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Last night, this wonderful Trovatore by Karajan.
His cast is without the best ever being recorded on film.
Last night we watched the Met's Maria Stuarda, with the incomparable Joyce DiDonato.
Last night, this wonderful Trovatore by Karajan.
His cast is without the best ever being recorded on film.
Try and get the Gigli Albanese cast for La Boheme might be the greatest of all time or at the very least make you feel
like you are feeling the emotions of the characters.
Great cast. Whatever happened to Aprile Millo?
Why not ask her on her blog OperavisionOriginally Posted by Ron Ackermann
Great cast. Whatever happened to Aprile Millo?
Natalie
Last night we enjoyed I Lombardi from the Tutto Verdi series. Good, if not great cast. Theodossiu is not a favorite; there is a harsh component to her voice (and the part wore her out by the finale). But the score is so energetic that the minor issues aren't.
Last night, we watched the 2011 Met Lucia in Blu ray format.
One of the definitions of "Bel Cato" is beautiful song (or singing). I cannot imagine an interpretation of Lucia any better than Netrebko's, both vocally and dramatically. The incredible legato line, rich tone, clear enunciation, etc are as good as it gets. Bel Canto is not so much about high notes as it is about vocal production, and this Lucia was a "teaching moment" about bel canto singing from all four principal performers.
Last night it was Il Barbiere with JDF and Maria Bayo from Madrid's Teatro Reale. While the performance in Blu ray was great, of more interest was the "special feature', an extended discussion of the opera by the conductors, principal singers and the stage director. This was a performance from a newly authenticated score prepared by Alberto Zedda. According to the discussion, the changes were largely to do with Rossini's original orchestration. Being pathologically curious about my favorite art form, I found the discussion to be almost as enjoyable as the performance.
Almost.
Last night, we watched a new (for us) disc: Der Rosenkavalier. It's a 2009 Decca Blu ray with Renee Fleming, Sophie Koch and Diana Damrau. We do not enjoy German opera as a rule, preferring bel canto, Verdi (except his last two) and Puccini's "big three". But this was an outstanding evening's enjoyment. Christian Thielemann conducts with sensitivity, the singers are superb, and the recorded picture and sound are glorious.
You don't like Otello?
Natalie
No, ma'am; what went before never fails to get us old fogies goin', but when Verdi went to the German style of heavy orchestration and leitmotifs, he lost us. We just relish all those "trashy cabalettas" ...
Not even "Già nella notte densa"? It turns me into a puddle.
Natalie
Or the Willow Song and Ave Maria? It turns me into a puddle . . . and then the puddle melts.
Last edited by Soave_Fanciulla; January 4th, 2018 at 08:57 PM.
Not as much as duets from earlier works: those from Rigoletto and Traviata in particular. And the incredible baritone - soprano duets (the "father - daughter" ones) are Kleenex moments.
Can't imagine this wondrous opera could be done any better. Top singing and impassioned acting from every member of the cast and chorus, great production. It's a buy buy buy, people.
Natalie
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