What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[hopefullytrusting]

Highlights (from the premiere, I think) of Nikolai Lopatnikoff's Danton:
Steinberg conducting the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with Krebs (Soprano)and Cass (Bass)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eohChGUZgj8

Came across this composer when reading the Wikipedia of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's Dazzle Ships, and one of the genres the album is categorized under is - musique concrete, which led me to read that page, and his name is mentioned by Henry Cowell as one of its proto-members - enough for me.

Danton was not composed during that compositional period but during one which was more conventional, so the music is nice but nothing to write home about - the singing is quite expressive though.

[JBS]

Starting to go through my recent purchases


Live recording taken from two concert performances in late November 2018, one in Munich, the other in Budapest.

[Florestan]

Starting to go through my recent purchases


Live recording taken from two concert performances in late November 2018, one in Munich, the other in Budapest.

Your thoughts about the music and performance, if I may ask for them?

[JBS]

Your thoughts about the music and performance, if I may ask for them?

Bear in mind I think this was the first time I've ever heard this opera--

There are certainly scenes when the future great operas can be seen. The plot has unique parallels to recent US politics: the political enemies of the old doge get at him by destroying his son, and the old doge can do little or nothing despite his supposed great position. Unlike real life, the son dies while about to go into exile, and the father dies of grief soon after. In place of a love triangle, the love interest is simply passionate love between the son and his wife who tries to save him plus the father/doge's love for his son/daughter-in-law.  It's one of the many Verdi operas in which everything revolves around a parent/child relationship.

Singers and orchestra seemed fine but as I said, I have nothing to compare it to.

[JBS]

With a storyline that has only a passing resemblance to the actual history, best to sit back and enjoy the music.

[Florestan]

Bear in mind I think this was the first time I've ever heard this opera--

There are certainly scenes when the future great operas can be seen. The plot has unique parallels to recent US politics: the political enemies of the old doge get at him by destroying his son, and the old doge can do little or nothing despite his supposed great position. Unlike real life, the son dies while about to go into exile, and the father dies of grief soon after. In place of a love triangle, the love interest is simply passionate love between the son and his wife who tries to save him plus the father/doge's love for his son/daughter-in-law.  It's one of the many Verdi operas in which everything revolves around a parent/child relationship.

Singers and orchestra seemed fine but as I said, I have nothing to compare it to.

A belated thank you. (I somehow managed to miss your post until now)

[Lisztianwagner]

I listened to this opera once a long time ago, it's time pick it up again:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Eugene Onegin

Thomas Allen (Eugene Onegin), Mirella Freni (Tatyana), Anne Sofie von Otter (Olga), Neil Shicoff (Lensky), Rosemary Lang (Larina), Ruthild Engert (Filipyevna), Paata Burchuladze (Gremin)
James Levine & Staatskapelle Dresden

[San Antone]

Mozart : Cosi fan tutte
Karl Dönch, Karl Böhm, Vienna Philharmonic, Christa Ludwig & Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (1962)



I am finding that the NAR historical releases are usually in good audio.

[Tsaraslondon]

A fast and furious performance of Il Trovatore, which will no doubt please some more than it pleased me.

My review on my blog and on Musicweb International.

[Lisztianwagner]

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pique Dame

Peter Gugalov (Hermann), Galina Vishnevskaya (Lisa), Regina Resnik (Countess), Dan Jordachescu (Tomsky), Bernd Weikl (Yeletsky), Hanna Schwarz (Pauline), Eva Dobrowska (Governess), Lucia Popp (Chloe)
Mstislav Rostropovich & Orchestre National de France

[San Antone]

Vincenzo Bellini : I puritani
Montserrat Caballé, Alfredo Kraus, Riccardo Muti, Philharmonia Orchestra

[JBS]

Opera before lunch


By 2001 standards the plot is a bit tame, but by 1901 standards it is explicit enough to have caused serious problems in getting it performed. It was banned in Berlin, and therefore the premiere was held in Dresden. Mahler was able conduct it in Vienna, something he couldn't do with Salome.

In one act, about 90 minutes in length, a good deal of Strauss's theatrical idiom is already present here, with the added bonus of an excellent choral scene near the end that makes me wish Strauss had a greater use for choruses in his operas than he actually did.

It would probably make a better introduction to Strauss for newbies than Salome or Elektra.

[JBS]

Opera in the afternoon



As early in his career as it is, the music is a bit better than some of the ones that succeeded it, especially in the area of duets/trios/ensemble scenes. Still, it is early Verdi.

The plot is also a bit less formulaic. The heroine's rival becomes her ally, while the supposed hero, the tenor, is also the villian; his sense of pride, and drive for power and revenge, steer events into death and catastrophe. It might be noted that the father/daughter relationship between the title character and the heroine are a major factor even this early in Verdi's career.

This recording contains an extra three numbers that were excised from the version finally performed, amounting to about an additional half hour of music.

[KevinP]

[Number Six]

Furore: Handel Opera Arias
Joyce DiDonato

Inspired by a recent comment in this thread.