What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K384
Edita Gruberova (Konstanze), Kathleen Battle (Blonde), Gösta Winbergh (Belmonte), Heinz Zednik (Pedrillo), Martti Talvela (Osmin), Will Quadflieg (Bassa Selim)
Wiener Philharmoniker,
Georg Solti
Studio recording, 1985

[Hoffmann]

1. How about take some Die Walküre length walks with your iPod (mind the traffic if using your new noise cancelling earphones) and take some more pictures for the "where I live thread"!

2. Unexpected visit to out of state concert/opera house which your friends has always been mentioning to try to get you to visit them but you've slightly rudely never followed through (only mildly curious).

3. Method acting; buy a six pack of yellow beer and some tortilla chips from the supermarket, stick on the "TV" with a soccer match and see if you can get in to character and enjoy the mariachi.

4. Consult with your otolaryngologist and architect to fully understand the limits before starting a sound off.

5. Go to library and borrow book on how to meditate. Practise there (nice and quiet) whilst pretending to read, for a couple of days until you're up to challenge of mariachi builders.

6. Pharmaceutical options.

Whatever option you decide, good luck,
and peace be with you, my friend.

whatever that means.

Sound advice, thanks.

One question though: How do I get those guys to take the pharmaceuticals?

[Clayton]

Rossini: Semiramide
Joan Sutherland (Semiramide), Marilyn Horne (Arsace), John Serge, Joseph Rouleau, Spiro Malas, Patricia Clark, Leslie Fyson & Michael Langdon
London Symphony Orchestra,
Richard Bonynge
Recorded: Walthamstow Town Hall, 1966

[Clayton]

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Montserrat Caballé (Lucia), José Carreras (Edgardo), Vincenzo Sardinero (Enrico), Samuel Ramey (Raimondo), Claes H. Ahnsjö (Arturo), Ann Murray (Alisa), Vincenzo Bello (Normanno)
New Philharmonia Orchestra,
Jesús López-Cóbos
Studio recording August 1976, London unspecified

[MAuer]

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Montserrat Caballé (Lucia), José Carreras (Edgardo), Vincenzo Sardinero (Enrico), Samuel Ramey (Raimondo), Claes H. Ahnsjö (Arturo), Ann Murray (Alisa), Vincenzo Bello (Normanno)
New Philharmonia Orchestra,
Jesús López-Cóbos
Studio recording August 1976, London unspecified

This is a wonderful recording -- I love Carreras' Edgardo and Sam Ramey's Raimondo.

[Hoffmann]

Rossini: Semiramide
Joan Sutherland (Semiramide), Marilyn Horne (Arsace), John Serge, Joseph Rouleau, Spiro Malas, Patricia Clark, Leslie Fyson & Michael Langdon
London Symphony Orchestra,
Richard Bonynge
Recorded: Walthamstow Town Hall, 1966

This recording is what prompts to keep listing Semiramide as one of my favorite operas. Sutherland/Horne - what more can one say? The male voices are only so-so, but nothing I can't live with.

[Clayton]

This recording is what prompts to keep listing Semiramide as one of my favorite operas...

Of course it was your posts that brought me to this recent purchase.

[Clayton]

La forza del destino
Ludwig Welter (Marchese di Calatrava); Antonietta Stella (Leonora); Ettore Bastianini (Don Carlo); Giuseppe di Stefano (Alvaro); Giulietta Simionato (Preziosilla);Walter Kreppel (Padre Guardiano); Karl Dönch (Fra Melitone); Annemarie Ludwig (Curra)
Choir & Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera,
Dimitri Mitropoulos
Wiener Staatsoper live recording recorded 23/9/1960

[Hoffmann]

Yesterday afternoon:



I like L'Orfeo a lot -


and, for contrast:



I continue to have difficulties warming up to this opera. I know several of you count it as a favorite, so maybe it's time for me to try a new recording.

[Dark_Angel]

La forza del destino
Ludwig Welter (Marchese di Calatrava); Antonietta Stella (Leonora); Ettore Bastianini (Don Carlo); Giuseppe di Stefano (Alvaro); Giulietta Simionato (Preziosilla);Walter Kreppel (Padre Guardiano); Karl Dönch (Fra Melitone); Annemarie Ludwig (Curra)
Choir & Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera,
Dimitri Mitropoulos
Wiener Staatsoper live recording recorded 23/9/1960

That looks like something I would like, Stefano and Bastianini with Stella as Leonora.......
But I know Orefeo label releases are very pricey and how is the live sound?

[Clayton]

That looks like something I would like, Stefano and Bastianini with Stella as Leonora.......
But I know Orefeo label releases are very pricey and how is the live sound?

Sound is fine; of course the microphones are occasionally here and there and you would like (someone) to face this way but on the whole good. I bought this one at Presto's @ GBP 19.

And of course Bastianini and di Stefano are both superb.

And Stella.

[Clayton]

Puccini: Turandot
Joan Sutherland (Turandot), Luciano Pavarotti (Calaf), Montserrat Caballé (Liù), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Timur), Tom Krause (Ping), Pier Francesco Poli (Pang), Piero De Palma (Pong), Peter Pears (L'imperatore Altoum), Sabin Markov (Un mandarino)
John Alldis Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra,
Zubin Mehta
Recorded Kingsway Hall, London 1972



I will know why this opera displaced Beatrice in the OLLOMRO before I sleep tonight.

No I won't
Wot a daft thing to say.

Oh! Sir Peter Pears.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

and, for contrast:



I continue to have difficulties warming up to this opera. I know several of you count it as a favorite, so maybe it's time for me to try a new recording.

Watch it. It's the most human of operas, and incrediby modern. There are plenty of great DVD versions to choose from.

[Amfortas]

Watch it. It's the most human of operas, and incrediby modern. There are plenty of great DVD versions to choose from.

I would have said something like that, but not nearly as well.

[Dark_Angel]

Sound is fine; of course the microphones are occasionally here and there and you would like (someone) to face this way but on the whole good. I bought this one at Presto's @ GBP 19.

And of course Bastianini and di Stefano are both superb. And Stella.

Thats over $30......
I went the cheap route and found this well filled used 1CD highlights for $3 on Amazon USA