What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[knight66]

Glad that you enjoyed them.  And I'm sure that your local concerts were a hit too; I suspect that you're being too modest. 

I'm guessing that you have probably performed with other singers whose names (and work) that I might know?

PD

Yes, I was very fortunate, most of the top conductors of the 70s and 80s and a lot of singers. I wrote some posts here...

     <sub>https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,327.msg5580.html#msg5580[/sup]

Mike</sub>

[bhodges]

It's an enticing week of Met broadcasts for 20th-century opera lovers: Elektra, Peter Grimes, Nixon in China, Lulu, Porgy and Bess, and The Tempest. I will certainly be tuning in to two or three of these.

https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/week-25/opera-streams-weekly-guide/

--Bruce

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Yes, I was very fortunate, most of the top conductors of the 70s and 80s and a lot of singers. I wrote some posts here...

     <sub>https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,327.msg5580.html#msg5580[/sup]

Mike</sub>

Thanks Mike, I'll read it a bit later (currently watching Murray struggling to turn things around in his match against Nishioka). 

It's an enticing week of Met broadcasts for 20th-century opera lovers: Elektra, Peter Grimes, Nixon in China, Lulu, Porgy and Bess, and The Tempest. I will certainly be tuning in to two or three of these.

https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/week-25/opera-streams-weekly-guide/

--Bruce

Thank you for the heads up Bruce. 

PD

[bhodges]

Thank you for the heads up Bruce. 

PD

Most welcome!

PS, I watched Lulu earlier in the summer. The four hours just sped by. Marlis Petersen is incredible in the title role, said she's done it in 9 different productions (IIRC), and that this will be the last -- a fitting crown. And Susan Graham had to be coaxed into the role of Countess Geschwitz, which she did beautifully -- first time she had ever done the part, and she's quite moving.

--Bruce

[André]

Yes, I was very fortunate, most of the top conductors of the 70s and 80s and a lot of singers. I wrote some posts here...

     <sub>https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,327.msg5580.html#msg5580[/sup]

Mike</sub>

Truly amazing, Mike !

PD, make sure to read all of Knight66' posts in that thread !

[JBS]

It's an enticing week of Met broadcasts for 20th-century opera lovers: Elektra, Peter Grimes, Nixon in China, Lulu, Porgy and Bess, and The Tempest. I will certainly be tuning in to two or three of these.

https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/week-25/opera-streams-weekly-guide/

--Bruce

I've seen the Peter Grimes production when it was on Great Performances.  It's a truly excellent one.
If I understand the way the streaming works it's available right now until 6:30 NYC time tomorrow (Wednesday the 2nd).

[knight66]

Truly amazing, Mike !

PD, make sure to read all of Knight66' posts in that thread !

Thanks André, I did several more years in the Edinburgh Festival Chorus when I returned to live in Scotland five years ago, but I have not added to the anecdotes. There is not even a festival this year and it is unlikely that large choirs could rehearse together until there is a good vaccine.

Mike

[Tsaraslondon]

Considering this set was recorded in 1959 Callas was in suprisingly good voice and this is one of her greatest recordings. Hard to choose between this and the earlier Cetra set, except that this one is in much better sound.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Truly amazing, Mike !

PD, make sure to read all of Knight66' posts in that thread !

I did read several of them (will visit the rest at some point)...thanks!

I've seen the Peter Grimes production when it was on Great Performances.  It's a truly excellent one.
If I understand the way the streaming works it's available right now until 6:30 NYC time tomorrow (Wednesday the 2nd).

Crumbs, I missed it there; however, I did check out a CD of it (mentioned earlier) from my library.

PD

[Tsaraslondon]

Gosh! This is fast! Or at least quite a lot of it is to the point of feeling rushed of its feet. Muti was in his straitjacketing phase so we are quite often deprived of climactic high notes (for instance at the end of Abigaille's cabaletta). Best of the soloists is Scotto, who sings with all her customary intelligence and musicality, even if, ultimately, the voice is a notch too small for the role. Manugeurra is in more youthful voice than the aging Gobbi on the Gardelli recording, but he is nowhere near as moving. Ghiaurov is fine as Zaccaria and Obraztsova luxury casting as Fenena. Still, I wouldn't prefer it to the Gardelli, which still strikes me as the best studio version of the opera.

[André]

To hear Scotto's high note in Abigaille's aria one needs to turn to this recital from 1975:



The high E-flat (?) and its subsequent plunge to chest register is a death-defying vocal stunt. I can't say it's beautiful, but it thrills me every time nonetheless. A great recital disc.

[Tsaraslondon]

To hear Scotto's high note in Abigaille's aria one needs to turn to this recital from 1975:



The high E-flat (?) and its subsequent plunge to chest register is a death-defying vocal stunt. I can't say it's beautiful, but it thrills me every time nonetheless. A great recital disc.

I have this recital and have reviewed it on my blog. It's very fine indeed.

If you're talking about Abigaille's aria, do you mean the top C with its two octave drop to a chest note middle C?  Souliotis is also terrific in the Gardelli recording. There is an opportunity for a top Eb in the duet with Nabucco but, as far as I'm aware, Callas is the only soprano to attempt it (in the live 1949 recording from Naples), and it's absolutely staggering.

[André]

I have this recital and have reviewed it on my blog. It's very fine indeed.

If you're talking about Abigaille's aria, do you mean the top C with its two octave drop to a chest note middle C?  Souliotis is also terrific in the Gadelli recording. There is an opportunity for a top Eb in the duet with Nabucco but, as far as I'm aware, Callas is the only soprano to attempt it (in the live 194i recording from Naples), and it's absolutely staggering.

You are right, of course. I got mixed up with the top C and the E flat in the duet. It is indeed the top C with the huge octave drop. A gasp inducing effect. Callas too does it thrillingly, but with Scotto one senses she's flying off the trapeze with no safety net. I doubt she would attempt it in a live performance.

[Tsaraslondon]

This performance really is as good as I remembered. OK, the sound is better on the studio set and I ultimately prefer Gobbi to Bastianini, who is nonetheless superb here, but Gavazzeni's conducting tips the balance in its favour.

[Tsaraslondon]

First time I've ever heard this opera and I must say I rather enjoyed it. Suprised it's performed so rarely here in the West.

[Tsaraslondon]

A superb recent recording of the 1753 Vienna score.

[Tsaraslondon]

One of my favourite operas in a performance which is unfortunately rather let down by its principals. By this time Vishneskaya was too old for the role of Lisa (and sounds it), Gougaloff is out of his depth and Iordaschescu is an ineffective Tomsky. This is a great shame, because musically it is excellent and Rostropovich brings out all the Romantic passion in the score. There are some excellent performances too from Weikl as Yeletsky, Resnik as the Countess and Hanna Schwarz as Pauline, with Popp putting in a cameo in the Act II pastiche.

[Tsaraslondon]

On balance and except in matters of recorded sound, this is probably the best recording of Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades with an excellent cast that ncludes Georgi Nelepp as Hermann and Pavel Lisitsian as Yeletsky. Smolenskaya sounds possibly a little mature for Lisa, but, unlike Vishneskaya on the Rostropvich set, retains enough lyricism in her voice to be convincing. Melik- Pashayev conducts a swiftly dramatic performance, utterly terrifying in the more grisly parts of the story.

[Tsaraslondon]

This famous performance is no doubt self-recommending, though I still have a slight preference for the Levine studio set, on which Scotto gives one of her greatest recorded performances.

That said, I'm not a big fan of verismo aside from Puccini.

[Tsaraslondon]

Les Troyens is one of my favourite operas and this, its most recent recording, is excellent. Like the recent Rousset Faust it would suggest that French opera at least is well served these days.