Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle

Started by Mirror Image, January 25, 2011, 12:19:26 PM

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hopefullytrusting

Quote from: Daverz on July 23, 2025, 03:21:28 PMMarton can hit that high C, I wouldn't have kept the disc otherwise, but I remember her voice having a metallic edge.  Time for another listen, and I also want to get to the new Canellakis recording. 

That is the exact reason I have kept the recording - she is perfectly piercing.

The Canellakis recording is excellent, at least when it comes to production values, but it feels ... too smooth for my tastes - I like my Bartok with jagged edges, but for 5 bucks or so (Presto download), well worth the price, in my opinion. :)

KevinP

The Kertesz is emerging as my favourite of the ones I have.

The Fricsay has the best Bluebeard (Fischer-Dieskau). It's in German rather than Hungarian. But to be fair, the score was originally published with both (from what I can tell, this was the publisher's decision and Bartok signed off on it), so I won't poo-poo the recording on those grounds, but I still prefer the Hungarian.

The Boulez (and I should have mentioned it's the later one) is good. It's a case where it's one of my favourite singers (Norman) so I enjoy it on those grounds, but I don't think she's particularly suited for the role of Judith--too powerful and confident. The singers are also closely miked, whereas on the Kertesz, you can hear Judith's voice get closer in the first few moments when the character enters the castle--nice touch for a studio recording.

I need to spend more time with the Canellakis recording. I wasn't as blown away as other reviewers were, but it seemed to do everything a good recording should do.

I haven't heard a bad recording of this work, nor have I heard of any that really gets it wrong.

Need to spin the Solti (been many years) and the live Fricsay with Nilsson (one cursory listen a couple years ago).


KevinP

Aaaaaand guess who just bought four more recordings?

After a little research, I found out that Fischer-Dieskau left us four complete recordings, so I had to get the other three. (The Haitink was already in my cart, and in retrospect, I probably should have saved it for later, but whatever.)

I am officially in an obsessive phase.

JBS

Quote from: Mandryka on July 23, 2025, 12:51:41 AMI've only ever seen it once, about 20 years ago, semi staged with Rattle and Thomas Hampson or John Tomlinson I think. Could be wrong about the musicians, all I remember is that the barytone was a famous Wotan. It was an enjoyable evening out, I'd imagine this opera could work fine on CD because not much actually happens.

Probably Tomlinson, since he appears in at least two recordings, one of them in Chandos' Opera in English series, the other a recording from the Proms conducted by Saraste (could that be the performance you were remembering?).

My own favorite is Kertesz, but I do have a soft spot for this one (sung in Hungarian)

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Mandryka

Quote from: JBS on July 27, 2025, 06:05:01 PMProbably Tomlinson, since he appears in at least two recordings, one of them in Chandos' Opera in English series, the other a recording from the Proms conducted by Saraste (could that be the performance you were remembering?).

My own favorite is Kertesz, but I do have a soft spot for this one (sung in Hungarian)


Maybe - vague memory that it transferred to Birmingham and I saw it there.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Wendell_E

Quote from: JBS on July 27, 2025, 06:05:01 PMProbably Tomlinson, since he appears in at least two recordings

... and Hampson never sang Wotan. According to his website, his Wagner roles are Gunter, Wolfram, Amfortas, and the Lohengrin Herald. It doesn't list Bluebeard among his roles, either.
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain