Imagine a voice as powerful and passionately dramatic as Callas, but with pure even tone top to bottom.......that singer is Rosa Ponselle
Using spotify premium for this, Callas cites Ponselle as her primary influence when starting her opera career and you can hear many stylistic similarities, for me the "disadvantage" of uneven tone for Callas when used skillfully actually enhances her dramatic delivery even more with an endless palatte of vocal effects in her toolbox...........
Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri
Agnes Baltsa (Isabella), Ruggero Raimondi (Mustafà), Enzo Dara (Taddeo), Frank Lopardo (Lindoro), Patrizia Pace (Elvira), Anna Gonda (Zulma), Alessandro Corbelli (Haly)
Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
Claudio Abbado
Recorded October 1987 Wien Konzerthaus, Mozart-Saal
Donizetti: Imelda de’ Lambertazzi
Nicole Cabell (Imelda), James Westman (Bonifacio Geremei), Massimo Giordano (Lamberto), Frank Lopardo (Orlando Lambertazzi), Brindley Sherratt (Ubaldo)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment,
Mark Elder
Recorded February & Mar 2007, Henry Wood Hall, London
I will say again Jess Thomas is the greatest Lohengrin (studio recording) I have ever heard, Grummer's Wagner work is also inspiringOriginally Posted by Hoffmann
I will say again Jess Thomas is the greatest Lohengrin (studio recording) I have ever heard, Grummer's Wagner work is also inspiring
I hate to admit this - here, of all places. I kind of daydream while I'm walking - I've seen all the scenery before, after all, so the mind wanders.
I was walking along listening to the above recording thinking, jeez, Rene Kollo sounds really good as Lohengrin (as context, I had just been reminiscing about the one performance of Lohengrin I've seen, which was Kollo singing with the Deutsche Oper when they toured to DC in 1975). As I got closer to home and "In Fernem Land" kicked in, I came to and realized I had been in a total fog.
I like Rene Kollo, but he never sounded nearly as good as Jess Thomas did on this recording.
Cilea: L’Arlesiana
Francesco Landolfi (baritone), Kyoung-Eun Lee (mezzo-soprano), Iano Tamar (mezzo-soprano), Mirela Bunoaica (soprano), Giuseppe Filianoti (tenor), Jin Seok Lee (bass), Juano Orozco (baritone)
Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Opernchor des Theater Freiburg, Kinderchor des Theater Freiburg, Camerata Vocale Freiburg,
Fabrice Bollon
Recorded 12-17 July 2012, Konzerthaus Freiburg, Rolf Böhme Saal
A little rainy today, so no walk. Instead, a little time spent with my friends Marc Antony and Cleopatra:
This is actually a really lovely opera, and very well sung. Music is always interesting with some beautiful melodies.
Massenet: Thaïs
Renée Fleming (Thaïs), Thomas Hampson (Athanael), Giuseppe Sabbatini (Nicias), Estefano Palatchi (Palemon)
Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine,
Yves Abel
Recorded Salle Franklin, Bordeaux, February 1997 & May 1998
Isn't it gorgeous?Massenet: Thaïs
Renée Fleming (Thaïs), Thomas Hampson (Athanael), Giuseppe Sabbatini (Nicias), Estefano Palatchi (Palemon)
Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine,
Yves Abel
Recorded Salle Franklin, Bordeaux, February 1997 & May 1998
Natalie
One of the best of the live MET broadcast series, 1968 performance with younger Caballe still in her dramatic bel canto singing style, music is well handled by Schippers with very good sound quality, you need this......
I haven't posted in a while (the shame) although I have checked in from time to time. Probably it is because I wasn't listening to a lot of opera until just recently... partially due to a curmudgeon of a studio mate who continually complains when I break out the operas. Nevertheless... recent listening includes:
I hadn't played this Lucia Popp disc in quite some time... and had forgotten just how good she was.
And right now:
"Suppose you were an idiot ... And suppose you were a member of
Congress .. But I repeat myself." -Mark Twain
I listened to this on Spotify and now I want it. Spotify is supposed to save you money. Hollow laugh.
This a a good recording of a good opera. The orchestral parts are particularly melodic.
Natalie
Stoppit D_A!!!!!!!!!
"Every theatre is an insane asylum, but an opera theatre is the ward for the incurables."
FRANZ SCHALK, attributed, Losing the Plot in Opera: Myths and Secrets of the World's Great Operas
Previously unknown to me 1986 studio MacBeth I found on spotify premium.
Sylvia Sass is a revelation as Lady M here one of the very best ever, Cappuccilli back as MacBeth 10 years after his famous Verrett recording.
Lambert Gardelli famous early Verdi conductor in the saddle here
Previously unknown to me 1986 studio MacBeth I found on spotify premium.
Sylvia Sass is a revelation as Lady M here one of the very best ever, Cappuccilli back as MacBeth 10 years after his famous Verrett recording.
Lambert Gardelli famous early Verdi conductor in the saddle here
You've done it again. Please stop it D_A! *Scuttles off to Amazon*
Ouch £50
Last edited by Ann Lander (sospiro); August 4th, 2014 at 04:50 AM. Reason: All D_A's fault
"Every theatre is an insane asylum, but an opera theatre is the ward for the incurables."
FRANZ SCHALK, attributed, Losing the Plot in Opera: Myths and Secrets of the World's Great Operas
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