Operatic suites

[Florestan]

What a party pooper you are!

Well, I'm really sorry but at least in La bohème's case an orchestral suite is an exercise in futility if ever there was one. Take the voices out (ie, take all the drama and the emotions and the humanity out) and you are left with nothing at all.

I blame all this madness not that much on Wagner as on Wagneritis. 

[VonStupp]

Prokofiev, for sure:

• Love for Three Oranges Suite
• Semyon Kotko Suite
• Summer Night Suite
• War and Peace Suite

I really took to the Suite from War & Peace on Chandos last I listened.

VS

[Spotted Horses]

Well, I'm puzzled. Matthaeus-Passion, Christmas Oratorio, Mass in B minor are not exactly small scale; nor are Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte or Le nozze di Figaro. 

From what I've gleaned from various sources, performances of Bach's cantatas and passions usually employed one-voice-per-part choirs and similarly small orchestral ensembles. Maybe slightly larger ensembles on a particularly grand occasion. That's how I like the works performed in recordings. Mozart vocal music seems to be on a larger scale, but still much smaller than a 19th century operatic orchestra.

[pjme]

I strongly dislike vocal music

How is that possible? Is it the "screaming soprano"-syndrome?

I heard this yesterday on the radio and thanked god for such a healthy, young voice!- Bravo, Maria Espada !

But voices can do more than just being nice, of course...

And a favorite opera-suite

Have nice Easter days!!

Peter

[Symphonic Addict]

These three Naxos discs of Janacek's suites from his operas are absolutely fabulous. Peter Breiner did an excellent job in arranging these suites. I love the original operas, of course, but having these suites is a most welcome bonus.

[Symphonic Addict]

Prokofiev, for sure:

• Love for Three Oranges Suite
• Semyon Kotko Suite
• Summer Night Suite
• War and Peace Suite

I really took to the Suite from War & Peace on Chandos last I listened.

VS

I second this. The suite from Semyon Kotko is particularly impressive and powerful.

[VonStupp]

These three Naxos discs of Janacek's suites from his operas are absolutely fabulous. Peter Breiner did an excellent job in arranging these suites. I love the original operas, of course, but having these suites is a most welcome bonus.

You remind me Breiner also put together some suites from Tchaikovsky's operas. Perhaps not as emphatically successful as the Janacek series, but still quite wonderful.
VS

[Symphonic Addict]

You remind me Breiner also put together some suites from Tchaikovsky's operas. Perhaps not as emphatically successful as the Janacek series, but still quite wonderful.
VS

Ha, I just was typing about it, but you beat me to it. I haven't heard it yet, but certainly looks interesting.

[VonStupp]

Ha, I just was typing about it, but you beat me to it. I haven't heard it yet, but certainly looks interesting.

Great minds...!

[Luke]

These three Naxos discs of Janacek's suites from his operas are absolutely fabulous. Peter Breiner did an excellent job in arranging these suites. I love the original operas, of course, but having these suites is a most welcome bonus.

The third of these is the place to start imo

[DavidW]

There are various recordings which are kind of synopses of Wagner's Ring Cycle which might be a nice way for you to start exploring them.  Perhaps others here could recommend their favorites?  I know that Klemperer did one (found it on youtube).

PD

I like Bohm's best of the Ring, but it is still nothing compared to blasting one of Solti's complete recordings.  Something is lost in the fragments.

[Spotted Horses]

I like Bohm's best of the Ring, but it is still nothing compared to blasting one of Solti's complete recordings.  Something is lost in the fragments.

You could always blast Bohm's complete Ring, which I prefer to Solti's by a wide margin.

[lordlance]

There are tons of these things.  I suppose they're not very hard to do and popular too.

I was asking for recommendations for the non-obvious ones. I have heard Carmen, Rosenkavalier and Wagner. I didn't know of the Debussy but I can't say I like Debussy.

__

How is that possible? Is it the "screaming soprano"-syndrome?

I heard this yesterday on the radio and thanked god for such a healthy, young voice!- Bravo, Maria Espada !

Soprano's worst of the lot, yes. I can tolerate massed voices but even that gradually becomes grating. How do you think of Messiah or Tosca for beginners?

There are *some* exceptions: Beethoven Choral Fantasia and Symphony No. 9. I haven't finished Missa Solemnis but the Gloria from that piece - holy cow! That's the most intense piece of music Beethoven has ever written. A lot of the "classics" are too dull (Mozart Requiem/Verdi Requiem - except yes parts of dies irae but that's not enough to bear listening through 90 minutes) and usually involve solo singing which instantly rule them out.

__

Thanks for the Tchaikovsky rec, @VonStupp. I am reluctant to try Prokofiev as I don't think I really like his style. His PCs are too percussive for my taste (which isn't a bad thing normally) and some of his other orchestral works just don't get me excited. I do like his Symphonies 1, 2.I and PC3 though.

[pjme]

I can't say I like Debussy.

I strongly dislike vocal music

Those words sadden me - but I do wish you luck in exploring music.

I hope you can stand some light fun...

[lordlance]

Those words sadden me - but I do wish you luck in exploring music.

I hope you can stand some light fun...

Cheer up. I am not really missing out on anything. There's no shortage of music to discover. I also should've added Ligeti's Aventures and Nouvelles Aventures. I've only heard them once but what whacky pieces truly!

[Mandryka]

Here's a corker I didn't know existed until just now, Frau Ohne Schatten suite -- it looks as though Strauss wrote it, judging from the LP cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKM7EYCFFbo&ab_channel=cgoroo

and while we're at it, orchestral interludes from Intermezzo, which is I think quite a good opera actually

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AwwT69vNsU&ab_channel=Rodders

and there's even a Capriccio suite - though I think it's just the instrumental music strung together. But what fabulous instrumental music!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Capriccio-Suite-Strauss/dp/B000000AJ3

[Mandryka]

And here's Stokowski's synthesis of Boris Godunov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ooOMmbeKGc&ab_channel=Rodders

[Mandryka]

And a suite made of things from Stravinsky's Histoire du soldat, sounds quite fun.  Arguably not really an opera though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqITGYKGsSw&ab_channel=UniversityofMichiganBassoonStudio

[Luke]

Not even arguably - no one sings in it!

[DavidW]

Soprano's worst of the lot, yes. I can tolerate massed voices but even that gradually becomes grating.

A soprano hits upper midrange in frequencies.  Our ear has a natural resonance at 3.5 kHz.  If your ears are unusually sensitive or your speakers/headphone is elevating the upper mids, then you would quickly find it grating and exhausting.

But there is a simple solution.  EQ the upper mids down a few dB.  It would not require a great adjustment for it to switch from irritating to musical.  Give it a try!