Favorite vocal recitals on CD or DVD

Started by bhodges, April 24, 2007, 11:04:11 AM

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knight66

Guido, You may well be right, for me so far he is solely a recording artist and that can be manipulated in many ways. But is is interesting and intelligent. I have problems with the swallowed sound in the middle of his voice and the sound is increasingly dark. But I enjoy a lot of what I have heard on disc so far.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

edith1

I would like to introduce you to my recording of Monteverdi's lament. This song is very important to me. Singing was a great experience. Because every woman is like a mythological arianna. we have similar feelings when we are abandoned. I have many thoughts in my mind and desire for discussion but first, please listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgEQ2ts01Ro

knight66

Thank you for posting that, it is terrific. If is an epic lament and you clearly have the scale of it. I also enjoyed the Gluck that is on YouTube. Have you finished studying? What are your plans?

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

knight66

#203
Counter tenor time again.

Handel Oratorio arias: Iestyn Davies, The King's Consort Robert King

This disc has had quite a few mentions in the UK press, all highly complimentary. It was not available on Spotify, so I bought it. There is a lot that is right. The voice is sweet, forward and clear, he has an excellent technique and is a tasteful musician. However, I found it quite a dull listen. He does not inhabit or enliven the music, the words are clear, the meaning not conveyed. I wanted him to put his back into it.

So, despite the sheer quality all round, I felt this to be a miss, not a hit.

Mike

On Nigel Wilkinson's blog I have just read an aside he quotes about this singer being described, as though he is about to sing Evensong at you.
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Octave

I love this thread, and thanks to all the contributors.  I was horrified to see that it had accrued less than one page of posts in 2013, but that is the life and dormancy of threads.

It's possible that this thread alone will cause me to do some catastrophic buying even before summer's end.

Pardon me for being a slave to the reissue racket release schedule, but do any of the following from the eruption of Decca's MOST WANTED RECITALS series, qualify as top-notch/must-have for any of you?  I guess I have heard some work from most of these singers, but I am never sure about various singers' ability with different material in different moments of their career....those are variables that I've not researched.  Also I am being lazy so I do not have to do dozens of searches.

Somehow it seems wild that they would release such a large number of items all at once.  And not all together in a coffin!   0:)

A tidy list with links, from Presto:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/s/Most%2BWanted%2BRecitals

A text list for here:
1. Romantic Songs by Rossini, Bellini & Donizetti. Ugo Benelli and Lydia Marimpietri. Erik Smith at the piano.
2. Inge Borkh operatic recital with the LSO and Anatole Fistoulari plus bonus tracks from another recital with the VPO and Rudolf Moralt.
3. Renato Bruson, Donizetti arias with the Orchestra of the Teatro Regio di Torino plus bonus tracks from Le Grandi Voci dell´Arena di Verona featuring Bruson.
4. Operatic recitals by Giuseppe Campora and Gianni Poggi plus arias with Gino Penno.
5. José Carreras first ever 1976 recital with the Royal Philharmonic and Roberto Benzi. Some arias have been released before but never in it´s entirety.
6. José Carreras second recital with the LPO and Jesús López-Cobos featuring arias by Rossini (O muto asil!!!), Verdi and Donizetti. The same is true of this one, it appears complete for the first time.
7. José Carreras sings popular songs: Granada, Be my Love, etc. English Chamber Orchestra, Roberto Benzi.
8. Eugene Conley operatic recital 1949-1950 plus Italian opera arias from another recital.
9. Fernando Corena Mozart arias plus Cimarosa´s Il Maestro di Cappella.
10. Fernando Corena in Orbit. Popular songs...includes Tonight from West Side Story!
11. Regine Crespin song recital. Songs by Schumann, Wolf, Debussy and Poulenc. Bonus opera arias tracks.
12. Lisa Della Casa operatic recital with the VPO conducted by Heinrich Hollreiser plus Lieder recital.
13. Lisa Della Casa & Vico Torriani: Lieder aus unserer Heimat plus Cristina Deutekom Promenade Concert.
14. Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin with Anton Dermota and Hilde Dermota.
15. Cristina Deutekom in Vienna plus Christmas with Cristina Deutekom.
16. Ursula Farr sings arias from Nozze di Figaro, Der Freischütz, etc, plus arias from a second recital.
17. Nicolai Ghiaurov and Franco Tagliavini in scenes from Boito´s Mefistofele conducted by Silvio Varviso plus bonus arias from other Ghiaurov recitals, includes the Au fond du temple saint duet with Ghiaurov and Pavarotti.
18. Hilde Gueden sings Mozart arias with the VPO and Alberto Erede conducting. Plus bonus tracks from Verdi and Puccini recital.
19. Hilde Gueden Richard Strauss recital with Friedrich Gulda piano plus bonus tracks of Strauss arias.
20. Hilde Gueden "My Secret Heart", songs by Noël Coward and Ivor Novello plus traditional songs from Vienna.
21. Hilde Gueden children´songs from many lands plus Christmas songs. Some NEVER before released tracks here.
22. Hans Hotter "The Art of Hans Hotter vol.1" Recorded in the Sofiensaal in 1973.
23. Hans Hotter "The Art of Hans Hotter vol.2" Recorded in 1973 too.
24. Gwyneth Jones scenes from Verdi, Covent Garden Edward Downes, plus arias conducted by Angelo Quadri
25. Flaviano Labo operatic recital plus Bruno Prevedi opera arias.
26. George London on Broadway with the Roland Shaw Orchestra plus Wagner scenes.
27. Pilar Lorengar opera arias with the LPO and Jesús López-Cobos plus bonus tracks from Puccini recital.
28. James McCracken & Sandra Warfield operatic duets plus bonus arias with McCracken.
29. Janine Micheau operatic recital with Roger Desormiére plus arias from second recital with Muir Mathieson.
30. Arnold van Mill favourite opera arias plus arias and songs with Raphael Arie.
31. Verdi scenes with Birgit Nilsson, Luigi Ottolini, Grace Hoffman and Louis Quilico, Royal Opera House conducted by John Pritchard. Includes the Wesendonk Lieder from a 1970´s Philips recording.
32. Julius Patzak operatic recital plus "Songs from old Vienna".
33. Gianni Poggi Italian songs.
34. Schubert: Schwanengesang with Hermann Prey and Walter Klein plus Goethe Lieder with Karl Engel.
35. Wolf´s Mörike Lieder with Hermann Prey and Gerald Moore.
36. Mado Robin sings scenes from Mireille and Lucia di Lammermoor with Michel Malkassian and Libero De Luca.
37. Joseph Rouleau sings French Opera plus Raphael Arie in Russian arias.
38. Heinrich Schlusnus Lieder von Schubert plus Lieder from another recital.
39. Paul Schoeffler operatic recital (VPO/Bòhm and Moralt) plus highlights from the Knappertsbusch Meistersinger.
40. Cesare Siepi sings songs by Cole Porter plus Verdi arias.
41. Cesare Siepi songs from Italy plus arias by Mozart, Meyerbeer and Halévy.
42. Gerard Souzay sings Handel. Rameau and Lully arias.
43. Gerard Souzay sings Schumann´s Dichterliebe with Dalton Baldwin.
44. Gerard Souzay sings Schumann´s Liederkreis op.39 with Dalton Baldwin.
45. Gerard Souzay sings mélodies by Bizet, Chabrier, Debussy, Fauré, etc.
46. Nancy Tatum operatic recital plus recital of American songs.
47. Giuseppe Valdengo Italian songs plus arias by Verdi, Gounod, Thomas, etc.
48. Jennifer Vyvyan Mozart and Haydn recital.
49. Ingvar Wixell sings Verdi Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Silvio Varviso.
50. Virginia Zeani operatic recital with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino orchestra conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni plus Puccini arias.

(the above list copied from the kind contribution of someone on another discussion board)
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kishnevi

#205
Cesare Siepi singing Cole Porter ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

Sounds like something I'd want to hear just for the sake of hearing it....although I don't think I'd go back to it very often, if ever.   And Fernando Corena singing WSS is not far behind it in that respect.

There are a couple of singers in the list whom I have not heard of,  but a lot of the singers there were steady reliable leads at the Met and other important opera houses when I was a lad back in the 70s (and earlier)--Siepi and Corena being good examples, although I would have to go dig through the piles to see exactly which ones appear in any of my older opera recordings.  [ETA: actually, most of these singers seem to have been active in the 50s and 60s, and were at the end of their careers when I may have first heard them on Metropolitan Opera broadcasts in the 70s/80s, if I ever heard them on those.  There are of course some exceptions, Carreras being the most obvious.]

Souzay's recitals are of interest.  I know several of his recordings are well liked by people here--perhaps one of them can speak up and say if any of his best recordings are among the four CDs that appear here.

I've already got enough vocal recitals that I don't listen to, so I'll probably skip this series.  Except of course for that Siepi CD.

knight66

Most Wanted??? By whom I wonder. It is a fascinating rag bag. I agree with Jeffrey in the ones he suggests are notable. But I would add Mado Robin, she was very skilful and in her time famous. Joseph Rouleau had a fine bass voice and was especially good in his own language, I would go for that one. People like Hotter and Geuden are self recommending. But in part, what does recital mean here. I can see that in some instances it means pulling together whatever is in the archives and bunging in popular songs. It can make for an uncomfortable ride.

A singer they have probably done this for is Virginia Zeani....who she? Well, if you track down her singing Traviata, you will instantly wonder where she has been hiding. A really good technique, a good communicator and exactly right for that part. She is also excellent as Liu. I would recommend that disc and hope they don't include on the disc any dim scratchy live performances, but have her at her best in the then best sound. Nilsson, well, it depends really. She sang Mozart even when she was doing Wagner, there is a Tosca and an Aida floating about, but to me, apart from Turandot, she is not successful in the Italian roles. This disc may be quite interesting with the Wesendonk, she was perfectly capable of subtlety.

Personally I would avoid Deutekom unless you like angry doll Queen of the Night sounds. Nor do I ever think of Wixell as anything other than reliable. I cannot imagine an hour of him.

One famous name here whose disc is a sleeper is Gwyneth Jones. I usually avoid her like a plague, but this is a very early disc, before the Wagner Wobble took over and the voice is gleaming. That is another I recommend.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Octave

Thanks to both of you for the suggestions and caution.  I got chuckles from both posts, and "angry doll" and "Wagner Wobble" are now in my lexicon.
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Octave

I'm curious about opinions of Marilyn Horne's work across the Decca recitals collected here:

[asin]B0011WMWVG[/asin]
Marilyn Horne: THE COMPLETE DECCA RECITALS (Decca, 11cd)

I think I like her voice, but it seems like (as in most cases) she might not be equally fine in all material.  My interest in this period of her recording life was piqued by Lilias Pastia's brief mention of a 2cd distillation, now OOP.  (See below.)  I am assuming that all of that material is available across this box, but I haven't checked.

Quote from: Lilas Pastia on October 11, 2008, 09:39:42 PM
Right now:  listening to a totally mad collection on Decca (2 discs) with Marilyn Horne blowing away boundaries between baroque, classical, bel canto, lyric, romantic and dramatic opera. Add to that a unique way with traditional songs (Copland, Foster, Bernstein) and you get a pair of CDs that leaves you in a trance. Brava!
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ritter

Bidù Sayao's rendition of Debussy's La Damoiselle élue, and of Susanna's and Zerlina's arias, are probably the most ravishing singing I've ever heard... What a lovely voice, and what  perfect phrasing and diction! I cannot understand why this is OOP  ??? ...

[asin]B0000029YH[/asin]

Regards,


knight66

#210
Rosalind Plowright, Philip Mountford:Song Recital 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci'. It is on the Romeo Records label.

I first encountered Plowright at an Edinburgh Festival concert, over 30 years ago, of Lohengrin Act Two under Abbado. I was in chorus. There was a buzz, as this hot new soprano was appearing.....in a dress by the same designer as had designed the recently married Princess Diana's wedding dress. She was a stunner, tall, elegant and a gleaming fresh soprano voice capable of the demands of Elsa. There was a very slightly difficult start and then marvellous things as the voice warmed up. It has always been a very large voice and over the years it struck me that she was sometimes fighting it. I recall there was extended back stage warming up to get it pliable for the Wagner.

There were one or two memorable recordings, chief amongst them for me Leonora in Trovatore in the Giulini version which I value as much as the Callas and Leontyne Price assumptions.

In 1999 Plowright moved very successfully to the mezzo range, her lower voice is very rich and warm with lots of colours. She describes this second career as her "hags, bags and witches phase" and one of her very best bags is as Klytemnestra. She recorded an Amneris for Chandos in English, such a terrific performance it is tempting to rename the opera.

Here we have a self financed recital disc, she claims it will be the only such disc. It seems to have been recorded recently and the singer is now reaching her mid sixties. The disc has had a couple of very favourable reviews. I bought on the strength of these and my enjoyment of her earlier work. The pianist is excellent, an equal partner.

But, a pity this programme was not recorded 10 years ago. The voice has loosened and is gusty from the middle upwards. The rewards are acuity of words, she really conveys what is happening. She provides atmosphere and there are some lovely lower tones. But for me, it made for difficult listening. The opener is Stradella's Pieta Signore. It lasts 16 minutes and was a real trial as the wobbles and infirm tone make their frequent appearances. Four Brahms songs follow, but I sensed that struggle to control and to scale the voice down. The de Falla set following is more forgiving, the Tchaikovsky group suit her dark tones and she carries the lines well. The most successful are the Kurt Weill songs including an excellent Surubaya Johnny. But we have been taught these by the ageing and equally splintered voice of Lotte Lenya.

Onwards, some Britten and the English settings are successfully taken, though O Waly, Waly becomes onomatopoeic in an uncomfortable way. There are several other English songs with the title song second to last, her work in English sounds to come more easily in the small scale needed for them, though the title song is given its mini-epic status.

I had looked forward to the disc, I wanted to like it. But really, go elsewhere for the very considerable best of this singer and shame on the recording companies for allowing her insights and talent to languish without any solo discs until too, too late.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

ritter

#211
Sounds interesting, knight66. Perhaps the programme of this recital doesn't appeal that much to me, but it's good to know its been released.

Just wanted to tell you that I say Plowright as Klytemnästra here in Madrid a couple of seasons ago (conducted by Bychkov, and with Deborah Polaski in the title rôle), and she was SUPERB! Her entrance on the stage was a stunning theatrical moment: from "regal" to "broken woman" in just a couple of phrases.

I had never seen her live, and only heard her on record (the Sinopoli Forza and Mahler Second, recordings which I admire). I am really glad I got to see her in the Strauss opera.  :)

knight66

Thanks for that post. With the voice as it is, I should think that she will still do well in the opera house and she is a terrific actress. I would cheerfully pay to see her in that part.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

king ubu

Made my way through this thread a few days ago ... actually it's one that prompted me to register here, finally!

Ordered copies of the Coote, Karnéus and Matthews EMI discs as a result - samples sounded good indeed!

As for favourites, for starters, one of my most recent discoveries, the wonderful Sabine Devieilhe with programme of music by Rameau:

[asin]B00FBLG822[/asin]

Check this for starters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kNblZlxAN4
Es wollt ein meydlein grasen gan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Und do die roten röslein stan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Fick mich mehr, du hast dein ehr.
Kannstu nit, ich wills dich lern.
Fick mich, lieber Peter!

http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/

king ubu

Another one to obsess about - vinyl only and not that easy to find, I think:



Renata Scotto - Arie di Bellini (Fonit Cetra)

(sorry for not including this in the post above - had to look for the LP and take a snapshot first)
Es wollt ein meydlein grasen gan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Und do die roten röslein stan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Fick mich mehr, du hast dein ehr.
Kannstu nit, ich wills dich lern.
Fick mich, lieber Peter!

http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/

knight66

Welcome, welcome, I am very glad some of the recommendations were useful to you. Do get back to tell us how you like.....or don't like the discs. I have a Dietrich Henschel lieder disc I need to review, I will get to it shortly.

Thanks for your suggestions, Sabine D is new to me, so I am off to have a listen.

Cheers,

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

king ubu

Mike, what is your impression of Devieilhe? I'd be interested to know!

Just double checked, and no, this wasn't mentioned here it seems:

[asin]B00000DFNQ[/asin]

Lily Pons - Coloratura Assoluta (Masterworks Heritage, 2 CD, 2998)

If there is perfection, this has to be it! I'm into disc 2 by now and I'm quite speechless! (Another recital that had a similar effect on me, some months back, was Steber's Verdi album, reissued by Sony in their nice little singers series that I hope will go on ... the "Scotto Sings Verdi" is similarly astonishing ... and the disc by Daniza Ilitzsch is mighty fine, too, though I'm not sure either it nor the Preiser CD of hers do in the end qualify for this thread - but deserve mention they do!)
Es wollt ein meydlein grasen gan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Und do die roten röslein stan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Fick mich mehr, du hast dein ehr.
Kannstu nit, ich wills dich lern.
Fick mich, lieber Peter!

http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/

Moonfish

Quote from: king ubu on May 27, 2014, 06:13:51 AM
Made my way through this thread a few days ago ... actually it's one that prompted me to register here, finally!

Ordered copies of the Coote, Karnéus and Matthews EMI discs as a result - samples sounded good indeed!

As for favourites, for starters, one of my most recent discoveries, the wonderful Sabine Devieilhe with programme of music by Rameau:

[asin]B00FBLG822[/asin]

Check this for starters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kNblZlxAN4

Yes, some threads here are indeed great for late night reading, but perhaps not as beneficial for one's credit card account when the night closes...    ???
The Devieilhe recording you posted is quite interesting...and Rameau as a bonus....hmmmm     *click*
Thanks for the link!  The musicians seem like they are having such a great time!!!

"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

knight66

Quote from: king ubu on May 28, 2014, 03:17:13 AM
Mike, what is your impression of Devieilhe? I'd be interested to know!

Thanks for that recommendation, I found the disc on Spotify. A very good technique, the voice perhaps a little monochrome, but she uses words very well and dramatically. I watcher her sing Mozart Queen of the Night aria on Youtube, slightly bumpy start, but then she provides a very adroit display of her abilities. I will enjoy the Rameau disc, I can see she is able to inject playfulness into the arias as well as the dolorous.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Que

#219
Quote from: ritter on April 08, 2014, 02:30:06 AM
Bidù Sayao's rendition of Debussy's La Damoiselle élue, and of Susanna's and Zerlina's arias, are probably the most ravishing singing I've ever heard... What a lovely voice, and what  perfect phrasing and diction! I cannot understand why this is OOP  ??? ...

[asin]B0000029YH[/asin]

Regards,

That one is a must IMO! :o :)  As is its companion - if possible even more so....

[asin]B0000029PG[/asin]


Another from this Heritage series that I love with a passion:

[asin]B0000029PF[/asin]

Q