What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

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

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ritter

Quote from: Todd on January 29, 2023, 12:00:51 PM

Revisiting.

Whisky per tutti!  ;D

QuoteStupid opera.  Stupid beautiful.
Very nicely put. A favourite of mine...

Todd



It's been a good, long while since I last listened to any recording of Falstaff, and probably a decade or more since I last listened to this recording.  It more or less conformed to cloudy memories.  Playing is precise, detailed, and fairly light.  Sure, tuttis have oomph, but Abbado never lets things get heavy.  He also keeps things zippy.  Terfel sounds in your face and nearly intimidating at times, which works well, and every singer sounds very fine.  Would that big name cast, full priced operas like this were as commonly released as they once were.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

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

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

ritter

#3422
Time to revisit Dallapiccola's magnum opus, Ulisse...


Florestan



This is the very first opera Decca ever released on LP. The mono sound has aged quite well and it's actually surprisingly good. The line up, while not stellar (except for Krips), features mostly Viennese born and bred artists and it shows: impeccable diction and tasteful singing. A very enjoyable recording.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Papy Oli

Made a start in earnest on Wagner's Ring, with the Penguin book/Libretto in front of me (Translation by John Deathridge).

Planning a handful of listens for each scene or act to slowly build up the familiarity with the characters and plot, before moving to the next one.

Das Rheingold - Scene I.

Played Karajan and Solti off the shelf earlier.

Now streaming Böhm.

A long journey ahead but captivated already  8)
Olivier

Papy Oli

Out of curiosity, I tried that same scene in Goodall's English version.

Definitely less impactful.
Olivier

Lisztianwagner

Quote from: Papy Oli on February 08, 2023, 05:39:23 AMMade a start in earnest on Wagner's Ring, with the Penguin book/Libretto in front of me (Translation by John Deathridge).

Planning a handful of listens for each scene or act to slowly build up the familiarity with the characters and plot, before moving to the next one.

Das Rheingold - Scene I.

Played Karajan and Solti off the shelf earlier.

Now streaming Böhm.

A long journey ahead but captivated already  8)

Certainly an excellent idea; particularly about Wagner, whose musikdramas have the purpose of the fusion of the arts and whose texts are full of poetical and philosophical elements, I think that reading the libretti is extremely important to better understand and completely merge into those works.
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." - Gustav Mahler

Papy Oli

Could anyone confirm please, that these two :

  &   

... are the same versions that appear in this set ?




The performers seem to match but I thought I'd ask. Thank you.



Olivier

ritter

Quote from: Papy Oli on February 09, 2023, 08:18:44 AMCould anyone confirm please, that these two :

  &   

... are the same versions that appear in this set ?




The performers seem to match but I thought I'd ask. Thank you.




Yes!


Papy Oli

Wagner - Das Rheingold - Scene 2.

Starting with Solti.
Olivier

Que

Quote from: Florestan on February 06, 2023, 04:58:22 AM

This is the very first opera Decca ever released on LP. The mono sound has aged quite well and it's actually surprisingly good. The line up, while not stellar (except for Krips), features mostly Viennese born and bred artists and it shows: impeccable diction and tasteful singing. A very enjoyable recording.

My favourite Old School performance is with Krips as well - but with a star line up...  8)


Florestan

Quote from: Que on February 12, 2023, 09:31:35 AMMy favourite Old School performance is with Krips as well - but with a star line up...  8)



Thanks for that. I'll certainly get it as well.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Que


Tsaraslondon

Quote from: Que on February 12, 2023, 09:31:35 AMMy favourite Old School performance is with Krips as well - but with a star line up...  8)



Mine's this one, mostly because of the peerless Fritz Wunderlich, but the rest of it is pretty good too.



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

Papy Oli

Wagner
Das Rheingold
Still the second scene (Karajan this time) with full attention and libretto.

Really liked Gerhard Stolze singing Loge. The devious character really comes through. Also impressed by Fafner (Karl Ridderbusch).

Enjoying this a lot!
 
Olivier

Papy Oli

Donizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore Act I

(Pritchard, Cotrubas, Domingo)

Olivier

Tsaraslondon

Quote from: Papy Oli on February 14, 2023, 07:20:53 AMDonizetti - L'Elisir d'Amore Act I

(Pritchard, Cotrubas, Domingo)



My favourite recording of this delightful comic opera. It was based on a very successful production at Covent Garden, which also starred Cotrubas. However there she was partnered by the young Carreras. When the recording was made, Domingo was presumably considered a bigger seller. Considering he was about to enter Otello territory, he does a good job of lightening his voice, but I do wonder if the young Carreras would have been better. By the time Carreras got to record it (with Ricciarelli) his voice had lost some of its youthful bloom.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Papy Oli

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on February 15, 2023, 01:06:19 AMMy favourite recording of this delightful comic opera. It was based on a very successful production at Covent Garden, which also starred Cotrubas. However there she was partnered by the young Carreras. When the recording was made, Domingo was presumably considered a bigger seller. Considering he was about to enter Otello territory, he does a good job of lightening his voice, but I do wonder if the young Carreras would have been better. By the time Carreras got to record it (with Ricciarelli) his voice had lost some of its youthful bloom.

It sounds like good fun indeed so far.

On the off-chance, have you or anyone please got a PDF of the Italian libretto + English translations or can point me  towards one online? I have found various separate Italian or English libretti and pasted them in Excel but there are several mismatches and missing chunks in one or the other which makes them difficult to align...The booklet only has the synopsis. Thank you.
Olivier

Tsaraslondon

Quote from: Papy Oli on February 16, 2023, 04:42:48 AMIt sounds like good fun indeed so far.

On the off-chance, have you or anyone please got a PDF of the Italian libretto + English translations or can point me  towards one online? I have found various separate Italian or English libretti and pasted them in Excel but there are several mismatches and missing chunks in one or the other which makes them difficult to align...The booklet only has the synopsis. Thank you.

I don't, I'm afraid. I have the first CD transfer which came with a full libretto and translation. I wouldn't know where to look on the net. It seems to me that librettos and translations are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Perhaps nobody cares what's going on anymore.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas