The Barber Chair

[Madiel]

The songs are excellent. That includes Knoxville in a way, one of my favourite works. But also many of the ones with piano, and Dover Beach with string quartet.

[Roasted Swan]

A Charity Shop cheapie (£1) threw up this performance of the Barber Concerto;



Obviously the work is one of Barber's best known/most loved works with multiple fine recordings to prove the point.  But all credit to Elena Urioste who gives a tremendous live performance here.  Technically assured but passionate and febrile to boot.  Very good accompaniment from Paul Daniel and the BBC PO live back in 2014.  The whole disc is rather good to be fair with Urioste impressing throughout.

[springrite]

Quite impressed by this stupendous opera, its style grips with ease. It leaves a strong impression both vocally and how effective the composer used the orchestra, a brilliant match that Barber achieved very succesfully. I'm not an expert on singers, but the main soprano does a spectacular job, particularly. This is a 1958 recording and doesn't sound that old, another feature that helped a lot. It goes straight to my favorite works by this composer.

Quite impressed by this stupendous opera, its style grips with ease. It leaves a strong impression both vocally and how effective the composer used the orchestra, a brilliant match that Barber achieved very succesfully. I'm not an expert on singers, but the main soprano does a spectacular job, particularly. This is a 1958 recording and doesn't sound that old, another feature that helped a lot. It goes straight to my favorite works by this composer.

I have this recording. I bought it decades ago because I love the voice of Rosalind Elias, who had only a few recordings, in minor roles. (I won a radio contest of "Name the Artist" once when the answer was Rosalind Elias!) To my pleasant surprise, the opera is magnificent!

Then a decade or so later, I married a woman named Vanessa!

[calyptorhynchus]

If anyone would care to visit the David Diamond thread I have posted an LP transfer of a 1976 recording of the Barber and Diamond Cello Sonatas there.

[Symphonic Addict]

I have this recording. I bought it decades ago because I love the voice of Rosalind Elias, who had only a few recordings, in minor roles. (I won a radio contest of "Name the Artist" once when the answer was Rosalind Elias!) To my pleasant surprise, the opera is magnificent!

Then a decade or so later, I married a woman named Vanessa!

Great story! Thanks for sharing.