What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Amfortas]

I can't really argue with that - you probably are right - German literature is thick with symbolism, but it seems to me an intellectual deconstruction that, while Schopenhauer may have influenced Wagner when he was composing T&I, hasn't been the focus of any of the staged productions I've seen (I've seen 4 or 5) - the day and night allusions as contrasting with life and death seem to be accurate, but they are a subtext to the extraordinary love duet in the second act, culminating in the Liebestod in the third. When I'm sitting in the opera house, listening to the passionate score, the philosophical discussion isn't what I'm thinking - albeit the undertones may be a critical link in why the opera has the effect that it does.

It becomes a question of semantics. I think of "subtext" as something not announced explicitly in the text, whereas the day/night, life/death opposition is stated explicitly and developed at length throughout the entire love duet (and elsewhere in the opera). It's true, many people pay much more attention to the "passionate score" than to the "philosophical discussion," but it's questionable whether that's the most complete response to Wagner's creation.

[Hoffmann]

Moving along toward finishing another tour of the Ring:

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Handel's Orlando on Youtube - same cast as in the upcoming CD. Orlando is a firefighter - it works quite well.

Rossini's Otello on the other hand, when staged, will always compare badly with Verdi's. The music is lovely, but just too cheerful for the subject matter. I'll swear the earworm I have going around in my head today is a melody he also used in the duetto dei gatti. One size fits all?
That said this staging and singing - especially the male parts - are probably as good as it gets - modern clothing but not mucking around with the story (Rossini's librettist has done enough mucking around of Shakespeare on his own!)

[Hoffmann]

I listened to this yesterday, and have to say it didn't do much for me. Maybe another opera that has to be seen to really be enjoyed.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

After a slight diversion with



have resumed my Tutto Verdi with:



but the one I prefer

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I'm feeling rather po-faced about this:



THEY CUT MY FAVOURITE ARIA!!! I mean why not just dump some recit and leave this in?

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

I'm feeling rather po-faced about this:



THEY CUT MY FAVOURITE ARIA!!! I mean why not just dump some recit and leave this in?

Why on earth would they do that? I don't know Handel very well but is this a common occurrence?

[Amfortas]

Why on earth would they do that? I don't know Handel very well but is this a common occurrence?

Yes. It's traditional to cut Natalie's favorite aria.

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Yes. It's traditional to cut Natalie's favorite aria.

Yes. I heard from several conductors that they do it in purpose just to upset Natalie.

[Clayton]

Verdi: La forza del destino
Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Ettore Bastianini, Giulietta Simionato, Cesare Siepi, Silvio Maionica, Gabriella Carturan & Piero di Palma
Orchestra e coro dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma,
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
Recorded - Rome, July 1955



Mario del Monaco vs Ettore Bastianini



great.

[Clayton]

Yes. It's traditional to cut Natalie's favorite aria.

Yes. I heard from several conductors that they do it in purpose just to upset Natalie.

Why are these people being so nasty to Natalie?

[Hoffmann]

To start the day:



Yes, my Handel box set arrived yesterday. Clayton is right - Deidamia is wonderful - Simone Kermes is awesome!

and, during my walk:

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Why are these people being so nasty to Natalie?

Beats me. I asked them exactly that, but all these conductors kept saying they wanted to upset her. Go figure.
One might understand it if they had a beef against sospiro. After all, they complain a lot about her predilection for this horrible thingy:



Or Amfortas! He thinks Parsifal is better than Les Troyens!!!

But Natalie? I don't know what she did to aggravate them!

Although, now that I think of it, it could be because she likes this...



.... better than this:



That would definitely do it!

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Beats me. I asked them exactly that, but all these conductors kept saying they wanted to upset her. Go figure.
One might understand it if they had a beef against sospiro. After all, they complain a lot about her predilection for this horrible thingy:

Well that just proves how discerning these conductors are

But Natalie? I don't know what she did to aggravate them!

I think it's that Benoît Jacquot's fault. After our Nat complained about his Werther



he's been whispering in the ears of certain conductors...

[Clayton]

GAETANO DONIZETTI
La Favorita
Fiorenza Cossotto · Luciano Pavarotti
Gabriel Bacquier · Nicolai Ghiaurov
Orchestra and Chorus of the
Teatro Comunale Bologna
Richard Bonynge
Recorded August 1974