What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Festat]

To make up for the bad singing on the DVD:


Hoffmann listened to this some time ago. As much as it is a fine performance, I have the feeling something is missing, especially in the first act.

[Clayton]

Aida
Zinka Milanov, Jussi Bjorling, Fedora Barbieri, Leonard Warren, Boris Christoff
Jonel Perlea


Recording Rome Opera House 1955

I'm back here again this morning. Only this time it sounds much better...

[Clayton]

Un ballo in maschera
Placido Domingo,Katia Ricciarelli,Renato Bruson,Elena Obraztsova,Edita Gruberova,Ruggero Raimondi
Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala
Claudio Abbado



I bought this in a 50% off bin at Prestos about 3 months ago. Wot a bargain! Edita is beautiful as always...

[Clayton]

Madame Butterfly
Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann, Enkelejda Shkosa, Fabio Capitanucci
Antonio Pappano



So many butterflies flying around, I was drawn to the light like a

[Hoffmann]

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Rossini's Otello is a wonderful opera musically (although dramatically it lacks the punch of Verdi and Shakespeare. It ticks all my boxes too - lots of male parts, and the main female role is a mezzo so none of those pesky high notes. And a great cast, Carreras sounding very much at home in this role and a good contrast to the more traditional Rossini tenors in other roles, and Flicka just luscious as Desdemona.



Gloriana is not easy to stage, and the conceit here of setting it as a stage within a stage in 1953 village Britain doesn't altogether work, but there are some fine performances here, particularly from Toby Spence as Essex. I like and admire Susan Bullock, she seems a thoughtful and pleasant person. but I have to say I found her voice hard to take - too "chickeny" for my taste. John from the Operaramblings blog says he thinks that big voices in smaller parts don't record well. Maybe that's it.



Peter Grimes on the Beach on the other hand is wonderful - carried particularly by Alan Oke, and of course the sea and skyscapes of Aldeburgh.. The "great Bear and Pleiades" aria sent shivers up my spine, and the quarrel scene between Grimes and Ellen was the most intimate and therefore heartbreaking I have ever seen it. The only caveat is that the sound is probably not as good as staged versions, but that is to be expected in a project of this kind.



Some gorgeous arias from Porpora in this Farinelli recital from Jaroussky. Highly recommended.

[Hoffmann]

This was a second listen to this opera - it didn't really hit me the first time, but loved it the second time!

Next time, I'll have to listen with the libretto in hand so I'll know which of the 5 countertenors is singing when.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Rossini's Otello is a wonderful opera musically (although dramatically it lacks the punch of Verdi and Shakespeare. It ticks all my boxes too - lots of male parts, and the main female role is a mezzo so none of those pesky high notes. And a great cast, Carreras sounding very much at home in this role and a good contrast to the more traditional Rossini tenors in other roles, and Flicka just luscious as Desdemona.



Gloriana is not easy to stage, and the conceit here of setting it as a stage within a stage in 1953 village Britain doesn't altogether work, but there are some fine performances here, particularly from Toby Spence as Essex. I like and admire Susan Bullock, she seems a thoughtful and pleasant person. but I have to say I found her voice hard to take - too "chickeny" for my taste. John from the Operaramblings blog says he thinks that big voices in smaller parts don't record well. Maybe that's it.



Peter Grimes on the Beach on the other hand is wonderful - carried particularly by Alan Oke, and of course the sea and skyscapes of Aldeburgh.. The "great Bear and Pleiades" aria sent shivers up my spine, and the quarrel scene between Grimes and Ellen was the most intimate and therefore heartbreaking I have ever seen it. The only caveat is that the sound is probably not as good as staged versions, but that is to be expected in a project of this kind.



Some gorgeous arias from Porpora in this Farinelli recital from Jaroussky. Highly recommended.

A wonderful selection & useful succinct comments. I'm going to wait until after Christmas before ordering the two Britten's but what do you mean by 'chickeny'?

[Soave_Fanciulla]

:I'm going to wait until after Christmas before ordering the two Britten's but what do you mean by 'chickeny'?

Just that, the timbre has slight elements of a chicken's squawk. Bear in mind that dramatic soprano is my least favourite fach, I'm very hard to please there.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Ages since I listened to Carmen so blew the cobwebs off this one. I think I appreciate it more now than I used to.



Love this version of Simon Boccanegra

[Hoffmann]

[Clayton]

I've changed my mind again. This is my discovery of the week. Absolutely beautiful.

Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride
Mireille Delensch, Simon Keenlyside, Yann Beuron, Laurent Naouri, Alexia Cousin
Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre, Les Musiciens du Louvre,
Marc Minkowski



Extreme sleep deprivation with the cricket going on and I can't remember how I got here. Just checked the OL list of recommended operas... no...
Damn me and my small brain!

[Festat]

This is definitely the best Barna-Sabadus album so far, really good:


His three colaborations with the Pera Ensemble are also delicious to listen to, but he sounds more rough, with some slightly unpleasant top notes. I haven't listened to the complete Didone abbandonata under Hofstetter yet, though.

[Hoffmann]

This is definitely the best Barna-Sabadus album so far, really good:


His three colaborations with the Pera Ensemble are also delicious to listen to, but he sounds more rough, with some slightly unpleasant top notes. I haven't listened yet to the complete Didone abbandonata under Hofstetter yet, though.

This recording has such an outstanding review on Arkivmusic - on top of yours, Festat, that it is nearly irresistible.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

This recording has such an outstanding review on Arkivmusic - on top of yours, Festat, that it is nearly irresistible.

I love it too.