CD cover art designs

[The new erato]

I'm bumping only because I'm still in search of this painting. Any clues?

Pre-Raphaelite?

[Rinaldo]

Pre-Raphaelite?

Near miss.



Liebe by Gustav Klimt

(replaced the image link with full version)

[TheGSMoeller]

Near miss.



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fine-Arts-Reproduction-Gustav-Klimt/dp/B004DZBDW2

Bravo, Rinaldo! Thanks! 

[Drasko]

Just spent a very pleasant few minutes going through this thread right from the beginning. At the end, I was surprised that the Jacobs Mozart opera recordings haven't had any supporters yet:




OK, I know it's a cheat. Anyone, you'd think, could take a detail from a Watteau and slap it on a box top. But even so, there's something extremely alluring about these boxes when I take them from the shelf: the boxes look a lot more special as boxes than these little images look, as little images, and seem to rule out any notion that the contents could be anything other than objects of great veneration. I guess Watteau is one of those 'unanswerable' painters: he presents you with the image and leaves you gaping in silence and there's an end on't.

I'm sure we already discussed these, maybe on some other thread, and agreed on the utter awesomeness of the covers. Particularly think choice of Les Deux Cousines and Le Faux Pas is brilliant.

Les Deux Cousines leave me speechless every time.

[Elgarian]

I'm sure we already discussed these, maybe on some other thread, and agreed on the utter awesomeness of the covers. Particularly think choice of Les Deux Cousines and Le Faux Pas is brilliant.

Les Deux Cousines leave me speechless every time.

Yes, I had a vague memory that we had, but had no notion of where it might be. No matter - worth talking about twice!

I have an original etching by Watteau: a miraculous bargain acquisition some years ago. It's a tiny thing, just a few centimetres high, displayed in a dark mount with a small gold frame. And it has an entire wall to itself. Not because I wouldn't like to hang other things there - I would. But they can't live alongside it. It requires, and is sufficient in itself for, the whole wall. In fact, we recently decorated the wall in a plain Venetian red wallpaper, purely for the sake of the Watteau.

[Drasko]

I have an original etching by Watteau: a miraculous bargain acquisition some years ago. It's a tiny thing, just a few centimetres high, displayed in a dark mount with a small gold frame. And it has an entire wall to itself. Not because I wouldn't like to hang other things there - I would. But they can't live alongside it. It requires, and is sufficient in itself for, the whole wall. In fact, we recently decorated the wall in a plain Venetian red wallpaper, purely for the sake of the Watteau.

I remember your mentioning of that etching, and my resulting greenness that would go well with your venetian red wallpaper.
And its demand for complete wall to itself is completely understandable. I have this quiet longing for one French print, much less well known artist than Watteau, but still outside my current price range. I will get my paws on it sooner or later though, no question about it, and I have certain feeling it would demand a wall of its own.

Off topic - What are your three favorite Handel operas, and in which recordings (preferably audio).   

[Elgarian]

I have this quiet longing for one French print, much less well known artist than Watteau, but still outside my current price range. I will get my paws on it sooner or later though, no question about it, and I have certain feeling it would demand a wall of its own.

Oh I hope you do!

Off topic - What are your three favorite Handel operas, and in which recordings (preferably audio).   

In no particular order (presented as images to keep us on topic):





(I know you asked for preferably audio, but I never listen to my Giulio Cesare CDs if I can watch this instead.)



And yes, I know the last one isn't an opera, but these are the three Handel sets I'd rescue first from the flames, (assuming that first I'd secured all the 7 Glossa recordings - and Maria Zadori's recordings - of the cantatas).

Do please provide a similar set of images of your preferences!

[Drasko]

Do please provide a similar set of images of your preferences!

I have none. All I have of Handel are few discs of arias, one volume of Italian cantatas on Glossa and unwatched DVD of Alcina. I've yet to hear a Handel opera complete, that's why I asked. Don't think I even heard complete Messiah.

Those three look very fine, thank you. I'll probably pick up Ariodante first, presto has it currently on offer.

[Elgarian]

All I have of Handel are few discs of arias, one volume of Italian cantatas on Glossa and unwatched DVD of Alcina. I've yet to hear a Handel opera complete, that's why I asked. Don't think I even heard complete Messiah.

Those three look very fine, thank you. I'll probably pick up Ariodante first, presto has it currently on offer.

Oh I see! Sorry, I misunderstood the aim of the game.

I should say that I haven't heard the version with Joyce DiDonato and Alan Curtis (which you'll have seen is also available, slightly cheaper, at Presto), but it's had some good things said about it, and I just might go for that sometime myself. But with the other, well, you get Lorraine Hunt Lieberson as Ariodante, and that's going to take some beating. The opera has two tremendous dramatic and musical highlights in 'Scherza Infida' and 'Dopo Notte', which you probably have already on your arias discs.

[The new erato]

Draso, your two CD selections are in my top 3 as well, but couldn't decide on a third. Perhaps Curtis' Rodelinda or Petrou's Tamerlano.

[Drasko]

Draso, your two CD selections are in my top 3 as well, but couldn't decide on a third. Perhaps Curtis' Rodelinda or Petrou's Tamerlano.

Those are Elgarian's selections not mine, but it's nice to know that Norwegian health care isn't stingy on the drugs Best wishes and speedy recovery!

Tamerlano on mDG and Curtis Rodelinda noted, thanks.

I should say that I haven't heard the version with Joyce DiDonato and Alan Curtis (which you'll have seen is also available, slightly cheaper, at Presto), but it's had some good things said about it, and I just might go for that sometime myself. But with the other, well, you get Lorraine Hunt Lieberson as Ariodante, and that's going to take some beating. The opera has two tremendous dramatic and musical highlights in 'Scherza Infida' and 'Dopo Notte', which you probably have already on your arias discs.

I was already eyeing three Ariodantes: Hunt Lieberson, DiDonato and von Otter, and was leaning towards Hunt Lieberson, I have a disc of her singing Handel arias live and it's wonderful.   

[The new erato]

Sorry to Elgarian there. But rather than blame it on the drugs, I'll blame it on my HTC phones small screen......

[kishnevi]

Those are Elgarian's selections not mine, but it's nice to know that Norwegian health care isn't stingy on the drugs Best wishes and speedy recovery!

Tamerlano on mDG and Curtis Rodelinda noted, thanks.

I was already eyeing three Ariodantes: Hunt Lieberson, DiDonato and von Otter, and was leaning towards Hunt Lieberson, I have a disc of her singing Handel arias live and it's wonderful.   

Hunt Lieberson is awesomely awesome.  The DiDonato/Curtis recording is actually a little better in some respects, and DiDonato is superb, but LHL simply is so much better.  Plus the booklet is nicely illustrated with photos of the production which spawned the recording.

However, you can still give Joyce her due by getting her recording (also with Curtis/Complesso) of Alcina.

Returning to the original point  of this thread--while Watteau is Watteau, the covers of Jacob's other Mozart opera recordings (Clemenza di Tito, Idomeneo and Zauberflote) appeal more to me.  They're taken of early productions of the operas--from the actual premiere of Idomeneo, and from productions of 1799 (Tito) and 1818 (Zauberflote); and in the case of the first two most of the artwork and illustrations to the liner booklet came from the same source).

[Mirror Image]

I've always liked this one...

[Grazioso]

Anything Victorian/Edwardian is good, such as:

Poynter:



Grimshaw:

[Coco]

I love the French label Aeon's jacket designs for contemporary music:

[TheGSMoeller]

I love the French label Aeon's jacket designs for contemporary music:

Thanks for sharing, Coco, those are nice.

[Brian]

At DavidRoss' request:

[Rinaldo]

That Dvořák is gorgeous!

Some of my current faves:

[asin]B002ZVM4V0[/asin] [asin]B000025BQN[/asin] [asin]B0013ND37K[/asin] [asin]B00000DTFW[/asin] [asin]B0000269VM[/asin]
And I generally love the 'look' of Kairos' records:

[asin]B0019IT68Y[/asin]

[RadiGen]