What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

A wonderful opera. Had he lived longer...

[Clayton]

Attachment 4502

This is one of my favourite CDs ever. I remember the excitement when it was "rediscovered", buying my copy in the galleria in Milan, falling in love with the music, laughing so hard at Raimondi's "medaglie incomparabili"...

Okay, I was not going to let this one go...

Rossini: Il viaggio a Reims
Katia Ricciarelli (Madame Cortese), Lucia Valentini Terrani (Marchesa Melibea), Lella Cuberli (Contessa di Folleville), Cecilia Gasdia (Corinna), Eduardo Giménez (Cavalier Belfiore), Francisco Araiza (Conte di Libenskof), Samuel Ramey (Lord Sidney), Ruggero Raimondi (Don Profondo), Enzo Dara (Baron di Trombonok), Leo Nucci (Don Alvaro)
Prague Philharmonic Chorus & The Chamber Orchestra of Europe,
Claudio Abbado
Live recording Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro 1984



Great fun!

[Hoffmann]

For yesterday's walk:



and, this morning - from the Opera Baroque Set:



Unfortunately, the summer heat and humidity seems to have set in here in Washington, which has a real downside in reducing the duration of my walks.

[Clayton]

...Unfortunately, the summer heat and humidity seems to have set in here in Washington, which has a real downside in reducing the duration of my walks.

Okay, so we need to up cost/performance of this time; let's take some more pictures during the walks and post them in the "this is where I live thread"!

[Clayton]

As there have been a number of mentions of Eugene Onegin, I decided that for todays listening I would put that CD on again. On again. On again chortle, chortle

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin
Thomas Allen (Eugene Onegin), Mirella Freni (Tatyana), Anne Sofie von Otter (Olga), Neil Shicoff (Lensky), Rosemary Lang (Larina), Ruthild Engert (Filipyevna), Paata Burchuladze (Gremin), Michel Sénéchal (Triquet), Gunther Emmerlich (Zaretzky), Jürgen Hartfiel (Captain)
Staatskapelle Dresden,
James Levine
Recorded June 1987, Lukaskirche, Dresden

[Soave_Fanciulla]

I finally listened to my own copy of this. A perfect line-up of voices for me: Natalie Dessay, Ann Hallenberg, Sonia Prina and Pavol Breslik.

[Hoffmann]

Yesterday's listening:



Although in stereo, the sound on this didn't strike me as particularly good - although Tito Gobbi and Victoria De Los Angeles are terrific. Which probably is a factor in that SB may take a couple of listens before it grows on me.



I hadn't listened to Ariadne auf Naxos in quite some time, and I always forget how good it is. I especially like this CD set - Gundula Janowitz and James King are outstanding!



Another recording with gorgeous singing that somehow gets overshadowed by other operas.

[Alexander]

Rienzi - I'm determined to take something from this 4 hour onslaught. All I seem to hear is people singing "Rienzi! Rienzi!"

[Clayton]

From Tchaikovsky (Чайко́вский) to Rimsky-Korsakov (Римский-Корсаков) and

The Legend of the Invisible city of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya

Сказание о невидимом граде Китеже и деве Февронии

Vladimir Galusin (Grishka Kutyer'ma), Galina Gorchakova (Fevroniya), Nikolai Putilin (Fyodor Poyarok), Nikolai Ohotnikov (Yury Vsevolodovich), Yevgeny Boitsov (Merchant I), Evgeny Fedorov (Merchant II), Nikolai Gassiev (Bear Trainer), Olga Korzhenskaya (Youth), Larissa Diadkova (Alkonost)
Kirov Opera & Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev
Recorded in 1994



Not just one of my favourite operas but if I had a list of cities I would like to see before I die then

Oh wait, that doesn't work...

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Very aptly named!

[Amfortas]

Very aptly named!

Oh, OK. At first I thought it said "SCREAMS of Pleasure."

[Clayton]

Oh, OK. At first I thought it said "SCREAMS of Pleasure."

If that was the case, I would have added it to the ever expanding wish list.

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No Orlandos for ages and then they all come at once. It's like London buses.

Hee hee!

This is almost exactly what Hugh Canning says before reviewing the Weimann production in the July edition of Opera magazine.

So either

London bus operations are that famous and everyone was waiting for the next Orlando recording...

or

Hugh Canning is also an Opera Lively fan and is reading our posts...

I fancy the second analysis.

So I thought I might come back here before deciding to promote the Jacobs recording up the wish list.

Handel: Orlando
Owen Willetts (Orlando), Karina Gauvin (Angelica), Allyson McHardy (Medoro), Amanda Forsythe (Dorinda), Nathan Berg (Zoroastro)
Pacific Baroque Orchestra,
Alexander Weimann
Recorded August 2012, Ryerson United Church, Vancouver



and oh dear! I might be back; trapped in that inescapable baroque phase.

[Hoffmann]

Yesterday:



I didn't much like this the first time I listened to it - the sound quality isn't particularly good, which distracted me from enjoying the opera itself, which I didn't know. Yesterday, I was able to get past the sound and appreciate the opera and the very high quality of the singing on this CD.

For my walk:



I do love Rossini - his operas are such a pleasure while walking, always make me smile.

And, finally wound up the afternoon with the Pièce de résistance:



Suliotis' performance here sends chills down my spine! All the principals are great. Really, really, wonderful CD - I can't believe this is out of print and so hard to find.

[Clayton]

Yesterday:



I didn't much like this the first time I listened to it - the sound quality isn't particularly good, which distracted me from enjoying the opera itself, which I didn't know. Yesterday, I was able to get past the sound and appreciate the opera and the very high quality of the singing on this CD.
...

A very good option for USD 12 + shipping (I think 4 for US) from BelCanto Society

Anita Cerquetti (Elvira), Mario Del Monaco (Ernani), Ettore Bastianini (Don Carlo), Boris Christoff (Silva), Luciana Boni (Giovanna), Athos Cesarini (Don Riccardo), Aurelian Neagu (Jago)
Chorus and Orchestra of Maggio musicale fiorentino
Dimitri Mitropoulos
Live performance, Florence, 25 June 1957



Good sound (you can listen to a sample which is true on their website) and stunning singing!

Also the Scnippers RCA recording is available on Arkiv



With Price, Bergonzi and Sereni performances that are quite brilliant.

...

I know you are off the Pav at the moment so I'll leave that one out...

[Dark_Angel]

Two really great Ernani's mentioned by Clayton, you must own them........