What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

I have the video version of this production, with a similar but not identical cast (no Simon Keenlyside, unfortunately). I've been watching it to develop some familiarity with it before this summer's performance.

Ha! You're going to see Cincinatti performance? That is funny! Wish I could be there.

[Clayton]

You lost me at Marcello Giordani.

Okay, if we're pointing fingers...

Unless I'm looking at the libretto, I don't know if he is in love, about to kill himself or has just been exonerated. Pretty voice though.


...

Iestyn Davies duly noted, thank you
(all Sensei Soave_Fanciulla recommendations well noted).

[Hoffmann]

and



Not so crazy about this recording - pretty singing, but strangely kind of lifeless.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Okay, if we're pointing fingers...

Unless I'm looking at the libretto, I don't know if he is in love, about to kill himself or has just been exonerated. Pretty voice though.

Lovely man so I feel bad at being mean, but really...

[Hoffmann]

Conductor: Julius Rudel

Cendrillon: Frederica von Stade
Prince: Nicolai Gedda
Madame: Jane Berbie
Pandolfe: Jules Bastin
Fairy Godmother: Ruth Welting
et al.

I hadn't listened to this in a long time, and had forgotten how wonderful it is - wonderful opera and Fricka at her peak!

[Clayton]

Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Recorded July 1957, Teatro Comunale Florence



The cast


Anita Cerquetti
La Gioconda, the wretch. Her voice is a pretty young blonde tortured to death by the cruellest of weapons


Giulietta Simionato
Her voice a noble lady and passionate, so beautiful.


Ettore Bastianini
An evil but seductive voice. This twisted creature that make Jago seem a jolly nice chap. Shiver when you hear him sing O monumento.


Mario del Monaco
A prince, a sailor. Mario sings with passion; with Laura on the ship, I can see the silver moon.


Cesare Siepi
Rich voice with power, power to give and take life. Both magnificent and pathetic.

A great recording. This is an opera with maybe a slightly weak libretto/story but in the hands of Gavazzeni and these voices this is a powerful drama full of emotional content.

[Clayton]

Verdi: Macbeth
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Elena Souliotis, Luciano Pavarotti, Ricardo Cassinelli
The Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Lamberto Gardelli
Recorded August 1971, Kingsway Hall, London

[Dark_Angel]

Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Recorded July 1957, Teatro Comunale Florence



A great recording. This is an opera with maybe a slightly weak libretto/story but in the hands of Gavazzeni and these voices this is a powerful drama full of emotional content.

One of my treasured opera recordings, where can you hear a cast like that today, so many great arias........

[Dark_Angel]

Verdi: Macbeth
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Elena Souliotis, Luciano Pavarotti, Ricardo Cassinelli
The Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Lamberto Gardelli
Recorded August 1971, Kingsway Hall, London

Souliotis blazes like supernova, the opening aria sequence for Lady MacBeth is one of the greatest ever written for dramatic soprano voice and Elena has its full sinister measure with that dark lower voice (as did Verrett and Callas)

[Clayton]

One of my treasured opera recordings, where can you hear a cast like that today, so many great arias........

Yes. Thank you for the pointer!

So good it's scary (or is that Bastianini's Barnaba?)

[Clayton]

Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea
Naples manuscript version
Emanuela Galli (Poppea), Roberta Mameli (Nerone), Josè Maria Lo Monaco (Ottone), Xenia Meijer (Ottavia), Ian Honeyman (Arnalta) & Raffaele Costantini (Seneca)
La Venexiana,
Claudio Cavina
Recorded September 2009 Church of San Carlo, Modena

[Clayton]

Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia
Montserrat Caballé (Lucrezia Borgia), Shirley Verrett (Maffio Orsini), Ezio Flagello (Don Alfonso), Franco Ricciardi (Jacopo Liveretto), Franco Romano (Don Apostolo Gazella)
RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra & RCA Italiana Opera Chorus, Jonel Perlea
Recorded May 1966, RCA Italiana Studios, Rome



I love this version. Self control required to stop me buying expensive earlier RCA release with Lucrezia cover and booklet with libretto. Caballe is beautiful. Verrett is handsome. Kraus is... well both.

[Clayton]

Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia
Sutherland, Horne, Aragall, Wixell
London Opera Chorus
National Philharmonic Orchestra
Richard Bonynge
1989



My wife says I'm sick. She's probably right; she usually is.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I've started a little Tutto Verdi project for myself and am listening to them all in chronological order. Have just given Oberto a few spins and forgot how much I like it. Fascinating to hear him at the start of his career.



Am about to move on to this now:

[Clayton]

Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, K492
Simon Keenlyside (Count Almaviva), Véronique Gens (Countess Almaviva), Patrizia Ciofi (Susanna), Lorenzo Regazzo (Figaro), Angelika Kirchschlager (Cherubino), Marie McLaughlin (Marcellina), Kobie van Rensburg (Basilio), Antonio Abete (Bartolo), Nuria Rial (Barbarina)
Collegium Vocale Gent, Concerto Köln,
René Jacobs
Recorded April 2003, Stolberger Saal (Köln)



A good recording; very good cast and presented in a beautiful box with a good booklet with libretto in four languages.
Of course very good sound as it is a studio recording.