What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

Verdi: Il Trovatore
Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Thomas Hampson, Larissa Diadkova, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo
London Voices, London Symphony Orchestra
Antonio Pappano
Recorded August & September 2001, No.1 Studio Abbey Road.

Purchased “as new” with premium, September 2013. Price paid loads of money (USD 70). Though as I said before, for a long time Angela was the most beautiful women who ever walked the earth… blah, blah, blah…

[Dark_Angel]

Verdi: Il Trovatore
Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Thomas Hampson, Larissa Diadkova, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo
London Voices, London Symphony Orchestra
Antonio Pappano
Recorded August & September 2001, No.1 Studio Abbey Road.

Purchased “as new” with premium, September 2013. Price paid loads of money (USD 70). Though as I said before, for a long time Angela was the most beautiful women who ever walked the earth… blah, blah, blah…

My sympathies for your wallet, I got that on Amazon USA used a few years ago for under $10 (also shipping was much cheaper then)

A worthy addition for a large Trovatore collection, but I can't say it is one of my very favorites too many great ones from 1950-60s

[Dark_Angel]

NO, No no no!

It is part of the Baroque Opera Box collection!

Whaaaa! USD 465!!!!!!

The recording in the box collection does not come with this cover box. Just a plain cover. Speaking as a box nut (my box obsession is so much, I can not talk about it frankly in public), 465 is a bit much even for me...

The entire HM Baroque boxset is much cheaper than what fools are trying to sell Rinaldo alone for on Amazon USA, Clayton is a sly fox

[Clayton]

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Anna Moffo, Carlo Bergonzi, Mario Sereni, Ezio Flagello, Pierre Duval, Corinna Vozza, Vittorio Pandano
RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Georges Prêtre
Studio recording July-August 1965, RCA Italiana Studios, Rome

[Dark_Angel]

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Anna Moffo, Carlo Bergonzi, Mario Sereni, Ezio Flagello, Pierre Duval, Corinna Vozza, Vittorio Pandano
RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Georges Prêtre
Studio recording July-August 1965, RCA Italiana Studios, Rome

Love that Moffo Lucia, one of my very favorites outside of Callas catalog, Bergonzi is golden (as usual)

[Clayton]

Love that Moffo Lucia, one of my very favorites outside of Callas catalog, Bergonzi is golden (as usual)

I can see why; as you said both Moffo and Bergonzi terrific.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I think it is possible that Tamerlano is my second favourite Handel opera. It is just SO stunning.



Agrippina is more of a romp.

[Clayton]

Handel: Acis and Galatea
Sophie Daneman (Galatea), Paul Agnew (Acis), Alan Ewing (Polyphemus), Francois Piolino (Tenor), David Le Monnier (Baritone), Andrew Sinclair (Tenor), Joseph Cornwell (Coridon) & Patricia Petibon (Damon)
Les Arts Florissants,
William Christie
Recorded Salle Wagram, Paris 10-13 May 1998

[Hoffmann]

This is a lovely opera - and, even with a cast unknown to me, a lovely recording!

Not so wild about this one:

[Revenant]

Handel: Rinaldo
Vivica Genaux (Rinaldo), Inga Kalna (Armida/Second Siren), Miah Persson (Almirena/First Siren), Christophe Dumaux (Eustazio), James Rutherford (Argante), Lawrence Zazzo (Goffredo), Dominique Visse (A Christian Magician)
Freiburger Barockorchester,
René Jacobs
Recorded Congress Innsbruck, August 2002

Attachment 3693

How does that Jacobs compare, say, to the Hogwood? (If you've had a chance to listen to all of it.) I'm a Handelian neophyte and haven't listened to any Rinaldo yet. Someone recommended the Hogwood.

[Hoffmann]

How does that Jacobs compare, say, to the Hogwood? (If you've had a chance to listen to all of it.) I'm a Handelian neophyte and haven't listened to any Rinaldo yet. Someone recommended the Hogwood.

I haven't heard the Jacobs, but the Hogwood is excellent. The John Fisher on Nuova Era also is worth a listen since it features Marilyn Horne in one of her most famous roles.

[Hoffmann]

This morning:


(nice recording, but I have to admit that I was more taken with Teresa Stratas's Violetta than Wunderlich's Alfredo)

Then this evening:


(singing was good, but remastering succeeded only in making the CD sound like it was recorded in 1940 rather than 1960)

[Dark_Angel]

Then this evening:


(singing was good, but remastering succeeded only in making the CD sound like it was recording in 1940 rather than 1960)

This Ernani will not let you down, very good live sound (Clayton will back me up here) plus you get Del Monaco and Bastianini from your original purchase and unforgettable female singer performance with Cerquetti



I can safely say you should purchase any Bel Canto Society (aka opera fanatic) label release you find. They all have similar graphics with blue color and all feature great live sound and great performances

[Hoffmann]

This Ernani will not let you down, very good live sound (Clayton will back me up here (I think)) plus you get Del Monaco and Bastianini from your original purchase and unforgettable female singer in Cerquetti

It's interesting - the other remastered CDs I bought all have excellent sound (well, except the one left I haven't yet listened to), so kind of thought that "24 Bit/96 kHz" was a sure thing. My recording didn't even sound like it was recorded in 1960. Maybe the result of a not-so-hot live recording effort.

[Hoffmann]

The first of the Böhm 1967 Bayreuth Ring that I've listened to. I liked what seemed to be the faster tempos/quick pace, but missed the chills down the spine and goosebumps of Solti. On to Die Walküre!