What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[foxandpeng]

Götterdämmerung
Richard Wagner
Sir Georg Solti
Wiener Philharmoniker
Decca

Not a quick listen, this stuff, is it? I thought Siegfried was long..

One bite at a time...

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The Very Best of Maria Callas


Sometimes, a bit of a compilation hits the spot.

No doubt I won't listen to all 2+ hours tonight, but you never know. . .

As an aside, I recently heard that there was a new movie about Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie which was well-received at Cannes; from what I heard, it's about the final days/years(?) of her life.

PD

[NumberSix]

As an aside, I recently heard that there was a new movie about Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie which was well-received at Cannes; from what I heard, it's about the final days/years(?) of her life.

PD

I'm definitely curious about it.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm definitely curious about it.

There's some more information about it on Wiki....here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_(2024_film)

PD

[nico1616]

There is also another option on Opera Rara



but I haven't heard it, and it is a lot more expensive than the Naxos set.

I saw this one in the library and took it home. Luckily I did not buy it because it is horrible. The 3 main roles (soprano, mezzo, basso) are atrociously cast. The orchestra sounds great but that is about the only positive thing you can say about this recording. A lot of Opera Rara recordings do not have a top notch cast but this one is a low point.

[NumberSix]

Rameau: Le Grand Theatre de l'Amour
Sabine Devieilhe (soprano)
Les Ambassadeurs, Alexis Kossenko

Sabine Devieilhe is a French operatic coloratura soprano. She is known for her interpretation of works by Mozart, Baroque music, and 19th-century opera.

She is often regarded as a successor to Natalie Dessay.

[Florestan]

I saw this one in the library and took it home. Luckily I did not buy it because it is horrible. The 3 main roles (soprano, mezzo, basso) are atrociously cast. The orchestra sounds great but that is about the only positive thing you can say about this recording. A lot of Opera Rara recordings do not have a top notch cast but this one is a low point.

One to avoid, then. Thanks for the tip.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

Götterdämmerung
Richard Wagner
Sir Georg Solti
Wiener Philharmoniker
Decca



Not a quick listen, this stuff, is it? I thought Siegfried was long..

One bite at a time...

Interesting to see you listening to opera (and Wagner, too, for that matter). I hate making assumptions, but...am I wrong in thinking you're not much of a fan of operatic music? I don't really recall you listening to many operas in the past.

[foxandpeng]

Interesting to see you listening to opera (and Wagner, too, for that matter). I hate making assumptions, but...am I wrong in thinking you're not much of a fan of operatic music? I don't really recall you listening to many operas in the past.

Agreed, my friend. Not my medium at all - neither opera, not vocal music. Giving it a go, because life is too short not to do so. Stare into the abyss until just before it realises you are looking...

If anyone is worth poking operatically, it seems, it is irritated Germans, heckling one another in raised tones.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

Agreed, my friend. Not my medium at all - neither opera, not vocal music. Giving it a go, because life is too short not to do so. Stare into the abyss until just before it realises you are looking...

If anyone is worth poking operatically, it seems, it is irritated Germans, heckling one another in raised tones.

Very nice, indeed. Since you're giving vocal music a go, you've got to give Strauss' Vier letzte Lieder a listen sometime (if you haven't already). Also, check out Ravel's Trois poèmes de Mallarmé. These are two 'easier' works that I think you'll enjoy. Oh and may I also point you to RVW's Five Mystical Songs. Truly a remarkable orchestral song cycle that I believe worthy of your attention.

[foxandpeng]

Very nice, indeed. Since you're giving vocal music a go, you've got to give Strauss' Vier letzte Lieder a listen sometime (if you haven't already). Also, check out Ravel's Trois poèmes de Mallarmé. These are two 'easier' works that I think you'll enjoy. Oh and may I also point you to RVW's Five Mystical Songs. Truly a remarkable orchestral song cycle that I believe worthy of your attention.

I will certainly try the Strauss... easier tends not to work for me,  as it usually means melodic and lyrical. Fine, I guess, but if I want easy listening, I have rock and NWOBHM.

Happy to follow your lead, though...

[Le Buisson Ardent]

I will certainly try the Strauss... easier tends not to work for me,  as it usually means melodic and lyrical. Fine, I guess, but if I want easy listening, I have rock and NWOBHM.

Happy to follow your lead, though...

Well, the Strauss, Ravel and RVW are 'easier' because they're not four hours long. That kind of easy. I'm not sure whether you'll find the music rewarding or not, but this is music that has meant something to me, so that's why I recommended it.

Also, not all rock music is 'easy' of course. There's plenty of challenging music within this genre that doesn't play to the dumb crowds.

[San Antone]

Mozart : Don Giovanni
Josef Krips / Vienna Philharmonic / Vienna State Opera chorus
Cesare Siepi, Fernando Corena, Suzanne Danco, Anton Dermota, Lisa Della Casa, Hilde Güden, Walter Berry, Kurt Böhme
1955

[DavidW]

Temporarily locked.

[DavidW]

I moved the digression into rock to the non-classical listening thread. Let us please keep this thread focused on opera.

[Lisztianwagner]

Just finished the first act, it won't be bad to listen to the second one too:

Richard Wagner
Die Walküre, act 2^

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker

[André]

Mozart : Don Giovanni
Josef Krips / Vienna Philharmonic / Vienna State Opera chorus
Cesare Siepi, Fernando Corena, Suzanne Danco, Anton Dermota, Lisa Della Casa, Hilde Güden, Walter Berry, Kurt Böhme
1955

Still the best after almost 70 years.

[Florestan]

Mix elements from Il matrimonio segreto with elements from Il cambiale di matrimonio, throw in a mock-suicide and there you have the libretto for this opera buffa. 

The music is quite Rossinian and none the worse for that: tuneful, exuberant and proceeding at brisk pace. The ensembles abound and are sparkling.

The singers have perfect diction, almost every word they sing is intelligible.

Not top Donizetti but enjoyable nevertheless.

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Wagner
Die Walküre, act 3^

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Wagner
Siegfried, act 1^

Jess Thomas (Siegfried), Gerhard Stolze (Mime), Thomas Stewart (Der Wanderer)
Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker