27 AM
Well, these are eight very well-filled discs and I've already forgotten which of the singers I hadn't heard before impressed me most. As I've just listened to Disc 8, I can remember mezzo/contralto Irene Minghini-Cataneo, who is superb in Ulrica's Re dell'abisso.

Te earliest recordings go back to around 1904.
Thanks.  :)

I found this interesting review of your set.  So many singers out there over the years--impossible to keep up with them all!  https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-5657/

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Patrick Murtha on October 14, 2022, 07:01:36 AM
I need to assemble a new AV system, so for the moment CDs and LPs are out, and I rely on Internet radio, YouTube, and Spotify for my operatic, classical, and jazz listening. I monitor which operas are appearing on Internet radio by checking the Operacast and World Concert Hall websites. I also keep up with the offerings at Operavision. Preference given to operas that I have never heard, or have not heard recently, or are rarities in any sense.

So today for example, listening to Raff's Samson, conducted by Dominik Beykirch, on DLF Kultur. Live performance from September 11. Very enjoyable. This is the first Raff opera I have heard.

https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/joachim-raff-samson-musikdrama-dlf-kultur-2cb5f535-100.html (https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/joachim-raff-samson-musikdrama-dlf-kultur-2cb5f535-100.html)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 17, 2022, 11:13:52 AM
This afternoon is dedicated to:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41d0ihF5uDL._SY580_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/518jF7TilVL._SY580_.jpg)
Relatively early Handel-in-London [1715].
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Maestro267 on October 19, 2022, 03:40:13 AM
Gounod: Romeo & Juliette
Alagna (Romeo), Georghiu (Juliet) et al.
Chorus & Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/Plasson
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on October 20, 2022, 07:50:22 AM
Puccini - Madama Butterfly
(Karajan, Freni, Pavarotti)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjU5OC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NTU5Mzg4MTJ9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 21, 2022, 03:09:23 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on October 20, 2022, 07:50:22 AM
Puccini - Madama Butterfly
(Karajan, Freni, Pavarotti)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjU5OC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NTU5Mzg4MTJ9)
How did you like it Papy?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on October 21, 2022, 06:58:46 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 21, 2022, 03:09:23 AM
How did you like it Papy?

PD

My listening of it (with several previous on-and-off attempts) has been too scattered but the chunk I listened to yesterday was promising (part of Act II). I really need to allocate the proper listening time it deserves. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 21, 2022, 07:05:14 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on October 21, 2022, 06:58:46 AM
My listening of it (with several previous on-and-off attempts) has been too scattered but the chunk I listened to yesterday was promising (part of Act II). I really need to allocate the proper listening time it deserves.
Operas (perhaps with the exception of Wagner's Ring) I find are best listened to in one fell swoop (though feel free to take "intermission" breaks).  :)  That, and I suggest reading along with the libretto (unless it's a dvd or tv broadcast that has subtitles).

Good luck!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 21, 2022, 07:51:23 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 21, 2022, 07:05:14 AM
Operas (perhaps with the exception of Wagner's Ring) I find are best listened to in one fell swoop (though feel free to take "intermission" breaks).  :)  That, and I suggest reading along with the libretto (unless it's a dvd or tv broadcast that has subtitles).

Good luck!

PD

I'd agree with you. If not a full opera, I do at least try to listen to a whole act per listening session.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on October 21, 2022, 08:19:54 AM
I have been going act by act mostly so far but after listening to many operas in a short spell (as per my beginner's posts here recently), I needed a hiatus and have not been properly immersed back into an opera yet. Butterfly is suffering of that hiatus/transition. I'll give it a fair go from scratch when the right mood and time frame sync.

I haven't always been following a libretto but at least I do read a synopsis prior to a first listen. Like Andrei/Florestan mentioned here before in similar words, I for now let the music and singing do their work first. If I end up immersed or drawn in one way or another, I'll dig up a libretto, mostly for a second listen.     
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 21, 2022, 09:33:33 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 21, 2022, 07:51:23 AM
I'd agree with you. If not a full opera, I do at least try to listen to a whole act per listening session.
A good and solid suggestion.  :)

Quote from: Papy Oli on October 21, 2022, 08:19:54 AM
I have been going act by act mostly so far but after listening to many operas in a short spell (as per my beginner's posts here recently), I needed a hiatus and have not been properly immersed back into an opera yet. Butterfly is suffering of that hiatus/transition. I'll give it a fair go from scratch when the right mood and time frame sync.

I haven't always been following a libretto but at least I do read a synopsis prior to a first listen. Like Andrei/Florestan mentioned here before in similar words, I for now let the music and singing do their work first. If I end up immersed or drawn in one way or another, I'll dig up a libretto, mostly for a second listen.     
Synopsis are helpful though I personally find it frustrating at times trying to figure out who is saying what to whom when things get heated or at other times.  If I don't know the language, I find it a bit frustrating trying to figure out where I am time-wise during the opera.  But, do what works for you.

But Butterfly is still left waiting for ..... (and I won't tell you the rest)?!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 24, 2022, 04:51:30 PM
[crosspost from WAYLT2]

The Brilliant Cesar Franck Edition includes this to represent his operatic output
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51C545jPQpL._SY780_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41hGNyZ9EjL._SY780_.jpg)
Franck composed it at the age of 19, but finished only the vocal score. This recording is the world premiere of the opera, using a modern orchestration.
The plot revolves around an apparently fictional love affair of the 17th century composer Alessandro Stradella (the real Stradella seems to have been a rogue and a lothario who had to leave town hurriedly more than once when things got too hot, and who was eventually murdered for allegedly seducing the sister of his killers).

In case you're wondering why Brilliant chose this recording, it's probably because there's not much choice. Franck wrote three other operas. One was close in time to this one, also never published. His third opera, Hulda, is the one whose only recording was released by Naxos earlier this year. His fourth was Ghiselle, produced posthumously in 1896 after his students (Chausson, D'Indy, and two others) completed its orchestration (Franck had completed the vocal score and the full score of Act I)--and of which there seems to be no recording at all.

Stradella seems to be typical mid-19th French grand opera, going by what I've heard so far (Act I).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on October 27, 2022, 02:37:53 AM
Crosspost from WAYLT2, first listen to this one-act opera:

Arnold Schönberg
Von Heute auf Morgen


https://youtube.com/v/ySZJHLDSps4

The first opera composed with the twelve-tone method, let's see how it is like......
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on October 30, 2022, 03:02:31 AM
A first proper listen to Bellini's Norma - Act I. with the Votto/Callas/Roma Milan /1955 version.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/8014399501538/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=400&h=400)

3 early impressions:

- I am gradually forgetting the historical live sound and just being drawn in.
- More than Casta Diva, it is the preceding aria (?) "Sediziose Voci" that has caught me gasping. Callas' control and softness in the last minute or so was incredible.
- I am pretty sure I have just heard the audience gasp during "Ah si, fa' core, abbracciami" too. I thought I'd be put off by the audience's cheers and clapping but it actually adds to the impact of the performance.

At this rate, I might have to get the Divina Records version of this.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 30, 2022, 04:29:47 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on October 30, 2022, 03:02:31 AM
A first proper listen to Bellini's Norma - Act I. with the Votto/Callas/Roma/1955 version.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/8014399501538/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=400&h=400)

3 early impressions:

- I am gradually forgetting the historical live sound and just being drawn in.
- More than Casta Diva, it is the preceding aria (?) "Sediziose Voci" that has caught me gasping. Callas' control and softness in the last minute or so was incredible.
- I am pretty sure I have just heard the audience gasp during "Ah si, fa' core, abbracciami" too. I thought I'd be put off by the audience's cheers and clapping but it actually adds to the impact of the performance.

At this rate, I might have to get the Divina Records version of this.

I think this is Milan from the same year. There is also a radio broadcast from Rome of concert performance from the same year, but that is conducted by Serafin and the Adalgisa is Ebe Stignani. It's also a great performance, but this La Scala performance is the best performance of the opera I have ever heard and the audience reaction to it is all part of the atmosphere. They do indeed gasp in Ah si fa core abbaciami, when she hits a top C fortissimo, then affects a diminuendo on the note before cascading down a perfect string-of-pearls descending scale. They also utter almost a corporate moan when she admits her guilt on son io in the last act. What I would give to have been there!

Here's my review of it on my blog http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/04/08/norma-7-december-1955/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/04/08/norma-7-december-1955/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on October 30, 2022, 04:45:22 AM
You are correct, Tsara, it is Milan.

Bad bad typo  0:)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on October 30, 2022, 12:10:25 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on October 27, 2022, 02:37:53 AM
Crosspost from WAYLT2, first listen to this one-act opera:

Arnold Schönberg
Von Heute auf Morgen


https://youtube.com/v/ySZJHLDSps4

The first opera composed with the twelve-tone method, let's see how it is like......

Some thoughts about Von Heute auf Morgen: I listened to this opera for the first time and I really appreciated it, it isn't one of Schönberg's most famous works (a bit unfairly in my opinion), but it is an absolutely remarkable composition, very thrilling and intriguing, especially for what concerns the music and the use of the voices. As a matter of fact, the libretto is simple and generic, not particularly profound, witty and moved, although it is based on a quite interesting argument like the relationship between outwardnes and inwardness, appearance and substance, what is supposed to be modern that often reveals itself, in several aspects of life, merely ephemeral and frail, literally passing from today to tomorrow, and so it can be seen as a sort of ironic critics of some social tendencies; but nonetheless it is masterfully completed and deepened by the music. In fact, if the text has a light-hearted tone, the music is more complex, absolutely beautiful, suggestive and captivating, as well as immediately recognizable as schönbergian in its density of the contrapuntal lines, where all the sections, following the developments of the series (it was the first opera composed with the dodecaphonic method), are brilliantly combined and juxtaposed in continuous transformations to elaborate thick, but clear and solid textures; in the great variety of the timbres and orchestral colours, that gives the impression to have a huge amount of expressive possibilities to use, but also in the use of dissonances and harmonic contrasts to evoke haunting atmospheres, full of tensions and strong emotions, creating in this way a musical weaving which goes beyond and deeper than what the action simply shows and what is simply said; indeed in this opera, Schönberg's music, in its rhythmic flexibility, breaking and moving the inner plot, in its flowing on vivid colours and timbral inventiveness, seems to be really able to express the unconscious and to bring out the deep, true feelings hidden inside the characters, who reveal through the melodies much more than what they actually do on the staging. Anyway, at the same time, this quality puzzles me a little, if it is thought that, in the intention of the composer, the opera should be a comedy, but if I hadn't known it, I would have never called it a comic opera; honestly the mood sounds anything but light, on the contrary, it sounds sharp, tense and restless; but on the other hand, it results to be shrewd and humorous in the parodies created.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 01, 2022, 02:36:23 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/EoFspRM6W3JDrLcSR3Q_vAGx1KReNC9hhEclZXFvex0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:531/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU5OTk3/OTMtMTYyNTQ5ODg0/Mi04OTk3LmpwZWc.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/MCR830zA6koLJpQdDecQyQMdYerE_tfczwFmIcayOos/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:355/w:355/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2OTQ2/MzI1LTE2MTA3NDgy/MzMtMjI0NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Orchestrally the Klemperer is fantastic, but there are a couple of questionable casting decisions, not least Theo Adam's Dutchman and Unger's Steersman. Silja is, as always, a committed performer but she occasionally has intonation problems and her voice has already started to turn squally under pressure. The best performances are from Talvela as Daland an Kozub as Erik.

So is it sacrilege to say that, in general, I prefer the Konwitschny? Recorded in 1959, this is one of Fischer-Dieskau's best Wagner roles. No doubt some will prefer a bass in the role, but I rather like his intellectual take on the role. Marianne Schech isn't as bad as I remembered her, but she isn't exactly lovable and she sounds too old. Schock has the virtue of singing, rather than shouting his way through Erik's music and Frick is a superb Daland. For the icing on the cake, has there ever been a better Steersman than Wunderlich, a role that is so often undercast and sung (as with Unger). Wunderlich gets the opera off to a rousing start with his glorious singing of the Steersman's song. Konwitschny and his German players are terrific. I really enjoyed this set.

However, thinking of the role of Senta and how often I find it unsatisfactorily sung reminded me of an unlikely contender. I don't know if Sylvia Sass ever sang the role on stage, but she recorded a wonderful Wagner recital in 1978, which included the Wesendonck Lieder as well as Elisabeths arias from Tannhäuser, Isolde's Libestod and Senta's Ballad. Now only available as a download or to stream, it's well worth seeking out. One of the best performances of the Wesendonck Lieder I've heard, but best of all is Senta's Ballad. Try it.

(https://i.discogs.com/DzOnmUnqhdvx0howD4-LeCKH3zkOb2WJJoDLkwROgDk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:585/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQwNTE5/MDItMTQyNzEzMzIx/Mi05MTM0LmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on November 01, 2022, 03:17:40 AM
Cross post from the WAYLTN thread.

Quote from: Florestan on October 31, 2022, 02:43:51 AM
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_400/MI0001/040/MI0001040793.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)

Three acts into it. This recording is marred by an execrable French diction from everybody, including the choir. This is a huge drawback because in grand opera the visuals are as important as the music and while listening to a recording one can use imagination to supply them ---  if and only if one understands what is being sung, that is. In this respect, the very obtrusive stage sounds are actually an asset because they give a vague idea about what is going on. Also, the vocal score is audibly taxing for Warren Mok (Robert) who not infrequently delivers shrieks and shrills instead of singing. To do full justice to this opera one needs a super-stellar cast and this is far from being the case here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 04, 2022, 01:56:02 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/G-TbokbJs6FswGtZSDV_rQXOrM2Lnfe5EoRUmhHNpak/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:512/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk0NzMw/MjktMTUzMjg1NTU5/Ny03ODc4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Kempe's wonderfully cast classic Lohengrin really does stand the test of time. I've tried a few others but this is the one that I always come back to. A really great performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 04, 2022, 03:31:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 01, 2022, 02:36:23 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/EoFspRM6W3JDrLcSR3Q_vAGx1KReNC9hhEclZXFvex0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:531/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU5OTk3/OTMtMTYyNTQ5ODg0/Mi04OTk3LmpwZWc.jpeg)

(https://i.discogs.com/MCR830zA6koLJpQdDecQyQMdYerE_tfczwFmIcayOos/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:355/w:355/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2OTQ2/MzI1LTE2MTA3NDgy/MzMtMjI0NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Orchestrally the Klemperer is fantastic, but there are a couple of questionable casting decisions, not least Theo Adam's Dutchman and Unger's Steersman. Silja is, as always, a committed performer but she occasionally has intonation problems and her voice has already started to turn squally under pressure. The best performances are from Talvela as Daland an Kozub as Erik.

So is it sacrilege to say that, in general, I prefer the Konwitschny? Recorded in 1959, this is one of Fischer-Dieskau's best Wagner roles. No doubt some will prefer a bass in the role, but I rather like his intellectual take on the role. Marianne Schech isn't as bad as I remembered her, but she isn't exactly lovable and she sounds too old. Schock has the virtue of singing, rather than shouting his way through Erik's music and Frick is a superb Daland. For the icing on the cake, has there ever been a better Steersman than Wunderlich, a role that is so often undercast and sung (as with Unger). Wunderlich gets the opera off to a rousing start with his glorious singing of the Steersman's song. Konwitschny and his German players are terrific. I really enjoyed this set.

However, thinking of the role of Senta and how often I find it unsatisfactorily sung reminded me of an unlikely contender. I don't know if Sylvia Sass ever sang the role on stage, but she recorded a wonderful Wagner recital in 1978, which included the Wesendonck Lieder as well as Elisabeths arias from Tannhäuser, Isolde's Libestod and Senta's Ballad. Now only available as a download or to stream, it's well worth seeking out. One of the best performances of the Wesendonck Lieder I've heard, but best of all is Senta's Ballad. Try it.

(https://i.discogs.com/DzOnmUnqhdvx0howD4-LeCKH3zkOb2WJJoDLkwROgDk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:585/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQwNTE5/MDItMTQyNzEzMzIx/Mi05MTM0LmpwZWc.jpeg)
I hadn't heard of Sylvia Sass before now, but thank you for bringing her up.  I listened to some of her recording of Senta's Ballad and enjoyed it (It's rather early in the morning here for me to tackle Wagner properly).  I see that she put out some albums with Hungaroton and also Decca (at first glance).  There are a number of uploads of her recordings on youtube (Sylvia Sass-Topic).  :)  Currently listening to her singing Lucia's Mad Scene.  Her voice is very warm and rich!  What other recordings do you enjoy of her TL (and others here--feel free to join in).

I'll have to see whether or not I have any recordings that have either excerpts or arias/duets from the Flying Dutchman particularly as DFD and FW are two favorites of mine.  :)

PD

p.s.  Once I'm done listening to the Lucia, I'll provide a link to her Senta here.  Oh, and by the way, when was that F.D. recorded?

Here it is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE8m7GeQxSw
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 04, 2022, 07:30:52 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on November 04, 2022, 03:31:42 AM
I hadn't heard of Sylvia Sass before now, but thank you for bringing her up.  I listened to some of her recording of Senta's Ballad and enjoyed it (It's rather early in the morning here for me to tackle Wagner properly).  I see that she put out some albums with Hungaroton and also Decca (at first glance).  There are a number of uploads of her recordings on youtube (Sylvia Sass-Topic).  :)  Currently listening to her singing Lucia's Mad Scene.  Her voice is very warm and rich!  What other recordings do you enjoy of her TL (and others here--feel free to join in).

I'll have to see whether or not I have any recordings that have either excerpts or arias/duets from the Flying Dutchman particularly as DFD and FW are two favorites of mine.  :)

PD

p.s.  Once I'm done listening to the Lucia, I'll provide a link to her Senta here.  Oh, and by the way, when was that F.D. recorded?

Here it is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE8m7GeQxSw

Sass was a variable singer, whom I have enjoyed on disc rather more than I did live. I saw her three times in the theatre, once as Norma, when she was outclassed by the Adalgisa, Agnes Baltsa, once as Elisabetta in Don Carlo and once as Turandot in a concert performance of the opera, which used the uncut Alfano ending. Live, her soft singing was so soft that you could hardly hear her, whereas at full voice she tended towards the strident. She was also a somewhat mannered stage performer and had a habit of cupping one had to one ear whilst waving the other one around in the air. This was particularly pronounced in the performance of Norma. Baltsa, by contrast, was always a very natural stage actress.

Still, as I say, I do like some of her records. The Wagner recital, which was recorded in 1978, is a favourite. So too are the Decca recitals, which have been neatly transferred to two CDs

(https://i.discogs.com/Um47Jlhm1jK9OkkvsYsvfN3xQ8Oo-jyX1hehc-T2m0Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:593/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIwNDc4/NTg5LTE2MzM0MjU5/NjgtNzg3OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

These were recorded between 1977 and 1981, which is by and large her best period. This Donizetti/Verdi recital is from 1981 and it's also very good.

(https://i.discogs.com/pr7WuqDf3nyV0_Q2auTb3YGDMcKbJEKf-1Xzvg2AtP8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:592/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ5MjQ3/NjktMTM3OTU5NzI3/NC03ODAxLmpwZWc.jpeg)

I also recommend the Philips recording of Stiffelio with Carreras  under Gardelli and I prefer Gardelli's second recording of I Lombardi on Hungaraton, where she is a much better Griselda than the pallid Christina Deutekom on Philips.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 04, 2022, 08:34:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 04, 2022, 07:30:52 AM
Sass was a variable singer, whom I have enjoyed on disc rather more than I did live. I saw her three times in the theatre, once as Norma, when she was outclassed by the Adalgisa, Agnes Baltsa, once as Elisabetta in Don Carlo and once as Turandot in a concert performance of the opera, which used the uncut Alfano ending. Live, her soft singing was so soft that you could hardly hear her, whereas at full voice she tended towards the strident. She was also a somewhat mannered stage performer and had a habit of cupping one had to one ear whilst waving the other one around in the air. This was particularly pronounced in the performance of Norma. Baltsa, by contrast, was always a very natural stage actress.

Still, as I say, I do like some of her records. The Wagner recital, which was recorded in 1978, is a favourite. So too are the Decca recitals, which have been neatly transferred to two CDs

(https://i.discogs.com/Um47Jlhm1jK9OkkvsYsvfN3xQ8Oo-jyX1hehc-T2m0Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:593/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIwNDc4/NTg5LTE2MzM0MjU5/NjgtNzg3OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

These were recorded between 1977 and 1981, which is by and large her best period. This Donizetti/Verdi recital is from 1981 and it's also very good.

(https://i.discogs.com/pr7WuqDf3nyV0_Q2auTb3YGDMcKbJEKf-1Xzvg2AtP8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:592/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ5MjQ3/NjktMTM3OTU5NzI3/NC03ODAxLmpwZWc.jpeg)

I also recommend the Philips recording of Stiffelio with Carreras  under Gardelli and I prefer Gardelli's second recording of I Lombardi on Hungaraton, where she is a much better Griselda than the pallid Christina Deutekom on Philips.
Thank you for your further thoughts.  I also posted some comments on the recitals thread, but should have thought to have left a note here to avoid confusion.  :-[

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 04, 2022, 08:53:22 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on November 04, 2022, 08:34:42 AM
Thank you for your further thoughts.  I also posted some comments on the recitals thread, but should have thought to have left a note here to avoid confusion.  :-[

PD

I saw that after I'd posted this one, but thought I'd let it stand, because either way you would see it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 04, 2022, 09:06:17 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 04, 2022, 08:53:22 AM
I saw that after I'd posted this one, but thought I'd let it stand, because either way you would see it.
:) Thanks.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on November 04, 2022, 04:10:57 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 04, 2022, 01:56:02 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/G-TbokbJs6FswGtZSDV_rQXOrM2Lnfe5EoRUmhHNpak/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:512/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk0NzMw/MjktMTUzMjg1NTU5/Ny03ODc4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Kempe's wonderfully cast classic Lohengrin really does stand the test of time. I've tried a few others but this is the one that I always come back to. A really great performance.
I agree, Kempe's Lohengrin is one of the most beautiful recordings of that opera I've ever listened, incredibly powerful and suggestive.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on November 06, 2022, 10:21:24 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51pm4NO7spL._SY425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2022, 07:27:42 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/0vyKtHDVWvZOfwojRD3qgJwwN8UKC12mvFtZrQoicR4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:442/w:517/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwODQ3/MDYzLTE1NTgwNzg1/NTMtNTM5MC5qcGVn.jpeg)

My one recording of Die Meistersinger, which I bought principally for Schwarzkopf's Eva. Hopf is a bit efforful and Edlemann makes a few errors in a role he was singing for the first time, but it's obviously an excellent performance, though the sound isn't great.

I should really get a good stereo recording too, but the Kubelik, which seems to be the prime recommedation, is hard to come by and rather expensive when you do.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 07, 2022, 12:32:33 PM
Quote from: Florestan on November 01, 2022, 03:17:40 AM
Cross post from the WAYLTN thread.

Three acts into it. This recording is marred by an execrable French diction from everybody, including the choir. This is a huge drawback because in grand opera the visuals are as important as the music and while listening to a recording one can use imagination to supply them ---  if and only if one understands what is being sung, that is. In this respect, the very obtrusive stage sounds are actually an asset because they give a vague idea about what is going on. Also, the vocal score is audibly taxing for Warren Mok (Robert) who not infrequently delivers shrieks and shrills instead of singing. To do full justice to this opera one needs a super-stellar cast and this is far from being the case here.
Seek no more...

(https://bru-zane.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BZ-1049-PHYSICAL-front.jpg-658x1024.jpg)

http://www.musicweb-international.com/Classrev/2022/Nov/Meyerbeer-Robert-BZ1049.htm

Bonsoir, cher Andrei!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 07, 2022, 05:43:05 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 07, 2022, 07:27:42 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/0vyKtHDVWvZOfwojRD3qgJwwN8UKC12mvFtZrQoicR4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:442/w:517/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwODQ3/MDYzLTE1NTgwNzg1/NTMtNTM5MC5qcGVn.jpeg)

My one recording of Die Meistersinger, which I bought principally for Schwarzkopf's Eva. Hopf is a bit efforful and Edlemann makes a few errors in a role he was singing for the first time, but it's obviously an excellent performance, though the sound isn't great.

I should really get a good stereo recording too, but the Kubelik, which seems to be the prime recommedation, is hard to come by and rather expensive when you do.

I'd suggest Solti's first recording or Karajan's EMI recording.  Both of them have Kollo as Walther.

My first suggestion would be actually Knappertsbusch's Decca studio recording, but I'm pretty sure that's mono.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 08, 2022, 01:25:12 AM
Quote from: JBS on November 07, 2022, 05:43:05 PM
I'd suggest Solti's first recording or Karajan's EMI recording.  Both of them have Kollo as Walther.

My first suggestion would be actually Knappertsbusch's Decca studio recording, but I'm pretty sure that's mono.

Someone on another site also recommended Sawallisch. Do you know it?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 08, 2022, 03:22:46 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 08, 2022, 01:25:12 AM
Someone on another site also recommended Sawallisch. Do you know it?

I've got it--from what I remember it's good enough but nothing to be enthusiastic about.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 13, 2022, 04:25:52 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/0kUDNqYrEUarMf8UDtl9w_TOK2LEXfLB8ZYYgU5Be48/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNDU3/OTAwLTE1OTUwOTA3/MzItNDY3OC5qcGVn.jpeg)

I listen to this set mostly for Callas's Kundry, which has a lot more to offer than pure curiosity value. However, I realise that when it comes to Wagner, the sound and the orchestral contribution are far more important to me than they are in Italian opera and consequently I prefer to listen to recordings in relatively modern sound. Though Gui does a fine job, the orchestra is more dimly recorded than it is on many pre-war 78s so my ear gets tired. It will be a pleasure to turn to my other recording, the Karajan studio recording, despite a less than adequate Kundry.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 13, 2022, 04:31:57 AM
Quote from: JBS on November 08, 2022, 03:22:46 AM
I've got it--from what I remember it's good enough but nothing to be enthusiastic about.

That appears to be Ralph Moore's verdict too. He recommends Solti's first recording for a studio recording, but is also quite apprecative of Karajan's Dresden recording. I'm a bit allergic to Solti (though I do like his Tannhäuser) so the Karajan might be the one I end up going for.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on November 13, 2022, 10:33:17 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 07, 2022, 12:32:33 PM
Seek no more...

(https://bru-zane.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BZ-1049-PHYSICAL-front.jpg-658x1024.jpg)

http://www.musicweb-international.com/Classrev/2022/Nov/Meyerbeer-Robert-BZ1049.htm

Bonsoir, cher Andrei!

Thanks for the tip, Rafael, et bonsoir a vous!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on November 16, 2022, 10:49:10 AM
Not listening at the moment, but this weekend will hear Britten's The Turn of the Screw for the first time, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre. Much looking forward, to say the least.

https://www.curtis.edu/curtis-performances/opera/turn-of-the-screw/

-Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on November 16, 2022, 11:09:42 AM
Quote from: Brewski on November 16, 2022, 10:49:10 AM
Not listening at the moment, but this weekend will hear Britten's The Turn of the Screw for the first time, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre. Much looking forward, to say the least.

https://www.curtis.edu/curtis-performances/opera/turn-of-the-screw/

-Bruce
Oh, cool!  Don't believe that I've heard that opera before?  In any event, hope that you enjoy it!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on November 16, 2022, 11:23:53 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on November 16, 2022, 11:09:42 AM
Oh, cool!  Don't believe that I've heard that opera before?  In any event, hope that you enjoy it!

PD

It's for chamber orchestra, more lightly scored than some of his others. And I've heard from a few people who think it's his greatest opera, which is high praise, considering Billy Budd and Peter Grimes!

-Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 16, 2022, 02:39:52 PM
Quote from: Brewski on November 16, 2022, 11:23:53 AM
It's for chamber orchestra, more lightly scored than some of his others. And I've heard from a few people who think it's his greatest opera, which is high praise, considering Billy Budd and Peter Grimes!

-Bruce

The first Britten opera I ever saw and I've seen it on stage quite a few time now. It never fails to work its magic.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 17, 2022, 01:43:02 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/1K1OqfmkiEnimrZQXOOiKeVXclomIWq3S2cWEE3W2Ek/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg4NjAy/NjctMTU5MjQ4MzE3/Mi01Mjk3LmpwZWc.jpeg)

These days Karajan's Wagner seems to come in for a lot of criticism, but I really enjoy this recording. The orchestral playing and the sound are absolutely superb and I don't have any serious complaints about the singers.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on November 19, 2022, 06:17:34 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 16, 2022, 02:39:52 PM
The first Britten opera I ever saw and I've seen it on stage quite a few time now. It never fails to work its magic.

Key word: 'magic.' Wow, what an opera. Caught me a little off guard. Excellent young singers (all Curtis students) and an outstanding orchestra of 15 players, all led by conductor Michelle Rofrano. She really brought out the striking passages for piano, harp, and chimes, among many other things.

Great set by Steven Kemp, an all-black drawing room (including black flowers and potted plants!), with the cast clad in black as well. A very fine introduction to this piece, and I can see why it is so highly regarded.

-Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 19, 2022, 01:55:48 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/REFNgxKjLenoRKMZlSxRB7_ciJELfVWMEKHIuFN49mE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg5Mzgy/NTQtMTU5MjczNjk0/MS00OTUzLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Just starting on the Ring, so that's my listening taken care of for a few days.

I had the Karajan on LP and always enjoyed it so just replaced it on CD when I made the switch. I still enjoy it, despite the fact that it gets a bad press these days. Orchestral playing and sound are wonderful and, all round, I think his cast is as good as any.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 26, 2022, 01:51:36 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/I6BkMiwDMsDbXflgehbfR5cEuEwDkmB-0tjduDZzE4c/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:539/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTY2MTc1/NjAtMTYzMDYyNDIy/OC01MDg0LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Well I don't care what anyone says, I think this is terrific. Though I'm not sure Crespin would have been right for the later Brünnhildes, I think she is fine here and maybe better suited to this Brünnhilde to Sieglinde, which she sings on the Solti In any case Vickers has to be one of the best Siegmunds on disc. Stewart is in great voice and Veasey a fine Fricka. Janowitz injects a bt more passion into singing here than she often did.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 28, 2022, 01:12:44 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/S5p0zrgBI9j4ArFOxz_dAicBOBbL_9K9G4uhp46Eo1I/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:537/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg3MzQz/NDUtMTYzMDY3MDUz/MC00MTE1LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Still enjoying Karajan's Ring, though Siegfried is my least favourite of the tetrology. Maybe it's the fact that I have to wait so long before I hear a female voice, (though it doesn't bother me in Billy Budd haha!) Parts of Act I do go on a bit. I'm really quite pleased when Siegfried does away with Mime.

Orchestrally, Karajan's recording is really splendid and I also like his cast. One ridiculous review said that Siegried was outsung by Mime, but that's rubbish. Jess Thomas makes an ardently youthful Siegfried, Thomas Stewart continues his splendid Wotan from the previous set and the radiant Helga Dernesch takes over from Crespin for Brünnhilde.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 30, 2022, 01:42:46 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/3a5UjdLZI9bMFguVt5igQtVlM0woOoKbKsSauxBnu0Q/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwOTQw/MDMzLTE2MzcxNzkx/MjQtMTk2NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Coming to the end and I've really enjoyed this Ring. Brilioth may be no Melchior, but we'd be lucky to hear someone half so good today and I really like Dernesch's Brünnhilde. The rest of the cast is hardly to be sneezed at and the orchestral playing under Karajan is superb. I guess I'm one of the few people who prefers this set to the Solti.
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 02, 2022, 05:48:05 AM
Verdi - Un ballo in maschera
Act I


(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/5054197455186/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2022, 08:09:10 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on December 02, 2022, 05:48:05 AMVerdi - Un ballo in maschera
Act I


(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/5054197455186/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

One of three new Warner digital issues. Do you know if this is a remastering or the same one as the last Warner set from 2014?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 02, 2022, 08:53:32 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2022, 08:09:10 AMOne of three new Warner digital issues. Do you know if this is a remastering or the same one as the last Warner set from 2014?

I don't know Tsara. Idagio has both versions, I'll stream both more closely to see if there's any major sound differences. Sadly, neither Idagio nor Qobuz have the booklets available for those three latest "black" releases so no info to refer to either.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 02, 2022, 10:46:29 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2022, 08:09:10 AMOne of three new Warner digital issues. Do you know if this is a remastering or the same one as the last Warner set from 2014?

I think Warner would make a big deal about a new "new re-master", so I would assume it's the same one.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 03, 2022, 12:20:51 AM
This is from Warner's official Callas page on Facebook.

OnThisDay 99 years ago, Maria Callas was born 🌟 She would become one of the greatest icons of the classical music world, awing and enchanting listeners around the world – from the stage and the studio – with her unparalleled voice.
In 2023, we will honor the centenary of her birth, with exclusive experiences, exhibitions, concerts, and events around the world.


We shall see.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 03, 2022, 12:23:29 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/gYJz2IChf2db7XbMBS01LthYs7zZMGkmU4HWScmq-QI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:491/w:562/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU5OTg4/NTQtMTQwODQ0NjMy/MS0xMTg5LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Dernesch, Ludwig, Kollo, Braun, Sotin, Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Solti.

My one and only opera recording conducted by Solti. A superb performance of the Paris version.
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on December 03, 2022, 12:49:32 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 19, 2022, 01:55:48 PM(https://i.discogs.com/REFNgxKjLenoRKMZlSxRB7_ciJELfVWMEKHIuFN49mE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg5Mzgy/NTQtMTU5MjczNjk0/MS00OTUzLmpwZWc.jpeg)

I've never heard Karajan's DG Ring, so I started it yesterday (via Amazon Music). Liked it a lot.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 03, 2022, 01:17:27 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2022, 08:09:10 AMOne of three new Warner digital issues. Do you know if this is a remastering or the same one as the last Warner set from 2014?

I have sampled tracks of the two versions back to back in FLAC on Idagio and I don't hear any striking differences at all. If anything, the 2014 version sounds (at times) a tiny bit closer and immediate, the newest version slightly more distant. Nothing else of note.

Nice black cover though  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on December 03, 2022, 11:26:41 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on November 30, 2022, 01:42:46 AM(https://i.discogs.com/3a5UjdLZI9bMFguVt5igQtVlM0woOoKbKsSauxBnu0Q/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwOTQw/MDMzLTE2MzcxNzkx/MjQtMTk2NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Coming to the end and I've really enjoyed this Ring. Brilioth may be no Melchior, but we'd be lucky to hear someone half so good today and I really like Dernesch's Brünnhilde. The rest of the cast is hardly to be sneezed at and the orchestral playing under Karajan is superb. I guess I'm one of the few people who prefers this set to the Solti.
 

I am with you here. I have had both Solti and Karajan for decades and of the two I prefer Karajan. I especially like the luminosity of sound he brings out of the orchestra. I enjoy Dernesch's very feminine sound and as you say, the whole cast is worth hearing. I imagine some will feel Janowitz is too light for Gutrune, but I am addicted to the sound of her voice. I disagree that Karajan sacrifices drama to beauty. I find it a very satisfying listen.

Knight

 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: knight66 on December 03, 2022, 11:28:41 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 03, 2022, 12:23:29 AM(https://i.discogs.com/gYJz2IChf2db7XbMBS01LthYs7zZMGkmU4HWScmq-QI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:491/w:562/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU5OTg4/NTQtMTQwODQ0NjMy/MS0xMTg5LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Dernesch, Ludwig, Kollo, Braun, Sotin, Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Solti.

My one and only opera recording conducted by Solti. A superb performance of the Paris version.
 

This recording, which I bought when it was first issued, convinced me that the Paris Version was THE version to listen to and I have not heard a version that I prefer to this one.

Mike
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 04, 2022, 12:11:49 AM
Quote from: knight66 on December 03, 2022, 11:26:41 PMI am with you here. I have had both Solti and Karajan for decades and of the two I prefer Karajan. I especially like the luminosity of sound he brings out of the orchestra. I enjoy Dernesch's very feminine sound and as you say, the whole cast is worth hearing. I imagine some will feel Janowitz is too light for Gutrune, but I am addicted to the sound of her voice. I disagree that Karajan sacrifices drama to beauty. I find it a very satisfying listen.

Knight

 

One critic described Solti's approach as "an orgasm in every bar and I know what he meant.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on December 04, 2022, 03:50:42 AM
Continuing Karajan's DG Ring with Die Walküre.

Edit: Siegfried on Monday, the 5th.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 06, 2022, 06:06:01 AM
Dipping a tentative toe in Der Ring.

Having had a quick glance in the early pages of the Ring thread here, I have bookmarked some complete Rings on Idagio (beside the Solti which I have owned for years, unheard - complete Wagner operas boxset bought for £36 at the time, a "blind" bargain purchase back for later in my life... i.e. now  ;D ).

Making an arbitrary sampling from the Rheingold Prelude up to the first interlude (Scene 1 basically).

For today :

Knappertsbusch 1956

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/017685400926/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

Solti

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1+l4V18DPL._AC_SY355_.jpg)

Two promising starts.

In between, I had started Janowski but I didn't like the voices so I aborted that version quickly.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 06, 2022, 06:30:59 AM
one more:

Karajan

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028947761976/main.jpg?_alt=sys%2Fph%2Fartist-default.jpg&auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 07, 2022, 01:14:38 AM
Another Rheingold Act I Scene I - Keilberth 1953

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/3830257450009/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 07, 2022, 01:56:23 AM
The sound of the Keilberth will be a problem. Shelving that one for now.

Trying another oldie - Krauss 1953

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/4011790809526/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 07, 2022, 03:39:50 AM
Another one - Barenboim

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646766666/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 07, 2022, 05:20:20 AM
the Penultimate Scene 1 - Böhm

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028947823674/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on December 07, 2022, 11:49:53 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on December 07, 2022, 03:39:50 AMAnother one - Barenboim

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646766666/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Barenboim's recording of the Ring was my introduction to Wagner's music, it's a wonderful set in my opinion, especially about Siegfried and Götterdämmerung.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 08, 2022, 06:11:47 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/nk2mG1dMZy6mAGeyvAlX-nvAJStKUr6eXGPwvwEwato/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg5OTEw/MjQtMTQ3MzQxMDI5/OS02NTMxLmpwZWc.jpeg)

An oft forgotten recording of Tristan und Isolde but it's Ralph Moore's top choice for a stereo studio recording and it certainly has a lot going for it. Chief among its attractions is the gorgeously sung Isolde of Linda Esther Gray, not dissimilar to that of Margaret Price, except that Gray did sing Isolde in the theatre before illness tragically cut short her career. After Gray the best performance is that of Gwynne Howell as King Mark, his voice beautiful and his German diction excellent. Mitchinson's vibrato is occasionally a little wide, but nowhere near as bad as most tenors you are likely to hear in the role today. Joll and Wilkens have no doubt been bettered elsewhere, but Goodall's conception of the work is wonderful one you've got used to the slow speeds.
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on December 09, 2022, 12:24:20 PM
A real rarity:

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4OTQ2NC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MDE5ODI1NzN9)

I pulled this from my shelves because the composer Luigi Mancinelli's name appeared in a book I'm reading by Azorín (a leading figure of the Spanish "generation of '98", widely regarded as one of the best prose stylists in 20th century Spanish literature). Azorín says that Mancinelli brought Wagnerism to Spain. He was best known as a conductor (one of the most prominent Italian opera conductors of the generation preceding Toscanini's). He successively held the posts of chief conductor at Covent Garden, the Teatro Real and the Metropolitan, and was also invited to open the new Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires with Aïda in 1908.

This Paolo e Francesca, from 1907 is based, like Rachmaninov's and Zandonai's operas —the latter via D'Annunzio— on Dante. It is a short affair in one act, lasting about an hour. There's nothing remotely Wagnerian to it, and it deviates clearly from the then current trends of Italian opera (as embodied by Puccini and Mascagni). If anything, it is reminiscent of the "transitional" style of the 1880s (the scapigliatura of Catalani comes to mind). The work is dramatically taut, has some nice orchestral touches, but no really memorable melodies.

The performance from the deepest Italian province (who would have thought there's a functioning opera house in Faenza?) makes up in enthusiasm what it lacks in polish.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 09, 2022, 03:42:31 PM
From the Warner Offenbach set
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JbBeGr09L._SY580_.jpg)

Less satiric than some of his other operas-bouffe (the sharpest bit is aimed at The Count of Monte Cristo)* and more a standard romantic comic opera), this is one of several recordings the work has received (I noticed a Minkowski conducted recording issued by Bru Zane, an EMI recording conducted by Markevitch (now seemingly available only via a re-issue label), and one on [old] Erato with Regine Crespin conducted by Alain Lombard.
Relatively short: three acts with a total time of 99 minutes.

*from Wikipedia
In the dark and gloomy dungeon, an old prisoner enters through a trap door. After digging through the wall of his cell for twelve years with his tiny pen knife, he has finally emerged, unfortunately into another cell. He retreats to his cell when Don Pedro and Panatellas bring Piquillo in. ...
Meanwhile, the old prisoner has turned out to be the long lost Marquis of Santarém. The Viceroy is happy to pardon him as well (and no one can remember what his original crime was supposed to be), rather than send him back to destroy more walls in prison.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2022, 03:14:53 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/2Q09LeoYnSA3R1-bWaVprZ4pCvvin8nEGxKo1sZ2qzg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:522/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg2NzE3/ODQtMTQ2NjMzNDg0/MS0zNjM2LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Two acts in and I really don't understand the objections to this set. People tend to either love it or hate it. I'm definitely in the former camp and I really don't understand all the oprobrium leveled at Dernesch. She may not have Flagstad's absolutely rock solid firmness or Nilsson's gleaming laser-like top notes, but I find her infinitely more feminine and touching than both and her lower register is particularly beautiful. Furthermore this is not, like Margaret Price's Isolde, a product of the gramophone. Dernesch sang the role on stage both in Salzburg and with Scottish Opera. Vickers is simply hors concours, Ludwig, Berry and Ridderbusch very fine and the orchestra play magnificently under Karajan. There are a couple of weird recording balances in the Act II Love Duet, but by and large the recording is fine too.

However fine I thought the Goodall that I was listening to a few days ago, this one is my favourite.
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 14, 2022, 12:44:27 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/AUATnpWE6Ky2z43TD0kNDQQ_2Vr4_96M7b5rEwfb7NM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:567/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODcy/MzM0LTE1NDM1ODcz/NjItMTYyMS5qcGVn.jpeg)

I've been listening to a lot of Wagner recently, slowly working my way throught all my recordings of his operas, but this really is something special. An absolutely fabulous, thrilling performance of Act I from absolutely everyone. I'm not sure it's ever been bettered to be honest.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 17, 2022, 12:14:49 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/YmgeYlkVabYXprbpco4pLBJN7rZQEVhmDB3-D1sBZcg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:497/w:562/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ0NDYw/OTItMTM2NTE2MjU2/MC03MDYzLmpwZWc.jpeg)

A veritable treasure trove of Wagner singing. Highly recommended. I've also reviewed the set on my blog.

Les introuvables du chant wagnérien (http://tsaraslondon.com/2019/10/08/les-introuvables-du-chant-wagnerien/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 18, 2022, 01:30:02 AM
(https://www.talkclassical.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/https://www.talkclassical.com/attachments/waltontroilus-jpg.180390/)

Walton had originally wanted Callas to be his Cressida, but she declined. Contemporary opera held no interest for her. He then offered the role to Schwarzkopf and much of it was composed with her voice in mind. In the event, Schwarzkopf never sang the role on stage, but she did record these excerpts under Walton's baton and she really is superb. Lewis is excellent too and for this issue EMI added a short scene between Pandarus and Cressida, in which Pandarus is sung by Peter Pears, who sang the role at the premiere, and Cressida by Marie Collier. Licenced from Decca, it lasts just under two minutes and adds little to the attractiveness of this issue.
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 19, 2022, 04:23:29 PM
[Crosspost from WAYLT2]
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WEU0qBpqL._AC_SY1000_DpWeblab_.jpg)

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WnbDOEicL._AC_SY1000_DpWeblab_.jpg)

From the Warner Offenbach set
A trio of one act comedies.
The conductor is, I assume, the arranger of Gaite Parisienne.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 20, 2022, 03:50:05 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/IO7QfDyCvFuM59fp4VSRxZzs6wAm-GKpHmOCZxjJ-O4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:516/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwNjAw/ODk4LTE2NTQ1MjA0/MTMtNTIxNi5qcGVn.jpeg)

The sound on this 1958 recording is perhaps a little dull, but at least its stereo, and the performance is superb. Chief amongst its virtues is Keliberth's superb handling of the score, which struck me as absolutely perfect from the first bars of the overture. Next would be Grümmer's peerless Agathe, none better on record. Schock is fine as Max, preferable to Schreier on the Kleiber at least, and there can be no serious complaints about a cast which includes Hermann Prey, Gottlob Frick and LIsa Otto.

What a strange and wonderful piece this is. There are times you can hardly believe it was premiered in 1821, so original is its musical language.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on December 24, 2022, 01:57:23 AM
Looking at Amazon Music for a candidate for my traditional Xmas Eve Lulu, I came across an Oehms release of a live 2001 performance from Palermo's Teatro Massimo. Unfortunately, it's the two-act torso (or as the cover calls it, the "original two-act version").


Lulu - Anat Efraty
Gräfin Geschwitz - Doris Soffel
Dr Schön - Jürgen Linn
Alwa - Ian Storey
Schigolch - Theo Adam
Der Maler - Claude Pia
Der Prinz/Ein Kammerdiener  - Ezio Di Cesare
Eine Theater-Garderobiere/Der Gymnasiast - Monica Minarelli
Der Theaterdirektor - Bodo Schwanbeck
Der Tierbändiger/Der Athlet - Roderick Kennedy
Der Medizinalrat - Adalbert Wallner

Conductor Stefan Anton Reck

Orchestra - Teatro Massimo di Palermo

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510LFSOkk1L._SY580_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on December 25, 2022, 03:43:09 PM
Crosspost from the main listening thread

The Nutcracker was based on a tale by ETA Hoffmann. Which provides enough of a Christmas link to play this
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61FKWpf87ZL._SY780_DpWeblab_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51DKJvZT5mL._SY780_DpWeblab_.jpg)

This is a German production of what might be called the traditional version from the Warner Offenbach box. The set also contains the Cambreling recording of the Oeser edition (with additional material), about 65 minutes longer than this.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: bhodges on December 26, 2022, 03:14:55 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 10, 2022, 03:14:53 AMHowever fine I thought the Goodall that I was listening to a few days ago, this one is my favourite.
 

You are making me want to hear both! I can't listen to Tristan too often—love it, just too intense—but I'm not beholden to any particular version, and don't know either of these.

-Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 27, 2022, 02:36:36 AM
Quote from: Brewski on December 26, 2022, 03:14:55 PMYou are making me want to hear both! I can't listen to Tristan too often—love it, just too intense—but I'm not beholden to any particular version, and don't know either of these.

-Bruce

My preference is probably influenced by the fact that I don't much like Nilsson. I think both Gray and Dernesch are much more warmly feminine Isoldes. I'm also a big fan of Vickers, who is on the Karajan.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 04, 2023, 03:47:36 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51KS92PDnlL._SY1000_DpWeblab_.jpg)

One of this afternoon's used CD bargains.
The only other recording I own is the Sutherland; it's been so long since I listened to it that remember almost nothing. I have a vague impression that the sonics were not as good as this one

Unlike the Sutherland this is the complete uncut version

ETA
Having reached Assur's aria in the penultimate scene, perhaps 3 1/2 hours (the total length of this recording) of Rossini is too much of a good thing...

And--maybe it's my imagination--but does the opening of the Act 2 Finale lift some music from The Barber of Seville?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 05, 2023, 07:53:14 AM
Quote from: JBS on January 04, 2023, 03:47:36 PM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51KS92PDnlL._SY1000_DpWeblab_.jpg)

One of this afternoon's used CD bargains.
The only other recording I own is the Sutherland; it's been so long since I listened to it that remember almost nothing. I have a vague impression that the sonics were not as good as this one

Unlike the Sutherland this is the complete uncut version

ETA
Having reached Assur's aria in the penultimate scene, perhaps 3 1/2 hours (the total length of this recording) of Rossini is too much of a good thing...

And--maybe it's my imagination--but does the opening of the Act 2 Finale lift some music from The Barber of Seville?

I have this one, which I believe is even longer as Fogliani discovered some extra music.

(https://i.discogs.com/YYNebJmNsykspftACQ-wSgYGLsHmnmxB4s5fP3qIGP0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTczMzE4/NDEtMTQzOTEwMzM4/OC05MjE4LmpwZWc.jpeg)

I tend to agree with you, though. I wouldn't object to a bit of judicious snipping. The performance is pretty good; Penda very exciting, but Pizzolato, the Arsace, is a bit dull.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on January 08, 2023, 03:28:11 AM
Verdi - Falstaff Act I
(Karajan, Philarmonia, Gobbi, Schwarzkopf)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkyNTI0NC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjEwODQwNTZ9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on January 09, 2023, 09:57:50 AM
Ended up listening to all 3 acts of Falstaff throughout yesterday. Enjoyable in its right, I should really read what it was about  :-[   ;D I'll revisit with Libretto.

Another blind listen today : Act I of Il Turco In Italia (Gavazzeni, Scala, Callas, Geddas). Entertaining too so far.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646296804/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
   
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 10, 2023, 01:47:21 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on January 09, 2023, 09:57:50 AMEnded up listening to all 3 acts of Falstaff throughout yesterday. Enjoyable in its right, I should really read what it was about  :-[   ;D I'll revisit with Libretto.

Another blind listen today : Act I of Il Turco In Italia (Gavazzeni, Scala, Callas, Geddas). Entertaining too so far.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646296804/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
   

I do think that with comic operas, even more than with tragic ones, it helps to know what they are singing about.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on January 13, 2023, 03:21:44 AM
Dare I say something heretical......?!  The other day I bought for the princely sum of £1 this famous set;

(https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/2LoAAOSwXzBh8FUE/s-l1600.jpg)

I know the Pretre/Callas/Tosca and many other great recordings of the same opera but had never heard this much-lauded performance before.  On the strength of a single listen these were my first thoughts (in order of my enjoyment);

1) de Sabata's conducting is absolutely electric
2) Gobi finds an ideal balance between vocal beauty and evil characterisation
3) de Stefano is thrilling as an ardent lover - wasn't quite so impressed in the Act II exchanges
4) Callas I simply could live without (hence the heresy).  I completely get that she deeply identifies with the character and her actual singing here is a lot better than on some of her recordings.  I just don't love her voice.... I really wish I did.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 13, 2023, 11:13:13 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on January 13, 2023, 03:21:44 AMDare I say something heretical......?!  The other day I bought for the princely sum of £1 this famous set;

(https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/2LoAAOSwXzBh8FUE/s-l1600.jpg)

I know the Pretre/Callas/Tosca and many other great recordings of the same opera but had never heard this much-lauded performance before.  On the strength of a single listen these were my first thoughts (in order of my enjoyment);

1) de Sabata's conducting is absolutely electric
2) Gobi finds an ideal balance between vocal beauty and evil characterisation
3) de Stefano is thrilling as an ardent lover - wasn't quite so impressed in the Act II exchanges
4) Callas I simply could live without (hence the heresy).  I completely get that she deeply identifies with the character and her actual singing here is a lot better than on some of her recordings.  I just don't love her voice.... I really wish I did.

I suppose we all have our blind spots. Callas herself knew that some people would never get used to the sound of her voice.

My blind spot is Birgit Nilsson. I don't have any of her recordings and have never enjoyed the sound she makes.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 19, 2023, 04:08:28 PM
I've been putting off listening to this, thereby completing the Warner Offenbach set.
But tonight I have the time (3 1/2 hours) and the mood.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51EDZSFTQvL._SY780_DpWeblab_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513GrSHjrbL._SY780_DpWeblab_.jpg)

The recording is a bit longer because it includes both Dappertutto's aria (Scintille diamant) and the Septet, both of which are post-Offenbach insertions in the Gulietta act, as appendices.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on January 22, 2023, 12:56:36 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fzdC9eqbL._SY425_.jpg)

For the first time in 10, 12, maybe 15 years, I can't recall.  My memory of the opera was that the use of countertenors made it sound less than optimal, and sure enough that's the case.  I know of only one other recording, and it too uses countertenors, though I know that various performances have used female singers.  The other parts and the orchestral writing works better.  I should probably try a different Eötvös opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 25, 2023, 07:29:46 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiOTMwNjYzNC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2NDA3MjAzNzh9)

Gabriella Tucci - soprano
Dame Janet Baker - mezzo-soprano
Pierre Duval - tenor
Marti Talvela - bass

Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus - Georg Szell

Recorded 1968.

Not opera, I know, but it is Verdi and still pretty operatic.

After discovering the live Munich Muti performance, here's another live discovery. The sound on this is mono, and nowhere near as good as the Muti, but the performance is certainly interesting with Szell bringing out some things I hadn't heard before. He's not a conductor one would readily associate with Verdi, but he won me over.

Of the soloists the weak link is the tenor Pierre Duval, who is stretched to his limits and beyond and sounds tense and even a bit hoarse in places. Talvela was only 33 at the time of this performance. He muffs a couple of entries but his black bass certainly has class and Tucci is rather good. What a fine singer she was. The surprise of the set, though, is Janet Baker, who sounds almost like a different singer at times, using chest voice as I've never heard from her before and singing with her usual intelligence and dramatic flair. She was in her very best voice around this time too. She did record the Requiem with Solti some years later, but I think she is ever better here.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on January 29, 2023, 12:00:51 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61kG5n08ZxL._UX425_FMwebp_QL85_.jpg)

Revisiting.  Stupid opera.  Stupid beautiful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 30, 2023, 07:06:58 AM
Quote from: Todd on January 29, 2023, 12:00:51 PM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61kG5n08ZxL._UX425_FMwebp_QL85_.jpg)

Revisiting.

Whisky per tutti!  ;D

QuoteStupid opera.  Stupid beautiful.
Very nicely put. A favourite of mine...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on February 04, 2023, 11:58:14 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71DstpXBdbL._SX425_.jpg)

It's been a good, long while since I last listened to any recording of Falstaff, and probably a decade or more since I last listened to this recording.  It more or less conformed to cloudy memories.  Playing is precise, detailed, and fairly light.  Sure, tuttis have oomph, but Abbado never lets things get heavy.  He also keeps things zippy.  Terfel sounds in your face and nearly intimidating at times, which works well, and every singer sounds very fine.  Would that big name cast, full priced operas like this were as commonly released as they once were.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 05, 2023, 06:41:19 AM
Time to revisit Dallapiccola's magnum opus, Ulisse...

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Ry6HeQLCL._SX522_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 06, 2023, 04:58:22 AM
(https://www.eloquenceclassics.com/files/2018/09/4807191_MozartEntfuhrung_Overtures_Krips.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Yn2jbpynL._SL1200_.jpg)

This is the very first opera Decca ever released on LP. The mono sound has aged quite well and it's actually surprisingly good. The line up, while not stellar (except for Krips), features mostly Viennese born and bred artists and it shows: impeccable diction and tasteful singing. A very enjoyable recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 08, 2023, 05:39:23 AM
Made a start in earnest on Wagner's Ring, with the Penguin book/Libretto in front of me (Translation by John Deathridge).

Planning a handful of listens for each scene or act to slowly build up the familiarity with the characters and plot, before moving to the next one.

Das Rheingold - Scene I.

Played Karajan and Solti off the shelf earlier.

Now streaming Böhm.

A long journey ahead but captivated already  8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 08, 2023, 06:28:51 AM
Out of curiosity, I tried that same scene in Goodall's English version.

Definitely less impactful.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on February 08, 2023, 10:15:40 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on February 08, 2023, 05:39:23 AMMade a start in earnest on Wagner's Ring, with the Penguin book/Libretto in front of me (Translation by John Deathridge).

Planning a handful of listens for each scene or act to slowly build up the familiarity with the characters and plot, before moving to the next one.

Das Rheingold - Scene I.

Played Karajan and Solti off the shelf earlier.

Now streaming Böhm.

A long journey ahead but captivated already  8)

Certainly an excellent idea; particularly about Wagner, whose musikdramas have the purpose of the fusion of the arts and whose texts are full of poetical and philosophical elements, I think that reading the libretti is extremely important to better understand and completely merge into those works.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 09, 2023, 08:18:44 AM
Could anyone confirm please, that these two :

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkyODMwNC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjEwODI4NTd9)  &    (https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/66/66/0825646766666_600.jpg)

... are the same versions that appear in this set ?

(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/61/83/0825646618361_600.jpg)


The performers seem to match but I thought I'd ask. Thank you.



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 09, 2023, 10:03:08 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on February 09, 2023, 08:18:44 AMCould anyone confirm please, that these two :

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzkyODMwNC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NjEwODI4NTd9)  &    (https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/66/66/0825646766666_600.jpg)

... are the same versions that appear in this set ?

(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/61/83/0825646618361_600.jpg)


The performers seem to match but I thought I'd ask. Thank you.




Yes!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 09, 2023, 11:58:03 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 09, 2023, 10:03:08 AMYes!

Thank you Rafael!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 10, 2023, 01:17:01 AM
Wagner - Das Rheingold - Scene 2.

Starting with Solti.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on February 12, 2023, 09:31:35 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 06, 2023, 04:58:22 AM(https://www.eloquenceclassics.com/files/2018/09/4807191_MozartEntfuhrung_Overtures_Krips.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Yn2jbpynL._SL1200_.jpg)

This is the very first opera Decca ever released on LP. The mono sound has aged quite well and it's actually surprisingly good. The line up, while not stellar (except for Krips), features mostly Viennese born and bred artists and it shows: impeccable diction and tasteful singing. A very enjoyable recording.

My favourite Old School performance is with Krips as well - but with a star line up...  8)

(https://s.mxmcdn.net/images-storage/albums4/4/9/1/5/1/3/33315194_800_800.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 12, 2023, 09:48:33 AM
Quote from: Que on February 12, 2023, 09:31:35 AMMy favourite Old School performance is with Krips as well - but with a star line up...  8)

(https://s.mxmcdn.net/images-storage/albums4/4/9/1/5/1/3/33315194_800_800.jpg)

Thanks for that. I'll certainly get it as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on February 12, 2023, 11:01:05 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 12, 2023, 09:48:33 AMThanks for that. I'll certainly get it as well.

You'll love it.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 13, 2023, 06:19:07 AM
Quote from: Que on February 12, 2023, 09:31:35 AMMy favourite Old School performance is with Krips as well - but with a star line up...  8)

(https://s.mxmcdn.net/images-storage/albums4/4/9/1/5/1/3/33315194_800_800.jpg)

Mine's this one, mostly because of the peerless Fritz Wunderlich, but the rest of it is pretty good too.

(https://i.discogs.com/Lo_SyEjjYNME_B6Cy3pLbNdThBfdUiSMr0kkK5TqMoQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:590/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0MjYx/MTg3LTE1NzA5NjAy/MDAtNTY0Ni5qcGVn.jpeg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 14, 2023, 01:58:54 AM
Wagner
Das Rheingold
Still the second scene (Karajan this time) with full attention and libretto.

Really liked Gerhard Stolze singing Loge. The devious character really comes through. Also impressed by Fafner (Karl Ridderbusch).

Enjoying this a lot!
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 14, 2023, 07:20:53 AM
Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore Act I

(Pritchard, Cotrubas, Domingo)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4MDgxNC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MzU3NjIzMDJ9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 15, 2023, 01:06:19 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on February 14, 2023, 07:20:53 AMDonizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore Act I

(Pritchard, Cotrubas, Domingo)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4MDgxNC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MzU3NjIzMDJ9)

My favourite recording of this delightful comic opera. It was based on a very successful production at Covent Garden, which also starred Cotrubas. However there she was partnered by the young Carreras. When the recording was made, Domingo was presumably considered a bigger seller. Considering he was about to enter Otello territory, he does a good job of lightening his voice, but I do wonder if the young Carreras would have been better. By the time Carreras got to record it (with Ricciarelli) his voice had lost some of its youthful bloom.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 16, 2023, 04:42:48 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 15, 2023, 01:06:19 AMMy favourite recording of this delightful comic opera. It was based on a very successful production at Covent Garden, which also starred Cotrubas. However there she was partnered by the young Carreras. When the recording was made, Domingo was presumably considered a bigger seller. Considering he was about to enter Otello territory, he does a good job of lightening his voice, but I do wonder if the young Carreras would have been better. By the time Carreras got to record it (with Ricciarelli) his voice had lost some of its youthful bloom.

It sounds like good fun indeed so far.

On the off-chance, have you or anyone please got a PDF of the Italian libretto + English translations or can point me  towards one online? I have found various separate Italian or English libretti and pasted them in Excel but there are several mismatches and missing chunks in one or the other which makes them difficult to align...The booklet only has the synopsis. Thank you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 16, 2023, 04:49:38 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on February 16, 2023, 04:42:48 AMIt sounds like good fun indeed so far.

On the off-chance, have you or anyone please got a PDF of the Italian libretto + English translations or can point me  towards one online? I have found various separate Italian or English libretti and pasted them in Excel but there are several mismatches and missing chunks in one or the other which makes them difficult to align...The booklet only has the synopsis. Thank you.

I don't, I'm afraid. I have the first CD transfer which came with a full libretto and translation. I wouldn't know where to look on the net. It seems to me that librettos and translations are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Perhaps nobody cares what's going on anymore.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 16, 2023, 04:59:59 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 16, 2023, 04:49:38 AMI don't, I'm afraid. I have the first CD transfer which came with a full libretto and translation. I wouldn't know where to look on the net. It seems to me that librettos and translations are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Perhaps nobody cares what's going on anymore.

no worries, thank you.

Actually, while answering, I remembered I once saved a Decca link months ago when I first ventured into Opera.
Rummaging in my bookmarks, here it is :

https://libretti.deccaclassics.com (https://libretti.deccaclassics.com/)

...and it does include L'Elisir !! 

On my way to download them all before I forget the existence of this link again :o  ;D 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 16, 2023, 05:06:42 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on February 16, 2023, 04:42:48 AMOn the off-chance, have you or anyone please got a PDF of the Italian libretto + English translations or can point me  towards one online?

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 16, 2023, 04:49:38 AMI wouldn't know where to look on the net.

https://pdfcoffee.com/lx27elisir-dx27amore-libretto-with-translation-pdf-free.html (https://pdfcoffee.com/lx27elisir-dx27amore-libretto-with-translation-pdf-free.html)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 16, 2023, 05:08:11 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on February 16, 2023, 04:59:59 AMno worries, thank you.

Actually, while answering, I remembered I once saved a Decca link months ago when I first ventured into Opera.
Rummaging in my bookmarks, here it is :

https://libretti.deccaclassics.com (https://libretti.deccaclassics.com/)

...and it does include L'Elisir !! 

On my way to download them all before I forget the existence of this link again :o  ;D

Nice find, Olivier!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on February 16, 2023, 05:14:50 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 16, 2023, 05:06:42 AMhttps://pdfcoffee.com/lx27elisir-dx27amore-libretto-with-translation-pdf-free.html (https://pdfcoffee.com/lx27elisir-dx27amore-libretto-with-translation-pdf-free.html)

Thank you Andrei, I'll save that link too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on February 18, 2023, 03:12:26 AM
Are there anymore similar links to on line libretti?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mapman on February 22, 2023, 04:28:59 PM
Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle (in English)
Howell, Burgess; Elder: BBC NOW

(https://i.discogs.com/G3Zkz7GZu1SVMHIfV_u6kr28XW7yYXoHH34-46HT2-s/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:389/w:400/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUwNTQ1/NDgtMTM4MzI1Nzkx/MC04MTUwLmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on February 23, 2023, 04:50:05 AM
Crossposting from the WAYLTN thread:

On youtube:
Ernst Krenek
Karl V, part I

Gerd Albrecht, ORF-Choir & Radio Symphonie Orchester Wien


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511Lil6fsYL._SX425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on February 23, 2023, 09:29:04 AM
The first part was gorgeous, now:

Ernst Krenek
Karl V, part II

Gerd Albrecht, ORF-Choir & Radio Symphonie Orchester Wien

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511Lil6fsYL._SX425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on February 25, 2023, 04:04:40 AM
I've found on youtube a recording of Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero in German and although I'm not particularly fond of opera sung in a different language from the original one, I can't resist to have a listen to it:

Luigi Dallapiccola
Il Prigioniero

Hans Rosbaud & Berliner Philharmoniker


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51OwEOZzxFL._SX466_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 25, 2023, 06:28:39 AM
Well, it's Rosbaud so you can't go wrong.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on February 25, 2023, 07:19:27 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 25, 2023, 06:28:39 AMWell, it's Rosbaud so you can't go wrong.
As a matter of fact, I put great trust in Rosbaud's conducting skills and he didn't disappoint me, his recording was gorgeous; the German translation also fit the music very well without losing the beauty and the profundity of poetical shades of the original language.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on February 26, 2023, 01:18:27 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51NMWOfjSfL._SX425_.jpg)

I know the Mackerras verion is generally the preferred one, and of course the great Lucia Popp heads the cast, but this one is pretty dandy, too, and it has the equally great Gabriela Benackova as the Fox.  And it has a Czech band.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mapman on March 03, 2023, 05:29:08 PM
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
Gens, Marin-Degor, Brua, Berg; Christie: Les Arts Florissants

It's good music, but I'm not impressed by this performance. I don't like the somewhat harsh vibrato-less string sound, and some of the singing (especially the Witches) is ugly. I think the singing is probably intentionally ugly, but I don't think it works.

(https://i.discogs.com/VIUBHz7mE9wsyCv8m1BY_sC_88MDucttWtQDghlVtZw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:599/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM3MDIz/MjYtMTM0MDk5MTE5/Mi0xNzgyLmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on March 04, 2023, 02:05:34 AM
Quote from: Mapman on March 03, 2023, 05:29:08 PMPurcell: Dido and Aeneas
Gens, Marin-Degor, Brua, Berg; Christie: Les Arts Florissants

It's good music, but I'm not impressed by this performance. I don't like the somewhat harsh vibrato-less string sound, and some of the singing (especially the Witches) is ugly. I think the singing is probably intentionally ugly, but I don't think it works.

(https://i.discogs.com/VIUBHz7mE9wsyCv8m1BY_sC_88MDucttWtQDghlVtZw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:599/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM3MDIz/MjYtMTM0MDk5MTE5/Mi0xNzgyLmpwZWc.jpeg)

It  does seem hard to get everything right in that piece!
My love for the Haïm recording was shortlived. Now I have Hogwood lined up for auditioning.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 04, 2023, 07:42:20 AM
Gian Francesco Malipiero's opera form the mid-1930s, Giulio Cesare.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51RgFXo3XQL.jpg)

Malipiero had the unfortunate idea of dedicating this work to Benito Mussolini, but apparently that did not help him being ingratiated with the fascist regime, and the opera was not a success. It's based on Shakespeare (a couple of years later, the composer would write an Antonio e Cleopatra).

Of the operas by Malipiero I Know (he apparently composed 35 of them, but only a handful are available on record, and live performances are few and far between these days), this is the most "traditional", and is closer to the typical Italian opera of the pre-WW2 years than other works by the composer. Perhaps not his most inspired score, but still his style comes through ("autumnal angular neoclassicism" is the term I can come up with), and it is certainly interesting.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on March 04, 2023, 11:51:28 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 04, 2023, 07:42:20 AMMalipiero had the unfortunate idea of dedicating this work to Benito Mussolini

Maybe not the best decision.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on March 04, 2023, 11:59:12 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71eOvfdgCzL._SY425_.jpg)

I relistened to Pappano's recording of Suor Angelica recently, and I decided I just had to have another version.  So Nelsons it was.  It's just as beautiful and very well played.  I think I'd give Pappano the slight overall edge, but now I can flip a coin next time I listen.  This also comes with the Preludio sinfonico, so that's a nice bonus. 

I did investigate other recordings of the opera a bit, and the Sutherland/Bonynge is available separately as a download.  Otherwise, it looks like I might end up with a couple more complete versions of Il Trittico.  I can think of worse things.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 05, 2023, 01:22:04 PM
Quote from: Todd on March 04, 2023, 11:59:12 AM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71eOvfdgCzL._SY425_.jpg)

I relistened to Pappano's recording of Suor Angelica recently, and I decided I just had to have another version.  So Nelsons it was.  It's just as beautiful and very well played.  I think I'd give Pappano the slight overall edge, but now I can flip a coin next time I listen.  This also comes with the Preludio sinfonico, so that's a nice bonus. 

I did investigate other recordings of the opera a bit, and the Sutherland/Bonynge is available separately as a download.  Otherwise, it looks like I might end up with a couple more complete versions of Il Trittico.  I can think of worse things.

The Sutherland was recorded a tad too late in her career, I always feel.

My out and out favourite is Scotto with Maazel, then De Los Angeles with Serafin and Ricciarelli with Bartoletti, all of which I prefer to Pappano. I don't know what availability is like, but I'm pretty sure they can all be streamed.

In all honesty, though, I should say it's my least favourite of the three operas in the tryptich.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on March 06, 2023, 01:04:43 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 05, 2023, 01:22:04 PMThe Sutherland was recorded a tad too late in her career, I always feel.

My out and out favourite is Scotto with Maazel, then De Los Angeles with Serafin and Ricciarelli with Bartoletti, all of which I prefer to Pappano. I don't know what availability is like, but I'm pretty sure they can all be streamed.

In all honesty, though, I should say it's my least favourite of the three operas in the tryptich.

It's my favorite of the three, but we agree about the Scotto/Maazel recording, indeed about all the versions you recommend.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 22, 2023, 09:04:44 AM
(Cross post from the WAYLTN thread)

(https://opera-rara.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/zaza_back_high_res-e1619110181548.jpg)

Listened to the whole thing over a few days.

I'm very sorry (which is a way to say I'm very glad) to report to our esteemed colleague and moderator @ritter that I found absolutely nothing vulgar whatsoever, let alone revolting, neither in the subject matter (which is actually quite bland for a verismo opera: nobody dies, nobody gets killed, nobody gets mad, there is no abject poverty, there are no prostitutes and no ruffians; it's a bourgeois drama through and through: cabaret singer seduces millionaire and falls genuinely in love in the process, subsequently finds out her lover is married with child, meets the child and the wife and eventually leaves his lover for the sake of his child who needs the father --- quite Victorian, I'd say) nor in the music (which is actually delicately scored, mostly for strings, winds and harp). The only complaint I have is that the tunes are not as memorable as those in Pagliacci. All in all, a very enjoyable work.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on March 25, 2023, 04:46:49 AM
A first listen to Madama Butterfly Act II (with Libretto).

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjY5NC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2MzgzODR9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on March 25, 2023, 05:29:59 AM
oh my...  :'(   :(
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on March 26, 2023, 01:32:01 AM
Just starting:

Puccini - Madama Butterfly
Karajan, Freni
Act II

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjU5OC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NTU5Mzg4MTJ9)

Maybe a glutton for punishment after the "heartbreak" of yesterday. I had just about recovered from Mimi's death some weeks ago that Butterfly dragged me through an hour and a half of vain hope and despair and death  ;D 

I found myself letting quite a loud gasp yesterday when Callas broke down into a heartbreaking  "Ah! m'ha scordata? / Ah! Has he forgotten me?".

That one line just wrecked me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 26, 2023, 02:14:17 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on March 26, 2023, 01:32:01 AMJust starting:

Puccini - Madama Butterfly
Karajan, Freni
Act II

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA0NjU5OC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NTU5Mzg4MTJ9)

Maybe a glutton for punishment after the "heartbreak" of yesterday. I had just about recovered from Mimi's death some weeks ago that Butterfly dragged me through an hour and a half of vain hope and despair and death  ;D 

I found myself letting quite a loud gasp yesterday when Callas broke down into a heartbreaking  "Ah! m'ha scordata? / Ah! Has he forgotten me?".

That one line just wrecked me.

For all the sumptuousness of Karajan's second take on the opera, I do prefer his earlier take with Callas. It's moments such as the one you descibe that somehow encapsualate the whole of poor Butterfly's tragedy. Another moment that gets me every time, is when she sings to Kate in the last act, Sotto il gran ponte del cielo non v'è donna di voi più felice. (Under the great dome of heaven, there isn't a happier woman than you.)

But her portrayal is full of little details like that. I think the Callas/Karajan recording brings you closer to the stark tragedy of Butterfly than any of the other recordings I've heard, though I also have a soft spot for De Los Angeles under Gavazzeni (her first recording) and Scotto with Barbirolli.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 26, 2023, 11:05:16 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51BNnKkbVjL._UX420_FMwebp_QL85_.jpg)

Two one act comedies (although Larmes de couteau is a very dark comedy) that lean into theater of the absurd.

Performed in the original languages--French and English--with excellent liner notes by @SurprisedByBeauty
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on April 23, 2023, 05:14:56 AM
Karol Szymanowski
Król Roger

Thomas Hampson, baritone
Elzbieta Szmytka, soprano
Philip Langridge, tenor
Ryszard Minkiewicz, tenor

City of Birmingham SO, Chorus, & Youth Chorus
Simon Rattle

From the WAYL2N thread:
The last of Szymanowski for a while. I will spend today on and off with King Roger.
VS

(https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b2735396f59259c64fe11f4a282d)
From this set:
(https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b2731016c899557c6d702cf5d3a3)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on April 23, 2023, 07:53:11 AM
A rhetorical question - was a recording of a 'slighter' opera ever so starrily cast......?!

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8K0AAOSwTeVhla0g/s-l500.jpg)

I do like Hansel & Gretel - it really is Wagner for youngsters with some folksy tunes thrown in for good measure.  The casting of this famous version is so stellar - only "mother" by Charlotte Berthold (did she ever record anything else - how come she was cast?) is anything but a vocal superstar in prime singing shape.  I like the fact that Christa Ludwig actually sings the part of the witch as opposed to hamming it up.  Moffo and Donath are just gorgeous and Popp and Auger in the tiny roles are luxury casting.  Eichorn's conducting is perfectly good and the Munich RSO play with energy and enthusiasm.  The recording is a bit harsh and 'glassy' but I find myself returning to this version more than any other other (for me Schwarkopf etc is just too 'arch')
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 24, 2023, 04:38:20 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 23, 2023, 07:53:11 AMA rhetorical question - was a recording of a 'slighter' opera ever so starrily cast......?!

(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8K0AAOSwTeVhla0g/s-l500.jpg)

I do like Hansel & Gretel - it really is Wagner for youngsters with some folksy tunes thrown in for good measure.  The casting of this famous version is so stellar - only "mother" by Charlotte Berthold (did she ever record anything else - how come she was cast?) is anything but a vocal superstar in prime singing shape.  I like the fact that Christa Ludwig actually sings the part of the witch as opposed to hamming it up.  Moffo and Donath are just gorgeous and Popp and Auger in the tiny roles are luxury casting.  Eichorn's conducting is perfectly good and the Munich RSO play with energy and enthusiasm.  The recording is a bit harsh and 'glassy' but I find myself returning to this version more than any other other (for me Schwarkopf etc is just too 'arch')

Personally, I love the Karajan with Schwarzkopf and Grümmer and it would still be my top choice. (I've never quite understood the criticism of 'too arch'. I think it's delightful.)

Over the years, mind you, it has attracted quite a few starry casts on record. I haven't heard them all, so I can't tell you how successful they are.

Rothenberger and Seefried, with Grace Hoffman and Walter Berry as their parents, and Elizabeth Höngen as the Witch for Cluytens.
Popp and Fassbaender, with Julia Hamari and Walter Berry as the parents and Anny Schlemm as the Witch under Solti. This also has Norma Burrowes and Edita Gruberova as Sandman and Dew Fairy.
Cotrubas and Von Stade, with Christa Ludwig and Siegmund Nimsgern as the parents and Elisabeth Söderström as the Witch under John Pritchard. This one has no less than Kiri Te Kanawa and Ruth Welting as Sandman and Dew Fairy.
Bonney and Von Otter, with Hanna Schwarz and Andreas Schmidt as the parents under Jeffrey Tate, with Marjana Lipovsek as the Witch and Barbara Hendricks and Eva Lind as Sandman and dew Fairy.

All these are pretty starry, I'd say.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on April 24, 2023, 07:27:19 AM
I remember liking this a lot when I saw it on a PBS broadcast
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71hJwMwP6jL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on April 25, 2023, 12:00:40 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 24, 2023, 04:38:20 AMPersonally, I love the Karajan with Schwarzkopf and Grümmer and it would still be my top choice. (I've never quite understood the criticism of 'too arch'. I think it's delightful.)

Over the years, mind you, it has attracted quite a few starry casts on record. I haven't heard them all, so I can't tell you how successful they are.

Rothenberger and Seefried, with Grace Hoffman and Walter Berry as their parents, and Elizabeth Höngen as the Witch for Cluytens.
Popp and Fassbaender, with Julia Hamari and Walter Berry as the parents and Anny Schlemm as the Witch under Solti. This also has Norma Burrowes and Edita Gruberova as Sandman and Dew Fairy.
Cotrubas and Von Stade, with Christa Ludwig and Siegmund Nimsgern as the parents and Elisabeth Söderström as the Witch under John Pritchard. This one has no less than Kiri Te Kanawa and Ruth Welting as Sandman and Dew Fairy.
Bonney and Von Otter, with Hanna Schwarz and Andreas Schmidt as the parents under Jeffrey Tate, with Marjana Lipovsek as the Witch and Barbara Hendricks and Eva Lind as Sandman and dew Fairy.

All these are pretty starry, I'd say.


Well I said it was a rhetorical question! - Genuinely starry casts all.  As a performance the Tate is very good indeed I think.  For me Schwarzkopf does sound like she is too consciously being "childlike" but of course that is just an opinion.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on April 25, 2023, 12:23:46 PM
Crosspost from the WAYLTN thread:

On youtube, first listen to this opera:
Luigi Dallapiccola
Volo di Notte

Leon Botstein & American Symphony Orchestra


(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71qWvQZxDAL._SS500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on April 29, 2023, 01:32:50 AM
I didn't really want/need/consider another "Pearl-Fishers" but then this 2-disc mono set popped up in a Charity shop for £1;

(https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=u4HdYfithh08yXDYfWa_3d_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=&f=4)

Gosh am I glad I bought it!  I have no idea if the edition is authoritative or "complete" or whatever (probably not on both fronts) but wow the actual sound of the singing is just glorious.  Why don't people sing like this any more.  I'm not sure I've ever been so "involved" in this work before.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 29, 2023, 04:49:33 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 29, 2023, 01:32:50 AMI didn't really want/need/consider another "Pearl-Fishers" but then this 2-disc mono set popped up in a Charity shop for £1;

(https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=u4HdYfithh08yXDYfWa_3d_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=&f=4)

Gosh am I glad I bought it!  I have no idea if the edition is authoritative or "complete" or whatever (probably not on both fronts) but wow the actual sound of the singing is just glorious.  Why don't people sing like this any more.  I'm not sure I've ever been so "involved" in this work before.

Thanks for this, wishlisted.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on April 29, 2023, 08:25:22 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 29, 2023, 01:32:50 AMWhy don't people sing like this any more.


 That's a very good question, to which nobody has any easy answers. Perhaps it deserves a thread all of its own.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on April 29, 2023, 09:35:16 AM
First listen to this opera:

Engelbert Humperdinck
Hänsel und Gretel

Herbert von Karajan & Philharmonia Orchestra


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71nIXL%2BJr3L._SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on April 29, 2023, 09:44:01 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on April 29, 2023, 09:35:16 AMFirst listen to this opera:

Engelbert Humperdinck
Hänsel und Gretel

Herbert von Karajan & Philharmonia Orchestra


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71nIXL%2BJr3L._SL1200_.jpg)

Delightful opera, excellent performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on April 30, 2023, 02:23:53 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 29, 2023, 09:44:01 AMDelightful opera, excellent performance.
Absolutely, delightful to say the least! Such a brilliant, lively opera, I liked very much the combination of the simplicity of the folk songs with the harmonic richness and the great variety of colours of the textures (the wagnerian influence could be clearly perceived, especially in the purely orchestral passages, like the Traum-Pantomine and the Preludes), as well as the suggestive expression of the sounds of the nature, like in the second and third act. The fairy, evocative atmosphere created by the music was mesmerizing (how German composers could handle the supernatural element was wonderful) and there was also a very enchanting use of waltzes and marches.
About the performance, the Karajan was extremely compelling, but was there any doubt about that?  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on April 30, 2023, 04:13:09 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 29, 2023, 04:49:33 AMThanks for this, wishlisted.
I love the duet--particularly as sung by Björling and Merrill and also by Fischer-Dieskau and Bergonzi. 

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on April 30, 2023, 07:12:11 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on April 30, 2023, 04:13:09 AMI love the duet--particularly as sung by Björling and Merrill and also by Fischer-Dieskau and Bergonzi. 

PD

Two fine versions - but not at all idiomatic.  When you hear French singers singing this its far more lyrical/tender/touching. Here is the excerpt from this recording (ignore the Pantomime Villain still!);


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on April 30, 2023, 08:40:22 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 30, 2023, 07:12:11 AMTwo fine versions - but not at all idiomatic.  When you hear French singers singing this its far more lyrical/tender/touching. Here is the excerpt from this recording (ignore the Pantomime Villain still!);



Lovely!  I do enjoy Leopold Simoneau's singing (have heard recordings of his in the past).  Don't recall hearing René Bianco's name before now?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on May 04, 2023, 04:42:10 AM
(Cross post from the WAYLTN thread)


Rossini - L'Occasione fa il ladro

Berenice - Susan Patterson
Don Parmenione - Natale de Carolis
Conte Alberto - Robert Gambill
Ernestina - Monica Bacelli
Martino - Alessandro Corbelli
Don Eusebio - Stuart Kale

Conductor - Gianluigi Gelmetti
Orchestra - Stuttgarter Rundfunkorchester

Director - Michael Hampe

Schwetzingen Festival, 1992

This is superb. Traditional costumes and make-up, respectful of the time and place, no Regietheater absurdities (I don't know if it was intentional or not, but Robert Gambill looked exactly like Donizetti in his prime). Strong cast, all singers in top form. Exceptional (and I mean it) acting, especially with respect to facial expressions --- in particular Alessandro Corbelli as a frightened and confused servant is a delight to watch. Spirited and exact orchestral playing from the Stuttgarters under Gelmetti. A most enjoyable and hugely entertaining production. Highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on May 05, 2023, 03:26:45 AM
(Cross post from the WAYLTN thread)


Rossini: La cambiale di matrimonio

Tobia Mill, an English merchant – Paolo Bordogna | BARITONE
Fanny, his daughter – Désirée Rancatore | SOPRANO
Edward Milfort, Fanny's lover – Saimir Pirgu | TENOR
Slook, a Canadian merchant – Fabio Maria Capitanucci | BARITONE
Norton, Mill's clerk – Enrico Maria Marabelli | BARITONE
Clarina, Fanny's chambermaid – Maria Gortsevskaya | MEZZO-SOPRANO

Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano E Trento
Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli | CONDUCTOR

Luigi Squarzina | DIRECTOR
Giovanni Agostinucci | SETS AND COSTUMES
Tiziano Mancini | VIDEO DIRECTOR

Another corker of a production, this time from Pesaro in 2006. Beautiful costumes, make-up and stage set, also free from Regietheater abominations. Excellent singing and acting from all. Orchestra in very good form, the continuo playing quite imaginative (appropriate use of Ein Maedchen oder Weibchen and Non piu andrai) and decidedly non-intrusive. An hour and a half of pure, unadulterated and unpretentious joy. Highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on May 12, 2023, 01:42:01 AM
(Cross post from the WAYLTN thread)


Rossini - Il Signor Bruschino

Alessandro Corbelli - Caudenzio
Amelia Felle - Sofia
Alberto Rinaldi - Bruschino (father)
Vito Gobbi - Bruschino (son)
David Kuebler - Florville
Giuseppe Maria Foppa - libretto
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
Gianluigi Gelmetti - conductor
Michael Hampe - Stage Director

Schwetzinger Festspiele 1989

Decidedly, the Schwetzingen productions are greatly to my taste. Everything is just as it should be. And I fell in love with Alessandro Corbelli's voice and acting, both very strong in all productions I've watched. Alberto Rinaldi, too, is an excellent Bruschino Sr, bemused, befuddled and humiliated most of the time save in the final scene when he triumphantly and jubilantly turns the tables on Gaudenzio. As usual, highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 13, 2023, 04:50:51 AM
A work I haven't listened to in ages: Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict (conducted by John Nelson).

(https://i.discogs.com/F_G0xSHDW1Xj3uLUXMrSGPGBhmBtqUfN5SF3lLWASS4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:338/w:400/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg4ODcx/MzAtMTQ3MDgyNzcx/NC0xNDg2LmdpZg.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on May 14, 2023, 04:01:16 AM
Ildebrando Pizzetti
Murder in the Cathedral

Christa Ludwig
Hilda Zadek
Hans Hotter
Gerhard Stolze
Walter Berry

Vienna State Opera - Herbert von Karajan

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51U8wSzCIdL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vers la flamme on May 15, 2023, 02:05:01 PM
(https://i.postimg.cc/2jFstjX3/image.png)

Richard Wagner: Lohengrin. Rudolf Kempe, Wiener Philharmoniker und Staatsopernchor

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on May 15, 2023, 02:34:21 PM
Quote from: vers la flamme on May 15, 2023, 02:05:01 PM(https://i.postimg.cc/2jFstjX3/image.png)

Richard Wagner: Lohengrin. Rudolf Kempe, Wiener Philharmoniker und Staatsopernchor
An awesome choice! Kempe's recording is the first Lohengrin I've ever listened.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vers la flamme on May 15, 2023, 03:18:22 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on May 15, 2023, 02:34:21 PMAn awesome choice! Kempe's recording is the first Lohengrin I've ever listened.

Me too, in fact this is the first time I've ever listened to it in full. Loved it, Jess Thomas was incredible in the title role.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on May 20, 2023, 01:57:36 PM
Listened to a broadcast from the Met today of Mozart's Don Giovanni.  Made time to accompany it with the libretto (for the first act anyway).  Enjoyed it overall and enjoyed the interviews during the intermission.

When I looked at the Met's website, I was pleased to see that they had some videos and photos from that opera performance.  If interested, you can check it out here:  https://www.metopera.org/season/2022-23-season/don-giovanni/

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on May 21, 2023, 06:26:36 AM
Crossposting from the WAYLTN thread:

Richard Wagner
Der fliegende Holländer

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker


(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Vs36G2ldL._SS500_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on May 22, 2023, 12:56:39 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on May 20, 2023, 01:57:36 PMListened to a broadcast from the Met today of Mozart's Don Giovanni.  Made time to accompany it with the libretto (for the first act anyway).  Enjoyed it overall and enjoyed the interviews during the intermission.

When I looked at the Met's website, I was pleased to see that they had some videos and photos from that opera performance.  If interested, you can check it out here:  https://www.metopera.org/season/2022-23-season/don-giovanni/

PD

I saw it "Live in HD", after hearing a couple of previous performances on Sirius/XM. Loved it!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on May 22, 2023, 04:15:16 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on May 22, 2023, 12:56:39 AMI saw it "Live in HD", after hearing a couple of previous performances on Sirius/XM. Loved it!
Oh, nice!  I haven't been to one of those Met opera "Live" performances in years.  I should check out the schedule.  :)

By the way, how packed was the theater?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on May 23, 2023, 08:29:49 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on May 22, 2023, 04:15:16 AMOh, nice!  I haven't been to one of those Met opera "Live" performances in years.  I should check out the schedule.  :)

By the way, how packed was the theater?

PD

I see them in Daphne, Alabama, and the theatre's never packed. Maybe 20-25 at the most. I think it was about 15 for Don Giovanni. There were only two of us at Rosenkavalier this season, but there were technical difficulties and we both got refunds even for concession items.

There's one more this season, on June 3rd, the new production of Die Zauberflöte conducted, like Don Giovanni, by Nathalie Stutzmann. My least favorite of the big seven Mozart operas, but with Stutzmann and in interesting-looking production I'll definitely be going.

This summer's encores are unusually interesting, though I already have all of the but Barbiere on DVD:

July 26
Philip Glass's Akhnaten

August 2
Verdi's Il Trovatore
Sondra Radvanovsky, Marcelo Álvarez,  Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Marco Armiliato conducts.

August 9
Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Isabel Leonard, Lawrence Brownlee, Christopher Maltman, Michele Mariotti conducts.

August 16
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
Renée Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Valery Gergiev conducts.

and next season:


JAKE HEGGIE / LIBRETTO BY TERRENCE MCNALLY
Dead Man Walking
SAT, OCT 21, 2023 12:55 PM

ANTHONY DAVIS / LIBRETTO BY THULANI DAVIS / STORY BY CHRISTOPHER DAVIS
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X
SAT, NOV 18, 2023 12:55 PM

DANIEL CATÁN
Florencia en el Amazonas
SAT, DEC 09, 2023 12:55 PM

GIUSEPPE VERDI
Nabucco
SAT, JAN 06, 2024 12:55 PM

GEORGES BIZET
Carmen
SAT, JAN 27, 2024 12:55 PM

GIUSEPPE VERDI
La Forza del Destino
SAT, MAR 09, 2024 12:55 PM

CHARLES GOUNOD
Roméo et Juliette
SAT, MAR 23, 2024 12:55 PM

GIACOMO PUCCINI
La Rondine
SAT, APR 20, 2024 12:55 PM

GIACOMO PUCCINI
Madama Butterfly
SAT, MAY 11, 2024 12:55 PM
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on May 23, 2023, 01:32:34 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on May 23, 2023, 08:29:49 AMI see them in Daphne, Alabama, and the theatre's never packed. Maybe 20-25 at the most. I think it was about 15 for Don Giovanni. There were only two of us at Rosenkavalier this season, but there were technical difficulties and we both got refunds even for concession items.

There's one more this season, on June 3rd, the new production of Die Zauberflöte conducted, like Don Giovanni, by Nathalie Stutzmann. My least favorite of the big seven Mozart operas, but with Stutzmann and in interesting-looking production I'll definitely be going.

This summer's encores are unusually interesting, though I already have all of the but Barbiere on DVD:

July 26
Philip Glass's Akhnaten

August 2
Verdi's Il Trovatore
Sondra Radvanovsky, Marcelo Álvarez,  Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Marco Armiliato conducts.

August 9
Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Isabel Leonard, Lawrence Brownlee, Christopher Maltman, Michele Mariotti conducts.

August 16
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
Renée Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Valery Gergiev conducts.

and next season:


JAKE HEGGIE / LIBRETTO BY TERRENCE MCNALLY
Dead Man Walking
SAT, OCT 21, 2023 12:55 PM

ANTHONY DAVIS / LIBRETTO BY THULANI DAVIS / STORY BY CHRISTOPHER DAVIS
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X
SAT, NOV 18, 2023 12:55 PM

DANIEL CATÁN
Florencia en el Amazonas
SAT, DEC 09, 2023 12:55 PM

GIUSEPPE VERDI
Nabucco
SAT, JAN 06, 2024 12:55 PM

GEORGES BIZET
Carmen
SAT, JAN 27, 2024 12:55 PM

GIUSEPPE VERDI
La Forza del Destino
SAT, MAR 09, 2024 12:55 PM

CHARLES GOUNOD
Roméo et Juliette
SAT, MAR 23, 2024 12:55 PM

GIACOMO PUCCINI
La Rondine
SAT, APR 20, 2024 12:55 PM

GIACOMO PUCCINI
Madama Butterfly
SAT, MAY 11, 2024 12:55 PM
Thanks for the schedule.  Rather bitter sweet to see Hvorostovsky's name in there.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on May 25, 2023, 05:49:13 AM
Revisiting Rossini's Bianca e Falliero, a melodramma (with happy end) to a libretto by Felice Romani, which was the last opera Rossini composed for La Scala in Milan (where it was premiered in 1819). Starry cast of Marilyn Horne, Katia Ricciarelli, Chris Merritt et al., conducted by Donato Renzetti, and recordad live at the 1986 Pesaro Festival.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZNP32JccL.jpg)

Some wonderful moments, but also some long quarters of an hour...  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on May 28, 2023, 08:32:21 AM
Quote from: ritter on May 25, 2023, 05:49:13 AMRevisiting Rossini's Bianca e Falliero, a melodramma (with happy end) to a libretto by Felice Romani, which was the last opera Rossini composed for La Scala in Milan (where it was premiered in 1819). Starry cast of Marilyn Horne, Katia Ricciarelli, Chris Merritt et al., conducted by Donato Renzetti, and recordad live at the 1986 Pesaro Festival.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZNP32JccL.jpg)

Some wonderful moments, but also some long quarters of an hour...  ;)

 ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 02, 2023, 04:46:21 AM
Crossposting from the WAYLTN thread:
Alban Berg
Lulu

Pierre Boulez & Orchestre de l'Opéra de Paris


(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/qgoAAOSwCU1YydBd/s-l640.jpg)

First listen to the complete opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 09, 2023, 11:08:50 PM
Verdi - La Traviata
(Callas, Myto recording)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/8014399501453/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 10, 2023, 12:10:30 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 09, 2023, 11:08:50 PMVerdi - La Traviata
(Callas, Myto recording)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/8014399501453/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

Though not in her best voice (she was reportedly suffering from a cold) this is, in my belief, Callas's greatest recorded Violetta, a performance so shattering that it takes us out of the theatre and presents us with a real life tragedy. Her colleagues are excellent here too. It's one of those rare performances where all the elements come together to create great art.

Callas's Covent Garden Traviata (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 11, 2023, 04:40:55 AM
Crossposting from the WAYLTN thread:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Fidelio, act 2^

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71gqq4ix7vL._SY450_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vers la flamme on June 11, 2023, 01:17:21 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on June 11, 2023, 04:40:55 AMCrossposting from the WAYLTN thread:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Fidelio, act 2^

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71gqq4ix7vL._SY450_.jpg)

The one major work of Beethoven I have yet to really get to know (well, this and the Diabelli Variations). What do you think of Karajan's recording of it?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2023, 01:34:31 PM
Quote from: vers la flamme on June 11, 2023, 01:17:21 PMThe one major work of Beethoven I have yet to really get to know (well, this and the Diabelli Variations). What do you think of Karajan's recording of it?

It's my favourite recording of the work. I actually prefer it to the famous Klemperer. I find the Karajan more bitingly dramatic.

Karajan's Fidelio (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/21/karajans-fidelio/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vers la flamme on June 11, 2023, 01:37:57 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2023, 01:34:31 PMIt's my favourite recording of the work. I actually prefer it to the famous Klemperer. I find the Karajan more bitingly dramatic.

Karajan's Fidelio (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/21/karajans-fidelio/)

I have the Klemperer but have spent very little time with it. Thanks for the link, very well written blog entry there.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 11, 2023, 02:05:34 PM
Quote from: vers la flamme on June 11, 2023, 01:17:21 PMThe one major work of Beethoven I have yet to really get to know (well, this and the Diabelli Variations). What do you think of Karajan's recording of it?
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2023, 01:34:31 PMIt's my favourite recording of the work. I actually prefer it to the famous Klemperer. I find the Karajan more bitingly dramatic.

Karajan's Fidelio (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/21/karajans-fidelio/)
I agree, it's an absolutely amazing performance, Karajan really knew his Beethoven; it is powerfully compelling, with such a great intensity and dramatic tension, but at the same time, with a deep poetical expressiveness; the finale, with the prisoners finally got free and again under the light of the sun, is so bright, touching and powerful that completely blows away, Karajan chose a perfect rhythm to depict all the joy of that scene.
Klemperer is the first Fidelio I've listened too, but that isn't as moving as Karajan.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2023, 11:18:12 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on June 11, 2023, 02:05:34 PMI agree, it's an absolutely amazing performance, Karajan really knew his Beethoven; it is powerfully compelling, with such a great intensity and dramatic tension, but at the same time, with a deep poetical expressiveness; the finale, with the prisoners finally got free and again under the light of the sun, is so bright, touching and powerful that completely blows away, Karajan chose a perfect rhythm to depict all the joy of that scene.
Klemperer is the first Fidelio I've listened too, but that isn't as moving as Karajan.

I also think it's the best thing Helga Dernesch ever did on disc, a radiant, gleaming Leonore. In fact, role for role, the cast is pretty unbeatable. The dialogue is sensibly abridged too and, thankfully, spoken by the singers. All in all it's a superb performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 12, 2023, 01:55:21 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 11, 2023, 11:18:12 PMI also think it's the best thing Helga Dernesch ever did on disc, a radiant, gleaming Leonore. In fact, role for role, the cast is pretty unbeatable. The dialogue is sensibly abridged too and, thankfully, spoken by the singers. All in all it's a superb performance.
I must admit I haven't listened to many performances of Fidelio, but Dernesch  interprets superbly her role; the rest of the cast is absolutely great too. Bernstein's recording also has a marvelous cast, but Karajan is unparalleled for me.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 15, 2023, 05:05:45 AM
I have three recordings of it (will have to try and get ahold a copy of the Karajan one):

A live recording from 1950 with Furtwängler (with Flagstad, Patzak, Greindl, Schwarzkopf, etc., with the Wiener Phil.)

Another with Hilde Konetzni, Seefried, Ralf, Schöffler, etc. with Böhm and the Wiener Staatsoper.

Last one is actually a highlights with Gwyneth Jones, James King, Theo Adam, etc. Dresden Staatskapelle and Böhm.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 15, 2023, 10:20:47 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 15, 2023, 05:05:45 AMI have three recordings of it (will have to try and get ahold a copy of the Karajan one):

A live recording from 1950 with Furtwängler (with Flagstad, Patzak, Greindl, Schwarzkopf, etc., with the Wiener Phil.)

Another with Hilde Konetzni, Seefried, Ralf, Schöffler, etc. with Böhm and the Wiener Staatsoper.

Last one is actually a highlights with Gwyneth Jones, James King, Theo Adam, etc. Dresden Staatskapelle and Böhm.

PD
Furtwängler's Fidelio is gorgeous, but a bit too slow in my opinion, with rather expanded tempi, especially in the finale.

There are two recordings by Karajan, the 1971 studio one with the BPO and a live performance from the Wiener Staatsoper 1962 with the VPO; the latter one is kept in very high esteem and considered one of the best versions of Fidelio; as a matter of fact it is an impressive performance (Vickers, Ludwig, Berry, Kreppel, Janowitz), quite brisk and moving, but also intense and dramatic, with the audio quality that isn't perfect, but clear enough to enjoy the recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 15, 2023, 12:15:25 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on June 15, 2023, 10:20:47 AMFurtwängler's Fidelio is gorgeous, but a bit too slow in my opinion, with rather expanded tempi, especially in the finale.

There are two recordings by Karajan, the 1971 studio one with the BPO and a live performance from the Salzburg Festival 1962 with the VPO; the latter one is kept in very high esteem and considered one of the best versions of Fidelio; as a matter of fact it is an impressive performance (Vickers, Ludwig, Berry, Kreppel, Janowitz), quite brisk and moving, but also intense and dramatic, with the audio quality that isn't perfect, but clear enough to enjoy the recording.
Thank you for telling me about the two recordings and your thoughts on them.  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 15, 2023, 12:29:15 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 15, 2023, 12:15:25 PMThank you for telling me about the two recordings and your thoughts on them.  :)

PD
You're welcome. :) Both of them are highly recommended, but maybe the 1971 recording is easier to find.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 15, 2023, 12:40:46 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on June 15, 2023, 12:29:15 PMYou're welcome. :) Both of them are highly recommended, but maybe the 1971 recording is easier to find.
I have a few of the Salzburger Festspiele recordings (mostly on Orfeo).  Is the one that you mentioned on their label?  The top one on my list is on their label.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 15, 2023, 01:03:54 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 15, 2023, 12:40:46 PMI have a few of the Salzburger Festspiele recordings (mostly on Orfeo).  Is the one that you mentioned on their label?  The top one on my list is on their label.

PD
I beg your pardon, I must correct myself, the recording I was referring to isn't from the Salzburg Festival, but from the Wiener Staatsoper, on DG label; my mistake. Karajan's Fidelio from Salzburg Festival is 1957 recording, on Orfeo.

I've found it on youtube and I'm listening to it a little; it sounds very good, I'm sure you won't be able to able to go wrong with that too, Karajan is unbeatable in Beethoven.  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 15, 2023, 06:26:19 PM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on June 15, 2023, 01:03:54 PMI beg your pardon, I must correct myself, the recording I was referring to isn't from the Salzburg Festival, but from the Wiener Staatsoper, on DG label; my mistake. Karajan's Fidelio from Salzburg Festival is 1957 recording, on Orfeo.

I've found it on youtube and I'm listening to it a little; it sounds very good, I'm sure you won't be able to able to go wrong with that too, Karajan is unbeatable in Beethoven.  ;D
Thank you.  I'll check it out.  :) What year was it (your favorite) recording from?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on June 16, 2023, 01:01:27 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 15, 2023, 06:26:19 PMThank you.  I'll check it out.  :) What year was it (your favorite) recording from?

PD
Personally speaking, my favourite is Karajan/BPO, the 1971 recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on June 16, 2023, 01:15:32 PM
Revisiting Isaac Albéniz's (over)ambitious Merlín, to a libretto by his patron Francis Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81+NBp8KE4L._SL1500_.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on June 18, 2023, 12:30:17 PM
As y'all may know, Netflix won't be renting DVDs anymore after September of this year. I won't miss it much, since I've had the same three titles at home since January. January 2022. So, I thought I'd finally get around to watching them, and get a few more rentals in before it's all over. I'd already watched the first act of this Siegfried from a complete 2008 Weimar Ring, but somehow never got back for the rest, waiting for a day when it was convenient to watch the whole thing. Catherine Foster's the only singer I'm familiar with, but they're all more than adequate. As you can tell from the cast list, the director's taken a few tons of liberties. I don't mind much. This seems to be the only part of this Ring that Netflix carries, or I'd check out the rest. It's fairly cheap, so I may even buy the whole thing, though I've already got three Rings on DVD or Blu-ray.


Conductor: Carl St. Clair
Stage Director: Michael Schultz
Set Design: Dirk Becker
Costume Design: Renée Listerdal
Dramaturgy: Wolfgang Willaschek
Staatskapelle Weimar
Directed for Television and video by Brooks Riley

Siegfried: Johnny van Hall
Mime: Frider Aurich
Wanderer: Thomas Möwes
Alberich: Mario Hoff
Fafner: Hidekazu Tsumaya
Waldvogel: Heike Porstein
Erda: Nadine Weissmann
Brünnhilde: Catherine Foster
Grane: Erika Krämer
Hagen (as a child): Johannes Martin
Voice of the Norns: Burghard Wolf
Donner: Lars Creuzburg
Froh: Steffen Bärtel

Supernumeraries:
Siegfried as a Child
Hagen, Loge, and Grane body doubles
Forest Bird
Bear

The beginning credits also list Rossweisse, the end ones don't. If she's in there I don't see her, unless she's one of the girls who look identical to Grane who are setting the table during the final duet. You can ask, I'm not sure I can explain.  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 20, 2023, 06:58:33 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on June 18, 2023, 12:30:17 PMAs y'all may know, Netflix won't be renting DVDs anymore after September of this year. I won't miss it much, since I've had the same three titles at home since January. January 2022. So, I thought I'd finally get around to watching them, and get a few more rentals in before it's all over. I'd already watched the first act of this Siegfried from a complete 2008 Weimar Ring, but somehow never got back for the rest, waiting for a day when it was convenient to watch the whole thing. Catherine Foster's the only singer I'm familiar with, but they're all more than adequate. As you can tell from the cast list, the director's taken a few tons of liberties. I don't mind much. This seems to be the only part of this Ring that Netflix carries, or I'd check out the rest. It's fairly cheap, so I may even buy the whole thing, though I've already got three Rings on DVD or Blu-ray.


Conductor: Carl St. Clair
Stage Director: Michael Schultz
Set Design: Dirk Becker
Costume Design: Renée Listerdal
Dramaturgy: Wolfgang Willaschek
Staatskapelle Weimar
Directed for Television and video by Brooks Riley

Siegfried: Johnny van Hall
Mime: Frider Aurich
Wanderer: Thomas Möwes
Alberich: Mario Hoff
Fafner: Hidekazu Tsumaya
Waldvogel: Heike Porstein
Erda: Nadine Weissmann
Brünnhilde: Catherine Foster
Grane: Erika Krämer
Hagen (as a child): Johannes Martin
Voice of the Norns: Burghard Wolf
Donner: Lars Creuzburg
Froh: Steffen Bärtel

Supernumeraries:
Siegfried as a Child
Hagen, Loge, and Grane body doubles
Forest Bird
Bear

The beginning credits also list Rossweisse, the end ones don't. If she's in there I don't see her, unless she's one of the girls who look identical to Grane who are setting the table during the final duet. You can ask, I'm not sure I can explain.  ;D
Aren't the late fees going to be killer by now though?  Or do they not have any?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on June 22, 2023, 02:15:51 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 20, 2023, 06:58:33 AMAren't the late fees going to be killer by now though?  Or do they not have any?

PD

No late fees, but they charge a flat monthly fee, so I have been paying for them every month. I just think of it as my little contribution to the economy.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 22, 2023, 07:37:24 AM
Lehar - Die Lustige Witwe

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/00028943991124/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on June 23, 2023, 12:07:35 AM
I hadn't revisited this recording in years;

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512lYilHbJL._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)

A genuinely extraordinary work in a fine performance.  Extraordinary because I have to shake my head every time I think about this assured score being written by a seventeen year old.  The confidence of the writing musically and drammatically is all but unbelievable.  For sure the actual plot is a bit of a "shabby-shocker" but all the more fun for that.  This 1980 recording stands up very well with both Eva Marton and Siegfried Jerusalem fully engaged in their roles.  I've never felt the need to seek out any more recent recordings.  I really shouldn't have left this on the shelf for so long - welcome back Violanta!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 25, 2023, 09:11:20 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 09, 2023, 11:08:50 PMVerdi - La Traviata
(Callas, Myto recording)

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/8014399501453/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)

Act III...eventually  :-[

I am still overall too distracted by the historical sound but every now and then the singing just grabs you and makes you forget about it   8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 26, 2023, 01:18:45 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 25, 2023, 09:11:20 AMAct III...eventually  :-[

I am still overall too distracted by the historical sound but every now and then the singing just grabs you and makes you forget about it   8)

I've always thought this one of the better live Callas recordings, so the sound has never really bothered me. In any case, it's the greatest performance of the opera I've ever heard. Callas wasn't in her best voice, and was reportedly suffering from a cold, but she is so inside the role, going beyond the notes to create a character of real flesh and blood. She was forever refining her interpretation of Violetta, and in some ways this is the least "operatic" performance of the role she gave. Valetti and Zanasi are likewise excellent and it feels as if they are all working together to create a real theatrical experience. For such a performance I'll put up with less than perfect sound.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: brewski on June 26, 2023, 06:14:44 AM
Gabriela Lena Frank: El último sueño de Frida y Diego (2022). On Saturday watched the livestream from the San Francisco Opera, of this production that had its world premiere in 2022 by the San Diego Opera (review here (https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/theater/story/2022-10-31/san-diego-operas-visually-stunning-frida-y-diego-opera-is-insightful-and-musically-rich)), and will appear in Los Angeles next season.

The subject is a last meeting between the artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. In addition to Frank's beautiful score, there are many other things to admire, starting with the terse libretto by Nilo Cruz. Some great singing, of lines that flatter good singers, and an eye-popping production that draws on imagery from the Day of the Dead and Mexican folk art.

(https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/06d484d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5196x3464+0+0/resize/1200x800!/format/webp/quality/80/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2F37%2Fa9a311f74960ab003fc126cd9ae5%2Fkarlicadel-sdo22-fridadiego-4183.jpg)

-Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on June 27, 2023, 04:49:05 AM
(cross-posted from the WAYLTN thread)

Quote from: Florestan on June 26, 2023, 05:44:40 AM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61JMW5oCp4L._UXNaN_FMjpg_QL85_.jpg)

The first musical setting of Goldoni's famous libretto.

This is more like a Venetian Singspiel than an opera proper, the spoken dialogues are long and very important. Goldoni's libretto is witty and humorous, Galuppi's music is sparkling and lighthearted. The 1750 premiere in Teatro San Moisè (later to be made famous by Rossini) must have been a very enjoyable event, and so would be a modern revival, for which the Schwetzingen Festival would be particularly suited.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 27, 2023, 04:59:24 AM
Quote from: brewski on June 26, 2023, 06:14:44 AMGabriela Lena Frank: El último sueño de Frida y Diego (2022). On Saturday watched the livestream from the San Francisco Opera, of this production that had its world premiere in 2022 by the San Diego Opera (review here (https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/theater/story/2022-10-31/san-diego-operas-visually-stunning-frida-y-diego-opera-is-insightful-and-musically-rich)), and will appear in Los Angeles next season.

The subject is a last meeting between the artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. In addition to Frank's beautiful score, there are many other things to admire, starting with the terse libretto by Nilo Cruz. Some great singing, of lines that flatter good singers, and an eye-popping production that draws on imagery from the Day of the Dead and Mexican folk art.

(https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/06d484d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5196x3464+0+0/resize/1200x800!/format/webp/quality/80/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2F37%2Fa9a311f74960ab003fc126cd9ae5%2Fkarlicadel-sdo22-fridadiego-4183.jpg)

-Bruce
It sounds like it might be quite an interesting opera to attend!  I read a bit yesterday (after seeing your posting) about their tempestuous relationship. 

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 12:54:19 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 26, 2023, 01:18:45 AMI've always thought this one of the better live Callas recordings, so the sound has never really bothered me. In any case, it's the greatest performance of the opera I've ever heard. Callas wasn't in her best voice, and was reportedly suffering from a cold, but she is so inside the role, going beyond the notes to create a character of real flesh and blood. She was forever refining her interpretation of Violetta, and in some ways this is the least "operatic" performance of the role she gave. Valetti and Zanasi are likewise excellent and it feels as if they are all working together to create a real theatrical experience. For such a performance I'll put up with less than perfect sound.



It was only my third spell of time with this album, I am sure I'll forget about the sound as I get more used to it, including other operas in the pipeline.

As for the bolded text, that really struck me in her "Butterfly". I'll probably notice this further as I go through her records.
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 01:04:44 AM
TD:

Donizetti - L'Elisir D'Amore (Pritchard)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4MDgxNC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MzU3NjIzMDJ9)

Very entertaining. Loving it. Made it worthwhile to be awaken way too early on a holiday morning.

What are the other opera buffa / comique or farces that are worth a listen please, major or hidden gems (Beside Elisir, Nozze, Barbiere, Serva Padrona which I already have)? I saw la Fille du Regiment mentioned but not much more than those five on the wiki or ENO and the likes' pages.

Every now and then, I could do without a Mimi or Violetta having a last breath, Butterfly having an encounter with a sword or Tosca jumping over the parapet...if you know what I mean...   :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on June 28, 2023, 01:22:29 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 01:04:44 AMTD:
What are the other opera buffa / comique or farces that are worth a listen please, major or hidden gems (Beside Elisir, Nozze, Barbiere, Serva Padrona which I already have)? I saw la Fille du Regiment mentioned but not much more than those five on the wiki or ENO and the likes' pages.

Donizetti's Don Pasquale, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Rossini's La Cenerentola, L'Italiana in Algeri, and Il Turco in Italia (and quite a few more). Verdi's Falstaff. Wolf-Ferrari's Il Segreto di Susanna. Britten's Albert Herring and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 01:40:33 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on June 28, 2023, 01:22:29 AMDonizetti's Don Pasquale, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Rossini's La Cenerentola, L'Italiana in Algeri, and Il Turco in Italia (and quite a few more). Verdi's Falstaff. Wolf-Ferrari's Il Segreto di Susanna. Britten's Albert Herring and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Thank you for those @Wendell_E , I actually already have Falstaff on the shelves and Turco in Italia in the streaming list. I'll check the others  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on June 28, 2023, 01:50:26 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 01:04:44 AMWhat are the other opera buffa / comique or farces that are worth a listen please, major or hidden gems (Beside Elisir, Nozze, Barbiere, Serva Padrona which I already have)? I saw la Fille du Regiment mentioned but not much more than those five on the wiki or ENO and the likes' pages.

Otomh: Il matrimonio segreto, Il mondo della luna, L'occasione fa il ladro, La cambiale di matrimonio, La scala di seta, Il signor Bruschino, L'Italiana in Algieri, Il turco in Italia, Fra Diavolo, Le domino noir, La grande duchesse de Gerolstein, Les bavards, Tromb-al-Cazar, Ba-ta-clan, Orphèe aux enfers, La belle Hélène, Der Fliedermaus, Eine Nacht in Venedig, Die lustige Nibelungen, I cuatro rusteghi, Il segreto di Susanna...

Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 01:04:44 AMEvery now and then, I could do without a Mimi or Violetta having a last breath, Butterfly having an encounter with a sword or Tosca jumping over the parapet...if you know what I mean...  :laugh:

For me it's the other way around: every now and then, I can tolerate a Mimi or Violetta having a last breath, Butterfly having an encounter with a sword or Tosca jumping over the parapet...  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on June 28, 2023, 01:52:52 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on June 28, 2023, 01:22:29 AMDonizetti's Don Pasquale, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Rossini's La Cenerentola,

Drat! How could I forgot these gems?  ???
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 02:37:47 AM
Quote from: Florestan on June 28, 2023, 01:50:26 AMOtomh: Il matrimonio segreto, Il mondo della luna, L'occasione fa il ladro, La cambiale di matrimonio, La scala di seta, Il signor Bruschino, L'Italiana in Algieri, Il turco in Italia, Fra Diavolo, Le domino noir, La grande duchesse de Gerolstein, Les bavards, Tromb-al-Cazar, Ba-ta-clan, Orphèe aux enfers, La belle Hélène, Der Fliedermaus, Eine Nacht in Venedig, Die lustige Nibelungen, I cuatro rusteghi, Il segreto di Susanna...

Thank you Andrei, I thought you might have some happy stuff up your sleeve  :P  I only have the two in bold saved on Idagio. The rest will be new to me.

Quote from: Florestan on June 28, 2023, 01:50:26 AMFor me it's the other way around: every now and then, I can tolerate a Mimi or Violetta having a last breath, Butterfly having an encounter with a sword or Tosca jumping over the parapet...  :D

Each their way  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 02:45:12 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on June 28, 2023, 01:22:29 AMBritten's Albert Herring and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I struggle with pretty much everything Britten but I haven't tried his operas. I'll have to try those two.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 28, 2023, 03:41:20 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 01:04:44 AMTD:

Donizetti - L'Elisir D'Amore (Pritchard)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4MDgxNC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MzU3NjIzMDJ9)

Very entertaining. Loving it. Made it worthwhile to be awaken way too early on a holiday morning.

What are the other opera buffa / comique or farces that are worth a listen please, major or hidden gems (Beside Elisir, Nozze, Barbiere, Serva Padrona which I already have)? I saw la Fille du Regiment mentioned but not much more than those five on the wiki or ENO and the likes' pages.

Every now and then, I could do without a Mimi or Violetta having a last breath, Butterfly having an encounter with a sword or Tosca jumping over the parapet...if you know what I mean...  :laugh:

Rossini's Le comte Ory is a delight, especially in the old recording conducted by Gui. So is his Il Turco in Italia. The Callas recording is cut, so inauthentic in some ways I suppose. But I think there's a greater authenticity in the sheer joy of the performance that you won't hear in the more modern uncut versions.

(https://i.discogs.com/VP80h34iiI3Uhz7NOB6ViFZmJRdvkzSQ-Npgqeez23Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:511/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMzcy/OTQ4LTE1MTUxNTcw/NzgtODIyNy5qcGVn.jpeg) (https://i.discogs.com/Ceew956Jow5MA_hHX8XfP3Mtya-MMF3Y-ZUWInxp2Jg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:596/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODE0/MTE3LTE1NDI0NzAz/ODktNTkwMC5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 04:23:40 AM
Thank you Tsara. Added to the list.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on June 28, 2023, 05:22:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 28, 2023, 03:41:20 AM(https://i.discogs.com/VP80h34iiI3Uhz7NOB6ViFZmJRdvkzSQ-Npgqeez23Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:511/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMzcy/OTQ4LTE1MTUxNTcw/NzgtODIyNy5qcGVn.jpeg)

I don't have this particular recording but I second the recommendation. And while you're at it, give a try to Il viaggio a Reims, too.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 05:27:04 AM
Quote from: Florestan on June 28, 2023, 05:22:42 AMI don't have this particular recording but I second the recommendation. And while you're at it, give a try to Il viaggio a Reims, too.


 ok noted, thank you Andrei.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 06:33:35 AM
A blind listen to Verdi's Don Carlo (Giulini, Domingo, Caballé, Raimondi).

Don't know yet if someone dies. I am on a deckchair and not worrying about a libretto. :P  :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 28, 2023, 07:35:05 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODY2MDQ2Ni4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NjQ4MTkyODd9)

Disc 4 from the Schwarzkopf Complete Recitals bos gives us these excerpts from Arabella, which were recorded in 1954. It always seems a pity to me that Legge didn't record the whole opera. That said, the opera has its longeurs, for me anyway, and perhaps this is all that I really need. Schwarzkopf is perfectly cast as Arabella and is well contrasted with Annie Felbermeyer, who plays Zdenka here. Josef Metternich is a superb Mandryka, none better on disc, and the cast is fleshed out with such names as Nicolai Gedda as Matteo, Walter Berry as Lamoral and Murray Dickie as Elemer. Lovro von Matacic is much more in tune with Strauss's medium than Solti on the roughly contemporaneous set with Lisa Della Casa, and, who knows, if this had been recorded complete, it may well have become the touchstone recording for all time.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on June 28, 2023, 07:36:43 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 06:33:35 AMA blind listen to Verdi's Don Carlo (Giulini, Domingo, Caballé, Raimondi).

Don't know yet if someone dies. I am on a deckchair and not worrying about a libretto. :P  :laugh:

One of Verdi's darkest operas and one which many Verdi lovers would call their favourite. It has some glorious music, and, yes, somebody dies.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on June 28, 2023, 07:59:21 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2023, 06:33:35 AMA blind listen to Verdi's Don Carlo (Giulini, Domingo, Caballé, Raimondi).

Don't know yet if someone dies. I am on a deckchair and not worrying about a libretto. :P  :laugh:
Looking forward to reading how you (hopefully) enjoyed it.  It's one of my favorites...and yes, do pick up the libretto sometime whilst listening to it, or at least read the synopsis.  :)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on June 29, 2023, 12:07:31 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 28, 2023, 07:36:43 AMOne of Verdi's darkest operas and one which many Verdi lovers would call their favourite. It has some glorious music, and, yes, somebody dies.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FQ8JZbcXoAAmAeU.jpg)

 :P  :P


Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 28, 2023, 07:59:21 AMLooking forward to reading how you (hopefully) enjoyed it.  It's one of my favorites...and yes, do pick up the libretto sometime whilst listening to it, or at least read the synopsis.  :)

PD


Joking above aside, the music and singing are indeed superb and gripping. I have read the synopsis this morning and I am halfway through Act IV at the moment. I'll have to listen to the French version as well at some point.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on June 29, 2023, 02:13:21 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 28, 2023, 03:41:20 AMRossini's Le comte Ory is a delight,

That's one I should have mentioned. Also, Smetana's The Bartered Bride.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on July 02, 2023, 05:37:43 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nV3I2qZ1L._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)

Acts II & III
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mapman on July 02, 2023, 06:43:05 PM
Bernstein: Candide
Scottish Opera

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on July 04, 2023, 05:05:11 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nV3I2qZ1L._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)

Acts IV & V
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 08, 2023, 12:33:25 AM
Mozart - Cosi Fan Tutte Act I (Böhm)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4MjIzOS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2MzcxNDF9)

I have read the synopsis beforehand. Nobody dies...

they just pretend to...  :laugh:  :laugh:
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: vandermolen on July 08, 2023, 10:47:24 PM
I listened to most of Joby Talbot's new opera 'Everest' (based on the 1996 disaster) on the radio last night. The music was quite effective in conveying the terrifying grandeur of the mountain but the libretto was banal and the whole thing rather mawkish. It seemed to show the influence of Vaughan Williams's 'Sinfonia Antartica' with wind machines and percussion. However, unlike VW's also one-act opera 'Riders to the Sea' 'Everest' failed (IMO) to convey anything of the human tragedy behind the events. Furthermore, many of those who died on Everest in 1996 will have living relatives and I found the whole thing rather distasteful. I won't be buying the CD although I wouldn't mind hearing it again one day.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/25/everest-review-barbican-opera-joby-talbot-bbcso
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 13, 2023, 02:39:52 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on July 08, 2023, 12:33:25 AMMozart - Cosi Fan Tutte Act I (Böhm)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4MjIzOS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Njc2MzcxNDF9)


ACT II today.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 13, 2023, 06:34:03 AM
A tale of two halves with the above opera.

In Act I, I found some of the recitatives/"talking" bits (?) too frequent, monotonous and eventually distracting.

In Act II, the "singing" felt more prevalent and made this Act more enjoyable to me. There's been 2 or 3 instances where I found myself bowled over by some of the male singing. I will have to look back through the tracks with the leaflet in hand to find out which particular singer(s) impressed me that much (I don't think I have anything with Kraus or Berry in my collection. Taddei appears on my shelves with "Nozze" and "Don Giovanni".)   

Overall, an opera I am likely to revisit.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on July 15, 2023, 12:32:36 AM
In the mood for a little bit of Callas:

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646291946/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on July 16, 2023, 03:29:33 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511-zQwhkVL._SX425_SY425_QL70_FMwebp_.jpg)

The eight-buck Tristan.

First, the plus.  The winds of the Janacek Philharmonic harken back to the Czech Philharmonic of decades past.

Now the non-plusses.  Recorded balances sometimes sound wonky.  None of the singers appeal.  Juyeon Song is not a good Isolde.  Roy Cornelius Smith is a mediocre Tristan.  If you think that the singers portraying Tristan and Isolde must be good to make for a good recording of Tristan und Isolde, then this may not be the recording for you.

This marks the first time in my listening experience where I broke listening to the opera into multiple weekends (three in the course of four weeks) to allow me to take it all in.  Take from that what you will.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on July 29, 2023, 05:01:03 AM
Haven't listened to Chausson's Le Roi Arthus in ages.

(https://i.discogs.com/W0On46S5y8Z-p4v3YWcoOOMdDJkN8TVI3foCnzK91W4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIyODE5/NTU5LTE2NDk1MTA3/NDktNjA2MS5qcGVn.jpeg)

I've never really warmed to Gallic pseudo-Wagnerism, but let's see what impression it makes this time aroun...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on August 01, 2023, 06:08:26 PM
HINT: I want to buy that hat of peacock feathers

If you don't know what I'm listening to from the hint, you've probably never heard the opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 02, 2023, 11:38:26 AM
Quote from: KevinP on August 01, 2023, 06:08:26 PMHINT: I want to buy that hat of peacock feathers

If you don't know what I'm listening to from the hint, you've probably never heard the opera.
And it was all over 10 minutes after you started listening to it?  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on August 02, 2023, 12:46:21 PM
Yep.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 03, 2023, 04:06:42 AM
Okay, so may we the unwashed masses know what you are talking about, your highnesses?  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on August 03, 2023, 04:55:23 AM
Barber's A Hand of Bridge, a ten-minute opera.

The 'I want to buy that hat of peacock feathers' line gets often stuck in my head.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 03, 2023, 11:41:40 AM
Quote from: KevinP on August 03, 2023, 04:55:23 AMBarber's A Hand of Bridge, a ten-minute opera.

The 'I want to buy that hat of peacock feathers' line gets often stuck in my head.

Thanks. Never heard (about) it indeed.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on August 03, 2023, 03:12:19 PM
Allegedly the shortest opera performed regularly, which liner note writers seem incapable of not mentioning.

Nonetheless, I agree it's not well-known. Although miniature opera have grown in popularity, this one remains overlooked and relatively unknown.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 03, 2023, 05:55:44 PM
There seem to be several versions of it on Youtube.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on August 03, 2023, 06:05:47 PM
There are. It's often done with the piano score rather than the orchestra version, which is understandable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on August 03, 2023, 06:27:13 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on June 28, 2023, 03:41:20 AMRossini's Le comte Ory is a delight, especially in the old recording conducted by Gui. So is his Il Turco in Italia. The Callas recording is cut, so inauthentic in some ways I suppose. But I think there's a greater authenticity in the sheer joy of the performance that you won't hear in the more modern uncut versions.

(https://i.discogs.com/VP80h34iiI3Uhz7NOB6ViFZmJRdvkzSQ-Npgqeez23Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:511/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMzcy/OTQ4LTE1MTUxNTcw/NzgtODIyNy5qcGVn.jpeg) (https://i.discogs.com/Ceew956Jow5MA_hHX8XfP3Mtya-MMF3Y-ZUWInxp2Jg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:596/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODE0/MTE3LTE1NDI0NzAz/ODktNTkwMC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Le comte Ory is a fantastic opera, one of my favorites. I have the Gui recording. Once saw a live performance, which was riotously funny and one of my all-time operagoing highlights. I prefer Ory to Il viaggio a Reims, on which it was based, but I can follow French to an extent, know almost no Italian, and never saw Il viaggio live.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2023, 10:41:23 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/kJb-2iBupnEw7nPuHs-gZqsv9ylJJO4rFlHizy0pnuk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMTAw/MDU3LTE1MDk4NDUx/NTAtOTA3OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Maybe because Handel wrote so many works to an English text, I don't really mind that this is performed in English. This is a studio recording, based on one of ENO's most successful productions, which travelled to Houston and San Francisco.

Though played on modern instuments, Mackerras conducts with a sure sens of seventeenth century Handlelian style, his tempi always well chosen. He also has at his disposal a superb cast. Baker' Caesar is a warrior, herioc and forthright, but also a tender lover and wonderful in the scene where he is firt captivated by Lydia/Cleopatra. Valerie Masterson, who looked absolutely ravishing in the production, is also ravishing of voice, flirtatious and capricious but deeply moving in Se pieta and Piangero. There are also wonderful contributions from Sarah Walker as Cordelia, Della Jones as Sextus, James Bowman as Ptolemy and John Tomlinson as Achillas.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on August 11, 2023, 02:02:01 PM
Richard Wagner: Siegfried (Act 3).

From the cheapo Ring recorded under haphazard conditions in Nuremberg in 1968 by Fratelli Fabbri. Hans Swarowsky (mainly remembered today as the teacher of conductors than as a conductor himself) conducts the "Großes Sinfonieorchester", which essentially was the Czech Philharmonic, with some positions filled by members of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra —the recording was underway when the Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia, and some of the Czech musicians returned home before the project was completed—. The singers have more or less lapsed into oblivion: Wotan is Rolf Polke, Erda is Ursula Boese, Siegfried is Gerald McKee, and Brünnhilde is Naděžda Kniplová (who had sung the rôle under Karajan in Salzburg in 1967).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71FjSqiRZxL._SL1200_.jpg)

This is not one of the great recordings of the Ring, by any means, but it does have a quaint charm.

Often regarded as the ugly duckling of the four Ring operas, the more I listen to Siegfried, the more I think the work is musically and dramatically superb (an impression that was confirmed the last time I saw it staged, in the chaotic but ultimately quite wonderful Frank Castorf production in Bayreuth, conducted by Kirill Petrenko).

And then it has that glorious line "Das ist kein Mann!"  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on August 12, 2023, 01:36:05 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 11, 2023, 10:41:23 AM(https://i.discogs.com/kJb-2iBupnEw7nPuHs-gZqsv9ylJJO4rFlHizy0pnuk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMTAw/MDU3LTE1MDk4NDUx/NTAtOTA3OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Maybe because Handel wrote so many works to an English text, I don't really mind that this is performed in English. This is a studio recording, based on one of ENO's most successful productions, which travelled to Houston and San Francisco.

Also the Met, where it was performed 23 times between 1988 and 2007.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 12, 2023, 02:04:44 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on August 12, 2023, 01:36:05 AMAlso the Met, where it was performed 23 times between 1988 and 2007.

I didn't realise that was the same John Copley production.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on August 12, 2023, 09:27:29 AM
French Arias by Callas.

(https://idagio-images.global.ssl.fastly.net/albums/825646286362/main.jpg?auto=format&dpr=1&crop=faces&fit=crop&w=720&h=720)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on August 13, 2023, 01:09:52 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 12, 2023, 02:04:44 AMI didn't realise that was the same John Copley production.

The Met's online database listing for the premiere (September 27, 1988) quotes a review by Martin Mayer from Opera Magazine (UK):

QuoteNext came "Giulio Cesare" in its Metropolitan debut. This was the ENO staging, with efficient gilded panels dropped or slid on a relatively empty stage by the John Pascoe who designed and directed Platée. It is also, unfortunately, a rather empty production, staged in a matter-of-fact manner by John Copley and wasting in a sort of random fussiness several of the magical moments of the piece (most notably the Mount Parnassus scene). But it did come to life on the half-dozen occasions when Tatiana Troyanos took centre stage as Caesar and created the bravest of brave heroes (and of course the wiliest of hunters). Troyanos still has [first]-night jitters, but the voice did not coarsen on October 3, when her every moment on stage was a musical and dramatic joy.

Kathleen Battle's Cleopatra was more problematic, partly because the voice is inescapably small for the house ('a wonderful Cleopatra', a colleague said, 'for Drottningholm'), partly because she projects a well-schooled musicality and pert manners-and so little more. There are also, one regrets to report, a few incipient vocal problems, which Peter Davis described as 'cooing', a sound produced with lower jaw pulled back, lower lip over teeth, and throat stretched. Still, she remains for the public "prima inter pares" in our astonishing collection of young light lyrics, and the soaring purity of the voice outside the coo range gives great pleasure.

Sarah Walker was a dull Cornelia, but it's a dull role. Martine Dupuy was a sensational Sextus, energizing the stage for both her arias. The evening was remarked for its advertised introduction of the counter-tenor voice to the Met stage. Jeffrey Gall acquitted himself admirably as Ptolemy, with a whiny but not unmusical sound and mastery of the style. Derek Ragin was a little more strained as Nirenus. Trevor Pinnock in the pit escaped rum-tum-tum monotony, which can plague this very beautiful piece, and the orchestra mostly played very well for him, sometimes spectacularly (especially in the obbligatos, the hunting horns of `Va, tacito' and the joyous valveless trumpets of the final scene).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 13, 2023, 02:18:44 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on August 13, 2023, 01:09:52 AMThe Met's online database listing for the premiere (September 27, 1988) quotes a review by Martin Mayer from Opera Magazine (UK):


Maybe it didn't look good on the Met stage. The reviews for the original production at the Coliseum in London were wonderful, both for the stageing and the singing. It was very well received in San Francisco and Houston, I believe, where Valerie Masterson was still the Cleopatra.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 13, 2023, 05:18:53 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61VumpKtOmL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81xor64taZL._UF350,350_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Apparently a semi staged concert presentation recorded live.
I've never heard this opera before, so I can only say the sonics seem excellent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 13, 2023, 11:40:51 PM
Quote from: JBS on August 13, 2023, 05:18:53 PM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61VumpKtOmL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81xor64taZL._UF350,350_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Apparently a semi staged concert presentation recorded live.
I've never heard this opera before, so I can only say the sonics seem excellent.

I don't know this recording, but the opera is an absolute joy. I've always thought it one of the major successes of Mackerras's Janáček cycle on Decca.

(https://i.discogs.com/bD94EfTX4LKqHGCm7ez8owPvmyl6NrxmPFhg5AEx3E4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2NjE2/NTUtMTIzNjI3NzMx/MS5qcGVn.jpeg)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 14, 2023, 12:56:39 PM
Another opera I've never heard before
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81EWTg+a3VL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+Dvwcd5cL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 15, 2023, 12:23:38 AM
Quote from: JBS on August 14, 2023, 12:56:39 PMAnother opera I've never heard before
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81EWTg+a3VL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+Dvwcd5cL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

The first Britten I ever saw and I've seen it quite a few times since. Though recorded in mono, Britten's own recording is a classic that should be heard. One notes how clear the singers' diction was back then and teh young David Hemmings, who played Miles in the first production, has never been bettered.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 16, 2023, 11:54:09 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/RTLxFrqJHRoyJCiTHn92bE4Y9OtoyJiYU97xHrPlqCU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUxMDM3/ODktMTUyNjA1OTE0/Ny0xMTQ1LmdpZg.jpeg)

In memoriam Renata Scotto.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 17, 2023, 11:03:59 AM
This
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619s+RUSHJL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Which is really this
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517cy4x28TL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Both Souliotis and the brass seem too shrill (or off in some similar way) in the upper registers.

ETA: Just realized that Urania mispelled Souliotis's name not just on the cover but also in the tracklisting/credits.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 17, 2023, 11:52:29 AM
Quote from: JBS on August 17, 2023, 11:03:59 AMThis
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619s+RUSHJL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Which is really this
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517cy4x28TL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Both Souliotis and the brass seem too shrill (or off in some similar way) in the upper registers.

ETA: Just realized that Urania mispelled Souliotis's name not just on the cover but also in the tracklisting/credits.

Actually the did at first spell her name Suliotis, but later added o to make it Souliotis, apparently because people kept imspronouncing it.

This was her last recording for Decca it's sad to hear the deterioration in her voice since her first recording for Decca (Nabucco) only five years earlier.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 17, 2023, 12:12:13 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 17, 2023, 11:52:29 AMActually the did at first spell her name Suliotis, but later added o to make it Souliotis, apparently because people kept imspronouncing it.

This was her last recording for Decca it's sad to hear the deterioration in her voice since her first recording for Decca (Nabucco) only five years earlier.


Given the shrillness in the brass, the problem might be with the engineering, not the singer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 17, 2023, 12:19:28 PM
Quote from: JBS on August 17, 2023, 12:12:13 PMGiven the shrillness in the brass, the problem might be with the engineering, not the singer.

I'm pretty sure it's the singer. Suliotis's voice deteriorated quite quickly.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on August 17, 2023, 01:03:32 PM
John Cage : Europera IV
Mode Records

(https://i.postimg.cc/vHVcdgKw/Screen-Shot-2023-08-17-at-4-01-12-PM.png)

Europeras III and IV were commissioned by the Almeida Festival in London and premiered in 1990, subsequently touring. Both prominently feature gramophones, the former in combination with two pianists (replacing the orchestra). The latter is a chamber piece for singer, gramophone and table lamp.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on August 17, 2023, 10:51:38 PM
A Rossini-thon in progress! So far (mainly streaming the Naxos issues and, whenever available, more versions of): La cambiale di matrimonio, L'equivoco stravagante, L'inganno felice, Ciro in Babilonia, La scala di seta, Demetrio e Polibio; listening at the moment to the delightful La pietra del paragone
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 18, 2023, 08:54:08 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on August 17, 2023, 10:51:38 PMCiro in Babilonia

That famous aria on a single note! How did you like it?  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on August 18, 2023, 09:27:19 PM
Quote from: Florestan on August 18, 2023, 08:54:08 AMThat famous aria on a single note! How did you like it?  :D


Ah, La caduta di Baldassare. That one was a first listen. I thought it was a fine early work, the farse that Rossini composed before and after being, according to present mood, a lot more enjoyable. I'll re-listen when I reach his other Lenten opera, Mosè in Egitto.

The Rossini-thon continues: after the delights of La pietra del paragone and the effervescent L'occasione fa il ladro, it's now the turn of Il signor Bruschino (3 versions of it).  8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 18, 2023, 11:30:09 PM
Quote from: Wanderer on August 18, 2023, 09:27:19 PMAh, La caduta di Baldassare. That one was a first listen. I thought it was a fine early work, the farse that Rossini composed before and after being, according to present mood, a lot more enjoyable. I'll re-listen when I reach his other Lenten opera, Mosè in Egitto.

The Rossini-thon continues: after the delights of La pietra del paragone and the effervescent L'occasione fa il ladro, it's now the turn of Il signor Bruschino (3 versions of it).  8)

Splendid!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 21, 2023, 02:57:42 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JQIVCQyzL.jpg)

Today is the 90th birthday of the great Dame Janet Baker and I am listening to this 1973 performance of her singing one of her greatest roles, and one that she chose as her farewell to opera in 1982 (a performance that was also recorded and originally issued by EMI). The sound is not so good in this version but Baker is in marginally fresher voice. Here is my review on my blog Janet Baker as Maria Stuarda (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/11/20/janet-baker-as-maria-stuarda/)
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 21, 2023, 11:40:04 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41N2151628L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
The above is the cover image used in the Norrington Complete Erato Recordings set.
Alternate cover that lists the main cast
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51rl8LpySXL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2023, 01:13:44 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/dvn018_l.jpg)

I first came across this set in 1976. I was in Italy working as a dancer in an Italian Operetta company and had walked into a record shop (I can't remember the city) and was absolutely stunned to see several opera sets featruing Callas that I didn't even know existed. My budget wouldn'st stretch to more than one and in any case I didn't have much room in my suitcase, so I plumped for this set of Anna Bolena, though I didn't get to hear it until I returned home to England a couple of months later. I've never regretted the purchase of the LPs (they were on the MRF label) and still think this is one of the most valuable of all Callas's live opera sets, catching her at the height of her powers as a tragedienne in a role that was perfect for her in 1957.

If you believe in the validity of opera as drama and think that bel canto opera is much more than high notes and vocal showing off, then this is the set for you. No other recording of the opera, live or studio, comes within a mile of this. It really takes you on a thrilling dramatic journey. This Divina transfer is excellent as well, so much better than the awful Warner transfer, which used the EMI source (also not good).

I've written a detailed review on my blog Callas in Anna Bolena- La Scala, Milan April 14 1957 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on August 22, 2023, 02:52:13 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2023, 01:13:44 AMin 1976. I was in Italy working as a dancer in an Italian Operetta company

You must have had a fantastic time, I reckon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 22, 2023, 07:18:59 AM
Quote from: Florestan on August 22, 2023, 02:52:13 AMYou must have had a fantastic time, I reckon.


Yes. Pretty good. I was 24 and it was my first professional job. We were stationed in Montecatine Terme to begin with, then toured round Tuscany, Sardinia and eventually Sicily. We played lots of diffefrent theatres, cinemas,  beautiful opera houses, sometimes a makeshift stage erected in the local square and once a Roman amphitheatre. Italy has so many beautiful opera houses. I remember one that was exquisitely beautiful, but also tiny, so small that you couldn't get the whole dance troupe and chorus on stage at the same time so we had to do pared down versions of the operettas. I certainly learned a lot.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on August 22, 2023, 06:12:18 PM
Listened to this the other day.
(https://i.discogs.com/ppJKTAQGgKysUG_47qLPrST2VZafulx9Q5W0tLnXZSQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgwODQ2/MjktMTYwODU1ODcz/Mi0zNzkxLmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 23, 2023, 09:19:43 AM
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/69/1d/2b/691d2b087b2976a6dc1fbf8ec8805c56.jpg)

Listening to the Ars Vocalis transfer of this famous performance. I've always thought the sound perfectly listenable, but this Ars Vocalis transfer is much better than any of the others I've heard. It also include the announcements by the Radio 3 announcer .

I doubt I will ever hear a performance to match this one. Callas's 1958 voice, aside from a rather strident top Eb in the first act, can still cope with the demands of the role and her interpretation has further deepened to give us the most moving, most heart-rending Violetta ever recorded.

My review of the performance is on my blog Callas's Covent Garden Traviata (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/07/17/callass-covent-garden-traviata/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 25, 2023, 05:16:02 PM
Tonight
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51sQdOL6uEL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

From 1963.
The booklet says some lines from the libretto were censored out, but doesn't give details.

The sound is excellent even by 2023 standards.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on August 28, 2023, 11:36:44 AM
This afternoon...from the Erato Norrington Complete Recordings set.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61jsaNIcgDL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/812z0KbBbML._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
One of three operas in this set.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 28, 2023, 11:54:13 PM
(https://img.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/400/53/0/9/236.jpg)

I enjoyed this disc of excerpts, which concentrates on the three female roles, omitting all of Ochs's music completely. Some will no doubt think this is a bonus (and I might just be one of those  >:D ).

Though Octavian is usually sung by a mezzo, here the role is taken by the soprano Elisabeth Söderström, who is the ardent, impulsive Octavian to the life and hers was the performance I enjoyed most. I've never been much of a fan of Crespin on the Solti recording, but I find her much preferable here. The voice is fresher, more youthful (the Marschallin is supposed to be in her early thirties, after all) and her annoying tendency of hitting notes from below is much less in evidence. Considering she is not singing in her native tongue, she points the text wonderfully well and is a warm and feminine Marschallin. She doesn't quite erase memories of Schwarzkopf, who is my Marschallin imprint, but then no other soprano does.

As for Güden, I've never really got on with her. To my ears, the tone can turn hard and slightly acid on top and she can't really float the voice like the best Sophies, such as Stich-Randall, Popp, Elisabeth Schumann or even Schwarzkopf in an early recording of the Presentation of the Silver Rose with Irmgard Seefried as Octavian.

Varviso paces the music wonderfully well and, to be honest, I prefer his condcuting to that of Solti.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on August 30, 2023, 01:12:13 AM
(http://immortalperformances.org/images/products/fullimages/6147.gif)

A wonderful performance of Così fan Tutte, which is an absolute joy. This was apparently Schwarzkopf's favourite of all her recorded performanvces of the opera. Certainly she is in superb voice, but so are the rest of the cast and there isn't a single weak link. Cantelli's conducting is superb and the sound acceptable for a live recording from 1956.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: T. D. on August 31, 2023, 03:19:54 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/XYxYzCVvYaY_0U23LUfvUHoScEQSAT0Jvi8LjmBi-Uo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:512/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkyMDM2/MzAtMTQ3NjYwNTky/Ny0zODE3LmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Henk on September 01, 2023, 06:12:12 AM
(https://songswave.com/album-images/vol26/960/960278/2822945-big/Handel-Tamerlano-CD1-cover.jpg)

Great
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 02, 2023, 01:10:03 PM
Cross-posted from the general WAYLTN thread:

Quote from: ritter on September 02, 2023, 01:05:40 PMAn opera I haven't listened to in many years, but that again makes a very strong impression:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41sInKWamYL.jpg)

Othmar Schoeck is a composer I don't really appreciate that much, but Penthesilea(on Kleist) is quite something. The alternation of the lyrical (or autumnal, as this is the word that comes to my mind in much of Schoeck's music) and the downright savage, of the spoken and the sung, and of the hugely scored and the almost chamber-like, is very, very effective, and the work is really beautiful (despite its gory story — next to it, Elektra appears as tame as L'Elisir d'amore  ;D ).

I got this recording, with a very convincing Yvonne Naef in the title rôle and conducted by Mario Venzago, several years ago, but I think I hadn't listened to it until now. It seems to include more music —95 minutes spread over two CDs— than the other one I have in my collection (Helga Dernesch under Gerd Albrecht live from Salzburg, on a single CD —as are other recordings I know about—).

Really enjoying this!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 03, 2023, 01:33:55 AM
(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn017_l.jpg)

In my opinion, and that of many Callas devotees, this is the best of all her recorded Normas. The sound isn't at all bad in this Divina transfer.

Reviewed on my blog Callas's Norma – 7 December 1955 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/04/08/norma-7-december-1955/)
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: KevinP on September 08, 2023, 01:32:28 AM
Since my Shakespeare class went through this time, Abbado's Macbeth.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 10, 2023, 12:01:38 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODM2MDEyNi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1MDE2NzcxMjN9)

A performance which has become the stuff of legends. My review here.

The Callas Karajan Lucia di Lammermoor – Berlin 195 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 11, 2023, 05:41:34 AM
Cross-posted from the WAYLTN thread:

Quote from: ritter on September 11, 2023, 05:40:36 AMRevisiting Erich Leinsdorf's classic, star-studded recording of Così fan tutte:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81yjXqTXU5L._SL1500_.jpg)




Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 11, 2023, 07:55:54 AM
Ditto:

Quote from: Florestan on September 11, 2023, 04:33:53 AM(https://storage.highresaudio.com/2023/09/05/c7dyu4-giuseppega-preview-m3.jpg)

An Englishman, a Frenchman, a German, a Spaniard and an Italian (individualized as such by talk, accent and pronunciation) shipwreck on a beautiful island. Upon learning it's the island of the sorceress Alcina, they collectively vow not to let themselves succumb to her charms, but no sooner do they see her than the vows are forgotten (though constantly invoked by each and every one of them as a reminder to the others: Amici, il giuramento!) and they take turns in declaring their love. And this is just the beginning.

One can only dream about what Rossini or Offenbach would have made of such a libretto so we have to make do with Gazzaniga.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 12, 2023, 01:11:20 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/dcc86eb552dbd96c4f07fbc85f0df3b2.jpg)

Though Callas sang more performances of Tosca than she did of Medea, I consider the Cherubini opera the fourth cornerstone of her career, the others being Norma, Violetta and Lucia. Considering Medea was hardly known at all before she sang it in Florence in 1953, it is remarkable so many productions were mounted for her - in Florence, at La Scala (twice), in Rome, in Dallas, in London and in Epidaurus. This performance came after Bing's notorious "sacking" of Callas from the Met and there is no doubt it fired her up to give one of the most thrillingly intense performances of her career.

Callas sings Medea – Dallas, November 1958 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2020/04/15/callas-sings-medea-dallas-november-1958/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: atardecer on September 12, 2023, 02:28:28 AM
Mozart - La clemenza di Tito 

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 12, 2023, 04:26:40 AM
Quote from: Florestan on September 11, 2023, 04:33:53 AM(https://storage.highresaudio.com/2023/09/05/c7dyu4-giuseppega-preview-m3.jpg)

An Englishman, a Frenchman, a German, a Spaniard and an Italian (individualized as such by talk, accent and pronunciation) shipwreck on a beautiful island. Upon learning it's the island of the sorceress Alcina, they collectively vow not to let themselves succumb to her charms, but no sooner do they see her than the vows are forgotten (though constantly invoked by each and every one of them as a reminder to the others: Amici, il giuramento!) and they take turns in declaring their love. And this is just the beginning.

One can only dream about what Rossini or Offenbach would have made of such a libretto so we have to make do with Gazzaniga.  :D

Actually, it's not at all bad. The libretto is funny (the Baron von Brikbrak's part is hilarious, the way he speaks Italian and especially the way he reads it must have provoked waves of laughter in the opera house), the music is enjoyable and the performance is quite good.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: atardecer on September 14, 2023, 12:09:59 AM
Mozart - Così Fan Tutte


1992 France
Amanda Roocroft - Fiordiligi
Rosa Mannion - Dorabella
Rodney Gilfry - Guglielmo
Rainer Trost - Ferrando
Eirian James - Despina
Claudio Nicolai - Don Alfonso
Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists
John Eliot Gardiner - Conductor
Peter Mumford - Director
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Music
Lorenzo Da Ponte - Libretto
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 14, 2023, 01:25:44 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81T30bLJHgL._SL1300_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 16, 2023, 10:21:50 AM
Spending the afternoon with Norrington's Don Giovanni
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41n27M0CEDL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
In essence, he gives the Prague version. The music unique to the Vienna version (52 minutes worth) is served separately on the third CD.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: atardecer on September 19, 2023, 01:58:07 AM
Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro


The 1976 Jean-Pierre Ponnelle film with Hermann Prey, Mirella Freni, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Kiri Te Kanawa & Maria Ewing. Conducted by Karl Böhm with the Wiener Philharmoniker
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 19, 2023, 11:46:43 AM
Some Puccini I've never heard before.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91bMspu1fjL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Not surprisingly it sounds like it was composed by the guy who composed Madama Butterfly or La Boheme.

This seems to have been issued four different times. The most available version seems to be this one. Cast listing and other details on the back cover.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91MPP03LTjL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91HctPoUD4L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
It's a live recording, although I'm not sure it was a staged version or a concert version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 20, 2023, 01:59:26 AM
Quote from: JBS on September 19, 2023, 11:46:43 AMIt's a live recording, although I'm not sure it was a staged version or a concert version.

If there are no audible stage noises and the voices don't move around then it's probably a concert version.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on September 20, 2023, 03:13:48 AM
Quote from: Florestan on September 20, 2023, 01:59:26 AMIf there are no audible stage noises and the voices don't move around then it's probably a concert version.

From what Ive read, it was a fully staged performance at the Festival dela Valle d'Itria in Martina Franca in 1994. That festival specialises in resurrecting forgotten / obscure works (or lesser-known versions of familiar repertoire).

I do not know that recording, but the absence of stage noise surprises me. I have a live recording form the same venue, also on the Dynamic label, of Meyerbeer's Robert le diable, and one would think that the carpenters were still finishing the sets during the performance (what appears like insistent hammering is well present in the sound picture -- just as well, as it partly drowns the terrible music  ;D ).

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: atardecer on September 22, 2023, 12:49:33 AM
Mozart - Idomeneo
John Eliot Gardiner • English Baroque Soloists, 1990

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on September 23, 2023, 12:30:10 AM
A first listen to Bartok's Bluebeard' Castle (with Alsop on Naxos - one of their free downloads this month)

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk2MDQxNi4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2ODEyNTI1OTB9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on September 23, 2023, 12:43:07 AM
Quote from: JBS on September 19, 2023, 11:46:43 AMSome Puccini I've never heard before.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91bMspu1fjL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Not surprisingly it sounds like it was composed by the guy who composed Madama Butterfly or La Boheme.


Le Villi here as well, a DVD from the Festival Euro Mediterraneo, 31 July 2004, with Albert Montserrat, Andrea Rola, Halla Margret, conducted by Tamás Pál. I'd rented it from Netflix back in 2010, but got it again to preview my local company's (Mobile Opera) upcoming production.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cwXdmXZoL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: atardecer on September 25, 2023, 12:13:33 AM
I've been on a Mozart opera kick lately having listened to - La clemenza di Tito, Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro and Idomeneo. Now for the finale I'm going to listen to Don Giovanni. (I omitted The Magic Flute because I know that one already more than these others.)

I've enjoyed all of these operas immensely, they each have their own unique charm, and are staggering in their scope and brilliance.

Mozart - Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni - Rodney Gilfry
Leporello - László Polgár
Donna Anna - Isabel Rey
Don Ottavio - Roberto Saccà
Donna Elvira - Cecilia Bartoli
Zerlina - Liliana Nikiteanu
Masetto - Oliver Widmer
Commendatore - Matti Salminen
Conductor - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Director - Brian Large
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 25, 2023, 06:12:08 PM
Relatively good.
Recorded live: applause but no stage noise, so I presume it's a concert performance.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51btj-xa3sL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on September 25, 2023, 11:36:11 PM
Quote from: JBS on September 25, 2023, 06:12:08 PMRelatively good.
Recorded live: applause but no stage noise, so I presume it's a concert performance.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51btj-xa3sL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Recorded live at the Concertgebouw Concert Hall in Amsterdam on 16 November 1992 (as per the back cover).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on September 28, 2023, 12:03:40 AM
For the Callas centenary I've written an article detailing the chronology of her stage roles (http://tsaraslondon.com/2023/09/25/a-chronology-of-callass-stage-roles-and-their-essential-recordings/). This has prompted me to start my next listening project - at least one recording of all Callas's roles of which we have a record in the order she sang them on stage (not in the order she recorded them).

So far I've listened to Cavalleria Rusticana (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/cavalleria-rusticana/), Tosca (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/tosca-1953/), La Gioconda (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/07/callass-stereo-la-gioconda/) and have just started on Turandot (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/turandot/).

(https://i.discogs.com/4da2wUeV4IdL8O18jNS2lQE3Dbi-P4J13wI7xzePt8w/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQzOTI4/NzItMTQ3MjQ4NTQ0/OC0xOTI5LmpwZWc.jpeg) (https://i.discogs.com/9bOnHGNtEWmmS599aEQRUNQ7mUHds2LNM2BMEd-8JNM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkzMjQ2/NjMtMTU0MjIxMTE1/Ni05NDE5LmpwZWc.jpeg) (https://i.discogs.com/DS5R9CJ5c5xu8ESLsVp_yV4qRO9hYcgUZfC7AYO2ais/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:596/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODY4/MzMyLTE1NDM1MjQz/NjEtNTEzMy5qcGVn.jpeg) (https://i.discogs.com/hz6GPgU3jFd1OqH2IPkdYDDzi038VBaqDFtDVld9htk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:593/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODU5/NjE4LTE1NDMzNTAy/ODctMTMwMC5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on September 30, 2023, 10:57:50 AM
Today's listening: an opera I've never heard before
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TxLIWXlLL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: atardecer on October 01, 2023, 04:18:58 AM
Monteverdi - L'Orfeo
Savall

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41EC48iSzNL._SX300_SY300_QL70_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: brewski on October 01, 2023, 08:08:33 AM
This afternoon, the final performance of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, at Opera Philadelphia:

https://www.operaphila.org/whats-on/in-theaters-2023-2024/simon-boccanegra/

-Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 01, 2023, 09:34:05 AM
Wow! A friend alerted me to this production of Wozzeck, and it's amazing! As much as I love Berg's other opera, Lulu, I've always had more of a respectful admiration for Wozzeck, but I found this production heartbreaking, Subtitles in French only, but I don't really need them for this opera. There are things that may disturb purists, principally the presence of Wozzeck and Marie's son throughout the opera, re-living the tragedy of his youth. He's played by actor Dimitri Doré, 24 years old at the time, but he could pass for a teenager. I don't know how long it'll be up, but I'll definitely try to watch it again soon. If it comes out on disc, I'll definitely get it.

It's a 2021 production from Toulouse with Stéphane Degout and Sophie Koch as the leads. Conducted by Leo Hussain, and directed by Michel Fau. The end credits mention that it's Erwin Stein's reduced orchestration, but I never would have guessed.


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Scion7 on October 01, 2023, 10:06:45 AM
Quote from: JBS on September 30, 2023, 10:57:50 AMToday's listening: an opera I've never heard before
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TxLIWXlLL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Haven't heard this, but I am very fond of the suite from the opera, Summer Night.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 03, 2023, 12:11:59 PM
Cross-posted from the WAYL2N thread:

QuoteI felt the urge to listen to Act III of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

This time around I went for the Keilberth recording (made live in Munich on November 23rd, 1963 — the performance marked the reopening of the rebuilt National Theatre).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71IjTWpCXQL._SL1500_.jpg)

There are sets out there with superior and more homogenous casts, but there is a sense of occasion here which is noticeable, and Keilberth was very strong in this repertoire.

Really excited that we'll be getting Die Meistersinger in a new production later this season at the Teatro Real here in Madrid. Pablo Heras-Casado will conduct (his Parsifal last summer in Bayreuth was widely acclaimed), Laurent Pelly directs, and Gerald Finley will be Hans Sachs.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 04, 2023, 01:21:53 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/WiuSPhrq6m72wHtAxfbXNk2HdxG0p4AE0QdbDfGuSms/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODA5/MjA0LTE1NDIzODQy/NzUtOTMyMy5qcGVn.jpeg)

The Forza Leonora was actually Callas's first ever Verdi stage role. She sang it in Trieste in 1948, then in Ravenna in 1954 shortly before making this recording and then never again, which is a terrible shame, because she is a superb Leonora. Whenever she is before the microphone, we are aware of the greatness of Verdi's writing as music drama. Others may have sung a purer, firmer line in la vergine degli angeli or floated a purer top Bb in Pace, pace but none probe so deeply into the character.

The rest of the cast isn't quite on her level, but Rossi-Lemeni, despite his woolly tone, is an authoratative and sympathetic Padre Guardiano. Tucker is in splendid voice, but is inclined to aspirate and sob in what he presumably thinks is the Italian manner. Tagliabue sounds a bit over-the-hill, but Capecchi is excellent as Melitone as is Clabassi as Calatrava. Nicolai does what she can with the rather thankless role of Preziosilla. Serafin, so often underrated, is fantastic. He never draws attention to himself but everything just sounds so right.

My first Forza and still my favourite.

Callas in La Forza del Destino (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/la-forza-del-destino/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 06, 2023, 01:50:00 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/1498817188915.jpg)

This recording starts with Del Monaco belting out Celeste Aida without a hint of poetry or romance, but the Mexican audience go wild and it's clear that subtlety is not what this performances is going to be about. It is undeniably thrilling and of course it's famous for the stupendous high Eb Callas sings in the Act II finale. However this is not just the Callas show. There are some magnificent voices on display here, the likes of which you would never hear today, including the clarion voiced Del Monaco, the powerhouse of the local girl, Oralia Dominguez and the exciting, if slightly gruff-voiced Giuseppe Taddei. Oliviero De Fabritiis's conducting is alive and exciting, if not exactly revelatory. The best that can be said of the sound is that you get used to it with a little perserverence.

Callas in Aida – Mexico City 1951 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/14/aida-mexico-city-1951/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 08, 2023, 12:12:51 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91pj158binl-_sl1500_.jpg)

This was the first complete opera set I ever owned, a Christmas present from my brother. I think I'd have been 18 or 19. My love affair with Callas had started a few months earlier and it has continued unabated now for over fifty years. It's actually the longest relationship of my life and I have remained true to her ever since.

Though I have now heard, and own, many more recordings of the opera with Callas, I still have a great deal of affection for this one. I hear the vocal failings of her late career voice now more than I did, but there are still parts which I think are more movingly voiced here than in any of her other recordings. Of course it also benefits from the best sound of all her Normas and an excellent supporting cast, with Ludwig a suprisingly successful Adalgisa, who sounds, as she should, like the younger woman.

Callas's 1960 Studio Norma (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/07/callass-1960-norma/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 08, 2023, 12:47:00 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ylL1XVO7S._SL1200_.jpg)

I bought this a year or two (or more) ago, and finally got around to watching it today.

N.P. Wilkinson, who used to post here, saw it in the theatre and wrote about it on his blog (http://npw-opera-concerts.blogspot.com/2009/10/gounod-mireille_26.html). He didn't care for it. I liked it a little better, but not much.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 11, 2023, 12:53:24 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/r-12800357-1542200837-6181.jpeg.jpg)

Not my favourite Bellini. There's some glorious music, but the plot doesn't hang together well and the end is unconvincing and perfucntory. Callas is amazing, though. I don't think I can ever hear the Mad Scene without having her unique inflections in my mind's ear.

Callas in I Puritani (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/i-puritani/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 11, 2023, 10:00:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 11, 2023, 12:53:24 AM(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/r-12800357-1542200837-6181.jpeg.jpg)

Not my favourite Bellini. There's some glorious music, but the plot doesn't hang together well and the end is unconvincing and perfucntory. Callas is amazing, though. I don't think I can ever hear the Mad Scene without having her unique inflections in my mind's ear.

Callas in I Puritani (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/09/i-puritani/)
I enjoy I Puritani.  I don't have a complete one with *Callas.  The two that I have is 1) The well-known one with Sutherland and also a live one with her.

*I suspect that I have various arias, etc. from it on some collections that I own of hers though.

Hope that you are enjoying your journey through the operas and her recordings overall?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 13, 2023, 12:03:00 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 11, 2023, 10:00:42 AMI enjoy I Puritani.  I don't have a complete one with *Callas.  The two that I have is 1) The well-known one with Sutherland and also a live one with her.

*I suspect that I have various arias, etc. from it on some collections that I own of hers though.

Hope that you are enjoying your journey through the operas and her recordings overall?

PD

I only have this one recording of I Puritani. I have a bit of a problem with Sutherland so the only alternative I've considered is the Muti, which, like the second Sutherland recording, gives us the score complete.

From Bellini, I moved on to Wagner and Parsifal, Kundry being Callas's next new role, which she first sang in 1949. This recording is of a concert performance from November 1950, which also signalled her farewell to Wagner. Taking on the role of Elvira at the beginning of the previous year changed the direction her career would take.

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/callas_live_parsifalsq.jpg)

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/09/parsifal-rome-1950/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/09/parsifal-rome-1950/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 14, 2023, 02:58:42 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/51ek3ptyfil-_ss500.jpg)

If you can get past the dreadful sound, this is a really exicting performance of Verdi's first great success. Callas added the role of Abigaille to her repertoire in December 1949, but never sang the role after these three performances, later calling the role a voice wrecker. Nevertheless she is fantastic in the role, in fearless voice and I doubt anyone in its history has given such a complete performance. the coloratura delivered with phenomemal accuracy as well as thrilling power. This is also the earliest record we have of Callas in a complete role. She would have been 27.

Callas in Nabucco – Naples 1949 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/07/nabucco-naples-1949/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 14, 2023, 09:11:43 AM
I attended a performance of Cherubini's Medée a couple of weeks ago, and thought I'd revisit another opera on the same subject matter, Giovani Simone (or Johann Simon) Mayr's Medea in Corinto.

(https://www.warnerclassics.com/sites/default/files/styles/release_and_playlist_cover_756_x_756_2x_webp/public/2020-01/792938001142_preview.jpg.webp?itok=pDNF1np9)

I hadn't listened to this in decades, and had almost no recollection of it. Enjoying it so far (particularly Mayr's attentive and elegant orchestration) ...  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on October 14, 2023, 09:44:56 AM
Quote from: ritter on October 14, 2023, 09:11:43 AMI attended a performance of Cherubini's Medée a couple of weeks ago, and thought I'd revisit another opera on the same subject matter, Giovani Simone (or Johann Simon) Mayr's Medea in Corinto.

(https://www.warnerclassics.com/sites/default/files/styles/release_and_playlist_cover_756_x_756_2x_webp/public/2020-01/792938001142_preview.jpg.webp?itok=pDNF1np9)

I hadn't listened to this in decades, and had almost no recollection of it. Enjoying it so far (particularly Mayr's attentive and elegant orchestration) ...  :)


Mayr's music is indeed superb, not only his operas but also his church music, melodious and joyful in an almost Vivaldian way. He was also the best music teacher in Italy at the time, his most famous pupil and protégé being Donizetti.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 14, 2023, 01:21:21 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 14, 2023, 02:58:42 AM(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/51ek3ptyfil-_ss500.jpg)

If you can get past the dreadful sound, this is a really exicting performance of Verdi's first great success. Callas added the role of Abigaille to her repertoire in December 1949, but never sang the role after these three performances, later calling the role a voice wrecker. Nevertheless she is fantastic in the role, in fearless voice and I doubt anyone in its history has given such a complete performance. the coloratura delivered with phenomemal accuracy as well as thrilling power. This is also the earliest record we have of Callas in a complete role. She would have been 27.

Callas in Nabucco – Naples 1949 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/07/nabucco-naples-1949/)
I haven't heard that recording, but the opera is sensational.  I can totally get why she called it a voice wrecker.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 15, 2023, 01:58:44 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/YIZbP6Do3cgss5PSq2aBn4RkV-iwbXX_XBcacgLEmTc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:598/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE3MTYw/Njc2LTE2MTE5MjQ1/NzctMzc4Mi5qcGVn.jpeg)

I'm listening to this classic set via FLAC file of an LP rip from an Italian issue, sent to me by a kind TC member. It's actually making me wonder if any of the digital transfers I've heard have been an improvement on the original. The sound in general is much warmer and the voices sound much richer in consequence. Callas's top notes sound absoluitely fine here.

Callas first sang Leonora in Mexico in 1950 and it became one of her most successful roles, but this 1956 recording signified her farewell to the role, though she revisited her Act IV arias a few times in concert.

The Callas Karajan Il Trovatore (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/il-trovatore/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 15, 2023, 02:52:11 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51CZHNDYn0L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)

It's been a while since I've done a complete Ring cycle, and I bought the Blu-ray of the Barenboim/Kupfer production from the '91 & '92 Bayreuth Festivals some time ago, but got interrupted less than halfway through and never got back to it. Rheingold today, then probably Walküre and Siegfried an act per night (forgive me, Richard) Monday through Saturday, and spend next Sunday with Götterdämmerung.


John Tomlinson: Wotan
Bodo Brinkmann: Donner
Kurt Schreibmayer: Froh
Graham Clark: Loge
Linda Finnie: Fricka
Eva Johansson: Freia
Birgitta Svendén: Erda
Günter von Kannen: Alberich
Helmut Pampuch: Mime
Matthias Hölle: Fasolt
Philip Kang: Fafner
Hilde Leidland: Woglinde
Annette Küttenbaum: Wellgunde
Jane Turner: Flosshilde

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: DavidW on October 16, 2023, 06:48:21 AM
Was that the laser light show Ring?  I watched it if so.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 16, 2023, 04:08:21 PM
Quote from: JBS on September 30, 2023, 10:57:50 AMToday's listening: an opera I've never heard before
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TxLIWXlLL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
I don't know that one either.  How are the tempos by the way?  I still remember being aghast at his fast tempos in Tchaikovsky...for me anyway, it took away from the magic and charm of the ballet.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 16, 2023, 04:11:23 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 16, 2023, 04:08:21 PMI don't know that one either.  How are the tempos by the way?  I still remember being aghast at his fast tempos in Tchaikovsky...for me anyway, it took away from the magic and charm of the ballet.

PD

Didn't seem wrong, but I had nothing to compare it to. And of course the singers and staging would have influence on the pacing( it's a live recording).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 17, 2023, 01:03:41 AM
Quote from: DavidW on October 16, 2023, 06:48:21 AMWas that the laser light show Ring?  I watched it if so.

That's how it starts, in any case, to depict the depths of the Rhine. From images I've seen I know the lasers return, but they're not constantly present.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 18, 2023, 01:50:27 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/Ceew956Jow5MA_hHX8XfP3Mtya-MMF3Y-ZUWInxp2Jg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:596/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODE0/MTE3LTE1NDI0NzAz/ODktNTkwMC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Callas first sang the role of Fiorilla in 1950 at the tiny Teatro Eliseo in Rome, though all that survives of that performance is a recording of her singing the aria Non si da follia maggiore. It comes as a surprise at this stage of her career, when she was more associated with dramatic soprano roles like Isolde, Brünnhilde, Kundry, Turandot and Aida, but it does herald the direction her career would take. After a concert performance of Parsifal, she never sang another Wagner role and even Aida had departed her repertoire before she recorded the Rossini opera, which was made in 1954, the year before she sang the role again at La Scala in a production by Franco Zeffirelli. Textually inaccurate it might be, but it is pure joy from beginning to end.

http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/il-turco-in-italia/ (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/il-turco-in-italia/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Henk on October 19, 2023, 10:53:25 AM
(http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0028947756552_p0_v1_s1200x630.jpg)

After having listened to many Handel opera some time ago, now some Mozart with Böhm.
Title: Tuesday, the 17 through Thursday, the 19th
Post by: Wendell_E on October 20, 2023, 12:51:33 AM
Tuesday, the 17 through Thursday, the 19th

The Barenboim/Kupfer Ring on Blu-ray, Die Walküre one act per night.

Poul Elming: Siegmund
Matthias Hölle: Hunding
John Tomlinson: Wotan
Nadine Secunde: Sieglinde
Anne Evans: Brünnhilde
Linda Finnie: Fricka
Eva Johansson: Gerhilde
Ruth Floreen: Ortlinde
Shirley Close: Waltraute
Hitomi Katagiri: Schwertleite
Eva-Maria Bundschuh: Helmwige
Birgitta Svendén: Grimgerde
Hebe Dijkstra: Rossweisse

Now a break from the Ring, with the Met season premiere of Un Ballo in Maschera on Sirius/XM tonight, and their production of Dead Man Walking Live in HD Saturday afternoon.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 20, 2023, 01:46:54 AM
(https://www.talkclassical.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/https://www.talkclassical.com/attachments/callastraviata1955-jpg.198307/)

Callas frst sang Violetta in Florence in 1951, a role with which she became particularly associated, especially after this famous Visconti production in 1955, which represented a huge step forward in her conquering of the role's dramatic possibilities. She is in great voice here, but I still prefer London 1958, which is even more subtly and truthfully interpreted. One of the stumbling blocks of this performance, for me anyway, is Bastianini who pours forth his voice at an unstinting and unvaried forte or mezzoforte. That Callas can do as much as she does with the second act duet with so little coming back from her partner is little short of miraculous, but she does far more in Lisbon and London with Sereni and Zanasi, both of whom are much more sympathetic partners.

Still, this was obviously a thrilling night in the theatre and there are some fabulous moments, such as the impassioned Amami, Alfredo which provokes a spontaneous round of applause. It just doesn't quite add up to the shatteringly moving performance she does (with less voice) in London in 1958.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 20, 2023, 11:51:22 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on October 20, 2023, 12:51:33 AMTuesday, the 17 through Thursday, the 19th

Now a break from the Ring, with the Met season premiere of Un Ballo in Maschera on Sirius/XM tonight, and their production of Dead Man Walking Live in HD Saturday afternoon.
I was quite impressed when I watched Dead Man Walking (then with Susan Graham in it) on t.v.  I purchased the then only available recording of it on CD.

Have you seen it before Wendell?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 21, 2023, 12:55:35 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 20, 2023, 11:51:22 AMI was quite impressed when I watched Dead Man Walking (then with Susan Graham in it) on t.v.  I purchased the then only available recording of it on CD.

Have you seen it before Wendell?

PD

I also bought that first recording when it was released. I've seen it three times: In New Orleans in March 2016, and both performances when Pensacola Opera did almost exactly a year later. I also heard the broadcast of the Met premiere last month. Susan Graham's in the Met production as well, but now as the murderer's mother.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 21, 2023, 01:54:12 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk1OTc4NS4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NTMwOTAwNzJ9)

The Testament issue of this famous performance is taken from a private recording made for Walter Legge. The sound is somewhat clearer than most transfers that had been heard before, but it omits the overture and Testament, rather than including it from an inferior source, have issued just what Walter Legge recorded, which has the advantage of getting the opera onto two lengthy CDs.

It was after these performances in Florence that Ghiringhelli finally capitulated to Callas and offered her a permanent contract at La Scala. She opened the 1951/1952 season in the same opera, though it was conducted there by Victor De Sabata. Callas is a wonwderful Elena but she never sang the role again after the La Scala production. The opera is probably the least performed of all Verdi's middle period operas, I suppose, but I've come to appreciate it more and more over the years.

Callas in I Vespri Siciliani – Florence 1951 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/13/i-vespri-siciliani-florence-1951/)
 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 22, 2023, 03:24:57 AM
I thought the Met's Dead Man Walking in HD was very good, even better than the productions I'd seen previously. Unfortunately, there was a buzziness in the sound that began with HD hostess Rhiannon Giddens' introduction and persisted for quite a while. It either got better or maybe I just learned to ignore it. It seems to have only been a problem in the theatre where I saw it. I'll definitely buy a DVD/Blu-ray if they release one. Surprising that as often as it's been produced (over 70 productions were mentioned) there hasn't been one already.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 22, 2023, 06:31:01 AM
(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn016_l.jpg)

I have a confession to make. I don't think I much like Rossini's serious operas, with the possible exception of Guillaume Tell. I'm fairly sure that, were it not for the presence of Callas on absolutely blistering form, I'd be happy never to listen to this one again. I feel much the same about Semiramide.

The sound of this famous recording is also a problem, but, again, it's worth persevering just for the sake of Callas. Though I was listening to this warts and all Divina issue, I'm afraid I skipped the tracks where a male voice at a slow speed is overlaid onto the music. Just too much to cope with. Still, Callas is amazing. I have never in my life heard dramatic coloratura singing of such assurance and such power, and I doubt anyone will ever again. The role of the sorceress Armida fits her like a glove, and yet she never sang the opera again.

Callas in Armida – Florence 1952 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/10/22/armida-florence-1952/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on October 22, 2023, 04:40:43 PM
I don't particularly like Semiramide, but I think Armida is much better. For one thing, the plot is less contrived and more logical, even though it is more overtly fantastic/magical.

Anyway, listening to Smetana's Prodaná Nevêsta
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61DJXrR8I3L._UX420_FMwebp_QL85_.jpg)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4e/Prodana_Nevesta_Cover_1919.JPG/440px-Prodana_Nevesta_Cover_1919.JPG)
Sung here in German, from 1962.

If Wikipedia is correct, the Czech title most accurately translates as The Sold Bride. I've seen this opera once, in a touring Met production c 1978 or 1979.
I'm not sure if I've heard it since.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 24, 2023, 06:18:08 AM
(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn019_l.jpg)

The latest Divina Hi-Res transfer of this famous performance is fantastic and so much better than any of the transfers I've heard before. The sound is comparable to mono studio recordings of the period and consequently the performances seems even better than it did before. What a thrilling night this must have been.

The Callas Karajan Lucia di Lammermoor – Berlin 1955 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2018/01/13/lucia-di-lammermoor-berlin-1955/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 25, 2023, 12:41:14 AM
Siegfried, from the Barenboim/Kupfer Bayreuth Ring on Blu-ray:

Siegfried Jerusalem: Siegfried
Graham Clark: Mime
John Tomlinson: Wanderer
Günter von Kannen: Alberich
Philip Kang: Fafner
Anne Evans: Brünnhilde
Birgitta Svendén: Erda
Hilde Leidland: Waldvogel
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 26, 2023, 02:37:53 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91km0olq4ul-_sl1466_.jpg)

At the same Mexico season of 1952 as she first sang Lucia, Callas added Gilda to her repertoire. A recording of one of the performances sounds under-rehearsed and a bit of a mess and she never sang the role on stage again, which is rather a shame, for she is a wonderful Gilda on this famous recording with Gobbi as Rigoletto. Though Serafin makes the cuts traditional at the time, the recording has almost attained the classic status of the De Sabata Tosca.

Callas and Gobbi in Rigoletto (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/rigoletto/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on October 26, 2023, 11:39:28 PM
Well, I'm up watching Stefano Montanari's 2017 take on a live (taped) performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni. Not crazy about the staging (it's awful, actually), the singing is varied but the orchestra is wonderful. I'll come up with a more cogent assessment after I've watched it but I'm enjoying the goings on so far...

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on October 27, 2023, 11:34:12 AM
Walton: Troilus and Cressida. Janet Baker, Richard Cassidy, Gerald English et al., Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Lawrence Foster (cond.).

Act II

(https://i.discogs.com/MiYtwdVlH-qN-BOgN_au1FRr0_gw6gytobpuNrfENfc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:512/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0MTMx/ODg0LTE1Njg1MTEx/NDUtODM2MC5qcGVn.jpeg)

"We're in for a storm. Ah, here it comes!
The first enormous drops,
Big as Egyptian shillings!"  ;D

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 28, 2023, 03:06:32 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/E10288D8VeNEvuLS-I811FC5O_PUgkVVLvBuZg3J_ME/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:541/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExODc0/MzEyLTE1MjM5MDU3/NDktNjk4OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Every time I hear this legendary performance it impresses me more, not just for Callas's peerless performances of the role of Lady Macbeth, but for the splendid contribution of the La Scala orchestra and chorus under the baton of Victor De Sabata. If only it were accorded the sound of his studio recording of Tosca made the following year. As it is, the sound on this Warner release is a good deal better than the awful, murky EMI that preceded it.

You would never believe Callas was singing the role for the first time, so assured is her performance. The one mystery is that she never sang the role again after this series of performances at La Scala.



Callas's Lady Macbeth (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/28/callass-lady-macbeth/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 29, 2023, 01:05:46 AM
Concluding the Barenboim/Kupfer Ring production with Götterdämmerung:

Siegfried Jerusalem: Siegfried
Bodo Brinkmann: Gunther
Philip Kang: Hagen
Günter von Kannen: Alberich
Anne Evans: Brünnhilde
Eva-Maria Bundschuh: Gutrune
Waltraud Meier: Waltraute
Birgitta Svendén: 1. Norn
Linda Finnie: 2. Norn
Uta Priew: 3. Norn
Hilde Leidland: Woglinde
Annette Küttenbaum: Wellgunde
Jane Turner: Flosshilde
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 29, 2023, 01:41:46 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/medeaflorence.jpg)

This is the first time Callas sang the role of Medea and the first time the opera had been staged in living memory, though this production would spawn further performances all over the world, most of them with Callas in the lead role. In fact she created such a sensation in the role that La Scala scotched plans to stage Scarlatti's Mitridate, Re d'Eupatotre with her later that year and replaced it with the Cherubini opera. We have no less than six recordings of the opera with her as well (five live and one studio). None of these is negligible, but this one finds her in the most blisteringly powerful voice. Later she would add certain refinements and her Medea would become a much more multi-faceted character. Here she is evil incarnate and the effect is quite terrifying. It's also interesting to hear Gui's more Classical take on the score. He also includes a bit more music.

Callas's First Medea – Florence 1953 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/07/1986/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on October 29, 2023, 06:14:15 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk1NTYwMC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0MzA5MDkzODN9)

A splendid performance of this marvelous opera, with excellent diction from all singers and great sonics. Highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 30, 2023, 01:28:49 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61-ThHawDIL._SL1450_.jpg)

New Orleans opera will be doing Jeanine Tesori's Blue weekend after next, so I gave the Pentatone recording from Washington National Opera a second listen via Amazon Music.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 30, 2023, 02:07:51 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/1498831094098.jpg)

After Medea Callas's next new role was another Classical heroine, though a much more noble character. We often forget how many Classical operas Callas sang on stage, mostly because, aside from Medea, she made no recordings of them, presumably because Legge and EMI thought they spellled commercial death. This is a great pity for she was a Gluck soprano of the highest quality and unfortunately the sound of this La Scala performance is not at all good. Orchestra and chorus suffer most, but, if you can manage to last the course, you will discover that Giulini conducts a superb performance and Callas is quite outstanding.

Out of interest, Callas actually sang seven Classical roles on stage; Leonore in Fidelio, Euridice in Haydn's Orfeo ed Euridice, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Medea, Alceste, Giulia in Spontini's La Vestale and Iphigénie in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride.

Callas in Alceste - La Scala 1954 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/13/alceste-la-scala-1954/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on October 30, 2023, 11:56:21 AM
Quote from: Wendell_E on October 30, 2023, 01:28:49 AM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61-ThHawDIL._SL1450_.jpg)

New Orleans opera will be doing Jeanine Tesori's Blue weekend after next, so I gave the Pentatone recording from Washington National Opera a second listen via Amazon Music.
What is the opera about?  And what did you think of the recording?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on October 31, 2023, 01:34:28 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 30, 2023, 11:56:21 AMWhat is the opera about?  And what did you think of the recording?

PD

A black teenager, the son of a police officer is killed by a white policeman during a protest. The opera doesn't focus on the incident itself. The first half focuses on the expectant Mother's friends' concerns with her bringing a black boy into this world, the Father's first encounter with his newborn son, and the Father's cop buddy friends' joyful, and a bit envious, reactions to their friend having a baby boy.

The final scene of Act I takes place 16 years later, the Son butts heads with his father, a lot of normal father-son conflict, with the added edge that the Son a student artist and activist, has had several run-ins with the law due to his activism, and sees his Father has as an upholder of an oppressive system.

Act II takes place after the Son's death. A Reverend attempts to comfort the Father, but the Father lashes out at him, and the system the Father works for. The Mother's girlfriends try to comfort the Mother.

Quoting from Wikipedia for the final two scenes:

QuoteAt the funeral, Father and Mother pray with the congregation, asking God to welcome their son to Heaven. The Father briefly becomes lost in a fog of emotion, guilt, regret and memory, then finds his way back to the community gathered around him in church.

In an epilogue, we see The Father, The Mother and The Son, together, in a bittersweet moment around a kitchen table, sharing a meal, as The Son reconciles with his father and announces his plans for further artistic studies and one more peaceful protest.

I found it quite moving, even more so on my second hearing. The piano-vocal score is available online, so I didn't miss a word of text.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on October 31, 2023, 02:39:41 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/1498830306858.jpg)

Callas opened the 1954/1955 La Scala season with a visually splendid production of Spontini's La Vestale. It was the first time she was working with Luchino Visconti and the first time he would be directing opera on stage, having been lured into the genre by the prospect of working with Callas, whom he had admired for years. Over a period of three years they worked together on five iconic productions at La Scala.

Unfortunately the sound of this peformance isn't much better than on the Alceste and the opera itself resists even Callas's efforts to bring it to life. The best of it is the three arias she recorded the following year with Serafin.

Callas in La Vestale – La Scala 1954 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/16/la-vestale-la-scala-1954/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 01, 2023, 06:43:14 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on October 31, 2023, 02:39:41 AMthe opera itself resists even Callas's efforts to bring it to life

I do like La Vestale (and other Spontini works like Olympie and, to a lesser extent, Fernand Cortez). I think these are noble works, with wonderful orchestration and attractive vocal writing, that also work dramatically and follow in the footsteps of Gluck's great achievements. I do wish a modern recording of Agnes von Hohenstaufen in the original German became available.

TD:

Listening to Falla's La vida breve. Eduardo Mata conducts, and the main soloists are Marta Senn, Cecilia Angeli and Fernando de la Mora.

CD 1 of this set:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41lyBZHJRGL.jpg)

I got this 3 CD set for two works not by Falla but by Jualián Orbón that appear on CD1 (there were used as --very appropriate fillers-- to the original release, on the Dorian label, of El retablo and the Harpsichord Concerto).

But, since I have the whole set, why not listen to the Falla as well? La vida breve is a work that I used to like a lot in my youth, but that I have lost interest in, and haven't listened to in ages. Well, the good things I remember are still there (some very atmospheric writing for the chorus and orchestra, a good dramatic pacing), but also the bad ones (a postcard depiction of Andalusia, which in this recording is worsened by the exaggerated faux accent used by the singers --who hail from Mexico and South America--). Mata's conducting appears languid to me, although some nice detail in the orchestration can be heard.

And Falla had studied Cavalleria rusticana in detail, that's for sure.  ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on November 01, 2023, 06:49:35 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 01, 2023, 06:43:14 AM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41lyBZHJRGL.jpg)

Good afternoon, Rafael. Are you aware of any connection between Ingres and de Falla?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 01, 2023, 09:04:14 AM
Quote from: Florestan on November 01, 2023, 06:49:35 AMGood afternoon, Rafael. Are you aware of any connection between Ingres and de Falla?

Other than that their family names do not have any letters in common, none that I can think of.  ;D

Good evening, Andrei.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on November 01, 2023, 09:08:32 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 01, 2023, 09:04:14 AMOther than that their family names do not have any letters in common, none that I can think of.  ;D

 ;D

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 01, 2023, 01:02:24 PM
Quote from: ritter on November 01, 2023, 06:43:14 AMI do like La Vestale (and other Spontini works like Olympie and, to a lesser extent, Fernand Cortez). I think these are noble works, with wonderful orchestration and attractive vocal writing, that also work dramatically and follow in the footsteps of Gluck's great achievements. I do wish a modern recording of Agnes von Hohenstaufen in the original German became available.

TD:



No doubt you're right. La Vestale does have some beautiful music, but I don't find the characters very interesting. Though the opera is often dubbed a "junior" Norma, the character of Giulia has none of Norma's private anguish, nor her transfiguring public self sacrifice. She spends the whole opera languishing over Licinio or praying to Vesta. There is very little dramatic weight to the character. I find Gluck's Alceste much more engaging. Just my personal opinion. The opera certainly didn't catch the public imagination the way that Medea did.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 02, 2023, 02:40:01 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/1498837923557.jpg)

After her performances of the role of Giulia in La Vestale, Callas expected to be singing Leonora in Il Trovatore at La Scala. Manrico was to be sung by Mario Del Monaco. However days before the first performance, Del Monaco declared himself unwell. He did however feel well enough to sing the title role in Andrea Chénier, an opera in which the soprano has decidedly the secondary role. Furthermore, Maddalena was a role Callas had never sung. Maybe Del Monaco feared being up against Callas in one of her greatest roles; maybe he thought she would drop out as she didn't know the role of Maddalena. However Callas loved a challenge and learned the role in a matter of days, though she never sang it again after these performances.

Unfortunately the sound is pretty awful, which is a pity because the performance is really rather good. I'm not much of a fan of verismo, nor of this particular opera, but it makes for compelling listening despite the awful sound.

Callas sings Maddalena in Andrea Chenier – La Scala 1955 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/11/27/andrea-chenier-la-scala-1955/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 04, 2023, 07:12:05 AM
Weber's Euryanthe (Act 1). Marek Janowski conducts , and the cast includes Jessye Norman, Nicolai Gedda and Tom Krause.

(https://www.clicmusique.com/covers/large/0782124844127.jpg)

Some beautiful music, but a flawed and boring work (just as I remembered).  ::)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on November 04, 2023, 08:31:25 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 04, 2023, 07:12:05 AMWeber's Euryanthe (Act 1). Marek Janowski conducts , and the cast includes Jessye Norman, Nicolai Gedda and Tom Krause.

(https://www.clicmusique.com/covers/large/0782124844127.jpg)

Some beautiful music, but a flawed and boring work (just as I remembered).  ::)



I can't remember right now who said something to the effect that Helmina von Chezy had a full heart and an empty head. Heine perhaps? It most certainly sounds like him.  ;D 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 04, 2023, 08:33:36 AM
Quote from: Florestan on November 04, 2023, 08:31:25 AMI can't remember right now who said something to the effect that Helmina von Chezy had a full heart and an empty head. Heine perhaps? It most certainly sounds like him.  ;D
From what I've read, it was Gustav Mahler (when he revived the work at the Vienna Hofoper).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on November 04, 2023, 08:36:12 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 04, 2023, 08:33:36 AMFrom what I've read, it was Gustav Mahler (when he revived the work at the Vienna Hofoper).

Not Heine, then, but mordant Jewish humor nevertheless. Whoever said it was right. :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on November 05, 2023, 04:26:23 PM
I got this recording last month but haven't been in the mood to listen to it until tonight.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81yFfdYhynL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MU5c14xUL._UF350,350_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on November 06, 2023, 01:53:40 AM
(https://cdn.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/DYN-55674.jpg)

Another of those DVDs I've had forever, but hadn't gotten around to watching:

Gioachino Rossini
Semiramide

Semiramide - Myrtò Papatanasiu
Arsace - Ann Hallenberg
Assur - Josef Wagner
Idreno - Robert McPherson
Oroe - Igor Bakan
Azema - Julianne Gearhart
Mitrane - Eduardo Santamaria
L'Ombra di Nino - Charles Dekeyser
Vlaamse Opera Ghent Chorus and Symphony Orchestra
(chorus master: Yannis Pouspourikas)

Alberto Zedda, conductor

Nigel Lowery, stage director, set and costume designer
Lothar Baumgarte, lighting designer

Recorded at Vlaamse Opera Ghent, January 2011

Very good, but damn! At two minutes under 4 hours, Rossini makes Wagner seem like the soul of brevity!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 06, 2023, 08:44:43 AM
Over the weekend I continued on my journey through Callas's stage roles. Her next new role was Amina in Bellini's La Sonnambula. Rather than go for the !955 Bernstein recording, which was the first time she was singing the role, I plumped this time for the 1957 Köln performance, which followed on from the revival at La Scala and the studio recording, made at the same time with substantially the same cast. As can be heard from the recording, she was in excellent voice and this was obviously one of her great nights in the theatre.

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/callassonnambulacologne-1.jpg)

I hadn't reviewed this set before and have now righted that wrong. Callas sings Amina in Köln, July 1957 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2023/11/05/callas-sings-amina-in-koln-july-1957/)

Her next new role was that of Butterfly, which she sang in Chicago, shortly after recording the opera with Karajan in the studio. As with all her Chicago performances, we have no recording, but the studio set more than makes up for it. One of her greatest recordings.

(https://i.discogs.com/fbFqWSfDTfzzwyBYs_YEHo8Dxme2Xf7B_vhGVvlVPHs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODI1/MDI1LTE1NDI2NjM0/ODgtMTM1Ni5qcGVn.jpeg)

The Callas Karajan Madama Butterfly (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/madama-butterfly/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on November 07, 2023, 02:24:03 PM
(https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music/0b/6d/36/mzi.bkxicmad.jpg/600x600bf-60.jpg)

I had forgotten that I owned this recording.  Spun it as background music this afternoon.  Sure, a live '53 festival recording has the flaws one expects - the orchestra is good but not infallible, some singing in some parts sounds rough - but as a whole, I remember now why I bought it.  Whatever momentary lapses may occur vocally are offset by overall fine singing, and Krauss, one of the greatest ever Straussians, keeps things lighter than some other versions, and he also keeps things moving along at a fast pace.  As with all his Strauss, he knows how to make the tempi sound exactly perfect, as if they should be taken at no other pace.  (He of course works similar magic in Wagner.)  It's not the best ever - that remains for now and for all time Kleiber '79 - but it sure is a splendid rediscovery. 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 11, 2023, 01:22:18 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/91be3bm7phl-_sl1465_.jpg)

Callas started 1956 at La Scala with further performances of Norma, with which she had opened the season and then a revival of the Visconti La Traviata with Gianni Raimondi replacing Di Stefano as Alfredo. She then embarked on her next new role, that of Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, which turned out to be the one flop of her time at La Scala. According to Giulini, who conducted, it was "an artistic mistake, utterly routine, thrown together, with nothing given deep study or preparation," and he was so disheartened that he never again conducted an opera at La Scala. Without a strong hand directing, Callas overplayed the comedy and her Rosina emerged as shrewish rather than minxish. However the studio recording she made the following year in London, also with Gobbi and Alva, is a sparklingly effervescent affair and one of the most recommendable recordings of the opera, despite cuts that were traditional at the time.

Callas's Studio Il Barbiere di Siviglia (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/il-barbiere-di-siviglia/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 13, 2023, 01:53:23 AM
(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn018_l.jpg)

The next new role Callas added to her repertoire was in another resurrected opera that had fallen into obscurity. This is the opera and production that could be said to have put nineteenth century bel canto opera back on the map. There is no doubt this is the performance that ignited the whole bel canto revival and, without it, the careers of Sutherland, Caballé, Sills and Gencer would probably have been very different.

The score is quite heavily cut, but the performance is absolutely thrilling and, when hearing the audience reaction, you would scarcely believe that the vast majority would have been hearing the music for the very first time. It is also one of Callas's very greatest nights in the theatre and she is in splendid voice.

Callas in Anna Bolena- La Scala, Milan April 14 1957 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/06/13/anna-bolena-la-scala-milan-april-14-1957/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 16, 2023, 12:46:21 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/1502891846_9029584454.jpg)

In June 1957 Callas sang her second Gluck role at La Scala. Though they didn't know it at the time, it also turned out to be the last time she worked with Visconti. Though the sound is rather better than the 1954 Alceste, the performance not as good as a whole. Callas herself is in splendid voice, but nobody else, apart from the Diana on Cossotto, is in her class and Sanzogno conducts in soggy style. No doubt a Giulini at the helm would have transformed it. Still, it is good to have another example of Callas's prowess in classical opera.

Callas in Ifigenia in Tauride – La Scala 1957 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2018/01/29/ifigenia-in-tauride-la-scala-1957/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on November 17, 2023, 05:29:43 AM
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/90/53/3760029005390_600.jpg)

The king and his nobles at Versailles had a lot of time on their hands: Roland (Orlando) has a prologue and five acts, filling 3 discs. One of Lully's later operas and one of my favourites.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 19, 2023, 12:40:51 AM
Continuing my journey through Callas's stage roles I come to two of the three roles she sang at La Scala in the 1957/1958 season, which also turned out to be her last full season at the house. The third role that season was a revival of Anna Bolena.

(https://i.discogs.com/zFOjcv95xl9cF1Y2zCV1KjSZYALXRPrb8T2Q78GJAHI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0OTk2/NzYxLTE1ODUyNzg1/MzktNjY5NS5qcGVn.jpeg)

The season opened with a new production of Un Ballo in Maschera by Margherita Wallman, in which Callas was singing Amelia for the first and only time in her career, though she had already recorded it in the studio the previous year. This always comes as something of a surprise because the role would seem tailor made for her gifts and indeed she is in fabulous voice on the recording we have of the opening night. Gavazzeni is a much more propulsive conductor than Votto on the studio recording and the sound is one of the better La Scala broadcasts.

Callas's Two Recordings of Un Ballo in Maschera (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/03/24/callass-two-recordings-of-un-ballo-in-maschera/)

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/1502882448_9029584466.jpg)

After the revival of Anna Bolena, Callas's next new role was yet another rarity that hadn't been heard in many a year, Bellini's Il Pirata. It is unfortunate that none of the La Scala performances were recorded because there she was partnered by Corelli and Bastianini. The recording we have is of a concert performance in New York, which was arranged by the American Opera Society after Bing had cancelled her Met contract. Ferraro and Ego are not in the Corelli or Bastianini class and Callas is not in her best voice. Still, she gives lessons in meaningful phrasing and we are fortunate that we have this recording.

Callas in Il Pirata – Carnegie Hall 1959 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2018/02/27/il-pirata-carnegie-hall-1959/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Todd on November 19, 2023, 02:06:26 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51X7buWUMTL._SX425_SY425_QL70_FMwebp_.jpg)

Had a hankerin' for some sappy, gooey, OTT Puccini.  This hit the spot, as it always does.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 22, 2023, 11:42:03 AM
Will be revisiting the Verdi operas set in Spain (well, probably bits and pieces of them).

Started with Acts IV and V of Don Carlo, in the 1962 recording from La Scala conducted by Gabriele Santini, with a distinguished roster of soloists.

(https://i.discogs.com/e-IbFNfMalk5mcPpb_fvOjfZfkXVTYEZ-MKR4UhXHug/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:522/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMDk1/MjYxLTE1MDk3Njgw/ODgtNTUzNC5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 23, 2023, 01:44:26 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/W_B-yVzKkL_QYn5uIbPiPwwXWRp-V1iJxfL68tCh9mM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyNDYw/OTQwLTE1OTYxMDg3/MDYtNDQ5Ni5qcGVn.jpeg)

Callas returned to La Scala fro the operning of the 1960/1961 season in her last new role in a production which was supposed to be directed by Visconti, but he withdrew in protest after his film Rocco e suoi fratelli had been censored by the Italian authorities. Byt his time the furore that attended every one of Callas's appearances was enormous and her entrance is greatted by a prolomged ovation which actually stops the show.

Callas and Corelli in Poliuto _ La Scala, Milan 1960 (http://tsaraslondon.com/2018/06/02/poliuto-_-la-scala-milan-1960/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 24, 2023, 12:43:52 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/8puq4tlQbZOE6OjU0Mu_zTHbhWWMPnq2DkPGqctOua8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:593/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODA4/ODY2LTE1NDIzNzQ5/MDYtNDc3Ny5qcGVn.jpeg)

Having worked my way through Callas's stage roles, I move on to the four roles she recorded without ever singing them in the theatre, The first of these is Nedda in I Pagliacci, a role that you wouldn't expect to interest her much. Still she makes more of the character than most. Most at that time just played her like a heartless little gutersnip, but Callas paints a picture of a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage to a man evidently prone to violence.

A great recording. Callas as Nedda in Pagliacci (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/i-pagliacci/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 24, 2023, 01:02:36 PM
CD1: Selections from Tristan und Isolde

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41LlelyNCWL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
Jessye Norman's live recording of the Liebestod from Salzburg under Karajan is one of the very greatest renditions of that page, so I had high hopes set on these selections. Well, they have not been met, alas.

I think the main culprit is conductor Kurt Masur, whose conducting is flat and uninteresting or, to to put it plainly, boring! This seems to spill over to the vocal soloists.  Norman appears detached in the Act I excerpts, and the usually magnificent Hanna Schwarz is not in good form. Ian Bostridge (a singer I have never had much appreciation for) is fine as the sailor.

In Act II we get Thomas Moser as an adequate Tristan, and things IMHO improve markedly in the "pure music" of "O sink hernieder Nacht der Liebe", where the complete lack of theatrical thrust in Masur's conducting is not a problem... Let's see how the Liebestod is, but I cannot imagine it improving on the legendary recording under Karajan mentioned above.

Of course it's good to have Norman in this music, but I perfectly understand her denying permission for this to be released.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 25, 2023, 03:31:32 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/thBTtAe20mcm9aezCvgMlCKOxs9wagrmm54p2OM1Y7o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:595/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODMy/OTIzLTE1NDI4MjQ1/MjItMzYwOC5qcGVn.jpeg)

La Bohème was the first staged opera that really started my opera obsession (a wonderful, traditionally staged Glyndebourne Touring Opera production) and this was my first recording of it. Since then of course, I've seen quite a few other stage productions and heard quite a few different recordings, but none has ever moved me quite so much, not even the famed Beecham, nor the Karajan with Freni and Pavarotti. People will tell you that Callas, who never sang the role on stage, was not a natural for the role and maybe they are right. However, such is her magic that she enters fully into the character and at no point do we hear the voice of Norma or Lady Macbeth or Medea. The voice character she adopts for Mimi is absolutely right for the character.

Furthermore the whole cast could harldy be bettered. Rodolfo was one of Di Stefano's best roles and he and Panerai's Marcello play off each other brilliantly, as they do with the other Bohemians, Zaccaria and Spatafora. Moffo is a much warmer voiced Musetta than the sparky soubrettes we often get too. Of course it should have been conducted by Serafin, but Callas was in a funk with him for conducting the La Scala studio Traviata without her and he is totally absent from her 1956 recording schedule. Votto is efficient, no more. Karajan had conducted her recording of Il Trovatore just before this. What a shame he didn't hang around to conduct La Boheme too. Still, this remains my favourite recording of the opera and today it worked its magic again. I was in tears by the end.

Callas in La Boheme (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/la-boheme/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Iota on November 25, 2023, 03:54:53 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 24, 2023, 01:02:36 PMCD1: Selections from Tristan und Isolde

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41LlelyNCWL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
Jessye Norman's live recording of the Liebestod from Salzburg under Karajan is one of the very greatest renditions of that page, so I had high hopes set on these selections. Well, they have not been met, alas.

I think the main culprit is conductor Kurt Masur, whose conducting is flat and uninteresting or, to to put it plainly, boring! This seems to spill over to the vocal soloists.  Norman appears detached in the Act I excerpts, and the usually magnificent Hanna Schwarz is not in good form. Ian Bostridge (a singer I have never had much appreciation for) is fine as the sailor ...

This reminds me I still have a largely unlistened to box of Beethoven symphonies conducted by Masur, which I acquired about twenty years ago. When I first opened it I put on the Fifth and found it undilutedly dull, it put me off him completely for years. That and the Rattle Mahler 5 with the BP were my two biggest ever disappointing purchases. (Something I always wanted to get off my chest, so apologies for my off-topic wanderings.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 26, 2023, 01:42:57 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/IeIA7PtJo3-Bvw_rB67Pa1OApQZ_P30wvMggBG6GK2c/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:592/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODYz/NjIzLTE1NDM0MjAx/MDYtOTY2MC5qcGVn.jpeg)

In the summer of 1957, having just finished recording the role of Turandot, Callas embarked on the third role she recorded without ever singing it on stage. Manon Lescaut is far from being my favourite Puccini (and I much prefer Massenet's operatic version of the L'abbé Prévost novel), and I've always felt that Callas sounds tired after the rigours of recording Turandot, a role she shouldn't have been tackling at that stage in her career, even in the studio.

That said, I really enjoyed listening to this set today.True, there are times when one misses the richer tones of a Tebaldi or a Caballé, but do either of those ladies really begin to give us the character of Manon in all her complexity, her venality and her love of luxury as well as her loveable innocence and naivety? The last act, which is often an anti-climax after the dramatic third act, is here absoluetly riveting and Serafin, who is now back in the pit conducts a thrillingly dramatic version of the score. Di Stefano yet again has a role particularly suited to his gifts and Fioravanti is an excellent Lescaut. Cossotto is a bonus as the ballad singer.

Callas in Manon Lescaut (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/08/manon-lescaut/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 27, 2023, 12:12:29 PM
Another "Spanish" Verdi opera: Il Trovatore.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51a5SN9N9RL.jpg)
Act IV.

I've never cared for this work (or for any of the "Romantic Trilogy"), but Act IV has its moments, such as the Miserere, and the often-omitted "Tu verrai che amore in terra..." (which Ricciarelli does beautifully here). I also like Carreras, and don't really need a more heroic tenor in this rôle.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on November 28, 2023, 01:21:36 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/XqPHhiW7d_wCAUvbDCVNBPFnQBt6IqTkplvNq9XRnxE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:591/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODk0/MTk4LTE1NDQwMTcx/ODQtMTU3MC5qcGVn.jpeg)

The fourth and last role Callas only sang for the gramophone was Carmen and it was probably the only one she seriously considered singing on stage.Both Visconti and Zeffirelli wanted to direct her in it and Sir David Webster was always trying to persuade her to sing it at Covent Garden.

Her Carmen has always been controversial, but I've always found it fascinating. It's one of those performances that is never quite the same each time I hear it. I always hear something new.

The Callas Carmen (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/06/the-callas-carmen/)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on November 29, 2023, 12:55:36 AM
Quote from: ritter on November 27, 2023, 12:12:29 PMAnother "Spanish" Verdi opera: Il Trovatore.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51a5SN9N9RL.jpg)
Act IV.

I've never cared for this work (or for any of the "Romantic Trilogy"), but Act IV has its moments, such as the Miserere, and the often-omitted "Tu verrai che amore in terra..." (which Ricciarelli does beautifully here). I also like Carreras, and don't really need a more heroic tenor in this rôle.

Thanks for the reminder. I've been curious about this recording, but had never heard it, so I gave it a listen via Amazon Music. I like it a lot, but I do love the "Romantic Trilogy", especially Il Trovatore.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on November 29, 2023, 12:00:34 PM
Riccardo Zandonai's last, incomplete opera: Il Bacio.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71FV8So8M3L._SX522_.jpg)
This is a recording of the posthumous world première, on Italian radio in 1954 (I think the work has never again been performed). Francesco Molinari-Pradelli conducts the Milan RAI Orchestra. The best known singer is Lina Pagliughi (who is not the lead, as that would be Rosetta Noli). The tenor is Angelo Lo Forese.

This is a romantic comedy set in ancient, but already Christian Rome. Only Acts I and II were composed, and the kiss that seals the lovers' union and gives the work its title happens at the end of the missing Act III.

Some elegant orchestral and vocal writing, typical of this composer, but no great melodies. It all is very atmospheric, but not really memorable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on November 30, 2023, 06:22:45 AM
Quote from: Todd on November 07, 2023, 02:24:03 PM(https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music/0b/6d/36/mzi.bkxicmad.jpg/600x600bf-60.jpg)

I had forgotten that I owned this recording.  Spun it as background music this afternoon.  Sure, a live '53 festival recording has the flaws one expects - the orchestra is good but not infallible, some singing in some parts sounds rough - but as a whole, I remember now why I bought it.  Whatever momentary lapses may occur vocally are offset by overall fine singing, and Krauss, one of the greatest ever Straussians, keeps things lighter than some other versions, and he also keeps things moving along at a fast pace.  As with all his Strauss, he knows how to make the tempi sound exactly perfect, as if they should be taken at no other pace.  (He of course works similar magic in Wagner.)  It's not the best ever - that remains for now and for all time Kleiber '79 - but it sure is a splendid rediscovery. 
I am giving the same recording a spin.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 02, 2023, 06:52:20 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/81slgnandkl-_sl1500_.jpg)

(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/51nmk20cjwl.jpg)

There is no doubt Callas's voice was on the waning side by the time she recorded these two recital discs, and the second volume finds her in frailer voice than the first, but how brilliantly she gets to the heart of each aria, of each character, though she never sang any of these roles in the theatre. Genius doesn't beging to cover what she was.

Happy Birthday, Maria.

Callas a Paris (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/01/07/callas-a-paris/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on December 04, 2023, 12:56:41 PM
Cross-posted from the WAYL2N thread in the general discussion (this is an opera, after all)..

Quote from: ritter on December 04, 2023, 12:47:55 PMAnother parcel sent by the Stockhausen-Verlag in Kürten was awaiting me when I came home from work this evening... :)

(https://i.discogs.com/QUOFGo5F8BBvWILws0GIwPL7ajhbwmAUfHcUdWnZmDA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:262/w:300/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM2MjAy/MjMtMTMzNzY1MDQ1/OC0xMzM3LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Now listening to Freitags-Gruß. I'm not really into electronic music, but can understand this making a strong effect in performance: 8-track electronic music reproduced over eight loudspeakers (or groups thereof) placed in a circle or oval in the foyer of the theatre, which is lit with candles, while the audience enters.

The central 2 acts of Freitag aus Licht have three layers of music: i) the purely electronic, ii) the prerecorded "sound scenes" of "vocal couples", electronically modulated for the most part, and iii) a layer of 10 "real scenes" (with live performers) that take place between the "sound scenes". Then, in the Abschied, we revert to the purely electronic sounds as the audience leaves the house.

Well, I'm halfway through the Gruß as I write. It lasts more than a hour, but can be "shortened according to the situation" — an opera house with very  efficient and energetic ushers, perhaps?  ;D.  So far, so good...  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on December 07, 2023, 12:11:13 PM
Now returning to my (cursory) traversal of Verdi operas set in Spain.

Act III (which isn't set in Spain, but is my favourite  ;) ) of La Forza del destino.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+PxrW9XNL._SL1050_.jpg)

This 1941 recording conducted by Gino Marinuzzi is probably one of those opera recordings that can be regarded as "legendary" (and it was the first ever of this opera). Galliano Masini (Don Alvaro) was highly regarded in his day. The singing now sounds a bit old-fashioned and unsubtle, but the tone is ardent. Gino Marinuzzi was one of the leading opera conductors of his time in Italy. He conducted the world premieres of many relevant works, and was also a composer of renown. This is his only complete opera recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mapman on December 10, 2023, 10:36:40 AM
Dvořák: Jakobín
National Theatre Brno

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Henk on December 14, 2023, 08:47:04 AM
(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/NU6314.jpg)

Excellent
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on December 14, 2023, 08:50:58 AM
Quote from: Henk on December 14, 2023, 08:47:04 AM(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/NU6314.jpg)

Excellent

Believe it or not, an hour ago I was listening to this:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Rg82IeluL._SL1200_.jpg)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on December 14, 2023, 10:51:43 AM
Crossposting from the WAYLT thread:

Richard Wagner
Das Rheingold

Georg Solti & Wiener Philharmoniker

(https://i.scdn.co/image/89a0ec8de5d11e98cc1d921f39ed93960b185447)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: DavidW on December 14, 2023, 10:59:40 AM
Quote from: Lisztianwagner on December 14, 2023, 10:51:43 AMCrossposting from the WAYLT thread:

Richard Wagner
Das Rheingold

Georg Solti & Wiener Philharmoniker

(https://i.scdn.co/image/89a0ec8de5d11e98cc1d921f39ed93960b185447)

It was same for me!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on December 15, 2023, 02:59:14 AM
Listening to this new arrival...

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61qfR0quOQL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)

Gino Marinuzzi was highly regarded as a conductor in his day, and led the world premieres of operas by Wolf-Ferrari, Alfano, Respighi, Pizzetti and Puccini (La Rondine). Unfortunately, he left only one complete opera recording, a superb La Forza del destino (a wartime EIAR broadcast, released by Cetra).

He was also a composer of note, and his Symphony was regarded by the late critic Paolo Isotta as the greatest in the form composed in Italy in the 20th century (a hyperbolic assertion, but the work is quite attractive and interesting).

This Palla de' Mozzi is the last of his three operas; I already knew his second one, Jacquerie (recorded years ago by the Nuova Era label), but TBH have little recollection of it.

This is an ambitious work, to a libretto by Giovachino Forzano, set in 15th century Florence. I have previously described Marinuzzi's operatic style as "neo-renaissance verismo", and I think this is quite apt. The orchestral writing is post-romantic but also archaising, and rather refined. The vocal lines are more declaimed than anything else (again, a typical post-verismo trait), and the sound world that results is a sort of mixture of Mascagni (that of Parisina and Isabeau) and Zandonai, with Respighi and even Richard Strauss. This amalgam, though, is rather effective and enjoyable.

A very engaging live performance from the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, one of the most adventurous opera houses in Italy! Good stuff!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 15, 2023, 05:16:13 AM
I watched the documentary "Maria by Callas" earlier on in the week, currently on the BBC I-Player:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjNiMDQ3MGMtMDU3Mi00ODQ0LTg4YzktNGFmNGJiMGQ3MjJiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA4NjE0NjEy._V1_.jpg)

Full of TV Archives, interviews in French and English, and read extracts from her own letters.

Considering Callas was nothing more than just an artist name to me only a few months ago, I found this documentary really fascinating. I didn't even know she had been in a relationship with Aristotle Onassis!  :-[ 

Recounting her hounding by the press is quite an insight and displays both her strength of character and her fragility.

My god, how mesmerizing she was  :o Oh and that accent when she speaks French made me weak at the knees, I confess 8)

(I still need to catch up on a 2-part interview programme also on the BBC I-Player)



Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 15, 2023, 05:28:28 AM
Quote from: Papy Oli on December 15, 2023, 05:16:13 AMI watched the documentary "Maria by Callas" earlier on in the week, currently on the BBC I-Player:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjNiMDQ3MGMtMDU3Mi00ODQ0LTg4YzktNGFmNGJiMGQ3MjJiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA4NjE0NjEy._V1_.jpg)

Full of TV Archives, interviews in French and English, and read extracts from her own letters.

Considering Callas was nothing more than just an artist name to me only a few months ago, I found this documentary really fascinating. I didn't even know she had been in a relationship with Aristotle Onassis!  :-[ 

Recounting her hounding by the press is quite an insight and displays both her strength of character and her fragility.

My god, how mesmerizing she was  :o Oh and that accent when she speaks French made me weak at the knees, I confess 8)

(I still need to catch up on a 2-part interview programme also on the BBC I-Player)





The interviews with Lord Harewood are fascinating. They don't really touch on her private life and concentrate on matters musical. She was a complete musician and incredibly serious about her work. That aspect of her work occasionally gets forgotten.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 15, 2023, 05:48:50 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 15, 2023, 05:28:28 AMThe interviews with Lord Harewood are fascinating. They don't really touch on her private life and concentrate on matters musical. She was a complete musician and incredibly serious about her work. That aspect of her work occasionally gets forgotten.

I thought this aspect did come across a few times in the documentary, her aim to perfection in singing and acting, conveying it the best she can to the audience in the opera house, not settling for a shabby production, practising and practising again (particularly when she was trying somehow to regain her voice's past glory so to speak). I look forward to those interviews for it's more artistic angle, thank you.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on December 18, 2023, 11:02:59 AM
Mascagni's short (45') and bittersweet Zanetto. This neo-renaissance mini-opera (originally it was to be subtitled "scena lirica"), for soprano, mezzo and wordless chorus (in the introduction), is no masterpiece, but has its quaint charm.

A live recording from 1986 from Livorno, included in this set.

(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4OTQ0Ni4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwid2VicCI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0Ijoid2VicCJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0Nzk3NDQzNzl9)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on December 18, 2023, 12:35:17 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 15, 2023, 05:28:28 AMThe interviews with Lord Harewood are fascinating. They don't really touch on her private life and concentrate on matters musical. She was a complete musician and incredibly serious about her work. That aspect of her work occasionally gets forgotten.
Quote from: Papy Oli on December 15, 2023, 05:48:50 AMI thought this aspect did come across a few times in the documentary, her aim to perfection in singing and acting, conveying it the best she can to the audience in the opera house, not settling for a shabby production, practising and practising again (particularly when she was trying somehow to regain her voice's past glory so to speak). I look forward to those interviews for it's more artistic angle, thank you.
Those interviews with Lord Harewood are quite interesting.  From what I recall, they are part of a set that I have.  Would be happy to provide the info if anyone is interested (They are on CD).

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 18, 2023, 11:55:14 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/cNATVrb6MamZxVtjoJdjsduxkEnX1w8LJGLQ7jA3nZU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:515/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc4MDUy/NzctMTY2MDk3Mjkx/NS0yODY5LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Recordings of Charpentier's paean to Paris aren't exactly numerous and this recording is now almost fifty years old. Fortunately it does full justice to the work. Though recorded in London the majority of the supporting roles are taken by French nationals and Prêtre conducts a superb performance. If Cotrubas and Domingo don't erase memories of Vallin and Thill, who recorded a considerably truncated version of the opera back in 1935, they are nonetheless excellent in the two main roles and some of the supporting singers could hardly be bettered.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on December 19, 2023, 04:25:03 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on December 18, 2023, 11:55:14 PM(https://i.discogs.com/cNATVrb6MamZxVtjoJdjsduxkEnX1w8LJGLQ7jA3nZU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:515/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc4MDUy/NzctMTY2MDk3Mjkx/NS0yODY5LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Recordings of Charpentier's paean to Paris aren't exactly numerous and this recording is now almost fifty years old. Fortunately it does full justice to the work. Though recorded in London the majority of the supporting roles are taken by French nationals and Prêtre conducts a superb performance. If Cotrubas and Domingo don't erase memories of Vallin and Thill, who recorded a considerably truncated version of the opera back in 1935, they are nonetheless excellent in the two main roles and some of the supporting singers could hardly be bettered.
I remember in my early days of being introduced to opera, this opera was called "the first proletariat opera".

I must watch the DVD that I have one day. (Shameful that I have had it for years but not watched it.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on December 21, 2023, 01:56:22 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/2wZRWbRAxzbKlBgkiQ6efIggYdX1X_VOB0iI5Ehqn8k/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0MDMw/MDI2LTE1NjY0MjAw/OTgtOTczNy5wbmc.jpeg)

Believe it or not, Rutland Boughton's The Immortal Hour was once, in the UK at least, as popular as any opera by Puccini or Verdi, running for 216 consecutive performances in London on 1922 and a further 150 the following year. It was also seen in New York in 1926. However it has rarely been revived since and soon disappeared from the stage.
It is a fairy-tale opera, with a story akin to that of Rusalka, the score owing much to Wagnerian leitmotifs, though it doesn't sound in the least like Wagner. The music is tonal and melodious and there are at least two memorable tunes, which haunt the memory. Though it might never become a repertory work, I think it could take the occasional revival, especially in a festival situation.

The recording is absolutely splendid, the sound rich and glowing, and the singing really very good indeed. All the singers have excellent diction, but the two stand-out performances are Roderick Kennedy as Dalua, The Lord of Shadow and the soprano Anne Dawson as the Princess Etain, whose voice kept reminding me of Janet Baker. The recording was made almost forty years ago. I'm surprised she didn't have a bigger career or make more recordings.

Well worth seeking out.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on December 21, 2023, 02:31:16 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on December 18, 2023, 12:35:17 PMThose interviews with Lord Harewood are quite interesting.  From what I recall, they are part of a set that I have.  Would be happy to provide the info if anyone is interested (They are on CD).

PD

Watching Part One of these interviews at the moment. Fascinating to hear her approach and work method.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on December 23, 2023, 03:51:23 AM
(https://i.postimg.cc/5t0tcC0S/IMG-2573.jpg)
Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore (1991, Brian Large)
The famous MET production. First time listen/watch this morning. Fun! Prime Pavarotti and Battle.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: brewski on December 25, 2023, 10:06:12 AM
R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten (Staatsoper Stuttgart, recorded November 2023)


-Bruce
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on December 29, 2023, 12:27:56 PM
A live recording of Puccini's Manon Lescaut which has acquired almost legendary status (despite the so-so sound), from the Teatro Municipal in Caracas in 1972. Magda Olivero (62 at the time) and Richard Tucker (58) are the very impressive leads, and the performance as a whole functions very well.

(https://www.clicmusique.com/covers/large/0723723562920.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: steve ridgway on December 30, 2023, 12:00:33 AM
Schoenberg: Moses und Aaron

Half way through at the moment 8) .

(https://i.discogs.com/DTjKUP1SlKJcx4KoOS6QUiLHUmhO5bR-isSu-MnI5Po/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwMDAy/NDk2LTE2NDMyODY3/MzctNjgwNC5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: steve ridgway on December 30, 2023, 01:36:26 AM
Quote from: steve ridgway on December 30, 2023, 12:00:33 AMSchoenberg: Moses und Aaron

(https://i.discogs.com/DTjKUP1SlKJcx4KoOS6QUiLHUmhO5bR-isSu-MnI5Po/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwMDAy/NDk2LTE2NDMyODY3/MzctNjgwNC5qcGVn.jpeg)

Crikey, Act II was even better :o .
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 01, 2024, 07:07:03 AM
First listen to Licinio Refice's Cecilia, in this recently released live recording from the enterprising Teatro Lirico di Cagliari.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71uRcKPGbLL._SL1425_.jpg)

Refice was a catholic priest, and this azione sacra is his bet known work. It was premiered to great acclaim in Rome in 1934, with Claudia Muzio in the title rôle (she went on to record the final aria "Grazie, sorelle").

Ralph Moore describes (in MusicWeb-International (https://musicwebinternational.com/2023/08/refice-cecilia-dynamic/)) the composer's style as follows: "This is undoubtedly sensuous music which maintains great dignity and poise". I think this sums it up quite nicely. Certainly good to know this score.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on January 01, 2024, 07:18:52 AM
Marschner: Der Vampyr (Video, Hanover Opera)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: steve ridgway on January 01, 2024, 08:21:05 AM
Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle

Oh, another opera I'm actually enjoying! :o .

(https://i.discogs.com/avDWaubTnWK8A2e47Rr7UUFc24c70Lg4WiNPlXefFvg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwMDAy/NDk2LTE2NDM3MjEy/MjItNDYyNy5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 03, 2024, 07:34:20 AM
Bellini's La Straniera, in its first commercial recording, under Gianfranco Masini and with Lucia Aliberti in the leading rôle.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_792452-T2/images/I/51n492BbJoL.jpg)

This might be one of the lesser-known Bellini operas, but his melodic genius shines through, the music is highly expressive, and it all is a very rewarding listening experience. The performance, live from the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, is excellent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Henk on January 04, 2024, 07:22:54 AM
(https://cdn.hmv.com/r/w-640/hmv/files/e6/e68b1f02-dc79-48d7-9b3f-1f9f1ae258ae.jpg)

Great opera. Feels relevant to our times. Recording is from 2020.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 04, 2024, 12:57:43 PM
Riccardo Zandonai's now almost forgotten take in the Romeo and Juliet story...

(https://i.discogs.com/vyYuLVK2AdTv6mnXjPrO3w_AwS_ZpPvvRybQKYJV9Pk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:519/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNzQ3/ODA0LTE1NjAyNzA0/NzAtNzYzMC5qcGVn.jpeg)

This Giulietta e Romeo is from 1922, i.e. from eight years after the composer's only (more or less) lasting success, Francesca da Rimini. It is a solidly constructed and effective opera, but doesn't seem a very inspired one.  The rich orchestral backdrop is the most striking aspect to my ears.

This is a typical Cetra production from 1961, with a cast that ranges from the obscure (tenor Angelo Lo Forese and baritone Mario Zanasi) to the never-heard-of (soprano Antonietta Mazza Medici and conductor Loris Gavarini).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on January 05, 2024, 02:57:13 AM
I'm not sure when I last 'properly' listened to this work in the abbreviated version conducted by its composer Aaron Copland;

[img=350x350]https://i.discogs.com/mnujqLn2e--Kw0lGiPIaK8K4TkTu0nnbXfAOUAzGKsM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgxODI0/MjItMTQ1NjY3NjQ5/My03NjY5LmdpZg.jpeg[/img]

Yes it is Copland in prime "home-spun-down-on-the-farm" mode yearning for an America that probably never existed but he does that idiom so well and so movingly.  I really enjoyed this version - excellent, idiomatic singers who find the right balance between natural/easy singing and operatic weight.  It has made me want to seek out the full opera now - even if it proves that this single disc contains the best bits!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Ganondorf on January 05, 2024, 05:53:37 AM
A question: did Callas ever sing Minnie from Puccini's Fanciulla del West, either on stage or on Record?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 05, 2024, 07:40:47 AM
Quote from: Ganondorf on January 05, 2024, 05:53:37 AMA question: did Callas ever sing Minnie from Puccini's Fanciulla del West, either on stage or on Record?

No, she never sang a note of it and, to be honest, I can't really imagine her as a gun-toting cowgirl. Callas actually didn't think very highly of Puccini, even Tosca,though she became so famous for the role. In actual fact, though she sang it quite a lot in her early career, she never sang it, nor any other Puccini role, at La Scala, which was her cultural home between the years of 1952 and 1958. Indeed, after making the famous 1953 recording at La Scala, she sang it only rarely (once in Genoa in 1954 and also at her two Met seasons of 1956 and 1958) until it became the vehicle of her return to the stage at Covent Garden in 1964 in the famous Zeffirelli production.

Turandot she sang quite a bit between 1947 and 1949, but dropped it as soon as she could, "because it's not very good for the voice, you know" and Butterfly she sang for one series of performances in Chicago in 1955. She sang Angelica in a student performance in 1940, when she would have been only seventeen, but Mimi and Manon were just studio creations.

Callas was much more of a bel canto and Verdi soprano.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 05, 2024, 10:52:11 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 05, 2024, 07:40:47 AMNo, she never sang a note of it and, to be honest, I can't really imagine her as a gun-toting cowgirl. Callas actually didn't think very highly of Puccini, even Tosca,though she became so famous for the role. In actual fact, though she sang it quite a lot in her early career, she never sang it, nor any other Puccini role, at La Scala, which was her cultural home between the years of 1952 and 1958. Indeed, after making the famous 1953 recording at La Scala, she sang it only rarely (once in Genoa in 1954 and also at her two Met seasons of 1956 and 1958) until it became the vehicle of her return to the stage at Covent Garden in 1964 in the famous Zeffirelli production.

Turandot she sang quite a bit between 1947 and 1949, but dropped it as soon as she could, "because it's not very good for the voice, you know" and Butterfly she sang for one series of performances in Chicago in 1955. She sang Angelica in a student performance in 1940, when she would have been only seventeen, but Mimi and Manon were just studio creations.

Callas was much more of a bel canto and Verdi soprano.


You know have me contemplating an alternate universe in which Callas sang the role of Liu instead of the title role.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 05, 2024, 11:18:18 AM
Quote from: JBS on January 05, 2024, 10:52:11 AMYou know have me contemplating an alternate universe in which Callas sang the role of Liu instead of the title role.

Haha. No way would Callas play seconda donna!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 06, 2024, 06:39:24 AM
Another recent purchase, Pergolesi's delightful Livietta e Tracollo, a comic intermezzo in two parts, written to be interpolated in the opera seria Adriano in Siria. Very eloquent performance, and surprisingly vivid sound for the vintage (1961).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Kz-RytVgL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 08, 2024, 01:32:34 PM
Listening to Act I of Donizetti's La Favorite, in its original French version. Donato Renzetti conducts, and Gloria Scalchi, Luca Canonici and René Massis are the lead singers. Live from the Teatro Donizzetti in Bergamo in 1991.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514jV2V1FiL.jpg)

I'm not the greatest fan of Donizetti, but when Melomania.com in Paris was offering for a pittance this long OOP recording of the (then new) critical edition of one of his major operas —which was not represented in my collection— I pulled the trigger. So far, this is proving enjoyable (I always get the impression that Italian composers of that era tried to outdo themselves when working for Paris). The only caveat so far is the poor French diction of some of the singers and the chorus.

I actually saw La Favorita (i.e. the version translated into Italian) fully staged many years ago in Caracas, in what turned out to be an (unintentionally) hilarious performance. Leonor was Fiorenza Cossotto no less, and her husband Ivo Vinco was also in the cast. Alphonse XI was Pablo Elvira. The problem was that the initially announced tenor fell ill (or defected for some other reason) and the only cover that could find was the then very young Antonio Barasorda, who didn't know the rôle of Fernando well. He therefore sung from the wings, score in hand,  while the stage director (a very thin man, particularly next to Signora Cossotto) mimed the rôle onstage. It all looked like a scene from a Marx Brothers movie.  ;D

But at least I can say I saw Fiorenza Cossotto live  in a major rôle (even if past her prime).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 08, 2024, 01:43:23 PM
Quote from: ritter on January 08, 2024, 01:32:34 PMListening to Act I of Donizetti's La Favorite, in its original French version. Donato Renzetti conducts, and Gloria Scalchi, Luca Canonici and René Massis are the lead singers. Live from the Teatro Donizzetti in Bergamo in 1991.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514jV2V1FiL.jpg)

I'm not the greatest fan of Donizetti, but when Melomania.com in Paris was offering for a pittance this long OOP recording of the (then new) critical edition of one of his major operas —which was not represented in my collection— I pulled the trigger. So far, this is proving enjoyable (I always get the impression that Italian composers of that era tried to outdo themselves when working for Paris). The only caveat so far is the poor French diction of some of the singers and the chorus.

I actually saw La Favorita (i.e. the version translated into Italian) fully staged many years ago in Caracas, in what turned out to be an (unintentionally) hilarious performance. Leonor was Fiorenza Cossotto no less, and her husband Ivo Vinco was also in the cast. Alphonse XI was Pablo Elvira. The problem was that the initially announced tenor fell ill (or defected for some other reason) and the only cover that could find was the then very young Antonio Barasorda, who didn't know the rôle of Fernando well. He therefore sung from the wings, score in hand,  while the stage director (a very thin man, particularly next to Signora Cossotto) mimed the rôle onstage. It all looked like a scene from a Marx Brothers movie.  ;D

But at least I can say I saw Fiorenza Cossotto live  in a major rôle (even if past her prime).


My own single encounter with La Favorita was almost as bad, but with no humor to lighten it:
A MET touring production which had been put on with Pavarotti: but he cancelled and James Alexander substituted. That was depressing, but what killed the experience was the prima donna. I don't remember her name (only that it was Slavic) but I do remember that she was a very big lady, possibly cast to match Pavarotti's bulk, who insisted on standing front and center downstage as often as possible, even when it meant Alexander was hidden from view behind her. Her singing was not bad, but it wasn't enough to keep her from becoming a bore by the end of Act I.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on January 09, 2024, 12:10:22 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 08, 2024, 01:32:34 PMListening to Act I of Donizetti's La Favorite, in its original French version. Donato Renzetti conducts, and Gloria Scalchi, Luca Canonici and René Massis are the lead singers. Live from the Teatro Donizzetti in Bergamo in 1991.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514jV2V1FiL.jpg)

I'm not the greatest fan of Donizetti, but when Melomania.com in Paris was offering for a pittance this long OOP recording of the (then new) critical edition of one of his major operas —which was not represented in my collection— I pulled the trigger. So far, this is proving enjoyable (I always get the impression that Italian composers of that era tried to outdo themselves when working for Paris). The only caveat so far is the poor French diction of some of the singers and the chorus.

I actually saw La Favorita (i.e. the version translated into Italian) fully staged many years ago in Caracas, in what turned out to be an (unintentionally) hilarious performance. Leonor was Fiorenza Cossotto no less, and her husband Ivo Vinco was also in the cast. Alphonse XI was Pablo Elvira. The problem was that the initially announced tenor fell ill (or defected for some other reason) and the only cover that could find was the then very young Antonio Barasorda, who didn't know the rôle of Fernando well. He therefore sung from the wings, score in hand,  while the stage director (a very thin man, particularly next to Signora Cossotto) mimed the rôle onstage. It all looked like a scene from a Marx Brothers movie.  ;D

But at least I can say I saw Fiorenza Cossotto live  in a major rôle (even if past her prime).


Haha! This is hilarious!

La Favorita is my favorite Donizetti opera. The recording I have is in Italian (as most are, I am sure), with Alfredo Kraus.

Opera in French sung by non-French cast is always a problem. Let's face it, nobody who's not French can sing in French!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on January 09, 2024, 12:28:31 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 08, 2024, 01:32:34 PMListening to Act I of Donizetti's La Favorite, in its original French version. Donato Renzetti conducts, and Gloria Scalchi, Luca Canonici and René Massis are the lead singers. Live from the Teatro Donizzetti in Bergamo in 1991.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514jV2V1FiL.jpg)

I'm not the greatest fan of Donizetti, but when Melomania.com in Paris was offering for a pittance this long OOP recording of the (then new) critical edition of one of his major operas —which was not represented in my collection— I pulled the trigger. So far, this is proving enjoyable (I always get the impression that Italian composers of that era tried to outdo themselves when working for Paris). The only caveat so far is the poor French diction of some of the singers and the chorus.

I actually saw La Favorita (i.e. the version translated into Italian) fully staged many years ago in Caracas, in what turned out to be an (unintentionally) hilarious performance. Leonor was Fiorenza Cossotto no less, and her husband Ivo Vinco was also in the cast. Alphonse XI was Pablo Elvira. The problem was that the initially announced tenor fell ill (or defected for some other reason) and the only cover that could find was the then very young Antonio Barasorda, who didn't know the rôle of Fernando well. He therefore sung from the wings, score in hand,  while the stage director (a very thin man, particularly next to Signora Cossotto) mimed the rôle onstage. It all looked like a scene from a Marx Brothers movie.  ;D

But at least I can say I saw Fiorenza Cossotto live  in a major rôle (even if past her prime).


Back in 1984/5 when I was playing for an Italian opera house we did Saint-Saens Samson et Dalila with Cossotto in her vocal pomp playing the title roll.  She was utterly astounding.  One of my career all-time highlights....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 09, 2024, 01:42:41 AM
Quote from: JBS on January 08, 2024, 01:43:23 PMMy own single encounter with La Favorita was almost as bad, but with no humor to lighten it:
A MET touring production which had been put on with Pavarotti: but he cancelled and James Alexander substituted. That was depressing, but what killed the experience was the prima donna. I don't remember her name (only that it was Slavic) but I do remember that she was a very big lady, possibly cast to match Pavarotti's bulk, who insisted on standing front and center downstage as often as possible, even when it meant Alexander was hidden from view behind her. Her singing was not bad, but it wasn't enough to keep her from becoming a bore by the end of Act I.

It's John (not James) Alexander. Checking the Met database, the Leonora for all tour performances was Bianca Berini, who's Italian, not Slavic.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 09, 2024, 01:54:14 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 08, 2024, 01:32:34 PMListening to Act I of Donizetti's La Favorite, in its original French version. Donato Renzetti conducts, and Gloria Scalchi, Luca Canonici and René Massis are the lead singers. Live from the Teatro Donizzetti in Bergamo in 1991.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514jV2V1FiL.jpg)

I'm not the greatest fan of Donizetti, but when Melomania.com in Paris was offering for a pittance this long OOP recording of the (then new) critical edition of one of his major operas —which was not represented in my collection— I pulled the trigger. So far, this is proving enjoyable (I always get the impression that Italian composers of that era tried to outdo themselves when working for Paris). The only caveat so far is the poor French diction of some of the singers and the chorus.

I actually saw La Favorita (i.e. the version translated into Italian) fully staged many years ago in Caracas, in what turned out to be an (unintentionally) hilarious performance. Leonor was Fiorenza Cossotto no less, and her husband Ivo Vinco was also in the cast. Alphonse XI was Pablo Elvira. The problem was that the initially announced tenor fell ill (or defected for some other reason) and the only cover that could find was the then very young Antonio Barasorda, who didn't know the rôle of Fernando well. He therefore sung from the wings, score in hand,  while the stage director (a very thin man, particularly next to Signora Cossotto) mimed the rôle onstage. It all looked like a scene from a Marx Brothers movie.  ;D

But at least I can say I saw Fiorenza Cossotto live  in a major rôle (even if past her prime).


Hilarious!  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 09, 2024, 02:00:18 AM
Quote from: springrite on January 09, 2024, 12:10:22 AMLet's face it, nobody who's not French can sing in French!

Nicolai Gedda.

Pavarotti (yes, he!) in La fille du regiment, where his French diction mops the floor with Sutherlands'.

Peter-Christoph Runge in Auber's Manon Lescaut (much better diction than Mady Mesple's, which is virtually unintelligible, go figure!)


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on January 09, 2024, 02:19:58 AM
Quote from: Florestan on January 09, 2024, 02:00:18 AMNicolai Gedda.

Pavarotti (yes, he!) in La fille du regiment, where his French diction mops the floor with Sutherlands'.

Peter-Christoph Runge in Auber's Manon Lescaut (much better diction than Mady Mesple's, which is virtually unintelligible, go figure!)



Yes, I have Gedda in several French operas!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 09, 2024, 07:40:48 AM
Quote from: Florestan on January 09, 2024, 02:00:18 AMNicolai Gedda.

Pavarotti (yes, he!) in La fille du regiment, where his French diction mops the floor with Sutherlands'.

Peter-Christoph Runge in Auber's Manon Lescaut (much better diction than Mady Mesple's, which is virtually unintelligible, go figure!)




I always think Pavarotti's diction is so good you can hear just how bad his French pronunciation is.  >:D

Callas sang wonderfully in French. According to Walter Legge, she was the original choice for the Beecham Carmen, but she turned it down, "because my French isn't good enough yet." She later became fluent in the language, of course.

A few other non-French singers, who sang French well:

Janet Baker
Frederica Von Stade
Alfredo Kraus
José Carreras
Victoria De Los Angeles

and a couple who most certainly didn't:

Franco Corelli
Boris Christoff
The already mentioned Joan Sutherland
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 09, 2024, 07:45:42 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 09, 2024, 07:40:48 AMThe already mentioned Joan Sutherland

Her Italian was not much better than her French.  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 09, 2024, 07:54:32 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 09, 2024, 07:40:48 AM...

A few other non-French singers, who sang French well:

Janet Baker
Frederica Von Stade
Alfredo Kraus
José Carreras
Victoria De Los Angeles

...

Indeed. And Bidú Sayão, whose French was impeccable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 09, 2024, 08:04:02 AM
Anne Sofie von Otter's French is quite good, too, at least in Offenbach's Barcarolle.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Cato on January 09, 2024, 08:46:46 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 09, 2024, 07:40:48 AMI always think Pavarotti's diction is so good you can hear just how bad his French pronunciation is.  >:D .

A few other non-French singers, who sang French well:

...

and a couple who most certainly didn't:

Franco Corelli



Wonderful voices of course, but...

Although as somebody said once: "It's French!  How could anyone tell if the pronunciation is good or not?!"   ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 09, 2024, 10:06:31 AM
Quote from: Florestan on January 09, 2024, 07:45:42 AMHer Italian was not much better than her French.  ;D


Nor her English. I remember once playing her Christmas album to my partner (not an opera fan) and he asked in all seriousness "What language is she singing in?" It was supposed to be English.  :o
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on January 10, 2024, 08:50:44 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 09, 2024, 07:40:48 AMI always think Pavarotti's diction is so good you can hear just how bad his French pronunciation is.  >:D

Callas sang wonderfully in French. According to Walter Legge, she was the original choice for the Beecham Carmen, but she turned it down, "because my French isn't good enough yet." She later became fluent in the language, of course.

A few other non-French singers, who sang French well:

Janet Baker
Frederica Von Stade
Alfredo Kraus
José Carreras
Victoria De Los Angeles




Also, Felicity Lott!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 10, 2024, 08:56:56 AM
And Tassis Christoyannis.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 10, 2024, 09:34:05 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on January 10, 2024, 08:50:44 AMAlso, Felicity Lott!

And Valerie Masterson, who was a great favourite in France, as of course were both Mary Garden and Maggie Teyte, who were both chosen by Debussy for his Mélisande.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 10, 2024, 09:39:43 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 08, 2024, 01:32:34 PM...
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514jV2V1FiL.jpg)
...
Act II this evening...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 11, 2024, 06:09:07 AM
And now, a delightful intermezzo, Pergolesi's La Serva padrona, in a classic and IMHO very engaging recording from 1960, with Renata Scotto (then only 26 years old, but with quite a few successes behind her already) and Sesto Bruscantini, under the baton of Renato Fasano.

(https://i.discogs.com/LbzeMPx5bYhC3zTI7q_0hz8BJTDUYZKYaY7RQz7g3_k/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg0MzQz/NjUtMTQ5MjA5NjE4/MC0xNjk1LmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on January 11, 2024, 06:42:00 AM
Quote from: ritter on January 11, 2024, 06:09:07 AMAnd now, a delightful intermezzo, Pergolesi's La Serva padrona, in a classic and IMHO very engaging recording from 1960, with Renata Scotto (then only 26 years old, but with quite a few successes behind her already) and Sesto Bruscantini, under the baton of Renato Fasano.

(https://i.discogs.com/LbzeMPx5bYhC3zTI7q_0hz8BJTDUYZKYaY7RQz7g3_k/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTg0MzQz/NjUtMTQ5MjA5NjE4/MC0xNjk1LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Classic indeed.  8)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on January 15, 2024, 10:20:17 AM
(https://operadepot.com/cdn/shop/products/10119-3front_large.jpeg?v=1478281970)
Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffmann Wilden, Sutherland, Meyers, Tourangeau, Connell; Bonynge, Sydney, 1974
This recorded live radio telecast has had me riveted since I hit play. I must get my own copy not only to hear one of the best sopranos of the 20th century sings all four heroin roles but the entire production, including a stunning performance by tenor, Henri Wilden, is superlative. Nice Sunday treat, in any event.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 17, 2024, 10:44:47 AM
Francesca da Rimini, by Riccardo Zandonai, in its first ever recording (from 1952).

(https://i.discogs.com/Onwo2b9sxtvu6bwaKjqtapsz6OPuBdhr5u7svg60igo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:521/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNzQ3/NjUzLTE1NjAyNjc4/MDAtNTEwNi5qcGVn.jpeg)

IMHO, this is one of the most interesting operas from Italy in the early 20th century. The libretto (by Tito Ricordi, from Dante via D'Annunzio) is rather exalted, but works very well, and the music has some really magnificent moments (the long love duet in Act III standing out).

The performance is a delight. Maria Caniglia as Francesca is caught towards the end of her illustrious career, and displays some strain at the top, but is a very solid singer. Giacinto Prandelli might be a touch light for the rôle of Paolo il bello, but is a refined and very elegant tenor.

But this is Antonio Guanieri's show; he was a highly regarded conductor in Italy in the first half of the 20th century, but this seems to be his only complete opera recording. He makes the most of the superb orchestration, and leads a vigorous performance. Great stuff!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on January 17, 2024, 12:55:25 PM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/81nx7ewddnl._ac_sl1500_.jpg)

A sonically splendid recording that can't compete with ghosts from the past.

My latest review on Musicweb International (https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/01/puccini-tosca-pentatone-2/) and on my own site (http://tsaraslondon.com/2023/12/11/a-sonically-splendid-new-recording-of-tosca-cant-compete-with-ghosts-from-the-past/).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on January 20, 2024, 11:05:20 PM
Three consecutive nights of opera (and one of ballet) in Vienna recently: La Fanciulla del West, I vespri siciliani and Don Giovanni.

La Fanciulla was given in the Marco Arturo Marelli's production with the hot-air ballon in the end: succinct, unobtrusive, successful. I have the Blu-ray with Stemme, Kaufmann and Konieczny; what we saw last Friday (with Malin Byström, Yonghoon Lee and Roberto Frontali) was better sung and played (conducted by Carlo Rizzi). The orchestra was magnificently alert to all the colours that Puccini created in this most wondrous score of his. One can hear in many places premonitions of Korngold. It's the kind of music that lifts a work up to heights where even things like "whisky per tutti!" don't register as ridiculous. A tremendous success.

Don Giovanni was given in the Barrie Kosky production with a desolate rock landscape present throughout and occasional additions and subtractions of decor as suggested by the plot. Extraneous regie nonsense was kept to a minimum here, as well, and emphasis was appropriately given to the psychological states and relationships of the protagonists. Donna Anna was particularly impressive, Don Giovanni imposingly forceful and sardonic, Leporello, by directorial demand, very buffo, everyone else excellent vocally and interpretatively; Masetto sometimes a tad lower in volume than the others, but such a superb voice.Excellently sung by all:
Don Giovanni - Christian Van Horn
Commendatore - Antonio Di Matteo
Donna Anna - Slávka Zámečníková
Don Ottavio - Bogdan Volkov
Donna Elvira - Federica Lombardi
Leporello - Peter Kellner
Zerlina - Patricia Nolz
Masetto - Martin Häßler
The latent directorial weirdness was thankfully kept to an inconsequential minimum (who knows why there was a pool of water in the cemetery and why did Leporello have to dive into it) and the orchestra was colourful, alert and very appropriately Mozartian - conductor Philippe Jordan was also in charge of the accompaniment in the recitatives, injecting the very theatrically-minded dialogue with minimal fortepiano.

I vespri siciliani, not a favourite work,was also beautifully sung and conducted, the production being by Herbert Wernicke. An imposing black staircase inhabited the whole stage and everything happened on it; costumes were obviously designed to draw attention in antithesis to it, sometimes in startling effect. Again, excellently sung and performed.
Guido di Monforte - Igor Golovatenko
Arrigo - John Osborn
Giovanni da Procida - Erwin Schrott
Herzogin Elena - Rachel Willis-Sørensen
Sire di Béthune - Simonas Strazdas
Conte Vaudemont - Hans Peter Kammerer
Ninetta - Szilvia Vörös
Danieli - Norbert Ernst
Tebaldo - Ted Black
Roberto - Michael Arivony

The ballet was Martin Schläpfer's version of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty (Dornröschen in German), conducted by Patrick Lange. Musically, the very interesting fact about this production was the additional use of music by Toshio Hosokawa in the beginning of the second act (a very atmospheric Ferne Landschaft II). Choreography was by Schläpfer and Petipa. Another very successful evening.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 21, 2024, 02:47:03 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on January 20, 2024, 11:05:20 PMI vespri siciliani, not a favourite work,was also beautifully sung and conducted, the production being by Herbert Wernicke. An imposing black staircase inhabited the whole stage and everything happened on it;

That black staircase reminded me of John Dexter's 1974 Met production, originally staged at English National Opera, IIRC.

Wernicke:
Vespri_Siciliani_39612_a50a918d8b.jpg

Dexter:

vespri met.jpg
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 21, 2024, 05:38:16 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on January 20, 2024, 11:05:20 PMThree consecutive nights of opera (and one of ballet) in Vienna recently: La Fanciulla del West, I vespri siciliani and Don Giovanni.

...
Great stuff, Tassos! Sounds like a wonderful balleto-operatic week in Vienna.  :)

THREAD DUTY:

Listening to what IMHO is a superb recording of Il Trovatore.

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xWvvzzSHwubU2phBhbgdbrVA57N2vBs7ow4w89n0iSR6NASuiQ-VIr1OswcGNarDYw14cqMOCsWXGPtZ-vCh7gKnZQQitJOlRAawJUBy1nUbiVS0q7iBM4h6PyZityvAkpXMRbq0cCkHLJq-5Ct2k-23YVIu96lBV8nJ_kPz9AB1ze6unzZ4-yRJ3O2w/s1411/Il%20Trovatore%20Serafin%20Bergonzi%20Stella%20Bastianini%20Cossotto%20Flac.jpg)

Bergonzi sings beautifully in the title rôle. Some critics say he didn't have sufficient heft in his voice for Manrico, but I think his delivery is superb. Stella is also very good, even if perhaps a bit anonymous. Cossotto sounds too young for Azucena, but is a force of nature. And Bastianini shows the great Verdian baritone he was (even if not the most nuanced one). All principals performed their roles onstage at La Scala in the years around 1962, when this recording was made, and a true theatrical sense can be felt in each bar.

I must admit that Il Trovatore is a most effective opera, in that the ludicrousness of the plot is matched perfectly by the vulgarity of the music. This adds up to something rather exciting...

I'm listening to this because I am reading this book on conductor Tullio Serafin (who leads the score with real theatrical brio):

(https://www.libraccio.it/images/9788899619268_0_500_0_75.jpg)

What has intrigued me is that Serafin, after having served as artistic director of La Scala in 1946-47, never conducted at the theatre again until his death in 1967 (although he did make many recordings with the forces of the Milan opera house). Let's see if this book explains why.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on January 21, 2024, 08:07:44 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/CCrCr9xPYgtD02AGfREzjH_V7IdAYEuFweR9_K_NOyo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1ODY2/NjE2LTE1OTkyNDA3/MzItMzA4OS5qcGVn.jpeg)
(Mostly) Mozart L'Oca Del Cairo / Lo Sposo Deluso (1991, Philips) Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/mozart-loca-del-cairo-lo-sposo-deluso/1469546169)

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Mapman on January 21, 2024, 01:16:39 PM
Beethoven: Leonore
Blomstedt, et al.:  Staatskapelle Dresden

Acts 1 and 2 so far. It's been a while since I've seen Fidelio, so I'm not noticing the differences. (When I listen to Fidelio again, maybe I'll have more to say about the revisions.) I'm looking forward to Act 3 after dinner.

(https://i.discogs.com/qi_CC1isf5p-evTTQvrrcWOGMJZycsFDxxbvfQM-GG0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:594/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwMjU4/NzY5LTE1NzUyMjM1/NjQtNzcyNy5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on January 21, 2024, 01:59:34 PM
Quote from: Mapman on January 21, 2024, 01:16:39 PMBeethoven: Leonore
Blomstedt, et al.:  Staatskapelle Dresden

Acts 1 and 2 so far. It's been a while since I've seen Fidelio, so I'm not noticing the differences.
(https://i.discogs.com/qi_CC1isf5p-evTTQvrrcWOGMJZycsFDxxbvfQM-GG0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:594/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwMjU4/NzY5LTE1NzUyMjM1/NjQtNzcyNy5qcGVn.jpeg)

It's been a while since I've listened to that Leonore, but the differences I recall off the top of my head:

Different overture, I forget which of the Leonore overtures are used. I know it's #1 or #2, not #3.
After the overture, Marzelline's aria comes first, then her duet with Jacquino, in Fidelio it's the other way around.
Leonore's big aria is more florid than in Fidelio.
It is in three acts, as you mention. Fidelio only has two.

One oddity in the libretto is that in the final scene of the opera, the crowd wants Pizarro thrown in the dungeon for the same amount of time Florestan was. Florestan and Leonore argue for a more merciful punishment since he "was only doing his duty". WTF? Keeping Florestan a secret prisoner, and attempting to murder him is his duty?? Why don't they just set Pizzaro free, and kill Florestan, in that case?

I may give that Leonore another listen tomorrow.

My own watching today of the DVD of San Francisco Opera's 2012 performance of Heggie's Moby-Dick, with Jay Hunter Morris, Stephen Costello, Morgan Smith, Jonathan Lemalu, and Talise Trevigne, conducted by Patrick Summers. I liked it a lot. I've been meaning to get the DVD for a while, but finally did. Wish I hadn't waited.

Edit: I pulled out the Leonore, to give it a listen today, and the track list reminds me of two further changes, numbers deleted in Fidelio: A trio for Mazelline, Jacquino, and Rocco before the canon quartet and a duet for Marzelinne and "Fidelio" between the Rocco-Pizarro duet and Leonore's scena.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on January 28, 2024, 07:55:21 AM
Recent operatic listening remains focused on vintage Cetra recordings from more than 70 years ago (with, on this occasion, the great Giuseppe Taddei in the title roles).

(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Dec04/504671048-2_GianniSchicchi72.jpg)

AFAIK, this was the first studio recording of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (it's from 1949). Only the names of Taddei and of Fernando Corena (as Simone) and Franco Calabrese (as Spinelloccio) are not completely forgotten today. And yet, this recording is a delight, as it works perfectly as an ensemble effort.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41P3KxAsQkL.jpg)

Very well conducted by Fernando Previtali, this 1950 recording of The Barber of Seville another winner. Taddei is a great Figaro, Giulietta Simionato a wonderful Rosina, but the real revelation is the hitherto unknown to me Luigi Infantino, a very convincing tenore di grazia, who sings Count Almaviva with the required nimbleness but also with robust and virile tone.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on January 29, 2024, 01:14:01 PM
Crossposting from the WAYLTN thread:

Richard Wagner
Das Rheingold

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81FN4ZmnahL._SX522_.jpg)

Absolutely ecstatic music and absolutely marvelous performance; I'm not sure I'll be able to finish the entire opera, but I'll listen to that as much as I can.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on January 29, 2024, 01:35:01 PM
Quote from: ritter on January 28, 2024, 07:55:21 AMRecent operatic listening remains focused on vintage Cetra recordings from more than 70 years ago (with, on this occasion, the great Giuseppe Taddei in the title roles).

(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Dec04/504671048-2_GianniSchicchi72.jpg)

AFAIK, this was the first studio recording of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (it's from 1949). Only the names of Taddei and of Fernando Corena (as Simone) and Franco Calabrese (as Spinelloccio) are not completely forgotten today. And yet, this recording is a delight, as it works perfectly as an ensemble effort.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41P3KxAsQkL.jpg)

Very well conducted by Fernando Previtali, this 1950 recording of The Barber of Seville another winner. Taddei is a great Figaro, Giulietta Simionato a wonderful Rosina, but the real revelation is the hitherto unknown to me Luigi Infantino, a very convincing tenore di grazia, who sings Count Almaviva with the required nimbleness but also with robust and virile tone.


Simionato was my first Rosina, via an budget LP issue of this
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/51xfOtiDX9L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

BTW, Amazon has this cover for your recording:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/41hsG58DcCL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on January 30, 2024, 11:38:51 AM
Crossposting from the WAYLTN thread:

Richard Wagner
Parsifal

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71kMAqYJRYS._AC_SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 01, 2024, 04:58:24 AM
Stuck at home with a bad cold  :( , a Neapolitan opera buffa seemed like a good idea.

Valentino Fioravanti: Le cantatrici villane ("The Rustic Singers").

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/611378QWDPL.jpg)

This 1951 recording seems to be heavily cut, as —despite including lots of spoken dialogue— it lasts only about an hour, while a later one on the Bongiovanni label takes more than double that. Be that as it may, it's delightful and a good ensemble performance.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: pjme on February 01, 2024, 05:08:10 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 01, 2024, 04:58:24 AMStuck at home with a bad cold
Like the rest of Europe!  :'(
The paper handkerchief industry is doing great business....Time for some comforting music (even if I'm still in awe after listening (and seeing) Die Soldaten)

I may try some Puccini later  ;)

(https://i.discogs.com/1zE1hcyYdrIYPl-fbl9NZA_g5p4-XOSaj0A_X-RMwpg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:591/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1Mjgx/ODExLTE1ODkxMzU4/NTktOTQ5My5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on February 01, 2024, 06:12:32 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 01, 2024, 04:58:24 AMStuck at home with a bad cold  :( , a Neapolitan opera buffa seemed like a good idea.

Valentino Fioravanti: Le cantatrici villane ("The Rustic Singers").

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/611378QWDPL.jpg)

This 1951 recording seems to be heavily cut, as —despite including lots of spoken dialogue— it lasts only about an hour, while a later one on the Bongiovanni label takes more than double that. Be that as it may, it's delightful and a good ensemble performance.


I haven't heard of that composer before now!  Glad that you enjoyed it.

Hope that you feel better soon.

Quote from: pjme on February 01, 2024, 05:08:10 AMLike the rest of Europe!  :'(
The paper handkerchief industry is doing great business....Time for some comforting music (even if I'm still in awe after listening (and seeing) Die Soldaten)

I may try some Puccini later  ;)

(https://i.discogs.com/1zE1hcyYdrIYPl-fbl9NZA_g5p4-XOSaj0A_X-RMwpg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:591/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1Mjgx/ODExLTE1ODkxMzU4/NTktOTQ5My5qcGVn.jpeg)
Puccini sounds like a great idea!

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 01, 2024, 08:06:41 AM
Quote from: pjme on February 01, 2024, 05:08:10 AMLike the rest of Europe!  :'(

Yeah, I too have nasal congestion, sore throat and watery eyes. Two sneezes in a row every 10 minutes or so. :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on February 01, 2024, 01:08:58 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/81fwF1hjz4L._SL1500_.jpg)
Richard Wagner Die Walküre The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra/Chorus James Levine (1988, DG)
Behrens, Norman, Ludwig, Lakes, Morris, Moll
I picked up the DG CD recording today but was glad to see that someone upload a serviceable copy of the  1990 Met production.

(https://pixhost.icu/avaxhome/0c/84/0030840c.jpeg)
(1990, Brian Large)
It's, of course, the second part of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle, where two mortal strangers meet, pulled together by Wotan, king of the gods, until a decree from his wife forces his Valkyrie daughter Brünnhilde to step in and try to save the mortals.

I agree with many that James Morris' Wotan is the superlative draw and that Jessye Norman as Brunnhilde might have made a more dynamic impression than Behrens but it remains a signature recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on February 02, 2024, 03:14:33 AM
This received a rave review on MusicWeb very recently;

(https://www.classicalexplorer.com/content/images/2022/12/XMasEve.jpeg)

I saw the opera when it was staged at English National Opera over 40 years ago and the memory of it as a genuine delight remains.  By chance Chandos' website is doing a winter sale which includes all the Naxos at 60% off.  By what I assume is a glitch this performance is available as a FLAC download complete for just £2.30.  Only just started listening but my impression is that the enthusiastic review is well deserved.  Do have a listen if you like fairytale operas - its a gem!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 02, 2024, 08:17:34 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 02, 2024, 03:14:33 AMThis received a rave review on MusicWeb very recently;

(https://www.classicalexplorer.com/content/images/2022/12/XMasEve.jpeg)

I saw the opera when it was staged at English National Opera over 40 years ago and the memory of it as a genuine delight remains.  By chance Chandos' website is doing a winter sale which includes all the Naxos at 60% off.  By what I assume is a glitch this performance is available as a FLAC download complete for just £2.30.  Only just started listening but my impression is that the enthusiastic review is well deserved.  Do have a listen if you like fairytale operas - its a gem!

I saw that ENO production too. I remember it as being absolutely gorgeous. Must say I'm considering this recording.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: springrite on February 02, 2024, 08:27:33 AM
Quote from: ando on January 21, 2024, 08:07:44 AM(https://i.discogs.com/CCrCr9xPYgtD02AGfREzjH_V7IdAYEuFweR9_K_NOyo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1ODY2/NjE2LTE1OTkyNDA3/MzItMzA4OS5qcGVn.jpeg)
(Mostly) Mozart L'Oca Del Cairo / Lo Sposo Deluso (1991, Philips) Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/mozart-loca-del-cairo-lo-sposo-deluso/1469546169)


These early (or not so early) little operas from Mozart are all cute little gems!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 04, 2024, 07:02:58 AM
This 1973 live recording of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, from La Fenice in Venice.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81VXT9l8-HL._SL1500_.jpg)

The sound is much better than that of most of these Mondo Musica releases (which AFAIK were made to financially support the rebuilding of La Fenice after the 1996 fire that had completely destroyed it). As could be expected, that great man of the theatre and Donizetti specialist (and countryman) Gianandrea Gavazzeni leads a taut performance, full of vigour and colour. Renato Bruson is an elegant Enrico, while tenor Umberto Grilli doesn't really impress as Edgardo (although he sings the rôle correctly).

As for the lead, I'm afraid that even if Renata Scotto sings very well, I'm not convinced she has the right voice for Lucia. I recently listened to her in recordings of Pergolesi's La Serva padrona and Verdi's La Traviata, and she was superb in both (even for someone like me who's no great fan of the Verdi piece). But in Lucia, I miss the darker inflections Callas (or Sutherland) provide the music with. Here, Scotto's "cleaner" tone turns the mad scene into a display of vocal pyrotechnics, and not much more. But it is very well sung, no doubt about that.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on February 04, 2024, 12:14:33 PM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 02, 2024, 03:14:33 AMThis received a rave review on MusicWeb very recently;

(https://www.classicalexplorer.com/content/images/2022/12/XMasEve.jpeg)

I saw the opera when it was staged at English National Opera over 40 years ago and the memory of it as a genuine delight remains.  By chance Chandos' website is doing a winter sale which includes all the Naxos at 60% off.  By what I assume is a glitch this performance is available as a FLAC download complete for just £2.30.  Only just started listening but my impression is that the enthusiastic review is well deserved.  Do have a listen if you like fairytale operas - its a gem!
I haven't heard of that one before; however, I have enjoyed recordings of other works of his (with Neemi Jarvi on Chandos) that I've found to be quite lovely and striking...trying to find a pic of this 2-CD set, but can't and am currently feeling lazy about going upstairs.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 05, 2024, 01:13:41 AM
According to Amazon, I've had this since 2016 but only got around to watching it in full yesterday. A bit oratorio-like at times (I did doze off once), but when it's good, it's very, very good.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on February 07, 2024, 10:35:09 AM
(https://i.postimg.cc/4dcWk2Wg/IMG-3487.png)
Rossini: Otello (1988, Ilio Catani, Rossini Opera Festival)

Chris Merritt
Otello
June Anderson
Desdemona
Giorgio Surjan
Elmiro
Rockwell Blake
Rodrigo
Ezio Di Cesare
Jago
Raquel Pierotti
Emilia
Eugenio Favano
Lucio
Francesco Piccoli
Doge
Enrico Facini
Gondoliere
John Pritchard
Conductor
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 10, 2024, 12:16:03 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/kJb-2iBupnEw7nPuHs-gZqsv9ylJJO4rFlHizy0pnuk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:523/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMTAw/MDU3LTE1MDk4NDUx/NTAtOTA3OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

Those were the days! Not a weak link in the cast. I seriously doubt whether any company these days could field such a wonderful cast, least of all the present English National Opera.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 10, 2024, 05:14:34 AM
Puccini in operetta mode...

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T3/images/I/81ViAvnHlWL._SL1500_.jpg)

This recording of La Rondine, under the late lamented Gianluigi Gelmetti, is very idiomatic and succesful. Hearing the 21 year old Cecilia Gasdia as Magda is pure delight. She might not have been the most individual of singers, but had a beautiful voice and great technique.

"Nella dolce carezza della danza
Chiudo gli occhi per sognar
Tutto è oramai lontano
Niente mi può turbar
E il passato sembrami dileguar
"

We can make many reproaches to Puccini, but he had a melodic gift and orchestration abilities that were quite extraordinary.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 10, 2024, 07:44:53 AM
In memory of Seiji Ozawa, his 1992 RCA recording of The Queen of Spades:

Tanglewood Festival Chorus & Boston Symphony Orchestra
Vladimir Atlantov (Herman)
Mirella Freni (Liza)
Maureen Forrester (Countess)
Sergei Leiferkus (Count Tomsky)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Yeletsky)
Katherine Ciesinski (Polina)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on February 10, 2024, 11:37:32 AM
Dmitri Shostakovich
Cheryomushki, op. 105
Pimlico Opera - Wasfi Kani

Per the WAYL2N Thread (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,29166.msg1551586.html#msg1551586)
VS

(https://ia801506.us.archive.org/10/items/mbid-201fce2c-f750-4df1-95e1-0cb679421680/mbid-201fce2c-f750-4df1-95e1-0cb679421680-3856332639.jpg)  (https://ia902708.us.archive.org/20/items/mbid-81f24115-58dd-4509-9750-f0942262ace4/mbid-81f24115-58dd-4509-9750-f0942262ace4-36138144050.png)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on February 11, 2024, 10:35:46 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/H9cfNpSBv21j5ejEutIkuYn63YYfaSSdZVnVePH6nAQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI4ODA0/MzM5LTE2OTkxNDAw/ODMtNDQ3OC5qcGVn.jpeg)
Verdi Aida (1970, RCA Red Seal)
Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Grace Bumbry, Ruggero Raimondi, Hans Sotin, Erich Leinsdorf, London Symphony Orchestra, The John Alldis Choir
After looming on top of my stereo set for weeks I'm finally listening to the infamous recording this afternoon. Price, of course, is divine but I had not expected such thrilling singing from Domingo. Impressive sound all around.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 12, 2024, 03:03:50 AM
More Carl Nielsen yesterday (Sunday), a DVD of Maskerade, a 2006 Royal Danish Opera production.

Stephen Milling: Jeronimus
Susanne Resmark: Magdelone
Niels Jørgen Riis: Leander
Johan Reuter: Henrik
Mogens Gert Hansen: Arv
Poul Elming: Leonard
Gisela Stille: Leonora
Hanne Fischer: Pernille
Sten Byriel: A Night Watchman

Michael Schønwandt: Conductor

Director: Kasper Holten

I've had Ulf Scirmer's 1996 Decca CD set for a while, and like it well enough, but I might be more likely to pull out the DVD in the future. Seeing it does help, and I really liked Holten's production updated from 1723 to contemporary times. Unfortunately, the editor keeps switching to shots of the orchestra pit, sometimes the full orchestra, sometimes of conductor Schønwandt, and others of instrumental soloists. It happened so frequently, I started counting how many seconds the camera stayed on the stage action, before showing the orchestra. I think the highest I got to was 15 seconds, and sometimes it was only five. After I finished watching, I checked out the reviews on Amazon.com, and someone says there are 107 such cuts in the final, third act. I can easily believe it.


Also, the English subtitles are a translation intended to be sung, including mimicking the original's rhyme scheme. I found it irritating and wished they used the new translation made for the Decca set. It's highly unlikely, but if they re-issued a re-edit with new subtitles, I'd probably buy it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on February 12, 2024, 09:05:12 AM
Quote from: VonStupp on February 10, 2024, 11:37:32 AMDmitri Shostakovich
Cheryomushki, op. 105
Pimlico Opera - Wasfi Kani

Per the WAYL2N Thread (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,29166.msg1551586.html#msg1551586)
VS

(https://ia801506.us.archive.org/10/items/mbid-201fce2c-f750-4df1-95e1-0cb679421680/mbid-201fce2c-f750-4df1-95e1-0cb679421680-3856332639.jpg)  (https://ia902708.us.archive.org/20/items/mbid-81f24115-58dd-4509-9750-f0942262ace4/mbid-81f24115-58dd-4509-9750-f0942262ace4-36138144050.png)

What did you think?!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on February 12, 2024, 09:05:54 AM
Quote from: ando on February 11, 2024, 10:35:46 AM(https://i.discogs.com/H9cfNpSBv21j5ejEutIkuYn63YYfaSSdZVnVePH6nAQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI4ODA0/MzM5LTE2OTkxNDAw/ODMtNDQ3OC5qcGVn.jpeg)
Verdi Aida (1970, RCA Red Seal)
Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Grace Bumbry, Ruggero Raimondi, Hans Sotin, Erich Leinsdorf, London Symphony Orchestra, The John Alldis Choir
After looming on top of my stereo set for weeks I'm finally listening to the infamous recording this afternoon. Price, of course, is divine but I had not expected such thrilling singing from Domingo. Impressive sound all around.

Why "infamous"??
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on February 12, 2024, 09:17:53 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 12, 2024, 09:05:54 AMWhy "infamous"??
It's the silly and seemingly never-ending argument over whether this or the 1962 Price recording is the best ever made of the opera - among Price fans, of course.  ;D

(https://i.discogs.com/7zQTyMR95bTwJ6vMqlyeXMtRf48iPUUqr78TsKVo4nM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:598/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ5MzEw/NDEtMTM3OTc4MDMy/Mi03Njk0LmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 12, 2024, 10:26:42 AM
Quote from: ando on February 12, 2024, 09:17:53 AMIt's the silly and seemingly never-ending argument over whether this or the 1962 Price recording is the best ever made of the opera - among Price fans, of course.  ;D

(https://i.discogs.com/7zQTyMR95bTwJ6vMqlyeXMtRf48iPUUqr78TsKVo4nM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:598/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ5MzEw/NDEtMTM3OTc4MDMy/Mi03Njk0LmpwZWc.jpeg)

For me it's neither, but, hey, we can't all like the same ones.

My favourites would be the Muti with Caballé, the second Karajan with Freni and Carreras and the Serafin with Callas and Gobbi.

But my favourite performance would be the 1951 live De Fabritiis recording from Mexico, with Callas, Dominguez, Del Monaco and Taddei. The sound is awful but it is thrilling!

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 13, 2024, 01:50:27 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/OyCNaWKyfgQcTsuT1A3Ivf8O73dukpQfZJ6mvuZSA1I/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:584/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgyMzgw/ODktMTYzNzg5ODY4/NS03MDMwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Has anyone else had a problem with the dynamic range on this recording? Listening on headphones I was constantly adjusting the volume. With the volume up high enough to hear the quieter passages, I was constantly having to turn the volume down for the louder passages (of which there are many) or risk being completely deafened. This seems to me to be quite as big a problem as it is on Karajan's EMI Don Carlos, though that was recorded in Berlin and this in London at Kingsway Hall.

Reactions to the performance will no doubt vary depending on one's reactions to Treigle's Mefistofele. Some find it brilliantly characterised whilst others find it wildly over the top. I tend towards the former, but can understand why some don't like it. No doubt on stage his vivid personality also made up for the slight roughness in his vocal delivery. Caballé is in beautiful voice and makes a touching Margherita and she and Domingo make something rather magical out of their duet Lontano, lontano. Domingo himself makes a fine Faust and personally I prefer him to both Del Monaco and Pavarotti. Helen, sung by Caballé on the Pavarotti recording, is here sung by Josella Ligi, who seems to have done little else on record. While not in the Caballé class, she does well enough.

According to the Gramophone critic, (un-credited on their website), comparing this performance to the Decca/De Fabritiis, "of the two conductors it's Rudel every time. Decca's Oliviero de Fabritiis approaches the Prologue-in-Heaven like a Victorian vicar opening his Paradise Lost. Rudel has a much more accurate appreciation of the scenario. At this moment in timelessness the Devil is about to fill the popular satire-slot in the Command Performance while the falangi celesti munch rum truffles and indulge themselves in succulent chromaticism." I used to have the De Fabritiis on LP and that description fits pretty well with my memory of it. In any case, Rudel does well enough and I'm happy enough with this performance.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 13, 2024, 02:25:08 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 13, 2024, 01:50:27 AM(https://i.discogs.com/OyCNaWKyfgQcTsuT1A3Ivf8O73dukpQfZJ6mvuZSA1I/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:584/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgyMzgw/ODktMTYzNzg5ODY4/NS03MDMwLmpwZWc.jpeg)

Has anyone else had a problem with the dynamic range on this recording? Listening on headphones I was constantly adjusting the volume. With the volume up high enough to hear the quieter passages, I was constantly having to turn the volume down for the louder passages (of which there are many) or risk being completely deafened. This seems to me to be quite as big a problem as it is on Karajan's EMI Don Carlos, though that was recorded in Berlin and this in London at Kingsway Hall.

I first got to know the opera through the original LP released, borrowed from the library. I don't recall any problems with the volume, but the CD release may be different. I do have that Don Carlos on CD, and the dynamic range problems make it practically unlistenable.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 14, 2024, 01:31:51 AM
Yesterday was Mardi Gras, but I skipped the festivities in downtown Mobile and stayed home and celebrated with the Blu-Ray of Terry Gilliam's 2015 Dutch National Opera production of Benvenuto Cellini:

Mark Elder, conductor

John Osborn: Benvenuto Cellini
Mariangela Sicilia: Teresa
Laurent Naouri: Fieramosca
Maurizio Muraro: Giacomo Balducci
Michèle Losier: Ascanio [very convincing as a young man]
Orlin Anastassov: Le Pape Clément VII
Nicky Spence: Francesco
Scott Conner: Bernardino
André Morsch: Pompeo
Marcel Beekman: Le Cabaretier

Het Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest
Koor van De Nationale Opera
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 14, 2024, 06:21:25 PM
[Crosspost]

This set is bookended by two recordings of Dido and Aeneas. This one from 1962
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/61sNOwcMxhL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Original LP issue
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/61+g1i9rTSL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/71EXozHtNtL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Current independent CD incarnation
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/61hLafX9r7L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 15, 2024, 01:55:02 AM
Quote from: JBS on February 14, 2024, 06:21:25 PM[Crosspost]

This set is bookended by two recordings of Dido and Aeneas. This one from 1962
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/61sNOwcMxhL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Original LP issue
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/61+g1i9rTSL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/71EXozHtNtL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Current independent CD incarnation
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/MEDIAX_849526-T2/images/I/61hLafX9r7L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

The 1962 recording is a classic and has certainly stood the test of time. The later Bedford recording suffers from having the aging Pears as Aeneas. Baker is still marvellous, but she is in fresher voice in the earlier one. I seem to recollect that the recording had been planned with Britten conducting, but he was too ill and Bedford took over. You may recall that he also conducted the premiere of Britten's Death in Venice.

Incidentally, the above set looked tempting, but I already have most of the stuff that is on it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 15, 2024, 06:04:45 AM
Act IV of Le Nozze di Figaro, in Karl Böhm's first (1956) studio recording, originally on Philips.

(https://img.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/400/40/9/2/601.jpg?_gl=1*11hl2ci*_gcl_au*NzY3NzA2OTEyLjE3MDgwMDg2NDc.)

This recording, although it boasts some very prestigious echt-Viennese names in its roster, has never been considered AFAIK among the top recommendations for this opera. Although the individual performances can range from the good to the excellent (e.g., the young Walter Berry's Figaro) , the ensemble does not seem to a coalesce, and the overall effect is a bit ponderous (leaden at some points, TBH). Karl Böhm (whose second recording on DG from Berlin in 1968 definitely is one if the great renditions of this work) here seem a bit uninspired. It's surprising that none of Philips' recordings of Mozart operas made for the 1956 jubilee (this Figaro, and Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte under Rudolf Moralt) were really successful, despite having some great casts.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 16, 2024, 01:14:59 PM
Act I of Mascagni's Il piccolo Marat, in this 1962 recording from San Remo under Ottavio Ziino.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71pxZA8GO2L._SL1024_.jpg)

Why is it that operas set in the French Revolution are almost invariably of extreme vulgarity? Andrea Chênier, Respighi's posthumously premiered Marie Victoire (which I was unfortunate enough to see live in Berlin some years ago), and this schocker.

Il piccolo Marat, from 1921, is Mascagni's penultimate opera, and his last (relative) success. A very busy work, with a constant declamatory singing line (I suppose the marking p is almost completely absent from the score). The tenor lead is a killer rôle, and Giuseppe Gismondo acquits himself rather well (and much better than  Jesús Pinto in the 1989 recording on the Fonè label). Virginia Zeani as Mariella has little to do in this first act, but unfortunately her husband, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, does. He is, as usual, slightly out of tune and woolly sounding in the typical "evil bass" rôle of Orco. The orchestral contribution isn't very refined, either.

And yet, this might be a rather fun work to see on stage. Slumming to the fringes of the operatic repertoire has its allure..
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 16, 2024, 11:36:31 PM
Quote from: ritter on February 16, 2024, 01:14:59 PMWhy is it that operas set in the French Revolution are almost invariably of extreme vulgarity?

Maybe because the revolution itself was an orgy of (sanguinary) vulgarity?  ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on February 17, 2024, 02:17:03 AM
One of my Chandos Winter Sale purchases was;

(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/CH5250.jpg)

It sounds wonderful - really well played and recorded and a very strong cast all round.  Not completely sure I find Stuart Skelton the most magnetically compelling Grimes.  Sings intelligently, nice voice - but I'm not sure quite what drives his Grimes.  He's not the brutish outsider of a Vickers or a troubled dreamer like Pears.  Along the way I prefer Langridge, Rolfe-Johnson or Gillett.  A Peter Grimes without a Peter Grimes you can't take your eyes (or ears!) off can't really work can it?  But then this won several awards - so what do I know.....!!
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 17, 2024, 09:13:58 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 17, 2024, 02:17:03 AMOne of my Chandos Winter Sale purchases was;

(https://www.chandos.net/artwork/CH5250.jpg)

It sounds wonderful - really well played and recorded and a very strong cast all round.  Not completely sure I find Stuart Skelton the most magnetically compelling Grimes.  Sings intelligently, nice voice - but I'm not sure quite what drives his Grimes.  He's not the brutish outsider of a Vickers or a troubled dreamer like Pears.  Along the way I prefer Langridge, Rolfe-Johnson or Gillett.  A Peter Grimes without a Peter Grimes you can't take your eyes (or ears!) off can't really work can it?  But then this won several awards - so what do I know.....!!

Peter Grimes has been extraordinarily lucky on disc. I have both the Pears/Britten and Vickers/Davis recordings; both very different, but I wouldn't want to be without either. I saw Langridge in the role with ENO and he was absolutely fantastic in, I think, the best production I've ever seen on stage. I believe it's on DVD.
I also remember seeing a fine production at the Garden with Ben Heppner as Grimes and Janice Watson as Ellen.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: VonStupp on February 17, 2024, 10:12:35 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 12, 2024, 09:05:12 AMWhat did you think?!

It was a real treat! 

Now a week after listening, you can still hear the strains of the main Cheryomushki chorus hummed around the house and sung in the car. Maybe a little bawdy for family listening, but I am usually the only one focusing on the music.
VS
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on February 17, 2024, 01:11:18 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 17, 2024, 09:13:58 AMPeter Grimes has been extraordinarily lucky on disc. I have both the Pears/Britten and Vickers/Davis recordings; both very different, but I wouldn't want to be without either. I saw Langridge in the role with ENO and he was absolutely fantastic in, I think, the best production I've ever seen on stage. I believe it's on DVD.
I also remember seeing a fine production at the Garden with Ben Heppner as Grimes and Janice Watson as Ellen.

to the bolded - you are completely right.  I saw Vickers at ROH with Davis at the time his recording was made and he was an extraordinarily powerful stage presence.  Grimes as anti-hero if ever he was.  I never saw Heppner live but enjoy his recordings a lot - I can imagine he was very fine.  It is a remarkable opera full stop.....
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 18, 2024, 07:12:52 AM
First listen to Francesco Cilea's L'Arlesiana, in this 1951 Cetra recording conducted by Arturo Basile.

(https://i.discogs.com/zhzSWzEG7KuJXSAedsCrmwRmJKHw9IE7DJywz7iFNpQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:520/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNDg1/OTk3LTE1NjQzMDYy/MzItOTIxMS5qcGVn.jpeg)

With this opera, that can be described as "elegiac verismo", Cilea is much more convincing than in Adriana Lecouvreur, which is IMHO one of the prime example of cursi verismo (cursi is a untranslatable Spanish word which is defined as "something that, with the appearance of elegance or delicacy, is pretentious and in bad taste").

The work was revised many times by the composer, and this recording —despite dating from after Cilea's death— omits some of the later additions (such as the intermezzo linking Acts II and III). Ferruccio Tagliavini is quite wonderful as Federico, his plangent tone suiting the character like a glove. His rendition of the work's most famous piece, "È la solita storia del pastore" is superb. Pia Tassinari (Signora Tagliavini in real life) is an excellent singer, but perhaps a bit impersonal as Rosa Mamai.

A very enjoyable recording of an opera that, in its lack of pretentiousness, works rather well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on February 18, 2024, 11:46:33 AM
Mozart - Don Giovanni - Teodor Currentzis

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71iKglrxtxL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 19, 2024, 01:21:33 AM
Met Opera on Demand is again offering some free streams for Black History Month: Blanchard's Champion from last season, the 1984 Forza del Destino with Price. Yesterday, I watched their third offering, a 1989 Bluebeeard's Castle (in English) with Jessye Norman and Samuel Ramey, Levine conducting. The bill also included Erwartung with Norman, but they only have the Bluebeard.


https://ondemand.metopera.org/performance/detail/8b99be09-6683-5284-b25a-2175a77971ef (https://ondemand.metopera.org/performance/detail/8b99be09-6683-5284-b25a-2175a77971ef)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 19, 2024, 03:46:55 AM
Quote from: San Antone on February 18, 2024, 11:46:33 AMMozart - Don Giovanni - Teodor Currentzis

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71iKglrxtxL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)

What were your impressions. People seem to have polarised opinions on Currentzis.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on February 19, 2024, 04:40:12 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 19, 2024, 03:46:55 AMWhat were your impressions. People seem to have polarised opinions on Currentzis.

I like it a lot; but I am a huge fan of period performances in general. I find Currentzis a very interesting conductor, both for his HIP approach in this music, but also his take on 20th century works e.g. Le sacre.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 19, 2024, 07:39:50 AM
Quote from: San Antone on February 19, 2024, 04:40:12 AMI like it a lot; but I am a huge fan of period performances in general. I find Currentzis a very interesting conductor, both for his HIP approach in this music, but also his take on 20th century works e.g. Le sacre.

I really enjoyed his recording of the Tchaik 6th, but I know quite a lot of people who hated it. I haven't heard any of his Mozart operas, mostly because I can't bear Simone Kermes, who is on both his Figaro and his Cosi. Thankfully, she appears to be absent from his Giovanni.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Roasted Swan on February 20, 2024, 10:14:28 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 19, 2024, 07:39:50 AMI really enjoyed his recording of the Tchaik 6th, but I know quite a lot of people who hated it. I haven't heard any of his Mozart operas, mostly because I can't bear Simone Kermes, who is on both his Figaro and his Cosi. Thankfully, she appears to be absent from his Giovanni.

to the bolded - add me to that list.  Interventionist music making that placed the performer above the composer/music.......
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: San Antone on February 20, 2024, 10:36:16 AM
Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 20, 2024, 10:14:28 AMto the bolded - add me to that list.  Interventionist music making that placed the performer above the composer/music.......

I am interested in any conductor who performs an intervention when it comes to Tchaikovsky's music.   ;D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: DaveF on February 20, 2024, 11:42:37 AM

Not everyday listening for me, but I have to write a programme note on the overture, so need to know where the tunes come from.  A truly delightful way to spend an hour and a half.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on February 21, 2024, 11:00:42 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/URLk5WNTDISbq0YL-pjhVwWcqPUphaOJikjIEomTAQg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:486/w:561/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkyODc3/OTctMTQ3ODAwMjc2/My0xMzk3LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Aida is still one of my favorite Verdi operas. The drama gets me every time, the emotions are so compelling. Aida has fared well on disc, The Price/Vickers/Gorr/Solti recording is still on top but this one has a lot to offer too. The sound is great, you have Karajan in his prime and Tebaldi and Bergonzi have golden voices. Simionato is a force to be reckoned with, but Rita Gorr remains my all time Amneris.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 23, 2024, 03:58:02 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/813ifR6gm6L._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)

This is a superb opera from start (an overture with hauntingly beautiful horn solos) to end (a scene in which Armida vacillates between tender love and wrathful revenge until the latter gets the better of her and all hell breaks loose --- sort of a mad scene which is not in any way inferior to any of the subsequent ones by Bellini or Donizetti). Exquisite orchestration with particularly expressive writing for woodwinds and some numbers to die for, among which the two duets, one with piccolo obbligato, the other with violin obbligato, stand out. Rossini's genius shines throughout this magical score (pun). Live recording with a lot of stage noise but the glorious music trumps it all.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 23, 2024, 04:59:41 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 23, 2024, 03:58:02 AM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/813ifR6gm6L._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg)

This is a superb opera from start (an overture with hauntingly beautiful horn solos) to end (a scene in which Armida vacillates between tender love and wrathful revenge until the latter gets the better of her and all hell breaks loose --- sort of a mad scene which is not in any way inferior to any of the subsequent ones by Bellini or Donizetti). Exquisite orchestration with particularly expressive writing for woodwinds and some numbers to die for, among which the two duets, one with piccolo obbligato, the other with violin obbligato, stand out. Rossini's genius shines throughout this magical score (pun). Live recording with a lot of stage noise but the glorious music trumps it all.

I have Ms. Fleming singing that role in a MET DVD.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71r-jWhHp7L._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jSbWMYUJL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Quite good.
The main competition to Ms. Fleming is a live performance with Callas; IIRC a major chunk was missing from the source tapes so it's incomplete. I'm sure Tsaraslondon knows the details.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81WqfTeKZsL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
There is also a recording conducted by Claudio Scimone that's been issued a few times but seems OOP right now.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 23, 2024, 12:51:15 PM
Quote from: JBS on February 23, 2024, 04:59:41 AMThe main competition to Ms. Fleming is a live performance with Callas; IIRC a major chunk was missing from the source tapes so it's incomplete. I'm sure Tsaraslondon knows the details.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81WqfTeKZsL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
There is also a recording conducted by Claudio Scimone that's been issued a few times but seems OOP right now.


Indeed there are around ten minutes or so where a male voice in slow speed is dubbed over the tape, which the Warner issue omit. It is, however included in Divina's release.

(https://divinarecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dvn016_l.jpg)

Be warned that the sound on both the Warner and Divina issues is pretty awful, but it's worth persevering for some of the most incredible dramatic coloratura singing ever committed to record.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 23, 2024, 12:53:16 PM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/paco206_b39e453c-db98-4327-9fcb-cf071ccd980b_530x.jpg)

Pristine's re-master of Callas's studio Medea, which I've reviewed for Musicweb International.

https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/02/cherubini-medea-pristine-audio-3/ (https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/02/cherubini-medea-pristine-audio-3/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wendell_E on February 24, 2024, 07:05:52 AM
On Amazon Music, Rattle's new LSO Live recording of Káťa Kabanová, recorded in January 2023, but just released yesterday:

Amanda Majeski (Katya)
Simon O'Neill (Boris)
Katarina Dalayman (Kabanicha)
Andrew Staples (Tichon)
Ladislav Elgr (Kudrjash)
Magdalena Kožená (Varvara
Pavlo Hunka (Dikoy)
Claire Barnett-Jones (Glasha & Feklusha)
Lukáš Zeman (Kuligin)

London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 25, 2024, 06:37:32 AM
Today, Puccini in hyper-verista mode... Il Tabarro, conducted by Giuseppe Baroni (1949 recording in Turin).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519vKSSAidL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)

What a terrible little opera... It makes Cavalleria rusticana look like the height of refinement  ::)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 25, 2024, 08:41:32 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 25, 2024, 06:37:32 AMToday, Puccini in hyper-verista mode... Il Tabarro, conducted by Giuseppe Baroni (1949 recording in Turin).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519vKSSAidL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)

What a terrible little opera... It makes Cavalleria rusticana look like the height of refinement  ::)

I love it, but my preference is for the Bellezza version. Margaret Mas and Giacinto Predelli aren't much to write home about, but Gobbi transforms the whole opera.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on February 25, 2024, 05:24:37 PM
Quote from: Wendell_E on February 19, 2024, 01:21:33 AMMet Opera on Demand is again offering some free streams for Black History Month: Blanchard's Champion from last season, the 1984 Forza del Destino with Price. Yesterday, I watched their third offering, a 1989 Bluebeeard's Castle (in English) with Jessye Norman and Samuel Ramey, Levine conducting. The bill also included Erwartung with Norman, but they only have the Bluebeard.


https://ondemand.metopera.org/performance/detail/8b99be09-6683-5284-b25a-2175a77971ef (https://ondemand.metopera.org/performance/detail/8b99be09-6683-5284-b25a-2175a77971ef)
Odd choices for BHM, but a chance to see Norman and Price in action is always appreciated! Thanks.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on February 25, 2024, 05:51:30 PM
(https://i.postimg.cc/fR50xTW8/robdev1.jpg)
Donizetti: Roberto Devereux Teatro di San Carlo - 1998 (Pendatchanska, Sabbatini, Guingal)
Superlative. Overall, I prefer it to the Sills/Mackerras version, the prevailing standard of the opera. Alexandrina Pendatchanska gives us a Bette Davis-like Queen Bess I but thankfully doesn't sing like it. Her superb performance is equaled by Giuseppe Sabbatini's stunning Devereux. Their chemistry is the highlight of the production.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2024, 12:13:26 AM
Quote from: ando on February 25, 2024, 05:51:30 PM(https://i.postimg.cc/fR50xTW8/robdev1.jpg)
Donizetti: Roberto Devereux Teatro di San Carlo - 1998 (Pendatchanska, Sabbatini, Guingal)
Superlative. Overall, I prefer it to the Sills/Mackerras version, the prevailing standard of the opera. Alexandrina Pendatchanska gives us a Bette Davis-like Queen Bess I but thankfully doesn't sing like it. Her superb performance is equaled by Giuseppe Sabbatini's stunning Devereux. Their chemistry is the highlight of the production.

I have Pendatchanska's recording of Semiramide and find it very fine, so this looks interesting. You also get nearly an hour's more music in her recording than in the famous Sutherland set.

I've never taken to Sills in any of the Donizetti Tudor operas. As always, she is very musical and dramatically alive, but I've never thought she had enough voice for them. I have a live recording of this opera with Caballé and Carreras, which I much prefer.

Incidentally, didn't Pendatchanska change hername to Alex Penda at some point?
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 26, 2024, 03:10:39 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81bSzTodBnL._SL1500_.jpg)

Il tabarro

Robert Merrill, Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco
Orchestra e coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Lamberto Gardelli

First listen to this opera. Nothing to write home about, honestly, except some orchestral writing (particularly the barrel organ music counterfeited with flutes and clarinets is exquisite and reminded me of the similarly counterfeited accordion in Stravinsky's Petrushka) and a few vocal "numbers" here and there (of which the best was, curiously, discarded by Puccini). Clearly one of his weakest works.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 26, 2024, 06:32:08 AM
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4OTQyMC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwid2VicCI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0Ijoid2VicCJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0OTMxMTIyNDl9)

I have a soft spot for Stradella's vocal music, which can be safely described as '17th century belcanto'. Whether cantatas, oratorios or operas, one can always count on him to deliver cantabile arias, duetti and ensembles, eminently melodic and singable. This opera here is no exception. Add to this that he was adept at writing for strings as well and the result is a musical feast of the highest quality.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on February 26, 2024, 07:57:35 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2024, 12:13:26 AMI have a live recording of this opera with Caballé and Carreras, which I much prefer.

Incidentally, didn't Pendatchanska change hername to Alex Penda at some point?

I'll have to look out for that Caballé/Carreras version. In what year was it recorded?

Not sure about Pendatchanska's name change. It seems she dons both, professionally.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2024, 08:16:00 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 26, 2024, 03:10:39 AM(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81bSzTodBnL._SL1500_.jpg)

Il tabarro

Robert Merrill, Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco
Orchestra e coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Lamberto Gardelli

First listen to this opera. Nothing to write home about, honestly, except some orchestral writing (particularly the barrel organ music counterfeited with flutes and clarinets is exquisite and reminded me of the similarly counterfeited accordion in Stravinsky's Petrushka) and a few vocal "numbers" here and there (of which the best was, curiously, discarded by Puccini). Clearly one of his weakest works.

I don't agree. It's a darkly brooding work, a piece of operatic grand guignole. Michele is really the central character and it needs a singing actor of Tito Gobbi's stature to bring it to life. Also remember that it was meant to be performed as part of the whole Triptych, with the more sentimental Suor Angelica in the middle and the somewhat black comedy, Gianni Schicchi to finish.

(https://i.discogs.com/rT4hK73_9hsNPNn5UZFy0o46QwSWdFSqiGuwJiAcYqE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:393/w:446/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQxMzk5/NjUtMTM1NjY0MDU5/NS03Nzk3LmpwZWc.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2024, 08:18:02 AM
Quote from: ando on February 26, 2024, 07:57:35 AMI'll have to look out for that Caballé/Carreras version. In what year was it recorded?

Not sure about Pendatchanska's name change. It seems she dons both, professionally.


1977 Aix-en-Provence
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 26, 2024, 08:36:33 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2024, 08:16:00 AMI don't agree. It's a darkly brooding work, a piece of operatic grand guignole. Michele is really the central character and it needs a singing actor of Tito Gobbi's stature to bring it to life. Also remember that it was meant to be performed as part of the whole Triptych, with the more sentimental Suor Angelica in the middle and the somewhat black comedy, Gianni Schicchi to finish.

(https://i.discogs.com/rT4hK73_9hsNPNn5UZFy0o46QwSWdFSqiGuwJiAcYqE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:393/w:446/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQxMzk5/NjUtMTM1NjY0MDU5/NS03Nzk3LmpwZWc.jpeg)

Well, that was my impression after the first listening. I might change my mind later. And indeed, listening live to the triple bill (is it done today, I wonder?) is probably an altogether different experience. You have to admit, though, that it lacks that melodic charm which is Puccini's (in)famous trademark.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 26, 2024, 09:12:20 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 26, 2024, 06:32:08 AM(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4OTQyMC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwid2VicCI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0Ijoid2VicCJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0OTMxMTIyNDl9)

I have a soft spot for Stradella's vocal music, which can be safely described as '17th century belcanto'. Whether cantatas, oratorios or operas, one can always count on him to deliver cantabile arias, duetti and ensembles, eminently melodic and singable. This opera here is no exception. Add to this that he was adept at writing for strings as well and the result is a musical feast of the highest quality.
Intersting! Will explore, as I am not acquainted with Stradella's music. And seeing the name of Marco Beasley on the cover is an added allure (his contribution to Christian Brenda's Naxos recording of Casella's La Giara —"La Storia Della Fanciulla Rapita Dai Pirati"— is quite fantastic).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 26, 2024, 09:32:14 AM
Quote from: ritter on February 26, 2024, 09:12:20 AMIntersting! Will explore, as I am not acquainted with Stradella's music. And seeing the name of Marco Beasley on the cover is an added allure (his contribution to Christian Brenda's Naxos recording of Casella's La Giara —"La Storia Della Fanciulla Rapita Dai Pirati"— is quite fantastic).

Beasley is a consummate specialist in the Italian Baroque music, including popular/folk.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2024, 10:09:18 AM
Quote from: Florestan on February 26, 2024, 08:36:33 AMWell, that was my impression after the first listening. I might change my mind later. And indeed, listening live to the triple bill (is it done today, I wonder?) is probably an altogether different experience. You have to admit, though, that it lacks that melodic charm which is Puccini's (in)famous trademark.

True, but then melodic charm might be considered out of place in this opera.

I think the triple bill is still occasionally performed, though it makes for quite a long evening as each opera is around one hour and you would have to have intervals as well.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on February 26, 2024, 11:38:44 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2024, 10:09:18 AMTrue, but then melodic charm might be considered out of place in this opera.

I think the triple bill is still occasionally performed, though it makes for quite a long evening as each opera is around one hour and you would have to have intervals as well.
...plus, to get to the pièce de résistance of the triple bill, which is that gem called Gianni Schicchi, you'd have to survive Il Tabarro (which I've already said I dislike) and the saccharine Suor Angelica (which I rank even lower).  ::)  ;D

These days, single operas from Il Trittico are paired with other works. E.g., here in Madrid I saw Suor Angelica preceded by Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on February 26, 2024, 01:32:34 PM
(https://i.discogs.com/n0Qx4heJlSNj5HAhZzp4Q6xuwMku8CxEgOQ3TPUcxd4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkwNTY0/ODQtMTYwMzIyOTY0/Ni0zNjAxLmpwZWc.jpeg)
(https://i.discogs.com/AwJKiGhba6rah9ZxPhPh93AygA7C6KpNd20BllBDl7Y/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkwNTY0/ODQtMTYwMzIzMDMz/NS04NTAyLmpwZWc.jpeg)

As much as I appreciate Gobbi and Tebaldi, my favorite Trittico recording will always be the Pappano. Il Tabarro might even be the highlight here: the orchestral detail is sublime and the three protagonists are utterly compelling. Their triangle relationship is brought as a tragedy full of compassion and the tension mounts to the unbearable.
One of the rare occasions where a modern recording eclipses the ones from the classic age...

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on February 26, 2024, 04:35:34 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71OFuSj+BiL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ndEGnpypL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

The key feature of this recording--restoration of the major cuts and transpositions--is lost on me, since I'm only generally familiar with the opera. (The main cuts seem to involve the chorus, which was apparently not up to the music when it was premiered).

Recorded at live concert performances. Singers and chorus seem more than adequate.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on February 27, 2024, 03:35:02 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 26, 2024, 10:09:18 AMTrue, but then melodic charm might be considered out of place in this opera.

Fair enough. In this respect it's the odd man out in Puccini's oeuvre.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on February 29, 2024, 05:57:07 PM
(https://i.postimg.cc/mrs3LQ2r/hbross1.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8zqKhJk8/lacen1.jpg)
La Cenerentola (1981, Ponnelle)
It's the famous La Scala version that isn't exactly in pristine shape but remains one of the best on video.
Angelina: Frederica Von Stade
Don Ramiro: Francisco Araiza
Don Magnífico: Paolo Montarsolo
Dandini: Claudio Desderi
Director: Claudio Abbado
additional credits (https://www.discogs.com/release/8927585-Rossini-Von-Stade-Araiza-Montarsolo-Desderi-Orchestra-E-Coro-Del-Teatro-Alla-Scala-Claudio-Abbado-St)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on March 02, 2024, 03:40:06 AM
Pappano gave me my favorite Trittico, so I was curious about his last recording.
And I guess I am disappointed, the orchestra sounds great but the cast has flaws. Kaufmann should be the star of this recording but I really don't like him here. Maybe I am too used to Pavarotti and Corelli, Kaufmann's timbre just doesn't sound right for Calaf. The Liu is too saccharine, but Radvanovsky is a great Turandot, less steely than Nilsson but still technically accomplished and credible. Some tempo choices of the conductor are also questionable. So I'll stick with Molinari-Pradelli and Mehta.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71faLqnXg8L._AC_SL1200_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 02, 2024, 10:39:08 AM
Settling in for the afternoon with Erich Kleiber's recording of Rosenkavalier (1954 mono) from the Kleiber Complete Decca Recordings set
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91uUDIvsFHL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Over the years it's been issued and re-issued with a variety of covers.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71plmBjNyLL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wRGO1wT1L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Mie2424fL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A13tOGgwipL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61XwJR0vaQL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Nz4OIRUnL._UX420_FMwebp_QL85_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41bhUd9yOaL._UX420_FMwebp_QL85_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 03, 2024, 08:21:05 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 03, 2024, 08:19:02 AMFirst listen to Antonio Smareglia's Il Vassallo di Szigeth.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/918oZiDY5bL._SL1500_.jpg)

Smareglia (1854-1929) was born in Pula on the Istrian Peninsula (then part of the Austrian Empire) to an Italian father and a Croatian mother. Thus, he's always been regarded as a musical representative of that crossroads of cultures (Italian, Germanic, Slavic), and seems to be regarded as a sort of local celebrity in Trieste and Croatia.

This opera, his first real success, is



Well, what is it?  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 03, 2024, 08:46:09 AM
First listen to Antonio Smareglia's Il Vassallo di Szigeth.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/918oZiDY5bL._SL1500_.jpg)

Smareglia (1854-1929) was born in Pula on the Istrian Peninsula (then part of the Austrian Empire) to an Italian father and a Croatian mother. Thus, he's always been regarded as a musical representative of that crossroads of cultures (Italian, Germanic, Slavic), and seems to be regarded as a sort of local celebrity in Trieste and Croatia.

This opera, Smareglia's  first real success, is a gruesome story of deceit and revenge set in medieval Hungary. It was Luigi Illica's first libretto (written in collaboration with one Francesco Pozza, of whom I could find no information at all). Illica's  typical exalted verses and far-fetched dramatic situations are present even at this early stage of the poet's career. The opera had the honour of being first performed at the opening of the 1889-90 season of the Vienna Hofoper, conducted by Hans Richter and with emperor Franz Josef present (it was his name day). Apparently, Johannes Brahms and Eduard Hanslick both praised the work (later on, Smareglia would become more "Wagnerized").

This is the earliest of the three Smareglia works that have been commercially recorded (always by Bongiovanni), the other two being Nozze istriane (a sort of Dalmatian Cavalleria rusticana, also to a libretto by Illica) and La Falena.

The performance (it's from late 2020) is adequate, not more than that. The singing is not world-class, and the lead tenor has a very strange diction (even if he is Italian). Denia Mazzola-Gavazzeni seems to be the guiding force behind this recent spate of recordings of obscure but worthwhile Italian operas from the period 1875 to 1945 (roughly) on Bongiovanni. For this, she can only be commended, and is the worthy successor of her late husband, the great conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni. Unfortunately, though, at this stage of her career, her voice is no longer what it used to be and is not particularly pleasant to listen to.

Still, a most interesting release.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 03, 2024, 08:49:08 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 03, 2024, 08:21:05 AMWell, what is it?  :D
What a cliffhanger, eh?  ;D

See my post below yours (I had hit "post" too quickly by mistake on my incomplete message)...

Good evening to you, Andrei.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 03, 2024, 09:32:47 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 03, 2024, 08:49:08 AMWhat a cliffhanger, eh?  ;D

See my post below yours (I had hit "post" too quickly by mistake on my incomplete message)...

Good evening to you, Andrei.

Good evening, Rafael.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Henk on March 03, 2024, 12:59:23 PM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61UvvJF68gL.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on March 03, 2024, 06:42:27 PM
Quote from: ritter on March 03, 2024, 08:46:09 AMFirst listen to Antonio Smareglia's Il Vassallo di Szigeth.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/918oZiDY5bL._SL1500_.jpg)

Smareglia (1854-1929) was born in Pula on the Istrian Peninsula (then part of the Austrian Empire) to an Italian father and a Croatian mother. Thus, he's always been regarded as a musical representative of that crossroads of cultures (Italian, Germanic, Slavic), and seems to be regarded as a sort of local celebrity in Trieste and Croatia.

This opera, Smareglia's  first real success, is a gruesome story of deceit and revenge set in medieval Hungary. It was Luigi Illica's first libretto (written in collaboration with one Francesco Pozza, of whom I could find no information at all). Illica's  typical exalted verses and far-fetched dramatic situations are present even at this early stage of the poet's career. The opera had the honour of being first performed at the opening of the 1889-90 season of the Vienna Hofoper, conducted by Hans Richter and with emperor Franz Josef present (it was his name day). Apparently, Johannes Brahms and Eduard Hanslick both praised the work (later on, Smareglia would become more "Wagnerized").

This is the earliest of the three Smareglia works that have been commercially recorded (always by Bongiovanni), the other two being Nozze istriane (a sort of Dalmatian Cavalleria rusticana, also to a libretto by Illica) and La Falena.

The performance (it's from late 2020) is adequate, not more than that. The singing is not world-class, and the lead tenor has a very strange diction (even if he is Italian). Denia Mazzola-Gavazzeni seems to be the guiding force behind this recent spate of recordings of obscure but worthwhile Italian operas from the period 1875 to 1945 (roughly) on Bongiovanni. For this, she can only be commended, and is the worthy successor of her late husband, the great conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni. Unfortunately, though, at this stage of her career, her voice is no longer what it used to be and is not particularly pleasant to listen to.

Still, a most interesting release.


Thank You. Though you can't always believe what you see I'm assuming this is a "live" performance.  :) 

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ando on March 04, 2024, 05:37:41 PM
(https://www.operaonvideo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/romeo-et-juliette-amsterdam-2010.jpg)
Gounod Roméo et Juliette (2010, Olivier Py)
The sound on this upload is excellent. I'm "listening" to this as I type so I won't comment on the production until I've finished but I did preface the viewing with an interesting review (http://opera-cake.blogspot.com/2010/10/nerly-perfect-production-of-romeo-et.html?m=1) from a blogger who attended a performance of it in Amsterdam.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 04, 2024, 07:42:29 PM
Quote from: ando on March 03, 2024, 06:42:27 PMThank You. Though you can't always believe what you see I'm assuming this is a "live" performance.  :) 

Looks like it, but there's no sign of an audience. They did dress up for the concert, though...  ;)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 05, 2024, 11:07:48 AM
A historical curiosity (but, actually, more than just that): the first recording ever of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo.

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71oqcWabcEL._SL1050_.jpg)

This was made in Milan in 1939 by His Master's Voice (or rather, La Voce del Padrone). Interestingly, the edition used is that of Gian Francesco Malipiero, and although there isn't (and couldn't be) anything remotely HIP here, the performing edition and the performance try to be respectful of the original score and idiom. I hear recorders, I hear a basso continuo, and I recognise the music. At other points, though, I hear a harp that seems completely out of place. Tempi are much slower than one is now accustomed to (shockingly so in "Ecco pur che a voi ritorno, care selve e spiagge amate"). But the performance is enjoyable.

The conductor, Argentinian Ferruccio Calusio, was active in Buenos Aires, Milan —initially as assistant to Toscanini— and the Metropolitan in New York, but is largely forgotten today. So are (with one exception, kinda) the vocal soloists, even if they had distinguished careers;  they acquit themselves rather well, trying (but not always succeeding) to keep a "sober" singing style. Enrico de Franceschi's imposing voice does justice to the title rôle, and can be touching (e.g. in "Possente spirto"). Ginevra Vivante, who seems to have specialised in (then) contemporary music and whose career was interrupted by the Fascist regimes criminal and stupid adoption of racial laws 1938, is also quite convincing.

The one singer that still has some name recognition today is Bulgarian mezzo Elena Nicolai (in the post-WW2 years, she recorded Cavalleria rusticana with del Monaco, Preziosilla in La Forza del destino next to Callas and Eboli in Don Carlo under Gabriele Santini, and appeared in a recording of Adriana Lecouvreur in which Mafalda Favero sung the title rôle). She's also Adalgisa next to Callas' Norma and Corelli's Pollione in a famous -but incomplete— bootleg recording of Norma from Trieste in 1953. Here, she's caught as the Messaggera in her pre-war prime, and it's easy to understand why she was one of the most highly regarded mezzos in Italy in the 1930s and 40s.

Anyone interested in the performance history of this wonderful score should listen to this recording.

The sound is remarkably vivid for a recording of this vintage.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 06, 2024, 01:07:11 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 05, 2024, 11:07:48 AMthe performance try to be respectful of the original score and idiom. I hear recorders, I hear a basso continuo, and I recognise the music. At other points, though, I hear a harp that seems completely out of place.

And yet it is quite in its place.  ;D

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Orfeo_libretto_instruments_characters.jpg)

A harp is the next best thing when one doesn't have a functional arpa doppia at hand, isn't it?

Good day, mon cher!


Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 06, 2024, 01:32:37 AM
(https://www.bongiovanni70.it/cdn/shop/products/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4NTYyOC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXA_1800x1800.jpg?v=1617931498)

Stendhal considered La pietra del paragone (or rather, Il Sigillara as it was widely known back then) as Rossini's comic masterpiece, putting it above Il Barbiere, L'Italiana and La Cenerentola. I'm not sure I can agree, though (in fact, I strongly disagree). The music is indeed echt Rossini in comic mode, cheerful, witty and full of fire, with exceptional writing for winds. But... there is nothing in terms of memorability that can hold a candle to Il barbiere di Siviglia, either musically or comically. There are so many musical numbers and comic scenes in the latter that vividly stay in one's mind forever after listening to it, as opposed to none at all in La pietra except the overture and a haunting horn solo. This is not a criticism, for the opera is very enjoyable, it's a statement of facts. Pace Stendhal, there is a reason why Il barbiere is universally acclaimed as Rossini's comic masterpiece.

The recording is live but the stage sounds are not intrusive, the voices are realistically recorded and the orchestra shines (this being one of the most symphonic operas of il tedeschino Rossini). Highly recommended.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 06, 2024, 05:01:37 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 06, 2024, 01:32:37 AM(https://www.bongiovanni70.it/cdn/shop/products/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiNzk4NTYyOC4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXA_1800x1800.jpg?v=1617931498)

Stendhal considered La pietra del paragone (or rather, Il Sigillara as it was widely known back then) as Rossini's comic masterpiece, putting it above Il Barbiere, L'Italiana and La Cenerentola. I'm not sure I can agree, though (in fact, I strongly disagree). The music is indeed echt Rossini in comic mode, cheerful, witty and full of fire, with exceptional writing for winds. But... there is nothing in terms of memorability that can hold a candle to Il barbiere di Siviglia, either musically or comically. There are so many musical numbers and comic scenes in the latter that vividly stay in one's mind forever after listening to it, as opposed to none at all in La pietra except the overture and a haunting horn solo. This is not a criticism, for the opera is very enjoyable, it's a statement of facts. Pace Stendhal, there is a reason why Il barbiere is universally acclaimed as Rossini's comic masterpiece.

The recording is live but the stage sounds are not intrusive, the voices are realistically recorded and the orchestra shines (this being one of the most symphonic operas of il tedeschino Rossini). Highly recommended.

I have this recording, of which I remember nothing. Not even the overture or the horn solo.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71oGqzSBl4S._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 06, 2024, 04:29:00 PM
Finishing up the Decca Erich Kleiber set with his 1955 Nozze di Figaro.
It's received a number of re-issues over the years.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81C-XDvrJlL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41GrT4nL2nL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51sihqX5fcL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81o6xMNFWeS._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51CIJzxy9IL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41eypcntn2L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51dzRYcdlcL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81HpqU5wNKL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Cast listing
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71YV6kIiamL._UF350,350_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Sonics btw are excellent. I think this mastering was done specifically for this set, although the credits aren't specific. (The only dates they give are 1955 and 2021.)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 07, 2024, 01:28:57 AM
Quote from: JBS on March 06, 2024, 04:29:00 PMFinishing up the Decca Erich Kleiber set with his 1955 Nozze di Figaro.
It's received a number of re-issues over the years.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81C-XDvrJlL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41GrT4nL2nL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51sihqX5fcL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81o6xMNFWeS._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51CIJzxy9IL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41eypcntn2L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51dzRYcdlcL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81HpqU5wNKL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Cast listing
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71YV6kIiamL._UF350,350_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Sonics btw are excellent. I think this mastering was done specifically for this set, although the credits aren't specific. (The only dates they give are 1955 and 2021.)
Looking at all of those different covers over the years of the same recording reminded me of why it can be hard to remember which specific operatic recordings I own!  It hasn't happened often, but once in a blue moon I'll accidentally buy a duplicate recording.  ::)

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 07, 2024, 02:56:10 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61-ag3S7ldL._AC_SL1200_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/612Q4Bl7nGL.jpg)
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODI2Njg2My4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwid2VicCI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0Ijoid2VicCJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0ODc1ODQzOTB9)

Adelson & Salvini is Bellini's first opera, his graduation work from the Naples Conservatory. It was first performed in-house with an all-male student cast. It reminded me of Haydn of all people, not because of any musical resemblance but because of its mixture of serious and comic (there is a basso buffo singing in Neapolitan dialect which would have not been out of place in Cimarosa or Paisiello). It's as if Bellini couldn't decide whether he wanted to specialize in opera seria or opera buffa so he left all options on the table. The music, while influenced heavily by Rossini both in his serious and comic vein, nevertheless clearly adumbrates Bellini's later style, sensuous, mellifluous and mesmerizing. The first performance was so successful that the opera was subsequently performed every Sunday for the whole following year.

I have two recordings: the first, contained within the Dynamic Complete Opera box, is live. And very bad live, for that matter. I could listen to the first disc only. The stage sounds are so intrusive and the voices so recessed that at times it's hard to follow who sings what. The turning of pages in the orchestral pit is more clearly audible at times than the voices, go figure! The only thing that is relatively well recorded is the orchestra. Not recommended, actually one to avoid.

The Opera Rara is quite another story altogether, superb studio recording both vocally and orchestrally --- and it has one more advantage over the other: the bass role is sung in the original Neapolitan dialect while in the other it's sung in modern Italian, thus depriving the role of all charm and significance. The main protagonists are all Italian so the diction is (almost) perfect and the understanding rate, at least for me, is 100% in the spoken dialogues (which are unaccompanied) and 80% in the sung numbers. Highly recommended.

Curiously, I noticed slight differences between the overture in the Dynamic recording and the one in the Opera Rara and I must say that the former sounded better than the latter to my ears. This is probably due to the fact that Opera Rara uses the original score, whereas the Dynamic probably uses one of the several revisions that Bellini made later. There are 4 appendix tracks with such alternative numbers on the Opera Rara recording.

All in all, a very enjoyable musical experience, showing that, while between this and I Puritani Bellini made huge steps forward, yet A & S contains unmistakable germs of his unmistakable mature style.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 07, 2024, 04:17:51 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 07, 2024, 02:56:10 AMThere are 4 appendix tracks with such alternative numbers on the Opera Rara recording.

Forgot to mention a funny factoid. In one of these numbers, Salvini sings the following lines:

Son' vittima infelice
D'un disperato amor!


(I am the unhappy victim of a desperate love)

This in itself is schmaltzy enough but when translated in Romanian as "Sunt victima nefericită a unui amor disperat" it sounds almost word by word as what a famous character from a classical Romanian comedy says, so the effect for me was quite incongruous with poor Salvini's lament: laughter.  :D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Stormy_Night
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 07, 2024, 04:33:41 PM
Tonight's main feature
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Zj3qS6iTL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617j0ml4OML._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
A new arrival.  I have two other recordings (the Sutherland/Wunderlich and Alan Curtis's recording with Joyce DiDonato), more than I have of any other Handel opera (Ariodante and Semele have two).
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 07, 2024, 11:29:53 PM
Quote from: Florestan on March 07, 2024, 02:56:10 AM(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODI2Njg2My4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTAwfSwid2VicCI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0Ijoid2VicCJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0ODc1ODQzOTB9)

Interview with conductor Daniele Rustioni about the recording:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/articles/1675--interview-daniele-rustioni-on-bellinis-adelson-e-salvini

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 08, 2024, 01:06:02 PM
First listen to this historic recording of Rossini's La Donna del lago.

(https://i.discogs.com/mgLH7EBp8VPgzCtp5Na3_pKtkCPpvvRRORZiKu2WIXE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:589/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI2NTY1/MDQxLTE2Nzk5NDQz/MDAtMzI3OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

The seventh of Rossini's nine Neapolitan serious operas, the work, based on Walter Scott, prefigures the romanticism of Guillaume Tell, and sounds almost Biedermeierish at some points (even if it is unmistakably by Rossini and IMHO is one of his best scores).

This 1958 production in Florence was apparently the first performance in over a century, and since then the work has gained a (shaky) foothold in the repertoire. The cast varies from the good (Carteri, Companez) to the excellent (Valletti), and Tullio Serafin leads everything with panache and expertise (even if there's a moment in Act I in which stage and pit are clearly uncoordinated).

But, as was usual in those pioneering days of the bel canto revival, the score is butchered. Most irritatingly, the final rondò  of Elena, "Tanti affetti in tal momento", one of Rossini's most beautiful arias, was eliminated (perhaps Rosanna Carteri was not up to the coloratura demands of the piece) and is substituted by a quartet from Bianca e Fernando and a reprise of an earlier duet from the opera.

So, it's nice listening to this as a historical document (in so-so but acceptable sound), but the performing edition disqualifies it from becoming anything more than that. In no way does it displace the wonderful recording from Pesaro with Katia Ricciarelli and Lucia Valentini-Terrani (both in top form) under the baton of —surprisingly- Maurizio Pollini.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Papy Oli on March 08, 2024, 01:27:00 PM
One of this month's Naxos Free albums downloads is Smetana's opera Dalibor (with Urbanova and Popov).

Very few mentions about this opera here but they seemed positive. Downloaded and added to the high listening pile.  :)

 
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 09, 2024, 02:18:52 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 08, 2024, 01:06:02 PMFirst listen to this historic recording of Rossini's La Donna del lago.

(https://i.discogs.com/mgLH7EBp8VPgzCtp5Na3_pKtkCPpvvRRORZiKu2WIXE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:589/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI2NTY1/MDQxLTE2Nzk5NDQz/MDAtMzI3OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

The seventh of Rossini's nine Neapolitan serious operas, the work, based on Walter Scott, prefigures the romanticism of Guillaume Tell, and sounds almost Biedermeierish at some points (even if it is unmistakably by Rossini and IMHO is one of his best scores).

This 1958 production in Florence was apparently the first performance in over a century, and since then the work has gained a (shaky) foothold in the repertoire. The cast varies from the good (Carteri, Companez) to the excellent (Valletti), and Tullio Serafin leads everything with panache and expertise (even if there's a moment in Act I in which stage and pit are clearly uncoordinated).

But, as was usual in those pioneering days of the bel canto revival, the score is butchered. Most irritatingly, the final rondò  of Elena, "Tanti affetti in tal momento", one of Rossini's most beautiful arias, was eliminated (perhaps Rosanna Carteri was not up to the coloratura demands of the piece) and is substituted by a quartet from Bianca e Fernando and a reprise of an earlier duet from the opera.

So, it's nice listening to this as a historical document (in so-so but acceptable sound), but the performing edition disqualifies it from becoming anything more than that. In no way does it displace the wonderful recording from Pesaro with Katia Ricciarelli and Lucia Valentini-Terrani (both in top form) under the baton of —surprisingly- Maurizio Pollini.

I used to have that version on LP and remember liking it. I haven't heard it for ages though.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on March 09, 2024, 02:28:40 AM
Finishing Götterdämmerung, from Brünnhilde's entrance in the Hall of the Gibichungs:

Richard Wagner
Götterdämmerung

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker


(https://images.universal-music.de/img/assets/977/97712/195/gotterdammerung-0028945779524.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 09, 2024, 12:27:24 PM
Richard Wagner: Parsifal (Act I).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/716LV0K6toL._SL1500_.jpg)

Jonas Kaufmann, Elīna Garanča, Ludovic Tézier, Georg Zeppenfeld, Wolfgang Koch. Vienna State Opera, Philippe Jordan (cond.).

It's not often that one gets to have recordings of a major work like Parsifal by father and son in one's collection*. Armin recorded the work in the early 80s in Monte Carlo for Erato (as the soundtrack of Hans-Jürgen Syberberg's beautiful film), and now we have Philippe in this sumptuous release on Sony, made live —composite of several performances— in Vienna in 2021.

So far, the prelude is sounding gorgeous, and Zeppenfeld is —not unexpectedly— very convincing as Gurnemanz.

I attended a performance of Parsifal conducted by Philippe Jordan in Bayreuth in August 2012 (the last year of the legendary Stefan Herheim production), and it was outstanding.

* Only Kleiber père et fils (Erich and Carlos) come to mind as a precedent.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 10, 2024, 01:59:19 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 09, 2024, 12:27:24 PM...

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/716LV0K6toL._SL1500_.jpg)

Act II today...

This is turning out to be a superb recording of Parsifal. What Philippe Jordan does with the orchestra is admirable, with excellent detail of the miraculous scoring of the work, very effective control of dynamics, and shaping the dramatic ebb and flow expertly. Really first-rate!

And the singing is invariably strong. Act II is the "Kundry act", and Elīna Garanča is quite wonderful. It's nice to someone from a more bel canto background in this rôle, and this mezzo's versatility is astonishing (Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, zarzuela...).

Wolfgang Koch has a long and distinguished career behind him, but was never the subtlest of singers. As Klingsor, though, this relative lack of refinement is a plus, actually. A powerful portrayal.

Many reviews I've read point out that Jonas Kaufmann in the title rôle is the weakest link in the cast (even if nobody goes as far as to say that he's actually bad). I think this is a matter of taste, and much to do Kaufmann's "bartonal" tenor voice. I like it (as I do the portrayal of his illustrious predecessor Ramón Vinay, who sang Parsifal and Tristan very successfully, but would also sing baritone roles). Yes, Kaufmann sounds like a "mature" pure fool, but this works for this role. Perhaps not as distinctive as other performances in this set, but still quite good (and some really fine moments in the long Act II narrative).

Let's see how Act III turns out, but on the basis of what I've listened to so far, this is one of the greatest Parsifal recordings I know (and I know many  ;)  ).

EDIT:

Act III does not let down by any means. Ludovic Tézier's is a beautifully sung (he is one of the leading Verdi baritones of the present day), tormented Amfortas. Zeppenfeld confirms his mastery of the role of Gurnemanz in his long monologues in this final act (and I for one like this type of younger sounding voices for the role). Kaufmann somewhat gains in brilliance, and is more convincing than in the previous ones.

The choruses are excellent (as good as those from Bayreuth).

But this is Philippe Jordan's show, and all credit to him for a great achievement!

The shimmering finale, "Höchsten Heiles Wunder", is achingly beautiful ...
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Que on March 10, 2024, 03:35:20 AM
(https://media.s-bol.com/g1yog9MD8PG/550x543.jpg)

The Fairy Queen is these days retropectively labelled as a "semi-opera", but was in actual fact a piece of music theatre that combined play, dance and opera and lasted approximately four hours. The musical parts fit on two discs, but in this condensed version the three different story lines become a bit much. Musically, this is masterful and well performed under William Christie.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Lisztianwagner on March 10, 2024, 09:56:13 AM
On youtube, first listen to:

Richard Strauss
Intermezzo

Wolfgang Sawallisch & Sinfonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks


(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81230ZwyEHL._SL1425_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Iota on March 10, 2024, 10:07:58 AM
Quote from: ritter on March 10, 2024, 01:59:19 AMAct II today...

This is turning out to be a superb recording of Parsifal. What Philippe Jordan does with the orchestra is admirable, with excellent detail of the miraculous scoring of the work, very effective control of dynamics, and shaping the dramatic ebb and flow expertly. Really first-rate!

And the singing is invariably strong. Act II is the "Kundry act", and Elīna Garanča is quite wonderful. It's nice to someone from a more bel canto background in this rôle, and this mezzo's versatility is astonishing (Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, zarzuela...).

Wolfgang Koch has a long and distinguished career behind him, but was never the subtlest of singers. As Klingsor, though, this relative lack of refinement is a plus, actually. A powerful portrayal.

Many reviews I've read point out that Jonas Kaufmann in the title rôle is the weakest link in the cast (even if nobody goes as far as to say that he's actually bad). I think this is a matter of taste, and much to do Kaufmann's "bartonal" tenor voice. I like it (as I do the portrayal of his illustrious predecessor Ramón Vinay, who sang Parsifal and Tristan very successfully, but would also sing baritone roles). Yes, Kaufmann sounds like a "mature" pure fool, but this works for this role. Perhaps not as distinctive as other performances in this set, but still quite good (and some really fine moments in the long Act II narrative).

Let's see how Act III turns out, but on the basis of what I've listened to so far, this is one of the greatest Parsifal recordings I know (and I know many  ;)  ).

EDIT:

Act III does not let down by any means. Ludovic Tézier's is a beautifully sung (he is one of the leading Verdi baritones of the present day), tormented Amfortas. Zeppenfeld confirms his mastery of the role of Gurnemanz in his long monologues in this final act (and I for one like this type of younger sounding voices for the role). Kaufmann somewhat gains in brilliance, and is more convincing than in the previous ones.

The choruses are excellent (as good as those from Bayreuth).

But this is Philippe Jordan's show, and all credit to him for a great achievement!

The shimmering finale, "Höchsten Heiles Wunder", is achingly beautiful ...


I started listening to this too a week or so ago, and like you I've found Philippe Jordan's conducting to be superb. The Prelude to Act I is brilliant and the ensuing accompaniment rich in gorgeous detail with a lovely natural momentum. Unlike you, I'll pick my way through it slowly according to time available/mood, but am looking forward to Acts II & III even more having read your review.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 10, 2024, 02:03:12 PM
Quote from: ritter on March 10, 2024, 01:59:19 AMAct II today...

This is turning out to be a superb recording of Parsifal. What Philippe Jordan does with the orchestra is admirable, with excellent detail of the miraculous scoring of the work, very effective control of dynamics, and shaping the dramatic ebb and flow expertly. Really first-rate!

And the singing is invariably strong. Act II is the "Kundry act", and Elīna Garanča is quite wonderful. It's nice to someone from a more bel canto background in this rôle, and this mezzo's versatility is astonishing (Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, zarzuela...).

Wolfgang Koch has a long and distinguished career behind him, but was never the subtlest of singers. As Klingsor, though, this relative lack of refinement is a plus, actually. A powerful portrayal.

Many reviews I've read point out that Jonas Kaufmann in the title rôle is the weakest link in the cast (even if nobody goes as far as to say that he's actually bad). I think this is a matter of taste, and much to do Kaufmann's "bartonal" tenor voice. I like it (as I do the portrayal of his illustrious predecessor Ramón Vinay, who sang Parsifal and Tristan very successfully, but would also sing baritone roles). Yes, Kaufmann sounds like a "mature" pure fool, but this works for this role. Perhaps not as distinctive as other performances in this set, but still quite good (and some really fine moments in the long Act II narrative).

Let's see how Act III turns out, but on the basis of what I've listened to so far, this is one of the greatest Parsifal recordings I know (and I know many  ;)  ).

EDIT:

Act III does not let down by any means. Ludovic Tézier's is a beautifully sung (he is one of the leading Verdi baritones of the present day), tormented Amfortas. Zeppenfeld confirms his mastery of the role of Gurnemanz in his long monologues in this final act (and I for one like this type of younger sounding voices for the role). Kaufmann somewhat gains in brilliance, and is more convincing than in the previous ones.

The choruses are excellent (as good as those from Bayreuth).

But this is Philippe Jordan's show, and all credit to him for a great achievement!

The shimmering finale, "Höchsten Heiles Wunder", is achingly beautiful ...

Thanks for your review of it.  I've liked what I've heard from Jonas Kaufmann over the years.

Was there a DVD made of this (thinking about the image on the cover)?  Is it a live recording or studio?

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 10, 2024, 05:06:28 PM
Arkivmusic has it on sale this weekend for $29.99 so I just ordered it.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 11, 2024, 12:18:53 AM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 10, 2024, 02:03:12 PMThanks for your review of it.  I've liked what I've heard from Jonas Kaufmann over the years.

Was there a DVD made of this (thinking about the image on the cover)?  Is it a live recording or studio?

PD
Hi PD.

This is a live (kinda) recording, a composite of several performances. "Kinda" because it was made in 2021, and audiences were not allowed into theatres yet at the time. So live, but with no audience... The sound is very good and detailed.

It's an audio only recording. A video if the production was, AFAIK, aired on the Arte channel, but has not been released on DVD or BD.

Quote from: JBS on March 10, 2024, 05:06:28 PMArkivmusic has it on sale this weekend for $29.99 so I just ordered it.
Great price! Hope you enjoy it, Jeffrey.  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on March 12, 2024, 06:25:19 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/INtGNnUutLUmfw1Z3CLmNdHTAW4BFA2wmE5ywLFTrFw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:531/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNDQ3/MDE2LTE1NTQzODUw/MDAtMjk2NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

This Haydn opera lacks dramatic tension, but this is compensated by great music. Dorati has assembled a dream cast, the best the 70s had to offer.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2024, 09:06:31 AM
Quote from: nico1616 on March 12, 2024, 06:25:19 AM(https://i.discogs.com/INtGNnUutLUmfw1Z3CLmNdHTAW4BFA2wmE5ywLFTrFw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:531/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNDQ3/MDE2LTE1NTQzODUw/MDAtMjk2NC5qcGVn.jpeg)

This Haydn opera lacks dramatic tension, but this is compensated by great music. Dorati has assembled a dream cast, the best the 70s had to offer.

Haydn is a weird gap in my collection. Aside from the Nelson Mass and Die Schöpfung, the only other Haydn recordings I have were bought for the couplings. I used to have on LP the Jochum box set of the London Symphonies, which was given to me by someone, but I never replaced it when I made the transition to CD. Am I a terrible philistine? And should I be investigating further? Are the operas worth hearing? I toss this out in general for anyone to comment on. I'm guessing the answers are going to be, yes, yes and yes.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 12, 2024, 09:45:12 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2024, 09:06:31 AMHaydn is a weird gap in my collection. Aside from the Nelson Mass and Die Schöpfung, the only other Haydn recordings I have were bought for the couplings. I used to have on LP the Jochum box set of the London Symphonies, which was given to me by someone, but I never replaced it when I made the transition to CD. Am I a terrible philistine? And should I be investigating further? Are the operas worth hearing? I toss this out in general for anyone to comment on. I'm guessing the answers are going to be, yes, yes and yes.

Well, yes, yes and yes.  ;D

Seriously now:

For non-vocal music the symphonies, string quartets, piano trios and piano sonatas are unmissable (at the very least the Sturm-und-Drang, Paris and London symphonies and the string quartets from Op. 20 onward). There are also concertos for various instruments (the best known are No. 4 and No. 11 for piano, No. 1 and No. 2 for cello and the one for trumpet) and divertimenti for various ensembles of strings and/or winds. Their quality varies from good to excellent.

For vocal music, some later Masses, The Creation and The Seasons are unimpeachable masterpieces.

The same cannot be said of his operas but, while they never attain Mozartian levels, are very enjoyable nevertheless and you should give them a try. La fedelta premiata is even a sort of Bel Canto avant la lettre.

His songs (original and arrangements of Welsh and Scottish tunes) are also worth hearing.

In my book Haydn is the most companionable of the great composers, offering high quality music delivered in witty, amiable and often humorous garbs.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 12, 2024, 10:22:28 AM
I don't believe that I have any of his operas myself!  :-[  Will have to do some more digging.

Did a quick search on youtube and I ran across this (unknown to me singer, aria, opera), but did quite enjoy it.  I should do some more digging.  :)


PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2024, 11:26:43 AM
Quote from: Florestan on March 12, 2024, 09:45:12 AMWell, yes, yes and yes.  ;D

Seriously now:

For non-vocal music the symphonies, string quartets, piano trios and piano sonatas are unmissable (at the very least the Sturm-und-Drang, Paris and London symphonies and the string quartets from Op. 20 onward). There are also concertos for various instruments (the best known are No. 4 and No. 11 for piano, No. 1 and No. 2 for cello and the one for trumpet) and divertimenti for various ensembles of strings and/or winds. Their quality varies from good to excellent.

For vocal music, some later Masses, The Creation and The Seasons are unimpeachable masterpieces.

The same cannot be said of his operas but, while they never attain Mozartian levels, are very enjoyable nevertheless and you should give them a try. La fedelta premiata is even a sort of Bel Canto avant la lettre.

His songs (original and arrangements of Welsh and Scottish tunes) are also worth hearing.

In my book Haydn is the most companionable of the great composers, offering high quality music delivered in witty, amiable and often humorous garbs.

Thank you. Looks like I have some catching up to do.

I tend to prefer original instruments for Baroque music, but with Mozart I have mostly modern instruments in my collection. Should I go for the same with Haydn. I seem to remember Dorati's Haydn recordings being well received.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Florestan on March 12, 2024, 11:47:09 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 12, 2024, 11:26:43 AMThank you. Looks like I have some catching up to do.

I tend to prefer original instruments for Baroque music, but with Mozart I have mostly modern instruments in my collection. Should I go for the same with Haydn. I seem to remember Dorati's Haydn recordings being well received.

Whatever rocks your boat. Try both MI and PI, HIP and non-HIP and decide for yourself which approach suits you best.  :D
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 12, 2024, 05:14:50 PM
Quote from: Florestan on March 12, 2024, 09:45:12 AMWell, yes, yes and yes.  ;D

Seriously now:

For non-vocal music the symphonies, string quartets, piano trios and piano sonatas are unmissable (at the very least the Sturm-und-Drang, Paris and London symphonies and the string quartets from Op. 20 onward). There are also concertos for various instruments (the best known are No. 4 and No. 11 for piano, No. 1 and No. 2 for cello and the one for trumpet) and divertimenti for various ensembles of strings and/or winds. Their quality varies from good to excellent.

For vocal music, some later Masses, The Creation and The Seasons are unimpeachable masterpieces.

The same cannot be said of his operas but, while they never attain Mozartian levels, are very enjoyable nevertheless and you should give them a try. La fedelta premiata is even a sort of Bel Canto avant la lettre.

His songs (original and arrangements of Welsh and Scottish tunes) are also worth hearing.

In my book Haydn is the most companionable of the great composers, offering high quality music delivered in witty, amiable and often humorous garbs.

I prefer PI, and for much of his music there are enough good options that I wouldn't want to suggest one over the others.

As for the operas--they are more comparable to Gluck than Mozart, but good music making, and the composer was often also the impresario for their initial stagings at the Esterhazys, so very much written with the stage in mind.

For some of them Dorati is the only option, but there's one he didn't do. You might get it first as a trial (but I seem to remember you're not keen on Bartoli?)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ljKavE1jL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Wanderer on March 12, 2024, 11:25:01 PM
Tonight at the Greek National Opera:

Richard Wagner: Die Walküre

Siegmund: Stefan Vinke
Hunding: Petros Magoulas
Wotan: Tommi Hakala
Sieglinde: Allison Oakes
Brünnhilde: Catherine Foster
Fricka: Marina Prudenskaya
Helmwige: Katherina Sandmeier
Gerhilde: Violetta Lousta
Ortlinde: Taxiarchoula Kanati
Waltraute: Nefeli Kotseli
Siegrune: Dimitra Kalaitzi-Tilikidou
Roßweiße: Fotini Athanassaki
Grimgerde: Anna Tselika
Schwertleite: Chrysanthi Spitadi
 
With the Orchestra of the Greek National Opera
Conductor: Roland Kluttig
 Director: John Fulljames
 Associate director: Johanne Holten
 Sets, costumes: Tom Scutt
 Associate set designer: David Allen
 Lighting: D. M. Wood

Co-production with the Royal Danish Opera
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 13, 2024, 03:33:53 AM
Quote from: JBS on March 12, 2024, 05:14:50 PMI prefer PI, and for much of his music there are enough good options that I wouldn't want to suggest one over the others.

As for the operas--they are more comparable to Gluck than Mozart, but good music making, and the composer was often also the impresario for their initial stagings at the Esterhazys, so very much written with the stage in mind.

For some of them Dorati is the only option, but there's one he didn't do. You might get it first as a trial (but I seem to remember you're not keen on Bartoli?)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ljKavE1jL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Not usually, no, though I'm curious about this opera, mostly because Callas sang the role of Euridice at its first ever staged performance, in Florence in 1951. It was written for London, but never actually performed.

Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: JBS on March 14, 2024, 03:59:26 PM
Last CD of the Janet Baker set, which is bookended by the 1961 and 1977 recordings of Dido and Aeneas

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/715geJxeS3L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

I prefer (mildly) this recording.  Baker's performance of "When I am Laid in Earth" is one of the best I've heard.

From
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61sNOwcMxhL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2024, 02:32:48 AM
(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/paco207_9735ee11-e251-4de3-a757-19c9b4ae597a_530x.jpg)

The sound of Callas's second studio Lucia, recorded at Kingsway Hall rather than at La Scala, has always been one of her best sounding recordings, so I doubted that it could be improved upon. All I can say that is that I find Pristine's transfer better than either EMI or Warner, much warmer and much closer to the German EMI Electrola LPs I used to own.

Interestingly it's now been reviewed by three different people on Musicweb International, and we all think it the better of her two studio Lucias. It's certainly a lot more refined and though notes in the stratosphere don't always fall easily on the ear, the filigree of the role is beautifully executed.

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Pristine Audio) - MusicWeb International (https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/03/donizetti-lucia-di-lammermoor-pristine-audio-3/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2024, 02:36:23 AM
Quote from: JBS on March 14, 2024, 03:59:26 PMLast CD of the Janet Baker set, which is bookended by the 1961 and 1977 recordings of Dido and Aeneas

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/715geJxeS3L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

I prefer (mildly) this recording.  Baker's performance of "When I am Laid in Earth" is one of the best I've heard.

From
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61sNOwcMxhL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

Gosh, I haven't heard this set in ages. I used to own in on cassette. I remember thinking Dame Janet was still marvellous in it, but, like most people, I favoured the earlier one. The main problem for me is the aging Pears, who doesn't really conjure up an image of the dashing hero. I'd be interested to hear it again, but I'm guessing it's only available as part of this big box, most of which I have already.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on March 15, 2024, 12:03:04 PM
Quote from: JBS on March 12, 2024, 05:14:50 PMAs for the operas--they are more comparable to Gluck than Mozart, but good music making, and the composer was often also the impresario for their initial stagings at the Esterhazys, so very much written with the stage in mind.



That is weird, for me the Haydn operas do not resemble Gluck. I hear a lot of Mozart in them, the Mozart of Clemenza di Tito, supplemented with some humor (of which there is none in Gluck). What Haydn lacks is a Da Ponte who could have provided him with a good libretto. I don't think Haydn operas would work in the opera house nowadays, the stories are just too weak. But the music is sublime. That is why the Dorati cycle is so good, you have the best singers with a top orchestra who bring out all the qualities.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 15, 2024, 12:41:37 PM
Quote from: JBS on March 14, 2024, 03:59:26 PMLast CD of the Janet Baker set, which is bookended by the 1961 and 1977 recordings of Dido and Aeneas

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/715geJxeS3L._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)

I prefer (mildly) this recording.  Baker's performance of "When I am Laid in Earth" is one of the best I've heard.

From
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61sNOwcMxhL._UF1000,1000_QL80_FMwebp_.jpg)
The first time that I heard her sing this, I remember tears streaming down my face.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 15, 2024, 12:43:45 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2024, 02:32:48 AM(https://tsaraslondon.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/paco207_9735ee11-e251-4de3-a757-19c9b4ae597a_530x.jpg)

The sound of Callas's second studio Lucia, recorded at Kingsway Hall rather than at La Scala, has always been one of her best sounding recordings, so I doubted that it could be improved upon. All I can say that is that I find Pristine's transfer better than either EMI or Warner, much warmer and much closer to the German EMI Electrola LPs I used to own.

Interestingly it's now been reviewed by three different people on Musicweb International, and we all think it the better of her two studio Lucias. It's certainly a lot more refined and though notes in the stratosphere don't always fall easily on the ear, the filigree of the role is beautifully executed.

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Pristine Audio) - MusicWeb International (https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/03/donizetti-lucia-di-lammermoor-pristine-audio-3/)
How does Pristine Audio do its transfers?  From what sources?  Trying to recall here.

PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: ritter on March 15, 2024, 01:20:11 PM
Another wonderful Rossini score, La gazza ladra, in Alberto Zedda's first recording (from 1979).

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51lQFdY7Y5L._SY300_SX300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)

Act I today. This melodramma semiserio is, beyond its famous overture, full of wonderful ensemble pieces. Somehow, I find this among Rossini's more "elegant" pieces, and he's more restrained than elsewhere.

The performance, which I had been looking for for years, is fine, but seems to favour the buffo over the serious elements. The cast is fluent and proficient. The Ninetta, Rosetta Pizzo (whom I had not encountered before), is one of those cases of a great artist with a not-so-great voice (she's a bit soubrettish in tone). Pietro Bottazzo makes a very good impression as Gianotto, as does Helga Müller-Molinari as Pippo.

In any case, this does in no wat displace the later recording of the opera on Sony under Gianluigi Gelmetti, with a dream cast of Ricciarelli, Matteuzzi, Manca di Nissa and Ramey.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on March 15, 2024, 02:08:45 PM
This one has been waiting in my collection for years. When I listen to Don Carlo, it is always to the Italian version, and I like the Solti, Guilini and Levine, they all have their strenghts and weaknesses.

It takes a bit getting used to the French version and it changes the character of the opera a bit, I find it at times more elegant than the Italian. Orchestral sound is exquisite and the cast is dominated by Domingo, really one of the best Verdi tenors ever. He is even better than on the EMI Guilini, what an artist! The leading ladies are not top when you are used to the likes of Tebaldi and Verrett. As usual Posa is the weak link, I have never understood why Nucci had such a big career, he voice sounds nasal ... as usual but still, he is better than the horrible Fischer-Dieskau in the Decca recording. Still, Domingo brings out the best in his partners in the many duets and ensembles we find in this great opera.

(https://i.discogs.com/KVm8ApBPytDhkTwXZz_0vup-UbjT3SBBXpxkmgV8mCY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:518/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMTY3/MzQ0LTE1MjY4MDY4/MTktMTE1OC5qcGVn.jpeg)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2024, 03:16:47 PM
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 15, 2024, 12:43:45 PMHow does Pristine Audio do its transfers?  From what sources?  Trying to recall here.

PD

I'm not absolutely sure. I assume that in most cases they won't have access to the master tapes and certainly not in this case, as they will be in the hands of Warner. I expect they used clean LPs.
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2024, 03:21:48 PM
Quote from: nico1616 on March 15, 2024, 02:08:45 PMThis one has been waiting in my collection for years. When I listen to Don Carlo, it is always to the Italian version, and I like the Solti, Guilini and Levine, they all have their strenghts and weaknesses.

It takes a bit getting used to the French version and it changes the character of the opera a bit, I find it at times more elegant than the Italian. Orchestral sound is exquisite and the cast is dominated by Domingo, really one of the best Verdi tenors ever. He is even better than on the EMI Guilini, what an artist! The leading ladies are not top when you are used to the likes of Tebaldi and Verrett. As usual Posa is the weak link, I have never understood why Nucci had such a big career, he voice sounds nasal ... as usual but still, he is better than the horrible Fischer-Dieskau in the Decca recording. Still, Domingo brings out the best in his partners in the many duets and ensembles we find in this great opera.

(https://i.discogs.com/KVm8ApBPytDhkTwXZz_0vup-UbjT3SBBXpxkmgV8mCY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:518/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExMTY3/MzQ0LTE1MjY4MDY4/MTktMTE1OC5qcGVn.jpeg)

This is one of the three recordings of the opera that I own. The others are Giulini and Karajan.I have it mostly for the fact that it is in French and for all the extra music included in the appendix. I did a comparative review of the three recordings on my blog a few years ago, if you're interested, but basically I agree with your assessment.

Verdi's Don Carlo - a comparison of three different recordings (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: Pohjolas Daughter on March 15, 2024, 04:07:58 PM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2024, 03:16:47 PMI'm not absolutely sure. I assume that in most cases they won't have access to the master tapes and certainly not in this case, as they will be in the hands of Warner. I expect they used clean LPs.
Thanks for your thoughts.


PD
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on March 16, 2024, 12:34:55 AM
Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2024, 03:21:48 PMThis is one of the three recordings of the opera that I own. The others are Giulini and Karajan.I have it mostly for the fact that it is in French and for all the extra music included in the appendix. I did a comparative review of the three recordings on my blog a few years ago, if you're interested, but basically I agree with your assessment.

Verdi's Don Carlo - a comparison of three different recordings (http://tsaraslondon.com/2017/04/09/verdis-don-carlos-a-comparison-of-three-different-recordings/)

Great link and site, thanks  :)
Title: Re: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?
Post by: nico1616 on March 18, 2024, 08:23:49 AM
(https://i.discogs.com/bHsZLtn8vrkltLQGHQ96Rgi4ir93ihWKWUOE32Wljw4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:392/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI5MjEw/MTQ2LTE3MDI2NTk3/OTktOTM1OS5qcGVn.jpeg)

First listen to this obscure Massenet opera. Glad to see the French are still investing in cds, luxury book included.