What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Classes have finished for the year, and my daughter is still at school, so I spent a happy afternoon making cute lavender sachets for Christmas gifts:



and, to counteract the cuteness, listening to a tale of lust and greed - Rheingold from my new USB Ring.



Sound quality is really excellent and everything satisfactory once I had sorted out some weirdness with the track numberings.

[Hoffmann]

Classes have finished for the year, and my daughter is still at school, so I spent a happy afternoon making cute lavender sachets for Christmas gifts:



and, to counteract the cuteness, listening to a tale of lust and greed - Rheingold from my new USB Ring.



Sound quality is really excellent and everything satisfactory once I had sorted out some weirdness with the track numberings.

I love it! Another multi-talented opera lover!

Cute little sachets and fixing weirdnesses in USB connections all in the same day. Yikes.

I think I've done pretty well remembering how to use my iPod...

[Hoffmann]

This is a wonderful opera! And, a wonderful recording! It almost out-Mozarts Mozart!

[Festat]

This is neat.

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

This is neat.

You think? I wasn't very impressed.

[Hoffmann]

You think? I wasn't very impressed.

You didn't like the opera or you didn't like this particular performance?

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

You didn't like the opera or you didn't like this particular performance?

The opera.

[Festat]

The opera is very average, some of it sound very generic and a bit uninspired. But it has its moments, a couple of fun ensembles and a fews nice arias. I enjoyed it.

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

The opera is very average, some of it sound very generic and a bit uninspired. But it has its moments, a couple of fun ensembles and a fews nice arias. I enjoyed it.

Right, generic and uninspired. Therefore, not impressive. Still enjoyable, certainly, but not impressive.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Classes have finished for the year, and my daughter is still at school, so I spent a happy afternoon making cute lavender sachets for Christmas gifts:



and, to counteract the cuteness, listening to a tale of lust and greed - Rheingold from my new USB Ring.



Sound quality is really excellent and everything satisfactory once I had sorted out some weirdness with the track numberings.

I'd rather stare at a photo of a lavender sachet, and very cute they are too, than listen to the Ring but the idea of opera on a USB intrigues me. Did the tracks take much sorting? (Remember this is me who's asking, that well known techno-dunce)

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I'd rather stare at a photo of a lavender sachet, and very cute they are too, than listen to the Ring but the idea of opera on a USB intrigues me. Did the tracks take much sorting? (Remember this is me who's asking, that well known techno-dunce)

Something weird happened when I copied them onto my hard disk- so I had to go in and renumber them using the Amazon MP3 list as a guide. Took about 10 minutes, far less time than it would have to name and rip them. I'd like a complete Britten and a complete Verdi on a stick for starters.

[Hoffmann]

Considering discussion on another thread, played this as a reminder of the opera. I love Caballe, and the opera is Bellini, so .. Very Good!




Then, because as an older person I tend to forget things that I listened to more than 10 minutes ago (and, then, because the opera, while good, is not particularly memorable):

[Clayton]

Der Rosenkavalier
Lotte Lehmann, Richard Mayr, Maria Olszewska, Elisabeth Schumann, Viktor Madin, Hermann Gallos, Bella Paalen, Aenne Michalsky, Karl Ettl
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Robert Heger
Studio recording, 1933



I think this has got good sound too, of course considering it is a recording from such a long time ago. How much the engineering has taken away from Lotte Lehmann's voice I don't know but their is plenty of character in the singing and I like it.

Lohengrin
Siegfried Jerusalem, Cheryl Studer, Waltraud Meier, Hartmut Welker, Kurt Moll
Vienna Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado



A great recommendation by Hoffmann! It was not the recording he recommended (he suggested others) but on the opera itself. He saw the list of my likes and thought I would like this. Good call! Straight away my favourite of the Wagner's. A romantic opera with Princess' and Knights in shining armour. Feel free to throw any other suggestion like this my way.
9.118/10

Adelson e Salvini
Bradley Williams, Alicia Nafé, Fabio Previati, Lucia Rizzi
EAR Teatro Massimo Bellini Orchestra and Chorus
Andrea Licata



A budget recording (not for the end consumer) and so not great sound. Voices are there and the feet are here and the orchestra is over there (none in the same place)! However if someone is very keen to hear the work there are few choices for this opera.

[Amfortas]

Der Rosenkavalier
Lotte Lehmann, Richard Mayr, Maria Olszewska, Elisabeth Schumann, Viktor Madin, Hermann Gallos, Bella Paalen, Aenne Michalsky, Karl Ettl
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Robert Heger
Studio recording, 1933



I think this has got good sound too, of course considering it is a recording from such a long time ago. How much the engineering has taken away from Lotte Lehmann's voice I don't know but their is plenty of character in the singing and I like it.

What a great opera! I think it should rank high in our List of Most Recommended Operas. Like maybe . . . number 21?

[Clayton]

What a great opera! I think it should rank high in our List of Most Recommended Operas. Like maybe . . . number 21?

No. Sorry that just won't work.

Anyways, moving on.

Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Giannina Arangi Lombardi, Ebe Stignani, Camilla Rota, Alessandro Granda, Gaetano Viviani, Corrado Zambelli, Aristide Baracchi
Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala
Lorenzo Molajoli
1931



Really not sure how I arrived here. Actually no idea at all.
Unlike the Der Rosenkavalier above, this is a different sound. Same sort of time of the recording and recovering but different engineers (and materials obviously). This sounds like your playing a 78. Whether this is by design or circumstance I don't know but I also don't think one is better quality than the other but this more obviously sounds like an older recording.
Otherwise yes I like the opera.
More of Boito's hand.