What opera have you been watching lately?

[MAuer]

If giving in to temptation is indicative of a personality disorder then I'm very disordered.

Aren't we all!

[Dichteurehalle]

Aren't we all!

Hah!
Number of unwatched DVDs I have watched recently: 0
Number of new DVDs I have purchased recently: 6

[JohnGerald]

I also tend to consume red wine while watching opera ...

And ... and ...

[MAuer]

Conductor: Franz Welser-Möst
Director: Jonathan Miller
Cast: Jonas Kaufmann, Eva Mei, Vesselina Kasarova, Malin Hartelius, Liliana Nikiteanu, Günther Groissböck

Next to Die Zauberflöte, this has become my favorite Mozart opera – just one gorgeous piece of music after another!

[Florestan]

[Festat]

Is it worth the watch despite de poor sound quality? Is the wig so bad that it's good?

[Hoffmann]

Conductor: Franz Welser-Möst
Director: Jonathan Miller
Cast: Jonas Kaufmann, Eva Mei, Vesselina Kasarova, Malin Hartelius, Liliana Nikiteanu, Günther Groissböck

Next to Die Zauberflöte, this has become my favorite Mozart opera – just one gorgeous piece of music after another!

I've seen it performed a couple of times - the first time, here at the Kennedy Center (probably 10 -15 years ago), I was bored silly. The second time, in Munich (with Kristine Opolais, John Osborn and Tara Erraught), was more interesting. La Clemenza di Tito is one opera, I think, that really requires a top notch cast - singers can't fake their way through and be successful (and Opolais was not at the top of her game that night...). I need to queue it up for a listen - maybe if/when the rain stops.

[MAuer]

Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito
Concert performance at the Teatro Real, Madrid, 1976
Conductor: Enrique García Asensio
Soloists: Werner Krenn (Tito Vespasiano), Teresa Berganza (Sesto), Isabel Garcisanz (Vitellia), Norma Lerer (Annio), Ana Higueras (Servilia), Antonio Blancas (Publio)

ACT I



ACT II



As much as I love the Zürich Opera video of this opera with der Jonas in the title role, it does have a couple of drawbacks. Many of the recitatives are rendered as spoken dialogue instead, which doesn’t particularly bother me, but a lot of people (understandably) dislike it. And then there’s Vesselina Kasarova’s excessively mannered Sesto – I usually end up fast-forwarding through her arias. So I’ve been looking for some alternatives, and came across this mid-‘70s concert performance from Madrid. What a world of difference it makes to have Teresa Berganza in the role of Sesto; I could finally hear how wonderful that character’s music is. Both she and the Tito, Werner Krenn, are featured on a studio recording of this opera that I will undoubtedly break down and purchase, even though it’s running more than $30 used at Amazon. (Unfortunately, it’s not available at Presto.) Krenn’s beautiful, elegant lyric tenor is a real joy to listen to, and makes the decision to omit “Se all’impero” in this performance incomprehensible. Among the other cast members, Antonio Blancas’ Publio is a very pleasant surprise; Norma Lerer is a fine Annio; and for the most part, Ana Higueras acquits herself well enough as Servilia, though the high notes she ejects with some effort at the end of “S’altro che lagrime” are not especially pretty. Isabel Garcisanz is never more than adequate as Vitellia, and she emits some high notes during the first act that could peel wallpaper. I’m not familiar with Maria Casula, the Vitellia on the aforementioned recording, but she’s almost certain to be an improvement upon Garcisanz. Conductor Enrique García Asensio occasionally seems to rush the tempos, which at times robs arias of some of their beauty. While dropping the tenor’s major showpiece aria is the most egregious of the cuts, various sections of recitative have also been omitted.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Not to be missed - the Snow Maiden on Arte, with the amazing Aida Garifullina in the title role. She is the real thing, glorious singing and excellent acting as well as being stunningly beautiful. And an excellent production, very sumptuous and carefully directed.

[Florestan]

I bought this on CD and DVD and after a couple listens removed the tracks from my MP3 player in disappointment and even considered that the video might remain forever on my unwatched pile, but now I have started the DVD and am very excited about this wonderful opera and will be putting those tracks back on the MP3. Just goes to show how opera was meant to be seen.

[Florestan]

^ Gloriana is wonderful. Another take on Roberto Devereux.

Now this:

[Soave_Fanciulla]

La Calisto on Culturebox. Standout Vivica Genaux who did wonderful acting n' singing differentiaion between the real Diana, and Jupiter pretending to be Diana. Overall an excellent production and another good argument for Cavalli to be in the "Baroque composers I really love" category.

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

La Calisto on Culturebox. Standout Vivica Genaux who did wonderful acting n' singing differentiation between the real Diana, and Jupiter pretending to be Diana. Overall an excellent production and another good argument for Cavalli to be in the "Baroque composers I really love" category.

Vivica is a truly wonderful and smart singer! I'm very proud of having interviewed her twice at length (in both interviews she was incredibly informative) plus I loved chatting with her and her husband on the streets of Charleston while walking from the interview to another venue on the other side of town to see another opera together. She is a pleasure to speak with given her very deep and advanced knowledge of the Baroque period, and she is very pleasant and friendly with this combination of Alaskan-born, Italian resident. Plus, her husband is a sommelier, and wine is my second passion. And to top it all, they live in the Veneto, the land of my ancestors. This was one of the interviews I had the most fun with.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I'm enjoying this, English subtitles too.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I'm enjoying this, English subtitles too.

Not keen on Kunde or Petean but I love Jaho.