What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[Florestan]

EDIT: I meant the finale of the opera, not of Act I. Apologies for the confusion.

I suspected that much. No problem at all.

Are you familiar with the Act I finale? If not, I urge you to listen to it:

Fausto Imene e di gioia cagione (Coro, Contareno, Capellio, Bianca, Falliero)

Think about the confusion scene in L'Italiana in Algieri set in dramatic mood. Hair-rising stuff. Pure Rossini genius. Not that the whole act is less than good, but the finale is one of Rossini's best. And the interesting thing is, it is clearly adumbrated in the overture --- not a common occurrence with Rossini.

Can hardly wait for Act II, to be listened to tomorrow.

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
Moses und Aron

Hans Rosbaud & NDR Sinfonieorchester und Chor

[JBS]

Yes but AFAIK La belle Helene had only one version, no revisions and expansions. I might be wrong, though. Keep us informed about your findings in the Warner set.

Re Offenbach via the Warner set

You were correct: there's only one version of Belle Helene.  The German version seems to have some cuts, however.

Vie Parisienne and Orfee aux Enfers are the ones for which the set presents both an original and a revised version. In both cases, the revised version uses a French language recording while the original uses a German language recording. The French recordings are both conducted by Michel Plasson with casts featuring  Mady Mesple. The German recordings are both conducted by Willy Mattes with Anneliese Rothenberger as the leading lady.

[Tsaraslondon]

Prog-rock meets flamenco meets Broadway musical. Is it an opera or musical theatre? Whatever it is, it's extremely effective.

[Tsaraslondon]

Pristine's remaster of this classic set.

https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/10/puccini-madama-butterfly-pristine-audio-3/

[Roasted Swan]

I watched for the first time ever this DVD;



I'd never heard the work in any form.  There are some tremendous orchestral set-pieces/preludes so I'm surprised never to have encountered them as excerpts.  Its a curious old piece though - more a set of drammatic/historical tableau rather than a proper opera with a through-thread or 3 dimensional characters.  I like this old-school Soviet-style performance with blazing singing and playing.  But goodness me to say the staging/acting is wooden is an understatement.  The school of stand and deliver performing and the handling of the chorus really is just about herding and crowd control.  As music I think it deserves a small toe-hold in the repertoire.

[Wendell_E]

I watched for the first time ever this DVD;



I'd never heard the work in any form.  There are some tremendous orchestral set-pieces/preludes so I'm surprised never to have encountered them as excerpts.  Its a curious old piece though - more a set of drammatic/historical tableau rather than a proper opera with a through-thread or 3 dimensional characters.  I like this old-school Soviet-style performance with blazing singing and playing.  But goodness me to say the staging/acting is wooden is an understatement.  The school of stand and deliver performing and the handling of the chorus really is just about herding and crowd control.  As music I think it deserves a small toe-hold in the repertoire.

I've got the DVD, and my reaction was pretty much the same as yours. I've seen the opera live, a 2020 New Orleans Opera production in English, their last performance before COVID shut things down.

[André]

Britten's The Rape of Lucretia from this box:

.

Originally released by virgin Classics:



I'm slowly (very slowly) going through Britten's operas. Amazon informs me I purchased this box in January 2019. I have 2 more works to listen to before I shelve it.

The box is not complete. The Church Parables are not included. They would definitely complete the picture as their subject is linked with the thematic of some of his operas (Lucretia has a very moralistic christian morale). Also, their musical fabric is quite similar to that of Britten's 'chamber operas' like Lucretia and Death in Venice: minimal vocal and orchestral forces, an emphasis on transparence and plenty of striking instrumental solos, often times from the percussion player.

Lucretia calls for 13 players and the cast has a women's chorus and a men's chorus consisting of a single vocalist (tenor and soprano). Harp, piano, percussion (1 very busy player) and the string quartet are the most prominent parts. The libretto (available online) is quite verbose. I would have imagined something more action-oriented, less logorrheic. I guess Britten knew what he wanted. That reservation aside, the musical argument is best in the first act. The second act loses dramatic steam gradually, Lucretia's suicide being surprisingly  brief and anticlimactic. All the same, I find it a valuable work I intend to listen to again.

[JBS]

Britten's The Rape of Lucretia from this box:

.

Originally released by virgin Classics:



I'm slowly (very slowly) going through Britten's operas. Amazon informs me I purchased this box in January 2019. I have 2 more works to listen to before I shelve it.

The box is not complete. The Church Parables are not included. They would definitely complete the picture as their subject is linked with the thematic of some of his operas (Lucretia has a very moralistic christian morale). Also, their musical fabric is quite similar to that of Britten's 'chamber operas' like Lucretia and Death in Venice: minimal vocal and orchestral forces, an emphasis on transparence and plenty of striking instrumental solos, often times from the percussion player.

Lucretia calls for 13 players and the cast has a women's chorus and a men's chorus consisting of a single vocalist (tenor and soprano). Harp, piano, percussion (1 very busy player) and the string quartet are the most prominent parts. The libretto (available online) is quite verbose. I would have imagined something more action-oriented, less logorrheic. I guess Britten knew what he wanted. That reservation aside, the musical argument is best in the first act. The second act loses dramatic steam gradually, Lucretia's suicide being surprisingly  brief and anticlimactic. All the same, I find it a valuable work I intend to listen to again.

I found it to be an exceptionally introverted opera. I don't gave that box, but I have at least four of the individual recordings: this Lucretia, Billy Budd, Paul Bunyan, and Turn of the Screw. [I don't know if I have that particular Peter Grimes.] Besides Death in Venice, the box is also missing Owen Wingrave, Albert Herring, and Gloriana.

[Kalevala]

Britten's The Rape of Lucretia from this box:

.

Originally released by virgin Classics:



I'm slowly (very slowly) going through Britten's operas. Amazon informs me I purchased this box in January 2019. I have 2 more works to listen to before I shelve it.

The box is not complete. The Church Parables are not included. They would definitely complete the picture as their subject is linked with the thematic of some of his operas (Lucretia has a very moralistic christian morale). Also, their musical fabric is quite similar to that of Britten's 'chamber operas' like Lucretia and Death in Venice: minimal vocal and orchestral forces, an emphasis on transparence and plenty of striking instrumental solos, often times from the percussion player.

Lucretia calls for 13 players and the cast has a women's chorus and a men's chorus consisting of a single vocalist (tenor and soprano). Harp, piano, percussion (1 very busy player) and the string quartet are the most prominent parts. The libretto (available online) is quite verbose. I would have imagined something more action-oriented, less logorrheic. I guess Britten knew what he wanted. That reservation aside, the musical argument is best in the first act. The second act loses dramatic steam gradually, Lucretia's suicide being surprisingly  brief and anticlimactic. All the same, I find it a valuable work I intend to listen to again.

I found it to be an exceptionally introverted opera. I don't gave that box, but I have at least four of the individual recordings: this Lucretia, Billy Budd, Paul Bunyan, and Turn of the Screw. [I don't know if I have that particular Peter Grimes.] Besides Death in Venice, the box is also missing Owen Wingrave, Albert Herring, and Gloriana.

How did you like the singing in it?  I've heard a bit of A. Kirchschlager, Bostridge and Gritton before.

K

[Tsaraslondon]

Callas's second studio recording of Norma gets the pristine treatment.

Review on Musicweb International

and on my own site

http://tsaraslondon.com/2024/09/18/a-reappraisal-of-callass-second-studio-norma/

[JBS]

How did you like the singing in it?  I've heard a bit of A. Kirchschlager, Bostridge and Gritton before.

K

I can't give a good answer, since it's the only recording of Lucretia I have, so I can't compare it to anything else. I do generally like Bostridge.

[San Antone]

Gershwin : Porgy & Bess
Houston Grand Opera



One of the earliest "complete" versions with a good cast, and conductor, released in 1977.

[ritter]

A real rarity, which I haven't listened to in 20 years...



Domenico Alalaona (1881-1928) was an organist, author and composer from the Marche region in Central Italy. His only opera Mirra was premiered in Rome in 1920. It is based on a tragedy by Count Alfieri, with a rather unpleasant (mythological) subject matter: Mirra, daughter of the King of Cyprus Ciniro, rejects her betrothed Pereo at the altar (who then commits suicide). In Act II, she confesses her dark secret: she's madly in love with her father (and then too kills herself).

A work that epitomises the urge of some Italian composers in the first half of the 20th century to move away from the excesses of verismo to more classical themes and styles. Unfortunately, with this trend also came a loss of melodic richness, with the vocal lines being constant, rather tiresome declamation. The orchestral writing is interesting.

This is yet another of those resurrections of forgotten operas we can thank soprano Denia Mazzola-Gavazzeni for (and when this recording was made —live in concert in Montpellier in 2003– she still had the necessary command of her vocal resources to do justice to the work.

[nico1616]

I am trying to find my favorite Ernani recording but it is not easy. I have 4 recordings in my collection.
The best conductor must be Muti, he brings great excitement to the score. Moreover he has Domingo and Bruson who are absolutely top notch. Freni is not bad but the voice is just too light for Elvira.
Cerquetti is the best for that role, what a voice! The Mitropoulos recording is of course not in the best sound, but I have heard worse from Myto. For once we are spared of an prompter, so audible in many Myto recordings. This one also has the best Carlo in Bastianini, Christoff and Del Monaco are not to be missed either.
For the best sound I turn to Bonynge. Pavarotti and Sutherland are no youngsters here but I love their impersonations despite some vocal flaws. It is also one of Nucci's better roles but you have to be able to stand the big woolly Russian sound of Burchuladze.
And then we have the Schippers, maybe my least favorite of the bunch. But still there is a lot to enjoy. I would not want to miss Sereni's Carlo and Flagello's Silva. Price has gotten a lot of praise for her Elvira but I just don't hear it, my favorite Aida is a bit disappointing here.

All in all Ernani has fared well on disc. What a luxury to have these great recordings!

[André]

I can't give a good answer, since it's the only recording of Lucretia I have, so I can't compare it to anything else. I do generally like Bostridge.

Yes, Bostridge is very fine. Kirschlager too. Lucretia is not really a singer's opera though even if Kathleen Ferrier sang the title role in the premiere.

[André]

I am trying to find my favorite Ernani recording but it is not easy. I have 4 recordings in my collection.
The best conductor must be Muti, he brings great excitement to the score. Moreover he has Domingo and Bruson who are absolutely top notch. Freni is not bad but the voice is just too light for Elvira.
Cerquetti is the best for that role, what a voice! The Mitropoulos recording is of course not in the best sound, but I have heard worse from Myto. For once we are spared of an prompter, so audible in many Myto recordings. This one also has the best Carlo in Bastianini, Christoff and Del Monaco are not to be missed either.
For the best sound I turn to Bonynge. Pavarotti and Sutherland are no youngsters here but I love their impersonations despite some vocal flaws. It is also one of Nucci's better roles but you have to be able to stand the big woolly Russian sound of Burchuladze.
And then we have the Schippers, maybe my least favorite of the bunch. But still there is a lot to enjoy. I would not want to miss Sereni's Carlo and Flagello's Silva. Price has gotten a lot of praise for her Elvira but I just don't hear it, my favorite Aida is a bit disappointing here.

All in all Ernani has fared well on disc. What a luxury to have these great recordings!

Thanks for your insights ! I have a Mitropoulos version (Met 1956) with Milanov, Del Monaco, Warren and Siepi. It's in good sound and the performance is superb. I laso have the SutherlandPavBonynge version except I haven't listened to it. It's in a huge all-Verdi box. Whenever I look at it I feel guilty for not having listened to a good half of it yet (that includes Ernani of course). Those big boxes are like climbing a mountain: one must feel brave, healthy, energized and hope for fair weather to give it a go ...

When it comes to Elvira's Ernani, Ernani involami, all sopranos must yield to the vocal genius of Callas. Cerquetti (in a recital disc) is stunning.

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Wagner
Tristan und Isolde, act 3^

Carlos Kleiber & Staatskapelle Dresden

[Tsaraslondon]

Lehár's Schön ist die Welt. Review on Musicweb International and on my website.

[André]

Starting my exploration of Billy Budd, one of Britten's masterpieces. Britten's marine operas (Peter Grimes being the other) explore isolation, cruelty, sexual repression and mortification. Fun stuff, yay ! 😵�💫