What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

My new favorite Rossini!

Attachment 3346

With the jarring exception of the overture, which I thought was stolen from Il Barbiere di Siviglia ...until I checked and discovered that Barber of Seville's overture was, in fact, stolen from 'Elissabetta', which was composed first (1815) vs 'Barber', which was composed a year later.

This is exceptionally well sung, btw. A young Carreras and Caballe - both are outstanding.

Actually the overture was composed first for Aureliano in Palmira, then was borrowed by Elisabetta, then by Il Barbiere.

[Hoffmann]

Actually the overture was composed first for Aureliano in Palmira, then was borrowed by Elisabetta, then by Il Barbiere.

That Rossini! What a slacker!

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

That Rossini! What a slacker!

Yep, but at least, that overture is *really* good!

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

My new favorite Rossini!

Attachment 3346

With the jarring exception of the overture, which I thought was stolen from Il Barbiere di Siviglia ...until I checked and discovered that Barber of Seville's overture was, in fact, stolen from 'Elissabetta', which was composed first (1815) vs 'Barber', which was composed a year later.

This is exceptionally well sung, btw. A young Carreras and Caballe - both are outstanding.

I bought that in my 'buy everything with Carreras' phase when I wasn't very knowledgeable. I loved it because it was Carreras but now I realise it's fab anyway!

[Clayton]

Handel: Serse
Anna Stéphany (Serse), Rosemary Joshua (Romilda), David Daniels (Arsamene), Hilary Summers (Amastre), Joélle Harvey (Atalanta), Andreas Wolf (Elviro), Brindley Sherratt (Ariodate)
Early Opera Company,
Christian Curnyn

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I love this almost as much as the Abbado. It's mono but that doesn't bother me; Gobbi & Christoff make an outstanding Doge & Fiescho.

[Clayton]

Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani
Maria Callas (Elena), Giorgio Kokolios-Bardi (Arrigo), Boris Christoff (Giovanni da Procida), Enzo Mascherini (Guido di Monforte), Bruno Carmassi (Il Sire di Bethune), Mario Frosini (Il Conte Vaudemont)
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra,
Erich Kleiber

This performance was recorded in the Teatro Cummunale, Florence in 1951 is a complete version from a newly discovered source.
Recorded on 26th May 1951



Hm. It's all very well discovering a new source. That's the easy bit. What you do with it is the important part.
Not a lot in this case. A bit like wearing sunglasses in an already darkened room.
4.3/10 as a recording.

At one point, I'm sure I saw Violetta walk across the stage (at the end of act 4). Maybe I was just seeing things in the dark.

[Clayton]

Back to sanity, as some members might say,

Handel: Tolomeo, Re di Egitto HWV25
Ann Hallenberg (Tolomeo), Karina Gauvin (Seleuce), Anna Bonitatibus (Elisa), Romina Basso (Alessandro), Pietro Spagnoli (Araspe)
Il Complesso Barocco,
Alan Curtis



I'm back here. A great opera with an enchanting story, a superb recording with a great cast and beautiful songs throughout. This is my favourite Handel and my recommended opera/recording.
Don't be fooled by my user description of "senior/veteran member"; I am still new to opera (just talks a lot) and have listened to only 6 Handel operas yet but this one is that easy to fall in love with! This really cements my interest in operas by Fred the man!

[Hoffmann]

My favorite Don Carlo

[Clayton]

Verdi: La Battaglia di Legnano
Leyla Gencer (Lida), Giuseppe Taddei (Rolando), Gastone Limarilli (Arrigo), Paolo Washington (Federico Barbarossa), Giorgio Giorgetti (Marcovaldo), Olga Carossi (Imelda)
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra,
Vittorio Gui
Recorded Tetro della Pergola, Florence on 10th May, 1959.



Not good sound but not poor. Clear enough to see the battlefield and identify who's fighting who.

[Clayton]

Meyerbeer: Robert Le Diable
Bryan Hymel (Robert), Matial Defontaine (Raimbaut), Carmen Giannattasio (Alice), Patrizia Ciofi (Isabelle), Alastair Miles (Bertram), Carlo Striuli (Alberti), Angelo Nardinocchi (Un Chevalier), Francesco Pittari (Un heraut – le maitre de cerimonie), Paolo Gloriante (Un Chevalier), Elena Memoli (Une dame d’honneur)
Orchestra Filarmonica Salernitana Giuseppe Verdi’ & Coro del Teatro dell’Opera di Salerno,
Daniel Oren



My first time listening to the opera. I like the story and the music is nice.
However I thought Alastair Miles is a pretty unconvincing (I wonder how Samuel Ramey would have portrayed Bertram) and Bryan Hymel is, as our friend Hoffmann might put it, a bit "meh".
Take out Robert and the devil and we're left with an opera which is just le.
I like Carmen Giannattasio and Patrizia Ciofi.
I'll come back here soon and hopefully the two ladies can help me through to see the music better.

[Clayton]

Mozart: La clemenza di Tito, K621
Mark Padmore (Tito), Alexandrina Pendatchanska (Vitellia), Bernarda Fink (Sesto), Marie-Claude Chappuis (Annio), Sunhae Im (Servilia) & Sergio Foresti (Publio)
RIAS Kammerchor & Freiburger Barockorchester,
René Jacobs



Great opera, fantastic cast, wonderful experience to listen to.

[Clayton]

Wow, that's a toughy. Those are my top two picks. The Solti for spectacular sound and chorus.
The Kubelik edges out for the singing..
Van Dam for Solti is good, but a tad light for the role.
I couldn't be without either.

I went with Solti.
Only for the reason Kubelik was USD 5789465586523156 and Soliti was USD 5789465586523155. I now owe the bank USD 5789465586523154.

But it is ok.

I have a plan.

Ha! Ha!

Oh, no wait.

I don't.

uh oh....

- - - Updated - - -

dear opera addicts anonymous,
i need help
soon...

[Hoffmann]

I went with Solti.
Only for the reason Kubelik was USD 5789465586523156 and Soliti was USD 5789465586523155. I now owe the bank USD 5789465586523154.

But it is ok.

I have a plan.

Ha! Ha!

Oh, no wait.

I don't.

uh oh....

- - - Updated - - -

dear opera addicts anonymous,
i need help
soon...

Oh come, come, now. The Kubelik can't be all that pricey! I mean it's the Kubelik Meistersinger, for goodness sake! What's a couple of bucks for an opera?

[Itullian]

I went with Solti.
Only for the reason Kubelik was USD 5789465586523156 and Soliti was USD 5789465586523155. I now owe the bank USD 5789465586523154.

But it is ok.

I have a plan.

Ha! Ha!

Oh, no wait.

I don't.

uh oh....

- - - Updated - - -

dear opera addicts anonymous,
i need help
soon...

Its a great recording.