What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[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.

[Todd]

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.

[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.

[Todd]

Revisiting.  Stupid opera.  Stupid beautiful.

[ritter]

Revisiting.

Whisky per tutti! 

Stupid 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.

[ritter]

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.

[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 

[Papy Oli]

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

Definitely less impactful.

[Lisztianwagner]

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 

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.

[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.

[ritter]

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.

Yes!

[Papy Oli]

Yes!

Thank you Rafael!

[Papy Oli]

Wagner - Das Rheingold - Scene 2.

Starting with Solti.

[Que]

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... 

[Florestan]

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

Thanks for that. I'll certainly get it as well.

[Que]

Thanks for that. I'll certainly get it as well.

You'll love it. 

[Tsaraslondon]

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

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

[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!