What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[Ganondorf]

No, he's more normal about the rest of the operas. If anything, he's too enthusiastic about Fanciulla del West, which he calls "a groundbreaking masterpiece". It's just those two operas that get negative treatment.

Fanciulla is in my opinion the greatest opera after Wagner's Ring cycle.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I got to know Respighi's Maria Egiziaca on LP decades ago, and remember having liked it, but haven't listened to it since. The opera was revived in the Teatro Malibran in Venice by the forces of La Fenice, and the performance of March 10, 2024 was recorded and released on DVD and BD by Dynamic.



The work, somewhere in between an opera and an oratorio, tells the story of Mary of Egypt, a prostitute from Alexandria who died a hermit in the year 421 in the Holy Land, after having repented. She is venerated as a saint by various Christian denominations.

Despite the excessively archaising text by Respighi's usual librettist Claudio Guastalla, the short work (a "tryptic" lasting some 70') is quite effective and rather beautiful. The music alternates between "ascetic simplicity" and its composer's trademark orchestral lushness (but is in general restrained and "backward looking"), and the vocal lines are always pleasant to the ear.

The performance is very successful. Pier Luigi Pizzi's simple but attractive staging is very effective, and all singers acquit themselves very well, both vocally and scenically. Soprano Francesca Dotto as Mary is superb, with the physique du rôle and a strong vocal impersonation. And the orchestra led, led by Manlio Benzi, acquits itself very well. Highly recommended to anyone interst in 20th century Italian opera.

This was infinitely superior to this other filmed opera I watched some days ago:



I knew this work from a live recording from the mid 50s with the soprano Anna de Cavalieri (the stage name in Italy of Anne McKnight). I've always thought of Alfano as a minor master who composed some interesting works, and had a fond memory of this Sakùntala. Alas, revisiting it now, it bored me to tears. The initial effect of the orientalist luxuriance of the orchestral backdrop wears thin after a short while, and actually becomes tiresome.

This very provincial looking and sounding 2016 performance from Catania intriguingly uses the reconstructed score from the early 1950s, as the original —La leggenda di Sakùntala— was thought lost when the archives of the publishing house Ricordi were partly destroyed in WW2. But the original 1921 version did reappear at the beginning of this century and was given at the Rome Ooera in 2006.

I believe it was you, Rafael, who led me to explore Respighi's operatic output. I'm glad I did, too. Belfagor, in particular, is a favorite. All of those Lamberto Gardelli recordings on Hungaroton are splendid. They're also rather difficult to find nowadays, so I'm glad I was able to find them all.

[Iota]

No, he's more normal about the rest of the operas. If anything, he's too enthusiastic about Fanciulla del West, which he calls "a groundbreaking masterpiece". It's just those two operas that get negative treatment.

Sue me, but I think his points about all three operas are valid, and you don't get to see those liner notes until after you've bought the box. 

Fanciulla is in my opinion the greatest opera after Wagner's Ring cycle.

Well that's very interesting. I've never heard Fanciulla (nor that I can recall, anybody talking about it either), but the above posts have now triggered a great interest do so.

[Christo]

I believe it was you, Rafael, who led me to explore Respighi's operatic output. I'm glad I did, too. Belfagor, in particular, is a favorite. All of those Lamberto Gardelli recordings on Hungaroton are splendid. They're also rather difficult to find nowadays, so I'm glad I was able to find them all.

Know only the old Hungaraton version, but adore this & all "late" operas by Respighi. Incrediblly moving stuff, much beyond much "opera", especially big-show-time Puccini, IMHO. :-)

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Know only the old Hungaraton version, but adore this & all "late" operas by Respighi. Incrediblly moving stuff, much beyond much "opera", especially big-show-time Puccini, IMHO. :-)

How do you feel about the Strauss operas, Johan?

[JBS]

Well that's very interesting. I've never heard Fanciulla (nor that I can recall, anybody talking about it either), but the above posts have now triggered a great interest do so.

It's got one of the most dramatic games of poker ever played.

One of its strengths is that there is an antagonist, but no villian. Rance has the misfortune of wanting to marry a woman who not only doesn't love him, but falls in love with another man. But there's nothing evil about him, and in fact Minnie and he would probably have a happy marriage if she did choose him. But she chose "Johnson" instead.

[Christo]

How do you feel about the Strauss operas, Johan?

Die Fledermaus? Too jolly for me, to be serious.

[JBS]

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Die Fledermaus? Too jolly for me, to be serious.

Of course, I meant Richard Strauss.

[Lisztianwagner]

Of course, I meant Richard Strauss.

As a matter of fact, it would have been too strange to believe in you listening to Johann Strauss!

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Wagner
Götterdämmerung, act 3^

Daniel Barenboim & Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

As a matter of fact, it would have been too strange to believe in you listening to Johann Strauss!

Perhaps not now considering how I've been listening to a good bit of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi lately.

[Lisztianwagner]

Perhaps not now considering how I've been listening to a good bit of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi lately.

Touché 

[Kalevala]

I'd like to hear that one as I like both of those artists.

K

[JBS]

I'd like to hear that one as I like both of those artists.

K

It's a nice recording, but I'm finding myself preferring the Puccini version so far.

ETA
The end of the Third Act is a superb duet.

And of course the librettists (and Prevost if the name originated with him) can't have known what 21st century film studios could produce when creating the Fourth Act.

[Kalevala]

It's a nice recording, but I'm finding myself preferring the Puccini version so far.

Oh, I love this version with Victoria de los Angeles...particularly "Adieu, nôtre petite table":

K
 

[Tsaraslondon]

Oh, I love this version with Victoria de los Angeles...particularly "Adieu, nôtre petite table":

K
 

Me too. I prefer the Massenet opera, which gets us closer to the spirit of the original novel than the Puccini, and I love the De Los Angeles/Monteux recording.

[Kalevala]

It's a nice recording, but I'm finding myself preferring the Puccini version so far.

ETA
The end of the Third Act is a superb duet.

And of course the librettists (and Prevost if the name originated with him) can't have known what 21st century film studios could produce when creating the Fourth Act.

Boy, I'll have to see if I can watch that.

K

[nico1616]

This must be one of the best Cosi's I have heard. Great conducting and the ensembles are superb. Moreover, one of the best Alfonso's in Ezio Flagello and Leontyne Price is a Fiordiligi to die for. I never expected the great Aida would be suited for this role.

[André]

Splendid vocal and dramatic impersonations from Simoneau (Hoffmann), Alarie (Olympia), Danco (Giulietta and Antonia). Splitting the female roles between the two singers was a wise move, as the tessitura and vocal colouring varies a lot (Olympia especially). Perfect french diction as well, always a plus in my book.

George London is a black-voiced Coppelius, Dapertutto, Dr Miracle and Lindorf. I would have liked more insinuating, less brutal portrayals, but he's certainly characterful. Lucretia West is a good Nicklausse. The Wiener Staatsoper Chor's French is better than most of the non-francophone singers'.

The sound is quite rough, with distortion, clouding and crumbling in the loud passages etc. At least the vocal timbres are correctly rendered.