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]