What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[Wendell_E]

I went to see the ROHCG live relay of Madama Butterfly last night with Asmik Grigorian in the title role.  Never encountered her name before let alone her singing.  Very impressive in every respect - wonderfully wide dynamic range with voice in full control throughout.  But also here acting - both physical and vocal was genuinely compelling.  A great quality of stillness.  Joshua Guerrero as Pinkerton good but not at Grigorian's level and Lauri Vasar as Sharpless vocally watery and lacking acting presence.  Hongni Wu as Suzuki the other vocal stand-out performance.  Kevin John Edusei's conducting certainly controlled but perhaps a little too measured at points but lacking a Karajan's "long view" slow burn intensity.....

Thanks for the comments. Grigorian will also be singing the opera at the Met this season, and it'll be part of their "Live in HD" series on May 11th.

[Tsaraslondon]

Now this was a stroke of luck. I ordered the set from an Amazon seller, but when it arrived, It turned out to be just the second disc. I informed the seller and they apologised for the mistake, refunded me, telling me to keep the disc. I still wanted to get hold of the complete set, so checked eBay and, lo and behold., someone was selling just the first disc. So now I have the whole opera at a bargain price.

I used to own the recording on LP and decided to try and get hold of it again after reviewing the recent lacklustre Naxos set. This one, based on actual performances at the Aix-en-Provence festival, is in a different world. Caballé and the young Carreras are both in splendid voice, Masterson and inspired choice as Matilde and Ugo Benelli is also excellent as Norfolk. Masini conducts with a deal more affection too.

I haven't heard the Opera Rara set, but it will have to be very special to improve on this one.

[ritter]

Good to tras, Tsaras. I ordered that set from Melomanía in Paris some weeks ago, but still haven't listened to it. Your praise of the recording makes want to listen to it sooner rather than later. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Now this was a stroke of luck. I ordered the set from an Amazon seller, but when it arrived, It turned out to be just the second disc. I informed the seller and they apologised for the mistake, refunded me, telling me to keep the disc. I still wanted to get hold of the complete set, so checked eBay and, lo and behold., someone was selling just the first disc. So now I have the whole opera at a bargain price.

I used to own the recording on LP and decided to try and get hold of it again after reviewing the recent lacklustre Naxos set. This one, based on actual performances at the Aix-en-Provence festival, is in a different world. Caballé and the young Carreras are both in splendid voice, Masterson and inspired choice as Matilde and Ugo Benelli is also excellent as Norfolk. Masini conducts with a deal more affection too.

I haven't heard the Opera Rara set, but it will have to be very special to improve on this one.

Wow!  What incredible luck you had!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A quick p.s.  Some years ago I was digging through some CDs at a charity shop, and I found a CD of Thomas Quasthoff's.  The booklet was signed  ; however there was no CD in there.  The guy at the shop let me have it for free.  Now I just need to find a CD of it!

[Tsaraslondon]

Wow!  What incredible luck you had!

This issue was packaged as two separate CDs in their own jewel cases so I suppose the mistake was easy to make. I wonder if they were from the same collection that somehow got split up.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

This issue was packaged as two separate CDs in their own jewel cases so I suppose the mistake was easy to make. I wonder if they were from the same collection that somehow got split up.

That's what I was thinking! lol

I suspect in my case that someone had misplaced the CD and that s/he didn't notice that when donating (or someone else was donating their music after the original owner had passed on?).

[Tsaraslondon]

That's what I was thinking! lol

I suspect in my case that someone had misplaced the CD and that s/he didn't notice that when donating (or someone else was donating their music after the original owner had passed on?).

Sounds likely.

[VonStupp]

They didn't marry, though they did have a long-term relationship after she and Lewis divorced.

Ah! Oh the tangled webs we weave...
VS

[Iota]

I went to see the ROHCG live relay of Madama Butterfly last night with Asmik Grigorian in the title role.  Never encountered her name before let alone her singing.  Very impressive in every respect - wonderfully wide dynamic range with voice in full control throughout.  But also here acting - both physical and vocal was genuinely compelling.  A great quality of stillness.  Joshua Guerrero as Pinkerton good but not at Grigorian's level and Lauri Vasar as Sharpless vocally watery and lacking acting presence.  Hongni Wu as Suzuki the other vocal stand-out performance.  Kevin John Edusei's conducting certainly controlled but perhaps a little too measured at points but lacking a Karajan's "long view" slow burn intensity.....

I can imagine Asmik Grigorian would be great in that role. I hadn't heard of her until recently either, until @brewski posted this amazing concert performance of the last scene from Strauss' Salome on the WAYLTN thread, which absolutely rooted me to the spot!

[JBS]

From the Copland Conducts Copland set


An abridged [66 minutes] version, recorded in 1965.

[T. D.]

From the Copland Conducts Copland set


An abridged [66 minutes] version, recorded in 1965.

That's quite a good opera. I've seen it live but don't have a recording.

[JBS]

That's quite a good opera. I've seen it live but don't have a recording.

Checking Amazon there seem to be two recordings, plus one of a chamber version done with Copland's approval.

Probably the best bet is:


This one has one of those Amazon MP are you crazy prices:


The chamber version is:


I liked this abridged version, but not enough to get the full recording.

[T. D.]

Thanks.
I agree the Brunelle/Virgin is safest. The one on Albany/Troy is probably pretty good but weirdly hard to find (usually that label's releases languish on shelves and wind up at Berkshire).
I'm not likely to get a recording unless I run across one at a silly low price, though.

[Roasted Swan]

From the Copland Conducts Copland set


An abridged [66 minutes] version, recorded in 1965.

This is a really good "extended excerpts" recording.  Lovely piece too I think..

[nico1616]

Another Don Carlos, still looking for the ideal one. This is only my second French version, next to the Abbado.
Orchestral detail is great and Pappano brings out a lot of sounds I have never heard. There is no Don Carlo(s) on record with an ideal cast, and neither is this one. Roberto Alagna is perfect as Don Carlos, he equals Domingo in beauty of voice and vocal acting, his French is impeccable.
I did not expect Karita Mattila as Elisabeth but she is great, in full control of this tragic role. Van Dam has never sung a bad performance although Philippe requires a bass and not a baritone, he struggles with the low notes. But Halfvarson (l'Inquisiteur) now sounds even more menacing in contrast with Van Dam.
I do not like Waltraud Meier's Eboli, she has no coloratura and does not sound seductive at all. And then we find another weak Posa in the colorless Hampson. Why is it that role is so difficult to cast?
Finally I have to mention this is a live recording, although there is not a lot of stage noise the dynamics are less than ideal.  Therefore I would prefer the Abbado if I want to listen to Don Carlos in French.
The best Don Carlo I know is still the Solti, despite the worst Posa you can find on disc.

[Tsaraslondon]

The best Don Carlo I know is still the Solti, despite the worst Posa you can find on disc.

I prefer Giulini. I've never been a fan of Solti in Verdi, and I still find him over-emphatic. I think, all round, Giulini also has the better cast too. I prefer Caballé to Tebaldi and much prefer Milnes to Fischer-Dieskau. Verrett and Bumbry probably come out about equal and so do Bergonzi and Domingo. Raimondi is perhaps a little light for Philip, but his performance has grown on me and he contrasts well with the black-voiced Inquisitor of Giaotti.

I like Karajan's cast quite a bit too, though he chooses four acts and the ridiculously wide sound picture is a bit of a problem.

I did a comparison of Giulini, Abbado and Karajan on my blog. Verdi's Don Carlo - a Comparison of Three Different Recordings.

[nico1616]

I prefer Giulini. I've never been a fan of Solti in Verdi, and I still find him over-emphatic. I think, all round, Giulini also has the better cast too. I prefer Caballé to Tebaldi and much prefer Milnes to Fischer-Dieskau. Verrett and Bumbry probably come out about equal and so do Bergonzi and Domingo. Raimondi is perhaps a little light for Philip, but his performance has grown on me and he contrasts well with the black-voiced Inquisitor of Giaotti.

I like Karajan's cast quite a bit too, though he chooses four acts and the ridiculously wide sound picture is a bit of a problem.

I did a comparison of Giulini, Abbado and Karajan on my blog. Verdi's Don Carlo - a Comparison of Three Different Recordings.

Solti, Giulini and von Karajan are my favorite Verdi conductors. Solti and Von Karajan gave me perfect Aida's, Giulini's Rigoletto is to die for and my favorite Trovatore is the Callas/Karajan. I also love Giulini's Falstaff but in Don Carlo I find him a bit detached, even lacklustre. Solti has more fire, in my humble opinion 
An outsider in Verdi operas is Levine. I have his Trovatore, Aida and Don Carlo and they really have their merits, not in the least because of Aprile Millo.

[Tsaraslondon]

Solti, Giulini and von Karajan are my favorite Verdi conductors. Solti and Von Karajan gave me perfect Aida's, Giulini's Rigoletto is to die for and my favorite Trovatore is the Callas/Karajan. I also love Giulini's Falstaff but in Don Carlo I find him a bit detached, even lacklustre. Solti has more fire, in my humble opinion 
An outsider in Verdi operas is Levine. I have his Trovatore, Aida and Don Carlo and they really have their merits, not in the least because of Aprile Millo.

I think Serafin is severely underrated as a Verdi conductor. His Aida, Forza del Destino and Rigoletto with Callas are all superb, and his conducting of Traviata with De Los Angeles always makes me wish he had got to record it with Callas.

Like Solti, I sometimes find Levine a bit too thud and blunder. I have his Giovanna d'Arco  with Caballé, Domingo and Milnes and always wished Gardelli and Philips had got there first and recorded it with the same team. I also have his I Vespri Siciliani and Otello, but I think Erich Kleiber did a better job of the former (in the live Callas performance). I like his Otello better, but my favourite recording is Vickers' first one, not least because of Serafin's conducting.

I enjoy some of Karajan's Verdi too. I think the Trovatore with Callas one of the best opera recordings he ever made. I love the first Falstaff with the Philharmonia and I also think his second Aida (the one with Freni, Carreras and Baltsa) severely underrated. I prefer it to his earlier one with Tebaldi and Bergonzi, which is a bit too self-consciously beautiful for my taste.

[nico1616]

I think Serafin is severely underrated as a Verdi conductor. His Aida, Forza del Destino and Rigoletto with Callas are all superb, and his conducting of Traviata with De Los Angeles always makes me wish he had got to record it with Callas.

Like Solti, I sometimes find Levine a bit too thud and blunder. I have his Giovanna d'Arco  with Caballé, Domingo and Milnes and always wished Gardelli and Philips had got there first and recorded it with the same team. I also have his I Vespri Siciliani and Otello, but I think Erich Kleiber did a better job of the former (in the live Callas performance). I like his Otello better, but my favourite recording is Vickers' first one, not least because of Serafin's conducting.

I enjoy some of Karajan's Verdi too. I think the Trovatore with Callas one of the best opera recordings he ever made. I love the first Falstaff with the Philharmonia and I also think his second Aida (the one with Freni, Carreras and Baltsa) severely underrated. I prefer it to his earlier one with Tebaldi and Bergonzi, which is a bit too self-consciously beautiful for my taste.

There are some great suggestions you are giving here  Serafin is of course a great conductor and I also know and adore his Rigoletto with Callas. I have never warmed to his Forza, which I find a difficult opera to bring off by anyone. The only recording of that one I really appreciate is the Tebaldi/Molinari-Pradelli.
It now occurs to me that I only know the Sony/Levine recordings and not the RCA ones, I must find out about those, I guess a 70s opera cast beats a 90s one on every account.

As for the Karajan Trovatore, that must one of the best Verdi recordings ever made. You make me curious about the Karajan EMI Aida, it is hard to imagine Freni as Aida but who knows...

And then the Gardelli series on Philips, I have most of them on my shelves but hardly know them. If I want to listen to Verdi, I tend to go for the big names.