Topic: What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[Todd]

The opera as a whole is very fine, in the smaller-scale, punchier, not weighed down style of Karajan or Krauss.  It does not equal those two - my two faves - and both Siegfried and Brunhilde have been notably bested on record, yielding a third act that is not all it could be, but this is none too shabby.  Had I paid to see the performances, I would not have been disappointed.

[Papy Oli]

Rossini - Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Galliera / Callas / Gobbi / Alva

[Papy Oli]

(I think "une Voce Poco fa" is going quite some way to show me the benefits of having some Callas in my life  )

[ritter]

(I think "une Voce Poco fa" is going quite some way to show me the benefits of having some Callas in my life  )

Then listen to her in “Care compagne…Come per me sereno” from La Sonnambula, the mad scenes from Lucia di Lammermoor and I Puritani, and in all of Norma, and you’ll be bowled over….

[Papy Oli]

Then listen to her in “Care compagne…Come per me sereno” from La Sonnambula, the mad scenes from Lucia di Lammermoor and I Puritani, and in all of Norma, and you’ll be bowled over….

Steady on Rafael  Please remind me of those when I get to those operas  I am only starting the shoot-outs on my pre-selections done last week, while on the sun lounger in Ibiza, as one should 

Now, my other contender in the Barber, Gui / De Los angeles

[Tsaraslondon]

Steady on Rafael  Please remind me of those when I get to those operas  I am only starting the shoot-outs on my pre-selections done last week, while on the sun lounger in Ibiza, as one should 

Now, my other contender in the Barber, Gui / De Los angeles

Another excellent contender. Oddly enough, both were recorded in the 1950s.

When it comes to Norma, there really is only Callas and it usually boils down to which of her two studio recordings to go for, though the best all round performance is live, from La Scala in 1955. Caballé was also an excellent Norma, but her studio recording is not that satisfactory and she is best heard (and seen) on the video of a famous performance from Orange.

The Bartoli set should be avoided at all costs. 

[Papy Oli]

On the Barbiere, I can't find anything to separate the Gui and the Galliera. The both draw me in and mesmerise me completely. I'll buy both.

The Abbado/Domingo/Battle has not made that cut.