Some Operas That Could Use New Recordings.

[Superhorn]

   Studio recordings of operas seem to be going the way of the dinosaur ,as they're so expensive to produce and often don't sell very well. 
    DVD is the big thing now in opera.   
   But here are some operas which really could use new recordings, studio or live.   None of these has had one  for many,many years ,as far as I can tell.

   Wagner : Rienzi .  Gustave Charpentier : Louise .  Samuel Barber : Antony And Cleopatra .  Richard Strauss : Die Schweigsame Frau.

   Italo Montemezzi : L'Amore De 3 Re.  Tchaikovsky : The Maid Of Orleans .  Tchaikovsky : The Enchantress . 

   Tippett : The Midsummer  Marriage .  Massenet : Le Jongleur De Notre Dame .  Alberto Ginastera : Bomarzo .

   Bohuslav Matyinu : Julietta .   Richard Strauss : Intermezzo .  Rimsky-Korsakov : The Snow Maiden .

   Leoncavallo : La Boheme .  (The other one !) .  Mussorgsky : The Fair At Sorochinsk .  Johann Strauss : A Night In Venice.

   Meyerbeer : Le Prophete . 


   Gergiev would be the obvious choice f   to conduct  Russian operas,  and ChristianThielemann would be the one for  Rienzi  ,
   Schweigsmae and  Intermezzo , and Leonard Slatkin would be perfect for Antony and Cleopatra .
   Any other suggestions for operas to be recorded again ?
   
   

[Sergeant Rock]

The two highest on my wish list:

Franz Schmidt Notre Dame. I'd like to see Welser-Möst or Luisi conduct it.

Albéric Magnard Guercœur


Sarge

[mc ukrneal]

Any of the 75 or so unrecorded Offenbach operettas.

[Superhorn]

    Notre Dame and Guercoeur already have excellent recordings ,  but they are not easy to find now,.
    I have the Capriccio recording with Gwyneth Jones, James King and Kurt Moll conducted by Christof Perick ,
   and not too long ago I borrowed the EMI recording conducted by Michel Plasson with Jose Van Dam,
   the late Hildegard Behrens and Gary Lakes  on interloan from  my library . 
   It's not likely that these will be recorded again in the near future. 
   The  place to look for these would be arkivmusic.com , which has the best selection of hard-to-find
   classical CDs on the internet, and an unbeatable overall selection. 
   The Magnard opera is  an amazing work, sort of a French Parsifal . 
   I would love to see the Met do Notre Dame ,  and this would be a great vehicle for Welser-Most to make his
   Met debut with. 

[Lisztianwagner]

ChristianThielemann would be the one for  Rienzi

About Wagner, Thielemann could also record Die Feen and Das Liebesverbot.

[Tsaraslondon]

The biggest hole in the Verdi canon is a decent recording of his Les Vepres Siciliennes, in French. I had once hoped for a recording conducted by Pappano, with maybe Alagna and Gheorghiu, but I doubt that will ever happen now.

[Brahmsian]

Taneyev's Oresteia!

[Superhorn]

    DG had a recording of  Taneyev's  Oresteia  back in the 70s, but I don't believe this has  ever been reissued on CD.
   It used the forces of the Belorussian opera in Minsk, and  there were no big names in the cast . 
   Is it too much to  hope for a recording conducted by Gergiev ?  Let's keep our fingers crossed .

[The new erato]

Taneyev's Oresteia is a great call. That is one opera I would definitely want to hear.

[listener]

I was lucky to have been around to get the LPs of Taneyev's Orestia (and Paliashvili's Abesalom and Eteri),
would like to see or hear  possibly  first ever recordings of Moszkowski's Boabdil, King of the Moors and Holst's The Perfect Fool.

[Superhorn]

   I thought Holst's Perfect Fool was a ballet.  I know the suite has had a number of recordings .

[listener]

from Wikipedia`:
The Perfect Fool is an opera in one act with music and libretto by the English composer Gustav Holst. Holst composed the work over the period of 1918 to 1922. The opera received its premiere at the Covent Garden Theatre, London on 14 May 1923. Holst had originally asked Clifford Bax to write the libretto, but Bax declined.[1]

In the score, Holst pokes fun at the works of Verdi, Wagner's Parsifal[2] and Debussy. In the opera, the part of the Fool consists of only one word. One interpretation of possible symbolism of the opera, from Donald Francis Tovey, is that the Princess symbolises the world of opera and the Fool represents the British public.[3]

[wagnernn]

I would love to see new recordings of Die Tote Stadt, and Das Wunder der Heliane with  Fleming, Kaufmann and  Keenlyside.
Yet, it would be a miracle to see they resurrect Cecilia by Refice on record.

[Guido]

Despite considering them, Fleming said there was just no way she could sing the full Korngold roles - way too big for her voice. It might work on record, but they really are trashy... Both have decent recordings already.

Intermezzo - yes there's only one major recording, but could it ever be bettered? Popp and Fischer-Dieskau? Fleming and Hampson are doing performing it in 2015 and surely there'll be some sort of broadcast, but they will be 56 and 60 respectively by that point - certainly both are already past their prime. Much though it pains me to say that (especially about Fleming).

[cilgwyn]

from Wikipedia`:
The Perfect Fool is an opera in one act with music and libretto by the English composer Gustav Holst. Holst composed the work over the period of 1918 to 1922. The opera received its premiere at the Covent Garden Theatre, London on 14 May 1923. Holst had originally asked Clifford Bax to write the libretto, but Bax declined.[1]

In the score, Holst pokes fun at the works of Verdi, Wagner's Parsifal[2] and Debussy. In the opera, the part of the Fool consists of only one word. One interpretation of possible symbolism of the opera, from Donald Francis Tovey, is that the Princess symbolises the world of opera and the Fool represents the British public.[3]

Some time ago,I obtained an off air recording of the Radio 3 studio recording of the complete opera,conducted by Vernon Handley,which fitted very nicely onto one cd! I have long been intrigued by this forgotten work by the composer of 'The Planets'. Intrigued as to why a substantial work like this by a famous composer has been totally neglected,and even in this age of cd 'rediscoveries',ignored by even the most adventurous record labels. With it's fantastical plot it would seem ideal material for a follow up to Chando's recording of the similarly neglected 'The Poisoned Kiss' by Vaughan Williams. Intrigued as to why,in this day and age of 'home entertainment' a poor libretto should be an obstacle to a cd recording. Intrigued also by the,'if it isn't performed or been recorded' it must be rubbish' theory'. And intrigued finally,by the fact that the marvellous & frequently recorded (although,not so much recently!) ballet music would be surrounded by worthless music?
I also,have to admit to being intrigued by opera's with supernatural or occult plots!

Fortunately,the opera is very enjoyable indeed! For anyone who is familiar with the ballet music,the frequent appearance of motifs and sequences from the music is a delight. Holst was a master orchestrator & his use of the orchestra is often quite thrilling.
As drama,the opera is,I suppose,pretty loosely structured,to put it mildly & what might be regarded as light opera;although,parts of it,particularly the parts of it which are spoken,remind me of Gilbert and Sullivan,although,the word play is nowhere near as good! It is also very tuneful and,to my mind,more entertaining than 'The Poisoned Kiss',which was very well performed,(by Chandos,under Hickox),but could have done with some more characterful soloists!
  All in all,in my humble opinion,definately worth the expense of a recording. This is one forgotten opera I really DID enjoy. Also,unlike some,also ran english opera's,it's fairly short!

Caution: If you DO ever get to hear it;forget the dodgy libretto and the ramshackle 'structure',just close your eyes & just enjoy the music!!!!!!!


 

[listener]

The Ballet Music of The Perfect Fool alsways makes me wish for more, hence my post.  I should go back to I Vespri Siciliani and La Giaconda to hear how they hold up

[val]

I would love to hear a new version of Schönberg's "Von heute auf Morgen".

[Mandryka]

I would love to hear a new version of Schönberg's "Von heute auf Morgen".

You mean in addition to this



Do you know this one?

http://www.dynamic.it/e_scheda_pro.php?pid=840



I haven't heard it but I'm tempted

[MDL]

You mean in addition to this



Do you know this one?

http://www.dynamic.it/e_scheda_pro.php?pid=840



I haven't heard it but I'm tempted

I love Moses und Aron, Erwartung and Die Glückliche Hand, but Von Heute auf Morgen has never really done it for me. Must dig it out of the pile and give it another go sometime.

[springrite]

I'd love to hear a new Vanessa (by Barber). I have the live one with Price, etc. But a modern recording in better sounds minus the noises would arouse my interest.


Then again, some operas need no new recordings because there are recordings already in good sound that can hardly be bettered.