Mozart's Magic Flute Appreciation Thread

czgirb · January 24, 2011, 11:17:10 PM

Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on January 23, 2011, 05:15:11 PM
Naxos's is probably the most recent remastering and with either Marston or Obert-Thorn at the engineering helm it's unlikely that the others will measure up. And Naxos generally has the lowest prices, too. A nice bonus.

Thank you ...
Regarding to Nimbus and EMI ... what's your opinion?

MishaK · January 25, 2011, 08:36:34 AM

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 20, 2010, 09:05:05 AM
Diana Damrau certainly gets round the notes in the excerpts on youtube, though she doesn't entirely avoid the angry doll trap.

Really?! I don't quite understand the "angry doll" criticism. In over 30 years of watching and hearing the Magic Flute on all sorts of opera stages from the provincial to the Met, I have yet to see and hear a Queen more dramatically intense and believable as a character than Damrau. I will grant that the video performances with Muti and Davis are perhaps not her best. I had the pleasure of hearing her last ever Queen at the Met with Kirill Petrenko conducting. That said, her technique in the upper register, while formidable, isn't quite as solidly secure as Streich or Jo, though the former sings too prettily and the latter perhaps too unexpressively for östman, but considerably more convincingly for Solti.

DavidRoss · January 25, 2011, 08:44:16 AM

Tuning into this thread reminds that I'm overdue for another hearing of Jacobs's new Flute. Think I'll clear my schedule after lunch!

Guido · January 25, 2011, 09:19:02 AM

Looking forward to the upcoming ROH revival - Kate Royal as Pamina - I've been wanting to hear her live for a while - she's got a ravishing voice, and is a great hope for the future.

czgirb · January 25, 2011, 05:26:56 PM

As one of Zauberflote's fan, I own 5 different recordings of this divine work of art. Based on all I have heard so far, my conclusion is that there is no "perfect" Zauberflote recording, as with any other opera. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Of course, the judgement is based on my own, amateur tastes.

Regarding to Queen of the Night ... please used link below as references:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pe9UTxyGbk
To me ... the best Queen of the Night is:
* In Audio : Edda Moser ... for Vocal ... sorry ... I never see her stage's act
* In Vision : Diana Damrou ... for both Vocal & Act

Judgement is based on my own, amateur tastes ... not others

Guido · January 26, 2011, 04:31:59 AM

I'm a great fan of Lucia Popp's recording - as I am with most of her Mozart singing.

Damrau is underpowered in this role and almost killed herself doing it. She creates the character very well though.

mjwal · January 26, 2011, 07:31:13 AM

Try Wilma Lipp on Walhall (Keilberth) - the Pamina (Stich-Randall) and Speaker (Hotter) are also to die for. Popp sings beautifully, but a bit neutrally for my taste.

MishaK · January 26, 2011, 07:34:10 AM

Quote from: Guido on January 26, 2011, 04:31:59 AM
Damrau is underpowered in this role and almost killed herself doing it. She creates the character very well though.

"Underpowered" depends on the size of sound you're looking for in terms of the orchestra and the opera as a whole. "Almost killed herself" I don't think so. I saw her live at the Met. She was nowhere near redlining the engine, so to speak.

matti · January 26, 2011, 08:14:28 AM

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 20, 2010, 09:05:05 AM
I'd second Mike's vote for Lucia Popp, the best I've ever heard. Interesting to note that she went on to become one of the best of Paminas.

''

Ach ich fühl's that you are right.

Dancing Divertimentian · January 26, 2011, 08:22:04 AM

Quote from: czgirb on January 24, 2011, 11:17:10 PM
Thank you ...
Regarding to Nimbus and EMI ... what's your opinion?

I haven't heard either transfer but if I had to choose "blind" I'd probably pick EMI.

DavidRoss · January 26, 2011, 08:56:48 AM

http://www.youtube.com/v/H_xfC9RXicU&feature=related

Not the best sound in the clip, but suffices to give a good idea of just how good Erika Miklósa is in the role. Nice also to hear it at a decent tempo, thanks to Minkowski conducting. Jo for Östman holds up well but is too pretty--Miklósa & Damrau get the emotional tone right.

Kaappola for Jacobs is quite good, even slowed down a bit as can be seen here with Colin Davis at 8:49
http://www.youtube.com/v/IR8GFUTMP_E

MishaK · January 26, 2011, 09:33:07 AM

Quote from: DavidRoss on January 26, 2011, 08:56:48 AM
http://www.youtube.com/v/H_xfC9RXicU&feature=related

Not the best sound in the clip, but suffices to give a good idea of just how good Erika Miklósa is in the role. Nice also to hear it at a decent tempo, thanks to Minkowski conducting. Jo for Östman holds up well but is too pretty--Miklósa & Damrau get the emotional tone right.

That Minkowski Flute is a terrific La Fura dels Baus production from a recent Ruhr Triennale! They did away with the dialogues and replaced it with some weird voiceover. That may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the visuals of the production are like nothing else you've seen. (The three ladies with the glowing blue boobs and vaginas are also 'special'. ) If you're a member of operashare, someone uploaded the video of the entire thing there a while back. It is also noteworthy for Genia Kühmeier as a superb Pamina, IMHO the best currently active Pamina, though her performance for Minkowski isn't the greatest I have heard from her.

I'm not too impressed with Miklosa, I must say. She has the drama, but not the security of intonation around the top of her range. And her German diction is god-awful, hopelessly infused with a Hungarian accent. You can hear her in resplendent sound on Abbado's recording, which features Christoph Strehl, perhaps the best currently active Tamino. To really hear Sumi Jo at her best in this role, you have to hear Solti's recording. I have never undestood people's infatuation with the Östman recording. He conducts everything incredibly fast and without any slightest bit of rubato whatsoever, may the singers breathe where they manage. It's, dare I say it, unmusical to my ears. That Jo manages to hit the notes at all at this breakneck tempo is astounding enough, for emotion there simply isn't the time. She's much more dramatic on Solti's recording.

czgirb · January 27, 2011, 07:11:44 PM

Quote from: czgirb on January 25, 2011, 05:26:56 PM
As one of Zauberflote's fan, I own 5 different recordings of this divine work of art. Based on all I have heard so far, my conclusion is that there is no "perfect" Zauberflote recording, as with any other opera. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Of course, the judgement is based on my own, amateur tastes.

Regarding to Queen of the Night ... please used link below as references:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pe9UTxyGbk
To me ... the best Queen of the Night is:
* In Audio : Edda Moser ... for Vocal ... sorry ... I never see her stage's act
* In Vision : Diana Damrou ... for both Vocal & Act

Judgement is based on my own, amateur tastes ... not others

Yesterday ... I've been remind by my wife that I brought Ficsay with me.
So I tried ... and revised my list for the best Queen of the Night ... it shall be held by Ficsay's Rita Streitch
Though the record is mono ... but I like her voice ...
Or maybe because mono is match to this part ... I don't know

MishaK · January 28, 2011, 07:15:22 AM

Quote from: czgirb on January 27, 2011, 07:11:44 PM
Yesterday ... I've been remind by my wife that I brought Ficsay with me.
So I tried ... and revised my list for the best Queen of the Night ... it shall be held by Ficsay's Rita Streitch
Though the record is mono ... but I like her voice ...
Or maybe because mono is match to this part ... I don't know

Streich really is a marvel!

You might be interested in this:

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and Fricsay's Entführung, where she sings the part of Blonde:

[asin]B000006144[/asin]

Whether she holds the title of "best Queen" I'm not entirely sure for two reasons: 1. she makes up her own rhythm in the plaintive middle part of the coloratura bit in "Der Hölle Rache"; 2. she just sings to beautifully - I don't buy it from her that she is threatening to disown her daughter and cast her away to be a "daughter of nature".

czgirb · January 28, 2011, 09:24:40 PM

Quote from: Mensch on January 28, 2011, 07:15:22 AM
Streich really is a marvel!
You might be interested in this:
[asin]B0000U1NGU[/asin]

Streich is a marvel ... and I love her voice in Mozart's Magic Flute
but for your recommendation ... 8-CDs ... No thanx
Thank you for your recommendation.

knight66 · January 29, 2011, 05:17:24 AM

I keep looking at this thread and then I go onto Amazon to see whether anyone is selling the Jacobs set for a steal. My thinking is that I get hold of it and load it onto my iPod withought most of what I gather is the extended and fairly tedious dialogue. So far, it is still too costly for me.

So, I consol myself right now listening to the delightful English Language version conducted by Mackerras. A marvelous set if you can accept a translation.

Mike

MishaK · January 29, 2011, 08:51:37 AM

Quote from: knight on January 29, 2011, 05:17:24 AM
I keep looking at this thread and then I go onto Amazon to see whether anyone is selling the Jacobs set for a steal. My thinking is that I get hold of it and load it onto my iPod withought most of what I gather is the extended and fairly tedious dialogue. So far, it is still too costly for me.

I don't have the recording, but according to what I have read, you can't do that because in most cases the dialogue is on the same track as the musical numbers and sometimes run into one another.

knight66 · January 29, 2011, 09:14:37 AM

Oh Mensch....(never thought I would get to write that phrase), thanks.....'I think I'll have to think it out agan.'

Mike