What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[JBS]

This seems to be one of those operas in which it's best not to pay attention to the action but simply settle back and enjoy the singing.

Recorded in concert in April 2023.
The three singers listed at the bottom of the cast credits are members of the chorus who were given solo parts to sing.

Update: the "Preludio" to the final scene of Act Three (Oronte's baptism and death) is a nice four minute concertante number for solo violin and orchestra that would work well in a program of short works for that combination. (The melody and solo violin are put to use in the Terzett that follows.)

[JBS]

Switching back to Strauss



Strauss seems to have had his doubts about the libretto--both the storyline (which was a Zweig invention) and the actual text (by Gregor, with some revision by Zweig)--and the music so far (about half through right now) seems to not catch fire.

[ritter]

Switching back to Strauss



Strauss seems to have had his doubts about the libretto--both the storyline (which was a Zweig invention) and the actual text (by Gregor, with some revision by Zweig)--and the music so far (about half through right now) seems to not catch fire.

I hate to say I told you so, but.... 

Good evening to you, Jeffrey.

[JBS]

I hate to say I told you so, but.... 

Good evening to you, Jeffrey.

It's a one-act opera. There are far worse ways to spend 75 minutes.
 After all, it's not Stockhausen.

[San Antone]

Golijov : Ainadamar



On this day, the anniversary of the assassination of Federico García Lorca, I find myself listening to this work based on one of Lorca's early plays.

Information taken from the Wikipedia article on the work:

Ainadamar (from the Arabic عين الدمع 'Fountain of Tears') is an "opera in three images" by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov to a libretto by American playwright David Henry Hwang translated from English into Spanish by Golijov. In a series of flashbacks, it tells the story of the famous Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca and his muse, the actress Margarita Xirgu, their opposition to the Falange, accusations of homosexuality against the playwright, and events leading to his execution by the Falange.

Xirgu prepares to go onstage at the Solís Theatre in Montevideo. She has spent her career portraying Mariana Pineda in Lorca's play of the same name. Xirgu fled to Uruguay in the unrest before the Spanish Civil War. Lorca refused to leave and was assassinated by the Falange in 1936. Like his muse Pineda, Lorca died young. Xirgu has been playing Pineda on stage for almost forty years.

[Tsaraslondon]

Golijov : Ainadamar



On this day, the anniversary of the assassination of Federico García Lorca, I find myself listening to this work based on one of Lorca's early plays.

Information taken from the Wikipedia article on the work:

Ainadamar (from the Arabic عين الدمع 'Fountain of Tears') is an "opera in three images" by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov to a libretto by American playwright David Henry Hwang translated from English into Spanish by Golijov. In a series of flashbacks, it tells the story of the famous Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca and his muse, the actress Margarita Xirgu, their opposition to the Falange, accusations of homosexuality against the playwright, and events leading to his execution by the Falange.

Xirgu prepares to go onstage at the Solís Theatre in Montevideo. She has spent her career portraying Mariana Pineda in Lorca's play of the same name. Xirgu fled to Uruguay in the unrest before the Spanish Civil War. Lorca refused to leave and was assassinated by the Falange in 1936. Like his muse Pineda, Lorca died young. Xirgu has been playing Pineda on stage for almost forty years.

I have this recording and I love it. I'm not sure that it's actually an opera, but who cares?

[hopefullytrusting]

Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride (also, this might be one of my favorite album covers of all time):

[hopefullytrusting]

In the process of: Massenet's Thais

[Cato]

From the other What Are You Listening To ? topic...

It has been too long since I cranked up Rimsky-Korsakov's best opera: The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya.

We are so lucky these days to have a complete recording of this and other operas by him. 


In the good old days, the only Rimsky-Korsakov opera on a recording was Boris Godunov !   

[JBS]

[hopefullytrusting]

Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites (Nezet-Seguin): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvfYt-ktsfw

First time with this piece, and I'm already struck by its striking visuals and wonderful sound design. Very excited to see how this goes.

[ritter]

Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites (Nezet-Seguin): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvfYt-ktsfw

 Very excited to see how this goes.

Spoiler alert: it doesn't end well.

[hopefullytrusting]

Spoiler alert: it doesn't end well.

Lol, I figured that, as it appears to be very austere (and it involves nuns). It isn't bad - I am a big fan of the visuals - the music is alright, so far, but I'm not a huge fan, in general, of this period of French music, but I still have a lot more to get through.

[hopefullytrusting]

Lol, I figured that, as it appears to be very austere (and it involves nuns). It isn't bad - I am a big fan of the visuals - the music is alright, so far, but I'm not a huge fan, in general, of this period of French music, but I still have a lot more to get through.

Three things:

First, holy cow! I was weeping for that whole last section. Haven't seen or felt that kind of intensity in a long time. Still decompressing - not even the length of applause was enough time for that. Wow. Immediate purchase on my part.

Second, I didn't expect those bouquets to get launched at the stage like they were shot out of a cannon. Thankfully, they were aimed at the curtain and not the singers, lol.

Third, wow is this opera relevant to a possible future for the United States of America. Harrowing.

[Cato]

Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites

(Nezet-Seguin):

First time with this piece, and I'm already struck by its striking visuals and wonderful sound design. Very excited to see how this goes.

An excellent opera, and the subject matter is ipso facto powerful.

I found this essay on the opera and how its libretto depicts the French Revolution's war on Religion and Christianity in particular as a presage for similar wars from Nazism and Communism.

https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2023/07/francis-poulenc-dialogues-carmelites-michael-de-sapio.html

[KevinP]

Dialogues of the Carmelites is indeed a very good opera.

That said, never actually watched it.

[hopefullytrusting]

Dialogues of the Carmelites is indeed a very good opera.

That said, never actually watched it.

It is an amazing watch, especially the ending.

Up next, thanks to copilot (will watch all of these before the end of the month):

Britten's The Turn of the Screw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEA5ByEhX6g
Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxdR0a5c6qA
Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNwKhqpqgTA
Janacek's Kata Kabanova: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb-HglBjbgs

(These will all be first time listens.)

[JBS]

Live recording of a performance at La Scala December 7 1961.

Comparing the synopsis on Wikipedia to the track listing, I think some serious cuts were made, including the last act aria for the soprano.

Sound seems good except for choral tuttis [ETA: and soprano high notes] when it's horrible.

Final verdict: interesting document of Corelli and Bastianini.  Beyond that, meh.

Bastianini appears in a couple of live Callas recordings, but I know him because he was my first Figaro (on LP).