What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

Started by Tsaraslondon, April 10, 2017, 04:29:04 AM

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Tsaraslondon



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.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Tsaraslondon



A veritable treasure trove of Wagner singing. Highly recommended. I've also reviewed the set on my blog.

Les introuvables du chant wagnérien
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Tsaraslondon



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.
 
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

JBS

[Crosspost from WAYLT2]




From the Warner Offenbach set
A trio of one act comedies.
The conductor is, I assume, the arranger of Gaite Parisienne.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Tsaraslondon



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.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Wendell_E

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

"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

JBS

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


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.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

bhodges

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

Tsaraslondon

#3408
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.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

JBS

#3409


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?

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Tsaraslondon

Quote from: JBS on January 04, 2023, 03:47:36 PM

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.



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.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Papy Oli

Verdi - Falstaff Act I
(Karajan, Philarmonia, Gobbi, Schwarzkopf)

Olivier

Papy Oli

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.


   
Olivier

Tsaraslondon

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.


   

I do think that with comic operas, even more than with tragic ones, it helps to know what they are singing about.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Roasted Swan

Dare I say something heretical......?!  The other day I bought for the princely sum of £1 this famous set;



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.

Tsaraslondon

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;



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.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

JBS

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.


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.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Todd

#3417


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.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Tsaraslondon



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.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Todd



Revisiting.  Stupid opera.  Stupid beautiful.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya