What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[JBS]

Recording is at the usual high level of this series.

There's another recording of this opera, under the direction of F M Sardelli, on CPO, from 2004, but it's a half hour shorter than this one (166 vs 189 minutes).

[nico1616]

Another obscure find in the thrift shop: a 1942 Figaro sung in German.
It is the first non-Italian Figaro I hear, and it only takes a few minutes to get used to, Mozart's music transcends every language.
The sound is surprisingly good for a 1942 live recording. I have never heard of the women in the cast, the big names here are the men. A young Hans Hotter as Graf is marvellous, Erich Kunz as Figaro as good and we even have Gustav Neidlinger in the role of Bartolo. Clemens Krauss is just perfect as conductor. 0,60 euros well spent.

[André]

Hotter, Kunz and Neidlinger are well-known singers, but so was Helena Braun, a noted wagnerian (like the others I've named). Braun was a renowned Brunnhilde, Ortrud and Kundry. She was married to Ferdinand Frantz, another stalwart of wagnerian casts (usually billed as Wotan). Listing these names in the context of a Mozart opera gives an idea of the evolution Mozart singing had undergone over the last 150 years, with big, heavy voices usually heard in Wagner, Strauss, Weber. As Mozart's bicentennial year neared a few years later, opera houses dramatically changed the way they looked at Mozart singing. Lighter, more nimble voices became the norm, but it's mostly the style that changed: less gruff (bass voices), stentorian (tenors) or squally/piping (dramatic and light sopranos).

This set must be a very fine testimony of its era.

[Christo]

A beauty, as are all 'late' operas by this composer: Maria Egiziaca, 'Mary of Egypt', here in La Scala, last year:

Listened to the only extant recording on CD, Hungaroton, during my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam, last night. A genuine beauty, one could also easily make a suite from the orchestral parts, even with a harpsichord creating extra athmospheric scenes, 'archaïc' in a way Respighi was a master of. 
                     

[nico1616]

Hotter, Kunz and Neidlinger are well-known singers, but so was Helena Braun, a noted wagnerian (like the others I've named). Braun was a renowned Brunnhilde, Ortrud and Kundry. She was married to Ferdinand Frantz, another stalwart of wagnerian casts (usually billed as Wotan). Listing these names in the context of a Mozart opera gives an idea of the evolution Mozart singing had undergone over the last 150 years, with big, heavy voices usually heard in Wagner, Strauss, Weber. As Mozart's bicentennial year neared a few years later, opera houses dramatically changed the way they looked at Mozart singing. Lighter, more nimble voices became the norm, but it's mostly the style that changed: less gruff (bass voices), stentorian (tenors) or squally/piping (dramatic and light sopranos).

This set must be a very fine testimony of its era.

Thanks! Interesting and a lack of my knowledge. I never listened to those 40s recordings before, I was concerned with the sound quality. But those big voices in Mozart, it works for me. What great singers they then!

[Kalevala]

A beauty, as are all 'late' operas by this composer: Maria Egiziaca, 'Mary of Egypt', here in La Scala, last year:

Listened to the only extant recording on CD, Hungaroton, during my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam, last night. A genuine beauty, one could also easily make a suite from the orchestral parts, even with a harpsichord creating extra athmospheric scenes, 'archaïc' in a way Respighi was a master of. 
                     

I liked the bit of it that I listened to.  Apparently the DVD is available on the label Dynamic from places like Presto Music.

K

[André]

A beauty, as are all 'late' operas by this composer: Maria Egiziaca, 'Mary of Egypt', here in La Scala, last year:

Listened to the only extant recording on CD, Hungaroton, during my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam, last night. A genuine beauty, one could also easily make a suite from the orchestral parts, even with a harpsichord creating extra athmospheric scenes, 'archaïc' in a way Respighi was a master of. 
                     

That's the set I have (Gardelli's)! That was the first time I listened to vocal music by  Respighi. It really opened my eyes to Respighi's value as a composer.

[T. D.]

Another obscure find in the thrift shop: a 1942 Figaro sung in German.
It is the first non-Italian Figaro I hear, and it only takes a few minutes to get used to, Mozart's music transcends every language.
The sound is surprisingly good for a 1942 live recording. I have never heard of the women in the cast, the big names here are the men. A young Hans Hotter as Graf is marvellous, Erich Kunz as Figaro as good and we even have Gustav Neidlinger in the role of Bartolo. Clemens Krauss is just perfect as conductor. 0,60 euros well spent.

Great find! Extremely interesting.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

That's the set I have (Gardelli's)! That was the first time I listened to vocal music by  Respighi. It really opened my eyes to Respighi's value as a composer.

Do you know Respighi's Belfagor, @André? This is a work that gave me a newfound appreciation for this composer. There's only one recording of it with Lamberto Gardelli on Hungaroton.

Special note: Belfagor is the name of an opera and the Belfagor Overture is a completely different piece of music (and not an overture to this opera).

[André]

I don't know it, John. Maria Egiziaca is the only Respighi opera I know. I'll try to see if Belfagor is available in some form.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I don't know it, John. Maria Egiziaca is the only Respighi opera I know. I'll try to see if Belfagor is available in some form.

It's really a stunning work and even Rafael (@ritter) likes it and he's no fan of this composer. I was poking around and I've seen several copies on Discogs and eBay.

[San Antone]

Verdi: Simon Boccanegra (original 1857 version)

Germán Enrique Alcántara (Simon Boccanegra), Eri Nakamura (Maria/Amelia), William Thomas (Fiesco), Iván Ayón-Rivas (Gabriele Adorno), Sergio Vitale (Paolo Albiani)

The Hallé, Chorus of Opera North, RNCM Opera Chorus, Sir Mark Elder




I usually like to hear the original versions of an opera, especially by Verdi, that went through revisions.  I would really be for this one if Elder had used period instruments and performance practice.

[nico1616]

Another Böhm Cosi. 'Gesamtaufnahme in Deutscher Sprache' is on the box, but it is all in Italian.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I finished Handel's Orlando not long ago and was rather impressed with it (the Christie recording). Lots of gorgeous moments throughout --- loved many of those arias. Next up on the Handel menu will be Giulio Cesare. Looking forward to it.

[nico1616]

I finished Handel's Orlando not long ago and was rather impressed with it (the Christie recording). Lots of gorgeous moments throughout --- loved many of those arias. Next up on the Handel menu will be Giulio Cesare. Looking forward to it.

Orlando is one of Händel's best, with that over the top madness scene at the end of act 2 and all those great arias. I especially like Rosemary Joshua's Angelica in Christie's recording but the whole cast is great.
Which recording of Guilio Cesare have you chosen?

[ritter]

R. Wagner: Tannhäuser (Act III). Hopf, Grümmer, Fischer-Dieskau, Scherch. Staatsoper Berlin, Franz Konwitschny.

[nico1616]

A 1954 live recording in good sound with big voices. Der Freischütz is not an opera I often listen to, nor do I know it very well. This one is quite entertaining.

[Que]

A 1954 live recording in good sound with big voices. Der Freischütz is not an opera I often listen to, nor do I know it very well. This one is quite entertaining.

Coincidentally, it is the one recording I have of this opera as well. Great performance!

[Number Six]

Warner comp, 40 Most Beautiful Arias.

9 songs in, and I am really enjoying it. The artists and orchestras are a nice variety.

Amongst all the gorgeous arias to be heard in opera, "Ombra mai fu" (from Handel's Serse) might be for me the most beautiful. Just chills every time I hear it, no matter who sings it. In this case, it's Jennifer Larmore, a singer I don't know but intend to explore more.

[Tsaraslondon]

A 1954 live recording in good sound with big voices. Der Freischütz is not an opera I often listen to, nor do I know it very well. This one is quite entertaining.

I have the Keilberth studio recording, which also has Elisabeth Grümmer as Agathe.