Mozart operas

[Haffner]

I heard some samples of Marriner and you are right its very good, so it probably will go on my list, thanks for pointing it out.
Sawallish is sent to me by a friend from France, so in a couple of days i will hear that too.

Hey, you lucked out on the Sawallisch! Lucia Popp is quite good here (despite her age making her a bit dubious as Pamina). I was chilled by the performance of the Three Boys in particular here. And Sawallisch is quite accomplished.

[Harry]

Do you watch operas during your workouts, Harry?

Hell, no, too much sweating my friend.

[Harry]

Hey, you lucked out on the Sawallisch! Lucia Popp is quite good here (despite her age making her a bit dubious as Pamina). I was chilled by the performance of the Three Boys in particular here. And Sawallisch is quite accomplished.

Will of course report.

[71 dB]

I appreciate your advices Harry! What you say makes sense. I'd only remind that sometimes other members say something at least I find provocative. I told I get easily bored while listening to Mozart's operas. Many members have said Elgar's orchestration is overblown and The Apostles makes them sleepy. How are these words any less provocative?

I am ready to behave but others should behave too.

[dtwilbanks]

I appreciate your advices Harry! What you say makes sense. I'd only remind that sometimes other members say something at least I find provocative. I told I get easily bored while listening to Mozart's operas. Many members have said Elgar's orchestration is overblown and The Apostles makes them sleepy. How are these words any less provocative?

I am ready to behave but others should behave too.

Why argue? If you don't dig Mozart, there are eleventy-billion other composers out there.

[Harry]

Mozart.

Don Giovanni.

DG, Werner van Mechelen.
Leporella, Huub Claessens.
Donna Anna, Elena Vink.
Don Ottavio, Markus Schafer.
Zerlina, Nancy Argenta.
Masetto, Nancy de Vries.
Donna Elvira, Christina Hogman.
Il Commendatore, Harry van der Kamp

La Petite Bande/Sigiswald Kuijken.


Recorded in 1995 this Accent performance is in many ways admirable. First of all, I enjoyed the music very much, and also the plot. The recording is rather good if not exceptional. Small orchestra, that plays beautiful, and has a nice ring to it. Two problems that occurred right away were Donna Anna sung by Elena Vink, and Donna Elvira sung by Christina Hogman, these two females ruined this performance for me. I simply don't like that sort of voices, and I had a hard time getting through them.
The duet between DG and Zerlino "La ci darem la mano" is marvelously sung, and there are many instances that I enjoyed in this performance, honestly. But there is always Donna Elvira, Arggghhhhhh.
The rest of the cast is perfect, and would it not be for this two singers this one would survive, as it is now, it will go in the dustbin. Another one bites the dust.

[Larry Rinkel]

I told I get easily bored while listening to Mozart's operas. Many members have said Elgar's orchestration is overblown and The Apostles makes them sleepy. How are these words any less provocative?

Not the same thing at all. A widely held opinion does not need to be defended. If one wants to diverge from a widely held opinion, that is a different matter.

[Florestan]

A widely held opinion does not need to be defended.

Sun rotating around Earth? It was widely held for centuries and defended with fire and sword.

[Larry Rinkel]

Sun rotating around Earth? It was widely held for centuries and defended with fire and sword.

And now has been discredited. When Mozart's importance is widely discredited, then I'll put down my sabre.

[Florestan]

And now has been discredited. When Mozart's importance is widely discredited, then I'll put down my sabre.

We'll not be around then anymore.

[dtwilbanks]

We'll not be around then anymore.

Speak for yourself.  0:)

[Larry Rinkel]

Why argue? If you don't dig Mozart, there are eleventy-billion other composers out there.

Well, yes. But (pace my friend Harry) not all composers are created equal. Given Mozart's reputation, I think it behooves one to spend more time with Mozart in hopes that you do eventually "get" why he is admired so widely. I don't believe Dittersdorf Cimarosa or Paisiello need the same amount of attention.

[Larry Rinkel]

Speak for yourself.  0:)

Exactly. Like Mozart, some of us are immortal.

[dtwilbanks]

Well, yes. But (pace my friend Harry) not all composers are created equal.

True enough. But don't beat yourself up over it.

[Larry Rinkel]

I don't know why when listening to Mozart operas the word SUPERMAN always comes to mind. It feels as if NOTHING was beyond him - except a longer life!

Sounds like he was the be all and the end all of music then, or a semi-divinity.

[Larry Rinkel]

True enough. But don't beat yourself up over it.

If Elgar finds Mozart boring, it's his loss, not mine. 

[dtwilbanks]

If Elgar finds Mozart boring, it's his loss, not mine. 

Elgar ain't bad, but he ain't no Mozart. 

[karlhenning]

Sounds like he was the be all and the end all of music then, or a semi-divinity.

Il nostro semideo . . . .

[karlhenning]

Trying again . . . .

There seems to be some degree of artistic quibble with the "moralizing" conclusion to Don Giovanni.  OTOH, considering the way that Stravinsky & Auden 'celebrated' that sort of 'observational framework' with a similar upbeat conclusion to The Rake's Progress . . . I think of it just as one of the layers of 'staginess'.  Sure, many interesting changes have been made in the operatic world in the interests of "truth to drama" (as each age perceives that particular moving target), but the fact is, that when you have people singing the drama, the spectacle operates in ways very other than Hamlet, or The Importance of Being Earnest, or A Streetcar Named Desire.

[71 dB]

If Elgar finds Mozart boring, it's his loss, not mine. 

Exactly. I wish I enjoyed Mozart's operas as much as his other works. Fortunately I enjoy Dittersdorf, Elgar and many other composers. 

A widely held opinion does not need to be defended.

Always question widely held opinions!
One widely held opinion among people is that classical music sucks (and heavy metal rules).
I'm sure you agree with me that's a stupid opinion.