You do know that we expect full reviews of all 61 DVDs, right?Originally Posted by Festat
First from my two-buck batch:
Very very fine performance, nice orchestra, adorable young Gruberova. But as a movie it is pretty pointless, I wonder why they didn't just film a live performance, this was 1978 already.
"J'ai dit qu'il ne suffisait pas d'entendre la musique, mais qu'il fallait encore la voir" (Stravinsky)
No. I don't understand. Bellini = correct ipod. Surely.
That tripped my trigger.
Zaira
Bianca e Fernando
I like both of these operas. Good stories told through great music; so good that they were recycled into I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Norma.
Oooh! Bianca e Fernando! I haven't been brave enough to go there - maybe now I'll chance it.No. I don't understand. Bellini = correct ipod. Surely.
That tripped my trigger.
Zaira
Bianca e Fernando
I like both of these operas. Good stories told through great music; so good that they were recycled into I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Norma.
Quite wonderful. Watched it with my grandmother and she was really terrified throughout the whole thing.
Bless Glyndebourne.
Yes, definitely the best staged version!Quite wonderful. Watched it with my grandmother and she was really terrified throughout the whole thing.
Bless Glyndebourne.
Natalie
Il Pirata
Ludovic Tézier, Carmen Giannattasio, José Bros
David Parry
La sonnambula
Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Nicolai Ghiaurov
La Clemenza di Tito from La Monnaie
I love the way la Monnaie shares its productions with the world, free of charge. This is a fine Tito, although the title role distinguishes himself more by acting than singing, but Véronique Gens as Vitellia, and Anita Bonitatibus particularly sound glorious. Watch out for Hamlet in January, people.
Fans of Gruberova would, I am sure, enjoy this production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Reri Grist is a cute Blonde but way too shrill. The Osmin is scary, and Franco Araiza sings beautifully.
So glad to have got this film of Der Freischütz with subtitles – the first copy I bought was from Germany and there weren’t even subtitles in German, but I’ve given it to my German-speaking colleague. I like this very much – the theme of the Napoleonic wars, with attendant death and destruction is a good setting, and the cinematography is quite beautiful. My only quibble is that Michael König’s Max is just too grubby and hirsute to make Agathe’s supposed passion for him at all credible. However you could explain her premonitions of disaster as a kind of metaphor for sexual fear on the eve of her marriage to him, and his wounding of her has all kinds of overtones I don’t need to spell out
So good I had to buy "Hidden Handel" after hearing on Spotify. Ann Hallenberg is amazing.
The conducting in this La Vestale is good, the chorus particularly fine, the tenors, basses and mezzo all very good (particularly the latter, such a nice change after Ms Wobbly-voice Uria-Monzon in the Paris broadcast on Medici). But... the soprano is just not up to it, no chest notes, no colour, just a rather dull performance. I may have to get Ms Callas after all, even if it means putting up with Mr Shouty Corelli.
Oh yes, Catone in Utica is another winner from the Naïve Vivaldi edition, even if only 2/3rds is actually genuine full Vivaldi (first act was lost, has been reconstructed based on other Vivaldi compositions). Lehtipuu, Basso, Prina. Hallenberg etc are all their usual very good selves, but the real star is soprano Roberta Mameli. Wow.
Last edited by Soave_Fanciulla; January 5th, 2018 at 06:35 PM.
Natalie
I have to say that I continue to have a hard time warming up to Cosi - even in this recording with Fleming and Von Otter:
and, one of my favorite Rossini (Luiz, you have to listen to this!):
Oh! I almost forgot:
Wonderful!
Also, there is a very favorable review in the current (December, 2013) Opera News of the Naxos recording (on cd) of Semiramide. I really love their using the Ishtar Gate at the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, as the cover art/stage setting!
It may be worth the purchase as the male voices on the Decca recording are only so-so - however, one really is going there for Sutherland/Horne.
Les Troyens, LSO live
Colin Davis
Ben Heppner, Michelle DeYoung, Petra Lang, Sara Mingardo, Peter Mattei, Stephen Milling, Kenneth Tarver
I remember going to a production of La damnation de Faust with Samuel Ramey conducted by Colin Davis at ROH about 20 years ago but can't remember much about it. I suppose that indicates that I did not enjoy it at that time but after listening to this work I am interested in hearing it again.
Of course also on the cover of another of our favourite recordings......Also, there is a very favorable review in the current (December, 2013) Opera News of the Naxos recording (on cd) of Semiramide. I really love their using the Ishtar Gate at the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, as the cover art/stage setting!
The wife has been away, in London again. This has given me a chance to really test drive my new music system! The vehicles chosen were Norma and Nabucco.
Norma
Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe, Luciano Pavarotti, Samuel Ramey
Richard Bonynge
Nabucco
Tito Gobbi, Elena Suliotis, Bruno Prevedi, Carlo Cava
Lamberto Gardelli
(as above)
This one of course, prompted by Hoffmann again.
It's like I have no brain; just follow Hoffmann.
Alas, I have to give credit where credit is due: I am but a humble student of my friend Dark Angel. I pick up most of my technical and musical cues from him.The wife has been away, in London again. This has given me a chance to really test drive my new music system! The vehicles chosen were Norma and Nabucco.
Norma
Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe, Luciano Pavarotti, Samuel Ramey
Richard Bonynge
Nabucco
Tito Gobbi, Elena Suliotis, Bruno Prevedi, Carlo Cava
Lamberto Gardelli
(as above)
This one of course, prompted by Hoffmann again.
It's like I have no brain; just follow Hoffmann.
Oh, and you are exactly right! I completely forgot about the Ishtar Gate on the cover of the Nabucco recording.
An interesting opera - I see the connection to Gluck with more of a continuous narrative than the aria, recitative, duet, aria, etc. format. Music is very nice, but so far more of a novelty than anything. It may take a couple more listens to get a better sense of it (a concert performance currently is available on Medici TV, btw).
This is pleasant if light listening, but even with its very good cast, Wunderlich's performance stands out.
Last edited by Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva); December 7th, 2013 at 07:19 PM.
I added that other image of Wildschütz by mistake, but can't get rid of it.
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