What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Revenant]

Thanks again Dark Angel and Clayton for the recommendation: I received today my Sennheiser 558 and began putting it through its paces. Now kicking myself for not having upgraded earlier. I'm just an old man set in his ways. It's not only the stunning HD technology applied to a headset, but it captures not only nuances but also more upfront details that are otherwise absorbed by the atmosphere when it comes out of standalone speakers. It sends me to another world, and I like this version of being sent to another world much better than the one nature has in store for me. So it'll just have to wait, because I got me some business to attend here. I tested the headphones with my two favorite Ring recordings, the Pristine Classical remastering of the Clemens Krauss (1953) and the very first stereo recording of the Ring (afaik) in the Testament remastering: the Joseph Keilberth (1955). I've begun with Rheingold, of course. For both of the Rheingolds. I have no words! The Keilberth particularly has stunning vocal sonorities that are much clearer and crisper through this listening medium. Hotter's Wotan and the rest sound like a real-time broadcast in many passages. Oh, I plan to have some fun with this thing.

WAGNER Das Rheingold
Pristine Audio PACO 039

Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus
conducted by Clemens Krauss
Live concert recording from 1953

XR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, January 2010

Wotan - Hans Hotter
Donner - Hermann Uhde
Froh - Gerhard Stolze
Loge - Erich Witte
Alberich - Gustav Neidlinger
Mime - Paul Kuen
Fasolt - Ludwig Weber
Fafner - Josef Greindl
Fricka - Ira Malaniuk
Freia - Bruni Falcon
Erda - Maria von Ilosvay
Woglinde - Erika Zimmermann
Wellgunde - Hetty Pl�macher
Flosshilde - Gisela Litz
Choir and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival
conductor Clemens Krauss

And:

[Dark_Angel]

I received today my Sennheiser 558 and began putting it through its paces. Now kicking myself for not having upgraded earlier. I'm just an old man set in his ways. It's not only the stunning HD technology applied to a headset, but it captures not only nuances but also more upfront details that are otherwise absorbed by the atmosphere when it comes out of standalone speakers. It sends me to another world, and I like this version of being sent to another world much better than the one nature has in store for me.

Headphones have some unbeatable advantages over full size speakers with multiple elements, headphones use single full range speaker (no crossovers or cabinets) and completely eliminate any listening room distortions, also allow almost private listening without disturbing others.

The Sennheiser is very richly detailed and natural sounding for my taste and also very comfortable to wear..........

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Headphones have some unbeatable advantages over full size speakers with multiple elements, headphones use single full range speaker (no crossovers or cabinets) and completely eliminate any listening room distortions, also allow almost private listening without disturbing others.

The Sennheiser is very richly detailed and natural sounding for my taste and also very comfortable to wear..........

Yes I recently upgraded to the Sennheiser 598s and I am very happy with them too. The only disadvantage is when they pick up the prompter on opera dvds.

[Clayton]

Yes I recently upgraded to the Sennheiser 598s and I am very happy with them too. The only disadvantage is when they pick up the prompter on opera dvds.

They can even pick up someone in the amphitheatre if they've had baked beans for tea.



sorry. too crude?

[Clayton]

Ann Hallenberg, Karina Gauvin, Romina Basso

So Clayton does not owe Soave_Fanciulla a pint/packet of custard creams on her next visit to Berkhamsted?

What about the beautiful/nutty Elisa and regal/funky Araspe?


Anna Bonitatibus, Pietro Spagnoli

[Clayton]

Rameau: Les Surprises de l'Amour
Les Nouveaux Caractères, Sébastien d’Hérin

L’Enlèvement d’Adonis: Amel Brahim-Djelloul (Adonis), Virginie Pochon (Amour), Caroline Mutel (Vénus), Karine Deshayes (Diane), Anders Dahlin (Mercure), Magali Perol-Dumora (Une Nymphe)
La Lyre enchantée: Virginie Pochon (Parthénope), Karine Deshayes (Uranie), Anders Dahlin (Linus), Pierre-Yves Pruvot (Apollon)
Anacréon: Jean-Sébastien Bou (Anacréon), Karine Deshayes (La Grande Prêtresse), Caroline Mutel (Amour), Anders Dahlin (Agathocle), Davy Cornillot (Un Convive)
Recorded 8-14 March 2013 Espace du Tonkin, Villeurbanne, France

[Soave_Fanciulla]

So Clayton does not owe Soave_Fanciulla a pint/packet of custard creams on her next visit to Berkhamsted?

What about the beautiful/nutty Elisa and regal/funky Araspe?


Anna Bonitatibus, Pietro Spagnoli

Well they are all lovely.

I think I owe you a pint. Or possibly a Lagavullin.

[Hoffmann]

[Clayton]

mnghggdu!

Cricket season getting underway, garden starting to go haywire and there's the opera...

somethings gotta give.

idea.

cut down on eating and sleeping.

yup.

I'll give that a go.

otherwise today,

Wagner: Lohengrin
Klaus Florian Vogt (Lohengrin), Annette Dasch (Elsa), Susanne Resmark (Ortrud), Gerd Grochowski (Friedrich von Telramund), Markus Brück (Der Heerrufer des Königs), Günther Groissböck (Heinrich der Vogler)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin & Rundfunkchor Berlin,
Marek Janowski
Live recording 12 November 2012 Berlin Philharmonie concert performance



I like this Lohengrin and Elsa.

[Revenant]

Powerful sound from this fairly recent recording. I'm not acquainted with the niceties of sound engineering, but I think it could have used a little bit of dynamic range nuance. Or maybe it's just me. But a fine recording. Curtis just keeps it crackling along at a crisp, controlled yet exciting pace. Giulio and Cleo very good singers, particularly the latter.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Giulio and Cleo very good singers, particularly the latter.

I have admired Marie-Nicole Lemieux for some time, but Karina Gauvin is really making an impression on me recently. And don't you love Rrrrrrrromina Basso as Corrrrrrrrrnelia, those wonderful rrrolled rrrrrrs?

[Hoffmann]

mnghggdu!

Cricket season getting underway, garden starting to go haywire and there's the opera...

somethings gotta give.

idea.

cut down on eating and sleeping.

yup.

I'll give that a go.

otherwise today,

Wagner: Lohengrin
Klaus Florian Vogt (Lohengrin), Annette Dasch (Elsa), Susanne Resmark (Ortrud), Gerd Grochowski (Friedrich von Telramund), Markus Brück (Der Heerrufer des Königs), Günther Groissböck (Heinrich der Vogler)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin & Rundfunkchor Berlin,
Marek Janowski
Live recording 12 November 2012 Berlin Philharmonie concert performance



I like this Lohengrin and Elsa.

KFV is excellent throughout and does a bang-up "In Fernem Land" - gives me chills.

[Hoffmann]

and



This is a really superb Semiramide. Problem is, makes me feel like I'm cheating on Marilyn and Joan...

[Revenant]

I have admired Marie-Nicole Lemieux for some time, but Karina Gauvin is really making an impression on me recently. And don't you love Rrrrrrrromina Basso as Corrrrrrrrrnelia, those wonderful rrrolled rrrrrrs?

Yes! Even more mastication of those fricatives than Larmore!

[Revenant]

and



This is a really superb Semiramide. Problem is, makes me feel like I'm cheating on Marilyn and Joan...

I've been trying to get that Semiramide for months now. All the places I've tried are out of stock.