Favorite Mozart Opera

[zamyrabyrd]

I was looking for a thread to post a link to an overture that has more than a passing reference to the Marriage of Figaro.  Hope this one is OK, since it is current anyway. There is a prologue for about 2 minutes that can be compared to the overture to Don Giovanni not only in spirit but with chromatic key changes and colorful orchestration.  Then, you have the characteristic tune, but only half of it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q346FXHqYY

OK, who is the composer? On another thread about the Pastorale Symphony of Beethoven I became intrigued by the "Le Portrait musical de la nature written 25 years earlier by Justin Heinrich Knecht". So I looked him up hoping to find the symphony recorded or in score, but to no avail. Instead, there are some clips on youtube of an opera, Die Aeolsharfe oder Der Triumph der Musik und Liebe where this overture is taken from and a few other recordings of his organ music.

Knecht, a German composer and teacher, lived from 1752-1817. Now, Mozart having been born in 1756 and 1786 being the premiere of the Marriage of Figaro, it is not clear who is borrowing from whom.  With Beethoven, however, it's safe to say that at least the idea and format of the Pastoral Symphony was most probably taken from Knecht.

ZB

[Brahmsian]

DG takes the lead!!! 

[Bulldog]

Magic Flute w/Klemperer leading the attack.

[DavidW]

DG takes the lead!!! 

Oh noes!!

[Guido]

Figaro is clawing it back!

[Roberto]

I can't choose. The piece which led me to Mozart and especially Mozart's operas was this:
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I've bought it after read a great blog entry about it (and I listened some excerpts on YouTube). (I don't buy DVDs, this is my only opera DVD.) Before it I don't interested in Mozart's music. After it I loved it. I had the Magic Flute with Fricsay before it but I didn't like it. I love all the mature Mozart operas but finally I chosen the Idomeneo. Mozart himself considered it one of his greatest piece. It was my 3rd opera CD:
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He used the best orchestra of his time, he used the chorus in an expressive way he couldn't use after it.

[zamyrabyrd]

I had the Magic Flute with Fricsay before it but I didn't like it. I love all the mature Mozart operas but finally I chosen the Idomeneo. Mozart himself considered it one of his greatest piece.

Maybe have another listen to the Fricsay with Fischer-Dieskau, it might grow on you. My standby for Marriage of Figaro is the 1961 Giulini, Taddei, Schwartzkopf, Moffo and Cossoto recording. Also, I have a real hard time with deciding what is my favorite opera, symphony or whatever. It's like "what child of yours do you prefer?"

ZB

[Roberto]

Maybe have another listen to the Fricsay with Fischer-Dieskau, it might grow on you. My standby for Marriage of Figaro is the 1961 Giulini, Taddei, Schwartzkopf, Moffo and Cossoto recording. Also, I have a real hard time with deciding what is my favorite opera, symphony or whatever. It's like "what child of yours do you prefer?"

ZB

My problems with Fricsay were the romantic performance (of course in the 60s there were no others) and the soundstage: the singers are too loud the orchestra is too quiet.

I agree with you that it is like "what child of yours do you prefer?". But I think it is just a game.

[Lisztianwagner]

I voted for Le Nozze di Figaro, it's definitely my favourite Mozart's opera alongside Don Givanni and Die Zauberflöte.

Ilaria