Reply With QuoteA lot of great voices in this one including Sonya Yoncheva.
Just hosted my 4th Annual Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Once a year, I invite friends who are not huge opera fans over to my place for dinner and a DVD. I figure at that rate, no one can accuse me of being *too* pushy.
This time it was the Royal Opera House's Don Carlo.
People seemed to enjoy the performance, and as usual, it prompted a good discussion afterwards. I don't know if I've made any lifelong converts yet, but I'll keep plugging away--year by year.
A lot of great voices in this one including Sonya Yoncheva.
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
Are adult beverages offered?Originally Posted by Amfortas
Just hosted my 4th Annual Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Once a year, I invite friends who are not huge opera fans over to my place for dinner and a DVD. I figure at that rate, no one can accuse me of being *too* pushy.
This time it was the Royal Opera House's Don Carlo.
People seemed to enjoy the performance, and as usual, it prompted a good discussion afterwards. I don't know if I've made any lifelong converts yet, but I'll keep plugging away--year by year.
Some wine, but we didn't indulge *too* much. It's a long opera.
Amfortas did say they're not huge, so they're probably conscious of calorie intake and most adult beverages do have a high calorie count...
We're experiencing very warm weather here in the UK, so I am spending less time in the south wing of the house* where the stereo is and more time in the cooler north wing where the picture box is and so watched a dvd.
Handel: Alcina
Patricia Petibon (Alcina), Philippe Jaroussky (Ruggiero), Anna Prohaska (Morgana), Katarina Bradic (Bradamante), Anthony Gregory (Oronte), Krzysztof Baczyk (Melisso), Elias Mädler, Lionel Wunsch (Oberto)
Freiburger Barockorchester, MusicAeterna (Chorus of the Perm Opera), Andrea Marcon (musical director) & Katie Mitchell (stage director)
Aix-en-Provence festival July 2015
It's still just as exciting fourth time round as the first, though I'll probably buy a blue player and a blue disc at sometime in the future to see if picture quality improves.
*house is actually a two up two down, so we only have two rooms downstairs. The wife and I joke and call them the north wing and the south wing as still it seems a house that's big for just the two of us!
I can't speak for the others, but since my celebrity lookalike is the Grim Reaper, I'd actually welcome an extra pound or two.
I wonder if I follow the Grim Reaper on twitter if I get a heads-up?
Good business idea for Grim Reaper there to get lot's of followers and so good sponsorship deals.
Danielle de Niese appeared on the Cardiff Singer of the World competition as a panellist and I explained to the wife that she was the most beautiful Cleopatra on record. I then had to think about that statement as I wasn't sure if that title actually went to Emanuela Galli. So I revisited for the first time in a few years.
Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House, East Sussex, on 14th & 17th August 2005.
Sarah Connolly (Cesare), Danielle de Niese (Cleopatra), Angelika Kirchschlager (Sesto), Christophe Dumaux (Tolomeo), Patricia Bardon (Cornelia), Christopher Maltman (Achilla) & Rachid Ben Abdeslam (Nireno)
The Glyndebourne Chorus & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, William Christie (conductor) & David McVicar (stage director)
I'm still not sure but not only is she a super sexy and sassy Cleopatra but the whole production is super sexy and sassy and it was great fun to revisit.
This will sound contradictory but I much prefer Cedolins. Although she definitely doesn't have the ideal voice to play Norma, she is fully there as character. Palumbo's conducting on the Radvanovsky also bothers me. Making me, of all people, think that Norma is a bit tedious is an outstanding accomplishment but not a good one.
It may also be that the last time I watched Cedolin's Norma was like 6 years ago and the only memories that stuck are the good ones.
Verdi- Un Ballo in Maschera
Splendid production! This opera is really growing on me. I love the overture, and the sharp contrast between Riccardo's light-hearted attitude and the menacing conspirator chorus in the first act
That looks a very interesting production. Thank you - now on my wish list!
Verdi- Un Ballo in Maschera
Splendid production! This opera is really growing on me. I love the overture, and the sharp contrast between Riccardo's light-hearted attitude and the menacing conspirator chorus in the first act
Watching this. Delightful. Absolutely delightful!
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
^ Re-watching this Martha production (post may be on previous page). It is so good, that after finishing it the first time several days ago I had no desire to start another opera from my UWP of DVDs. I pined for more Martha, searched You Tube for other complete videos, but alas there are none. Yet, what was I lamenting when this is a first rate production, lacking only in subtitles, and I know it well enough to enjoy it without the subtitles.
"Music is enought for a whole lifetime--but a lifetime is not enough for music." --Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
Cosi Fan Tutte
I finally got around to watching this and it really deserves its high accolades! Excellent singing and acting, visuals were great too. no complaints. Cosi doesn't have my favorite opera plot by any means but for me the music is unmatched and with this video I did enjoy most of the story too.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks