What have you been listening to, lately?

**Almaviva** · March 30th, 2012, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by sospiro

Isn't it just? Natalie said she enjoyed it more than the DVD, as she wasn't distracted by the chest, but you wouldn't understand about things like that ....

Yes, sure, I wouldn't understand, because see,

I wasn't distracted at all by Patricia Petibon's nudity in one of her two latest Lulus.

**daniel42** · March 30th, 2012, 03:18 PM

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This mornings music. I'm beginning to really like this girl.

Daniel

**Almaviva** · March 30th, 2012, 07:57 PM

Have you read our extensive article on her life and career, on the Home page? (I'm assuming you're talking about Natalie Dessay, not Emmanuelle Haim - who is also good, of course).

**Schigolch** · March 30th, 2012, 08:02 PM

**Schigolch** · April 1st, 2012, 06:24 PM

**daniel42** · April 2nd, 2012, 02:25 AM

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Daniel

**daniel42** · April 2nd, 2012, 02:32 AM

Finished the article on Natalie Dessay. Man what a talent singing and acting.

Daniel

**Soave_Fanciulla** · April 2nd, 2012, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by daniel42

Nice line up. I enjoy all the Vivaldi operas I know. What do you think of this recording, Daniel?

**daniel42** · April 2nd, 2012, 10:53 PM

I think it is a steller recording. Alan Curtis and Il Compresso Barocco come highly recommended and the singers are excellent. ( you said "nice line up" so I take it your familier with the vocalist. I'm not." ) The pacing and dynamics flow, the fidelity of the recording is excellent. I'm a little familier with Vivaldi and like his work but I was not aware of this opera and its fascinating history. Any idea if this has been performed in the last decade?

**Soave_Fanciulla** · April 3rd, 2012, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by daniel42

I think it is a steller recording. Alan Curtis and Il Compresso Barocco come highly recommended and the singers are excellent. ( you said "nice line up" so I take it your familier with the vocalist. I'm not." ) The pacing and dynamics flow, the fidelity of the recording is excellent. I'm a little familier with Vivaldi and like his work but I was not aware of this opera and its fascinating history. Any idea if this has been performed in the last decade?

I've got it on DVD (Alan Curtis again) so yes it has:

**Schigolch** · April 3rd, 2012, 09:59 AM

**Schigolch** · April 4th, 2012, 09:10 PM

**StLukesGuildOhio** · April 6th, 2012, 02:02 AM

I picked up a couple of these great bleeding chunks... erm... "highlights" of Wagner's operas sans vocals. As a sworn Wagnerian I should be ashamed

but I actually picked them up so that I can listen a bit more to Wagner in the studio while painting, where I don't tend to listen to any opera outside of highlights and arias because I simply cannot follow the libretto.

Wagner by Jarvi with the beautiful sound production of Chandos... not bad.

*****

I finally got around to listening to Strauss Die Frau ohne Schatten. I had picked up the highly regarded Karajan live recording last year after Alma praised the opera to the high heavens... but I put off listening to it after some noted that Karajan's version includes cuts that make the complex narrative even more confusing. I finally picked up this live Bohm recording with Birgit Nilsson, Leonie Rysanek, Walter Berry, and James King:

I also picked up a second Bohm after reading up on it and giving a listen to bits and pieces on Spotify... after all it was priced under $10 at the time.

As in the first hearing of any opera I generally just read through the synopsis and then give the entire work a first hearing focusing almost exclusively on the music. The music in this instance is thrilling... dramatic... and grandly sensuous. The quality of the recording is quite stunning. I'd have been hard-pressed to know this was a live recording prior to the applause at the end of act one. The orchestra sound rich and deep... not muffled or lost in contrast to the vocals... as it can be in live recordings. This is great because Strauss is surely one of the greatest masters of orchestration ever. Of course the vocals are equally brilliant... which one would certainly expect with the cast.

With a week off for Spring Break I'll have the time to give this a second spin where I can follow along with the libretto, and I'll also have the time to listen to a number of other operas purchased... but yet to be played, including a couple by Gluck, a couple by Mozart, Beethoven's Fidelio, several other Strauss recordings, a couple Wagner operas... including Bychkov's Lohengrin, and a slew of works by Vivaldi and Handel.